Vicki watched as Rule started cleaning up. Then something caught her eye.
“Hey, that’s the newest range on the market. I thought those were inaccessible to Cross Step.”
Rule didn’t answer.
She took a harder look around the kitchen. To her astonishment, though the kitchen had high end appliances, they were also state-of-the art. Two large shurewaves, which had recently replaced the microwave, sat on either side of the main wall over wide countertops and large cabinets. Between them lay a funky copper hood above an expansive griddle and eight-range gas cooktop. The white counters looked pristine, without a stain to smudge them. On closer inspection, they were the new granite/white-steel amalgam that sold for a thousand dollars a square foot. Two walk-in refrigerators, as well as two walk-in freezers, lined the opposite wall across from the massive kitchen island complete with large stools.
“My mother would kill for this kitchen.” And the underground contacts that allowed Ravagers access to equipment outside of Cross Step.
Rule smiled. “It’s home.”
“But for all your gadgets, no televisions, computers or phones.”
“Like I said, no need for ‘em. This is Savage land. Our den. We keep outsiders out.”
She still didn’t understand, but Rule turned to the sink and ignored her.
Frustrated, she went in search of Sean. Vicki stepped one foot outside the kitchen and stopped. In what looked the size of a ball room but functioned as a dining hall sat forty or more Ravagers eating in silence. None of them uttered a word when she entered. All eyes, however, centered on her.
She noted a few females interspersed with the majority of males. Everyone at the tables had dark hair. Here, Dominic would really stand out. Eric too, she figured, seeing so many pairs of dark eyes focused on her.
So much for stealing out of this place undetected today.
Deciding to take the initiative, she shored her determination and buried her unease at being surrounded by so many predators. “Anyone seen my cousin Sean? He looks just like me, only bigger.”
Not surprised when no one answered, she swore under her breath, passed directly through the dining room and out the other door into the rest of the estate. Or should she say, mansion.
Holy hell, but the Ravagers had to have some money to live in a place this grand. It wasn’t fancy, but the furnishings were quality, in decent shape and lived in. The place had an earthy feel, the decor something that might work best in a log cabin. Everywhere she turned she saw Ravagers sitting in pairs or groups. Always close enough to touch—
She quickly backed out of one open room where an orgy took place.Good Lord. These people had no problem sharing. Men and women, men and men. Didn’t much seem to matter as long as someone had a slot B for tab A. More than curious about Ravager sex, she wouldn’t have minded staying to watch. But she didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression. God forbid Eric find her goggling at some other Ravagers. Would he be jealous? She’d had sex with him and his pack. Did Ravagers really share lovers?
Flushing at the thought and discomfited, she hastened to find her cousin. She entered a large foyer and ran up an expansive stairway that ended at a landing. Vicki continued up the right stairwell and paused when she reached the second floor.
The realization came late, but when it did, she felt like an utter idiot. “Must be the shock of being surrounded by werewolves,” she muttered, ignoring the quizzical stare of two more giants passing her on their way downstairs.
Casting her power, she sought tendrils of Sean’s unique energy. Catching it, she followed the trail toward a corridor on her right. She passed several doors in a beige hallway and paused in front of the last one. She raised her hand to knock and heard the breathy moans of a woman enjoying herself.
Not wanting to wait any longer, she interrupted with a few hard bangs on the door.
To her relief, Sean answered dressed in a pair of jeans. Seeing her, he sighed.
“About time.” He pulled a shirt over his head and said over his shoulder, “I’ll be back later. Entertainyourselvesfor a while.” He snarled and slammed the door behind him then hurried to the end of the hallway, staring at a blank wall.
“Um, Sean? There’s nowhere to go.” Maybe the Ravagers had exhausted him beyond thought. He wore no shoes, his hair stuck up in odd places, and he looked pale. The bite mark on his shoulder, interestingly enough, looked completely healed.
She leaned closer to get a better look when he pushed against the wall. It opened to reveal a hidden set of stairs. They entered a dimly lit passage, and the door closed quietly behind them.
“Secret passages too. This place has it all.” Enthralled despite her worries, Vicki followed her cousin down the stairs and through another passageway.
He stopped suddenly and waited. She felt his energy disperse and return to him. When he pushed on the wall, a doorway appeared. Through it, they entered an unoccupied library. Though small compared to the dining hall and living spaces, the library held two couches and several mahogany reading chairs. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. There were no windows and only one door, not counting the secret one through which they’d entered.
“Finally. A moment of peace. Diana showed me this yesterday.” Sean exhaled on a breath and flopped onto a couch. He studied her with tired eyes. “You look better than I thought you would.”
“You look like crap.”
“Thanks. Don’t hold back, Vic. Tell me what you really think.”
“I really think we’re in trouble. I’ve seen more than fifty Ravagers skulking around this place. The pack you and I stumbled into belongs to their prime, their damnking,and tonight’s Great-Grandma Vicki’s night for dinner.”
