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“Marcus, Slate brings me news of an attack,” Winslow said as he drew closer. “Is your clan well and safe?”
“If it was, would I be here?” Marcus snapped. He waited until Winslow chose a seat across from him before returning to his own. The butler, Slate, placed a tray on the table in front of Ethan with a glass of white wine and a charcuterie board with a selection of cheeses, crackers, nuts, and meats.
“Very true,” Winslow said with a weary sigh as he dropped in his chair. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“My house was invaded by humans with weapons and body armor. Two of my brothers were visiting at the time. We had just dispatched the humans when they were followed by vampires. Vampires and humans working together to attack me and my family!” Marcus didn’t have to fake his anger and outrage. The fact that someone had weaponized the humans and turned them into a battering ram was disturbing. It meant that everyone needed to increase their daytime security. There was always the threat of the random, rogue assassin infiltrating a vampire’s lair during the daylight hours, but the chance of an entire army hitting a house and killing everyone within was a terrifying thought.
Deep lines of concern dug into Winslow’s face and he sat back in his chair, glaring at the floor for a moment. “Was anyone—”
“Julianna. My mother. She’s gone.”
“Marcus…I’m so very sorry.”
Marcus fought to keep the fresh anger from showing on his face. Winslow’s comments rang as less than sincere. He knew that most of the vampire community were not fans of Julianna. She was a dangerous loose cannon. She was an unknown entity that could destroy their secret on one very bad night. That didn’t mean she deserved to die. Marcus and his brothers had kept the situation under control.
“She died protecting my pet.” Marcus stroked Ethan’s hair, and Ethan leaned his head against the arm of Marcus’s chair, moving that much closer to his touch.
“I can understand why. He’s quite lovely. I didn’t know you had one. I didn’t think you believed in pets.”
“I thought they were a nuisance, but then I found Ethan. His skills and beauty were quite convincing that pets could be enjoyable.”
Ethan looked up at Marcus and fluttered his eyelashes. “I want to be your perfect pet,” he purred.
“Perfect pet? Is someone talking about me?” asked a playful female voice.
Marcus looked up from Ethan’s doting gaze to see a slender young woman stroll into the room, wearing a skirt that was slit straight up to her hip. Long, shapely legs flashed in the red material with every step she took. Her top covered only her breasts, leaving bare a soft, flat stomach. She elegantly lowered herself to Winslow’s feet, wrapping one arm and a leg around Winslow’s left leg.
“We were talking about Marcus’s new pet, dearest,” Winslow said, stroking his hand absently through her fire-red hair.
“He’s adorable. And such a pretty collar,” she gushed, though her eyes were less than welcoming as she carefully watched Ethan.
“The Variks are known for having exquisite taste in expensive things. We shouldn’t be surprised that it extends to their pets.”
“While this is all fine and good, I want to know what the Ministry plans to do about the attack on my family. About the unprovoked attack and death of Julianna,” Marcus snarled.
Winslow lifted both of his empty hands toward Marcus in a motion he could only think of as placating. “The Ministry is sympathetic to your loss, but you’ve yet to tell me anything concrete about who is behind this attack. If you could give us a name or even a clan, we could look into it. Arrange for appropriate compensation.”
Marcus knew that compensation would come in the form of a sacrificial lamb or two trussed up and delivered to the Varik family with well-wishes. He and his brothers would love nothing more than to claim the heads of the vampires who plotted their deaths, but this was beyond just dealing justice to the people who attacked his family and killed their mother. There was the murder of Ethan’s family that needed to be dealt with. There were the attacks on the Ministry.
The leaders of their people were ineffective and careless. They cared only about their own comfort and amusement. They’d forgotten about the vampires they were serving and the humans they were supposed to be keeping safe. His brothers were right. It was time for a new order. He hadn’t been able to see it before, but sitting opposite Winslow, Marcus couldn’t deny that he had no faith in the vampire to bring order to their world.
“If I knew who was doing the attacking, I wouldn’t feel compelled to bring it to you. My family would have taken care of the matter,” Marcus said stiffly. “I thought with the recent trouble the Ministry has had—including the deaths of both Armand and Percival—the Ministry might know who was on such a murderous streak. Is someone hell-bent on taking out other vampires?”
