Page 45 of Hybrid Heroics

“The other guys have them as well?” she inquired.

I nodded, happy that Amelia was making strides in getting to know us. She would have a much easier time with Sloane if we liked her, too... Not just the parents that raised her.

“York has called her Sweetheart for years,” Novak told her. “Palmer calls her Love. Stone calls her Kitten because he thinks it’s ironic or funny.”

“I’m not really sure why he calls her Kitten,” I mused. “I’ve wondered, but I haven’t asked.”

The vampire snorted, then coughed. “Briggs calls her Barbie.”

Amelia grinned. “Why Barbie?”

“Because he’s an idiot,” Novak deadpanned.

I chuckled. “The first weekend we were together, she lost her cool and partially released her demon form. Briggs thought she looked like a hot, demonic Barbie... And he never stopped calling her that.”

“Does she have nicknames for you?” Amelia queried, tucking her hand in Sam’s.

“Jackass,” Novak replied. “Or asshole. Or dick.”

I elbowed the vampire. “He’s joking. That makes her sound like a—”

“Dick?” Novak filled in, smirking at me.

“She’s being serious,” I quietly snapped.

He grinned. “So am I. You aren’t in her head as much as I am. Ask Stone. He’ll tell you the same thing.”

I hooked my thumb at him, telling Amelia, “She calls him nosy.”

“I’m going to step outside,” Charlie murmured, kissing the top of her head as he left the living room.

“I’ll go with him,” Nate told her as she watched the previous Supreme Alpha’s back. “We should stay in pairs, since it’s not safe here.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Can we ask you some questions?” I inquired.

She smiled sadly. “You want to know about Alric? Why he is the way he is?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “Among other things. We don’t know much about you or him.”

“Do you mind if I start at the beginning?” she asked.

Novak and I shook our heads.

“My mother was Catalina King, High Priestess of the Guild for nearly five centuries. Her mother was Orsola King, also a High Priestess, but not nearly as long. Alric’s story started before he was born. To understand what I know, you’ve got to go way back.”

I nodded. “We’re listening.”

She scooted to the edge of the opposite sofa, rolling her shoulders back as she began her story.

“Orsola King refused her fated mate for reasons beyond my knowledge, though she was then betrothed to a powerful dark mage, where she took his surname—de la Mor. The couple had four children, Catalina being the eldest of them. But her husband had children with his mate, who died during the labor of their third. Orsola raised those children as her own.

“Now, fast forward twenty years after Catalina’s birth. She was a beautiful and powerful nightwitch who their community respected. And it was time for Orsola to find her a husband who could help her run the guild. She didn’t care about mates, because she didn’t think hers was worthy of our title.

“You see, throughout our family history, the first-born had always been a powerful female. And before Catalina could consider taking over the guild, she had to find someone who held equal strength. But that wasn’t what Catalina wanted. She’d found her fated mate, and she didn’t want to be with anyone else.”

I twirled Sloane’s hair between my fingers as Amelia paused. She glanced at Sam and Rig, who both encouraged her to continue.