Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“I agree with my wife. Demons using humans dying from overdoses as a cover-up is part of a larger picture and is not something I will allow to continue in my city.”
“And what do you say to the allegation that a vampire supplied drugs directly to members of my pack?”
“If that allegation proves to be true, he will be punished.”
“By us!” the wolf who lost her grandson says. “I want him hand-delivered so he can feel the pain of exactly what he’s done!”
Xavier nods. “Done. I’ll even rip his fangs out first and let it serve as a reminder: if anyone breaks my rules, I will break them.”
A few of the wolves murmur amongst themselves. Xavier is loyal to no one but his family, and the fact that he will punish quite literally anyone who crosses him is scary. There are no lines he won’t cross.
Larkin’s expression doesn’t change, and even the energy coming off of her is steady. “Given the circumstances,” she begins. “I think my request to meet privately should be expedited.”
“We can talk now,” Xavier replies. “Care to take a drive?”
“Sure,” Larkin says and half the pack objects. “But the girl stays here. Inside the house.”
Xavier’s jaw tenses and I turn, looking at Larkin.
“Let me talk to him for a minute,” I say before I step outside. Xavier takes me in his arms the second my feet hit the porch and I let out a breath of relief when I feel his firm body against mine. He takes a hold of my hand and we start off the porch.
“Kids died and they want justice,” I start, looking up at him. “But I think I’ve convinced them not to take it out on you. We know they’ll lose,” I whisper and Xavier’s grip on my hand tightens. He doesn’t look at me or respond. A familiar knot forms in my chest and I get a flash of terror through me that he’s mad. I try to quickly shove it away.
I’m not worried I made a mistake. I’m worried he won’t want me the same way and I fucking hate how easy it is to rip the scab off this abandonment wound. God, a therapist would love me.
“Wren!” Mabel zooms over and gives me a hug. “Are you okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” I assure her, pulling my hand from Xavier’s so I can hug her back. “They didn’t hurt me.”
“That’s disappointing,” Theo grumbles and Xavier growls at him. Mabel and I break apart. He and Zeke both have little splatters of blood on their collars, probably from duking it out after I sped away.
“This isn’t the way we do things,” Xavier says calmly. Too calmly.
“Maybe the way you do things isn’t always the answer. When I got here, the wolves were out for blood. Now they’re not.” I shake my head. “I know I don’t have the political experience you all have, but they trust me. I’m not a vampire and I’m not a werewolf either, but I am alive. And I know if a member of the coalition accuses you of dealing drugs, it won’t sit well with the others.”
“You didn’t listen,” Xavier says through gritted teeth. “You could have gotten hurt or made the situation much worse.”
“But I didn’t.” I swallow hard and push my shoulders back. “Their alpha believes me, and by the end of the night, the rest of the pack will too. We can go our separate ways and I can get back to figuring out what’s actually going on.”
“It’s not your fucking job,” Theo snarls.
“It is now,” I fire back. “I’m a hunter, and you can’t change that. These demons are up to something, and it’s not going to be good—for anyone.”
“Demons have never been our concern,” Theo keeps going.
“If demons are interfering with business, then they fucking are,” Xavier tells him.
“Hey,” Zeke starts, holding up both hands in a gesture of goodwill. “We have rules in place on who can bring what in and out of the city. If the Morris family gets wind of this, it’ll be a shit show. They don’t like vampires as is and remember how much of a pain in the ass they were fifty-some years ago?”
“Somehow, the Order is involved,” I press, looking at Xavier, gaze pleading. “Think about it; if someone is trying to pin this on vampires, it would make sense for it to be them. Marcus Henry slipped up when he was trying to bribe me. He wants info on the whole mafia thing, remember?”
Xavier nods. “I see where you’re going.”
“I don’t,” Mabel says, wrinkling her nose. “Who is Marcus Henry?”
“Someone from the Order, honey,” Zeke tells her. “An important man.”
“Oh, yuck. I don’t like corporate types.”
“No one does,” he agrees.
Xavier keeps his eyes locked with mine and then nods, letting me know he agrees. The Order wants info on the Malus family’s business operation because they want to take over. And since they can’t do that, the second best thing is to break it apart. What better way to do that than to make the coalition mistrust each other?