“How do vampires make it official, when they’ve decided to take a mate but haven’t bitten each other yet?”
My face warmed. “We follow human traditions.”
“So if you were withTimber, he would propose.”
“The jealousy with which you say his name gets more ridiculous every time, Mav. You do know I haven’t had feelings for him in a long time, right?”
“I know.”
“Then yes, if I was with a vampire, we would live together and he would propose before we sealed a bond.” My nose twitched, the scent of pancakes finally filling my lungs. “You should call Sutton before we eat. She probably has to make a flight, and we need to find the murderer before anyone else dies.”
Maverick didn’t look thrilled about it, but he picked up his phone. It was against his ear and ringing a few moments later, and I heard a muffled, women’s voice answer just before it went to voicemail.
“What do you want, Maverick?” She sounded like she’d been asleep.
Should I have been alarmed that she answered his call in the middle of the night?
Probably.
“I need a favor,” Maverick said.
“No thanks.”
“Have you been on the internet recently?”
“No. I prefer not to watch the news. It’s usually depressing.”
She had a point there. Maybe she could join Phyllis as one of my new best friends. If she gave me dirt on Maverick, I’d let her into the group.
“Someone is trying to take my pack down. They’re murdering the heads of my investment company.”
“You’ll be fine.”
“I’m mated to a vampire,” Maverick interrupted. “And another vampire is behind the murders.”
There was a long pause. “How sure are you that your vampire isn’t the same one killing people?”
“She was with me during one of the murders, and locked in my tower during another. There were only three.”
“So she could be responsible for the first, but not the second.”
“It wasn’t possible based on her hunger level. She’d basically been starving herself.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in coming back to Vast City. Things are good at the restaurant I work in.” Sutton sounded approximately zero percent interested in helping solve a chain of murders.
“I’ll give you whatever you want,” Maverick said. “There’s a damn good chance my mate’s life is in danger.”
Sutton sighed. “Put her on the phone.”
He handed it over with a grimace.
I reluctantly lifted it to my ear. “Hi.”
“Maverick told you who I am,” she stated.
“He did.”
“And what I’ve done?”
