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We walked in and took the elevator up to the top floor The elevator opened into a short but stately hallway that led to a single set of double doors The va the entrance radiated a fear aura at a level I hadn’t felt froed e This vaister--as if Luc Chevalier really needed anyone to guard his body The threat the guard radiated had nothing to do with his actual power That, frolanced at Mason His jaas tense, but other than that he didn’t react to the va woainst a uard, who examined the identification closely before he nodded and opened the door He stepped back to allow us entry, and his power licked at ister even before we entered the building, but when the door closed behind us, the otherworlder energy in the room washed over me like a flash flood: harsh and powerful and fast

I stopped in ive y Claude was nearly as strong as the Magister hi hours with him But there were so many powerful vamps in this room that it was a bit of a rush, especially with Mason’s contrasting silver-tinged lycan energy swirling Burnt coffee filledMason’s fresher, h the roo

And I couldn’t escape the sudden harsh realization that this situation was exactly why I hated going into the field

"Are you all right?" Mason murmured, his mouth only inches from my ear

My eyes fluttered open and I nodded, shaky froy and his proximity His scent washed over me, a touch of sweat and wildness, soap and cola

Mason turned his attention to the rest of the rooe leather chair behind a desk, hands clasped behind his head Sitting on the corner of the desk was another vanized Nicolas Chevalier, Luc’s natural born son fro va pain in the ass

A woman stood to the other side of the desk But unlike Nicolas, she was behind it, leaning against the wall behind Luc Her arht, she looked around five and a half feet tall Asian, with soft dark hair brushing her shoulders, she would have struckaura that seeainst rocks

It was difficult to tell the vaether, especially with the punch the Magister carried But froh power to put even Nicolas to shaister’s son was no slouch

Mason introduced hirateful for his presence I felt safer, for one And his lycan energy helped to break up the barrage I was receiving fro different to concentrate on, to cling to Even though it did little to keep ister said, reaching out to take y flooded over th, and the rooht for focus He held my hand like ere close friends for an aard moment, until Mason took a step closer to me

"So nice to see you, my dear," Luc continued He released my hand and stepped back I nodded politely

I’dthe couple of years I’d worked with Claude, and he had always been polite But he’d never acted so warmly before Had he already heard about what had happened? Did he know ent, this is ht, "his assistant, Min"

Mason shook hands with the other va through their energy was overwhelh without physical contact

"Tell us what you know about the victilance for his tone, but the Magister didn’t seeh by it to make a scene

"Iman, if not particularly powerful or ambitious"

I frowned "Jake wasn’t frooing with the question, Mason continued as if I hadn’t interrupted "Isn’t that unusual for a younger vampire, to leave his family?"

"Yes, it is But Jake’s asn’t particularly popular with his fao to join us here"

I gave Mason a slance at me That made sense While vampires married outside of the fold occasionally, it was rare Vaave theeneral, h it was hardly a crihts and in the pulse of the energy around me I rubbed my nose, but the smell of burnt coffee wouldn’t fade until we left the vaain, Mason had ister’s son answered Mason’s questions with one-word anshere he could, and brief responses otherwise He’d worked at the same branch as Jake Stone, and was acquainted with the vampire But he admitted to little else His assistant--who I had no doubt also doubled as a bodyguard when necessary--stood still as a stone against the wall Arers over her ararette A stress response? I couldn’t pull y swirled and rolled around her, an ocean ofand repulsive

Mason’s voice drewIsaiah is in Chicago?" His voice wasn’t raised If anything it had lowered Quiet, but dangerous

"Yes, Agent And I’m not surprised that the OWEA hasn’t discovered his arrival yet He’s quite…crafty"

Mason grunted, playing along with being underesti in town at lunch, but seeister not know He continued to question the Magister, getting an address to where the suspect was staying My attention faltered again, and a strong hand on ht ister We may have more questions, so don’t make yourself scarce" He leaned toward o," he said softly

"Coffee?" I asked Mason e pulled up toaround thatcoffee for the rest of the day It was full dark, but not all that late I needed to knohat I’d missed in his discussion with the va like an idiot But if he ca