Pray for Dawn

NINETEEN

Less than two hours after Mira’s call, I stretched out my powers, allowing my extra sense to crawl over the city like a spider dragging its web behind it. The sun had set just twenty minutes earlier and I could feel no vampires in the immediate vicinity. It brought up the interesting question of whether any of them actually kept a lair in the downtown area. Of course, Mira’s admonishment came ringing back in my head. Never eat where you sleep. And the downtown region was a massive feeding ground for nightwalkers.

I caught my first faint touch of Mira several blocks away, but steadily drawing closer. Judging by her speed, she was in her car. Something inside of me seemed to relax when I was suddenly aware of her presence, as if a hidden ball of tension began to unwind. I couldn’t read her thoughts, but brief touches of her emotions brushed against my mind. She was calm, but neither happy nor sad. Beneath it, there was a red haze clouding everything. For a moment, I thought it was a deep, simmering anger, possibly her hatred for the naturi or Jabari, but it didn’t fit.

When she was only a couple blocks away, the feeling grew more intense and clear—she was hungry. No, Mira was starving. Her hunger was clawing away at her insides. She needed to feed.

I pulled my powers back into myself and drew in a deep, cleansing breath. Thick walls went up around my thoughts, blocking out all outside influences, but it was another full minute before the same red haze faded from my mind. I looked down to find my hands were shaking.

It had been like that when I had seen my first vampire so many centuries ago. It was several hours before sunrise, and I had walked into an empty square that was quiet except for the splash of water from a nearby fountain. A pale man in deep burgundy robes had stepped from an alley, and I was immediately hit with this red wave of hunger. My knees nearly buckled beneath me and I stumbled backward a couple steps. Stretching out his hand, he beckoned to a woman, who approached him as if she were in a trance. Her face held no expressions, her eyes wide and vacant. Before taking her back into the dark shadows of the alley he had stepped out of, he turned and smiled at me.

I knew when he bit into her neck. I knew when he drew blood from her body, filling his own cold frame because I could feel it. It was the same liquid warmth that swept over my frame when I was at the First Communion with Mira. However, this heat held no seductive allure, but a horror as I came to realize that such a creature existed and that I was somehow linked to them. I could sense them, feel their differentness. In a crowded room, I could locate the one nightwalker with my eyes closed. Their emotions drifted to me like a woman’s perfume on the breeze.

But their hunger came through the clearest. I could feel the pain, the driving need, the unrelenting fixation that could force out all other thought. I could drown in that feeling until it became my own. It was a dual-edged blade. I could not only feel the mindless pain, but also the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction when the starved creature finally fed. Yet, it wasn’t until the First Communion that I began to understand how deep that feeling ran.

Getting a grip on reality once again, I shrugged into my jacket and quickly locked the door to the town house. I was standing on the edge of the porch when Mira pulled up to the curb in front of the house.

“Aren’t you full of tricks?” she teased as I slid into the passenger seat. “You were watching for me.”

I had purposefully met Mira on the street. She would have picked up Peter’s scent in the town house, and I wasn’t sure how she would react. My gut said she would be upset, but then again, I had seen her laugh off bigger problems. Regardless, it was a distraction we didn’t have time for.

“I’ve got a few tricks,” I said as I pulled on the seat belt.

I looked over to find Mira’s full lips quirked in a small smile as she turned the car back away from the town house. “I know you do,” she whispered. “I underestimated you once. Never again.”

“Only once?”

Mira’s smile widened so that her right fang poked slightly against her lower lip. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine. You?”

“My day was just fine,” she replied, now secretive and close-lipped.

I let the silence sink in as we wove our way around the square and through the historic district. Mira deftly drove us along a road that followed the Savannah River like a lover’s hand in a long, slow caress. Night sank in, the darkness filling the car so that we were bathed in the pale blue glow of the interior lights.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Dark Room. It’s the best place to find Gregor.”

“We’ve got another meeting first,” I said, inwardly cringing at her reaction to this unexpected development. “I scheduled an appointment with Barrett Rainer at Bella Luna.”

“You spoke with the alpha?” she demanded, coming to an abrupt stop at a red light.

“The lycans need to know what’s going on. Fingers are going to start pointing in their direction if it gets out how the Bradford girl died,” I explained.

Mira stiffly nodded, her hands tightening slightly on the steering wheel. “I agree. Does Barrett know why we are coming?”

“I told him that it’s in relation to our investigation.”

When the light turned green, Mira swiftly changed lanes and abruptly turned left, heading around another square. “I wish you would have told me a little sooner,” she said, sounding a little irritated, but nowhere near as angry as I had expected her to be. The nightwalker was long used to being in control of every situation, particularly within her domain. However, I was afraid she would put off or completely avoid the meeting due to their strained relationship. Ever since the naturi had come to Savannah, tension had been running high between the shifters and the vampires.

“Why? So you could skip the meeting?”

“No, you ass,” she said with a surprising chuckle. “I wish you would have told me sooner because I already drove past the restaurant.”

My eyes immediately jerked back to my window and the Savannah River several yards away. We were still in downtown Savannah and nowhere near any bridges to cross out of the city proper. “The head of the local pack? On this side of the river at night?”

Mira gave a little laugh in the back of her throat and shook her head. “I guess I was wrong.”

“How?”

“I have underestimated you yet again.”

I couldn’t stop from smiling. Surprising Mira was not the easiest of tasks, but I had succeeded yet again by knowing more about her domain than she expected.

“How much time have you actually spent in my domain?” she asked, one brow arched, though her eyes remained on the road.

I hesitated, but I could hear no malice or hostility in her tone. She seemed honestly curious. “Less than two months.”

“James keeps you well informed.”

And I was very observant. The ongoing peace between the lycanthropes and the vampires in the city was no great secret. Nor was it any secret that Mira worked very hard to maintain that peace. The lack of animosity between the two species made Savannah peculiar.

But then again, the Savannah pack was peculiar in itself. Barrett Rainer was the alpha male of the pack and head of the Rainer family, who had ruled the pack for more than a century. In fact, more than seventy-five percent of the local pack was also a member of the Rainer family. Before any lycanthrope could move within a twenty-five-mile radius of Savannah, he or she had to petition the pack. Not an out-of-the-ordinary procedure, but it was also very difficult to be accepted.

The other peculiarity of the area was the agreed-upon “living” arrangement. No lycanthrope was permitted to live within ten miles of downtown Savannah unless they set up residence across the river on the north side. A werewolf could work anywhere he or she wanted in Savannah, but when night fell, they knew they were in nightwalker territory.

On the other hand, no vampire was permitted to hunt on the other side of the river. And on the night of the full moon, no vampire was permitted in lycanthrope territory at all. While strict, the rules worked to protect both sides from stupid mistakes.

Most of the information was known by only the locals, but careful watching of both sides had revealed most of the details, which James later confirmed for me.

“Barrett’s family has operated Bella Luna on this side of the river for decades. It seemed silly to ask him to move it,” Mira said when we stopped for a red light. “Everyone knows where it’s located and they steer clear.”

A few minutes later, we were entering a small building with two walls of windows. The front was ringed with a low, black iron fence. The area looked like it was large enough to hold several tables for outdoor dining in nice weather, but it was now empty except for a few dried leaves.

Without a thought, I reached around Mira and grasped the old, brass handle, pulling the worn wooden door open for her. Some habits never die. When I realized what I had done, I expected a snicker or a snide remark, but Mira simply said, “Thank you.”

A young woman with short brown hair looked up when we entered and she smiled stiffly. “It’s good to see you again, Mira. He’s expecting you. Let me show you to your table.” The woman then turned her gaze to me, but this time her smile reached her brown eyes. “I’ll be with you in just a moment, sir.”

“He’s with me,” Mira deftly interjected.

The young woman blinked, her smile slipping completely from her face as she looked from me to Mira. With a little effort, her stiff smile returned. “Of course. Please, follow me.”

Grabbing two menus from behind the maître d’ stand, she smoothly wove her way around the tables to a secluded spot near the back of the restaurant. It was hardly the best table in the place considering it was close to the kitchen. However, I realized after sitting in the circular booth that we had an unobstructed view of the whole restaurant, and the noise from the kitchen would hinder any attempts to eavesdrop on our conversation.

As soon as the young woman stepped away from the table, a man in a pristine white shirt and black slacks set a glass of red wine before Mira. He then soundlessly put an entire place setting before me. Apparently, Barrett had informed his people that he was meeting with Mira, but he forgot to mention that she would have a companion.

“What can I get you to drink, sir?” the sandy blond server inquired.

“Nothing, I—”

“He’ll have a glass of ice water, no lemon, and a cup of Earl Grey with honey, if you have it,” Mira quickly said.

“Very good.” The server disappeared into the kitchen and I looked over at Mira. She had removed her black leather gloves and she was fiddling with her salad fork, refusing to meet my gaze.

“You would never relax around me to actually drink a glass of wine and you don’t seem the type to enjoy a Coke with dinner,” she said, her words coming out rushed and defensive.

It was the start of an explanation, but I was curious as to how she knew I liked Earl Grey tea with honey. Was it something James or Ryan had told her? It didn’t seem like it should have been a topic of conversation that would have come up. “How did you—?”

“You had it in Venice,” she interrupted before I could finish the question that we both knew was hanging in the air.

Her words were like the caress of butterfly wings. My gaze had drifted around the restaurant and I was now fighting the urge to look at her again. My breath was trapped in my lungs as I waited to see if she would continue, threatening to pull me deeper into the spell she seemed to be weaving.

“I awoke one night and I could smell it faintly in the air.” As she spoke, her eyes drifted shut as she became lost in the memory. “Earl Grey and honey. You had had seafood that night for dinner with fresh bread. I had forgotten what it was like to awaken to the smell of food.”

“I can’t imagine that it’s happened recently,” I whispered, letting myself get pulled deeper into the moment. The flickering light from the candle in the middle of the table danced across her features, caressing them, reminding me of the way the lights reflected off the Venice canal waters had danced across her body.

“You wore a short-sleeved linen shirt,” she said, a smile tweaking the corners of her mouth. She drew in a deep breath and shook her head as if to brush away the last of the memory. “It’s the only good memory I have of Venice.”

I stared toward one wall of windows. The growing night had made them mostly mirrors, reflecting back the numerous diners that filled the cozy restaurant, but for a brief moment I was back in Venice with Mira. We had been surrounded at all times by creatures that wanted us dead. Yet, with a self-mocking smile, Mira swore to protect me. At great risk to herself, she kept her word.

But it was more than that. While in Venice, she had not only guarded me with an unexpected vehemence, but she also drew Tristan and Nicolai under her protective wing. I had seen Mira fight and kill. I had seen her bask in the power she could wield over her chosen victim, but those poor creatures had always struck at her first. Mira didn’t kill without reason or purpose. A code I lived by as well.

It was the protective side of her that I struggled to understand. For so long, I had had it pounded into my brain that vampires were mindless killing, feeding machines. I had never expected to find a vampire that not only cared about other creatures, but that also had a deep sense of honor and responsibility. It just ran contrary to everything I believed about them, making me more frustrated the longer I knew her.

Desperate to distract my brain from the contrary signals I was getting from Mira, I scanned the restaurant until my eyes finally settled on something else that I could talk about. “Are they all part of the Rainer family?” I asked as another server came out of the kitchen carrying a pair of plates and headed toward an old couple.

“Most are, but less than half are also part of the pack,” she replied, her voice lifting to its usual volume. “Can’t close the place because it’s a full moon.”

Our server returned with my water and tea, and then asked for our order. When I hesitated, Mira made several suggestions, indicating that we were at least staying for dinner. I had assumed that Barrett would prefer to get Mira out of his restaurant and on her way as quickly as possible. Either Barrett was not opposed to our presence, or he was more concerned with keeping up the façade that we were a normal couple in for a quiet meal.

Until the food arrived, our conversation stayed light, with Mira spinning one story after another about her time in Savannah. Her love for the city and its people was evident in every word she spoke. This was her home, and it was as much a part of her as the heart that lay still in her chest. It was a little surprising considering her carefree, cavalier attitude about everything else in her life.

When our plates had been cleared, Barrett Rainer finally appeared, wearing a dark suit and hunter-green tie. He stood close to six foot, with a stocky build. His hair was dark burnished gold and he had narrow copper eyes. An air of authority surrounded him. There was no mistaking that he was the Alpha of the Savannah Pack.

“It’s good to see you again, Mira, he said, his deep voice rumbling in his barrel chest. There was a tension in his voice and running through his taut shoulders that made me doubt if he was truly happy to see the nightwalker. A few months ago, a number of lycanthropes had been killed when the naturi had been in town searching for Mira. Barrett had lost two brothers in the struggle and most likely held Mira personally responsible.

“Hello, Barrett,” Mira purred, smiling up at him. “May I introduce a friend of mine? Danaus, this is Barrett Rainer, proprietor of this wonderful establishment.”

Sliding to my feet, I took Barrett’s hand and shook it. His rough hand was warm and I felt a faint ripple of power surround him. He was strong, and powerful for a lycanthrope. The species wasn’t generally known as magic users, but there was no question he had a strong connection to the earth.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Barrett said grimly.

“Really? When?” Mira demanded, her brow furrowing. An unexpected tension crept into her voice.

“He briefly stopped by the town house a couple months ago just before we left for Peru,” I replied.

Mira frowned, the memory undoubtedly slipping back to the forefront. “Oh. Yes.”

“I’m relieved to see that your prediction proved to be false,” Barrett said, releasing my hand.

“So am I,” I said. Just after throwing him into the refrigerator, I had informed him that Mira was going to die in Peru in order to protect everyone from the naturi. She nearly proved me right.

“Regardless, it’s good to officially meet you, Danaus. Mira has never introduced me to her friends,” Barrett said.

“That is because I am very cautious about the friends I make,” Mira interjected.

“And Danaus is an interesting choice for a friend, from what I hear.”

Mira shrugged her slim shoulders. “I am drawn to men of honor.”

“Would you join us, Mr. Rainer?” I asked, hoping to redirect this conversation away from me. I was growing extremely uncomfortable with the trend I was seeing. First, the gathering last night and now a formal introduction to the alpha male of the local pack. It felt as if Mira was carefully weaving an intricate web about me, but I couldn’t see to what end she was working.

“Call me Barrett, please.”

“I wish to thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” I said.

“It’s not a problem. I’m always happy to make time for Mira.” The smile that crossed his lips as he looked down at Mira didn’t reach his eyes, and it looked stiff and forced on his face.

Barrett slid into the booth across from me so that Mira sat between us. I returned to my seat and tried to appear relaxed. Beside me sat a vampire and across from me was an extremely powerful lycanthrope. And both knew I was a hunter. I had definitely been in more dangerous situations, and oddly enough, most involving Mira, but neither creature could do much while we were surrounded by unsuspecting humans.

“How is the family?” Mira opened. Her hands were settled in her lap, just beneath the white tablecloth. I was beginning to realize they easily gave away her anxiety as she struggled to still her nervous fingers.

“We are still adjusting to our recent loss. My mother and sisters have returned to town and are happy to be home again. We are still adjusting to our newest arrival as well.” Lines crept into Barrett’s face, stretching from his eyes and around his mouth in tension. “I hope you are not planning to give me a new bundle.”

“Nicolai is strong and intelligent,” Mira swiftly said. “Has he caused you problems?”

“No.”

“Has he questioned your authority?”

“No.”

“If he had applied to the family, would you have accepted him?” Mira pushed, sitting forward as her voice dropped closer to a whisper. After Mira had staked her claim on Nicolai in Venice, she immediately shipped him here along with Tristan in an attempt to protect both their lives. While she could force the resident vampires to accept Tristan, Nicolai Gromenko had been another matter. He had to take his place in the local pack, which meant getting past Barrett. Apparently, Mira had called in a favor. A big one.

“I might have, but I don’t recall being given much of a choice,” Barrett said in a low, deep voice that seemed to rumble across the table.

“Nor was I,” Mira softly said, sitting back in the booth again so that her back rested against the supple leather. The table fell silent as our server brought over a glass of wine and set it before Barrett.

“Nicolai Gromenko is a good, compassionate man,” I said, drawing the lycan’s hard stare back to me. Mira placed her cool hand on my wrist. Her thumb brushed across the inside of my wrist across my pulse in a caress.

Thank you. The two words whispered across my brain.

Barrett nodded to me, some of the tension easing from around his mouth and eyes. “I have no complaints regarding Nicolai beyond the means of his arrival. I am cautious.”

I could not blame Barrett for his caution. Regardless of whether Mira realized it, I had no doubt that Barrett knew that Nicolai had either been the alpha of his last pack or had been born to be an alpha. You couldn’t have two in the same pack. Either one had to leave soon or die.

The lycan’s gaze drifted back to Mira, who pulled her wandering hand back to her lap. “But you did not come to discuss Nicolai, did you?” Rainer continued.

“No.”

“The girl?” The question slipped past his thin lips in a weary sigh. “A few members of the pack work at the zoo. I’ve been hearing bits and pieces of rumors.”

“Someone from the pack was called to examine the bite marks,” I said, talking mostly to myself as I shook my head. I hadn’t expected Barrett to be so well informed on what was happening with the investigation. But then, was it any surprise that Mira had contacts in the morgue and Barrett had people on the inside at the zoo? It shouldn’t have been.

“Nearly. Our man was out that day and another went to examine the wound. He heard about the findings later that night and reported to me.”

“What are your thoughts on the matter?” Mira inquired, her tone even and neutral.

Barrett paused in the act of lifting his glass to his lips and both of his eyebrows rose at the nightwalker in obvious surprise. “That’s it?” he said returning his glass to the table without taking a drink. “I thought you were here to claim the head of the wolf responsible for this mess.”

“Are you saying it was a wolf?” I demanded. This meeting was taking a turn I hadn’t expected, particularly since I already knew who the culprit was, but just couldn’t find the right words to tell either of them. Having a bori running loose in the area was just as much of a nightmare situation as it was when the animal clan naturi were searching for Mira months ago.

“No,” Barrett sharply said, holding up both hands. “But I saw the pictures and the report of the zoologist. Animal bites turn all eyes away from vamps and over to my people.”

“Have you spoken to your people?” Mira asked. Her left hand slipped back onto the table so that her long fingers now caressed the slender stem of her wineglass.

“Yes, only a couple knew of the woman and those that did knew she preferred to run with your kind. I can vouch for all of my people, even Gromenko.”

I shook my head, a wry smile pulling at the corners of my mouth no matter how hard I tried to hold it in. “Why do I feel like there is a ‘but’ hanging off the edge of that sentence?”

“Because there is,” Barrett grumbled. He took a deep drink of his wine and placed the glass back on the table before he continued. “Just because I can vouch for my pack does not clear my people. It looks like an animal bite. A rogue could have moved into the area, and I don’t know it yet. I can’t be sure for another couple weeks.”

A quick count in my head left me with the full moon in two weeks. Barrett’s powers would be at their peak. I could only guess that he would be able to more accurately scan the region for a rogue, or possibly even call the outsider to him. I wasn’t sure. My experiences with werewolves and other shapeshifters had been limited. And after discovering that many of the things I had been told about nightwalkers were wrong, I wasn’t too willing to risk my life on the information I did have regarding lycanthropes.

“If the killer was a lycan, you’ve got more to worry about than just a rogue,” Mira said, her eyes falling to the table where she traced the tip of her fingernail over the tablecloth. “I’ve been to the apartment and to see the body. There’s an odor clinging to both I don’t think I’ve ever encountered before.”

“Is that why you are here?” Barrett said, his voice hardening to stone as he looked over at me. “To find the killer?”

“I’m here to get this question answered as quickly and quietly as possible, regardless of who the culprit is.” My right hand slipped to the edge of the table and it was a struggle to keep from balling it into a fist. I didn’t think it was prudent at that moment to reveal that the head of Themis also charged me with the task of protecting Mira. I doubted the nightwalker was even aware of Ryan’s wishes on that front.

“He is right,” Mira conceded when Barrett looked at her. “However, I think there is more at work here.”

“The naturi,” Barrett said.

I watched Mira as she nodded, her gaze falling back to her wineglass. Her long red hair fell forward to create a curtain around her face, as if trying to shield her from the curious as she sank into her own dark thoughts. But there was no missing the movement of her jaw as she clenched her teeth or how her full lips flattened into a hard, thin line.

“Possibly,” I said when she seemed unwilling to continue. “I am willing to bet that members of the animal clan can shape-shift.”

“Yes.” The single word escaped Barrett in a hiss. “I have felt them in the area. We enjoyed the break in September when you wiped them from the region, but little by little since your return from Peru, we have felt their presence creep back into the area.” Barrett paused and directed his piercing gaze at me as if he meant to pin me to the spot. “I heard you hunted them in the city. Animal clan?”

“No,” I sharply replied. “Six wind clan naturi at the conservatory.”

“Are there…?” Barrett paused and licked his lips before trying again. “Have you seen any animal clan here?”

I understood his caution, his fear. In the world of the naturi, the animal clan held the biggest threat to the lycanthropes. They had the ability to call and control the shapeshifters.

In September, more than a dozen werewolves had been slaughtered at Machu Picchu when the naturi sent them against the nightwalkers ascending the mountain in an attempt to stop the sacrifice that would open the doorway for the naturi. And still more were missing from their packs.

“I’ve seen no member of the animal clan in this area,” I said. “Last night’s encounter was with a group of wind clan members of the naturi.”

“Keep your people close to you at all times.” Mira’s voice was low and seemed to slowly creep across the table toward us. “Hold them together. Stay in their minds. The naturi will wear us down and build their army by picking us off one at a time.”

“I will,” Barrett said with a stiff nod.

Mira blinked a couple times and lifted her head, straightening her shoulders, as if she were waking up from a bad dream. I resisted the urge to lay my hand on her arm. She was fighting back a swell of emotions that were attempting to overwhelm her. I could feel the chaos swirling in her when she thought of the naturi. They had tortured her, killed her people, and killed a human that was very close to her. So much of her world had been ripped apart by the naturi.

When I started on this journey, the naturi were little more than a job for me. I had heard the stories of their evil, the way they killed humans with no thought, no remorse. To them, humans were a blight on the Earth that needed to be expunged.

But that changed when I captured a half-mad naturi called Nerian. During his captivity, he told me more about Mira than any other had been able to tell me. Nerian had been her personal tormentor during the nightwalker’s two-week captivity centuries ago. He told me in gruesome detail the physical and mental torture she had endured. Nerian could relate the intensity of her pain to the tone and style of her begging. And she had managed to survive only because they could not reach her mind during the daylight hours.

When Mira saw the naturi or even spoke of them, her body seemed to relive the pain over again until it nearly consumed her. I had seen the pain reflected in her wide violet eyes and touched the scars on her back where they had carved symbols from their language so deeply she could never heal them.

Mira’s pain gave me cause to hate them. The nightwalker and I seemed to be forever on opposite sides of our own personal war, but I respected her sense of honor and justice. She was loyal to those who earned her respect and kept her word regardless of the danger to herself.

With a blink and a smile that attempted to cloak deeper emotions, Mira looked up at Barrett and extended her hand. “We should be going. We have other matters to look into tonight.”

Barrett took her hand and squeezed it briefly before releasing it. “I understand. Good luck.”

“Before you go,” I said quickly, stopping the shifter before he could slide to his feet, “I wish to ask a favor. It’s for a friend.”

Barrett frowned at me as he folded his hands on the table before him. “I hope you’re not looking to extend my family any further.”

“No, but he does need help,” I said, and then hesitated. I didn’t know how to continue. James couldn’t go through this alone and Themis wasn’t equipped to help him. They didn’t have the knowledge and experience that Barrett possessed. “We thought he was in the clear. He hadn’t shown any signs, but something happened recently…”

Barrett’s expression eased to one of concern. “And you’re sure he’s going to change?”

“He went through a partial shift when we didn’t think he could at all,” I explained. To my left, Mira remained surprisingly silent, though I had a feeling that she was simply waiting until we were alone so that she could pound me with questions.

“Then he’ll have no choice. When the full moon arrives, he’ll have to shift completely,” Barrett confirmed with a solemn nod of his head. “He’ll need help. Fighting the change will only make it more painful the first time. He’ll also need guidance back. His family?”

“No family. No pack,” I said firmly. Barrett had to understand that James had nowhere else to turn.

His brow crinkled as he looked at me and a fresh frown formed on his face. “Is he searching for a pack?”

“No, I doubt he will ever be a part of one. He just needs someone to help him get his feet under him again. Get him through the first full moon. A little advice and guidance. That’s all I’m asking for.”

To my surprise, the lycanthrope only thought about it for a couple of seconds. “Send him to me a couple days before the full moon. The pack will help him.”

“I’ll do what I can,” I replied, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

“You’re not sure he will come?” Barrett asked, his tone jumping in surprise.

“This has all come as a surprise to him,” I admitted. “He may be resistant at first.”

“How old is he?”

“I—I don’t know. Mid-twenties, maybe.” I honestly hadn’t a clue as to how old James was.

“He’s twenty-eight,” Mira interjected, drawing my gaze back to her. For a moment, I wondered how she knew I was talking about James and then I felt it, a shift in power. She was a ghost in my thoughts, listening in undetected when I didn’t think such a thing was possible. I had been so focused on getting James help from Barrett that I had dropped my guard.

“It will be hard on him, but the pack can help. Get him here,” Barrett said and then rose to his feet. “We’ll do what we can.”

I slid to my feet at the same time as Barrett and shook his hand. “Thank you for meeting with us and for your assistance.”

“My pleasure, and please, dinner is on me tonight.”

“Barrett!” Mira started, but the lycanthrope held up his hand, stopping her.

“Accept it as an apology,” he quickly said, forestalling any further comment from the vampire. “I had some of my people speak with your friend recently.” His dark copper eyes returned to my face and he gave a brief bow of his head. “For the trouble. I did not understand the nature of your relationship with Mira.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to argue that I had no relationship with Mira. That our preferred arrangement was one of hunter and prey. That this “friend” status Mira was bestowing on me was complete bullshit. But I kept my mouth shut and tried not to glare. This wasn’t his fault. It was Mira’s.

While I was standing, Mira slid out of the booth and I silently followed her out of the restaurant. It was only when we were both out on the street again in the cool fall air that I felt as if I could relax. I rolled my shoulders and leaned my head toward either shoulder, loosening up the muscles. I hadn’t realized I had grown so tense while talking with Barrett until we were away from the restaurant.

Mira walked beside me, jiggling her keys in her hand. “At least that is out of the way,” she muttered.

“Not exactly informative.”

“I didn’t expect it to be,” she replied, walking around to the driver’s side of the car. She hit the button on the remote, and the lights briefly flashed as the doors unlocked. “I took this meeting as just a kind of warning that you and I are looking into the murder.”

I paused in the act of lifting the car door handle and tilted my head slightly to the side as if I was trying to hear something, but I was actually reaching out with my other sense. My powers flowed out from me, covering the area. The dozen or so lycanthropes in the nearby restaurants muddied up my senses, but as I reached past them, it cleared.

“We have to go now,” I said, looking at Mira over the roof of the car.

“How many?”

“Four and they’re approaching fast.”

Mira looked up at the black night sky as she jerked the door open, as if she expected them to swoop down on us at any moment.

“No,” I said, jumping into the car as she did and slamming my door shut. “By land. I think they’re in a car.”

“Damned naturi.”