Zane


    ur rooms.”


    “By the Moon,” | said at the sight of what Mchi had quaintly called “your


    This space, with only one room | could see, was bigger than Lanie’s entire cottage back in Stillwood.


    We all stood in afortable 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 |


    assumed were bedrooms or bathrooms.


    Bookcases lined the walls, with old, leather-bound books piled high on every shelf, | also spotted some


    current paperbacks. A big screen TV was at the far end of the room, with a set offortable looking recliners facing


    oit.


    The lighting was dim and came from sconces set in the wall, but as Mchi waved his hand and


    murmured amand, the room brightened.


    “Brightsky runs on the most advanced technology, even if it does look like a medieval castle,” he


    exined. “That 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.”


    Xander put Ste down, and she ran over to Gabri. Mchi pointed to a set of doors open at the other


    end of the room.


    “Gabri, there’s a children’s room right there. Plenty of toys, fresh clothes, and a small selection of


    snacks, since | 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 inte system to ring for one of our staf


    Xander’s mother blinked rapidly but smiled at him. “Come on, children. Let’s go see what Mr. Mchi


    for us to y with


    When they’d gone, Xander turned back to Lanie’s grandfather. “How can you be so sure nobody knows thi


    ce is here? | mean, it’s f ucking enormous”


    “Ahh. Well, just because something is oversized,” Mchi grinned and gave all three of us guys a significant look, “doesn’t mean


    it''s obvious to everyone Brightsky is hidden from view except to those who are


    invited to it”


    “Spells fail,” Mason said:


    Mchi chuckled “Brightsky 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 aplex series of checks and bnces to keep Brightsky a


    secret”


    “You have a cloaking system set up? fd heard about tech like that, but we’ve never had ess to it it’s


    one of the things | think my father was working with the Bumans to get”


    we found out his ns to experiment on the hybrids. He caught my nce and shrugged.


    now.”


    “| overheard him talking once when | was a pup, but | never put two and two together about it until just


    Mchi nodded. “Your father may have been in cahoots with humans for many things, but our cloaking security is far more


    advanced than anything a mere human coulde up with. Vampires are a race that is


    utterly vulnerable when we sleep, so it’s 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 ce.”


    My head spun. “I could use a drink.”? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    “Help yourself. There’s a full bar set up in the library, which is just through there. | know you wolves like to


    drink.” Mchi pointed to another door on the far side of the firece.


    “I''ve heard you vamps like to drink, too,” Mason said roughly.


    He seemed a little easier since his interaction with Melina in the gardens, but he wasn’t giving Mchi


    more than an inch of give at a time.


    “Oh, we certainly do.” The Ancient vampire’s lips skinned back to reveal his curved and glittering fangs.


    “But it''s most definitely not whiskey.”


    “Mason,e have a drink with me,” | urged him. If | needed one, he needed one even more. It would


    soften the edges a little bit. And, although | understood and respected his concerns, | wasn’t as worried as he


    seemed to be.


    If my Luna felt safe, and my Alpha prime felt safe, then | was going to trust them both and do my best to


    make my Alpha second did, too.


    Mason grumbled. “Fine.”


    iru


    “I''ll go with you,” Xander said. “I want to check out the rest of this ce.”


    “Make yourselffortable. Consider this your home,” Mchi said. “Il would like the chance to have a few moments with my


    granddaughter.”


    He paused. “Alone.”


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