9. Mine

I couldn't believe Cy was kidding around with me and offering up a drunken game night. Had she fallen and hit her head, or did the last twenty-four hours knock something loose? Maybe they were more lonely than they thought. Sometimes you didn't realize it until someone popped in and didn't drain your social batteries. That hits you hard.

Are you sure you want to spend another evening with little ole me?

She snorted and started walking toward the cabin. "You're not that annoying. Besides, it will make Ellie happy."

With her back to me, signing was useless, but I did it anyway. She can't always be the scapegoat.

I didn't mean just this. I had a feeling there were many missing pieces to the story that Ellie didn't know, and despite knowing it wasn't her fault, she had to be at the center of it. I had maybe one and half pieces in total, but hey, I was a good guesser, and that was my guess.

"What is your drink of choice? We have a fully stocked bar upstairs." Cy looked over her shoulder at me, and I picked up the pace to walk beside her. Her long legs made it difficult, but I managed.

I quirked my brow, still confused by her sudden change in attitude, but I wasn't going to point it out and ruin the niceties that were coming my way.

Rum and whatever delicious things that go with it so it tastes like candy.

"A guaranteed hangover. Got it." I rolled my eyes and asked her the same question. "Anything that doesn't taste like shit." Cy shrugged as if that made any fucking sense for someone who knows nothing about her tastes.

So insightful. Thanks.

I marched ahead, taking the same path Ellie and I had taken out here. Cy didn't stop me or yell at me, so I figured there were no traps or anything. Maybe there were and she was waiting to swoop in at the last second to make her point.

Either way, the rule was they couldn't hurt me, so it would end up fine. Hopefully.

I know I was throwing a small hissy fit about Cy not opening up, and it would in no way help that relationship even though she seemed to be trying, but it was still irritating. I didn't ask some deep question about her past, but her cryptic answer sure made it seem like it.

I marched in the back door, which I now knew was one of the doors on the back wall. Odie and Ellie weren't in here, so that meant I could run and hide from Cy in my bedroom or suck it up and start drinking with her early. It was only three now, and as much as I wanted a shot or two to calm my shit, I didn't want to completely fuck myself over with alcohol.

"I think Odie veered off to have a talk with Ellie. It's been a long time coming." Cy closed the door behind us and sighed. Her pale blue eyes washed over with regret.

At least one year too late if you asked me.

"You're right about that." Her lips thinned as she pressed them together in thought. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say more but quickly closed her lips again. Her shoulders drooped slightly. "I'm sure Ellie will fill you in later. I'm going to get started on dinner. I'm making chicken skewers with chimichurri and pita bread."

My mouth instantly watered. I gulped down the extra spit and said, I'm going to go take a nap, then. Let me know when dinner is ready, then we can play games and see who is the better drinker?

"Deal." Cy smiled, and it transformed her face from the grumpy fae I first met to a cheerful one full of youthful energy.

That reminded me… How old are you and Odie?

She laughed and looked at me like I was crazy. "Where did that come from?"

Given my irritation at her withholding information, I refused to do the same, hoping it would loosen her up some more. A part of me wanted to be an ass and meet her at her level, but that wouldn't get me anywhere.

Your smile, it makes you look young and happy after all the frowning you do.

"Ah, right." The frown went back into place, and I glared at her. "It's a habit. Anyway, I'm thirty-five, and Odie is thirty-seven."

I side-eyed her, thinking the age gap was odd between Odie and Ellie. Plus, I was only twenty-two.

"Surprised? Primarchs might have a similar lifespan to Humans, but we stay—I don't think young is the right word for it, but that's what we are taught. We are at our primes for a longer period, especially the Alphas." Cy held her head a little higher, and I didn't think it was on purpose. Honestly, it was cute, and at a later time, I might mention it.

A little, but I don't know much about the Primarchy.

"We can spill a little more over games and drinks. Besides, Odie loosens up after a drink or two."

I snorted. She isn't the one who needs to loosen up, Cy.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. We will see what you think after a few shots, hm? Now go nap so I can make dinner without a distraction." Cy spun toward the kitchen and got to work as if I wasn't there.

I made my way down the hall to my bedroom, thinking about how nice it was to see this side of her. There was still a wall up, but it wasn't like yesterday. They really were just normal people with a little extra razzle dazzle and even dumber rules and hierarchy than the Human world.

I couldn't blame them for the cold shoulder. I'd act the same. At least they fed, clothed, and housed me without too much complaint, and I didn't have to ask.

A smile formed on my lips as I opened my door, leaving the light off. I stripped down and tossed on the shirt I slept in last night before sliding into bed. The heat from the sun and vitamin D knocked me right out.

What felt like seconds later, someone was poking my forehead.

"Wake up, Mine. Food is ready!" Ellie emphasized each word with a poke.

I batted her away and rolled over onto my back, wiping away the drool that was seeping out of my mouth.

"Hurry up. It smells delicious, and Cy won't let me eat until you're out there." She skipped out the door, leaving me to wake up and get my shit together.

Pushing aside the covers, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The nap was well needed, and I didn't want it to end so soon. The clock said it was a little after five, so I got a decent amount in.

Throwing off the shirt, I put back on the clothes I discarded earlier, then headed out to the living area where they were all sitting down, waiting for me.

I took my seat between Cy and Ellie. The former filled my water glass, and the latter started digging into the delicious-looking food. The chicken was nicely charred, and Cy had clearly marinated it in something. It was tinged red, and I couldn't wait to dig in.

We all filled our plates with skewers and freshly made pita bread, and Cy made sure we all had sauce cups.

I took a taste of the chicken, and flavor exploded across my tongue. My eyes grew wide, and I couldn't help but take another large bite.

"Is it good?" Ellie and I nodded aggressively while stuffing our faces, and Cy chuckled, clearly happy we were enjoying her food.

I pulled a small piece off and dipped it in the chimichurri, and somehow that made it all even more tasty. I made bites of pita, chicken, and sauce, shoving them in my face without caring how I looked. It was amazingly well done, and I would need to know how she did it before I left.

Eventually, I overate as expected and explained that I would need to be rolled into the living room so we could play games. Ellie agreed, and to stop our whining, Odie and Cy cleaned up around us, but they ended up refusing to carry us like we wanted. For me, it was a joke, but I couldn't say the same for Ellie.

We all managed to make it around the coffee table, sitting on the floor. Cy whipped us all up some drinks, and Odie brought out a few board games.

I didn't know what mine was, but I tasted pineapple and rum, so I was a happy camper. Odie's was a gin and tonic from the looks of it, and I was appalled. Gin was one thing, but tonic water tasted like fizzy ass. Cy had something similar to mine, but it looked darker. Ellie was given a virgin mimosa with a cherry on top.

I perused the games while sipping on my drink through the little straws Cy had stuck in it. There were the usuals like Monopoly and Sorry, but I wasn't interested in those this time. The one that stood out was Cascadia.

Holding it up, I tapped the front to show them that it was what I wanted to play.

"Are you sure?" Odie asked. "Have you played before?"

I shook my head as I sat it down on the table, opening it up and making sure all drinks were out of the way.

"That's okay. It's not a difficult game unless you're drunk." Odie sipped her drink with a quirked brow.

I glared at Cy who held up her hands. "I may have mentioned our bet."

"What bet?"

I let Cy handle the explanation while I got everything pulled out and started reading the rules. Odie was right. It didn't seem difficult, but there were quite a few working pieces you had to remember in order to get the most points.

"Mine thinks she can out drink me. That's all. We haven't set any prizes yet."

"Ooh, do that. I want to know what the winner gets." Ellie was giddy next to me.

I set down the rule book and said, How about if I win, I get to snoop through every drawer in the house?

Odie and Cy's eyebrows shot up, and their mouths fell open. "Cy, you better fucking win."

She got back her composure and smirked. "Like I was going to lose." She rolled her eyes. "If I win, you take over my cooking and laundry duties while you're here." Cy's smirk turned greedy as if I wouldn't have helped out if she had just asked. Her loss.

Deal. Let the games begin.