“Where would we have left her? Nowhere, that’s where.” Greyson leaned on the doorjamb but didn’t enter the bedroom. “She’s in shock. She’ll be fine.”
“Will she though? This is our world, not hers.” Viktor’s heart bled knowing he’d endangered her, aware she’d always face danger as long as she was with him. “And now—”
“This is her world now. You’ve already begun your bonding. You love her. I see it in your eyes.”
Viktor sighed, refusing to discuss his feelings with his brother. “The person who came for Ivar. She was able to dematerialize. I couldn’t see her face. But I could sense her. I could sense the evil.”
“So, she has a few tricks. It’s doesn’t mean she’s like us.”
“It doesn’t mean she’s not. All of this. It’s tied to him. Don’t tell me it’s not because it is. This is all some sick game.”
“There are a lot of sick fucks in this world, Vik. It could be tied to any ancient out there. There are other bloodlines.”
“But what if…” Viktor hesitated to share his thoughts, questioning his own sanity. “You didn’t see what was down there, what they’d been doing to those humans.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but he’s not alive,” Greyson assured him.
“But what if it is one of our siblings? Someone out there who was sired by Baxter. That motherfucker made others.”
“It doesn’t matter who it is. We’ll take her out. PCAP will be looking for her too.”
“Pfft.” Viktor gave a dry laugh. “They won’t find her. No. She’ll come to me.”
The brothers sat in silence, ruminating, questioning everything they’d known to be true. Baxter had turned more vampires over the centuries than Viktor had socks. While most died an early death, he’d never been sure how many or who else was out there.
Torture. Death. Just a few of Baxter’s favorite things.
11
Waverly stirred, her mind churning with emotion upon her first waking thought. Clouded memories of the night lingered, and she struggled to shake the disgust and sadness that hung over her. She recalled Viktor flashing them to the safety of his home. Shaken, she’d needed time alone. She’d curled into a ball in the hot shower, scrubbing her skin, hoping to wash away the death.
Lying in bed, with a blanket still wrapped tightly around her, Waverly fluttered open her eyes. Viktor. Across the room from her, he reclined in a black leather chair with his feet propped on its ottoman. Though he wore a white fluffy cotton robe and pure white satin pajama pants, he was no angel.
She’d seen his monster. Enraged, he’d beaten the vampire and crushed his throat. Lethal. Protector. Immortal.
Waverly took a deep breath and glanced to her own fingers that still fisted the sheets. Although her skin was clean as virgin snow, she knew her soul had been forever tainted by the horror she’d witnessed. It was as if she’d inhaled the evil, taken it inside her body and now couldn’t release it.
The scent of lavender teased her nose and she glanced over to the nightstand. A gold rectangular diffuser sent a steady stream of vapor swirling upward. Overhead, silver metallic bubble lights illuminated the bedroom. Black furniture contrasted with three white walls. A fourth wall made of black brick housed an A-framed gas fireplace.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice soft.
“You slept on the chair?” Startled, she refocused on Viktor.
“I’m fine. How are you feeling?” her vampire repeated.
“I guess I’m all right,” she lied.
“Last night—”
“I’m not okay,” she whispered, considering how she’d reacted to what happened the night before. Distant. Broken. “The people in the cages…did they save anyone?”
“I spoke with a detective from PCAP, and he said about seven of them were alive. All humans. They’re being attended to in the hospital.” Viktor scrubbed his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “I’m sorry. It was bad.”
Relief flooded through her at the news that some survived. But there’d been at least fifty kennels…she suspected so many more had died. “Who would do something like this? I don’t understand it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Unfortunately, there is much suffering in this world. I’m just sorry you had to see it. I shouldn’t have taken you there.”
Waverly shoved up to sit. “No, this isn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, it is. I shouldn’t have brought you to that club. Whatever is happening…we’ll find out who is behind all this.”
“Last night…I was terrified. Shocked. But I can’t live the rest of my life being afraid.”
“The truth is that this horrible kind of stuff has been going on since the beginning of time. Murder. Stealing. Torture. I’ve been around many years. Looked evil right in the eye. And the only thing I can tell you is that good will win eventually. But you’ve got to fight. Turning a blind eye to it is like letting it win.”
Waverly sighed in contemplation. What had happened last night was just the beginning. She feared they’d only peeled back one layer of the onion and would discover more.
“Who was that woman?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met her before. She’s an older vampire, though. I know that much.”
“How can you tell?”
“That disappearing trick I do?” He gave a tight smile.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“That’s not something just any vampire can do. It takes several hundred years to build up the generational power to dematerialize. I’d guess she’s at least five hundred years old. I know it sounds crazy but when she looked at me…it was almost like I recognized her. There was something about her eyes. They were familiar…” Viktor shook his head. “But I don’t know who she is. I do know that Ivar knew Adam. And Adam has been to that blood club.”
“Adam? I don’t get it. Why is he doing this?”
“I need to ask you something. I need to know what exactly went down between you guys. I know you said you worked with him at one point but did anything else happen? Anything I should know?”
Waverly took a deep breath, detecting jealousy in his tone. No lying. “It wasn’t really anything. We both worked as grad assistants. And you know, things just happened. We had a fling. Nothing more really. He left for the East Coast after graduation, and I stayed in California. I never really thought that much of it. I haven’t had any contact with him at all.”
“And Teagan? How does Adam know her?” Viktor asked.
“I told you. We were roommates. Lived in the same apartment complex in Pacific Beach. A lot of college kids lived there. Typical California kind of set up. Pool in the middle. Parties. But honestly, I was usually either working or studying.”
“I don’t like the idea of you dating anyone else. Is that terribly human of me?” He laughed.
“I don’t like the idea of you dating anyone either. And yes, it’s a horribly human trait. But one I’m afraid I don’t mind you having.” Waverly smiled at Viktor.