2. Pietro

2

PIETRO

I bend to smell the enormous bouquet of flowers in my arms, straight black hair falling over my eyes. Ohken has outdone himself with today’s arrangement. Blood-red roses and black dahlias are peppered with the darkest of green leaves, so dark they’re nearly black. Absolutely stunning.

“Happy with your order, Pietro?” His deep voice breaks through my thoughts.

Brushing my hair back, I pull in another quick whiff before smiling up at the enormous green troll.

“Perfetto,” I say with a big grin. “And the scent? Delicious, my friend. This will be beautiful on the countertop at the store.” I love how the flowers match the swirling tattoos that line my neck and trail down my chest to my stomach. Not to mention, their aroma reminds me a bit of home. Well, not my home haven, specifically. They remind me of her.

Valentina.

My compliment brings a smile to Ohken’s rugged face, lips splitting to reveal the short lower jaw tusks common among his kind.

Once I’ve paid, he strolls casually around the checkout counter, crossing the store to pull the door open for me. I’m tall, but the flowers are so big, I can barely see over their elegant blossoms.

Clutching the base carefully, I step out of Fleur and nod my thanks to Ohken. Out on the street, new scents and noises fill my sensitive ears and nose. I twitch the pointed tip of one ear to catch conversations happening around me. It’s just the usual early morning chatter from my neighbors.

Main Street is busy despite the early hour. Although, monsters keep all sorts of hours, so it’s rarely completely dead on Main. Various monsters call out my name and wave hello as I cross over, walking past Miriam’s Sweets and Scoops Ice Cream.

Somehow, all I seem to notice is that Main Street seems full of couples. There’s the centaur pair crossing the opposite direction, smiling and waving at me. Two shifters sit on the sidewalk outside of Scoops, licking melty ice cream cones. And then, of course, a group of couples are leaving my coffee shop, Higher Grounds.

Couples don’t usually bother me. Seeing love doesn’t usually bother me. But lately, the age-old ache to have someone is more persistent. My brother, Alessandro, says it’s homesickness, that I simply miss Azuro, our home haven. But I know my melancholy isn’t a result of that. Home is where he and I are with Valentina. And it has been far too long since we’ve seen her.

Ever recently welcomed three new residents—human women—called here by our Keeper. Almost immediately, all three found monster mates within Ever’s wards.

I’m jealous. That’s my issue. My mate walks a different path from mine. I’d never pull her from her dreams and ambitions. Alessandro and I had our own dreams, which is why we came to Ever. But I’d like the day to come when Fate aligns our paths together into one, twining us into a tangled but permanent three-way knot. It has to happen eventually. I have to believe that.

Lost in thought, I don’t notice I’m at the door to the coffee shop until Higher Grounds swings it open for me.

“Thoughtful girl,” I murmur to my store, rubbing the door frame with an elbow to let her know I’m appreciative. The tiny bell above the door dings, announcing my presence.

My employee, Carolya, smiles at me, rounding the counter to take the blooms from my arms.

“Busy morning, Boss!” she chirps, translucent pixie wings fluttering at her back. Like all pixies, her primary job is to work in the pixie dust factory in the Community Garden. That dust powers Ever’s protective wards—it’s highly important work. I’m lucky to steal her for a few shifts per week.

I glance around the coffee shop. As always, when Carolya’s working, it’s spic and span. Everything is refilled, clean, and working properly.

“I wish you could teach Alessandro a thing or two about your process,” I tease. Except it’s not really a joke. We both know Alé might be the charmer of the two of us, but neat and tidy he is not .

Carolya snorts. “Good thing you’ve got me here to sort it out. The espresso machine was sputtering and spewing everywhere when I arrived.”

I grin, patting her shoulder, careful not to touch her anywhere that might seem inappropriate. “Indeed, friend. Thank the gods for your assistance.”

She beams, cheeks blushing pink, before turning from me. I trail her behind the counter, where she sets the flowers down and begins separating the giant bouquet into three smaller ones. One for the pickup counter, another for the front entryway, and one I’ll take upstairs to Alé.

As she works, the steady thrum of Carolya’s blood, the way it eddies and swirls through her veins, calls my fangs. She’s always relaxed here at work, her heartbeat the same fast thud as all the pixies. Around us, our patrons’ conversations reach my ears, overwhelming my senses with scents and whispered sweet nothings. It all serves to drag my mind back to what I was thinking about when I left Fleur.

Movement catches my attention. The ceiling tiles are rippling, cascading outward from a delicate chandelier in the middle of the space.

Carolya chuckles. “The shop likes your new bouquet, Pietro. Well done. The blood-colored roses are a nice touch.”

I smile, patting the countertop lovingly.

No, I don’t miss Azuro. I love Ever, and I love Higher Grounds.

I miss Valentina. I hope whatever—or whoever—she’s doing, she’s happy and having fun.