“What?”
“Yeah, about a year ago, I was strung out on that shit. Ari didn’t tell you?”
Sev shook his head. “No. He mentioned you two had been through some heavy shit over a year ago, but wouldn’t elaborate.”
“Well, yeah, not many knew about it. Arion. Tristan. Probably Micah, because you know he can’t stay out of people’s heads. But that’s all.”
“Shit.” Sev turned and looked at Miriam again.
Persephone was kneeling beside her then quietly got up and returned to him and Sev. “So, she’s okay?” Her gaze darted uncomfortably from Severin, and emotion flickered in the depths of her eyes before she met Io’s gaze.
That’s when Io remembered that Arion had briefly been engaged to Persephone before the truth had come out that he had already mated Sev. No doubt she felt awkward in the presence of the male who had ended up stealing her fiancé‘s heart…and soul.
That makes two of us, sweetheart.
Io nodded. “I was able to treat her and get her settled down.”
Sev sighed. “You can’t keep her here, Io. She has to go home, or at least to AKM.”
“No,” Persephone said, looking worried. “No, she can’t go home.”
“Why not?” Io asked, startled by how upset Persephone was about the idea.
“Her father doesn’t understand. He doesn’t get Miriam.” Persephone looked down, the telltale shame of drug addiction evident on her face. “He doesn’t understand that she’s an addict.”
“What do you mean, he doesn’t understand? What is there to not understand about what’s happening to her?” Io pointed toward Miriam, angry over what he was hearing.
Persephone looked between him and Sev. “Miriam says he pretends he doesn’t see it. Her drug use. It’s like he thinks it will just go away if he doesn’t acknowledge it.”
Was the king insane? Ignoring cobalt abuse was the worst thing anyone could do to stop it. This just proved the point that the vampire society needed better education about cobalt. If the king himself didn’t understand it, how could he expect to get control over it?
“Home is the last place Miriam needs to be right now.” Persephone gave a pleading glance toward Io then Sev. “Please let her stay here.”
Severin shook his head at her then turned a warning eye on Io. “She can’t stay here, Io. You know she can’t.”
True, if Tristan found out he had kept Miriam in his home, he would be up shit creek, and not just without a paddle, but without a boat, too. But he couldn’t send her home, not after what he had just heard. Besides, he couldn’t let the most beautiful female he had ever laid eyes on leave his home before he’d even had a chance to talk to her. Io just wanted her to open her gorgeous blue eyes and look at him. No way was he going to spit on this gift God had given him.
“Sev, come on. You know I can do more for her here. I can help her through this. AKM won’t do anything but turn her over to her father, and he won’t do anything to get to the bottom of this.”
“You don’t know that,” Sev said.
“Didn’t you just hear what Persephone said? Her father refuses to see what’s going on here.”
“It’s true.” Persephone’s face was a mess of fear as she turned toward Sev, practically begging him. “Please. Her father doesn’t try to understand. He’s the problem. He’s why she uses.”
Io and Sev both frowned at her.
“What do you mean, he’s why she uses?” Io said.
Her face screwed up like she was afraid of speaking out of turn. “God, please don’t tell anyone I said this.” Clearly, Persephone knew how much trouble she could get in for speaking ill of the king. After wringing her hands and making a pained face, she said, “He keeps Miriam like she’s a prisoner. She feels like she’s trapped there. He doesn’t let her do anything, and she’s always saying how much she hates it at home, how it feels like a prison.” Persephone paused and looked at Miriam, who remained asleep on the
“Yeah, about a year ago, I was strung out on that shit. Ari didn’t tell you?”
Sev shook his head. “No. He mentioned you two had been through some heavy shit over a year ago, but wouldn’t elaborate.”
“Well, yeah, not many knew about it. Arion. Tristan. Probably Micah, because you know he can’t stay out of people’s heads. But that’s all.”
“Shit.” Sev turned and looked at Miriam again.
Persephone was kneeling beside her then quietly got up and returned to him and Sev. “So, she’s okay?” Her gaze darted uncomfortably from Severin, and emotion flickered in the depths of her eyes before she met Io’s gaze.
That’s when Io remembered that Arion had briefly been engaged to Persephone before the truth had come out that he had already mated Sev. No doubt she felt awkward in the presence of the male who had ended up stealing her fiancé‘s heart…and soul.
That makes two of us, sweetheart.
Io nodded. “I was able to treat her and get her settled down.”
Sev sighed. “You can’t keep her here, Io. She has to go home, or at least to AKM.”
“No,” Persephone said, looking worried. “No, she can’t go home.”
“Why not?” Io asked, startled by how upset Persephone was about the idea.
“Her father doesn’t understand. He doesn’t get Miriam.” Persephone looked down, the telltale shame of drug addiction evident on her face. “He doesn’t understand that she’s an addict.”
“What do you mean, he doesn’t understand? What is there to not understand about what’s happening to her?” Io pointed toward Miriam, angry over what he was hearing.
Persephone looked between him and Sev. “Miriam says he pretends he doesn’t see it. Her drug use. It’s like he thinks it will just go away if he doesn’t acknowledge it.”
Was the king insane? Ignoring cobalt abuse was the worst thing anyone could do to stop it. This just proved the point that the vampire society needed better education about cobalt. If the king himself didn’t understand it, how could he expect to get control over it?
“Home is the last place Miriam needs to be right now.” Persephone gave a pleading glance toward Io then Sev. “Please let her stay here.”
Severin shook his head at her then turned a warning eye on Io. “She can’t stay here, Io. You know she can’t.”
True, if Tristan found out he had kept Miriam in his home, he would be up shit creek, and not just without a paddle, but without a boat, too. But he couldn’t send her home, not after what he had just heard. Besides, he couldn’t let the most beautiful female he had ever laid eyes on leave his home before he’d even had a chance to talk to her. Io just wanted her to open her gorgeous blue eyes and look at him. No way was he going to spit on this gift God had given him.
“Sev, come on. You know I can do more for her here. I can help her through this. AKM won’t do anything but turn her over to her father, and he won’t do anything to get to the bottom of this.”
“You don’t know that,” Sev said.
“Didn’t you just hear what Persephone said? Her father refuses to see what’s going on here.”
“It’s true.” Persephone’s face was a mess of fear as she turned toward Sev, practically begging him. “Please. Her father doesn’t try to understand. He’s the problem. He’s why she uses.”
Io and Sev both frowned at her.
“What do you mean, he’s why she uses?” Io said.
Her face screwed up like she was afraid of speaking out of turn. “God, please don’t tell anyone I said this.” Clearly, Persephone knew how much trouble she could get in for speaking ill of the king. After wringing her hands and making a pained face, she said, “He keeps Miriam like she’s a prisoner. She feels like she’s trapped there. He doesn’t let her do anything, and she’s always saying how much she hates it at home, how it feels like a prison.” Persephone paused and looked at Miriam, who remained asleep on the
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