“Well, that actually works out quite nicely as we need to go back to New York anyway and it’s a quick hop over the border. Two hours max, door to door. And with a push, I can always do a stealthy Astral in and out before someone sees me.” I grin at him and he relaxes again now that we have a plan of sorts in place.
“What business do you have in New York?” he asks.
“The Cade thing, remember? Also, I could do with spending some time in the offices there. You know, rustle a few feathers.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Devon says. “I will also come. I have been meaning to suggest a field trip. This is perfect.”
“Like I’d let you stay in L.A. by yourself anyway,” I say to him with a smirk.
He returns it and takes my hand.
“Hm, speaking of Cade. Where did you meet him?” Cole asks innocently, ignoring us.
I had wondered when that topic was going to come up. I clear my throat and say, “I saw him Milan, in our hotel first. I was, um, looking for something to, well you know, eat, and he was the only AB Neg in range.”
“You went hunting? In the hotel?” he asks incredulously.
“I was hungry. It was the day of the Power transfer. I was going crazy. Anyway, when I got off the jet at JFK, he was behind me in the coffee line. We spoke, briefly.”
“Oh,” he says, a bit annoyed.
Lincoln drums his fingers on the table, as we have basically been ignoring him, making me feel bad for excluding him.
“So, Lincoln, before you came here. Where was home?” I ask.
Surprised by the sudden interest in him, he says, “Chicago, before here. I came to Europe to find more of my kind, and got caught in the Lance trap.”
“How did you manage to get yourself cursed?” Devon asks with his usual bluntness.
“Devon! That’s not really any of our business,” I scold him.
“It’s not something I care to discuss at the moment, if that’s okay,” Lincoln says grimly, and the subject gets dropped.
“Well, you will be coming home with me now,” I say to him. “With us,” I amend at the bristling going on next to me.
He looks surprised. “To Los Angeles?”
“That would be home. I think,” I add wryly. “We seem to have been everywhere but there lately.”
“You don’t need to take responsibility for me, Liv. I will be fine.”
“You are my responsibility. You are one of mine now.”
He looks at me sharply. “One of yours?”
“I don’t mean in a prisoner sense,” I snap. “I am your Queen and it is my mother’s wish to unite the Underworld. You are a member of the Underworld, are you not?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then you are one of mine and I will take responsibility for you. You will come back to Los Angeles with us and should you choose to accept it, the position of…” I pause, trying to
think up a name, “Head Werewolf,” I say lamely.
All three of them burst out laughing. “Is that best you could come up with, Kitten?” Devon asks in between snorts of laughter.
“On the spur of the moment. Yes!” I say haughtily.
“Well, how can a guy refuse such an esteemed position?” Lincoln chuckles.