Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters, #4)

by Kristy Cunning

He’s like a loaded shotgun with a sensitive trigger. I’m not good with those. At all. They always leave a mess for me to clean up.

I’m questioning why I have a very confusing relationship status with four guys, who all claim to want me, yet have to face things like this castle alone.

My stomach turns, and a part of me wonders if one of the guys didn’t take care of it earlier or something. Or perhaps throughout time. All the others have fallen to decay, but hers is perfect. She’s perfect. Exquisite, really. Polished and prim in her very decadent dress and jewels, flawless skin, and perfect posture.

“So what did she mean by uh-oh?” “He’s worrying about Idun’s reaction to some missing portraits, and yet can’t fathom why Violet thinks he’s in denial,” Damien states in a droll tone.

“You’re too touchy with Violet, overanalyzing each thing she says. That’s why she said uh-oh,” Damien tells him like he’s throwing him a bone, though I have no idea why he’s suddenly in such a giving mood.

“You need to give her the okay to be with more than just you, by the way. Make her feel at ease with it, because she’s gotten too attached to just you,” Damien adds, giving me a pointed look. “I’ve made it clear I’m willing to share. With as much danger as she attracts, I can’t imagine Violet capable of having just one protector.” “I recommend not referring to yourself as her protector,” Damien states

Absolutely no way would January Violet Carmine leap from that mountain for any reason at all. “What…the—”

His words die when Violet turns and kisses him hard, her fingers digging into his hair. He almost reacts on a delay, and Damien blinks, as Violet practically devours the vampire, who she pretends not to like, right in front of us.

It takes me an embarrassingly long second to look up from her very lacy underwear. She never wears sexy underwear, so this is a first. “New underwear?” I ask her as my eyes remain fixed on the cleavage, something that has my head at an awkward angle just to view.

Good times. Good times.”

Violet is already climbing a very happy vampire, who wraps his arms around her, as she drops a quick kiss to his lips without being prompted, and tucks her face against his neck. Arion never lets anyone that close to his neck, but the fucker just grins at us, because Violet trusts him far too much.

Animals scare me a little, hence the reason a cat can damn near give me cardiac arrest.” How terrible is it that our ex happens to have dens full of animals she controls? Fucking hell. “Ah, so that’s the real reason Emit’s struggling,” Arion chirps like this is the best day ever. “I know Emit’s wolf. It doesn’t scare me,” Violet says dismissively. Damien and I both sort of resist the urge to smile after that. Sweet, naïve girl indeed.

Ah, so this is what life is like with Idun on the surface. Just peachy.

“Why the fucking hell did you mess with her head, you bloody prat. I could’ve had her if you didn’t do that. Now it’d get me in trouble while she’s not of sound mind. Right? It would get me in trouble?” Damien says nothing as he drags me away from Arion, and my legs immediately wrap around the illusionist’s waist when he lifts me, kissing me even harder. “It’s a little wrong for you to do this right now, as well, Damien,” Vance points out dryly, but the sexual deviant starts carrying me away when I reach down to start undoing the front of his pants. “If he gets to touch her right now, then I shouldn’t be stopped either,” Arion argues.

“What is that?” I hiss, backing into Damien now. “Blue,” they all three say at once, like it’s no big deal there’s a yellow-eyed demon staring at us from under the crack of the wall.

“There’s a homicidal maniac on the other side of that wall, and you’re all calling him Blue like he’s a harmless Chihuahua. I’ve seen its teeth. And you used your sex deviant mojo on me to get me worked up that first go around,”

“Are we going to end up in a ball of flames on the ceiling? Because I think I’ve seen that in a movie or something involving yellow-eyed demons,”

“Easy, love,” Arion says like he’s amused. “He’s already scared. Don’t terrify the poor hound.” I stare up at him like he’s lost his damn mind.

“I was going to get him out of here. I feel bad knowing he’s been left here for a thousand years, forgotten.” “Now? Now you elect to grow a conscience? Do you have any idea how terrifying that thing is? It tried to eat my face!”

“I’m a little worried that Blue’s scaring you,” Arion says next to my ear, as he easily holds me to him. “Why wouldn’t a crazed, feral monster scare me?” I snap, feeling him grin next to my cheek. “You’re curled around one far worse than Blue, love,” he dutifully informs me. “Try to eat my face, and I promise I won’t be coiled around you,”

Oh, dear lord have mercy on my fractured mind. I forgot I lost my panties as well, thanks to…one of them…during that really heated moment. Someone call the psych ward. I’m overdue.

It looks like a Bloodhound and a Doberman had a baby. Then that baby got with a Rottweiler/Greyhound mix, and those two had a baby with some patchy fur, horribly yellow-eyed thing with massive teeth and enough height to keep Vance from having to bend over, as he scratches the dog’s chin. “Holy massive scary dog,” I say on a gasp. That dog isn’t far from being eye-level with me. At five-feet-nine-freaking-inches. And that’s with all four paws on the ground. “It’s a horse. Not a dog,” I hiss.

Mostly naked and only covered in the coat he bought me as I cling to him is sending all the wrong signals, and I feel like a bitch for that. It’d be easier if I feared him like I should.

“I’ll let you lead. I won’t push too fast. You’re mostly naked and I’m mostly behaving,” Arion goes on, grinning near my ear. “Just let me stay tonight, and you can ask whatever you want. I’ll answer.” He had to go and make it really damn tempting. I have so many questions only he can answer, and the longer he touches me, the more complicated it makes spending a night alone with him, even if he is as good as he promises to be.

“I’m the sexual deviant, Violet. Not Arion,” Damien mutters like he’s annoyed to have to say something encouraging. I feel Arion’s grin growing. “No feeding from her without supervision,” Vance says very pointedly to Arion. “Yes, father,” Arion says, smirking as he leans back, feeling really relaxed against me.

This is why giving a little is always giving too much with Arion. The problem is, I never actually agreed to this. They just decided it for me.

“You’re the one who talked her into agreeing. I don’t even know if she actually fucking agreed, or if we just agreed for her—now that I think about it,” Vance gripes, as he huffs and runs a hand through his hair. I pause, running the scene back through my mind, and let my head fall back as my lips tense. “She didn’t ever agree,” I say on a long groan. “Why is it impossible for us to stop fucking up the first good thing to happen to us in bloody ages?” I ask very seriously.

“Violet leaves her mind open now, letting me find her. But when she was jumping from the castle and yelling for Arion, I reached, and the connection was severed.” “What?” I ask, confused. “When she’s scared and thinks danger is lurking, she cuts me out to protect me.”

“She thinks you weak?” I ask, wondering if it’s a holiday or something, given the two-for-one bonus with Emit being considered feminine.

I can’t believe I’m the only one being asked to play nice with this lot, and I sent her off with Arion like I had some divine right. I’m never going to be out of trouble.

“She asked about the first time Arion fed. She knew which room was Caroline’s. She never once mentioned the portraits of Idun. She flew out a window instead of fainting because we were near, and she trusted Arion could catch her. She’s a contradiction, because she’s figuring out the answers on her own without the deliberate questioning, all because we never gave her the answers she sought when she tried asking directly. She changes and adapts so quickly to her surroundings that it’s jarring by the time you catch on. I have a lot of specifics on my mind. Pick one, Damien,”

Lately, I sincerely find myself fantasizing about punching his face more than I ever have in these many long centuries.

“He told Arion he could take her without even asking Violet’s opinion on the matter.”

“It’s true enough. Maybe Violet will roll with it,” I say with a fantastically enthused smile, loving my new plan. Fake it until I make it. Vance rolls his eyes, muttering something about me being dumber than a wolf, which causes the dumb mutts to all growl. I just grin more.

I quickly open the image he’s sent, and then I grip the phone just a little tighter when I realize it’s a very short clip of Violet. Naked. Showering. Oblivious to the ten second video being taken… I really should delete it. Instead, I save it to my damn phone and mentally note to let her know I have it so that it’s less Damien-creepy.

I never got to find out where my underwear went, but it was probably swallowed up by dust or put in someone’s pocket. That’s just my life these days. I don’t understand it either.

The awkward elevator music is a rendition of Ghost Busters, and I shake my head at the irony. Anna would be singing every single word. At least I’m not wearing the underwear this time. Hell, I’m not wearing anything but a bra, a coat, and boots. I’m not sure my life situations have improved, at present.

Immediately, I’m a little uncomfortable, because this is way too fancy for a girl who lost her clothes in a dog fight, for Pete’s sake. I’m too much of a hot mess for fancy things.

I actively force myself not to angle my head and expose my throat to him, since there’s apparently some merit to this omega crap. If that’s what I am.

“Can I take your coat for you?” I guess I should have expected this. “I’ll wait until I have something else to—” He pulls his shirt over his head, revealing the shorter sleeved one underneath, before tossing the top shirt to me. It’s when he does sweet things that I go back to singing Weak in my head.

“For a girl scared of planes, trains, and automobiles, you don’t seem too rattled by the crash.” “Thousands of volts of electricity coursing through my body and causing every muscle to contort in agony is a marvelous distraction,” I dryly inform him, giving him a pointed look. “Is this your way of trying to sample my blood again to see if I’m who I say I am?” His smirk could mean a number of things, so I don’t read into it.

“I’m not asking for sex. I’m just a man who is truly starved for affection, even the smallest amount,” he assures me. “You’re trying to sound pathetic again.” “Is it working?” he asks hopefully. Considering I want to give him a hug when he sounds pathetic—fake or not—I’d say it’s working. “Not even a little,” I lie.

Have one of the others scavenge the plane. I’m not leaving Violet alone. She hasn’t even figured out I’m in here yet, so I’ve changed my mind and I’m staying. Damn girl is too much of an easy target.

Her motions aren’t graceful or meant to seduce—more hurried than anything—but I still can’t help but wonder what it’d be like to have her do that for me, and wonder how to broach that topic.

A small smile graces my lips, because she wouldn’t take the bloody gift, and now she won’t risk it because it’s precious to her. Quite the enigma, our little Violet.

It makes me want to taste her blood again just to double check. Then she slips and almost falls, catching herself just barely, and I know for certain it’s not Idun. Idun wouldn’t even fake a stumble. Too much pride. Violet rights herself quickly, and I answer like I didn’t notice the fact the poor girl occasionally struggles with the basics—standing on her own two feet. I’m not sure why she hasn’t been under constant surveillance already.

wondering how she’d act if I just stepped in with her. I think I promised to behave… Why did I do that?

“Vance was always the one she chased the hardest. Damien was the second most chased. Emit was…not really chased as hard or as eagerly. After immortality, he became a bit whiny.”

“I’d have you do nothing. If he wants to be with someone else, so be it. It’ll hurt, I might cry, and then I’ll carry on. Snowball downhill, remember? I survived my mother’s death when I believed it to be real—I can survive a breakup.” I’m not really sure what to say to that. It seems like such an under-reaction to the very possible hypothetical.

“I’m the most loyal, which is my point,” I resume, needing to ensure she’s understanding. “I’ll be the one to hold the pieces together when they start falling apart. It’s just one piece of knowledge you’ll benefit from with me at your side, Violet. Just one. I’ll be there to keep them with you, so long as you promise not to tear us all apart…the way she did, by the end.”