“I will join you, but I will not bring any others,” Finn told him. “Not until I can see that you speak the truth … and that you will stay true to your word.”
“Fair enough,” Cain said. “I have a fae ally who can take us now to the lab where my people are working.”
Finn lifted his nose in the air and took a deep breath. “You can come out.”
Cain turned to see the fae male step out of the forest.
“I didn’t want to alarm you by simply appearing in your territory,” the fae said. “I mean you no harm, wolf.”
“For now,” Finn said, “that remains to be seen. I need to let my people know that I will be leaving for a time. Please wait here.”
Cain bowed his head to the wolf and then watched as he loped off into the woods.
“You’re working with rogues, humans, and hunting dormants,” the fae said. “Anything else?”
Cain straightened his suit jacket. “I’ve arranged to have Alston disposed of.” Cain turned to look the fae in the eyes. “I’ve been a busy boy.” He took a deep breath and clapped his hands together. “Now, once you drop me and Finn off at the lab, you can head to the fae veil at dusk tomorrow. By then, you will be able to enter.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Who banished you from your realm?”
“The high fae,” the male answered immediately.
Cain rolled his eyes. “But which high fae set the order and sealed the veil from you?”
The male froze, and then his eyes widened. “Alston,” he drawled.
“Bingo,” Cain said at the same time Finn came jogging back toward them. “What did you tell your people?”
“That I’m going on an errand for our alpha,” Finn said matter-of-factly.
The fae male held out his arms, and Finn placed his hand on the right one while Cain set his on the left. “Once you see this lab, that’s it, Finn. You cannot decide to place your loyalty back with Fane.”
Finn laughed at a humorless sound. “Do you take me for a fool? I knew the minute I took your offer that to change my mind would mean death. Death is nothing if I am beholden to another. I am an alpha. I bow to no one.”
“Excellent.” Cain nodded. “Then off we go.”
Chapter 7
“Just when I think I have it all figured out, I’m reminded that I am still not all knowing and all powerful. It’s an annoying bitch-slap that happens occasionally. But what’s even more annoying is I have the audacity to be surprised every single time.” ~Peri
“So, did anyone else have the pleasure of running into any French vampires while they were out and about yesterday?” Peri asked as she, Lucian, Boain, and Lorna strode into the large meeting hall within the sprite compound.
“The vampire we met wasn’t French, but he was a king,” Thadrick, the djinn, replied. His mate, the witch Jezebel, stood next to him, her arms folded in front of her. She looked pensive as she glanced around at the others that filled the room.
“You met with the vampire king and didn’t kill him?” Jen asked from where she sat on top of a table. Decebel was beside her, one of his large hands resting on her thigh. Peri noticed that every male standing next to their mates touched them in some way, either leaning a shoulder against them, a hand wrapped around theirs, or an arm around their waist. Even Lucian’s hand pressed against Peri’s lower back as he steered her to the side to join the large circle that included a representative or more from each of their allies.
Thad shrugged. “He had interesting things to share.”
“Oh, has he decided to behead himself as a sacrifice for the greater good of humanity?” Elle smirked.
“That’s my girl.” Jen pointed at the fae female. “Busting out with the ‘off with his head’ mantra.”
“Boain,” Fane said, ignoring the fact that Peri and Thad both brought up they’d encountered vampires, “is this your mate?” The alpha motioned toward the woman beside the large male.
“It is.” Boain’s eyes softened as he looked at his female. It was a look Peri was used to seeing on the matedCanis lupusmale faces when gazing on their women. Unless, of course, said women were annoying them or defying them in a way that would put themselves in danger … which was often.
“Welcome, Lorna,” Fane said. “This is my mate, and Luna, Jacquelyn.” He pulled Jacque closer to his side, and the redhead smiled at Lorna.
