“We had a short reprieve as Dad cupped Mom’s face and ranhis hands down her neck, over her shoulders. “Helena, are youhurt?”She waved that away. “I’m fine.” She smiled briefly, thenturned hard eyes on us. Each of us took a healthy stepbackward and not a single one of us felt any less manly for thewise retreat.”

“All right.” Lucy shouldered her way to my side and made a waving motion as if they were annoying flies. “Shoo!” She narrowed her eyes. “I said shoo.”They dispersed, mostly startled into moving. Only Logan remained, leaning casually against the wall.“Darling, I’m not some insect to be chased away.”“Darling?” She snorted amiably. “You’re not ninety years old, either.”He straightened. “I’m charming,” he informed her. “And women like endearments.”

“She craned her neck, glared at me through the small opening, and took a step back.And then she kicked my door in.Was it any wonder I was falling for her?""Chapter 24”

“You are beautiful as always, Violet," he murmured. His parents smiled at us from where they sat sipping wine. There. Every single one of us was smiling.It was all very pleasant, even if my cheeks were starting to hurt.”

“He shrugged one shouler, looked away. "It's not so bad,not really.""Why do you stay?" I asked quietly. "Is it because your mother mentioned me?""I knew I shouldn't have told you that," he muttered."What did she say, Colin?"He didn't answer right away. "Colin?"He sighed, raked a hand through his hair. "She spoke of a girl with violet eyes.That's all.""Do you still miss her?""Aye." He came closer."Is that why you stay? To honor her memory? Even though my mother is horrid?"His eyes locked onto mine. "I stay for you, Violet."I suddenly felt warm all over. "For me?”

“My brothers are idiots.Anyone can see that under the scars and the attitude, Isabeau is more fragile than she looks. And as a reclusive Hound princess, her first introduction to the royal family shouldn’t be a dose of Hypnos and four idiots gawking at her.If I’d managed not to gawk, they sure as hell could have. She was beautiful, fierce, and utterly unlike anyone I’d ever known.It was really hard not to gawk.Much better to pace outside her door with one of our Bouviers sitting at the top of the stairs watching me curiously.“This sucks, Boudicca,” I told her. “I don’t think we inherited Dad’s diplomacy.”She laid her chin on her paws. I could have sworn she rolled her eyes.”

“He’s supposed to look out for you.”“I do!” Kieran sounded offended. “You should be proud of her. Hart requested her presence personally at the Drake coronation.”I closed my eyes briefly. We were doomed.“You went to a vampire ceremony?” Grandpa asked evenly.“He didn’t know?” Kieran asked.“No, he didn’t.”“Sorry.”Grandpa vibrated with rage. “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my family!”“It’s different now,” Kieran tried to assuage him. “I’m dating Solange Drake. They’re a good family.”Grandpa went red, then purple. Kieran took a step back. I whacked Grandpa between the shoulder blades.“Grandpa, breathe!”