Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Zane

ur rooms.”

“By the Moon,” | said at the sight of what Malachi had quaintly called “your

This space, with only one room | could see, was bigger than Lanie’s entire cottage back in Stillwood.

We all stood in a comfortable living room already lit by a crac kling fire. Heavy leather couches and chairs surrounded the hearth, with thick rugs covering the stone floor. Multiple doors promised to lead to what | assumed were bedrooms or bathrooms.

Bookcases lined the walls, with old, leather-bound books piled high on every shelf, | also spotted some current paperbacks. A big screen TV was at the far end of the room, with a set of comfortable looking recliners facing oit.

The lighting was dim and came from sconces set in the wall, but as Malachi waved his hand and

murmured a command, the room brightened.

“Brightsky runs on the most advanced technology, even if it does look like a medieval castle,” he

explained. “That includes heating, cooling, lighting, and of course, security. Not only are you all entirely safe

here because nobody knows it is here, in the unlikely event our enemies are able to find us, they will certainly

find us unbreachable.”

Xander put Stella down, and she ran over to Gabriela. Malachi pointed to a set of doors open at the other

end of the room.

“Gabriela, there’s a children’s room right there. Plenty of toys, fresh clothes, and a small selection of

snacks, since | know little wolves must eat more frequently than some of us. It has its own ensuite, and you'll

find yours right next door. If you need anything, you can use the intercom system to ring for one of our staf

Xander’s mother blinked rapidly but smiled at him. “Come on, children. Let’s go see what Mr. Malachi

for us to play with

When they’d gone, Xander turned back to Lanie’s grandfather. “How can you be so sure nobody knows thi

place is here? | mean, it’s f ucking enormous”

“Ahh. Well, just because something is oversized,” Malachi grinned and gave all three of us guys a significant look, “doesn’t mean it's obvious to everyone Brightsky is hidden from view except to those who are

invited to it”

“Spells fail,” Mason said:

Malachi chuckled “Brightsky is cloaked, but not by a spell Oh, we do have our spellcasters put to work here, but they are not tasked with the sole responsibility of keeping us hidden We utilize a complex series of checks and balances to keep Brightsky a secret”

“You have a cloaking system set up? fd heard about tech like that, but we’ve never had access to it it’s

one of the things | think my father was working with the Bumans to get”

we found out his plans to experiment on the hybrids. He caught my glance and shrugged.

now.”

“| overheard him talking once when | was a pup, but | never put two and two together about it until just

Malachi nodded. “Your father may have been in cahoots with humans for many things, but our cloaking security is far more advanced than anything a mere human could come up with. Vampires are a race that is

utterly vulnerable when we sleep, so it’s imperative to have protections. Different periods of human history have seen us hunted in ways wolves have never had to face. We learned long ago the best defense against

getting staked while we dreamed was to simply never be discovered in the first place.”

My head spun. “I could use a drink.”

“Help yourself. There’s a full bar set up in the library, which is just through there. | know you wolves like to

drink.” Malachi pointed to another door on the far side of the fireplace.

“I've heard you vamps like to drink, too,” Mason said roughly.

He seemed a little easier since his interaction with Melina in the gardens, but he wasn’t giving Malachi

more than an inch of give at a time.

“Oh, we certainly do.” The Ancient vampire’s lips skinned back to reveal his curved and glittering fangs.

“But it's most definitely not whiskey.”

“Mason, come have a drink with me,” | urged him. If | needed one, he needed one even more. It would

soften the edges a little bit. And, although | understood and respected his concerns, | wasn’t as worried as he

seemed to be.

If my Luna felt safe, and my Alpha prime felt safe, then | was going to trust them both and do my best to

make my Alpha second did, too.

Mason grumbled. “Fine.”

iru

“I'll go with you,” Xander said. “I want to check out the rest of this place.”

“Make yourself comfortable. Consider this your home,” Malachi said. “Il would like the chance to have a few moments with my granddaughter.”

He paused. “Alone.”

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