She groaned and punched him, which led to other things. Nicer things.

Chapter 14

“You’re moving in?”

Antonia nodded with a mouthful of breakfast. “As of right now,” she added, spraying the queen with scrambled eggs.

“Oh. Okay. You’re moving in? Okay. I thought you were going to leave. We all—I mean, we didn’t want you to go but didn’t feel like we could make you stay. Ugh, don’t smile like that! Especially not with your mouth full.”

She swallowed but couldn’t help grinning. “Better get used to it.” They had wanted her to stay? Had talked about convincing her? How charming!

She scooped more eggs onto her plate. Damn, that Sinclair could cook! Where’d he gotten to, anyway? Oh, who cared?

“Don’t you have to call your boss, or leader, or whatever?” Betsy asked, sitting across from her and picking eggs out of her hair.

“Did it last night.”

“So it’s all taken care of.”

“Umm-hmm.” Michael had sounded almost insultingly relieved at the news that she wasn’t coming back. If she hadn’t had Garrett, she might have been devastated. But as it was…

“I have a new family now. Don’t look scared, I’m only going to get sentimental for a minute.”

“I wasn’t scared,” Betsy said defensively. “Just surprised, is all. You have to admit, you kind of pulled a one-eighty in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Yeah, well, this is where I’m supposed to be. My lover’s here, he lets me be as rough as I want—”

Betsy put her hands over her ears. “Overshare!”

“—you guys don’t seem to care if I can see the future or shit nickels.”

“I think I liked the gruff, unsentimental side of you a lot better.”

“So I’m staying.”

“Well, that’s great. A werewolf who can see the future will probably come in handy.” She gestured to the cavernous kitchen. “And it’s not like we don’t have the room.”

“Yeah, having me around all the time will be a help, get it?”

“Uh, no.”

“And by hanging out here, I get what I want.” Lover. Love. Family. Acceptance.

“Oh! So—”

“I switched it around by accident. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. Bottom line: I get what I want. Then I help you by moving in. Or I move in with you. Then I get what I want. Either way, I was right. Again. I just don’t have enough faith in myself, that’s the problem.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem.” Betsy looked mystified. “I don’t get it.”

“If you were as smart as me,” Antonia assured her, “you would.”

“Oh, goody. Someone else who has zero respect for me. Because there aren’t enough of them hanging out in this mausoleum.”

Garrett picked that moment to bound in, give Antonia’s hair a friendly yank, and bound back out.

Betsy watched him go. “How, uh, sweet.”

“Wow! I didn’t even hear him come in that time! God, what a man.” Antonia sighed and shoveled more eggs in her mouth. “Isn’t that just the sexiest, coolest thing you’ve ever seen?”

“Urn. Let me get you a napkin. Possibly five.”

“Bitch.”

The queen laughed at her. “See you.”