I turn away from Hunter, not wanting to see his face when I say what I’m going to say. “He can be enthralled by me.” It’s absolutely silent in the room, and I don’t dare look at Hunter.
“I’m sorry. What?” Raechel asks in confusion.
I take a breath and keep my voice steady, emotionless. “If a vampire drinks blood from someone several times, it creates a kind of...intimate connection between them.” I hate the words coming out of my mouth, but I continue. “The person begins to crave it, and they sort of...lose their minds because they want to be with the vampire all the time. They develop a...like a...bond between them. That’s what it means to be enthralled.”
Raechel stares at me and then, in a totally chill voice, says, “So, Hunter’s like your sex toy?”
“Oh my word.”
“Raechel!”
“Oh boy.”
I don’t look over at Hunter, and I wish I could just melt into the carpet. But I own up to it. If I’m going to sell this to the vampires, might as well get used to it. “Yes. That’s what it means to be enthralled by a vampire. It’s the only way he’s getting in there. I have to make them think I’ll return to them, but that I’ve made Hunter...that, and he won’t let me go, so I’m bringing him with.”
“Huh. Really didn’t really peg you as the needy type, Hunter,” Raechel says, and I resist the urge to close my eyes.
“Oh, good grief.” That’s from Ava.
Raechel grins evilly, and I know whatever comes next is not going to be good. “Hey, big Guy, can I enthrall you?”
Talya snorts. “Like you haven't already?”
Raechel cocks her head to the side and looks up at her mate. “She makes a good point.” Max just shakes his head and wraps an arm around her, pulling her close.
“In all seriousness, you think that would work?” Talya asks me. “Because I’m not above putting my foot down and saying you can’t go.”
Liam’s eyebrows rise. “Really, Babe?”
“Well, Emma’s not here, so I feel like it falls on me by default to make sure our sisterhood is intact and protected.”
A slow grin fills Liam’s face. “Have I told you lately how sexy you are?” Madison and Raechel both groan, and I almost smile. If my future didn’t look so bleak, maybe I would.
Sage comes into the room, and Paul pulls her in close and wraps his arms around her front. “How’s Emma?” Talya asks.
“She’s good.” Sage glances at Garrett. “She’s sleeping; they both are.”
His face softens for the first time this morning. “Thank you.”
“So, what did I miss?” Sage asks.
“Oh, nothing much,” Raechel starts. “Just that vampy here and I are going to go at it in the ring on Friday night, and she’s going to return to the vampires in a covert operation. Oh, and she’s taking her sex toy with her as well.”
Sage wrinkles her nose.Sex toy? She mouths to Ava.
“Yep. Hunter.” Raechel finishes with a grin. Sage’s eyes widen, and I just shake my head.
“Maybe you could stop calling my head enforcer a sex toy,” Bryce says, looking pained.
Leo snorts from the kitchen. I'd forgotten he was even there. “It’s a good thing Cody’s not here,” he says in a quiet voice that still carries. “He’d never let you live it down.”
“Pretty sure he’ll find out,” Hunter says in a low voice.
I glance over at him to see if he’s mad. His dark eyes meet mine and hold, and I don’t get the feeling that he’s mad.Irritated, maybe, but not mad. I wonder how we’re going to be able to pull this off. We’re never going to make it believable. They’ll take one look at us and know we’re faking it. There’s no way Hunter will be able to pull off looking enthralled. He's too intense and angry all the time; that’s the furthest thing from being enthralled. Maybe we’ll have to figure out another way in. Maybe I can convince Hunter not to go with, or maybe just not tell him. I feel my mood brighten at that. I could sneak out and go when he’s not expecting it and show up to the vampires by myself. Once I’m there, he can’t come. It would be suicide. A sense of peace and calm descends. This can work; thiswillwork. I just need to keep my plans close to the vest and act interested in the plan that Bryce and Hunter think we’re doing. Garrett says a few more things, but I kind of tune him out. My mind is making a plan to go back to the one place I said I’d never go back to.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sherese
