by Aline Hunter
Then, before anyone could stop her, she gazed at Trey and disappeared.
Chapter Six
“You can’t be serious.” Leigh strangled the pillow in her arms, staring at Sadie as though she’d lost her mind. “I’m not going there. With a bunch of werewolves! Haven’t you had enough of them already? Did you see how they act? They’re like animals. You can’t talk to them. They don’t understand reason. You’ve lost your mind!”
“Leigh…”
“Don’t ‘Leigh’ me,” Leigh snapped. “You’re crazy. Certifiable even.”
Sadie clenched her fingers, trying to stay calm.
Finding the terrified vampire had been easier than Sadie had thought. Just to be safe, Sadie had phased to the home she shared with her coven, taking sanctuary inside her bedroom. Leigh had been there, seated on her bed, clutching one of her pillows. The young vampire had made an intelligent decision. Their sisters wouldn’t ask Leigh questions about being in Sadie’s space, and Leigh probably figured it was the first place Sadie would go once she escaped Aldon.
Speaking of which…
“I don’t have time to explain, you’re going to have to trust me.”
The moment she’d landed and seen Leigh, she’d simply blurted the truth—they had to return to Trey and Nathan. And they had to do it now. She’d promised Trey she’d return and she was going to keep her word. She’d glimpsed so much from him—things she hadn’t dared believe.
She had to know if his feelings were as true as he thought they were.
“You’re not safe here.” Sadie kept going, trying to persuade Leigh. “I have to show you something.”
“Like what?” Leigh fidgeted on the mattress, her knuckles turning white as she fisted the corner of the pillow. “That I’m mated to a freaking werewolf? Do you want me to join the family?”
“Would that be so bad? Is the idea so repulsive?” A stupid question, if Sadie counted her own misgivings to Leigh in the past about having a werewolf lover and partner. “Not all of them are like Trey. Nathan is different. I’ve seen the way he reacts with people. He’s got a big heart. He’s a Beta because he has a genuine concern for others. He’d take care of you. When you disappeared he was worried sick. You should have seen him when I left. He’s terrified for you, Leigh.”
“I don’t love him,” Leigh grated through clenched teeth, lowering her head. “I can never love him. My heart belongs to someone else. It always will.”
“What?” Sadie had known Leigh’s wounds ran deep but she hadn’t known the young woman loved someone from her past so deeply. “Who?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Leigh went from enraged to somber. “That time in my life is over.”
Certainly Leigh had mentioned understanding love. She’d even said she’d been in love before her change from human to vampire. But she hadn’t taken the matter further. Sadie should have asked questions about Leigh’s past, tried to get answers. Instead she’d given the fledgling space, figuring they had plenty of time to discuss Leigh’s issues.
Just another thing I didn’t think about until it was too late.
She started reaching out to Leigh, wanting to share what she knew with her friend, when a floorboard creaked in the hallway. Turning on her heel, she came face-to-face with Geneva. The head of the coven stopped in the doorway, cocking her head to the side. Her disapproval was evident, her ever-present attitude kicked to full-blast.
“So you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence,” their coven mistress observed.
There was zero concern from the woman. None.
Geneva was a cold person. But this seemed…unnatural.
As usual, her thick brown hair had been pulled into a French twist that allowed multiple corkscrew curls to fall over her head and surround her face. Her strange, yellow-hued eyes always seemed to know more than they should. Sadie’d never paid attention to it before but she should have. Geneva had always been ahead of the curve, seeing things before anyone else. And she’d been so interested in Aldon—almost obsessed.
There had to be a reason for it.
What has the sneaky bitch been up to?
“What can I say?” Sadie crossed her arms over her chest, taking her usual back-to-business stance. “I’ve been busy tracking Aldon. That takes time.”
Geneva arched one of her dark brows. “Have you had any success?”
Talk about a dilemma.
If she indicated she had succeeded in her work, Geneva would want more of Sadie’s time. The head of the coven would demand a private audience with Sadie that could last for hours. As much as the opportunity appealed to Sadie, since she wanted to grill Geneva for information, she had to get Leigh to safety. A bit of clarity had certainly changed things. For the first time in centuries she didn’t have faith in the people she’d once placed her trust in—women who vowed to put each other’s well-being over any others.
She’d never have believed she couldn’t rely on her very own coven.
“Nothing that would interest you,” she answered, trying to seem bored.
Geneva’s eyes darted to Leigh then returned to Sadie. “You’ve been gone a long time to return with nothing of interest.” Her nostrils flared and her irises lightened near her pupils. She snorted to clear her nose. “You’ve been around shifters again. I caught the stink of it in the hall. I’ve let the question go unanswered long enough.”
Sadie braced herself, trying to think of an answer to the inquiry she knew was coming.
“What have you been up to?” Geneva asked. “What have you been keeping from us?”
I should ask her the same question. “I’ve been working, like I said.”
She kept the conversation all about business and directed her thoughts to her job and numerous hunts. It was against the rules of the coven to invade a housemate’s thoughts but she didn’t trust Geneva. Not now. She wasn’t letting the vampire get a glimpse of her mind.
“I’ve been investigating,” she added, giving Geneva a cursory glance. “That takes me to all kinds of places and puts me in contact with all kinds of people.”
“Not people—a werewolf—and a male one at that. You’ve been close to this one in particular, on more than one occasion.” Geneva inhaled deeply and didn’t try to hide it. “His smell is so potent it’s practically oozing from your skin. I detect his blood. I can smell his seed on you.”
The leader of her coven locked her in place with a wave of her fingers. Sadie didn’t have a chance to arm herself. Geneva’s magic spread through the bedroom. How had she not seen this before? How had it escaped her attention? Geneva was bad fucking news.
“There’s only one way that could be possible.” Geneva seethed, her face warped into an ass backward scowl. “It’s not bad enough you took him into your body. No better than a common bitch in heat. You drank from him, didn’t you?”
Sadie’s heart missed a beat and started to pound. Oh shit.
Geneva’s magic was potent stuff. Paralysis rushed over her.
Soon she’d be caught and unable to phase. Things had just gotten serious.
“Leigh, phase out. Right now. You have to trust me. Please. Something’s very wrong here.”
Thank Goddess, Leigh didn’t argue. “Where?”
“Meet me outside the warehouse where we found Trey. I’ll explain everything. Go.”
Leigh phased, breaking Geneva’s attention just enough for Sadie to visualize the parking lot outside the building Trey had been trapped inside. Geneva’s face—one that generally gave away nothing—contorted in rage. She tried to extend her magic, to keep Sadie caged in the bars of her magic. Sadie fought back, calling on the magic that was all her own. The two energies collided, bursting together.
“Bedding with wolves. You are a traitor to your blood. A disgrace to our kind.”
“That may be,” she hissed between clenched teeth, concentrating to phase. “But my intentions have always been honest. Everything I’ve done has been for the good of the coven. Can you s
ay the same?”
She didn’t give Geneva the opportunity to answer. Something was definitely not right. The coven had been betrayed, but not by Sadie. Whatever their leader had been up to, it wasn’t good. Geneva had her own agenda. Perhaps she wanted Aldon removed but for reasons that benefited her and not the coven.
After the dust had settled and Leigh was safe, Sadie intended to return. Something of this magnitude couldn’t go unquestioned. She had to protect the innocent women in her coven.
As the haughty and furious vampire reached for her—Geneva’s yellow eyes glowing neon—Sadie called on the full power of her magic. Her reserves were weak but she had just enough to teleport from the room. The blinding white surrounded her, answering her summons. The world shifted and fell away as she phased, allowing her to slide out of Geneva’s grasp, obliterating the vampire’s hold on her.
But she saw Geneva’s eyes as the vampire’s mask fell away and revealed her true face.
Son of a bitch.
Geneva was not the woman she claimed to be. She never had been. Not only was Aldon a danger, so was the leader of a coven of vampires with numerous powers.
Sadie’d thought things could possibly get worse.
She arrived outside the warehouse. Shivering in the cool night air and facing Leigh who waited for her across the street, she realized she’d been wrong.
* * * * *
“You’ve gotten us into some serious stuff here, man,” Diskant told Trey. “We’ve got enough to deal with without worrying about the end of the world.”
Trey agreed but there’d been no way around it. “What would you have me do? Turn my back on my mate? Toss her aside like trash? You’re mated. You know that’s never going to happen. She’s mine. I’m not letting her go.”
“The pack isn’t going to take it well,” Emory said, glancing at Mary. “Remember how they reacted when they learned about my mating? And that was only a few months ago. If you throw something like this on them…” Emory shook his head, sympathetic to Trey for the first time since he’d arrived. “I don’t know what they’ll do.”
“Some of them will leave.” Diskant sighed and dry washed his hand over his face. Tossing his hand to his side, he said, “Other males will challenge Trey as Alpha. It’s something we can’t avoid. Unless we can convince them they place themselves at greater risks if we’re divided.”
“That’ll take some serious convincing.” Emory tugged Mary close, wrapping his arms around her. “We’ll have to approach this cautiously.”
“I’m afraid we might not have that kind of time,” Trey snapped, thinking about the enemy they were facing. “You didn’t see Aldon at full power. He was like a brick shithouse. He put me and Nathan on our asses with a wave of his fucking hand. If it hadn’t been for Sadie he might have killed us.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Diskant questioned. “Show them what your female’s capable of? Even if you do that most of the werewolves will balk at the notion of accepting a vampire as their Lupa. Those who understand her kind will be afraid she’ll try to make your wolf a familiar. And if by some miracle you can get them to give her a chance, your mate will have to fight for her position if any females decide to challenge her for the spot.”
“They can’t say shit once I claim her.” Trey’s throaty growl resonated through the room. “She’s already taken my blood. Once we’re mated no one can deny it. And she hasn’t made me a familiar. I’d know if she had.”
“She’s not a human or shifter, Trey,” Emory reminded him. “There’s a reason we don’t mate with vampires. Have you thought about that? The pack might follow you but not if they think you’re under the influence of a vampire. Even if she hasn’t made you a familiar, they might not believe it. You can’t convince them if they don’t want to believe.”
There was that.
Being mated to Sadie meant she would be able to control his wolf if necessary but any mate could do that. Males and females needed the balance of their mates. It wasn’t unheard of for the balance to shift from one to the other. Most shifters weren’t certain how it worked when they mated vampires—as shifters avoided blood drinkers at all costs—but horror stories had been passed along for years.
It was dangerous business, mating to blood drinkers.
He intended to learn what hold Sadie would have over him, but he had to actually seal the deal in order to understand the eccentricities of their union.
Add it to my long list of shit to consider.
“Maybe I should step down.” He glanced across the way to Emory. “Maybe it’s time someone more capable filled my shoes.”
“Oh yeah, that’d go over well,” Emory laughed, years of bitterness openly on display. “The pack might have accepted Mary but that’s only because Ava made them. And I’ve never wanted to lead the pack. Besides, you know how they feel about me. They still don’t trust me not to lose my shit. They think I’m a basket case. Coo coo ca choo.”
“You need to contact Kinsley,” Ava said, looking to Diskant. “The pack might throw a tantrum but they’ll listen if he can get the prides to back our decision. They know we need the help right now. I don’t think they’ll risk too much with everything that’s happened. Finding a new place to call home will take time. They’ll be alone until they transition.”
The Omega’s face showed his pride—and appreciation—for his female’s insight. “You’re right. I’ll call him. Once he knows what’s going on he’ll be on board. He’s the clearest head of the bunch.”
Ava grinned. “Which is why they’ll listen to him.”
“There’s something else, baby,” Diskant said softly and kneeled at Ava’s side. She’d returned to her seat as soon as Sadie had vanished. Nestled in the chair she seemed smaller, her swelling belly more pronounced. “This doesn’t end by bringing Sadie and Leigh here. We’re going to have to locate your brother. We can’t have the amulet floating around. It’s too dangerous.”
“I know.” The sadness in Ava’s voice seemed to affect everyone in the room. “I agree.”
Mary rushed from Emory’s side and placed her hand on Ava’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay. We’ll face whatever comes together. I’ll be here, right beside you. I have to look after my godchild, after all.”
“We have to establish a place here for Leigh.” Nathan, who’d remained quiet up until then, added his two cents. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her but she’s weak and fragile. A hard wind would knock her over. She’ll need to feel welcome or she’ll wither. She’ll have to know she’s wanted and needed here. She needs to feel secure.”
“Mary and I can do that,” Ava said, softening toward the Beta. “Don’t worry. We’ll make her feel at home. It’s not like the house isn’t big enough for all of us. We’ll be safer if we stick together.”
“You’ll have to do the same for Sadie,” Trey demanded, determined his female receive equal treatment. “Once she turns her back on her coven she won’t have anywhere else to go.”
“She saved my life, Trey.” Ava’s sincerity was evident. “I owe that woman. I’ll do anything to help her. And somehow we’re connected. I want to understand how she knows me so well. I need to know where I come from.”
“I’ll start preparing rooms,” Mary said and patted Ava’s shoulder. “There’s more than enough space to give everyone privacy. This house is enormous.”
“What about the station?” Trey asked, thinking about the firehouse that had become his home. “Someone has to stay on duty. If we abandon it Shepherds will know something’s up.”
“You’re right,” Diskant sighed. “That’s why I asked Nathan to get Caden’s ass here.”
“Him?” Emory’s eyes widened in surprise. He could scarcely believe what he was hearing. “You’re going to ask the human of the pack to watch over our asses?”
“Not necessarily,” Diskant corrected with a sly glance. “I’m simply going to ask him to move his shit into the place and keep things in order for a while. Any Shepherd who tresp
asses on Cade’s watch will wish they’d been born with brains. He wants a piece of their asses just as much—if not more—than we do.”
“Not if the information we recently received is true,” Nathan said, head bowed, hands clenched into fists. He shook his head as though he needed to get in control of his emotions. “There’s a good chance we’ve got a lead on the men who killed his wife. He’s got first dibs. We swore we’d give him the information as soon as we received it. He’ll want to go after them as soon as possible.”
Shit.
Trey knew Nathan was right. Caden deserved his revenge. The man had lost everything he loved. Shepherds had attempted to lie to the human, telling him shifters were responsible for the death of his wife and unborn child. Cade had started hunting pelts afterward, slaying every shifter in sight. Then Ava had shown the bitter and heartbroken man the truth. It hadn’t been an easy transition but once Cade had gotten jive to reality, he’d wanted the heads of the men who’d killed his family on a silver platter.
“Hopefully the pack meeting didn’t get that far.” Diskant ran his fingers through his hair, growling low in his throat. “They wouldn’t have started without Trey. No matter how hard Cade pushed for information, they’d have kept their mouths shut.”
The roar of a car engine in the distance snared everyone’s attention. Nathan looked at Ava, who closed her eyes. After a moment she opened them and exhaled softly.
“It’s Cade.” She confirmed their suspicion. “He’s almost here. And he’s not in a very pleasant mood.”
“He’s never in a pleasant mood,” Trey muttered.
“You got that right,” Diskant grumbled his agreement.
Why should the man be? If it was Trey, he’d be pissed too.
Earlier that morning Caden had been promised information he’d been waiting weeks for, only to be pulled away from those who had the news he wanted to hear. He’d almost had vengeance in his hands. It was like taking a toy away from a lonely infant. If he were in the human’s situation, he’d be pissed too.
