“Er . . .” What did he say to that? Because as much as he believed that Blake had told them the truth, he had no answers to give Cate. “I don’t know.”
“No,” she said softly. “And that’s my worry.” She took a long swig of her drink. “Blake’s gone on his training exercise, virtually uncontactable for the next two weeks, while we’re left here wondering if Nosferatu and his gang are already planning what to have for dinner.”
Ian laughed; he couldn’t help it.
“It’s not funny.” She downed the rest of her drink, lips twitching. “Don’t come crying to me when one of them decides you’d make a tasty snack.”
“Fuck.” It was all he could think to say. Knocking back his whisky, Ian held out his glass for a refill. “You’re right, it’s not funny. But . . . vampires.”
She pointed her glass at him. “See, you say it like it’s some wonderful thing we’ve just discovered.”
“Do I?”
“Yes! And it’s not.” She shook her head. “It’s bad, Ian. Very bad.”
He cast his mind back over the news for the past few weeks. Had there been anything suspicious reported? He didn’t think so, but he was tired, and the whisky was starting to hit his system. Morning drinking wasn’t something he was used to. “Well,” he said, reaching to take Cate’s empty glass off her. “I think the vamp police must be doing their job because I haven’t seen any mention of serial killers on the loose or anything. Either that or the vamps are good at hiding their kills or picking victims that won’t be missed.”
“Oh that’s very comforting, thanks.”
“Hey.” He pulled her into his side, and she went willingly. “If any vampires ate you, I’d miss you, and so would Blake.”
Thankfully she laughed, which was what he’d been going for. “Seriously though, I work till late most nights. Not sure I’ll fancy walking to my car now.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in all this.” He waved a hand around.
“I’m not sure I do, because it’s fucking ridiculous. But nevertheless, the seed has been planted.” She tapped a finger against her temple. “And at two in the morning when I’m headed to my car in the dark, alone, I bet it’s all going to seem very fucking real.”
She had a point.
“How about I meet you and walk you to your car?”
She huffed out a laugh. “They’ll just eat us both then.”
He hugged her tight, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Seriously, though. Would it make you feel better if I was there to meet you after your shift?”
“Yeah, but I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I finish late and you have work the next day.”
“You only work late on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday though, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Sorted then. Until Blake gets back from training or you feel you’re okay on your own, I’ll meet you at the end of your shift and make sure you get home.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. After a moment she added, “That whisky’s really starting to hit me. I think I need a nap.”
“Come on, then.” Standing, Ian tugged her upright and led her through to his bedroom. “I think we could both do with one after all that.”
Cate hummed in agreement, kicking her jeans off and sliding under Ian’s quilt. He did the same. It wasn’t the first time Cate had stayed over or the first time they’d had to take a slightly drunken nap, and when his head hit the pillow, he found himself slipping back to sleep easily.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jesse looked up as his bedroom door opened a few inches and Lys popped her head round it.
“Hey.” She grinned at him. “You busy?”
“No.” He set down the book he was reading and beckoned her inside.
She joined him on the bed, back against the headboard. “I do love your view.”
Jesse’s window was south-facing, the special glass cutting out the sun’s harmful rays, giving him an uninterrupted view of the house’s extensive grounds and the farmers’ fields beyond. Lys’s was on the opposite side of the house.
“Yours isn’t so bad.”
“I know, but you get the sun.” Resting her head against the wall, she closed her eyes and hummed. “I miss the sun.”
It hung low in the sky now, just over a couple of hours away from sunset. Jesse glanced at his phone, noting the time.
“The meeting’s in about half an hour. Did you want something in particular, or . . . ?”
“I had to escape the kitchen. Peter’s in there, grumbling about lack of freedom or something like that. I wasn’t really paying all that much attention, but you know how he goes on.”
Jesse laughed. “I do.”
“So I thought I’d come here because, with all the excitement last night, I totally forgot to ask you about your human.” She raised her eyebrows, and Jesse wondered if he could make it past her to the door and safety.
Last night he’d wanted to talk about it, now not so much.
Following his line of sight, she huffed. “Don’t even think about it.” She grinned and nudged him with her elbow. “Come on, you usually love a good gossip.”
“When it’s about you or someone else we know. Not when it’s me.”
“What was his name?” she asked, ignoring his protests.
“I don’t remember.”
She laughed and poked him this time. “You’re such a shit liar. Come on, spill. I need some cheering up. You know this meeting’s going to be a nightmare.”
It was.
The meetings before a VLCD inspection never went down well.
“Fine.” Jesse gave in, much to Lys’s delight. “His name’s Ian.”
“Ian what?”
Jesse frowned. “What does that matter?”
She held up a hand. “It doesn’t, calm down. I was only asking.”
He didn’t want to tell her or anyone else Ian’s last name. He trusted Lys, but you never knew who else might be listening. The rooms were as soundproofed as they could be, but with an old building like this, there were always ways to listen if you were desperate enough. They didn’t feed from humans anymore, but that didn’t mean he wanted to bring one to their attention.
“Carry, on,” she urged, settling against his side.
Ian’s scent lingered on his hair and his skin, faint after his shower, but if Jesse closed his eyes and breathed in deep, he could still detect a trace. He smiled. “I met him in a bar, went home with him, and we had sex. That’s it.”
Rolling her eyes, she huffed. “Way to ruin a good story. You haven’t been with anyone in . . .” Her face screwed up in concentration. “It’s been so long, even I can’t remember.”
“It was Alexander Masterton, from one of the London covens.” Tall, dark-haired, and lovely. He’d been a breath of fresh air. For a moment Jesse had thought he’d found someone to spend a good few years of his life with, if not the remainder of it. They’d even discussed moving covens, but of course it hadn’t worked out that way.
“That was almost ten years ago!” She sounded horrified.
It was nine years, ten months, and three days to be exact. Not that Jesse was counting, but some dates stuck in one’s head.
“You’ve not had sex in ten years?”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve had sex, just not anything that meant—” He cut himself off, but too late.
With a gleam in her eyes, she shuffled onto her knees and faced him. “Oh? So are you saying that Ian means—”
“No. Of course not. I don’t know why I said that.” But there was something about Ian. Something different that set him apart from the others Jesse had been with since Alexander.
“Are you going to see him again?” She whispered the words, aware that it’d probably be frowned upon by the rest of the coven.
“I don’t know.” Yes. “Maybe.” I’m going to text him as soon as I’m alone.
&nb
sp; Lys studied him for far too long; then she put a hand on his arm. “Just be careful, okay?”
“Of course.” He spared a glance at his phone, noting the time. “We should head to the meeting. I don’t want to be late.”
“Ugh, I’m so not looking forward to this. Lys stood, long dark hair tumbling down her back, and looked down at him.
“Me neither.”
Walking over to the door, she pulled it open with a flourish. “After you.”
ON THE GROUND floor of their house, the living and dining area had been knocked into one room as soon as they’d moved in. It formed a room large enough to comfortably seat all twenty coven members and any visitors they might have. A fifty-five-inch TV hung on the far wall, but all the chairs faced the window today, where Raph stood. Liam, Raph’s best friend and unofficial second-in-command stood off to one side. Both of them waiting.
Jesse and Lys weren’t late, but they hurried to take their seats.
At six on the dot, Raph cleared his throat and the room fell quiet. “As you’re all no doubt aware, we’re due a visit from the VLCD.” A few grumbles sounded around the room, and Raph waited for them to settle before continuing. Their visits were a necessary evil, but no one was a fan. “They were due to come on Tuesday evening, but they’ve had a new addition to their ranks and want to bring him along for the experience. Since he’s currently going through two weeks training—”
“Training to do what exactly?” Someone asked. “Hunt us? Track us?”
Raph shrugged. “Whatever it is they think he needs to know.”
They probably did it for the same reason that the coven still practised how to evade capture, should the need arise. Raph took no part in it and would deny all knowledge if asked, but he knew. And Liam had joined in on more than one occasion.
Having an agreement with the VLCD was one thing. Didn’t mean they couldn’t have contingency plans.
“Anyway,” Raph continued patiently, “they’re now due here two weeks on Wednesday, after dark for our convenience.”
“How thoughtful,” Lys murmured in his ear.
“How many are they bringing this time?” Peter asked, barely keeping the distaste out of his tone. It was a valid question though, and Jesse sat forward a bit more.
“Twelve.”
Fuck.
A collective groan went around the room.
Usually they just brought eight and did a basic sweep of the house. Twelve meant they’d be a lot more thorough.
“I know.” Raph’s expression darkened. “I’m not happy about it either, but it’s what we agreed to. It’s been six months since their last full inspection, so . . .” He held his hands out.
“We could cancel the agreement or at least revisit it.” Peter’s statement left a deafening silence behind it. Fucking hell, Peter, we went over this last night. What was he thinking? Taking advantage of being the centre of attention, Peter stood. “I’m not trying to cause trouble or usurp your authority.” Jesse noted the twitch of Raph’s lips. “But when our coven made this agreement, you said we’d review it in a few years.” He paused, for dramatic effect no doubt. “It’s been fifteen. I’m not sure how long you had in mind, but I, for one, would like the opportunity to discuss how it’s working out for us.”
Jesse saw a few others nodding their heads. Obviously this wasn’t the first they’d heard of it. Peter had been busy. Jesse glanced at Raph, trying to read his expression, but he gave nothing away. Peter had put him in a tough position—his tone might’ve been accusatory, but everything he’d said was true.
“You know the agreement was reached with all participating covens, right?”
“I do.”
“So you also know that we can only tweak things on there, not make major changes unless we have the support of the other covens.”
“Yes. But I believe it’s worth reviewing. And if we think changes need to be made, then we can propose these to the other covens.”
As much as Jesse hated to admit, he kind of agreed with Peter, in so much as it wouldn’t hurt to review the concessions they’d made. A lot changed in fifteen years; maybe things could be done better now. He glanced down at the tagging bracelet. Maybe they wouldn’t have to wear those anymore.
“Very well.” Raph squared his shoulders. “I propose a coven-wide vote. All those in favour of a formal review of our agreement with the VLCD, raise your hand.”
Hands went up around the room, Jesse’s and Lys’s included.
“A review meeting it is then.” Raph looked a little surprised that Jesse had raised his hand, and guilt crept in. Jesse wanted to explain, wanted to tell him that it didn’t mean he was siding with Peter. He shot Lys a glance, noting the way she snatched her hand down and rested it on her thigh, seeming as guilty as Jesse felt. “Let’s get the VLCD visit out of the way, and assuming that goes well, I’ll schedule a meeting to go over our current agreement with them.”
His announcement was met with nods.
“I know it’s over two weeks away, but please make sure all your rooms are in order, in case they do random spot checks. I’d like to think that no one in this room is stupid enough to drink from a human, especially with the trackers tying them to any potential crime scenes, but also check there’s nothing that could be misconstrued or taken out of context. I want this visit to go as smoothly as possible.” Raph looked around the room, as though hammering the point home. “If no one has any questions or matters they want to discuss . . . ?” Silence met his question. “Right, I guess that’s it until the next meeting. If you need me for anything else in the meantime, don’t hesitate to come find me.”
As everyone got up to leave, Raph caught Jesse’s eye. “A word please, Jesse?”
Fuck.
Lys gripped his hand, and Raph raised an eyebrow. “You might as well come too, Lys.”
They followed him into a small room off the back of the living area that served as his office and waited for him to close the door. The room was heavily soundproofed, safe.
“Look,” Jesse started. “It’s not that I’m siding with Peter, but—”
“That’s not why I called you in here.”
“Oh.” Jesse shared a look with Lys, and she shrugged a shoulder. Yeah, Jesse had no idea either.
“But since you brought it up, we might as well address it. I’m not annoyed that you and Lys voted for the review.”
Jesse frowned. “You looked surprised though.”
“Because I didn’t think you’d ever agree with anything Peter had to say.”
“Ordinarily, no. But I thought it was a good idea. Despite where it came from.”
I just hope Peter doesn’t read anything more into it.
“It is. Regardless of his behaviour last night and his views on the agreement in general, he was right. Things change, and what we agreed upon fifteen years ago might not be in our best interests now.” He gestured at the desk behind him. “I’m going to go through everything, see if I can spot anything obvious. I think I need to be as prepared as possible going into that meeting.”
Lys stiffened next to Jesse. “D’you think there’s more than hot air behind all Peter’s complaints?” She glanced at Jesse. “I know we take the piss out of him because he’s never fucking happy, but there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
Lys didn’t do well with change. After their last coven leader left to move up north, Lys had taken a few years to get used to Raph.
“Hmm.” Raph leant against the desk, hands clasped in front of him. “While I don’t think Peter would go so far as to try and take the coven from me, he makes no secret of the fact he misses our old way of life. And I suspect he’s not on his own. We fed off humans for hundreds of years without ever seeking to change. It’s going to take time to get used to doing it this way.” He let his fangs drop down, tongue snaking over them. “They miss the hunt,” he whispered, cracking his neck from side to side and breathing in deep. “Miss chasing down that delicious scent as it clings to the air.
” His voice was hypnotic, weaving around them, and Jesse swallowed, the phantom taste of blood on his tongue. “They miss that final moment when they capture their prey and get to drink from a warm, living body.”
Fuck, when he put it like that, so did Jesse.
He felt his own fangs slide out in response, body yearning to go outside and see what scents were out there. Then Raph clapped his hands, and Jesse startled, his mind clearing like a fog had been lifted. “What the fuck was that?”
Raph crossed his arms, regarding both Jesse and Lys. “Vampires can be suggestive, persuasive. Some more so than others. As coven leader, I might have an added edge, but I don’t know to what extent Peter can do that. He’d have to be subtle, but imagine him having a word here, a word there, just enough to get them thinking. How long before the demand for our old way of life doesn’t start and end with Peter?”
Jesse wouldn’t lie to himself; everything Raph had just outlined, he missed. They were made to hunt, to feed, but after, when the bloodlust faded and all that remained was an empty shell of a once-vibrant human being . . . it left him wracked with guilt and remorse and he didn’t miss that feeling at all. There were only so many criminals out on the streets at night, and even then, not many had committed acts sufficiently vile enough to warrant death.
And sometimes you got it wrong.
The faces of people he’d killed haunted his dreams some nights, mixed in with those from his human life.
No . . . The agreement was the best way for all involved.
“What can we do?” he asked, finally getting a hold of himself, fangs safely away.
“Nothing.” Raph shook his head. “Not with respect to Peter anyway. But if you hear him trying to encourage people to his way of thinking, by all means tell me, but don’t confront him.” Standing, Raph walked over to the small window, the sun almost ready to set by now. “This situation needs careful handling if I’m to avoid a full coven revolt. The review meeting will hopefully give me the chance to show people how far we’ve come in fifteen years. How much things have changed for us, for the better? I think it’s easy to forget how things were, and what we’ve gained, when all you can see is what we’ve given up.”
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