Angel’s expression did not soften. “I’m not sure that’s enough.”

My face crumpled, and Angel dropped a hand on my shoulder. “For you, and only you,” she said, “I’ll give her the chance. Maybe she’ll convince me to allow the option of redemption, but I need you to prepare yourself. If she’s anything like the many powerful beings I’ve known, she won’t stop until we destroy her.”

Shadow closed his arm around me, pulling me away from Angel. “You’ll find no resistance from me. Mother or not, she’s gone too far.”

It hurt to think of them destroying Dannie because she was basically the only mother figure I’d had, and maybe, a part of me understood why she’d swallowed the stone to save us all. I wasn’t okay with her choices, far from it… I was fucking furious. But sitting here tonight, with our pack once again whole, I just wanted it all to stay like this. War was the path that would tear us to pieces.

Shadow and Angel were not like me, though. Their pride was strong, and their need to remain dominant meant they could not tolerate anyone messing with the magical balance.

I, on the other hand, knew when it was best to just get out of there and thank the fates it hadn’t been worse. Hopefully, I could convince the others that there was no dishonor in all of us walking away alive.

Everyone at our table focused on their food after that. Unsurprisingly, Shadow, Galleli, and Len had ordered nothing, but Alistair did have a fishy stew, its scent interesting but not unpleasant. Lucien only got a drink he sipped at occasionally, which I assumed was blood, but maybe I was stereotyping vamps there. I actually had no idea what they consumed for energy, and I’d add it to my list of questions to ask when we had the time.

“Eat,” Shadow ordered, interrupting my observation of the table.

“Yes, sir,” I smartassed, snapping my heels together.

His eyes held a warning, but there was no fixing me at this stage, so I smiled cheekily and went to work on the multiple meals I’d ordered. As optimistic as I was, there was still a chance tomorrow was our last day, so I’d chosen all of my favorites.

Once I started to eat, I found I was ravenously starving, stuffing my face until I felt like I was about to burst. Leaning back, I sucked in a deep breath, my lungs mildly uncomfortable by how full my stomach was.

Len let out a low burst of laughter. “That was damn impressive,” he said, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. “I knew shifters could eat, but… where do you even put it all? You’re tiny.”

I tried to smile, but I was just too full. My eyes had been bigger than my stomach and now I was paying for it. When my gut swirled, I wondered if I might vomit up everything. I must have gone a little green, because Shadow reached out and brushed a hand over my braid, the soothing heat of his power settling my stomach.

“Would you like dessert?” he asked, his voice vibrating with humor, even if his face didn’t show it.

I thought about it. Despite what Shadow had just done, dessert would probably push me over the edge again.

“I’d like to try chocolate,” Angel said suddenly.

My head snapped toward her. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “I feel this is the best time to give human food one last chance.”

Great, so she had that ominous feeling too.

“You’re right, there really is no better time,” I said.

Shadow waved a few of the robots over. “We need chocolate,” he told the closest one. “Bring everything you have that’s made from the chocolate of Earth. Cake, bars, drinks—all of it.”

If robots could get excited, this little one was doing it, lighting up and squeaking as it hurried off. “Everyone who can eat chocolate and not die will be trying it,” I said with a laugh.

Lucien leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. “I heard chocolate was deadly to dogs. Are you trying to knock Shadow off?”

My lips twitched. “Look, I know firsthand that chocolate doesn’t kill shifters, but no lie, I did consider testing the theory on Shadow, especially when I first arrived here. Unfortunately, the bastard doesn’t eat.”

“Oh, I eat,” Shadow replied seriously. “My favorite meal is right here in this room.”

It took me a second. An embarrassingly long second.

“That shade of red is nice on her,” Len said. “Matches her hair.”

I wasn’t red from embarrassment, despite Shadow all but talking about eating me out in front of all of his friends. If anything, this public claiming of his was far better than love words, though I wanted those as well.

I was greedy.

The red in my cheeks was the heat of my arousal. It had hit me hard and fast, and with enough intensity that I was barely able to stop squirming in my chair. Shadow knew that because he knew the scent of my arousal.

Before I self-combusted or embarrassed us all, about twenty servers reappeared at our table, their arms full of dishes.

Wow. Shadow might have gone a little extra on dessert, considering half the beings here would probably have one taste and throw up or die. These immortals with their “energy transference” instead of food lifestyle were so dramatic.

The only ones at our table now were the main pack, all their hangers-on having disappeared back to their worlds. Which left just the seven of us to be involved in this dessert taste test.

Humans adore these? Galleli asked.

I nodded. “Oh, yes, chocolate is well loved. We have it in many different strengths and styles, but it’s always a hit.”

I leaned in and breathed deeply, savoring the scents from the closest plates and sighing at the rich cocoa that invaded my nostrils. “Looks like we have cake, mousse, dipping sauce, ice cream, and dark, milk, and white chocolate in an array of styles.” I lifted my head to see more. “Cookies, dough, crumble, and… oh my freaking god, they have doughnuts with chocolate sauce and Nutella filling.”

Since my arrival here, more and more human food had appeared on the menu. Shadow’s doing, of course, since he was the one controlling this space, and I couldn’t help but feel completely touched by all the little extras he gave without asking for thanks or acknowledgement.

Ordering one of everything had no doubt been for me as well, and I needed to do better in letting him know how much it meant to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, turning my head to meet his gaze. “I see what you do. I appreciate it. I appreciate you.”