by Katie Reus
At the question Juhani straightened, unfolding his long legs and moving to stand next to Narek. “What? Who?”
“They’re all daywalkers and supposedly of Emil’s line.”
Juhani’s jaw tightened as he shot an angry look at Narek. The two stared at each other, their eyes glowing in an electric blue Connor had seen only in certain bloodborns. Most vamps’ eyes glowed amber. He also knew some vamps could communicate telepathically and had no doubt that’s what they were doing.
A few moments later they both turned back to the four of them, but all their focus was on Connor. “Where are they?”
“Here.”
“We did not authorize anyone to infiltrate your ranch. We request that you let us speak to them, here, in full view of you, but you may do with them as you wish afterward. I want to know if they’re working alone.”
Relief that they hadn’t been behind this surged through him as he nodded. “We’ll bring them out after we’re done here. How many snipers do you have in the woods?”
At the question Juhani grinned, the action making the ancient male look almost boyish. “Just two. And I’m guessing your people have disabled them because we can’t reach them.” He tapped his ear, indicating his own earpiece.
Connor found that interesting. Maybe they could communicate telepathically only with certain vamps. Maybe it was a power-level thing or a distance thing. Later he’d have to ask Aiden if he knew. Connor didn’t respond to Juhani’s statement because there was no need. “What are we going to do about your brother’s death?”
Juhani lifted his shoulders. “I hated Emil and his death is no loss to our kind. However, if his death had been intentional, your packmate would be dead by now.” His eyes flashed bright blue for a moment before reverting to their paler hue. “As it is, I saw a video feed that streamed live from the building. It was self-defense. There will be no vengeance from my family line or from Emil’s line.”
Behind him he heard Kat snort and resisted the urge to smile. She was still learning so much about their ways. Snorting at the words of a Brethren member wasn’t done. But he didn’t blame her reaction considering three of Emil’s line had just trespassed on their ranch.
Juhani’s eyes narrowed a fraction, but he didn’t glance Kat’s way. “After today, after we have spread the word to his entire coven, there will be no attempts on the female’s life. I will make it clear that if anyone goes after her, they’ll be punished by me. Keep her locked down for twenty-four hours while we spread the word.”
Connor nodded, surprised by how easy the meeting had gone. Under other circumstances that might have made him suspicious but after working with these males, albeit via satellite and phone conferences just a few weeks ago, he had a better feel for them. No one wanted a supernatural war. They had enough of their own shit to deal with. “I’ll trust you to keep your word.” If he didn’t, Juhani would find himself at war with Connor’s pack. Something Connor didn’t need to say aloud.
“Before I talk to those little bastards from Emil’s line, what are your thoughts of the vampires and humans high on vamp blood the news has been showing recently?”
Connor flicked a glance at Liam. How open do you think I should be?
Liam shrugged. Be honest. I think they’re fishing for information because they’re just as lost as us. Either way, it generates good will if we’re open with them.
Especially after what had happened with Natalia. Neither of them said it, but Connor knew his brother was thinking it.
Connor looked back at Juhani and Narek. Juhani was clearly the spokesman of the two, but he divided his attention between the two of them out of respect. These were two very powerful vampires. “We’re not sure what’s going on, but Kat”—he motioned behind him—“saw something interesting at the club last night. Kat?” He didn’t take his eyes off the two vampires as he spoke. It didn’t matter that the vibe in the barn was mellow, he wasn’t turning his back on these males.
In his peripheral vision he watched her and Jayce step forward, Jayce a foot in front of Kat, blocking her with his body. She cleared her throat. “I’ve always been a seer, even before I was turned. I read auras, moods, and before you guys came out to the world, I’ve been able to see your true nature. Last night I saw something I’ve never seen before and it was freaky as shit. Your brother and the other vamps there looked as if they were like—I don’t know how to describe it—but almost like they were puppets. They weren’t in control of themselves, something dark was. Something . . . I don’t know what it was. It was like this dark mass had invaded their bodies.”
Connor watched as the two males exchanged an unreadable glance before looking back at them.
Juhani spoke. “Something strange is going on with some of our people. For once the news isn’t wrong. We’ve never heard of vampires being controlled before, but anything is possible.”
“Could it be a witch?” Connor asked, thinking of the female who had lied to Aiden’s mate.
Juhani nodded slowly. “It is possible, but it would have to be a powerful one. But for the scale with which vamps and humans are being controlled, I don’t see how a witch could do it without draining herself constantly. She would fry her brain trying to control so many individuals. We think it’s something darker.”
Connor’s frown deepened. Darker? “You mean . . . demons.”
The blond vamp shrugged in that casual way. “They can control humans on occasion—why not vampires?”
Connor didn’t respond because he wasn’t sure what he thought. “What do you know of the Draculesti coven?” he asked, changing the subject, taking everyone in the barn off guard if the sharp scent of surprise rolling off everyone was any indication.
Narek took a slight step forward. “Why do you want to know about them?”
“I’m curious.”
Narek’s amber eyes narrowed before they lit up blue. He watched Connor, assessing him, before they returned to his natural color. He was the first vamp Connor had met who had amber eyes in his natural state. “No one is just curious about the extinct line.”
“So they’re all dead?” he asked, unperturbed by the hostile statement.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Extinct implies it.”
“They’re not dead,” Juhani interjected. “Well, we don’t think they are. Vlad always did what he wanted, arrogant bastard. His coven could be living in Antarctica for all we know. Why are you asking about them?”
Connor glanced at Liam. Go get the vamps. Once his brother strode from the barn, Connor looked at Juhani and Narek. “We’re bringing in the three males from Emil’s line. As a show of good will, I’m giving them to you to do with as you see fit. They were upset because their maker was killed. I can forgive that. But they trespassed on my property. Cubs live there.” And he wouldn’t forgive that. Something he didn’t need to tell them.
Juhani and Narek both nodded, but Juhani spoke. “I will personally take care of them.”
Surprising him, Jayce took a step forward, everything about him menacing. “If that girl is harmed by anyone, I don’t care if you aren’t involved, I’ll personally rain fucking hell down on all of you.” The threat was low, more animal than man.
Connor gritted his teeth. Jayce wasn’t his packmate and wasn’t under his purview. Besides, Natalia and Kat had become very close friends recently. Connor had a feeling that was the real reason Jayce was threatening the two vamps. If something happened to Natalia, it would hurt Kat.
Juhani and Narek didn’t respond, just glared daggers at Jayce. A moment later Liam and another member of his pack dragged the three vampires inside. Connor was glad to be rid of them. He wanted to get back to the ranch and check on his mate and cub.
“My pack is investigating vamp blood dealers in the area, among other things. If we find out anything of use, I’ll contact you,” Connor said to Juhani, wanting
to leave on a good note. He never burned bridges if he could forge a contact instead.
Juhani nodded his appreciation while Narek continued to glare at Jayce. Just freaking great. The last thing Connor needed was for those two to get hostile with each other. Nodding at his packmates and Jayce, they all started to leave.
As they exited the barn, he received a text from Ryan. 911. Natalia ran away. Teresa panicking. Call me.
* * *
“What the hell was she thinking?” Teresa slammed down the note Natalia had left on the counter next to one of Ryan’s computers.
“She’s young and scared,” he murmured as he slid a SIG with a suppressor into a shoulder holster and zipped up his puffy winter jacket.
She shouldn’t be surprised that he was carrying a weapon, but she’d never seen him armed before. It was sexy, even though that should be the last thing on her mind. Not when her younger sister had left a note telling her she was leaving the ranch because she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for everyone. After the scare with the three vamps showing up a couple of hours ago, she’d apparently freaked out.
“It’s insanely stupid.” Okay, it was more of a selfless act, but Teresa wasn’t thinking straight. Her young sister was out in the world on her own and she had no clue where Natalia had gone.
Ryan opened up the smaller of his laptops and glanced at her, his expression soft but determined. “It’s not stupid. She’s worried about the cubs and the pregnant females,” he said before focusing all his attention on his computer screen.
With December pregnant and two new pregnant females who’d recently integrated into their pack, Teresa actually understood her sister’s thought process. Fighting the full-blown panic clawing at her insides, Teresa started pacing behind Ryan as he clacked away on his computer. Her sister should have just waited for Connor to meet with those vampires.
Less than thirty seconds later, Ryan stood and snapped his razor-thin laptop shut before tucking it under his arm. “Let’s go.”
“What? Where?” Had he found her already? It seemed impossible, but the male worked magic on those computers.
“I tracked her using her cell phone.”
“How?” she asked as she hurried outside with him. When Teresa had found that note, she hadn’t even thought about going to anyone else. Not even her Alpha. She’d known Ryan would be able to help.
“She has an Android phone and it’s synched with her Google account. With her password, I just logged in and tracked the phone using her Device Manager. I didn’t even have to do anything illegal.” He sounded almost disappointed as they raced across the yard to the parking structure.
“Is she far?”
“No, it looks like she’s in one of the cabins at the Fontana ski lodge. Or at least that’s where her phone is.”
Hope surged through Teresa but she tried to temper it. She wouldn’t relax until she held Natalia in her arms and knew she was safe. As she slid into the passenger seat of Ryan’s truck, another thought struck her. “Hey, how do you know Natalia’s password?”
He shot her a disbelieving look as he started the engine. “I can guess almost everyone’s password here at the ranch. It’s simple guesswork and I got hers in two tries.”
“There’s no way you could guess mine.” Teresa didn’t tell anyone that stuff or write it down anywhere.
His lips quirked up as he pulled up to the gate. “Hmm.”
“Hmm, nothing. You can’t know mine. I use different passwords for everything.”
“I bet you a kiss I can guess your e-mail password. Maybe not exactly, but I can guess the letters and numbers in it,” he said as he jumped from the idling vehicle. After opening the gate, he slid back in and didn’t bother shutting it. When she saw one of the males waving them off and closing the gate behind them she realized why.
“I’m sure with a dozen guesses you could probably narrow it down.” She wasn’t letting this conversation drop. Partially because she wanted the distraction and talking about her runaway sister wasn’t going to do her sanity any good. Thinking about kissing Ryan probably wasn’t any better.
“Three guesses. If I get it by the third try, I get to kiss you anytime, anywhere. And if we kiss before I call in my chip, those kisses won’t count. This will be a kiss I demand.”
The thought of him getting to demand a kiss whenever he wanted was hotter than she wanted to admit.
“What happens if you don’t guess?”
He paused for a moment as he contemplated. “Then you can demand a kiss from me anytime, anywhere.”
Shaking her head, she didn’t fight the small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Deal. Now wow me with your amazing abilities.”
“Your favorite fruit is the blueberry. You like it so much your kitchen has a blueberry theme. I remember you nearly biting the head off one of your cousins who wanted to make a blueberry surprise dessert for Christmas since you are the only one who makes blueberry desserts. And, though I haven’t seen them personally, I heard Ana teasing you about your flannel pajamas with a blueberry pattern. I think it’s safe to say you have an obsession with the tiny fruit.” He shot her a quick glance for confirmation.
She gritted her teeth. Damn him. And damn her for being so stupid. “Yes,” she muttered.
“And the last four numbers of your social security number are eight-six-three-one. I guess that you use those numbers along with the word blueberry. Probably a shortened version of the word so it doesn’t actually spell out a known word in the dictionary. You probably have the numbers first and separate the numbers from your word with something like an @ symbol or a hyphen. Am I getting warm?” he purred, all smug and sexy.
She wasn’t sure how he knew her social security number, but she wasn’t surprised. This male knew way too much about everyone. But she liked seeing him so relaxed around her, liked that there wasn’t that strange tension in the air between them. Instead of answering him, she gritted her teeth. She wasn’t going to confirm that he was freaking right.
“So I am close. Okay, my official guess is 8631-blue.”
“Nope.”
“All right . . . 8631-blueb.”
“I hate you,” she said, no heat in her voice as she fought a building laugh. She still wasn’t convinced he hadn’t already known her password, but she didn’t care if he had cheated. She wanted to kiss him again. Badly.
“Anytime, anywhere.” There was such a note of raw hunger in his words that she squirmed in her seat.
As he pulled out onto the highway, he shot her a knowing look, no doubt scenting her own desire. But then a thought occurred to her and made her go cold. She was so damn insecure where this male was concerned and she hated it. After driving in silence for a few minutes, she asked, “Were you just trying to distract me back there with that talk about kissing?”
He snorted but didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Will you open my laptop?” he asked, ignoring her question.
Though she wanted to continue her line of questioning she did as he said. A screen immediately popped up. A map with a red dot in the middle of what looked like an almost desolate area blinked insistently. There were a couple of buildings on the screen, but it wasn’t a populated area. “Has she moved?”
“No, that’s still the ski lodge.”
Relief slid through her. They were just a few minutes away from the main lodge and there were plenty of side roads to the outlying cabins. Considering how good Ryan was with directions she knew they’d be there soon. Then she could bring her sister back to safety where she belonged.
“What do you want from me, Ryan?” she blurted, feeling as if her skin was too tight for her body. She was too old for games and she needed to know his intentions.
“I want to court you.” His answer was immediate, which soothed the most primal part of her.
She paused a moment, digesting his bol
d statement. Courting was what shifters did when they were serious. What they did when they had long-term plans. The term was a little old school, but she and Ryan weren’t from the newest generation. “You want to or you’re going to?”
“I’m going to. I’m making my intentions clear, right here, right now, but . . . I need to talk to you about something. About me. We don’t have enough time here, but once we get Natalia back to the ranch we will. Once we’ve talked, you can decide if you still want me.”
His words and the potent, sharp punch of fear that rolled off him surprised her. It wasn’t acidic, but the sharpness stung her nostrils. “Still want you?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched tight, and he wouldn’t even glance at her as he pulled off onto a nearly hidden road, driving them higher into the mountains.
She was quiet as she digested his words. She couldn’t imagine there was anything Ryan could have done that would make her not want him. Not the Ryan she knew. “Does this have something to do with Lucas?”
Blinking in surprise, he looked at her then, his dark eyes glittering with something she couldn’t define. “No, but Lucas and I are a package deal.”
At that, she laughed. “No shit, cowboy. If you were the type of male to ditch a kid for a female, you wouldn’t be the male for me.” Realizing what she’d said, she blushed. “Not that I’m saying you are the male for me, just . . .” She trailed off and he got that smug look again as he steered them up the winding mountain road. “Do you have, like, a secret human family somewhere or something?” She knew that was unlikely but she was impatient to find out what he was hiding and anything was better than worrying about her sister.
“Seriously?”
“Okay, do you—”
“Teresa, no more fishing.” There was an unexpected commanding note in his voice that she felt all the way to her toes. Even though Ryan was one of the biggest, sexiest males she’d ever met, she sometimes forgot he could be so dominating. He was usually quiet and reserved and always on one of his computers.
