Of course, I’d never tell him that.
I closed the door behind me and winked at my mate, the very best woman that had ever happened to me. Not only was she bold, smart, and funny, she was also relentless in her pursuit of happiness. I made her happy. She’d work Jamie for me. Right the fuck now. I couldn’t wait for it.
Reagan
Alpha Beast and Rey sat on our sofa. He was as big as his title, with piercing silver eyes and a mane of white hair that belonged on an old man, not this ruggedly handsome beast. Tattoos peeked beneath his sleeves and spread over his hands like black vines. I perused his massive frame. Where did this guy get shoes? Those feet belonged on a Bigfoot. He tapped his foot, and I looked away just as Mayhem sat beside me on the couch.
Rey of the Alpha Beast adjusted her sunglasses and tapped the sofa. “Come here, girl.” My new poodle sat beside her. “She’s potty trained, and I did some basic commands with her. She’s very sweet and bright.”
“Thank you for the dog,” I said. “How is Hanna?”
“She asked to see you.”
“I’d like that. How do I get up on the ship?”
“Dewlyn flies,” Alpha Beast said, eyes on Mayhem. “Call her up and visit with us. We don’t bite.”
Silence resumed, then Rey said, “Mayhem, I’m wondering if Paulina opened a bakery in New City.”
Paulina. Paulina. That name sounded familiar. Oh yes. “She bartends in Mayhem’s harem.”
Alpha Beast’s eyebrows shot up, and Rey’s mouth opened in a gasp. She found her voice and said, “You put Paulina, the master cake baker, to work a bar? But I asked for her to be placed in the kitchens.”
“Lore took care of your request,” Mayhem said. “But our menu didn’t suit her, so he moved her elsewhere.”
“Into the harem.” Alpha Beast said with a smirk.
“Baby,” Mayhem said, “I don’t have a harem.”
“What do you call all those women in your basement?”
“Oh my God, there are women stashed in the basement?” Rey said.
“Yeah,” Alpha Beast said. “What do you call that?”
Mayhem looked uncomfortable. “A misunderstanding.”
“It’s a harem,” I confirmed.
Rey cleared her throat. “Jamie, do you have a harem I should know about?”
“Nope, no, no, never.” He pierced Mayhem with a gaze. “Fuck your harem. Let’s talk about the cake. It’s sweet. My pregnant mate loves cake. Not vanilla. From Cake and Deco. She’s sensitive in matters of cake. The entire way down here, she looked forward to a mating party with cake.”
“Well,” I said. “Had you told me you’d be dropping in, I would’ve ordered a cake.”
Alpha Beast lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t need to announce myself in my city.”
“Not yet, anyhow.”
“What do you mean?”
“See, here’s the thing, Jamie. May I call you Jamie?”
“You may.”
“Some Men of Earth who were gambling in the big tent once mentioned a man. His name triggered my memory, but only briefly, as there are a ton of men with the same name. It wasn’t until Mayhem told me who he hunted that I felt I should say something.” I glanced at Mayhem, feeling uncertain. The Alpha Beast intimidated me. I called my dog, and when she came, I petted her, if only for comfort. Mayhem put a possessive hand over the back of my neck and stroked my skin. I leaned back into his hand. “I thought you should know I remember my old home.”
“I’m listening,” Jamie said.
“I don’t have many memories of my parents, but I know Daddy was a preacher, and we lived an extremely modest life. Mom put me to bed at night with stories of Daddy’s visions of God. She used to tell me little devils like me belonged with other devils. She’d meant people who didn’t believe in Daddy’s visions, like the ones where he claimed God had told him aliens came from Satan. Mike, the man who raised me, said it was why they’d left me behind. They thought I was devil’s spawn. My dad’s name is Tom.” I paused to let the name sink in. It took only seconds, and I saw the moment Jamie registered the name. He smiled, showing me his canines. Should I smile back? I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be impressed.
“Tom, the leader of Men of Earth. Their new prophet.”
“That’s right.”
“It could be any Tom,” Jamie said.
“It could be,” Mayhem said, “but it isn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I have ways of knowing. You know I do. The location is worth checking out,” Mayhem said.