“Please, stop talking,” Riley said through gritted teeth.
“No, please don’t. Talk, talk, talk.” Max put his elbow on the table, chin in hand, and stared from Riley to Kraft with enthusiasm. Just like the kitten.
It was comical, but Riley refused to entertain the dolts. “My point is if Kraft does something to Antonia, everyone will be screaming about vampires attacking pack. We’ll get that lycan-vampire war the great Darkness wants.”
“Ah, that would not be good.” Kraft finally had something intelligent to say.
“No.”
Max nodded. “Riley told us about this bad thing that’s coming. We’re still not sure why you need the artifact so badly.”
“I don’t need it. Hecate does,” Kraft corrected.
Max shrugged. “Then we need to get it to her. Not just to soothe a goddess, but to make sure the other packs continue to support the Crimson Claw.”
“Speaking of support,” Riley cut in. “Apparently, you owe Mormo something. He said to remind you. What’s he talking about, Max?”
“No idea. So what do we do about Sebastian? Start stalking the Dark Mist gatherings? They have one in Fremont tomorrow night.”
“No.” Riley thought it interesting how quickly her cousin changed the subject. The shared glance she had with Kraft showed her he thought the same.
Funny how often she glanced at him for his thoughts or lingered on what he said, taking his comments seriously. Kraft had a good sense of strategy and a way of pointing out things they’d missed that showed he was much more than a fanger made for death and destruction, but a thinking being with keen intelligence and a savvy way of discerning truth from bullshit.
Max sighed.
“What?” she asked.
“If you’re done mooning over the nasty vampire—again—can we please stay on track? I’m tired of sitting around on my ass trying to keep my mom and dad happy. We need action.”
“Action, you say?” Kraft leered at her.
She hoped no one could see her blush in the dim lighting. “Then let’s get Antonia and make her tell us where she took the thing, and why.” That sounded obvious, and the best plan they had at the moment.
“I agree.” Kraft nodded.
Paz said,Of course you do. You just want in her pants later. Not that I blame you.
“I’m not stupid.” Kraft chuckled.
“Not all the time. But vamp, I hear him too, you know?” Riley said, smiled, and pounded her fist in her hand.
Instead of accepting the threat, Kraft sighed. “I’m so attracted to your violent ways.”
“Oh my God, please stop violence-flirting in front of us.” Max covered Paz’s eyes, ignoring the tiny paw trying to push his hand away. “You’re scarring me and the cat.”
“I’m not kidding, Max.” Riley thought their plan through. “We need to move. Time is not our friend. And I don’t trust the Wildridges one bit. We need to talk to her here, now, before she’s back in her territory, protected by those morons in Olympia.”
“Well, then. How do we get her somewhere we can question her?”
She shared a smile with Kraft. “We bring her to theI’m Not Homehome.”
“Huh?”
“You’ll see,” Kraft told him then asked her, “Do you have any more of those charms? I could really use one for my room at home, you know, when I have a girl over.” The look he shot her made her tingle all over. Then he winked, and she had to work not to smile. “Because my kin are super nosy.”
Max gave him a more intent look and subtly sniffed. His eyes widened, narrowed, then zoomed in on Paz.
“What’s wrong?” Riley asked.
