Rowen steps in front of me, speaking in a low tone. “Please try to trust us, Tobias. That’s all we ask. That youtry. We’re going to keep you safe, but you have to let us.”
I’ve been around enough shifters to recognize when they use their alpha power. It has no effect on me. Every instinct is saying I need to go. To hide. To get far away from the bloodsucking demons. But something in Rowen’s eyes, his expression, is making me pause. I don’t trust him—I don’t trust any of them—but once again, there’s something inside me, something deep down, saying they won’t hurt me. They want to kill vampires as much as I do.
Or at least,somevampires.
I rub my temple, head pounding as I still try to catch up. I’ve had a constant headache since I woke up. “Did you say his name was Jericho?”
Rowen nods. “Yes. He’s our friend. Why?”
I close my eyes, pulling the blanket back up. “I don’t—I don’t know. Foxx said… I can’t remember exactly, but he kept talking about Jericho. Like they were all looking for him or something.”
All three of them nod. “Foxx turned him about a year ago,” Sage says simply, “and he’s been hunting Jericho ever since. He wants him for his hoard of gifted vamps, but Jericho wants nothing to do with them except to turn him to ash. He’s on our side.”
Hoard of gifted vamps? Shit, these shifters really do know a lot about the coven. A hoard of freaks would be more accurate.
I recall the way Jericho’s hands burned that night. How Foxx had looked at Jericho. The fear in his eyes. He’d talked for so long about wanting Jericho for himself, yet that night he seemed too afraid to get anywhere near him.
Could the vampire really be on the shifter’s side?
I say nothing for a long time, rubbing my temples.
“We can see you’re overwhelmed,” Red says. “We’ll give you some space.”
Fear tightens in my belly. Are they going to lock me in this room again? Keep me prisoner until I give them more information?
They step away, and Sage gestures to something on the floor. “Ro, clean this shit up.”
With a sigh, Rowen kneels by the door and begins gathering something off the floor. He inspects each piece carefully, brushing them off one at a time. When he sees me watching, he holds something out for me in his palm. It looks like a tart of some kind, roughly the size of a half dollar. The dent on the side reveals a gooey golden filling inside. It looks divine.
“Try it,” he encourages. “They’re my favorite.”
When I don’t reach for it, Rowen takes a bite of it, raising his brows as if to say,“See? Not poisoned.”
He offers a similar treat from the plate. This time, I accept, slowly lifting it to my nose. The sweet cinnamon scent makes my mouth water, and I take a bite. The moment it hits my tongue, my eyes go wide.
Rowen grins, his brown eyes softening. “What did I tell you? Good, huh?”
It’s not just good. It’s the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in a long time.
I finish it off quickly, making Rowen chuckle.
“My mom made them. That’s Jasmine, but I don’t think you’ve met her yet.”
I lick my lips, wishing I had more of the apple treat. After a moment, I ask, “Did she make the granola bars too?”
“Yeah. She does all the cooking here. She’s kind of obsessed with it, honestly. Hardly lets anyone else in the kitchen. I think it’s her way of decompressing, you know. She even makes money doing it. I’m sure she’dlove to make something for you if it would make you feel more comfortable here.”
I stare at him, stunned. Is he serious right now? Most days I’m grateful to get food at all, let alone choose.
Rowen laughs weakly before getting to his feet. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”
I’m not sure why he’snervous when he’s the one with the advantage here. Not only are we in his house, but Rowen is a shifter with more power and finesse than I’ll ever have. Plus, he’s a few inches taller than me and definitely has more muscle. But Rowen isn’t what I expected either. There’s something about him that’s soft and kind.
Maybe it’s his warm hazel-brown eyes. They’re the kind of hazel that would look gold under a certain light.
It makes me long for my camera.
“My mom was like that too,” I say without thinking.
