Yeah, he was with his mate. He was ready for this shit to end.

“Be obliged you tell me when the potion is ready,” he said with little enthusiasm.

He was curious to meet his brother.

But he wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I’ve not asked you here for that, Abel,” Gregor butted in. “These ladies are witches. This is Barb, Aurora’s mother.” He motioned to a woman who looked somewhat like an older version of Aurora. “Ruby.” He gestured to the oldest one of the lot. She carried some weight and had thick, long gray hair, but it was obvious she’d had it in her younger years because she’d retained it in her older ones. “And last, Jezza and Flo.”

He gave them all chin jerks, then immediately turned his attention back to Gregor.

“And I’m here…?”Abel trailed off on a prompt.

“They wish to leave,” Gregor told him.

Abel shook his head in confusion and reiterated, “And I’m here…?”

“We don’t want them to leave,” Gregor explained.

Abel gave him a hard look, then looked to the women.

“You don’t like vampires,” he stated.

“How old are you?” Ruby rapped out her question.

“Two hundred and five,” Abel calmly gave her his answer.

“Right, then you weren’t alive at the time, and you’re likely too young to know, that vampires—”

“Did a bunch of bad shit to witches and you’re pissed,” Abel finished for her. Ignoring her eyes lighting with fury, he went on, “I get that. I’d be pissed too. That was whacked. So whacked, I’d hang on to it for centuries just like you’re obviously doing. But, just sayin’, it’s not real safe out there for anyone supernatural or even remotely involved in the supernatural life. It’s safe in here. You wanna take your chances out there, all I got to say to that is…your funeral.”

“Ruby, Jezza, Flo…Yuri’s vowed to keep you safe,” Aurora added at that juncture.

“I believe, my sweet, I vowed to keep you safe,” Yuri drawled, and she jerked her head around and back to look up at him.

“And, by extension, my sisters,” she declared.

“It doesn’t work like that, Aurora,” he explained.

She turned fully to him. “Well, vow you’ll keep them safe.”

His tone didn’t change when he replied, “I will not.”

“Yuri!” she cried. “You’ve vowed to keep me safe. I don’t know why you can’t do the same for them.”

He bent slightly toward her. “I like you.”

He left it there. Then again, him leaving it there said it all.

Abel’s lips were again twitching.

She leaned into him and hissed, “I can’t believe you!”

“All right, all right,” Gregor broke in, and Abel looked to him to see his gaze on the other witches. “I’ll vow to keep you safe. Does that work?”