“Where have you been?” Massa asked haughtily as Prita stepped into his room, holding a duffel bag.
“Why, I went shopping.”
“Shopping? You went shopping? Whatever for? If you need something, you should have told me, and I would have gotten it.”
“I didn’t want to stress you. You already have a lot on your plate, and I hate to be a burden.”
“You’re my mate, Prita. It’s my duty to take care of you.”
“Let’s not get into all that. I thought you’d even be happy to see me healthy and alive.”
“I am happy and I’m not. Prita, you could have died. Someone could have seen you and killed you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m already dead. The person won’t have to do much.”
“Prita!”
“What? I was sick of staying indoors. Massa, if I wanted to stay indoors, I would have returned to my tomb. How do you expect me to stay indoors on Christmas eve?”
“It’s for your safety! How do you think I would be if something happened to you?”
“I can take a wild guess,” Prita replied.
“Prita, none of this is funny!”
“I know, that’s why I’m not laughing.”
Massa cursed. She laughed, throwing her bag at him.
“What do you do that for?”
“You’re not supposed to swear on Christmas eve.”
He rolled his eyes. “Prita, I’m serious. You should have stayed inside. Plus, what is it that you went out to buy?” Massa asked as he slowly unzipped the bag.
Alarmed, Prita rushed at him with incredible speed, knocking him down in the process. Bag forgotten, she stared down at her mate as she hovered above him, her hands on either side of him. The hunger she had felt earlier returned in full force, and it took her willpower not to feed on him, and Massa noticed.
Massa bared his neck while she gnashed her teeth. “You can feed on me, Prita. I’m totally fine with it.”
“I’m not hungry,” she snarled.
“Doesn’t seem like that to me,” said Massa. “You can’t fight it, baby. It’s a constant need, and I totally understand. My cousin is a vampire, so I get it.”
“No, you don’t,” Prita said as she got up. “Unlike your cousin, I’m a vraugmita. I can’t control it. Once it’s in, it’s in, and it’s gonna take two strong people to stop me. I can’t feed on you, Massa.”
“You did so back then in the tomb. I could feel it,” he whispered as he rose to his feet.
“Your girlfriend stopped me.”
“She’s not my… Prita, we’re mates. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
She snorted. “Guess you don’t know me so well then,” Prita said as she walked farther away from him.
“How can I when you rarely tell me anything? The only thing I know is that you’re a vraugmita and my mate.”
“It’s better that way.”
Massa was hurt. “Are you ashamed of me, Prita?”
“What?”
“You’re acting like you’re ashamed. Like it disgusts you to have an Icelander as your mate.”
“If it does, what are you gonna do about it?”
His eyes darkened as he moved quickly, pinning her to the wall. Prita just rolled her eyes.
“Do I disgust you?”
She looked away. “Let me go, Massa.”
“Answer me, Prita. Do I disgust you?” he murmured, forcing her to look at him.
She exhaled sharply. “There’s someone at the door.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“Just get off me, will you? You don’t want to keep Sia waiting.”
Massa sighed and released her before muttering, “Come in.”
The older Icelander stormed into the bedroom, a mask of worry crowning his features.
“What the heck is she doing here?” Sia asked, once he set his eyes on Prita.
“She’s supposed to be here,” Massa replied.
“No, she’s not,” Sia objected.
“Sia, I know you’re not here to reprimand me.”
“Actually, I am. The spell didn’t work, Mass.”
Prita’s ears perked up. Massa closed the door before facing his brother. “What spell?”
Sia’s eyes briefed Prita’s. She rolled hers. “What? I’m not leaving. Plus, even if I do leave, I’ll still eavesdrop on your conversation. So I’ll save you both the time and just sit here,” she said, sitting on the bed. “Don’t worry, you can just pretend that I’m not here.”
“That’s kind of hard to do when your scent’s everywhere,” Sia said, scrunching up his nose.
“I’ve been here mostly, so it’s expected.”
Sia glared at her before turning to Massa. “She shouldn’t be here, Massa.”
“Can you just answer my question and stop attacking my mate?”
“Hear that, Sia?” Prita asked, smiling. “Stop attacking me.”
“Fuck you!” Sia said heatedly.
“I would have let you, but I don’t think your brother would like that idea,” Prita replied, her eyes glinting with mischief.
“Enough, both of you. Now tell me, Sia, what spell of mine did not work?” Massa asked, as he sat beside Prita, too close for her liking.
The suppression spell meant to suppress Sycamore. It did not work.”
“What do you mean it did not work?”
“Crinka encountered him,” Sia replied vaguely.
“Oh good heavens, is she okay?” Massa asked with great concern.
“I don’t know, Mass. He hurt her,” Sia said.
“Do you think he…” Massa trailed off.
“God, I hope not. What do we do now, Mass? Tomorrow is Christmas day, and we’re going to be in a church filled with people. Children and women alike. The last thing we need is him appearing before them. He might have spared Crinka, but we don’t know what he might do or…”
“Sia, calm down. We’ll think of something,” Massa interrupted.
“You know, if you’re that scared of this Sycamore, you can just decide not to show up at church tomorrow,” Prita suggested. “Don’t worry. I’ll be glad to take your place.”
Sia glared at her. “You said you’d be quiet.”
“I was just testing my voice. Seriously, boys, there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of. I know Sycamore, and I know he wouldn’t hurt innocent people.”
“He’s a heartless monster residing in my brother,” Massa emphasized. “He kills whatever crosses his path without remorse. We have every right to be afraid.”
Prita rolled her eyes. “If what you say is true, why then didn’t he kill Crinka?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Sia growled.
“Why don’t you ask him? I mean, you’re sharing a body with him,” Prita said.
“It doesn’t work like that, hon,” Massa drawled. “They might share a body, but they certainly don’t have a bond like I do with Perez.”
“Perez? Is that your wolf?” Prita asked with glee.
“The correct term is lycan,” Massa corrected.
“What do we do, Massa?” Sia asked anxiously.
“Does father know?”
“Do you want him to? Massa, you can cast the spell again, can you not?”
“I can try, but I can’t guarantee that it will work,” Massa replied.
“Why not? You casted it seventeen years ago, and it worked until now. You can do it again.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Sia. Sycamore is a hell hound. A demon from hell. It would take much power to suppress his aggressive spirit. I managed to do it once because I had invested in black magic. Now, I am not so into it as before. I’m sorry, brother, but I can’t help you.”
“If you had that much power, would you still be able to do it?”
“I have the power, Sia. I have learned and controlled it. But using so much power has its consequences,” Massa explained.
Sia swore. “So what do I do now, Mass? I can’t be around people while he roams free in me. I could hurt Crinka.”
“You need to calm down, Sia,” Prita said quietly.
“Why should I calm down?” Sia asked angrily.
“You need to calm down because it is only someone that is calm that can think. Look, you need to go. I hear it’s time for dinner,” Massa stated.
“Have you not been listening to me, Massa? I’m not supposed to be around people! I could kill someone!” Sia yelled.
“You’ve done it before, Sia. It shouldn’t be so difficult,” Prita murmured.
Sia glared at her. “Shut your mate up, Massa, or I will.”
“So what? You want to hurt me now because I spoke the truth? Look, I’m very hungry right now, and you wouldn’t want to get on my bad side.”
“Then show me your good side, and help me,” Sia pleaded. “I know you can.”
“Um…I’m kind of confused here,” Massa said, looking between the two. “Prita, what’s he talking about? What help?”
“Your mate knows a few witches,” Sia responded.
Massa faced her. “Is it true?”
“No.”
He raised a brow. “Alright, Alright, it’s true. I do know a few witches, but I doubt they would help me.”
“Why not?” Sia asked.
“We had a deal. I didn’t live up to my side of the deal,” Prita explained.
“What was the deal?” Massa asked.
She laughed. “You don’t want to know.”
“Just tell us,” Sia urged. “I mean how bad could it be?”
“Very bad,” Prita replied.
“Just tell us. We might be able to help,” Massa said.
“The witches and I had a deal. They guaranteed protection, and in return, I was to get them a hybrid,” Prita explained.
“A hybrid? What would they want with a hybrid?” Massa asked confused.
“I thought you would know, given you’re one of them,” Prita replied.
“Well, I don’t. Do you, Sia?” Massa asked as he turned to his brother.
“I wish. Hybrids don’t exist, Massa. The witches saw to that. The Faes saw to that. Hell, even father saw to that. So where do they want you to get a hybrid from?” Sia asked.
“Maybe they want her to make one,” Massa asked before turning to Prita. “What do you say about making a hybrid, sweetheart?”
Prita rolled her eyes. “Even if I had a hybrid, I wouldn’t hand it over.”
“Why not?” asked Sia.
“I don’t trust those witches, and I have every reason to. They promised to protect me from supernatural beings, but I ended up becoming one. So if I were you, I wouldn’t trust them.”
“How then do I get rid of Sycamore?” Sia asked, desperation lacing his tone.
“You don’t get rid of hellhounds, Sia. They get rid of you.” Prita’s vague reply piqued Massa’s curiosity.
“You say it like you know him,” Massa said.
“I do. He was my first love, Massa. How could I not know him?”
Massa’s eyes widened. “He…he was your first love?”
“I said that, didn’t I?” she said, taking off her shoes.
“If you know him, that means you must know a way to end him.”
“I said this before, Sia. You don’t end hellhounds, they end you. I’ve been down that road before, and it took those witches’ help to pull me out. My advice? Forget about it. The way I see it, Sycamore has come to stay. I’d be wise to let him be.”