Snorting faintly to himself, it crossed his mind the trip might turn out to be a fool’s errand, but the Alpha did have ties to his nephews so he might have something of value. He’d forgotten all about the Rolling Hills Pack in his obsession to seize control of his brother’s pack and a phone call from their Alpha offering information about Jackson had been of little interest to him then. But now that he’d remembered the family connection, he was determined to follow any lead, however tenuous.
Hope’s twin sister, who he blamed for Hope refusing his offer of marriage, was now dead.Serves the bitch right. And her sons had left the Rolling Hills Pack.That was one piece of information that came to light in his phone discussion with the Alpha, along with the fact Jackson’s cousins would not be a threat to him if he succeeded in eliminating his nephews. After hanging up, he did his own research on the Rolling Hills Pack, confirming what he’d been told. Satisfied, Josiah agreed to talk with the Alpha who promised it would be worth his while.
But Josiah still had doubts and, when the meeting was unexpectedly canceled, he never pursued the matter—until a few days ago. Learning about who could identify him as the person responsible for the massacre had cold sweat running down his back; a death sentence would surely be his fate if he was convicted. And that’s what he was facing—all because of a fucking eyewitness. Now he was waiting in dark forest above the Rolling Hills’ compound as the lone figure drew closer to him.
Josiah backed deeper into the shadows, his eyes endlessly searching for a possible trap. Exhaling quietly when his fears seemed unjustified, he stepped forward into a small clearing as the man came to a stop. “Alpha Evens?”
“That’s me…and you are?”
“Someone who might be interested in what you’re selling.”
“Then I think you came a long way for nothing.”
Scowling, Josiah growled, “Stop the crap. I came all the way here on your word that the info you claim to have would be of use to me.”
“And it will, but surely you don’t expect me to disclose it until the money’s in my bank account.”
“Of course not, but I need something more than your word before I pay you,” replied Josiah. Fed up with the game the Alpha was playing, Josiah took several steps backward, deciding to walk away from the asshole. Wasting no time, he began to formulate a new plan to save his neck; there wasn’t any fuckin’ way his nephews were gonna beat him.
Sensing the potential loss of the sale, Alpha Evans held up a hand. “Wait…what if I gave you the name of the person?”
Stopping abruptly, Josiah considered the proposal, deciding to accept it. “Okay…who?”
“Your sister-in-law…Hope.”
Anger consumed Josiah, mainly directed at himself, for falling for an old con game…one he had used himself several times in the past. In a split second, his partially shifted hand had its claws around Alpha Even’s throat, squeezing it. “You fuckin’ piece of shit! What the hell are you trying to pull? You think I don’t know she’s dead?”
Trying to dislodge the claws from his throat, Alpha Evens rasped, “No she isn’t. I swear she’s alive!”
As the words finally sank in, Josiah loosened his grip slightly before growling. “You’re lying!”
“No, I’m not. She was here for many years.”
“Was? Where did she go?”
“She left with her sister after my brother died. As far as I know, Hope is still living with Hunter north of here.”
Releasing the Alpha’s throat, Josiah retracted his claws, taking several steps back while his mind tried to process the news. Stunned wasn’t an adequate description of what he was feeling, but that’s the best he could come up with at the moment.Hope…alive!Happiness welled up within him but was soon replaced by foreboding. The eyewitness, Willow Thatcher, was Hope’s best friend. And that could only mean one thing. There weretwoeyewitnesses that night.Fuck!
Anger surged within him again. Without any warning, Josiah leapt forward, his claws pressing into the soft flesh of Alpha Evans’ neck. His eyes, now merely slits, he growled, “You better tell me everything if you want to live.”
~/~/~/~/~
Staring up at the stone castle rising above him, Lucius was speechless. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something like this existed in real life. It belonged in the book of fairy tales his mother used to read to him when he was a child—yet here he was, about to enter it. “Th-th-this is your home?”
“Yes,” Vasile replied, keeping his voice low in an effort to calm the young vampire’s anxiousness.
That answer triggered some bad memories, but Lucius pushed them aside for the moment, asking, “Do all vampires live in castles?”
Frowning slightly, Vasile thought for a moment before saying, “No…we live where we want to. Why?”
“My old master lived in one…in Spain. It wasn’t as big as yours, and I had a small room there, but after he died, I never went back. Not that it really matters…”
“What about your clothes?” asked Vasile, clearly puzzled over Lucius’ reluctance to claim his property. “Or your books…your other personal belongings? Didn’t you want them?”
“No,” Lucius mumbled, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment at how little he had. Valerian had made sure of that.
Surprised by the curt response, Vasile’s curiosity rose even more, but after seeing Lucius’ reaction to his questions, decided to ignore it for now. There would be time later once they were safely inside. “Ready to meet my coven?”
