“Sending them through now,” Justin advised.
A minute later, Sorley stared at the stunned faces in front of him and the one on screen with increasing annoyance. “I’ve never seen any of them before in my life. Are you accusing me of lying?”
“Of course not!” Bless him, Gethin shot straight to his defence. The others also denied that had been the reason behind their collective shock, but their expressions were sombre.
“Told you,” Marlowe said darkly. “Magic. He’s gone off the rails and is randomly targeting anyone now.”
Justin’s face was a picture of misery. He scrubbed large hands over his weary face and nodded into the camera. “Hang on, there’s more info coming through.” With all eyes on him, he continued. “It seems this is different. One went ‘fucking mad’ according to his partner. She said her boyfriend stopped talking in the middle of a sentence, turned in the street and started going the wrong way, insisting he needed to find and follow ‘them’. He initially got furious and yelled at her when she tried to slow him down, but then with no warning he became highly anxious and ended up sobbing and clawing at his arms and face, screaming about not wanting to live without whoever or whatever ‘it’ was.” He sighed. “She was, understandably, very upset, thinking initially he was cheating on her and had suffered some kind of breakdown. It’s helped a bit to know she’s not alone in this. The other two displayed very similar symptoms.”
Gethin groaned. “This sounds like how I felt earlier. I went from chill and focused to utterly convinced I couldn’t cope unless I found the source of the smell. I presumed I wanted to feed, but was that the…whatever it was, the magic, working on me?”
“Let’s consider if this could be a two-part attack,” Alec suggested. “The initial approach has been whatever compels the victims to follow whoever has the scent, but it is only later they, us, got drugged somehow with a secondary magic.”
“Feasible,” Edwin said.
Marlowe nodded. “It’s logical. Do we presume now our bad guy has either temporarily lost access to the second part of his magic, or men known to Sorley, or—”
“Or as you suggested, he’s lost the plot completely and is now attacking random folk on the street.” Justin sounded defeated. “We’ll stay in touch,” he said, and cut the call.
Sorley shrugged out of Gethin’s grasp and headed to the basement. He needed to dosomethingor he’d scream. The feeling of being a prisoner in his own home when he should be able to leave it, coupled with inactivity, was making him twitch. He wouldn’t dream of disturbing Edwin and Marlowe when they needed to rest, but he had time to run through several routines on the pole before then. He slipped out of all his clothes, then thought better of it — he had the feeling Gethin might not appreciate the others catching him naked — and hitched his silk boxers back up. It would feel strange to work out with clothing on, but he would do anything not to upset his mate.
For once not second-guessing the wordmate,Sorley grasped the pole and began to dance.
40
GETHIN
“Let him go.”Edwin prevented Gethin from following Sorley down the steps to the basement. “You know where he is, and it’s not like he can do much damage down there.” He kicked a stool towards Gethin. “Sit, you big lug, you’re blocking my light.”
“You don’t need light,” Gethin grumbled, but he sat down anyway. “What are we going to do? If this lunatic is now picking off randoms, this is going to be a city-wide problem very soon.”
“Agreed,” Alec murmured. “As to what we do? We have to force his hand. Bring him closer. Make him target us, nobody else.”
“That’s dangerous,” Marlowe blurted. They all looked at him as if to say,well, dur.Undeterred, he stared them all down. “I’m just saying you don’t know what you’re dealing with. Not with a mage combining their knowledge with the power of a vampire. Their combined power could be highly unstable.”
“We can’t hide in here and do nothing!” Gethin slammed a fist down on the nearby counter and they all tensed as the sound reverberated around the small room. “Oops, sorry.”
Edwin sniggered. “Wolf and vamp genetics combined for the house demolition crew you never knew you wanted.” He shrank back when Alec threw him a steely glare. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”
“How can it be lightened?” Alec pulled himself onto a stool opposite Gethin. “Sorley needs to antagonise thissalaudso he makes a mistake and shows himself. I have researched the clubs in the area. Delirium would be a good place to go. It’s a regular club that does gay nights. According to the reviews there are a lot of strobe lights, meaning it will be a bitch for our senses, but we don’t want too many dark corners and glory holes in the toilets.”
“Speak for yourse—” Edwin snapped his mouth shut as Alec’s gaze this time promised him a world of pain if he kept going.
“As I was saying, we need exposure, so this would be a good place to begin. Edwin, have you ever gone clubbing with Sorley?”
“Oh c’mon, of course I have. Not in Leeds though. Mostly London, sometimes Brighton. Why?”
“You will go with him the first time.” He raised his eyes to Gethin with an apologetic glance. “Without you, I am afraid, my friend, as I cannot imagine you will take kindly to witnessing your mate being pawed by another.”
Gethin had to fight hard against the urge to partially shift and throttle Alec for the suggestion, and Edwin for looking smug about the idea. Through clenched teeth, he bit out, “Or we could pose as a couple looking for a third.”
“Doubt it will work,” Marlowe interjected mournfully. “I’m willing to bet he knows Sorley prefers one on one time with his partners.Iknow this and I’m not looking to hook up with him, or been rejected by him.” He coloured slightly before adding, “And I’m straight.”
“Sure you are, babe.” Edwin’s murmur drew scowls from all three of them this time. He didn’t even try to look ashamed as he leaned on the counter and exhaled heavily. “Marlowe’s right. Sorley doesn’t like threesomes. Says he doesn’t get enough attention that way, the drama queen.” He wrinkled his nose at Gethin in a way that suggested he knew this for a fact. Gethin worked hard not to react to being taunted. Edwin was wickedly smart — they’d worked on several projects together — attractive, and amusing, but his tongue could be a bit too cutting for comfort.
“So, what, we take it in turns to use my mate as bait? Won’t this shithead realise he’s being played, especially if he sees Alec?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Alec shrugged. “But it will get under his skin like slivers of silver—” The three vampires shuddered “—to see Sorley recovered and out in the city as if nothing has happened. Perhaps it will truly enrage our mystery man to see him once more with me, someone else he attacked, also looking my fine self. Bringing in Edwin and Gethin separately is going to drive him insane with rage and jealousy.”
