He shadow walked so fast that the light clicked on after he reached me. “Salem is unharmed. Your packmates are safe.”
I leaned into him. “Oh, thank goodness.”
“Come.” Atticus led me through his home, which was scarier at night with all the shadows, ghostly statues, and faces on paintings coming alive. Every sound echoed against the marble floors and high ceilings.
After entering a room, Atticus switched on a dim lamp and gestured for me to sit on a sofa facing the fireplace. I watched him gather wood, open the flue, and light kindling beneath the firewood.
Each wall had built-in shelves filled with books.
“Have you read them all?”
“Most,” he said while fanning the flames. “I enjoy collecting ancient literature and autobiographical records. Some are diaries, but I have novels if you’re interested in something besides poetry.”
The firelight softened his features, drawing my attention to his pale hair, which was noticeably damp. He must have showered in that bathroom, and that brought my thoughts back to the blood. His dark trousers and brown shirt made it difficult to see bloodstains, but that was probably because they were clean.
“Where did the blood in the bathroom come from?”
He set a screen in front of the fire before turning around and sitting on the hearth. “Would you like me to fetch you milk or something to nibble on?”
“I’d like you to answer my question and tell me every last detail.”
His dubious gaze fell to the floor, and though Atticus was young in appearance, his humorless expression aged him. “Forthe sake of the baby, it’s better that we discuss pleasant things lest he shift again.”
Irritated, I scooted forward. “While I appreciate your looking out for me, I’m not a delicate flower. This is my pack we’re talking about. The baby only shifts when I’m afraid or startled. I’m much more relaxed, but if you want to know what will make me neurotic, it’s not knowing if my packmates are alive. I tried sending a message earlier, but no one replied.”
“They were ordered not to communicate with you. They captured a Vampire trespassing on their property and requested my services to get information out of him.”
I kicked off my slippers when my feet began getting hot. “And?”
“They weren’t aware of you, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“How many were there?”
He glanced over his shoulder at the fire heating up behind him. “They only captured one, but two more are staying nearby. We can’t take the chance of them contacting their boss and getting new orders, so Tak is supposed to call when the job is done.”
I swallowed hard. “Is the job to kill or capture?”
“Capture implies release, and that would put you in danger. We can’t have those scoundrels on the loose.”
I jumped when the wood snapped in the fireplace. “What did you do to the Vampire you caught?”
“He was given orders to kill anyone in the way. Had you been home, you might have tried to protect Salem. That man wanted to end you, so I took him out of this world.” Atticus rose to his feet and gestured to the spot on my left. “May I?”
I moved my robe to let him sit. “What happens now?”
“Assuming your alpha is successful, we wait.”
“For what?”
“This faction might send more assassins, though it’s possible they won’t want to risk it. At least not so soon. If Salem knows their secrets, he’ll always be a threat to the facility.”
I played with a lock of my hair while lost in the bright orange flames that danced in the hearth. “I can’t imagine they’ll bother sending anyone else. It’s such a long way to travel.”
“Not anymore. They relocated their facility.”
My stomach sank. “Where?”
“Arkansas. Most of these underground labs periodically relocate, especially after a breach. I charmed our prisoner and discovered only one of them was in contact with the boss, and it was only through text messages. If Tak is able to confiscate their phones, we can continue communications with their boss.”
