She takes the glass without hesitation. "I'm full of surprises," she says smoothly.
Their fingers brush just for a second, but the air stills. Like even the room knows something passed between them.
Despite the barbs, jabs, and violence, there it is again—that thing building between them. Dark and dangerous.
"So, Sage, I'll let you decide where to start," I say, letting my voice cut through the tension.
The offer is deliberate. Not an interrogation, but a choice. If she feels cornered, she'll lie. Letting her steer gives us the best shot at something real.
Still, we'll have to watch every word. Weigh them. She's hiding something, I just haven't figured out which part yet. Or why.
She takes a sip from her drink and tilts the glass just slightly, buying herself time. Meanwhile, Kayden drops onto the opposite side of the couch like he's claiming his territory. One arm hooked over the back, legs sprawled in that lazy predator way of his. Casual, but not relaxed. He lifts his drink like it's a prop, his eyes never straying from her.
I don't like it, but I don't stop it. Kayden won't be managed. Never has been.
Sage shifts away from him, toward the corner of the couch, keeping both of us in her line of sight.
She doesn't speak yet. She waits, testing the silence. I let her. I've played this game before. Sometimes silence gets more answers than a barrage of questions ever could.
But beneath my exterior, I'm watching just as closely as Kayden. Because I know my brother. I know the look in his eyes right now. He's not just hunting—he's haunted. Whatever happened between them didn't just wound his pride. It did something deeper. It left a scar. I saw it in the way he showed up on my doorstep. Then stayed.
Kayden's had close calls before. Most of them his own damn fault. But this one—meeting her a year ago—changed him. I'm not sure if it's for better or for worse.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sage
I'm still alive. For now.
I don't buy the whole "good vampire" angle, not for a second. But they want answers, and I need to make sure I'm still breathing once their curiosity is satisfied.
"The ones who had Kayden… they're part of an organization that hunts vampires for their blood," I say, keeping my tone even. "It's highly valued for its healing properties. Especially blood from older vampires—it stays 'fresh' longer, for lack of a better word. Makes it easier to ship, sell, and use."
I say it clinically. Like it's just information. Like I wasn't a part of it.
I glance at Kayden, and the tension in the room sharpens.
"They target vampires with violent histories," I add, locking eyes with him. "The kind responsible for centuries of bloodshed."
I let the implication hang.
He smirks. Actually smirks. And raises his glass in mock salute, like I handed him a compliment.
I shift slightly, turning back to Asher. Looking at Kayden is like staring into fire—dangerous, and yet something in me still wants to lean in. My body remembers things I never asked it to.The heat of his mouth on my throat. The sound of his breath. The scent of him in that club. The bite still burning in me like a phantom brand.
There was nothing sweet about the way he touched me just now, but… it was more restrained than I expected. Considering I tried to stake him, I should probably be dead by now. If his older brother weren't in the room, I would be.
"But I wasn't part of it by choice. I was coerced," I add.
It's a lie. A softened one. The kind you lace between pieces of truth and hope no one catches.
"Ah, the old 'wrong person, wrong time' narrative," Kayden quips, his smirk unshaken. "Not buying it, sweetheart," he purrs, shifting a little closer.
"I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm telling you how it is," I reply, keeping my tone even, sipping the drink like I couldn't care less.
Asher crosses his arms, unreadable. "So the whole thing was for money?"
"Money that funds environmental causes," I say. "From their point of view, it's a win-win-win. Help the sick, fund the green revolution, take down killers."
