Cain moved a step closer, baring his fangs menacingly. “Lay a single finger on her and I will end you.”
“Which would end a lot of vampires. You would do that to your created?”
“I may have sired you Claude, but I’m not your daddy. You are a tool. And a tool can be discarded when it’s no longer useful.”
Claude held his hands up and stepped away. “I won’t poach on your territory. No need to be hostile.”
Cain narrowed his eyes. “If you come in contact with her, be cordial. Answer her questions, because she will no doubt have them. And try to do it without being an ass, or being too accommodating, if you know what I mean. Then go on about your business.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve put some dormant blood in your own body. You’re acting no better than those damnable wolves. You seem to be five seconds away from peeing on her.” He chuckled at his own joke. “What is the name of this woman who has you tied up in knots?”
Cain clenched his jaw, hating to even say Alice’s name in Claude’s presence, mostly because the French vampire knew Cain’s history. No doubt the horse’s ass would have something to say about it. But the pest would find out soon enough, anyway. “Her name is Alice.”
The other vampire’s eyes lit up. He clapped his hands together and appeared on the verge of hysterical laughter. “Damn, the fates are cruel. They’re dangling another human woman in front of you that has the name of your former betrothed? Is she open to being turned?”
“It’s not that simple.” Cain’s irritation was reaching a new level. “I can’t simply turn her.”
Claude’s brow furrowed, and he shrugged. “Why? Since when do you deny yourself something you obviously want?”
“She’s more than just human, dammit. I don’t even know if it’s possible for her to become a vampire. She’s too … pure.” He hadn’t meant to add that last part. It had simply slipped out, perhaps out of his own frustration about his growing feelings for the woman.
The other vampire’s eyes filled with curiosity. He was old. Maybe not as old as Cain, but old enough to know all about the supernatural world and the different species. “There’s only one supernatural species that is that pure.” An expression showed on Claude’s face, and it looked to Cain as if the vampire remembered something. But the look disappeared in a flash. “She’s a gypsy healer?”
There was no point in denying it. Claude would need to be informed on how to make the hybrids. “She is.” Cain tried to sound nonchalant but wasn’t sure if he was successful.
“She’s the key, isn’t she? You’ve been struggling to figure out why the virus wouldn’t join with the wolves. You were just missing an ingredient.”
Cain bared his fangs. “Why don’t you seem surprised?”
“It’s not exactly rocket science, my king. Once you have the pieces to the puzzle, figuring out how they fit isn’t too difficult.”
Cain couldn’t argue with that. He knew Claude was knowledgeable about each species, which was why he’d given the French vampire the task of helping him create the hybrids. He’d charged Claude to find out anything and everything about the other races. In fact, Claude had been the one to find the history books that Alice was currently reading. It shouldn’t surprise him that the warrior had figured it out.
“Just keep your interactions with her to a minimum and completely professional,” Cain warned.
“As you wish.” The other vampire gave a slight bow.
Claude watched the vampire king walk away, knowing Cain was probably ready to strangle him. Annoying the hell out of his king was a special talent he possessed. He turned back to watch the new vampires he was supervising. The older vamps passed out packs of blood they’d stolen from the blood bank. It wouldn’t totally nourish them, but it would prevent them from attacking the humans. It was imperative to keep the workers satiated, so they didn’t attack the humans they worked with, as Cain worried they might. Claude knew the king’s fear was not in vain.
The vampire lieutenant felt a niggling in his mind, a subconscious urge he kept trying to fight. But try as he might, the thought wouldn’t go away.
He glanced around one more time and decided everything was in order, and it was okay to step away for a bit. Claude headed for the door and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He found a quiet corner that wouldn’t allow anyone to sneak up on him. He pressed the number that showed on the screen and put it to his ear.
“Claude.” A female voice answered, and his mind immediately blanked of anything except her. “What have you learned?”
“There’s over two hundred dormants waiting to be turned to hybrids.”
A few seconds of silence. “When you say waiting, Claude, what do you mean?”
“They’re lying unconscious in a large warehouse on beds, hooked up to nourishment for their bodies. I think there might be some fae magic involved, as well.” There was a tiny voice in the back of his mind that urged him to shut his mouth, but the overwhelming need to answer the female’s questions was just too strong.
“Have you made contact with the gypsy healer?” The woman’s voice was impatient.
“I learned her name. It’s Alice. I’ve not yet met her because I’ve had to attend to my duties. I cannot simply roam around the compound asking if anyone has seen a gypsy healer wandering about. It would be suspicious.”
The woman sighed. “I’m sure you can figure something out. You need to do it quickly. Do you understand, Claude?”
He felt a push in his mind, and then he nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
