“I don’t waste the hours,” I grumble.
“Franklin has a family with him,” Henry continues, unfazed, “more than five other vampires. They’re all following his lead and have been getting more brazen in their attacks on the public.”
“What is their plan?” I ask, still not clear where this is going.
“They’re working towards trying to establish dominance over us,” my mother answers, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest.
“Well, stop them.” I shrug. “What happened last time someone did something like this? I mean, this can’t be the first time something like this has happened.”
“We have eradicated every threat before Franklin, and he will meet an end no different than those who came before him.” My father pushes his chair back and stands, leaning over the table and focusing his attention on me. “I’ve handled rogues in the past with Henry’s help. You’re going to handle Franklin now, with my help.”
I scrub my hands down my face. I don’t want this. I never wanted to be a vampire. In fact, I’ve hated it for so long and now that I’m finally able to enjoy the fruits of this curse, I’m expected to send a family of assholes to their final death just for being assholes?
“Have you tried talking with them?” I ask, wondering if we can reason with them and get them to leave peacefully. That, or stop eating the locals.
“Of course, brother.” Henry gives me one of those looks again.
“And what happened?” I purse my lips and return his judgmental look. “And don’t look at me like that. This is the first I’m hearing about any of this. Don’t act like I should know what the two of you have been doing without me.”
My father opens his mouth to speak and I hold my hand up. “You can’t begrudge me for not being involved when you’ve deliberately not involved me.”
“Franklin said he wasn’t interested in leaving Wildemount. He said the blood tasted better here and they were looking forward to setting up shop.”
“Shop?”
“They also sell drugs,” Henry elaborates, drumming his fingers on the edge of the table.
“That seems counterproductive.” Drug-laced blood tastes worse than the shit I’m drinking right now. If they’re trying to drain the town, then getting everyone hooked on narcotics is not the way to do it.
“The feeding is a test,” my mother says. Her voice is calm and level, and we all look at her. She’s still leaned back casually, arms still folded over her chest protectively. “They’re trying to coax a reaction from us. If they think we’re weak, they’ll move forward. If we don’t act quickly and decisively, there’s a lot at risk. More than just our own lives.”
“I want to see him,” I say, standing and straightening my clothes. “Where are they right now?”
Henry cocks his head to the side and squints, staring at the wall. “Most of his family is at home. He’s out, but I’m not sure where. Either Coven or On the Rocks.”
“I hate that bar.” It’s damp and dark and the definition of seedy, but if what everyone is saying about Franklin Smith is true, then it makes sense that’s where he would be. “But what were you thinking?”
“What?” My father questions.
“You let my brand new mate and Elijah and Liz go out fucking dancing when there’s this threat on our doorstep?” I push my chair back.
“He’s been here for months. The threat isn’t any more prevalent now than it has been.”
I glare at him, exasperated that even though I haven’t wanted to be involved, they didn’t let me know we could have been in danger this whole time. . . and then my mind clicks onto a memory, of a traveling vampire with his hand down Declan’s pants the night we met.
I look at Henry. “Come with me?”
“Always, brother.” He gives me a quick nod. “Always.”
It's time to protect what's mine
He’s not at On the Rocks, which is fine because that means I don’t need to be at On the Rocks either. But that means he’s at Coven, which is probably where Declan, Liz, and Elijah are. The level of dislike I have for that thought correlation is enough to send me through the roof. Figuratively, of course.
Literally, I’m flashing my eyes at the bouncer and sliding through the throngs of people on the dance floor. I know before I get inside where Declan is, and I follow my nose toward him. He’s with Liz and Elijah, and they’re dancing and laughing. Liz has a drink in her hand and her hair is plastered to her sweaty forehead.
Fuck, I don’t miss sweating.
Declan knows I’m there. I can hear it in his thoughts, and he shakes his hips suggestively, swaying to the beat of whatever iamx song is blasting through the speakers. My mouth goes dry and my fangs turn slick with want for him. I stalk toward him and snake my hands around him, pulling his back against my chest.
