The headache Khalia woke up with made her wish she had a hangover. At least that would make sense. Instead, a deep itch crawled along her thighs, and she exhaled in relief as her fingers found the source. A light buzzing tickled her ears; too close, too persistent. She swatted blindly at the nuisance.

  "What the hell?"

  Sunlight speared her barely open eyes, blinding her and forcing out tears. When she could finally squint through the sting, her gaze landed on the open balcony doors. Her brows furrowed. Dozens of mosquitoes flitted through the room in lazy, aimless patterns.

  "Bitch!"

  The last bit of sleep-fog vanished from her brain. Snatching up the nearest towel, she waged war on the bloodsuckers, swiping and cursing a lycan who was nowhere to be seen. Fifteen frustrating minutes later, she cleared the room. The damage, however, was done, her arms and legs dotted with fresh bites. A cold shower wasn't soothe them.

  Diem had yet to return, and calling him produced nothing but silence. Her own phone being just as unhelpful—no messages, no missed calls. The message to Trinity sat, still drafted, and she hesitated before hitting send. Sighing, she stepped out of the room, absentmindedly fiddling with her charm bracelet as she walked. The paintings lining the walls caught her eye, their vivid colors and eerie depictions of the bayou distracting her. A loud growl echoed through the corridor and she huffed as she placed a hand on her stomach.

  The crisp scent of bacon curled through the air, mingling with the rich sweetness of syrup and the butter.

  "Have we gone to heaven?"

  Parasita moaned, patting her belly as well.

  Khalia only chuckled before making her way down the spiral staircase. The clatter of dishes and low hum of conversation filled the dining area. A family of five passed her, the lingering scent of pork and eggs clinging to them as they walked through the grand entrance.

  Then she saw the buffet.

  A feast stretched across the center of the dining room, a mountain of breakfast delights and decadent treats. It didn't take long for Khalia's plate to become a towering masterpiece of excess. By the time she settled at an outdoor table on the porch, her plate was already a third gone. More guests filtered in and out of the bed-and-breakfast, their chatter blending with the occasional screech of a chair against wood.

  Laughter, high pitched and unrestrained, broke through the morning air.

  Khalia's attention snapped toward the sluggish waterside, where Judith doubled over, clutching her sides, a broad grin stretching her face. Despite the dark cloth covering her eyes, she moved with ease, gliding through the maze of statues. The environment showed no mercy to their exteriors,still, layered with algae, they looked breathtaking.

  Next to her Diem walked, a smile tugging at his lips as he rested a hand on her back, guiding her toward the front door. Khalia fixed him with a pointed glare, tearing into her boudin. Her eyes rolled at her forgotten childhood favorite. Legs twitched with the effort of not scratching them raw. When Diem and Judith reached the stairs, his smile faltered. A shadow of seriousness crossed his face.

  Judith seemed to sense the shift in energy, turning to face Khalia directly.

  "Good morning, dear! I hope you slept well. How's the food?"

  "Home and heaven wrapped in one, did you cook all this?" Khalia forced lightness into her tone.

  "Aw, thank ya, sugar! As much as I'd like to take all the credit, I had some help. I ran into your husband out in the yard, took him on a quick tour."

  Khalia stiffened, her grip tightening on her fork, before she relaxed.

  Oh right, we're playing house.

  "Awe! That's nice of you, Judith. I hope he was good company."

  She spoke mockingly, trusting that Judith couldn't see her curl her lip at Diem, who only grinned in response.

  "Fine company," Judith agreed with a smile. "Mm-hmm, fine young man you got there! Y'all enjoy your stay now, ya hear? If ya need anything, my room's up in the attic. I'm off to catch a nap! Lord knows I need it at my age. Oh! And don't forget," she wagged a finger at Diem, "It's Boone's Blood Magic. Damn shame he's enforcing this nonsense. Makes me think we aint all that different from the non-magic folk. Y'all have a good vacation, nao!"

  Khalia licked the syrup off her plate as memories surfaced. Lazy afternoons as a teenager, wandering Whistling mall with no real destination. There was one shop, wedged between a bookstore and arcade, her two favorite destinations. It smelled of incense, thick and heavy, the kind that clung to your clothes for hours. The walls were packed with shelves of questionable trinkets: carved bones, jars of dried herbs, crystals that pulsed under dim lights. The woman at the counter had a sharp-toothed smile and an accent Khalia could never place.

  She'd spend a considerable amount of time there, running her fingers over the strange relics, trying to ignore the way the air felt off, like something was observing. Back then, she thought it was all nonsense.

  Now?

  Now she was sure those voodoo dolls she purchased in high school may have actually worked.

  Judith extended her hands toward Khalia and she frowned at the motion, before realizing she wanted her plate. Apologizing, she passed it over, watching the short woman go inside.

  "So... she can see?"

  Parasita murmured in her mind and she snapped her gaze back to Diem.

  "Thanks for leaving the balcony doors open." She scratched her arm for emphasis, "Love being the main course for a family reunion of pest."

  Diem's brow furrowed. Instead of answering, he turned and started down the steps. She blinked before quickly following.

  "I didn't leave the doors open," he said without looking back. "I closed them before I left last night."

  His tone was edged with something sharp yet wary.

  "Think it was the other Kirmas?"

  When they reached the truck, Khalia realized he wasn't just brushing her off. He was searching for something. His movements were precise, purposeful as he dug through the center console.

  "It's possible. Did you smell any other scents?"

  A prickle of unease crawled up her spine. She didn't bother investigating, throwing all her attention at bugs. As it stood, they had no solid leads. And yet, here they were...trapezing through bumfuck nowhere, with magic and mystery.

  "You know, you could always give up on this quest," Parasita purred. "I wouldn't mind. I mean, we have been bonding."

  Khalia scoffed.

  "The only reason we're bonding."

  She held up her wrist. The emerald on her bracelet caught the morning light, flickering with something unnatural. Behind the inscription, lightning cracked inside it, bright and jagged.

  "You're the leader, this is your body, you lost your shit first. Now I'm trapped..."

  Parasita trailed off, her tangent growing.

  Wandering toward the sluggish river's edge, she glanced over her shoulder. Satisfied that Diem was too busy searching the truck to pay her any mind, she slipped her vape pen from her pocket. She brought it to her lips, inhaling deep, the oil warming her throat as she exhaled a slow plume of smoke.

  Parasita's words lingered in her mind. A tiny pang of guilt fluttered in her chest. The invasive soul was with her till the end, its malice toward her long since faded. But she had failed them both. And the cost...

  Her eyes flicked to the bracelet, then back to Diem. One, now a mindless feral unless bound by a spell. The other...

  Her thoughts drifted to the little pup, the young version of Dee. A fractured piece of Diem's soul, bound by magic—an anchor that neither of them fully understood. He never spoke to her, but Parasita could communicate with him fine. She often wondered about the effects of such a thing, ever since he told her in the hospital.

  He brushed it off like it was nothing. But how long before nothing becomes something? Something awful. Something he might come to regret.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  She sighed again and took another slow drag, letting the peaceful buzz ripple down her spine. The warmth sent a small shiver through her, and suddenly, she was back to last night—the feather light touches, the teasing butterfly kisses.

  "I wonder who his mate could be?"

  Parasita mused idly, and together, they turned to stare at the man now glaring at her, but still motioning for her to come.

  He had slung a black backpack over his shoulders, adjusting the strap before tugging a baseball cap down over his head. He looked like a casual day hiker—probably the story he fed Judith to explain their presence. As he flicked his fingers impatiently, her lips curled into a small smile.

  She pictured his fingers flicking against something else entirely, and her back arched at the imagined pleasure. In her mind's eye, she pulled his hair, bringing him closer as his tongue lazily circled her clit. Her smile deepened, nipples hardening at her own daydream. She chuckled softly to herself, shaking the thought away as she approached him.

  Diem stared at her for a beat, before turning abruptly, heading down the road on foot. She arched a brow.

  Oh?

  "Come on, we're walking."

  "I see that. Why?"

  "Because it's a short distance and you ate like it was your last meal. Stuck in a tiny space with you? I'd be crop-dusted to death."

  She gasped, sucking her teeth.

  "You don't just immediately shit after eating—same goes for passing gas!"

  She strode beside him, frowning when he picked up the pace, putting more distance between them. Her legs burned from the light jog she had to do just to keep up with his walking.

  "It's a high risk," he added dryly.

  Khalia scoffed.

  "You tongued me after a seventeen-hour drive. That wasn't a high risk?"

  Diem came to a dead stop. Then...he dry-heaved.

  She shoved him, "Grow the fuck up."

  *~*~*

  "Short walk my ass."

  Khalia's heart raced, lurching like a derby horse at the starting line.

  4th.

  People bustled along the lone paved street Inside the gate. At a certain distance, they shimmered—bending like a mirage then dissolving before her eyes.

  3rd.

  Her hands were slick with sweat. Her high amplified sound, each noise jolting her ears, too sharp, too present.

  2nd.

  "Welcome to Bathale! Visitor or—"

  "Previous resident."

  "Which neighborhood?"

  "Rusk."

  "Excellent. Enjoy your stay!"

  1st.

  Warm air swathed her nose as the person entered the gate. She almost tripped over Diem's feet. He gave her a gentle but firm push forward, then settled behind her.

  The gate attendant sat behind a dull, tinted glass partition. The room that enclosed him was tiny. Nothing but a shelf, stack of papers, and his laptop. When they finally looked up from their keyboard, her breath caught.

  Caterpillar brows. A crooked nose. Seven feet tall.

  Haven't we..?

  "Welcome to Bathale! Visitor or previous resident?"

  Khalia swallowed. "Ah, um, visitors?"

  The attendant's long fingers slid through the divider, collecting their permits. A glint flickered in his obsidian eyes as he examined them.

  "Ahh, you've come a long way, Kirma," he murmured. "Reason for visit?"

  "I'm here to visit Boone's Blood. They have the best of the best."

  His fingers tapped against the counter. "Both of you?"

  "Y-yes."

  The man's attention shifted to Diem, his nostrils flaring, as if scenting him through the glass. Another spark of recognition passed through his eyes.

  "Its been awhile." he murmured. "The neighborhood Boone's Blood resides has a distinct set of laws for... Kirmas. It be good to abide by them in this tumultuous climate."

  Khalia tilted her head. "Seems to be a running theme in these supernatural parts."

  His grin made her stomach twist.

  Without another word, he scanned their cards into the system, then slid them back. "Enjoy your visit." he said, motioning them forward.

  The wrought-iron gate creaked as it shut behind them.

  HONK!

  Car horns blasted through the street. The world around them shuddered. The paved road liquefied into stretched field as the Cypress trees snapped and vanished. A highway flickered into existence, along with a bright red barn. The rank, sour scent of pigs filled the air and she fanned her face.

  HOOONK!

  Diem yanked her to his side just as a SUV drove in the spot she stood. A scream left her while she looked on at the occupants, their facing mirroring her own shock. Then, like that, the car vanished, reality snapped back into place. A drone of chatter rose near the gate.

  "Waiting this long to renew the contract is ridiculous!"

  Khalia and Diem exchanged a glance. Fog curled around them, thickening with every step. The cypress trees disappeared into the mist, swallowed whole by the thick grey.

  Then...warmth. The red-and-orange glow of the rising sun cut through the fog, peeling it away like bandages. The world shifted and they stood at the center of something vast. The sandstone road beneath their feet had become a bridge of white marble and machinery.

  People swept past them, moving left and right, traversing over four massive bridges that led to more bridges. They criss-crossed, arched, leading to massive mounds of earth, floating islands that held buildings, or nature. They stretched far into the sky, disappearing up into thick clouds. Her breath caught and she glanced behind her, expecting to see the gate.

  She gasped. The attendant was gone. In his place stood a statue, its granite surface pristine, untouched by time. A werewolf, seemingly frozen in stone, its diamond eyes glinting with an unnatural light. It looked ready to attack. It looked...alive.

  A shiver ran through her, the statues presence pulling at her, demanding attention. The inscription at the statue's base stood out.

  "The Vale family welcomes thee. Respect our laws, and your stay will be pleasant. Disobey, and death will be swift.

  Depicted here: Nyx Vale, Late Alpha."

  Next to it, a separate bronze plaque gleamed under the soft, artificial light.

  "Law Change: Kirmas allowed—accepted within bounds. Three-day stay only."

  Parasita huffed, a deep growl vibrating through Khalia's chest.

  "Three days. How generous." she muttered under her breath.

  "Here. Directions."

  Diem's voice snapped her from her thoughts. He had already moved ahead toward one of the bridges, stopping beside a sleek glass cube. As she approached, the glass retracted smoothly into the podium beneath it, revealing a slow-spinning holographic map. Four colorful quadrants layered like a rotating cylinder. The second level—red—glowed the brightest. Khalia raised a hand, pressing against the section. The projection expanded instantly.

  "You are here: Vale Visitor Center."

  She swiped downward, selecting the smaller green quadrant above the red. As the green expanded, the red shrank, revealing a sprawling bayou landscape. Instead of roads, water routes wove between the land, intersecting with narrow cobblestone sidewalks. A notification blinked across the display.

  "Royal Kaelridge Estate: Kaelridge Estate is led by Xavian Kaelridge, Dominion Ruler of Bathale and Leader of the Bayou Quarters.

  Currently: Visitation Not Permitted."

  Diem exhaled sharply before switching back to the red quadrant. He zoomed in, dragging the map along until their location became crystal clear. A tingle crawled down Khalia's spine, looking up, she saw no cameras.

  "The shop names aren't listed."

  She joined back with him, scanning over the mini city.

  "Its that one."

  His brow quirked, "How do you know?"

  "It's the only one that's truly hideous."

  Tapping the hologram, she pointed to a small, nondescript structure. No bigger than an office cubicle, it sat beside a towering double-helix-shaped building.

  Khalia followed the projection, tracing the path they needed to take. Two bridges, two very steep bridges. Her stomach twisted as she glanced at the swirling clouds around, the platform already swaying from the flow of bodies. A thrumming pulse settled behind her temples the moment she took her first step forward. She avoided roller coasters for these reasons.

  "I was just getting used to werewolves and packs. Now there's Silicon Valley werewolves... and royal gators."

  She mumbled, catching Diem's smug grin.

  "Don't forget Judith."

  *~*~*

  Every step she took, she felt it...that subtle shift in the air, the sideways glances, the weight of people seeing her. Not just looking. Seeing. It was the kind of scrutiny she knew well.

  Back then, it was different, less blatant in her town, but there. The way strangers clutched their purses tighter when she passed. The way some teachers condescended, or bosses over-explained as if she spoke in tongues. Always expected to be louder, rash, and angrier than she was.

  So she learned. How to smile just enough, how to hold herself in a way that made her less of a threat. But this here...this was different. They weren't looking at her like she was dangerous. They were looking at her like she didn't belong. An oddity walking with them.

  Kirma.

  The word clung to her skin; an insult spat at her feet. One woman's nose wrinkled as she passed, a man muttered something under his breath, his eyes shifting when she caught him gawking. A mother scooped her daughter up after Khalia caught the child's gaze, the colorful beads in her hair knocking together. Her growl dripped with pure venom, making Khalia halt in her step. She bit the inside of her cheek, her jaw tightening but continuing at a slower pace.

  She never asked to be this, never wanted it. But here, it didn't matter what she desired. The moment they saw her, they had already decided.

  Parasita's growl rumbled through her, low and simmering.

  "They look at you like you ain't gotta home," she muttered. "Like you don't even belong to yourself."

  Khalia's fingers curled, nails cutting into her palms.

  Ahead of her, Diem slowed. For a second, she almost protested. But then, his hand found hers.

  Not tugging.

  Not dragging.

  Just...holding.

  Steady. Firm. Unshaken. And like that, the air changed.

  The stares didn't disappear, but they shifted. No longer just her, but now them.

  Diem moved through the world like it owed him space. No rush, no need to prove anything. He was always in control. Even when he wasn't trying, the world bent to him, not the other way around. And her? Her being his Luna was a mistake. A fluke. A glitch in the universe.

  Parasita's voice slithered back into her thoughts.

  "Do you think he'll still care once you're human?"

  The question struck deeper that she wanted to admit. The answer heavy on her tongue, unspoken but undeniable.

  Instead, she only tightened her grip on Diem's hand, and walked on.