All of the Pack leaders, as well as the Council members, subsided instantly back into their chairs, their eyes a little wider than normal and varying degrees of shock on their faces.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a voice all the more dangerous because of the lack of volume, “we’ll conduct the rest of the meeting in a calm and respectful way.” He looked pointedly at each of the excitable Pack leaders as he spoke and not one of them challenged his gaze.
Gabi had to bite her lip to bleeding to keep from smiling. She’d rarely seen one of the Pack leaders cowed, let alone all five of them by one person. No one even dared move except for Gabi, who’d gone to retrieve her jacket from Byron.
“Gabrielle, would you like to brief the Council and guests on what just happened outside?” Julius asked her.
Gabi glared at him, but kept her tone civil and sweet, he probably didn’t know just how much she hated this kind of thing.
“I wasn’t there for the whole event, so I’m probably not the best one to do the briefing. I’m sure you or Alexander would do a better job than me,” she said. “In fact, I have a baby to feed, so I’m going to take my leave and join Derek until you’re ready to hear from him.”
Julius narrowed his eyes a fraction as he looked at her. She suspected it was worry more than annoyance.
“Would you like an escort to the suite?” he asked, confirming her suspicions.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him firmly. “If the Council will excuse me,” she remembered her manners at the last second. At Byron’s nod, she left the meeting with a sigh of relief.
She found Kyle hovering outside the meeting room.
“Hoping not to have to go back?” she asked him.
“Let’s just say I was considering it,” he replied, grinning. “You think they can get along without me?”
“Come on, let’s go to the suite. I need food and caffeine,” she said, dragging herself off towards the lift.
Derek was pacing the room like a boxer prepping for a fight. Kyle picked up the phone to order room service as Gabi collapsed into a sofa and gently pulled little Rocky out to feed her. Then they filled Derek in on the events of the last half an hour.
“What does this all mean?” Derek asked, concern colouring his voice. “I feel like I’ve dragged you all into something terrible.” He couldn’t meet their eyes.
“Derek,” Gabi said and waited for him to truly look at her. “This is what we do. You haven’t dragged us into anything. We would be involved regardless of you. If anything, what happened to you has brought the severity of the problem to our attention sooner than it might have otherwise.”
“Gabi’s right,” Kyle chipped in, “this is why the SMV exists in the first place. We should be apologising for not protecting you.”
“We’ll sort this problem out, and then we can help you get back to your life,” Gabi said. “We’ll find you a Pack, and they’ll help you function in ‘norm’ society again.”
“I’m not sure if that’s what I want,” he said dully.
“Don’t make hasty decisions now,” Kyle suggested. “Let’s get to the bottom of what’s going on in the City first. When this threat isn’t hanging over you anymore, life will feel less overwhelming.”
Room service arrived in short order. Gabi devoured the sweet pastries and a bowl of chocolate mousse, while Derek and Kyle tucked into BLT sandwiches. Afterwards they poured coffee and tried to avoid having it knocked out of their hands by an overexcited baby squirrel, who delighted in bouncing from one sofa to another and tearing over anyone and anything in her way.
It was over an hour later, when Rocky had finally played herself to a standstill and curled up in Gabi’s pocket, that Alexander arrived to ask them to bring Derek to the meeting.
Derek was more confident and less anxious as they took the lift back to the third floor. Gabi wondered if it was the food, the inane banter between her and Kyle or the squirrel’s hilarious antics.
It was well after midnight when the meeting was finally adjourned. Each one of the Pack leaders had committed to working together until whoever was behind all the recent ructions was found and dealt with. One of the leaders had contacts in the gun-running black market and was going to start a quiet investigation into who was ordering weapons in the City. They needed to know what they were up against. In the meanwhile, Hunter teams were going to be augmented by squads of Werewolves as well as Vampires from Julius’s Guard. A list of vulnerable areas had been set up to be thoroughly patrolled at night. The Magi had promised a dedicated team of clairvoyants to try to pick up where attacks might occur, as well as extra Healer staff if needed. They also put their best Tracker at the SMV’s disposal to see if he could pick up anything from the dead rogues’ clothing. Byron promised to arrange bulletproof vests for everyone. Alistair had offered to find out more about how and where the rogues had managed to conceal the liquid silver, and try to find a way to counter it, in case they got the chance to capture more of them. There wasn’t much else to be done, anyone with a sniff of information would report to Byron, and he’d see that everyone was kept in the loop.
Derek made it through the meeting on two legs, and remembering all the advice Kyle had given him, he’d conducted himself with aplomb and without insult to any of the Pack Leaders. Gabi had noticed at least three of them sizing him up appraisingly. She had a feeling he’d be able to pick and choose which Pack he joined when he was ready.
They’d received good news from Ian towards the end of the meeting. Doug had come through surgery well and was in a stable condition. The bullet had missed his heart by millimetres and had lodged in a lung. The healing Melissa had done had saved his life, and Ian had been able to repair the rest of the damage. He’d be out of action for several weeks, though, and Gabi had the feeling they may have to tie him to the bed before long.
She was torn in two directions as they left the hotel. She was desperate for a bit of alone time with Julius. They still hadn’t had a chance to talk since he’d rescued her from Danté, and after what happened between them last night…Well, truth be told, if she got him alone again, she wasn’t sure how much talking would be done, but she would try. At the same time, she was still feeling guilty about not telling Derek about her relationship with Julius, and hadn’t forgotten her vow to explain it to him after the meeting was over.
The decision was taken out of her hands when her phone rang just as they were approaching the cars. It was Jonathon to say that Trish’s fever had broken and she was becoming coherent; she was asking for Derek.
They drove in convoy to Julius’s estate: Gabi’s Mustang, Julius’s Aston Martin and Kyle’s ugly stepsister of a van. Gabi really didn’t want to intrude on the reunion between Derek and his sister, but someone else needed to be in the room with them in case one of them lost control. When Gabi offered to find someone else, Derek had been adamant that he didn’t want anyone but her. She knew it was going to be a difficult time for him, and she didn’t want to make it worse. She agreed, smothering her reluctance. She told Julius that she needed to go with Derek to see Trish, but wanted to talk to him before she left to go home. She had an anxious, unfamiliar need to be in his company, which she fought hard to keep from her voice.
“I’ll be in my office when you’re done, Lea,” he said quietly. He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, allowing his fingers to brush her cheek. “Join me when you’re ready.” His voice stroked over her like a velvet glove, and she had to suppress a shiver of anticipation.
“Just keep Maximilian out of my way,” she warned with a growl. Then she hurried to catch up with Derek before the scent of her desire could betray her. Sometimes being around supernaturals was a serious inconvenience.
Julius watched the sway of her hips as she strode away from him. She moved with such fluid grace that he found it hard to drag his eyes from the sight of her retreating form. He was glad of his years as a Vampire tonight. It had taken strength he didn’t know he had to keep
a calm façade while watching her interactions with the new Werewolf. He was acutely aware of something she seemed oblivious to. The man was head over heels in love, or lust, or both, with her. It was obvious in every line of his body, the way he watched her when she wasn’t paying him any attention, the way his face changed when she spoke to him. It also hadn’t escaped his attention that Gabi didn’t hold back from this man like she did with many others. She was well versed in the art of keeping men at a certain distance. He’d seen her do it often enough with his own men, as well as her peers and staff in the SMV. He doubted she was aware of the difference in her reactions to the stuntman.
To make matters worse, he was painfully aware that she would be able to have a more normal relationship with the Werewolf than she could ever have with him. He was restricted to the darkness, irrevocably tied to his responsibilities to his Clan and to the City. He was terribly afraid that he couldn’t be what she needed him to be, what she deserved him to be. The wave of possessive jealousy that swamped him when he thought about her with the other man nearly tore a growl from him. If he made the wrong decision now, he may regret it for centuries. A slight movement to his left had him tensing, until he realised it was Fergus coming out of the shadows. The stout Scottish Vampire with a hideous scar running across his face was one of the people Julius trusted most. He’d been with Julius almost as long as Alexander had. He was a man who lived his Vampire life to the full, but also one who carried great sadness in his heart. This man had known the immensity of pure love and the vastness of absolute loss. He followed Julius’s gaze as Gabi disappeared into the dark.
“If ye’ll pardon me speakin’ frankly, Sire,” he drawled in his outlandish Scottish brogue. Julius had never known him to be anything but frank. “I’d not be tryin’ to second guess that lass’s mind. Nor tryin’ to make decisions fer ’er. It’ll only be blowin’ up in yer face.” He paused a moment allowing Julius to see his earnestness. “Don’t cut yerself off from a chance at happiness, Sire. It be such a rare and fleetin’ thing, don’t be throwin’ it away too easily. If ye’re goin’ to be fightin’ fer anything in this life, it should be the chance at a bit o’ happiness.” He dropped a large, gnarled hand onto Julius’s shoulder for a moment and then strode away into the darkness, leaving the Master Vampire to his thoughts.
The door to Trish’s room was open, and Jonathon was sitting in one of the chairs beside the bed. Trish was propped up in the bed, looking tired but calm and composed. The large dressings, which had been covering her wounds, were gone, and angry, puckered scars showed just above the top of her hospital gown. So there it was, the good news and the bad.
Gabi entered the room first as Derek hung back, unsure of his welcome. Jonathon stood at their arrival and gave Trish a quick, reassuring smile.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” he told her. “I’m not far if you need anything.” He left, giving Derek a pat on the shoulder.
“Hi, Trish, I’m Gabi,” she told the younger woman.
“Hi, Gabi, it’s nice to finally meet you. Derek has mentioned you often enough,” she said with a gentle smile, then her gaze flicked to the man hovering at the door. “Derek, please come in and sit. I really want to touch you and know you’re all right, and I’m not sure I have the energy to get up.” Her eyes shone with tears. When he didn’t move, she held out a hand to him pleadingly. “Jonathon has explained some of what’s happened, about the virus. It wasn’t your fault, Derek, please don’t blame yourself. Please come to me.”
“Trish,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry, so sorry.” He walked hesitantly to her and took her hand, sinking into the chair next to her.
Gabi moved surreptitiously to the small table and chairs on the other side of the room. She would give them a few minutes and then slip out quietly. It seemed as though Trish was taking the news better than expected, but Trish’s next words still surprised her.
“I’m not,” she told Derek, sitting up slightly to look him earnestly in the eye. “Derek, I’m sorry that it happened to you, but I’m not sorry that you bit me, too.” Even Gabi could see the anger building in Derek, but Trish continued. “If I wasn’t infected, you would’ve grown away from me. You would’ve had to put space between us, keep me at a distance. I would never have understood what was going on, and it would have upset me terribly. This way we can still be part of each other’s lives. You’re all I’ve got left. If I’d been given a choice in the matter, this is the choice I would’ve made.” Her eyes shone with the honesty in them.
Derek simply pulled her hand to his face and let the tears come.
Gabi let out a relieved breath, this was exactly what Derek needed, a reason to put his feet firmly on his new path and to take the first step.
Trish smiled through her own tears. “Guess I can cancel those self-defence lessons I signed up for.” The little joke broke the tension, and even Derek snorted in amusement.
“I think you two will be fine without me to supervise,” Gabi commented, rising from the table. “I’ll come and collect you in a while?” she said to Derek.
“Do you think it would be okay if I stayed here with Trish tonight?” he ventured.
“I don’t see why not,” Gabi said. “You guys have the block to yourselves, no one will bother you. I’ll let Jonathon know, remind him to feed you, and get him to rustle you up some spare clothes.” She felt the sleepy little squirrel stir in her pocket. “Trish, I’ll pick up Derek tomorrow and take him to your place to collect you some clothes and other things you need, just make a list.”
The other woman smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Gabi. For everything.”
Gabi smiled back, finding it impossible not to like Trish; there was something innately warm and engaging about her.
“Sure thing,” she said and left to hunt down Jonathon. Little did the Vampire doctor know he was about to become foster mom to a baby squirrel for a few hours, while she attended to other business.
Chapter 9
She didn’t bother knocking at Julius’s front door this time. She simply opened it and let herself in. There was no sign of the annoying Chief Steward, and when Gabi sent out her senses, she couldn’t find any other presences in the whole house. Except one. The mini supernova that was Julius. She didn’t need her extra senses to locate him. She could feel his proximity deep inside, as though her soul could track him. The connection had begun the first time she’d had a small taste of his blood. His blood called to her like nothing else ever had. That thread of connection had become a solid rope after he fed her more of his blood to help her heal after a panicked woman had staked her with a sharpened chunk of wood. His blood had made her stronger, faster and made her feel more alive than she’d ever felt before.
She’d spent the better part of her life managing her strange dietary needs. She required regular supplements of certain vitamins and minerals, no matter how much or how well she ate and exercised. No one had had any idea what she truly was, until she met Julius and Alexander. They considered her the Holy Grail of the Vampire world. A Dhampir—a human with Vampire characteristics and abilities. However, to be fully Dhampir, a half-breed needed to ingest blood as well as food. The rest was shrouded in the mists of myth and legend, no Vampire was sure what was truth and what was fiction anymore. Both Julius and Alexander had assumed that a Dhampir would require human blood like a true Vampire, but Gabi had no desire for the taste of human blood at all. Only Julius’s blood called to her, and no one had any idea why.
After she’d been staked, the initially tenuous connection between them had become strong and sure. She could feel when he was close, and she could sense his emotions. She’d also become faster, stronger and quicker to heal. And while those extra abilities had long ago faded, she was surprised to find that the connection between them was still there. Weaker than before, but enough that she could tell he was troubled.
She climbed the elegant staircase to the first floor and walked to the door of his office. Again, she didn’t bother knocking;
he’d know she was there. She opened the door and stepped into the doorway, not entering the room, instead folding her arms and leaning one hip against the doorframe as she drank in the sight of him. He was waiting for her. Leaning back against the front of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest, shirt sleeves rolled up to expose his pale, muscled forearms. Not even a ‘norm’ could be ignorant to the immense power coiled tightly around him. His eyes, sapphire blue ringed with gold, glittered wickedly in the light of a dozen candles. In that moment she could understand how humans might once have considered a man like this a god. Names like Apollo and Ares sprang to mind. He both terrified and excited her, drew her to him and seemed too otherworldly to touch.
“Welcome to my parlour,” he purred with a speculative smile.
“Said the spider to the fly?” she finished the line, raising one eyebrow.
“Hmm,” he mused, “I do seem to remember you comparing me to a spider once.”
She grinned. “A large, dangerous one, if I remember correctly.” She pushed away from the doorframe and began a slow, purposeful strut towards him. She took in the low table laid with wine glasses, an open bottle of merlot and a bowl of handmade chocolate bonbons. It said a lot for his appeal that she could bypass the handmade chocolates without a second glance.
“So am I the main course or the dessert, Mr Spider?” she asked, as she got close enough to touch him. He hadn’t moved a muscle, but his eyes had gone dark and hungry. She tugged gently on his arms, and he uncrossed them, dropping them to the edge of his desk, not touching her.
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