Sofia suddenly hummed. “I suddenly wish they would.”
“What?” Bel squawked.
She chuckled, her dark eyes sparkling with her mirth. “Can you imagine a faster way to unite all the various clans in the Americas under Aiden’s banner? Announce that the European Ministry is trying to take over the Americas and kill their king.”
“Hating a foreign leader trying to steal power will always trump hating the leader you have,” Winter added.
“Your faith in my ability to win over our fellow vampires is so touching,” Aiden grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. He rested against back of the couch, and Ronan slid a consoling hand over his shoulders while still smiling.
“You will win them over, but it’s a long process,” Ronan said.
“And we’re short on time,” Sofia added. “I have members of my clan watching the emissaries at the hotel to make sure they don’t go anywhere but the airport. Jake has offered up a couple of wolves to take over if they’ve not left by sunrise. Do we still want them to leave? Should we try to hold them here?”
“No, we let them go,” Aiden answered decisively. “I want them gone as soon as possible rather than risking them stirring up trouble here.”
“What about anyone else in the area who might be working for the Ministry? You know, besides Ronan,” Winter tossed out.
“Is it because I called you kid?” Ronan teased. Winter glared back at him, but it was Rafe who spoke up first.
“Wee One gets touchy about nicknames.”
“Bastard,” Winter snarled.
“Wait, he still calls you Wee One?” Fox asked.
Winter wrapped an arm around the witch, pulling him in closer. “He had stopped for a while.”
Rafe sat up and gave a little shake, a wicked grin spread across his lips. “Tonight feels special. Little Varik has turned into a hacker. We’ve got a whole new Ministry trying to kill us. Father is finally getting laid and planning out his sex dungeon.” Winter groaned while Bel snorted, trying to hold in a laugh. “And I’ve found a brand-new way to torment Wee One. It’s a wonderful night.”
“Bite me, Rafe,” Winter snarled.
“Behave,” Marcus moaned. “Sofia and David are accustomed to our brand of insanity, but Ronan isn’t yet. I’m sure Father would prefer if we didn’t send him running out of the house screaming.”
“Well, isn’t it better that he learn now rather than be surprised later?” Bel inquired.
Ronan leaned down, laying his head against the top of Aiden’s, and said in a stage whisper, “I love your clan.”
Aiden chuckled softly. “They are always entertaining.”
“And loyal,” Sofia added.
“And protective of what’s theirs,” Ryder grunted, breaking his silence at last.
“Good.” Ronan turned his cheek and pressed a kiss to the top of Aiden’s head before straightening. It was easier to breathe if he knew that they’d all be protecting Aiden. But after spending this enlightening evening with the Varik clan, Ronan was coming to realize that he didn’t want anything to happen to any of them. Aiden’s family was steadily becoming more precious to him and not just because they belonged to Aiden.
“The threat is going to come from Heller,” Marcus announced suddenly, drawing all eyes to where he was standing at the far end of the room. The vampire seemed to be staring off into space, his mind still turning over what he’d just said. After a moment, he gave a small nod and continued. “Heller is going to be their best option right now. He and what remains of his clan have been hiding successfully in the Americas for the past six months. He has the best chance of sneaking around and possibly even getting close to Aiden. Far more than anyone the Ministry might send over.”
“And since he’s already gone to the Ministry for assistance, they know he’s willing to be used. They could offer him the throne for the Americas if he just gets rid of Aiden and the Variks. The promise of power could give him the courage to act that he has been lacking,” Winter murmured. “It makes sense.”
“I don’t understand.” Bel shifted on the couch, moving out of Wyatt’s arms a little while at the same time sliding one hand down across River’s chest as he sat at Bel’s feet. “If Heller has been too much of a coward to face Aiden before now, why would he act even if the European Ministry demanded it? He’d have to feel that he had an edge now that he didn’t have before.”
“Fuck,” Ronan swore then slapped his hand to his mouth in horror as a thought suddenly came to him. “He does have an edge now,” he said, the words coming out slightly muffled.
“What?” Aiden demanded.
“The party.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s right,” Winter agreed and swore as well. “How many vampires wandered through the house that night? We tried to keep an eye on them, but it wouldn’t have been too hard for someone to slip away to all the various parts of the house. An ally of Heller that we didn’t know about, scouting for him.”
“Or even Mara,” Ronan admitted, hating himself. He lifted pained eyes to Aiden’s. “I’m sorry. I didn’t keep a close watch on her and Michael after I saw you. Fuck, I wasn’t even aware of her leaving the party. I couldn’t look away from you.”
Aiden reached up, touching his cheek. “It’s not your fault.”
“It is. I should have been focused on your safety.”
Aiden barked out a laugh. “It was the first time we’d seen each other in a thousand years. How could you have thought of that? I barely remembered my own name for the rest of the night after seeing you.”
There was a sudden heavy stillness to the room that had Ronan looking up to find a look of shock on all their faces. No one breathed or blinked.
“Darling, I think you just let a very large cat out of the bag,” Ronan whispered, fighting back a smile.
“Yes,” Aiden sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. “Not tonight. That’s all I ask. Let’s focus on Heller and protecting the clan. We can discuss…my age—”
“Our ages,” Ronan corrected.
“Yes, our ages another night, I promise.”
“Just one thing real quick,” Ethan said and then sucked in a deep breath before he continued in a rush, “Holy shit! We were so far off. I mean not even in the freaking ballpark.”
“Who won the bet?” Ronan inquired.
“I did,” Philippe announced with a smug grin.
“How is that winning?” Fox scoffed. “You had five hundred and two. He’s double that.”
Philippe shrugged. “I was the closest.”
“This isn’t The Price is Right,” River chided. “You were still way off.”
“Focus, gentlemen,” Aiden prodded, his voice hardening.
“Yes, I…” Marcus broke off and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Heller. If Heller speaks to Mara or anyone who might have a grudge against the Variks and attended the party, he could gain critical insight into the house. We need to find Heller and his clan quickly.”
“I’ll talk to the ghosts. See what I can turn up,” Winter offered.