Page 43 of Cold Sacrifice

The guys agreed. “We’d likely starve to death,” Remy said.

Sam snagged her hand and pulled her down to his lap. “The food is the best,” he said, “but I can get food anywhere. There’s only one love of my life.”

And for a little while, everything was good. There was cheerfulness and love and contentment, and we didn’t worry about what was coming.

But then Joe strolled into the kitchen.

It was dark, and the vampires were waking up.

“Why’d you all turn grim when I walked into the room?” Joe asked.

“We brought an ossling to Silverwood to live,” Zach said. “A witch is coming at seven-thirty to help Kait free the spirits of the necromancers that Frederick and Bastien buried. Max has his basement prepared for you, so that’s where you’ll be spending your nights until we kill the necromancer who threatened to use you to kill Kait and then off yourself.” He looked at me. “That everything?”

I nodded. “Joe,” I started. “I know you won’t want to—”

“I get it, Kait,” he said. “It’s safer for everyone if I’m where I can’t hurt anybody. I’ve seen Max’s basement. He’ll lock me in, and I’ll stay there until you come to let me out. Just…don’t take your fucking time, okay?”

“I’ll get you out of there as fast as I can,” I promised. “I’m sorry, Joe.”

“It’s not your fault. Or maybe it is, a little. If you’d made me a wolf like I wanted, I wouldn’t have to be such a liability. And I could eat Lucy’s delicious food.”

“I’ll drive him to Max’s house,” Sam offered. “If he goes all crazy and attacks me, I can handle him.”

“That won’t always be the case,” Joe said, as he and Sam walked out of the kitchen. “Someday, I’m going to be a master vampire, and then I will kick your ass. And Remy’s. Not that I couldn’t kick his ass now…”

Their voices faded, leaving behind a silence that wasn’t entirely comfortable. Almost reluctantly, I went to my room to get dressed and to buckle on as many weapons as my body could hold. I didn’t have a good feeling about the coming night, but that wasn’t surprising.

Bastien texted as I reached my bedroom.

I made it through another sleep.

I blew out a deep breath. Good. I need you to come to Silverwood.

Why?

I’ll explain everything when you get here.

On my way.

Was there a tiny bit of worry in his words? Guilt, even? It was likely that if he’d put the necromancers into the ground, he’d known it would only be a matter of time before it was discovered.

At seven-fifteen, Zach, Remy, and I went outside to wait for the witch. I’d need to keep the hounds off her and also show her to the gravesite. I was full of nervous energy and paced as we waited, though what I wanted to do was shift into my wolf and run the woods.

Lights lit up the driveway as two cars sped down the long driveway, and neither of them belonged to Trinity. Jared was in the first car. He wanted to be an extra layer of protection against the necromancer—whose power we still didn’t really understand—and I was happy to have him.

He’d brought three of his wolves, who immediately disappeared into the woods to stand guard. I walked into Jared’s arms, my brain nearly shutting down for a few seconds as I inhaled the perfect scent of him.

He looked down at me, fierceness in his eyes because no matter what, Jared was always fierce, then brushed my lips with his. “Hi,” he said.

I wrapped my arms around him. “Alpha,” I murmured. “How is it that no matter what I’m feeling, the second I’m with you, I forget everything else?”

Then the second car pulled in beside Jared’s.

Rick Moreno.

He walked to Jared and me, his stare softening when he saw the question in my eyes. “Necromancers can’t compel humans. And I’m part of this pack, Kait. Of course I’m going to be here.”

I returned his smile, but as usual, I was worried. Because even though a necromancer couldn’t compel a human, she could compel a vampire to hurt him.