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“So let me get this straight. You not only called the guy before letting me know what was going on but you set up a meeting with him?”
“This is Lance,” Marcus argued. “Remember, harmless?”
Beast didn’t like this. Marcus had said that he’d never given Lance his phone number, and why would the guy reach out to Marcus? This didn’t feel right, and Beast would gut the weaselly little human if he was setting up Marcus. Beast might not have been looking for a mate, and lord knew he hadn’t been looking for one like Marcus, but the guy was his, and he would do whatever he had to in order to protect him.
“Besides, I don’t have to clear everything with you,” Marcus remarked. “I know not to go out at night.”
“There’s more to being safe than not going out to clubs.” Beast sighed. His mate had so much to learn. “Vampires have humans who do their bidding for them. And you still don’t know what Mr. Blight is up to.”
“Humans work for vampires?” Marcus looked appalled.
“They’re called pawns,” Beast explained. “There are two different kinds of people who work for vampires. The first serves only a coven leader. Loyal to a fault, unless that servant meets their mate, like Felix did, so that overrules their loyalties to their vampire. They’re also well compensated, like insanely so. They’re called servants.”
“And the second?”
“Pawns. They serve whoever pays them or beguiles them. No loyalty and the pay isn’t that great. Those are the ones you have to watch out for, because they won’t tell you they’re working for a vampire, whereas servants are proud and won’t deny the fact.”
“So if this Nelo guy is taking over a coven—”
“He’s going to be on the lookout for a servant,” Beast finished. “For all we know, Lance could be the second kind, working for a vampire for low pay or unwittingly. A pawn.”
“Kind of like the difference between a high-priced call girl and a prostitute.”
Beast frowned. He’d never thought of it that way. He guessed Marcus had hit the nail on the head because those people were selling their services. Except the humans who were tricked into doing a vampire’s bidding. “Yeah, kind of like that.”
“So how do we tell if Lance is a pawn or if he’s become a servant? Or if he’s even working for a vampire? Which I doubt.”
“He’s naïve enough to fly below the radar.” If Lance was working for a vampire, beguiled into it, he would be the perfect weapon because no one would suspect him of it. Beast still thought of him as being so nonthreatening he should have been a kitten.
“So, can we tell?”
“A human’s brain will try and fight the impulse, whatever that impulse is, so they’ll have a slight twitch and they’ll have holes in their memory.” Beast hoped Lance wasn’t working for a vampire because Marcus seemed to genuinely like him.
From what he could tell, his mate was lacking in the friendship department, and Beast wanted Marcus to make friends. More than just Brooklyn and Elliot. He was going to have to introduce Marcus to Felix. He had a feeling those two would get along since they were both stubborn as shit.
Then again, having only a few loyal friends, even one, was enough, in Beast’s opinion. Still, he didn’t want Marcus to be disappointed if Lance turned out to be working for a vampire.
They drove to the diner, and Beast scanned the interior when they entered. They’d arrived earlier than Lance, so Beast opted for a table at the rear, placed near a window that gave him an outside view.
Marcus sat across from him, playing with the napkin on the table. Beast noticed how his mate’s gaze kept darting around the room, like he was trying to see something that wasn’t there. Beast couldn’t blame him. Meeting someone who could potentially be working for vampires was never a good thing.
They ordered coffee and waited for Lance. Marcus checked his phone every few seconds, as if he was expecting a text. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to the diner jingled. Beast looked up to see Lance walking in, looking as nervous as a rabbit in a wolf’s lair.
Lance weaved his lanky frame through the tables as he made his way to them. His gaze darted nervously around the diner, and Beast saw the slight twitch in his movements. It didn’t necessarily mean he was beguiled by a vampire. The guy could just be scared. Beast wasn’t going to judge him so quickly, but he was going to find out.
“Thanks for meeting me.” Lance sat but looked over his shoulder before turning his attention back to them. “I saw that guy when I was leaving my apartment.”
Beast leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He studied Lance, taking in his appearance, the way he held himself, searching for any signs that he might be up to something. But Lance just sat there, fidgeting with the utensils on the table.
“Do you see him now?” Beast waved toward the large window.
Lance frowned and looked outside. “No.” He glanced at Marcus. “When I went back to work yesterday, Mr. Blight was acting strange. He kept his office door locked and wouldn’t let anyone in.”
“He’s done that before,” Marcus said.
Lance shook his head. “This was different. I can’t explain how, but it was.”
“Tell me what you’ve done over the past week,” Beast said. “Visit any clubs?”
