“Ten,” the male answered. “Benson, Blaze, and Bliss were taken.”
Alston groaned. “Are those real names? If so, they deserved to be captured.” The male’s eyes darted around the clearing, obviously unsure how he should respond.
“Trouble in paradise already?” Cain’s voice grated across Alston’s ears.
He dismissed the fae, who looked very relieved as he rushed off, and then turned to look at the reigning vampire king. “Cain, it’s good to see you again so soon,” he bit out dryly.
The vampire smiled. “Really? Because you look like a man whose lover has turned into a siren right before his eyes.”
“So you’re saying I look like a male who’s recently been satisfied only to realize he is about to die?”
“It’s a very specific look,” Cain offered. “It doesn’t look half bad on you, really.”
“Bloody vampires,” Alston muttered. He folded his hands in front of him. “What can I do for you, Cain?”
Cain walked in an arc around Alston, taking slow and measured steps. “Considering we’re allies…” He paused and lifted his brow. “Wearestill allies, correct?”
“Of course.”
The vampire king nodded. “Excellent. So, as I was saying, since we are allies, I’d like to ask you for a favor. I find myself in need of something, or rather, someone.”
“Oh?” Alston’s attention piqued, and his annoyance lessened a bit.
“Do you have any werewolves left working for the Order?” Cain continued to walk, his pace unchanging. The vamp’s eyes occasionally glanced at the ground, and then back at Alston. “Or were they all killed in the cold fire?”
Alston moved so that Cain would not be at his back. He watched the vampire king. What was he up to? “And if I did?”
“I have an idea that might help us deal with those pesky Romanian wolves,” he answered simply.
Alston waited, but Cain didn’t offer more. The fae sighed. “And that idea is?” He drew out the last word.
“Send them to Fane. Have them claim to be refugees or something. If he’s half the bleeding heart his father was, then the pup will take him or her in … better a female, actually.” He tapped his chin. “And boom, we have an inside man.” Cain stopped moving and slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I don’t know why we haven’t tried it before.”
“We did,” Alston said dryly and rolled his eyes.
Cain shook his head. “No. You sent back a wolf that they had reason to be suspicious of. He was a defector. It was enough for the wolves not to trust him. This time, we send someone that’s not been a part of their pack.” He nodded, as if he liked his idea more and more. “He or she can tell the alpha of alphas that they have been blackmailed by the Order.” Cain smirked. “Obviously, that’s not a stretch. And this wolf claims they managed to get away during the chaos of the cold fire.” The vampire stared at him expectantly.
Alston held the king’s gaze. He was trying like hell to find any deceit or ulterior motivation. It had to be there. Cain was as slimy as an oil-coated lizard. There was no way this sudden light-bulb moment was purely for the benefit of the Order. But what was his angle?
“Order members are still showing up,” Alston said. “I’ve only recently begun sending out people to gather the remnants of our fold. Thus far, I have not had any wolves return.”
Cain’s eyes seemed to darken briefly, so quick that Alston could almost convince himself it had been a trick of the light. “And if we do have anyCanis lupusleft, do you think this is something worth pursuing?”
Alston raised his chin and then gave the vampire king a single nod, acknowledging the fact that the vamp was wise enough to ask his opinion. “I think it has potential.”
The vampire king’s face lit up into a smile, and he pulled his hands from his pockets and rubbed them together. “Excellent. All right.” He glanced around and then looked back at Alston. “I must be off. Vamps to create, armies to train, and all that. If I hear of any wolves, I’ll be in touch. And you’ll do the same?”
Alston nodded. “Absolutely.”
Cain’s smile widened. “Good. Good chat. All right, see you soon.” Then he took off at a run, using that ridiculous speed of his kind.
Without thinking about it, Alston flashed, following the vampire king’s magical scent, though he stayed far enough behind that he wouldn’t alert Cain to the fact that he was being followed.
“What are you up to?” Alston whispered. He continued to flash forward every twenty miles or so as the vampire king ran. Nearly an hour passed, and Alston was just about ready to flash back to his compound when Cain finally stopped.
Alston found himself standing in a dark alley. Bigsurprise there. Where else did vampire parasites hang out? The high fae immediately cast a spell that would render him invisible to any supernatural observer, or at least those less powerful than he. He walked toward the end of the alley and picked up his pace when he heard Cain’s voice. As he rounded the corner, Alston saw who the vampire king was speaking with and froze in his tracks. Alston whispered in the tongue of his people. His cloaking spell wasn’t nearly strong enough.
“Thadrick?” Alston breathed out as he stared at the djinn history keeper. The man stood a couple of feet from Cain. At his side was Jezebel, the witch who’d managed to keep from becoming evil like her sister.What the hell?He strained to hear what the trio was saying, but he couldn’t make out their words. And he couldn’t risk getting closer because of the powerful djinn. Alston’s heart pounded hard in his chest, and sweat gathered on his forehead. He knew Cain was up to something, the rat. But he couldn’t guess as to what. Now, seeing the djinn and the witch, he was even more confused. After watching for several minutes, Cain’s voice grew louder and took on a frustrated tone.
