“We think… no. Weknowit was Jericho’s sire,” I say. “Or at least someone from the coven.”
“His… what?”
“His sire. The vampire who turned him.”
Mom gives me an exasperated look. “I know what a sire is, Evan. But how is he involved? Why would he break intomyhouse?”
I’m not sure how to explain, other than to go back to the very beginning. So that’s what I do. For forty minutes, I tell Mom about Jericho’s trip to Prodigy, the job interview, and how he wandered into a supe bar that night looking for a hookup. I hate that I’m outing him, but there’s just no other way to explain how he’d ended up in bed with such a vile man.
As I talk, I realize the pack hasn’t heard this part of Jericho’s story. We’d kept the details of his turning vague, mostly for Jericho’s sake. He’d already re-lived it by telling me, there was no sense in telling strangers. Jasmine looks like she might be sick, while Neal looks like he wants to rip someone’s throat out. It’s probably hitting too close to home, considering Sasha went through the same thing.
“Momma?” Aster says.
Taren sniffles. “I’m okay, sweetie. Mommy just hurts for our friend right now.”
Taren’s words hit me hard. It’s not only because of Sasha that they’re crying. It’s because of Jericho too. They’ve come to care for him in the short time we’ve been here.
Streams of tears pour down Mom’s cheeks. “That’s so… God, Jericho.” She wraps her arms over her stomach as if wishing she could hug him. That makes two of us. I ache for him all over again.Where the fuck is he?
I lean in. “Jericho stayed away to keep me safe, Mom. Not only because of his bloodlust, but because of Foxx. He knew they were trying to find him, so he didn’t want to bring them to me.”
She whips her head up. “So why did he then?” she says, suddenly angry. “If it’s so dangerous for you to be around him, why did he visit you at all? He should’ve just stayed away!”
“I think he was just going to drive by, but…” I stop before getting to the part about Trace. She doesn’t need to know I was shot. “Something made him stop, and I’m glad he did.” I squeeze her hand. “I’d rather be with him now. You know how long I’ve looked for him.”
Her expression is a mix of pity and fear. “But he’s dangerous.”
“He’s not. His coven is who’s dangerous. That’s why we’re fighting them. All of us.” I look around the room. “This pack has been hurt by them too.”
Mom searches my face, her brows pulled together like she simply can’t understand any of this.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to take in. But I want you to know everything.”
“I still don’t understandwhy,” she says. “Why do they want Jericho so much? It’s been what, almost a year?”
I nod. “Close, yeah.”
“Then why spend all that time chasing him? It can’t just be because of the sex?”
Forest clears his throat, leaning in to explain. “Do you know about vampire gifts?”
Mom nods. “Yeah, of course I do.”
“We believe Foxx is using his gift to create a coven of power. He can sense other vamp gifts through touch, including newborns who haven’t discovered theirs. He turns them, then waits until they rise to see if they’re a good fit for his coven. If not…” he pauses.
Mom shakes her head. “If not, what?”
“He kills them,” Grant says simply.
Mom’s face pales.
“Alexander Foxx is an evil man, Evelyn. He’s murdered dozens of innocent people. We believe if it weren’t for Jericho’s gift, Jericho would be dead too.”
She turns to me, as if I could make any of this better. “Wh-what is his gift?” she asks in barely more than a whisper.
“We don’t know yet,” I say.
Forest clears his throat. “Vampire gifts take time to appear, and Jericho is still a young vampire. All we can do is wait.”
