He twisted the tip the other way and another gurgle discharged from Etienne’s mouth as his eyes got wide in hatred mixed with pain.

“You encouraged that with me when I was a child,” Lucien continued. “Mother did as well. She gave me a book once, which was excellent. Since she gave it to me, I’ve read it several times. It taught me a great deal. She told me you dismissed it as fantasy and unworthy of your attention. But it had an important lesson. One that clearly escaped you.”

Lucien twisted the blade again, pushing it in deeper as he leaned toward his father.

“Might does not equal right,” he whispered, his eyes locked with Etienne’s. “Right equals might. It’s a shame, so soon after you learned that lesson, you will die. But at least you learned it.”

Etienne’s eyes narrowed.

Lucien pulled the blade out, and with a human’s speed, he took his father’s head.

Without hesitation, he tossed the bloodied sword on Etienne’s body and moved to his bride.

With no one saying a word or even giving the remains of a monster a passing glance, they all filed out.

And an hour later, on televisions around the globe, news agencies broke into regular programming to report that the vampire Etienne had been executed by the Allied Protectorate of Wolves, Vampires, Wraiths, and Phantoms.

There were a variety of responses.

But mostly, the response was relief.

And the next day, everyone went to work as usual.

Except some of them did it alongside vampires and wolves they’d had no idea were such.

Until now.

* * * * *

Abel

His bike in the distance, parked on the road, Abel had been roaming as wolf, his mate at his side.

Now he was man and he had her on her back in the leaves, the stars overhead, his hands curved around her ribs, yanking her down on his face between her legs.

He was sucking, deep and hungry, at her clit.

Phenomenal.

He stopped and buried his tongue inside.

He felt her back arch. He tightened his fingers and drove her down harder on his mouth.

He heard her moan.

Fuck yes.

His mouth opened on her clit again, tongue lapping, then he went back to the suction.

She dug her heels in his back. He knew it was coming.

So he stopped, surged over her, and bathed her neck with his tongue as he rammed his cock inside the hot wet of her cunt.

He tore through, her blood pouring into his mouth, and he knew it was on her.

“Abel, baby,” she moaned.

Abel heard it, kept thrusting, kept feeding, but did it smiling.

Wild.

As usual.

But now…

Free.

* * * * *

“Brother, take that back,” Hook warned.

“Nothin’ to take back, it’s the damned truth,” Moose retorted.