Kaiand I met each other’s eyes, but Alek shook his head.
“She’stoo smart. She will know he fled. She will leave.”
Kaiordered Alexa to go send a team to check, anyway. Pearl District was inPortland. We could be there in an hour. Layla had done something to make it sowe couldn’t smell her clan, even with hundreds guarding Emma and me, she wasable to sneak through. None of her vampires could be smelled and it was so damnfrustrating. The dark witch, Prudence, who worked with her was most likelyresponsible for it.
Theteenager scratched his arms. “I need more blood. That wasn’t enough! I need thegood stuff. You said you would help me get it.” He looked at Alek with amurderous gaze.
Aleklooked at Kai. “I’m going to need a steel reinforced cage,” he said calmly.
Thekid whipped his head in Alek’s direction and hissed. Crouching down, he jumpedup five feet in the air and slammed down on the table, crushing it. Max andAlek each reached out and took an arm, but the kid threw them off quickly. Thelarge werewolf and vampire both sailed through the air and slammed into thenearby wall like a sack of bricks. Holy shit, this kid was strong! I wished wehad Anna. Max and Alek were both groaning on the ground, so Kai and I slowlystalked towards the boy. My hand snaked out and I put a firm grip on his neck,essentially choking him. Tough love, right? Kai pinned his shoulders down and Maxlimped over to grab the kid’s ankles.
“Wewant to help you,” I told the kid and loosened my grip when I was sure Kai andMax could handle him.
Alekstood shaking his head, seemingly to clear the daze of being tossed across theroom. “Newly changed and jonesing for smack blood makes them very strong. If Ican keep feeding him clean blood for the next week, he will be fine. If we let himloose, he will murder, steal, and God knows what else to get what he wants.”
“Getoff me, assholes! I thought you were going to help me! You said you wouldhelp!” He struggled against Kai’s and Max’s grip, so I slipped in to help holdhim. His scream was a wail now.
Jesus.
‘Kai,we have to help him.’
Kaigrowled.‘I know. God dammit! This is the last thing I need. A vampire cagedin our basement for a week. Feeding him powerful Alpha blood. Who knows whatthat will do?’
‘He’sjust a kid,’I added.
“Ihave cages in my basement,” Kai said aloud.
Maxhad an elbow on the kid’s chest, pinning him down. “This could be a trap. Don’tlet them live with you and keep tabs on you. They’re vampires!” he roared.
Kailooked at him for a long while until Max lowered his eyes.
“Timesare changing, brother. We have united with the humans and now with a fewvampires. If they do anything that makes me suspicious, I’ll kill them both.”This time Kai looked at Alek.
“Fairenough,” Alek said, nodding.
*
Aftergetting them set up in the basement and enduring Max’s bitching, Kai called thecouncil and told them to put all female werewolves on lockdown. To spread thenews of what we heard tonight.
Later,as Kai and I were getting ready for bed, I turned to him. “You think they willlisten? The other packs?”
Reachinghis arms up, Kai took his shirt off in one quick move and sighed. “Alphas don’tlike being told what to do. If they are smart they will listen. Some won’t.Some aren’t even on the council’s radar. We can’t reach everyone.”
“She’swinning.” I glared at the blank wall behind Kai trying not to let thedepression settle over me.
Kaireached out and pulled me closer to him; his warmth comforted me.
“We’regetting closer to catching her. We have more information now.” He was theeternal optimist.
Inodded but still felt unsettled. I wouldn’t sleep well again until Layla waswiped from the earth. Was that the Devi’s thought? Or mine? It was hard totell. Kai placed a kiss on my forehead. “Shhh.”
“Iwish I could turn my brain off,” I confessed.
Hegave me a sexy, lopsided grin. “How about I distract you?”
Ismiled and his hand expertly roamed my body as he pulled me in for a toe-curlingkiss. No matter what was happening in the world, this was where I was meant tobe.
Avery
