“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I snapped. Though at this point, I probably wouldn’t have answered even if I did.
“You’re lying,” Sondra said, sounding very certain of herself.
Okay. That did it. I was officially angry.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I snarled, my voice developing a dangerous rumble until I sounded like something more at home in the depths of hell than the daylight world. “You force your way into my house without explanation or permission and now you’re standing there accusing me of I don’t even know what. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”
Because I could. I wasn’t the same vampire Sondra and her pack had pushed around all those years ago. I’d grown, gotten stronger as I embraced what I was.
The training with Liam and his enforcers probably hadn’t hurt either.
Connor shifted, alertness invading his limbs as he leaned forward. I knew if I gave the signal, he’d tear apart the werewolves who’d invaded our house with a brutality that would leave me scrubbing blood off the floors for weeks.
That thought was enough to force me to calm. Though it was difficult. I wanted to hurt the werewolves for this insult. I relished the idea of their pain.
A guarded look entered Sondra’s face as she finally realized the danger she and the other two were in.
It was too late to be wary though. They’d already poked the vampire.
There was a small sound from the direction of the living room as Sondra moved into position to protect the other two.
The loud thump of their hearts lured my predator from the cage I normally kept her locked in. She eyed their necks, already anticipating the warmth of their blood flooding her mouth.
“If you kill us, you’ll start a war,” Sondra said, caution finally entering her face.
Too late though. I was hungry now.
“That might have been true if the attack was unprovoked,” Connor said, taking over the conversation. “But you’ve invaded our territory.” He tilted his head at me. “And she’s the youngest yearling of this city’s master. One could say you’ve already started a war. Do you think your alpha will protect you when he finds out?”
It wasn’t lost on me that this was the second time in as many days that we’d used Thomas as a threat. Much more of this and we might actually have to reconsider our relationship with him.
Sondra eyed me. “You’ve changed. There was a time where you wanted nothing from that man.”
I flashed my fangs at her. “Maybe I just got tired of everyone who wanted to get one over at the expense of the baby vampire.”
“I never pictured you as someone who’d sell her soul for the illusion of safety.”
A rumble slipped free from my throat, the sound transitioning into a rage filled yowl that had all of the werewolves tensing.
“I’m getting a little tired of the disrespect taking place under my own roof. I’ll give you one last chance on account of our history. Tell me why you’re here.”
Tension saturated the air between us. All it would take was a misplaced word. One wrong gesture that nudged us toward violence.
I could see the wheels in Sondra’s head turning as she considered possible outcomes, choosing and discarding solution after solution. I also saw the moment she decided against cooperating. Her wolf flooding her eyes as its shape started pushing out of her body.
“Wrong choice,” I told her, bracing.
“Stop! Stand down. All of you,” Caroline barked from the doorway behind me.
Power soaked her command, ripping through the room and forcing the obedience of all three wolves in front of us. The two males backed down immediately. With Sondra, it took a second or two longer. Her wolf retreated as she bared her teeth, but she didn’t make any more aggressive moves.
Caroline came up beside Connor and me, looking the wolves over carefully to make sure they weren’t going to do anything stupid before finally turning her attention to me. “Sorry about this, Aileen. They were supposed to wait until I got here.”
“Like that makes things better,” I snapped before I could stop myself.
It was hard to choke down my anger. The vampire wanted blood. And truthfully, I was getting a little tired of people thinking they could parade through my house without a by-your-leave.
From Connor’s stillness, I could tell he was too. They’d better have a damn good reason for this. Otherwise, friend or not; blood would flow.
