Things got heavy with Stephanie and her human around the time Sonia and Callum started going at it. Stephanie left with her man. Wei and Xun took Chen back up, Jian-Li following them. Sonia and Callum left not long after. Gregor and Yuri drifted away. So did Ryon, Caleb, and Calder. Leah and Lucien started whispering and kissing, then they took off. And finally, with Moose carrying his friend, Jabber bitching about it, Hook lugging up the wheelchair, and Poncho handing Jabber shit, they went up.

Leaving Abel and Delilah on the beach with a roaring bonfire and blankets.

So he’d made love to her there with Snake’s ashes floating up the pebbles at the edge of the sea.

He’d never forget it, not a second of it, not in his life. Even the part with Snake being there when he sank his cock in Delilah for the first time after she’d shared her love.

Snake belonged there. He’d died so they could have that and Abel thought it was fitting.

So he was good the next morning when he pulled Delilah in the bright breakfast room, which was one of several conservatories at the compound, this one jutting from the end of the south wing.

And he was good with who was there: Gregor, Leah, Lucien, Sonia, and Callum.

That was it.

The Three.

And, of course, Gregor.

“Sit. Let’s get you some coffee,” Gregor greeted expansively as they hit the room, throwing out an arm to two empty chairs to his left.

More greetings were exchanged and Abel sat only after he’d shoved Delilah’s chair with her in it under the table.

Delilah looked at Gregor. “Last night was exactly what we needed, Gregor, so I need to thank you again.”

“No thanks necessary, Delilah,” Gregor replied.

“Lilah,” she corrected.

He smiled.

Abel looked to Lucien and Callum, who were both grinning at him.

“Right.” Delilah shook off the mood and reached for the coffeepot. “Saving the world.”

“We’ll get to that, Delilah—” Callum started.

“Lilah to you too,” she cut him off to say.

Callum’s glance darted to Abel, his lips twitched, then he said, “Lilah. But first we need to understand something.”

“That is…?” Abel asked.

“Your scar,” Lucien stated.

He felt Delilah tense at his side, but he looked to Lucien. “What about it?”

“We don’t scar,” Lucien informed him. “We’re wondering if you do because you’re the only known hybrid in the world. So we’d—”

He stopped speaking when he sensed Abel’s and Delilah’s moods swing, that being to complete fucking shock.

“Uh…what?” Abel forced out.

“Fuck. He didn’t know,” Callum muttered.

“Of course he didn’t know,” Sonia whispered with more than mild irritation.

“Know…what, exactly? The only known hybrid? What the fuck does that mean?” Abel demanded.