Waving her hand, the stunning vampiress reached out for Casey’s hand. “Brieaglieri. I am the ex-girlfriend.” She ughed and raised her eyebrow to Sylvie, and blinked her chocotey brown eyes. “I didn’t think we were anything.” Brienne held up a finger and then o herself then resumed talking. “You were pretty clear when we broke up. That's why I left Ventricur Venus that day.” Adjusting the earbud she was using, Brieepped away from Casey and resumed her p the lineup. “Sylvie is nervous because she doesn’t knoill react to a new girlfriend.”

  Calmly standing in front of Sylvie, Brienne swayed her deep brown hair with a sirand of braided blonde hair to the right and hooked the braid behind her ear. Turning enough so that her shaved left side was visible to the elder vampire, Brienne added, “It’s long over, Sylvie. Whatever damage was done is in the past.” She briefly smiled and then o herself once more. “o meet you, Miss Rivers.”

  Curling her eyebrows, Casey got a cute grin on her face. “Now I know why she stared at my eyes so much, Brienne.” Seeing the fused look on Brienne’s face, Casey quickly put the mystery to rest. “I used to have melty-looking brown eyes like yourself. I am thinking that my lovely Luna has a certain type of woman she prefers.”

  Quickly pulling her phone from her jacket pocket, Brieapped on her s without looking up. “Sylvie, be careful…” She gnced up for a quick sed, “...this young dy is going to keep you on your toes.” Resuming her i iory she’d found, Brieammered through her st lines, “Uh..thank you for the…um…pliment.” Brienne looked away from her phone and the stant stream of information it roviding her and puhe guy standing a little behio get the man’s attention.

  “Umhph…” The young man excimed and rolled his eyes at Brienne, “I was about to say something.”

  Shrugging and going a step closer to the guy she smacked, Brienne bumped his hip and resumed listening to the podcasts she had pulled up. “Casey, meet Nathaniel.”

  Casey put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile and outstretched her hand. “Forceful meeting, Nathaniel. Gd to meet you.”

  Standing roughly six feet tall, wearing bck cargo shorts and a white tee, Nathaniel returhe handshake. “My pleasure. Brie be a bit forceful, as you noticed.” Nathaniel fshed his hazel eyes over to Briehen chug when she didn’t look up, resumed talking to Casey. “Typically she just watches the news or listens to music..that sort of thing until she’s hungry.” Nathaniel flicked Brienne on the ear pyfully and raised his eyebrows when Brienne never bothered to move. “See? If it weren’t for me she probably would fet to hunt.” He leaned over and kissed Birenne’s cheek and ed his arm around her waist. “She does e and watch me at the skatepark. So I ’t pin too much.”

  “I figured out you two were at least master and progeny wheely bumped your hip.” Casey offered and purred close to Sylvie before bumping her hip, garnering a knowing from the elder vampiress. “Usually I tell a couple, but you two fooled me.”

  Pulling Brienne closer, Nathaniel held up one finger and then whispered into his partner’s ear. When Brienne shook her head, Nathaniel tinued. “I was warming up and ing up the ramp about to do a oy and she walked off the edge and fell into my arms. If that isn’t fate, I don’t know what is, right?”

  “Adorable.” Casey looked at Sylvie. “Would you have caught me?” Casey teased and batted her bright eyes at her mistress.

  “Nope, I wouldn’t have been on a skateboard in the first pce.” Sylvie winked, “You’d just have to spt, sorry.”

  Resuming his attention to his girlfriend, Nathaniel chuckled at the little banter. “It must be fun in your house…It was o know you Casey, and I finally got to meet the lovely Miss Miakoda.”

  Shifting her weight and turning to the gentleman in the lineup, Sylvie looked at the vampire in a three-piece bck suit with long brown dreadlocks. “I don’t think we’ve met?” Sylvie inquired politely and squeezed Casey’s hand a couple of times.

  “No, we haven’t.” He adjusted his tie and put his hands behind his back, clearly ued in being cordial. “I do know your st though.” He grimaced and poio Sylvie’s knee. “Your stink was all over the knee cap I found as remains of my captain.” He growled and looked at the rest of the room. “Frank Keenan, not gd to meet any of you.” He snarled and started pag among the others. “I had the unfortunate luck of having to e and represent the other four cartels.” He walked up to Sylvie and stood in her face, tauntingly. “If it were up to me, I would reduce you to ashes just like you did her.” He raised one of his eyebrows and rubbed his palms calmly. “But…I…We have the same problem with these shade fiends.” He pivoted on his heels and faced the others. “We are seeing dozens of them per evening. Interrupting our…” He cleared his throat and sinfully smiled, “...efforts to resolve the unfortunate fighting in Rid.” Frank strolled back to his p line and waved his hand around the mill. “We got word from what’s left of the cil in Rid that someone named An Brown would be addressing the problem tonight.” His features went cold as ice as he ched his jaw, “Therefore we decided to send a representative.”

  Standing there with a look of disbelief on her face, Sylvie let the man finish his little speed prowl his way back to the lineup before swallowing her anger and answering with the ki words she could muster. “I am sure An will be happy that you and the other…cartels are so ied in resolving our mutual problem with grace.” Sylvie felt Casey begin to shake then looked at her lover. “It’s alright Casey, sweetheart.”

  “Like fuck it is, Sylvie.” Casey shook her hand free and defended her lover and mistress. “We had the unfortunate luck of witnessing your mind-altering battle at a little farm oskirts of Rid, you prick.” Casey balled up her fists and gred at Frank. “You found that little piece..because Sylvie plucked it from that bitd tossed it in the woods, after your .. captain .. threateo drink our blood and then hand us over to you.” Casey poio her knee. “Bitch shot me with some sort of blood-coated arrow.” Casey took a step forward and suddenly felt the o stop moving. Realizing that she almost pyed into Frank’s hands, Casey unched her fists and kissed her mistress on the cheek. “Thank you, Sylvie.” Casey curled her arm around Sylvie’s and id her head on her lover’s shoulder. “I am gd you are the rational one…and damn that is hot when you stop me like that. I got a tingle down my spine.” Casey nuzzled Sylvie for a few seds then looked back to Frank. “We were defending ourselves. Which I am sure no one here would have an issue with.”