Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
He took what looked like an impossible situation and made himself necessary again. No wonder he’s been running the supernatural mafia for centuries.
“Blood will be paid in blood,” Xavier says, his voice carrying over the crowd. “As it always has been.” Everyone quiets. “But the rules of this alliance have always been clear. There is a way these matters are handled.”
“You okay?” Zeke asks quietly, turning toward me.
“I’m stunned,” I admit. “But yeah. I’m okay.”
I genuinely had no idea what I expected from tonight.
This definitely wasn’t it.
He nudges me lightly with his elbow. “After a century or so, you learn to expect this from him.” He says it without thinking. Then immediately looks away.
I’m not going to live for another century. And even if I somehow make it to a hundred, I’ll be a frail old woman in a wheelchair. Not Xavier’s strong, sharp, dangerous demon-hunting witch of a wife. I shove the thought away.
Zeke keeps me safely off to the side while Xavier and Theo handle the rest. Within minutes, the shouting starts to die down. Fewer weapons are visible. Eventually, everyone moves inside. I stay toward the back with Zeke. Two human bodyguards in bulletproof vests take up positions nearby, both carrying large rifles. Three vampires I’ve never met flank the other side. I can tell by their energy that they’re young. A few years old at most. They’ve very clearly been assigned to protect me with their lives. It’s all a show. And it seems to be working.
Larkin catches my eye as I take my carefully guarded seat near the back. I can’t quite read her expression. There are too many hostile emotions swirling through the room for me to separate hers from everyone else’s. But unless I’m imagining it, she almost looks impressed.
Xavier moves to the center of the room and starts talking. Almost immediately, another argument breaks out. At least this time, it’s verbal. I lean back, trying to piece together what happened. Apparently, within hours of the Raleigh pack arriving, two members of the 409 Reapers were abducted from one of their shops. They were later found mauled to death inside wolf territory.
Naturally, the fact that Reapers crossed into wolf territory to recover the bodies created another problem. The wolves insist they had nothing to do with the murders. The Reapers have now shifted their theory about the original ritual too. They’re claiming the wolves somehow orchestrated it to frame the vampires. The whole thing is such an intricate web of lies that it’s getting hard to remember who believes what.
Which is probably exactly what Xavier wanted. Keep everyone confused. Keep everyone angry. Just make sure none of that anger is pointed at him.
“Hey,” Zeke says quietly.
He leans toward me. He’s been sitting beside me almost completely still throughout the meeting.
“The Reapers are saying you can choose one of them to shoot.”
I turn toward him. “What?”
“Point blank,” he clarifies. “Since that’s what one of theirs tried to do to you.”
I stare at him. “Do I have to?” I try to keep the disgust off my face. I’m no stranger to violence.
But I’ve never executed a human being.
Zeke shrugs.
“Probably not. But it would make them feel better.”
“Yeah, that somehow does not convince me.” I shake my head. “They fucked up. They can deal with the consequences. Me shooting somebody execution-style isn’t going to make Xavier any less pissed.”
“Oh, you and I both know that.” He glances toward the front. “It’s the symbolism of it.”
“My answer is still no.”
“I can respect that.”
I remain tense for the rest of the meeting. Partly because I’m still in complete disbelief that Xavier and Theo managed to pull this off so quickly. And partly because there’s a very real chance somebody loses their temper and the entire thing turns into a bloodbath.
Just like Xavier said, my appearance was necessary, strategic. I showed up. Sat here visibly protected but not hidden. Looked mostly unbothered. And that was enough.
Eventually, I’m allowed to leave with Zeke while Xavier and Theo stay behind to finish sorting through the rest of the mess.
“Everything okay?” Antonio asks when I walk into the family room. He, Devon, and Leo are all playing Mario Kart. The contrast between what I just left and the completely normal scene in front of me makes my brain short-circuit for a second.
“Yeah.” I flop onto the couch beside them. “I think everything is okay.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised,” Devon starts. Then he suddenly leans forward. “Oh, come on!” He glares at the TV. “Fucking blue shells get me every time.”
“Want to play?” Leo asks.
“No, I’m good.” I rub my eyes. “I’m just gonna shower and try to lie down.” None of them tries too hard to convince me otherwise. On my way upstairs, I pass Mabel and Zeke’s room.
“Oh!” Mabel practically launches herself off the bed and hurries toward me. “I have something for you!” She holds out a small Ziploc bag filled with white pills. “It’s Xanax!”