Page 40

"Hunting rights?" Phoenix's voice was dangerous. "Of what kind?"

"Not to kill," Rhys interjected quickly. "They're asking for feeding access. Volunteers only, no deaths."

The silver-skins nodded in confirmation.

Phoenix considered this, his expression unreadable. "I'll need to discuss this with my pack. And with Bayer."

Dimitri inclined his head. "Of course. We'll return as soon as you have have made your decision."

As the silver-skins prepared to depart, Rhys stepped closer to them. "If you're lying," he said quietly, "if this is some scheme to assert your authority..."

"It's not," Ivan assured him. "We fear the revenant as much as you do. A rogue abomination serves no one's interests, and you should know, sire, each one of us is loyal to you, and eagerly awaits your ascension when the time comes."

With that, they melted away.

Ascension?

All Rhys's bravado seemed to dissolve as Isla touched him and, making a noise like a wounded animal, he allowed her to pull him into her arms. "What if they never let me go?" he whispered.

She hugged him tighter, then cupped his face in both her hands. "You're my son now. Matthew's son, Ben and Callie's brother. You're pack, and you're going nowhere."

"Exactly," Simeon said loudly, and Phoenix came closer and squeezed the boy's shoulder, which was good to see.

Everyone left to go their separate ways. I stood for a while and gazed at the space where the silver-skins had stood until Phoenix stepped up to me.

"Don't you think that's very irresponsible of them to kill Rafael and forget to make sure he stayed dead?"

"Meaning?" Phoenix asked.

"He said they buried him as tradition dictates but failed to burn the parts. Rhys knew instantly what they'd done wrong when they explained, and they expected him to realize the significance without the explanation they gave us."

"So, are you saying that this rule of theirs is well-known within their society, and it makes no sense to mess it up?"

I nodded. "He called them fools. Silver-skins are many things, but I don't think any of them are fools."

"So, either they're deliberately misleading us or they're making an assumption that might not be correct?"

I hesitated. "Or they have someone who didn't like how things went down who is doing this on purpose." I honestly didn't know. I didn't like any of it, and no matter who this revenant was, I was still painting a huge target on the pack.

And Danny.

And that was one thing I couldn't let continue.

Chapter thirteen

Danny

We pounced on Phoenix and Bayer like they'd just delivered pizza. Well, Emery pounced, I was cuddling a sleepy Tia, and as I looked up, I met Bayer's soft gaze for what seemed like the first time since last night. I couldn't help the blush that crept up my neck as memories of the previous night flooded back—his hands on my skin, his mouth on mine, the whispered words in the darkness. But now wasn't the time for that. Not with the news they were bringing.

"What happened?" Emery demanded, his eyes darting between Phoenix and Bayer. "Who were those silver-skins?"

Phoenix pulled Emery against his side, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Representatives from the coven. They came to warn us about the revenant."

"Warn us?" I shifted Tia to my other arm, her little head resting heavily on my shoulder. "Since when do vampires do welfare checks?"

Bayer's lips quirked in the ghost of a smile. "They're concerned about increased human attention making it harder for them to feed."

"How altruistic of them," I muttered.