Page 27

“You’re thinking of Luka,” Draugr said.

My jaw tightened. I already knew the name. Luka was… effective. Luka could stand in a room full of humans and they’d glance right through him like he was part of the furniture. But Luka could also kill silently, efficiently, and with a kind of cold detachment that made even vampires pause.

“What does he look like right now?” I asked.

Draugr’s lips curled slightly. “Depends on the day. Last I saw him, he was wearing a banker’s suit and smiling like he belonged in a boardroom.”

Good. That meant he’d blend in near Bryn. A monster in polished shoes.

“And the second?” I demanded. “I want someone faster.”

Draugr tapped the desk, thinking. “Nico.”

I stilled. Nico was younger by our standards, but he wasn’t weak. Nico was lean muscle and speed, the kind of changeling that enjoyed movement. Enjoyed the hunt. The kind that could disappear before you even realized you’d seen him. The problem was that Nico had a temper. Not my temper, but a temper non the less. Changelings didn’t burn hot like vampires, they burned cold. And when they snapped, it was methodical, surgical.

Draugr watched me. “You don’t like him.”

“I don’t trust him,” I corrected.

Draugr nodded, like he already expected that answer. “You don’t have to like him. You need him.”

I looked down at the list again, jaw grinding. Two changelings would cover the day. They’d follow her without being seen. They’d mirror her pace. Watch entrances. Watch exits. Watch hands.

If a man followed her, they’d know. If a man got too close, he’d regret it. If a man touched her, he’d be dead before he hit the pavement.

That was how it worked, that would be my orders. That was how it had to work now. That is the only way I would be able to have any kind of rest during the day, knowing that she’s not next to me.

“What about at night?” Draugr asked.

The room went colder, because I didn’t like thinking about someone else standing between her and danger while I wasn’t there. I didn’t like anyone in my mate’s orbit. Not unless I’d chosen them. Not unless they were mine to command.

“A vampire,” I said. “If I’m gone.”

Draugr nodded. “One of ours.”

“Not some fledgling,” I growled. “Not some half-starved idiot who gets distracted by her scent.”

Draugr’s eyes flashed amusement, but he didn’t argue, because it was true. Bryn’s blood would call to the wrong kind of vampire like a hymn. She was human, yes… but she wasn’t just human. She was mine. That made her dangerous. Valuable. A weakness an enemy would exploit. And our kind? Our kind always hunted weakness.

Draugr leaned forward slightly. “Then it’s Kosta.”

My eyes narrowed. “Kosta doesn’t like taking orders.”

Draugr shrugged. “Kosta doesn’t like breathing either. Yet here he is.” Kosta was old. Old enough that he’d learned discipline the hard way. He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t theatrical. He was pure, controlled violence.

Tall, dark hair cut short, eyes like steel. Tattoos that weren’t art but war-marks, carved into him from a time when vampires didn’t pretend to be civilized. Kosta wouldn’t flirt and he wouldn’t speak unless necessary. And most importantly he wouldn’t get tempted.

“Good,” I confirm. Then my voice dropped, sharp as a blade. “And if she leaves the room at night…”

“She won’t,” Draugr said.

I slammed a hand on the desk, making the laptop rattle. “If she leaves,” I repeated, slow and dangerous, “I want Kosta on her like skin.”

Draugr’s stare held mine. “You’re going to suffocate her.”

I leaned in, close enough that he could see the edge of my fangs even without me meaning to show them.

“No,” I said. “I’m going to keep her alive.”