Chapter 28: Seiran

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Seiran

G ranny Rollins’s house was home for years, and being back in it fills me with a nostalgic feeling. She was brash and said how she felt without sugarcoating. It makes me a little sad that Greer didn’t come for her funeral. If she had, we could have bonded over our mutual grief and had a few extra years together. It also would have saved her from the misery of her first transformation.

I don’t necessarily believe that the universe has a plan for things, but Greer showing up sure did bring Reign, Novak, and me back together. At least there’s some good to be had.

I shove her charger and phone into the outside pocket of her duffel bag. Glancing around, I check to see if there’s anything I missed that she would want, but I was thorough. It’s not like we can’t come back if I missed something.

It’s a quick trip down the stairs, and I’m headed toward the front door when the energy in the room changes.

“Where’s Greer?” The voice belongs to Hazel, and it comes from directly behind me.

I’m not proud of the fact that I squeal, jumping so high in the air the duffel bags on each side slap against my hips. My feet finally locate the ground, and I spin around.

“Hazel, what a pleasant surprise,” I say, plastering on the fakest smile I can force onto my face. “She’s giving her testimony to the paranormal council to hopefully clear Novak of any wrongdoing.”

“I looked into Cole. He left Haven shortly after Greer. I haven’t been able to locate him, which is unfortunate.” She sighs. “If he pops back into town, I’ll take care of him, but I thought I should let you know.”

I nod. “Thank you. Would you like to accompany me to the council building to tell Greer for yourself?”

She takes a quick step back. “No. I trust you to pass along the information. Remind Greer to call her family and especially Ember. She won’t stop harassing me for information that isn’t mine to give.”

And before I can blink, she’s gone. Hmm, that’s not strange or anything. It leads me to believe Hazel might have a secret or two she’s keeping from the paranormal council.

I drop everything off at Novak’s house, aside from Greer’s phone, and make my way to Chaos to wait for them to arrive. Black Cove is large for a sanctuary city, and it’s strange to see the crowd I used to know so well. I haven’t seen many of these faces in years, but I suppose we ran in different circles.

Come to think of it, I rarely left Granny’s house for a while after she passed. Is it possible for an incubus to experience depression? If it is, no one warned me. Then again, I’m a first generation demon, meaning I was born fully formed from the pits in Hell rather than from parents.

I stop by Novak’s office to plug in Greer’s phone and make a trip to Rut to get the party started before ending up back in Novak’s office to wait.

Time passes slowly as I ponder what I’m supposed to do next. Greer and I bonded quickly out of necessity, but now we get the joy of learning all there is to know about one another.

Reign will woo her with his fae magic. He’ll help her with her hair and makeup and spoil her until she feels like the only woman on the planet.

Novak will captivate her with lessons on how to be a vampire. They’re also fated, which feels like one step up from a chosen mate. If she even chose me. Technically speaking, I pushed that connection out of desperation, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be anything less than a loving and dutiful mate.

I just have to find a way to connect with her. Something special that only I can provide…so, basically, I’m fucked.

And not in the good way.

My sweet no-longer-a-siren heads directly for me when she spots me sprawled out on Novak’s couch.

“Hi,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around her back as she climbs onto my lap. “How did it go?”

She shrugs. “I’m not sure he believed me, but I was truthful. Only, I didn’t have enough information to tell them how to find Cole.”

Reign watches Greer as Novak addresses something on his phone. I speak loud enough for them to hear as I go over Hazel’s visit.

“Huh, maybe he’s dead?” Greer offers. “That would be awesome, but it’s strange that even Hazel couldn’t locate him.”

“Might I ask what species Hazel is?” Reign takes a seat in the club chair closest to us and leans over, running his hand down Greer’s spine.

Greer swallows thickly. “It’s kind of a secret, and it’s not mine to tell…” She hums, like she’s thinking through what’s safe enough to share. “She’s extremely powerful, and I trust her. She’s not a threat to any of us. Is that enough to put you at ease?”

Reign’s lips push together, but he nods.

I’m not sure I’m satisfied with that, but I suppose it’ll have to do.

“I still need to address issuing a check to those humans,” Novak says distractedly. “Reign, would you mind supervising that exchange?”

The mimic nods. “Sure, then I need to pop in over at Rage and verify things are running smoothly in my absence.”

“I hate that I’ve thrown your schedules off.” Greer snuggles closer to my chest. She’s a very cuddly thing, and I love every second of it. “I can help out, though. I can bartend or serve. It’s what I’ve done as a career for the last few years.”

Novak makes his way over, and I pull my legs off the couch to give him somewhere to sit. “Once you’ve settled into your change, you can pick any job you’d like. For now, you can simply enjoy a well-deserved break.”

“Well-deserved? All I did was die,” Greer says with a snort. “But I don’t want to risk experiencing bloodlust while I’m trying to serve someone a gin and tonic, so I totally get it.”

“Good, relax with Seiran. The house may be a bit far, but you could snuggle in here or have a drink down in the club.” Novak leans over, planting a kiss on her temple.

“We’ll find something to do to pass the time,” I say playfully.

Greer nods, burying her arms under mine and cuddling her face to my chest. It makes me feel like a fucking king. I don’t have the first clue what I did to deserve her, but I’m grateful she’s mine.