“We put some distance between us and the accident scene, but for all I know that was the only hotel in a hundred mile radius of where they found us the first time,” Killean said.
“Or someone working for Joseph could have spotted and reported you,” Saxon said. “We have no idea how many humans and vampires he has working for him.”
“That too,” Killean said.
“What about the car you drove here?” Nathan asked. “Will they be able to figure out you stole it and track it?”
“The newest things in that car are its crank windows,” Killean replied. “I made sure of it.”
“Good,” Ronan said.
“How many people did you have to kill for Joseph to accept you?” Lucien inquired with open hostility.
Killean’s head turned toward him, and their gazes locked. Under the table, Simone rested her hand on his knee and squeezed it as she glowered at Lucien.
“Ten of the worst humans I could find. They were rapists, child molesters, drug dealers, and so on,” Killean said.
“How restrained of you in your role as God,” Lucien drawled.
An uneasy silence descended over the room, and then Killean gave Lucien a smile that could have frozen fire. “I’d kill a hundred more of them to set her free again. Perhaps, one day, you’ll understand why.”
“And have you stopped killing?” Declan asked.
“Yes,” Killean said and tore his eyes away from Lucien to focus on Declan.
“And you plan not to murder humans anymore?” Nathan asked.
Killean tried not to feel annoyed as he met the blue eyes of the hunter leader. Not so long ago, the only ones with any right to question him and his actions were the Defenders, but things were different now, and these hunters hadn’t slaughtered his family.
Despite his relationship with Simone, he had to remind himself of this. Times were changing, but he still wasn’t ready to completely trust these hunters. It would come in time, but old habits died hard.
“I have no intention of killing humans anymore,” he answered. “I will continue to kill vampires.”
“So you haven’t had any problems since you stopped killing?” Logan’s pine green eyes were doubtful as he asked this question.
“I didn’t say that,” Killean replied. “Not killing has been difficult at times.”
“But you believe you can keep yourself under control?” Nathan inquired.
Simone’s fingers tightened on his leg, and when she leaned closer to him, she drew the eyes of everyone at the table. Killean rested his hand possessively in the small of her back.
“Yes, I do,” he said firmly, and they all looked from Simone to him. Bracing himself for what he would reveal next, he held Ronan’s gaze as he spoke. “There’s something you should know about Savages. I believe it’s not only bloodlust that drives some of them to continue killing after they start.”
“What else then?” Ronan inquired.
“Hallucinations,” Killean said and told them about the ones he’d experienced. “If I feed daily, I can keep them at bay, and my bond to Simone helps keep me grounded, but most vampires don’t have a mate to help them. If all Savages experience the same kind of hallucinations when they try to stop killing, it could explain why those who would never choose to be killers eventually turn into a Savage.
“Joseph said some of the hunters take longer to fall in line and have to be starved and allowed to kill more than once before they break. However, it could be the hallucinations that break them and not the bloodlust. I suspect if I gave in and started killing again, the hallucinations would stop.”
No one spoke as they absorbed his words with incredulous looks.
“Those poor bastards,” Asher finally said.
“It was horrible in there; you have no idea,” Simone said. “The torture, the humiliation, the terror…”
Her voice trailed off as her fingers bit into his knee.
“I’m glad you’re with us,” Kadence said. Her silvery blonde hair fell forward to brush against the table as her azure eyes shimmered with tears. “At least one of you was saved.”
