“You got angry and lost control.”
“Ineverlose control, and I have no motive. Have you met Celeste? She’s going to take his place, and she’s almost as much of a pain in the ass as he is.” I paused. “Er,was.”
The elevator finally dinged again as it reached the bottom floor, but Maverick made no move to step out. I didn’t dare take the first step either, in case that was somehow the excuse he was looking for to kill me.
When he neither killed me nor started walking, I added, “You’re the one who lost control. Why the hell did you bite me?”
His nostrils flared.
Rather than answering me, he grabbed my waist and threw me over his shoulder again, a little more gently.
He stormed out of the elevator and through the lobby.
Sounds of shock echoed behind us. Maverick ignored them, carrying me outside and down the sidewalk. Thanks to my lack of blood, the early January air felt much colder than usual. My gigantic sweater, leggings, and combat boots helped ease the chill.
People were definitely taking pictures and recording us. While having similar reactions to everyone in the lobby.
Someone slipped on a patch of ice, and I winced when I heard the thud of their ass hitting the concrete, followed by the groan of pain.
I sincerely hoped my hair would hide my identity, or I was going to be even more screwed.
“Don’t you have a more discreet way to get around?” I mumbled against his back.
The city we lived in, Vast, was monstrous. It had been a thriving vampire stronghold at one point, and the architecture showedit. All of the buildings were tall and made out of stone, with intricate details and arched windows.
Most of the stained glass that existed at one point had been replaced with newer, more efficient windows, but a few buildings still had it proudly on display.
Only a few blocks were occupied by the towering buildings that made up the business sector. Those streets were constantly packed, both with tourists looking to get a peek at the Alpha Pack and with the massive number of people who worked there.
Everything outside the business sector was a little more spread out, though the elaborate stonework and stunning, taller-than-necessary buildings continued through the entirety of our (ironically) vast city.
You could drive through most of the city, but not the business sector. That had to be walked through, unless you were really fucking rich.
Like the werewolf carrying me.
“If you didn’t want the world to know you were a vampire, you shouldn’t have killed Steven,” Maverick said.
There was no missing the gasps from the people around us.
“Don’t act like you’ve never killed anyone. And I told you, Ididn’tdrain him. I wouldn’t still be bleeding right now if I did.”
Maverick ignored me and stepped through an automatic door. “We don’t kill humans.”
I expected more of his buddies to be waiting inside the werewolves’ tower, but the lobby was empty. I guess theAlpha Pack didn’t need security. Anyone who trespassed would promptly find themselves lacking a throat.
Maverick walked through the lobby and down a short hallway. The stone tile on the floor was similar to the stuff in Darkwood Investments, but the color was lighter and warmer. Just like the office building, the decor was a lot more nature-focused than the structural design of the walls and windows.
The flooring was consistent down the hall and into an expansive room. My eyes widened when I saw the only thing that occupied the large, open space:
Two rows of cells that could only really be called cages.
Each of them was about the size of my bedroom in the small apartment Harper and I shared. They were all formed with metal bars that looked like silver, which werewolves were basically allergic to.
The silver was a good sign, actually.
It meant their cages weren’t made just for vampires. Silver didn’t affect us, but it burned them.
Maverick placed his hand on a scanner at the front of one of the cages, and a moment later, the door swung open automatically.
