Zane
ur rooms.â
âBy the Moon,â I said at the sight of what Malachi had quaintly called âyour
This space, with only one room I could see, was bigger than Lanieâs entire cottage back in Stillwood.
We all stood in a comfortable living room already lit by a crac kling fire. Heavy leather couches and chairs
surrounded the hearth, with thick rugs covering the stone floor. Multiple doors promised to lead to what I
assumed were bedrooms or bathrooms.
Bookcases lined the walls, with old, leather-bound books piled high on every shelf, I also spotted some
current paperbacks. A big screen TV was at the far end of the room, with a set of comfortable looking recliners facing
oit.
The lighting was dim and came from sconces set in the wall, but as Malachi waved his hand and
murmured a command, the room brightened.
âBrightsky runs on the most advanced technology, even if it does look like a medieval castle,â he
explained. âThat includes heating, cooling, lighting, and of course, security. Not only are you all entirely safe
here because nobody knows it is here, in the unlikely event our enemies are able to find us, they will certainly
find us unbreachable.â
Xander put Stella down, and she ran over to Gabriela. Malachi pointed to a set of doors open at the other
end of the room.
âGabriela, thereâs a childrenâs room right there. Plenty of toys, fresh clothes, and a small selection of
snacks, since I know little wolves must eat more frequently than some of us. It has its own ensuite, and you'll
find yours right next door. If you need anything, you can use the intercom system to ring for one of our staf
Xanderâs mother blinked rapidly but smiled at him. âCome on, children. Letâs go see what Mr. Malachi
for us to play with
When theyâd gone, Xander turned back to Lanieâs grandfather. âHow can you be so sure nobody knows thi
place is here? I mean, itâs f ucking enormousâ
âAhh. Well, just because something is oversized,â Malachi grinned and gave all three of us guys a significant look, âdoesnât mean
it's obvious to everyone Brightsky is hidden from view except to those who are
invited to itâ
âSpells fail,â Mason said:
Malachi chuckled âBrightsky is cloaked, but not by a spell Oh, we do have our spellcasters put to work here, but they are not
tasked with the sole responsibility of keeping us hidden We utilize a complex series of checks and balances to keep Brightsky a
secretâ
âYou have a cloaking system set up? fd heard about tech like that, but weâve never had access to it itâs
one of the things I think my father was working with the Bumans to getâ
we found out his plans to experiment on the hybrids. He caught my glance and shrugged.
now.â
âI overheard him talking once when I was a pup, but I never put two and two together about it until just
Malachi nodded. âYour father may have been in cahoots with humans for many things, but our cloaking security is far more
advanced than anything a mere human could come up with. Vampires are a race that is
utterly vulnerable when we sleep, so itâs imperative to have protections. Different periods of human history have seen us hunted
in ways wolves have never had to face. We learned long ago the best defense against
getting staked while we dreamed was to simply never be discovered in the first place.â
My head spun. âI could use a drink.â
âHelp yourself. Thereâs a full bar set up in the library, which is just through there. I know you wolves like to
drink.â Malachi pointed to another door on the far side of the fireplace.
âI've heard you vamps like to drink, too,â Mason said roughly.
He seemed a little easier since his interaction with Melina in the gardens, but he wasnât giving Malachi
more than an inch of give at a time.
âOh, we certainly do.â The Ancient vampireâs lips skinned back to reveal his curved and glittering fangs.
âBut it's most definitely not whiskey.â
âMason, come have a drink with me,â I urged him. If I needed one, he needed one even more. It would
soften the edges a little bit. And, although I understood and respected his concerns, I wasnât as worried as he
seemed to be.
If my Luna felt safe, and my Alpha prime felt safe, then I was going to trust them both and do my best to
make my Alpha second did, too.
Mason grumbled. âFine.â
iru
âI'll go with you,â Xander said. âI want to check out the rest of this place.â
âMake yourself comfortable. Consider this your home,â Malachi said. âIl would like the chance to have a few moments with my
granddaughter.â
He paused. âAlone.â
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