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He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Get in the truck before I toss you in the back and fuck you on the street.”

“I’ll just…be getting in the truck, then.”

He grinned, then, and opened the door for me. God, I loved that grin.

We both got in, and Draven started the truck. I glanced out the window as we pulled out onto the road.

A dark figure stood under a shop awning, and he was watching us.

Vampire.

And not just any vampire. It was Pretender.

CHAPTER 26

Iris

The bell above the shop door rang, and I smiled when I saw it was Mags and Bram walking into The Cauldron. They were carrying boxes.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Mags said as they put them on the counter.

“Wills went for lunch. I could hear her stomach growling, so took pity on her.” I’d only stopped in to get some more of Else’s healing balm. After last night, and the way Draven was with me cutting myself, I thought I should stock up. Hopefully, Willow wouldn’t be long. I needed to get to the council building. I’d called Cesare Sartori’s office again this morning, but he was hard to pin down, I thought maybe just showing up in the guy’s office would be my best bet.

While I’d been waiting, I’d spent my time combing through Amy, Imogen and Marina’s Nightscape pages again, going through their posts and pictures, reading the comments. Trying to find anything that might help. I’d also done a search on Pretender after seeing him last night, I was pretty sure he’d been following us, but he wasn’t on the App.

“I didn’t think I’d see you today.” Mags eyes darkened. “I thought Draven would have you locked in his tower. You okay?”

I probably would be, if Draven had his way. He’d been more than a little reluctant for me to leave this morning, but had relented when I’d pushed. “I’m fine, I promise. So what’s in the boxes?”

Mags studied me, worry in her eyes. “Else and I have been busy. After Rowena and the rest of the coven did their thing, the cemetery has improved, but there’s still gonna be issues until Zinnia can come and cleanse it.”

Our cousin Zinnia was our expert on all things death and the spirit world, and was exactly who we needed. “Mom told Rowena about Charity?”

“Yep, and when she found out you went to Shadow Falls she was pissed.” Mags grinned. “She was proud of you, though, and now she thinks your new mate is the shit for coming to your rescue.” Mags leaned on the counter and rested her chin in her hands. “So, did you have sex with him?” All humor had left her voice, and was replaced with something closer to fear.

Bram walked away, dissolving into the shadows as only he could.

“No comment,” I said. I did not want to talk about this. I was still processing everything myself.

Her face turned pink, not from embarrassment, but from anger. “You slept with him? He forced you into this twisted relationship and dragged you to his castle of doom, and you just gave it up?”

“Mags…”

“He should be punished for what he did to you, not fucking rewarded!”

“Magnolia…”

“I can’t believe you did that. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“This is one of your sisters?” a familiar voice said.

I looked up, and Asher strode to the counter. I hadn’t even seen or heard her walk in. “What are you doing here?” She held my gaze, and I bit back a curse. “He sent you after me?” That explained why he relented and let me leave without him.

“I volunteered. He just wants to protect you—”

“Control,” Mags interrupted. “Your nutjob of an alpha wants to control her.”

“You have a very smart mouth for one so young and weak,” Asher said.