"Don’t worry," my mother said, smiling brightly, "I am a woman of my word. Your night with Blaise will remain undisturbed. As a reward for his gusto and politeness to his mother-in-law, I will also extend a promise that the hunters in this city will not attempt for Damon Valentine’s life tonight."

She then laughed, amused by the way Damon’s face turned as red as a tomato with the amount of anger surging through him.

"But he will still have to watch his back. There are vampires roaming in Upper Lumen, and those I do not control."

My mother grinned, walking over slowly as the armed servants — most likely hunters — flanked Damon on both sides. Blaise was forced to step away, and I held onto him gingerly. His entire body was heating up, and although it was not hot enough to be considered a fever, I still looked at him worriedly.

Blaise merely shook his head and smiled. True enough, at least I didn’t feel any discomfort from him coming through our bond.

Damon growled, his eyes practically glowing with madness as he stared down those who dared to approach him. In the presence of an alpha wolf, even the hunters had to recoil slightly, fear visibly creeping up their bodies. Of all the full humans here, my mother was the only one who stood proud and tall while Damon was in the same room― the rest of her men were trembling with uncontrollable fear.

"If I were you, I would take this time to get a headstart at finding someplace to stay," my mother said. She gestured to the large windows, showcasing the late afternoon sun just beginning to set. "You two might’ve arrived a little early for dinner, but Upper Lumen has been a rising tourist hotspot in the last decade. If you’re slow on your feet, you might not find any rooms for the night."

Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked forward, wedging herself in between Damon and us. With her massive fur coat on her shoulders, paired with a killer pair of stilettos, my mother looked as though she had walked straight out of a supervillain movie.

It certainly didn’t help that Damon glared at her as though she was one.

"Now leave while I am still amicable, Alpha Damon," my mother said, her voice frosty as she stared cooly at Damon. "I would hope that my daughter has some nice alone time with my new son-in-law."

Damon’s expression contorted, a storm brewing in his eyes as conflicting emotions battled for dominance. Anger simmered beneath a veneer of jealousy, while worry etched lines of tension across his face.

It took what felt like forever before he finally relented, looking past my mother and at Blaise, to which his brother returned a firm nod. Then, Damon’s gaze clashed with mine, and his expression instantly softened.

I couldn’t do anything more than offer him a small smile. My mother had promised that Damon wouldn’t be harmed, or at least for tonight. Even if the vampires in the city attempted anything, he should be capable enough to handle himself, especially with secret tricks up his sleeves.

"I’ll be back tomorrow," Damon promised gruffly before he turned and left, shooting the hunters around him a deadly glare before storming off.

Some of them reeled back in shock, others jolted as they stared at his retreating figure. Only a handful were brave enough to lead him to the lift and escort him out of the building.

The second Damon left, we could all feel the oppressive atmosphere instantly lift. I wasn’t sure if it was because Blaise and I were members of Fangborne, or if it was just the aura of an alpha wolf that could affect even humans, but it instantly felt easier to breathe again.

My mother, however, remained undaunted. Once Damon was gone, she turned around and beamed at us. Her smile was so genuine that I thought she actually adored Blaise and would’ve immediately accepted him as my partner with no questions asked if he wasn’t a werewolf.

"Now that that depressing man is gone, we can finally get into business!" my mother exclaimed in delight.

She placed a hand behind Blaise, gently leading him back to the dining table again. When we turned to look, Damon’s tableware had already been cleared off as though he had never been here in the first place.

I followed behind them, eyeing my mother’s hand warily in case she decided to pull out a secret silver knife. However, she did nothing of that sort, her hand immediately returning to her side once they were back at the table.

"Would you like some dessert, Blaise?" my mother asked warmly, the image of a picture-perfect hostess. "That curry might’ve been a little too spicy for your tastebuds, considering the lack of good food out in the open wilds. Perhaps something cooling might be better. Would you like some sorbet? Or ice cream, perhaps?"

"Thank you for your generosity, Madame, but I would like to get some rest," Blaise said, smiling. He clutched his stomach, and I wondered for a second if Damon had been right and my mother had poisoned the food after all. "I am not used to this level of spice, and my bowels are disagreeing with me right now."

"Oh dear," my mother said, her hand hovering over her lips. "Alright then, in that case. There’s a bathroom in Harper’s bedroom. She’ll show you the way. Go on then! Off you go!"

We didn’t need to be told twice. A word of thanks hadn’t even properly left Blaise’s lips before I dragged him down the hallway, quickly disappearing from my mother’s line of sight. I didn’t stop until we were in my bedroom and I had closed the door, using a chair to prop the handle as a makeshift lock.

Blaise watched with incredulity as I panted, staring at my handiwork in silence before meeting his eyes. We looked at each other and remained unmoving for a brief minute. The room was filled with the sound of my pants, and when I strained my ears hard enough, I could even feel the frantic beating of our hearts in sync.

His gaze darted down to look at my lips for just a fraction of a second, and that was all the prompt I needed. Closing the gap between us, I stepped forward and looped my arms over his shoulder and around his neck, pulling him down to connect our lips in an earth-shattering kiss.