Tell me about it,I thought to myself.
“I tracked them by sound, but then everything went haywire.”
I took one last drink and used the trace amounts of Vampire magic in my saliva to seal the puncture marks. “What do you mean?”
“They put sonic weapons on the trees near the camp but spaced them far enough out that I didn’t hear anyone setting them up. When I went after the lion, someone set them off, and I couldn’t hear a bloody thing. The deafening pitch forced me to shut off my hearing at close range.”
“How did you find me?”
“I had to break them. Did you separate from the group for thrills?”
“That one was closing in on us. Someone had to distract him.”
Christian gave me a crooked smile. “That’s my girl.”
I wrapped my arms around him. It felt good to be in his arms, to feel healed again.
“You smell like a litter box,” he muttered, squeezing me tight. “How did you get out of jail?”
“Long story.”
He removed my backpack and helped me up. “Do you know where they went?”
“I know the general direction. Matteo had a place in mind. It can’t be far.”
Christian put his hands on his hips. “Matteo? And who the feck is this you’re bringing along?”
“He helped me get here, and we made a deal. I trust him. Well, sort of.”
Christian arched an eyebrow. “Sort of? Thank the heavenly angels you only partly trust the man in charge of three children.”
I gave Christian a light shove and headed north. “I only trust him because he gave me his word.”
Christian snorted. “Are you afflicted in some way? A man’s word is as good as a gas station burrito.”
“You’re not even making sense.”
“It’s as reliable as a three-legged horse in a race.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Do I know you?”
“If something happens to them, you’ll never forgive yourself for being so naive.”
“He’s a Chitah. You know how they are about their word, and despite all the scumbags I’ve run into, they’re pretty serious about a promise.”
“You haven’t fallen for him, have you?”
Christian was joking, but something beneath his tone made me wonder. Ah, the smell of jealousy.
“Sorry it had to work out this way, Christian. But after nearly dying in one of Matteo’s traps, I realized it was true love.Of courseI’m not falling for him. He’s not my type. He’s Claude’s height. Not that there’s anything wrong with tall men. If he were skinny it might look strange, but he’s definitely buff and filled out in all the right places.”
“What are you blathering on about?”
“Never mind. I can’t trust a man who makes me smell like animal urine.”
“Do I even want to know?”
I sniffed my hair and wrinkled my nose. “No, you don’t.”
