For dramatic effect, Finn would say. He was convinced Aries was putting on a show.
I thought he was just a showy motherfucker. Older vampires tended to have a flair for the dramatic.
“Good to see you,” he said, his smile polite, but it turned warm when he zeroed in on Finn. “Ahh, how are you, little mate?”
Finn snorted. “Little mate?”
Aries shrugged. “Coming up with a nickname for you is hard.”
“Then use my fucking name. And I’m fine. I still get headaches, but after a week on the couch, I’m almost back to normal.” Finn gave me a pointed look that bordered on a glare, and I ducked my head.
Okay. I might’ve been worried about him.
But in my defense, he’d just been kidnapped, injured, and could’ve been killed. I thought it was perfectly sensible that my instincts were still a bit rampant.
And as much as Finn hated being coddled, he’d let me do all the fretting and worrying. He thought I didn’t know that he sent me on random errands just to make me feel better, but I did. I’d figured it out after he’d sent me grocery shopping for the third time in two days, demanding I bring him ice cream again, even though our freezer was filled to the brim.
I’d still gone along with it.
Because he’d let me in again. Because he cared about me. He cared about my feelings and had tried guiding them in a productive direction.
And of course, I’d also gone along with it because I couldn’t deny him anything. Which was another reason he was with us right now.
“That’s really good to hear.” Aries took a sip of his wine, letting out a satisfied little moan as he swallowed. “And you’d probably like to hear the newest developments regarding that nasty former clan head of yours, correct?”
Bennie nodded.
He stepped up next to Aries, posture rigid.
I didn’t like that.
In the last week, he’d slowly become his joking self again, but a tension remained. The knowledge that Ambrose was out there, probably biding his time, was fucking him up badly.
“As we discussed, I sent the remaining fledgling back to Ambrose, so he could tell him about their combined failure and issue a warning that should he not stop any and all attempts on your life right this instance, his behavior would have dire consequences.” He sighed. “But Ambrose has always been an arrogant fool. I’m afraid he’s getting senile. Of course, he’s quite young for that to happen, but still. He’s rotten.”
“What do you mean?”
Aries pursed his lips.
“I’m afraid he killed the fledgling.”
I shrugged.
So what?
He’d taken Finn. As far as I was concerned, he’d forfeited his life the second he’d even come up with the plan of hurting my mate.
However, Bennie and Finn both sucked in their breaths.
“Do you know for sure?” Bennie asked, voice tight.
“Yes. With absolute certainty. Ambrose sent me his head in a box.”
Fuck.
Finn flinched, his eyes widening.
“What… what does that mean?”
