I step inside the pack house and close the door behind me before making my way to the room where pack leadership meets. I’ve only been in there once or twice in the time I’ve been here. Tonight, when I enter, Bryce sits at the head of the table with Ava at his right and Ryan, his beta, at his left. Cody, Alicia, and Leo all sit on Ryan’s side. Ava grins at me and pats the seat next to her. I close the door and finally notice Hunter. He’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His dark eyes meet mine for a moment, but I turn away and sit next to Ava. The room is silent and thick with tension. “Hey,” Ava says, breaking the silence.
I don’t say anything; I’m not naive about this meeting. Rizo, a master vampire, showed up here on pack territory last night and then today at the mall. This is no small thing. But I’ve never been invited to a meeting, and by the looks on faces, I don’t think I want to be again. Leo, their IT guy, sits behind his laptop, fingers tapping a mile a minute. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without his head buried in his laptop or phone. Cody sits in the middle. I’ve never really gotten a read on him. He’s the one who lets me into Brandon’s room, but he never says much. Alicia sits next to him. She’s never been friendly towards me. I don’t take it personally; I know what I am to them.The enemy, and I won’t ever be anything else.Ryan gives me a polite smile. I don’t know him very well, either, but he seems like a nice guy.
“Thank you for joining us, Sherese,” Bryce says, leaning back in his chair. He exudes power and calm, but I know he has to be uptight from what happened. He meets my gaze directly. “What happened at the mall?”
“You mean besides the hours of trying on clothes your mate forced me into?”
His eyes flick to Ava, and his expression softens. “Besides that.”
I can feel Hunter’s gaze on me, but I focus my attention on the alpha. “Well, you know that Rizo was there. He approached me along with two of his vampires. I didn’t recognize either of them. They’re not high in the chain of command, then. I’m sure they had more outside and nearby.”
“They did,” Bryce confirms. “What did he say to you?” Bryce asks, leaning forward.
I meet his gaze head-on. “He asked me if I thought they were just going to let me leave.” There’s no ounce of warmth in my voice.
“What did you tell him?” That comes from Ryan.
“The truth. That I wasn’t given a choice.”
“After that?” Bryce asks.
“I told him if they could get me out of there, I’d go with them.” I hear someone suck in a breath, but it’s Ava that responds viscerally. But I continue without looking at her. “He asked who was all with me, and I told him the alpha, enforcer, and another of the alpha’s personal security team. I also told him I was sure there were more nearby.”
“Anything else?” Bryce asks in a low voice. I can tell he’s been pushed, and I really want out of this meeting before he snaps and I become the target.
“He threatened me if I didn’t come back.”
Ava spins to face me. “He threatened you?”
I shrug. “I’m their most valuable asset. They’re not going to just let me go.”
“Can you heal?” Ava asks.
Her question surprises me, and it takes me an extra second to respond. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
I look at her. “Yes.” My answer is resolute.
“Then why are you valuable to them? Why do they want you back so badly?” Ava asks.
"As far as I know, I’m the first female they were able to turn successfully.”
“Were you turned recently?” Bryce asks. “Did they just figure it out?”
I’m quiet for a moment. “No.” I squeeze my pant legs with my fingers for just a moment before I relax them. I realize there’s no getting out of this. I force the words from my mouth. “I was taken when I was fourteen and turned shortly after that.” Stunned silence follows my announcement.
Ava turns to me, her face full of horror. “But you’re,” she pauses.
“Twenty-one. Yeah, I was with the vampires for seven years.” It’s absolutely silent in the room.
“Sherese,” Ava starts.
I cut her off. “Don’t.”
“If they had a successful turn, why did all those other females die?” Bryce asks in a hard voice.
“I’ve had a long time to think about it. I think there are two reasons. One, I was a healer.”
