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“No, she was innocent. You use your son like your own personal bloodhound. The underground fights and cash exchanges that keep Kaden in the know. The information you all run for him back and forth. Don’t preach now, Caleb. We both know we are in the business of liars and murderers here. None of us are innocent. None.”
Caleb glanced at his wolves and stepped forward. “What do you want?” he asked, his tone changing.
“Your blood. Give it, or I slaughter the rest of your pack in front of you and take it by force.” I cocked my head and smiled. “Your choice.”
“Fine. Take it. My blood will rip your head apart.”
I smiled coldly. “Do you all really think I’m that stupid? That I wouldn’t figure a way around Kaden’s stupid contingency plan. I’m not an idiot. I had Camilla do a spell on the water supply. Helps wash magic out from the blood of numbskulls like you.”
His face grew slack, his throat bobbing.
“Exactly. Now hand it over.”
He looked from his son’s body to his pack, his family. He moved closer, all the predators in the room shuffling toward him. His eyes returned to mine as he rolled up the sleeve of his sweater, exposing his arm. He clenched his fist, the veins along his arm filling.
“No, thanks.” I shook my head and smirked. “I want something bigger.”
He swallowed, and I heard his heart race. Exposing his neck was certain death for the wolf in him, but he obliged, reaching up to unbutton his collar. He leaned in, and I grasped the hair at the nape of his neck. I brought his throat to my mouth, fangs piercing flesh. Memories, quick and fast, slammed into my mind, but there was only one I fixated on.
Footsteps followed me as I hurried down the hall. How was I supposed to tell them? What he asked was damn near impossible to find. My thoughts died as I opened my office door. Tobias stood beside my desk. He picked up the letter opener and studied it.
“Silver. How cute.”
I swallowed and closed my door, locking out the few pack guards behind me. I straightened my tie and stepped around the other side of the large mahogany desk, glancing at the pages of lunar phases he’d been rifling through.
“The folder on the left is all we could find,” I said, nodding toward it.
He stared at me, crimson eyes blazing as he placed the letter opener down.
Tobias walked around the desk, and I shifted, my wolf’s hackles rising. He stopped a mere foot from me and picked up the folder. He flipped it open, scanning a few pages before he closed it and looked back at me. His hand closed on my shoulder, not in pride but as a threat.
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “As for your other demands, Julian and the pack tracked them as far as they could. We don’t know where she is.”
Tobias grinned and gave my shoulder a hard shake before releasing me. He stepped away and said, “Don’t worry. You did what we needed. Once the vampire prince comes through, we will gather you all for a meeting. Be there. All of your beasts.”
“We will be there.”
“Good, you better. This will be the last one before we prepare for the equinox. It’s getting too close to time, and Kaden will not risk exposure.”
I nodded. “I’m aware.”
Tobias studied me, his gaze hard and threatening. He finally nodded and turned away. I felt his power surge and a portal appeared on the wall, the air vibrating in response. Just before he stepped into the dark pit edged in flames, he looked at me over his shoulder and said, “Let chaos reign.”
I lifted my head, licking my tongue over my fangs. The memory faded, and the destroyed bar came back into focus. I swayed, half kneeling on the floor with a limp Caleb in my arms. His skin had turned a pale gray, but he glanced at the wolves practically vibrating in the corner of the room, signaling them not to attack.
I tapped his face, and he squinted, his focus returning to me.
“What’s the equinox?”
He gritted his teeth, trying to sit up. “You already got what you wanted. Let me go.”
My hand shot out, and I grabbed the front of his jacket, hauling him up. I lifted him and slammed him to the center of the bar. With my other hand, I raised a wall of fire, separating us from the others. Several yowls and yips came from behind the flames as the pack shifted and tried to break past.
“What you’re not going to do is play games with me. What is the equinox?” I wrapped my hand around his throat, my nails biting deep.
Caleb gripped my arm, his face turning red as he gasped for air. I lifted my hand slightly, allowing him room to speak.
“All I know is that it is a major celestial event, that’s all.”
