Another part of the plan is public relations. Vara, who is both alluring and persuasive, will lead television campaigns and interviews after the reveal.
But the unveiling is still months away from happening. An exact date hasn’t been set because we want to try and get as many hunters as possible in custody. Not just here in New York City, but supes across the world are enacting protocols to deal with monster hunters.
After dressing in a black shirt and pants—I’m not really a suit supe—I grab my phone and head to the roof. I launch myself into the sky and fly over to Prospect Heights in Brooklyn where the rescheduled conference is takingplace. I do my best thinking in the air. I’ve taken to the sky far too many times over the past few months, mostly because I’m frustrated that we haven’t found these fuckers.
But it’s more than that. It’s Farrah. She hasn’t called me.
I left her my number the night of Xander and Evangeline’s wedding, after I escorted her drunk ass to an apartment. I expected at least a text from her, but nope!
Nothing!
It’s been two months, and I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s driving me crazy, but I promised myself I wouldn’t be the first one to reach out. She might have kissed me, but I’m blaming that on the booze. I’m not going to push her if she doesn’t want me around.
It’s for the best because she’s Evangeline’s closest friend. She’ll be around a lot. If I fuck her and she hates me, then that will make things awkward in our friend group.
My phone rings the moment I land at the back of the venue.
“Hey, Silas.”
Silas is one of the investigative gargoyles on the task force I put together to try and find the hunter clan.
“Got a hit on a suspected safe house,” he says. “Tapped in to traffic cameras in the area and managed to get a photo. Texting it to you now.”
“Good. Have a team head that way to surveillance the home. Don’t move in until I give the order,” I say and hang up.
Silas’s text comes through, and I pull up the picture he sent. It’s in black and white, which isn’t helpful, but it’s better than nothing. The man appears to be older with light hair and eyes, and he’s a big guy with a stubby nose.
The problem with tracking down an O’Hern hunter is they’re good about staying off the radar. They’re smarter than I’d like, bearing false names, dodging cameras—even in a city with one on every corner. Which means we don’t know what these assholes look like.
I give the photo one more scan. The man is eerily familiar. I’m certain he’s the O’Hern patriarch. Mally is his name, but before I put it out there, I’ll send it out to the team. Capturing Mally is our goal, and we want to be one hundred percent sure before we order any soldiers to ambush him. Mally will be the strongest hunter of the O’Hern clan and any supe who attempts to take him down could be injured or killed.
I make my way inside to find Xander and share this new information with him.
The ballroom is packed full of humans and monsters alike. It’s a strange sight that I’m still getting used to. The urge to mask myself is strong, but despite feeling exposed,every human I pass gives me a smile, or a wink, and not an ounce of fear greets me back.
I find Xander immediately, not hard since the fucker is seven feet tall. As I approach, I spot Evangeline next to him along with Thorne, and his mates Vara and Layla.
I frown because they’re all so happy—in love—something I don’t have and mayneverhave. I swallow the jealousy crawling up my throat, because I truly am glad my friends have found their mates.
A head of blonde wavy locks emerges from beside Thorne’s big frame. I do a double take because I barely recognize her.
Farrah.
She had fiery red hair just months ago. Did she dye it?
It doesn’t matter because the woman, who’s been haunting my dreams every night, is just as beautiful. My cock jerks as I near her, which makes no sense. I’ve never had such a visceral response to another being before.
I give Farrah a smile, hoping my monster form doesn’t scare her away—this is the first time she’s seen me like this. The urge to go to her side is strong, and I shake the thought from my head and return my attention to the task at hand.
Get it to-fucking-gether, Loch.
“We managed to get surveillance images from a suspected safe house belonging to the hunter clan responsiblefor Vara’s kidnapping,” I say and flip my phone’s screen around to show Xander.
Farrah gasps and the sound nearly has me reaching out to grab her as if ready to protect her.
What the fuck?
“What is it?” Evangeline asks, but Farrah shakes her head.
