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“Maybe I should spend some time with Brighton,” Calla speaks up, keeping her gaze on the almost completely untouched plate in front of her. She’s pushing the mashed potatoes around with her fork without eating any; she’s as concerned as the rest of us, making me wish we could’ve kept her in the dark a little longer. If nothing else but to keep her from worrying herself sick, which is where I fear she’s headed.
Kade looks at her with an arched brow, but before he can open his mouth and say something almost guaranteed to upset her, she drops her fork onto her plate.
“Hear me out,” she says in a firm voice, snaring the attention of us all. “We need more information about the hunters. I can get it. Brighton and I are going to have our regular brunch on Monday, but I could get together with her sooner. Maybe suggest a sleepover at her place so I can search for—”
“No,” Atlas cuts in.
“Yeah, not happening,” Lex agrees.
I offer her a gentle smile, sympathizing with her desire to help. A quick glance around the table tells me the rest of the guys are feeling something too, because as quickly as they shot down her suggestion, they’re all staring at her as if she’s the answer to all of our prayers. In some ways, she is. And her protectiveness over us is refreshing. It’s definitely new, and it makes me want to steal her away and lock her up in my bedroom. I’d like nothing more than to keep her next to me in my bed and never let her leave. It’s a shame we don’t have that luxury right now.
“Fine,” she grits out. “What’syourplan?”
“There wasn’t a plan, per se, for a long time,” Kade tells her. “While the hunters want us dead—and have for decades—we just want to exist in peace.”
“For the most part,” Lex chimes in with a wink at Calla.
She rolls her eyes at him.
I swallow a sigh. “There are some vampires who are a danger to humankind. It is in their nature—ournature—to stalk and prey on the weaker species to survive. Many take pleasure in the hunt. It is because of them that we are all in danger of being hunted.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question,” she says, flicking her gaze between the four of us.
Atlas clears his throat. “It’s not a simple answer. Have we considered taking the approach of wiping out the hunters as they wish to do to us? Of course. But the thing is, they also help us, in a sense, by hunting the rogue vampires who are out of control and risk exposing our kind to the general population.”
Calla frowns, seeming to run through his words a few times before she says, “So there has to be some middle ground. That’s what you’re thinking?”
“Not with psycho vamps like Selene running around,” Kade grumbles before catching the hardness in my gaze. “Sorry, bro.”
I shrug; he’s not wrong. Selene is exactly the type of vampire the world would benefit from having hunted.
“What if there’s a possibility of working with the hunters?” Calla asks, focusing on Atlas more than the rest of us. It’s just as well—my head really isn’t in the best place to be having this conversation. Not when I can’t get Selene’s voice out of it. Calla is expecting retaliation, and she’s smart to. Selene is up to something—she always is—and we need to prepare for whatever it is.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Lex says. “Too many years of history there.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, leaning back against the couch. “I refuse to believe that.”
Lex shrugs. “That’s your choice. It’d probably be different if you saw them in action.”
Calla visibly shudders, and there’s a dark pang of guilt in my chest, though I wasn’t the cause.
“We need to stay the course,” Atlas says. “We’ll continue observing the hunters’ patterns and what Ellis Industries is up to so we know which groups of vampires we need to alert to keep them safe. While Selene appears to be linked somehow to the hunters courtesy of Scott Ellis, they really are two separate issues.”
Calla leans back, straightening in her chair, but remains silent. The tension in her expression is a clear tell of how displeased she is, and I’m a little surprised she doesn’t push back more. She’s never been one to back away from an argument—even with Atlas, who typically scares the crap out of most people—but she says nothing.
When my phone chimes on the table in front of me, my stomach clenches with unease, as if my body knows who it is before I even pick it up. I stare at the screen, gripping the phone so tight in my hand, it’s a wonder it doesn’t crack. The message staring back at me is from an unfamiliar number, but the area code is local. It wouldn’t matter; the message is very clear.
I’ve been alive long enough to learn great patience, Gabriel. However, that only extends for so long. Your time is running out. Come to me, or your precious human consort will pay for your mistake. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that her blood is tainted. Keep me waiting, and I’ll have it altered to be poisonous to her as well.
I read the message three times before shooting off a reply. I shouldn’t play into her game, but the anger in my chest pushes me to react before I can stop myself.
You’re lying. Always lying.
Her response is quick.
Perhaps I am, but we both know you’ll follow my instructions regardless, just in case there’s a tiny possibility that what I’m saying is the truth.
A growl tears from me, and while Calla frowns at me with wide eyes, I stiffen when another message comes through.
