Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters Book 6)

by Kristy Cunning

  “Why is it the only male ghost was chosen to stick to my side?” I ask for the sake of curiosity.

  “Van Helsing, the monster slayer, was created in the heat of battle, when you protected women,” he answers, shrugging. “You treat women like they all need your constant protection. You’re more honest with men, who don’t see you as a protector, because you expect men to protect themselves. It’s a mental thing with you. Since I have a penis, I get to know the real you quicker than someone with a vagina, in other words.”

  I…wish I hadn’t asked.

  A small smile curves my lips when I stare down at my wrist, remembering how this ghost showed up while I was being buried in silver.

  My smile fades when I realize how very close to endless misery that truly was.

  Idun came up with a plan. It was actually a beautifully crafted plan. Spread fear and pandemonium across the monster world via technology, after already setting up the game that would fuck with our heads, and then encase us in Van Helsing silver until we submit.

  It was elaborate, well thought-out, and would have likely been perfectly executed, because she was even stronger than before.

  Except…Violet had already started taking steps to prepare against Idun, before she even knew of Idun’s existence.

  “You lay traps and lie in wait, because no one knows you. You hide in plain sight, and relish that power. Why make yourself known to all the alphas instead of keeping your secret?” I ask the ‘ghost.’

  He shrugs. “Because it was too much fun to help myself,” he replies, grinning broadly.

  It’s going to take a moment to get used to speaking to an actual monster.

  “Does Violet know everything we’re saying right now?” I ask, wondering how exactly this all works.

  “Not unless I hit her with a suppressed memory of this conversation. I have no intentions of such. As you’re aware, she’s otherwise engaged.”

  “So you are truly capable of independent conversation and thought,” I state, rather than ask, as I lean up, studying him.

  “I’m capable of anything she’s capable of. Actually, I’m more capable, because I work on a deeper level than she does. I see the real spirits she can’t, and I feed on the emotions of others, blocking both the sight and her empathy. But even though I’m better, she’s still stronger. I’m content to not be killed by you so easily, and Violet’s the first host I’ve had to love me, so I’m no threat. For now.”

  A dark grin tugs at his lips.

  It feels like definitive proof that Hyde has independent thought processes. This monster is clearly not a sole reflection of Violet’s inner thoughts.

  “I really don’t trust you,” I inform the apparition.

  Hyde’s grin stays intact, as though that’s pleasing to hear.

  “Do you trust the vampire when his eyes turn red?”

  I hesitate to answer. “On some level. Arion’s got control over his monster for the most part.”

  “Do you trust the wolf on a full moon?” Hyde continues.

  Now I see where this is going.

  Leaning back, I narrow my eyes at the ghost, who hasn’t moved from the corner.

  Even though I don’t answer, he continues anyway.

  “Do you trust the Morpheous when his eyes go white?” he carries on, only causing my eyes to narrow.

  “Do you trust any of the alphas at all outside your own little circle?” he adds when I maintain my silence.

  He grins and lazily shrugs one shoulder.

  “It’s a paranoid world full of trust issues. Are you really going to hold that against Violet?” he muses.

  “It wouldn’t matter if I did. Violet’s already claimed me,” I state, not revealing anything to the monster before I have a private conversation with the woman.

  Fuck, this is going to take a lot of adjustment.

  “So you’re punishing her for such a thing, though you claimed you wanted to marry her,” he says, confusing me. “I’m not sure what the issue is. And that’s secretly what Violet is wondering as well.”

  My brow furrows, and I lean forward.

  “What’re you talking about? I’m not punishing her.”

  His grin spreads across his face, and suddenly he morphs into Anna, who is in the baby-doll dress with the pigtails again. She struts toward me, and hops up on the desk, landing atop it without sinking.

  My eyebrow lifts, and I study her with far more interest, now that I realize this is Violet’s favorite of the bunch.

  Violet’s head really is a scary place, I’ve decided. It’s certainly one thing I’ll never doubt again.

  It says more about her than I’ve realized all this time, now that I know the truth about her ghostly entourage that’s assembled with an intriguing variety of personalities.

  “Van Helsing, do you mean to tell me you don’t know what’s going on right now?” Anna asks, as though she’s excited by the prospect of me answering yes.

  “I have no idea what punishment you’re referring to. She should be with Arion right now, since she’s taken him as her groom,” I state, smiling tightly, since I don’t know whether I’m pissed or okay with that.

  She hasn’t put on the ring, but she’s already claimed me. However, she seemed to feel bloody terrible about it, and I was too gob-smacked to formulate a coherent thought, let alone carry on any sort of productive conversation.

  Now her very devious, tricky monster is telling me Violet’s secretly wondering what my problem is, when I don’t remember stating there ever was a problem.

  Bloody complicated woman.

  I really do have selective tastes.

  “I needed to clear my head, and Vampyre was making his move, so I did what I do best—I went to work. I’ve issued no punishments. What punishment are you referring to?”

  She chokes back a laugh, her eyes lighting with some mischief.

  “Right now, a vampire, a werewolf, and a deviant are punishing Violet for all her lies and secrets. And on your behalf. You know, since you’ve been so terribly wronged,” Anna purrs, waggling her eyebrows at me. “Three against one.”

  She’s lying.

  “They’d never harm a single hair on her head,” I calmly argue, wondering why she’s even playing this angle, when she surely knows better.

  “No, but they’d undoubtedly leave her aching in all the dirtiest of ways, since Damien’s apparently in charge of all her future punishments. You know, since he’s the one who has power over her and all,” Anna carries on, eyes excitedly gauging mine.

  That’s…certainly more believable.

  That son of a bitch.

  Fucking deviant.

  Fucking vampire.

  Motherfucking wolf.

  They cannot seriously be toying with her right now. It’s too bloody soon.

  “Where are they?” I ask Anna very seriously, since I’d rather not take any chances.

  “In her bedroom. It’s been over two hours now,” Anna states in a goading tone.

  A thought occurs to me in the very next instant.

  They’re not playing games. They’re trying to fucking provoke her in the only way they can think to do it.

  “They’re trying to bloody break her defenses down until the monster surges forth and claims the lot of them, as you did me,” I say aloud, feeling like a fool for not getting suspicious sooner than this.

  I should have fucking known.

  Those damn competitive, fucking ruthless bastards.

  “Oh, now, this is going to be fun,” Anna states, even as I hurriedly sprint from the room.

  She just tore Idun to shreds, and Damien’s on a power trip, because he has power over someone that fucking powerful. He’s been on the bottom peg of alpha power for a while.

  I should have known this was inevitable from the moment that information was introduced.

  Emit’s wolf’s been broken, finally got a mate, and healed. Yet I’m the one wearing her mark, which is definitely not going to make the wolf happy.
<
br />   Arion’s a fucking obsessive vampire, who finally has his bride. Enough said.

  Idun’s barely been put down a few hours, and they’re already fully back to themselves. They’re testing Violet’s limits far too soon.

  “Forgetting something, Van Helsing?” Anna asks just as I sling open my front door.

  As if cued, I hear Jasper make a crying noise, and my eyes widen with some horror. Spinning, I turn and leap, grabbing the edge of the balcony. Hoisting myself over the railing, that quakes and tries to give, I race back into the room.

  Jasper fusses ever so slightly, as I lift him. Just that seems to soothe him, and I keep him stable and secure against me, as I rush back out all over again.

  “Let’s not tell Violet about that,” I state to Anna, hating this spy-factor to Violet’s power.

  Anna grins as I climb in behind the wheel, and cradle Jasper to my chest very perfectly. I’m better than any diabolical, impossible-to-use car-seat.

  With quick movements, I put the car in gear and begin racing toward Sanctuary.

  Anna blabbers the entire time about Violet’s inability to be a ruthless killer, all while complaining about how tight her leash is.

  “Then there was the time Talbot’s sister was attacked. Though, now I believe my maker set that up to provoke me,” Anna goes on, saying something I actually find curious enough to show interest in.

  “Violet’s going to trust him less for that, since she was forced to get her hands dirty,” she adds.

  “What are you talking about? Violet was in the woo—”

  “Vance, I’m over here!” Anna shouts very suddenly, sounding exactly like…Violet…as she grins. “Why does it sound like your voice is moving around?”

  The second part sounds just like me, and similar to the question I asked, while I was bumbling around in the woods in search of her.

  I knew it was damn harder to find her than should have been physically possible.

  “Well, then,” I state, bristling.

  Admittedly, I’m a bit unnerved by yet another bloody thing I didn’t know or even consider.

  Violet stumbled into the woods, left, killed a bunch of shifters, and came back without us ever suspecting it was her. All because of a voice.

  Lovely. I wonder how many other times I’ve been a fool.

  Hitting the brakes, I skid to a halt in front of the local Mad House.

  Jasper remains safely secured against me, the quick halt not disturbing him or bothering him a bit.

  However, Anna screams, as she flies through the windshield and crashes to the ground.

  Exhaling and trying to keep the proper amount of tension required to bash in some skulls, I ignore the waving purple penis, and faux ghost—who is bitching about my driving. Annoyed by all the insanity, I stalk toward the front door.

  When I push the door open, I’m greeted by…Simpletons…who are blowing up condoms like balloons.

  How?

  Why?

  I need to stay angrily motivated, but this place makes that damn near impossible sometimes. Also, holding a baby makes it much harder to stay suited with the proper amount of ire.

  Ighan grins at me around a condom, before he starts blowing it so hard his face turns red.

  “Ighan, those aren’t balloons,” I inform him with as much seriousness and calmness as I can muster.

  He studies it like he’s confused by that, but shrugs and ties the end, before hanging it from a dangling rope.

  “W-W-We’re celebrating. We d-d-don’t have t-t-to go underground,” he says, smiling brightly.

  His smile slowly falls. “But V-V-Violet—”

  He cuts his words off, looking down as if in shame. Bobo lumbers up behind him, eyes on me, as he gives me a weak, almost apologetic smile.

  “Bobo, she can handle her monster and even likes it,” I assure him.

  Anna props up next to Bobo, smiling up at him with the sweetest look she can muster, as she innocently blinks.

  Bobo doesn’t seem bothered by her in the slightest, and even smiles back down at her.

  Then his look sobers when it returns to me.

  “But we did this to her,” Bobo says, lips thinning. “She didn’t ask for this.”

  I clap him on the shoulder, as I start to walk by. “Feeling guilty will only hurt Violet far worse than having Anna. Violet’s a protector. Now she’s strong enough to be that protector. Bad always comes with the good. We have to accept both, and then trust and hope for the best. In this case, I’m feeling confident for the first time in a long time.”

  I keep my voice quiet, in case someone is listening through the walls.

  He stiffens, but then he nods once at me. Feeling like I’ve said what I can to alleviate some of his guilt, I hurriedly turn and move through the house, refusing to be distracted by anything else.

  Shera walks out of a room, and I immediately—and gently—force Jasper on her. She’s startled as she takes him, and then her eyes go wide.

  “Oh, no, Van Helsing. Please don’t do this to me!” she calls to my back. “I’m terrible with kids—”

  Jasper starts crying, and I don’t even have to turn around to know she’s being swarmed by helpful, gentle Simpletons. Given her squeak, it scares her, which will piss her off.

  Feeling some of that tension returning just in time, I begin rolling up my sleeves, one at a time, in preparation to charge in, crack some faces, and then steal Violet away.

  The door sails open when I charge in, but the scene before me halts me in my tracks. My heart thumps, my throat gets tighter, and my trousers grow more constricting, as my gaze rakes over the eternally maddening woman who’s marked me as hers.

  Violet’s spread on the bed, with that devilish dragon-fire chain holding her in place. Her head pops up, giving me a glimpse at her hazy eyes. Then my gaze drifts down her damp skin, as she squirms under my slow appraisal.

  The silk negligée she’s wearing is trimmed with lace and pushed up on her hips. Torn underwear lays discarded at her side. Her pale skin is generating a cold fog inside the sweltering room…

  Her pupils are damn near pinpricks. Something I notice after I finally manage to tear my gaze away from the unnaturally tempting sight of the rest of her body.

  Emit moves out from between her legs, wiping his mouth, as he battles back a smile. Arion pulls back from her neck, only a small trickle of blood escaping the rapidly healing puncture wounds he’s left behind.

  The vampire grins at me, even as he idly toys with Violet’s nipple, his thumb absently teasing the pebble.

  Damien appears on her other side, shirtless as the rest of them, with his hand resting on her stomach.

  “Welcome, Van Helsing. You’re just in time for my wedding night celebration,” Arion states through his devious grin.

  I came to fight…

  But then my gaze moves to where her left hand is bound, when a glistening object catches the sun.

  I forget the fight.

  I forget what’s going on.

  I forget why I even came here.

  Violet’s wearing my ring.

  Chapter 56

  VIOLET

  The door bursts open, just as my next orgasm is robbed, leaving me once again on that painful cusp that’s just shy of explosive pleasure. I barely maintain the scream that’s on the tip of my tongue, as my entire body trembles in response.

  Exposed and incredibly embarrassed, I lift my head to see who’s just barged in. My gaze lands on Vance, as I pant for air, watching as his own eyes glue themselves to me.

  Emit removes himself from between my legs, which gives Vance a much more direct shot of the goods.

  I squirm, wishing I could close my legs, and almost whimper when Damien sends one of those sharp, erotic pulses through me.

  Vance’s eyes lift to left hand that’s chained, and his body tenses. A dark, almost hungry look crosses his eyes when his gaze finds mine again.

  “Just tasting her refuels me enough to toy with her almost
effortlessly. Seduction has gotten much easier since she fell in love with me,” Damien says, his grinning lips moving across my neck. “She’ll be putty in my hand after a decade.”

  Vance undoes his belt with one hand, and his tie with the other. As if he gets impatient, he rips his shirt off and casts it aside. Emit starts to stand in his way, but Vance shoves him so hard it sends Emit stumbling back, even as the wolf laughs for whatever reason.

  In the next instant, Vance moves so fast I barely gauge the motion, and he comes down on top of me.

  My skin sizzles against Vance’s, as the room chills and heats over and over, Damien’s power working against me. My lips have never before so hungrily kissed another person, as just the barely-there brush of the back of Vance’s hand sends my toes curling.

  He groans into my mouth, when I start writhing against him, desperately wishing he’d hurry up and get his pants out of the way.

  Hard and fast, he eases my torment by pushing inside me. Just that has me crying out with pained relief.

  I feel every glorious inch of him, as he slides in, soothing that painful ache. It’s the best sex ever, and we haven’t even really started.

  My hips begin moving, desperately, as he groans against my mouth. A firm hand grips my hip, steadying my erratic motions, as he takes over the rhythm.

  All those sensations that built so slowly, steadily climbing to that elusive orgasm that kept being stolen from my clutches, come back all at once. It’s as though every part of me is attuned to him.

  I taste his hunger that nearly matches mine, as he devours me.

  He feels just as desperate to be with me as I am to be with…any of them. I’d clamp my legs around him and anchor him in place if they weren’t trussed up with the rest of my limbs.

  His movements grow more aggressive, and his grip tightens on me, as he works my body to that coveted edge. I’m almost scared to enjoy it too much, worrying it’s going to be stolen all over again by the wicked sadists who claim to love me.

  My head is scrambled, my mind nearly blanks, and the sensations that engulf me in the next moment are so powerful that it hurts so good in all my favorite places.

  A high-pitched garbled sound is wrenched from my throat, and the electricity in the room surges so fiercely the bulbs all blow.