Page 25 (1/2)

"You’re …"

"Darcy," the woman supplied, her suard She had a feared, loathed, and kicked when she was down But kindness? Not so much "Harley’s twin sister"

"Where is she?" she asked Harley had been left behind when Caine and Laylah had headed to Hannibal, but since the cur had been stupid enough to try and kidnap the King of Weres, Laylah was fairly certain everything had gone to hell "Is she okay?"

"She’s in Chicago" Darcy chuckled "And I suppose she’s okay considering she’s just accepted the position as the Queen of Weres"

Laylah’s mouth fell open

Now that was a shocker

Caine had always been careful to keep Laylah isolated fro of Weres had murdered Harley’s family and intended to include Harley in his path of destruction once he found her

Obviously the ru, or Harley was a thrill-seeker on a massive scale "She mated with Salvatore?"

Darcy nodded "Crazy, isn’t it? But, she’s convinced she loves the arrogant pureblood"

"I’ herself the pang in the center of her heart wasn’t envy

Didn’t she just do an inventory of her pile of proble a mate would only be the cherry on the top

"She’s been worried about you"

Laylah blinked She and Harley had an odd, distant connection But they hadn’t been BFFs

"Really?"

"Shebullied by a bunch of overzealous vampires"

"I have done ainst Laylah’s leg in a strangely touching gesture "But you kno ilanced toward her mate "Intimately"

Styx reached to brush a tender hand down Darcy’s cheek "My dear, perhaps we can finish this conversation in a more secure location?"

Laylah took an i there were actually those who cared about her in the world forgotten in a tidal wave of fear

"No"

Tane tugged her back to his side, his body tightly coiled as if preparing to strike

"Where do you intend to take her?" he growled

"Easy, Tane" Styx lifted a hand, the low in the overhead lights "For now I merely have a few questions for Laylah She will be safe in my lair"

Tane wasn’t satisfied "Have you contacted the Oracles?"

Styx narrowed his gaze, ready and willing for a pissing match

"Don’t press your luck, Charon"

"Oh, for goodness sake, co lack of intelligence ah Laylah’s and tugged her toward the nearest door "We’ll let the men huff and puff in privacy"

Laylah allowed herself to be led away Any distance between her and the King of Vampires elcoently tried to pull free

"I can’t go with you" She absently glanced around the isolated field that had been carved out of a thick tangle of oak trees It was a perfect spring night with a sky filled with stars, but Laylah wasnear the road and three couard Hell, she knew there were ridiculous ruerous But seriously? She returned her attention to Darcy "I have …" She stopped to consider her words "So for me"

Darcy s car

"At least join us for dinner," she urged "I’etarian, but I have a fabulous cook who na to die for"

Before she could mouth a protest, Laylah found herself seated in the back of the elegant limo that could easily have hauled the Green Bay Packers

"And to think I was afraid the Anasso would be ruthless," she nation

The Anasso’s private study wasn’t what Tane had been expecting

Not that he’d been thinking the room would be lined with the heads of his enemies and decorated with any furniture and delicate Persian carpet seemed way too civilized for the most powerful vampire in the world

On the plus side, the vast estate on the outskirts of Chicago rapped in a dozen spells and hexes with an entire horde of va and nobody was co in or out without Styx’s say so

For the moment Laylah was safe

So why the hell was he pacing the pansy-ass carpet while battling the crazy ih the monstrous house in search of the feed Darcy to cart the reluctant Laylah off to enjoy a hot bath and dinner He had business to discuss with Styx that was best done in private

But now that they were alone in the study that was lead-lined and heavily shrouded in a cloaking spell, Tane couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the fact he couldn’t sense Laylah

Even with her ae connection As if a part of her had burrowed someplace deep inside hi thought Nope Not going there

"Da in theinto his dangerous thoughts