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“Why did you retire?” I asked. I hadn’t planned the question, but long stretches of silence eventually begged to be filled, and my mouth obliged before I had a chance to wonder if it was a good idea to ask.
Riggs didn’t answer right away. He was idly stroking his fingertips through my hair, which felt good enough to take my mind from the rest of the symptoms plaguing me.
“My sister joined these people and I tried to convince my pack to attack this place. I was convinced she was coerced. As far as I saw it, she was a hostage. Felix convinced me to wait. I was the alpha, and they would’ve done as I asked if I commanded it. But he went to the other packs and found out what they’d do if I followed through with my plan. They would’ve labeled us outsiders and fought with the rebels against us.” He shook his head, smiling with no humor. “I almost did it anyway. I was so fucking mad. She was the last thing I had, and they took her, too. But now I wonder if she would’ve felt like she had to go outside the pack if I hadn’t pushed her so hard. She never hated them like I did, and I couldn’t accept that.”
I rubbed his forearm, giving him a comforting squeeze. “Maybe it wouldn’t be too late to talk to her.”
Riggs stiffened at first, but then he relaxed with a sigh. “You’re in danger of making me a better person, Sylvie.”
“The good person was already in there. You were just in the middle of trying to bury him six feet deep when I met you.”
He grunted—or laughed, I couldn’t be sure which.
Riggs went still and held up his hand before I heard the footsteps. I flinched when the door opened and Ana Black came in with Vladimir. Both were staring down at us with crossed arms.
“There was blood from more than one vampire in that room,” Ana said. “We tasted the blood of four individuals, to be exact. One werewolf, one was our son’s, and two belonged to quite old vampires.”
Ana and Vlad both looked completely exhausted. There were purple rings around their eyes and I could clearly see they’d been grieving their son in private. But in front of us, neither was showing any sign of it.
That was the price of leadership, I guessed. Bottling up your private emotions and leaving them behind closed doors until you got the important jobs finished.
Vladimir nodded. He was twirling his mustache with one hand idly, then he belched loudly and punched his chest. “Matches up with your story, doesn’t it?”
“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?” I asked.
“It’s suspicious,” Vladimir said.
Ana sighed. “Forgive my dear husband. He has a fondness for torture, and I think it clouds his judgment at times. I also believe he’s looking for an outlet, given the tragedy of our son’s loss.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling silly for jumping into the conversation. “About your son. I feel responsible. Like if those people weren’t coming for us, they wouldn’t have wound up here and your son would still be alive. I—”
“Don’t give them ideas,” Riggs muttered.
Ana moved closer to the bars, watching me with calculating eyes. “It’s kind of you to say so. And I believe you mean what you say, girl. Thank you. We loved our son dearly, and the time for sadness and grief will come soon. But first, we want revenge on those who stole him from us.”
“But you could’ve tried to fuckin’ help him,” Vladimir said. “Big Alpha wolf of the Silverbacks, eh? And what’d you do? Draw a little blood from the fuckers who killed my son?”
Riggs stared, offering no excuses or explanations. Vladimir met his eyes, and for a moment, I thought one of them was going to break the bars apart and start fighting.
“Save it for the ones who deserve it, darling,” Ana said in calming tones that seemed to cool Vlad’s temper. “These two were not responsible. Their blood wouldn’t even dull the flame of revenge you wish to quench.”
“Grant me two favors and I can help you,” Riggs said.
Ana raised her eyebrow. “Your innocence doesn’t place us in your debt.”
“No,” he said. “But if you give me what I’m asking for, I’ll solve your problem for you. The Coven is trying to spark a war with your people. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you would prefer to continue gathering defectors and drag this out as long as possible.”
She tilted her chin up but nodded. “You’re not incorrect.”
“They took our friends. That means we need to go get them. But Sylvie is sick, and she’s getting worse.” Riggs paused then, and looked down at me, eyes searching. “Did you mean what you said once? That you’d rather be one of them? You told me that was the plan with your sister, right? And you were ready to do it?”
