Page 17 (1/2)

"I’ final decision"

Derek stared at ht I didn’t knok Head or Tattoo Dude, but they got nah he worked for the fangheads and for ed at hiather, I want all hands present All leaves are hereby canceled" Several people groaned, and I shook ht s over the list for security personnel, and will be putting everyone in place on the night of the soiree Go over the protocols, especially the amended procedures, and watch your e-mail in-boxes" Istuff, and then said, "Derek, get with ht of Any questions?" No hands went up and I said, "Last thing As of seventy-two hours ago, we have a new vamp in town Rented a limo in Texas Anyone know about it?" No hands went up, no one looked secretive Wrassler looked baffled and troubled Vamps did not enter another’s territory without certain procedures being followed To him, I said, "Take it up with Bruiser and Leo See if they know anything See if one of the visitors for the gather is co fro trouble at a gather wasn’t unknown A new va’s adjourned," I said "Let’s eat"

Moht me a bowl of chili with beans, over rice, and a loaf of bread on a wood paddle, with a serrated bread knife We sat with Wrassler and caught up on Asheville, and the new personnel in HQ, and shared info and files on our electronic tablets, including the dossiers on the new people It was homey Chatty Fun

Until Beast sank her claws deeply into lint ofthat hand in an instinctive block Caught the descending arht hand went for the bread knife on the table as ITwistedit Knocked away the attacker’s knife with a right fist to his wrist Heard the bone break

Rising but still ducked, I blocked his other arm Twisted my body under the attacker’s arht the knife in hard Felt it penetrate clothes and slide off of leather, like a belt Felt it press against flesh Stopped at the first faint smell of human

I chuffed in disgust and continuedon Beast’s strength Tossed my blunt table knife into the corner Lifted e part of the move Whirled and dropped his hitting, and an "Oomph" of lost breath I fell across hi at his throat, the other clawing into his abs

"You’re dead," he ed It was a proht at me Pack hunters!

I blinked away Beast before she/I ripped into his soft belly In the same instant, I hit hih force to knock him out His eyes rolled in his head I leaped toI risked a glance down Dang Hawk Head was out cold

I growled low, the vibration filling the room Fun! Beast chuffed at me More!

Everyone stared No one else hadWrassler stood slowly and walked to ed Hawk Head with a pointed toe "Derek, secure the prisoner," he said

"Not just yet," I whispered I sed, forcing Beast back down I ed a breath that hurt all the way to my toes Chuffed it out

"Why not?" Wrassler asked

"Whose clan is he?" I asked

"Clan Arceneau," Wrassler said His face fell as he put it together Grégoire and his heir were both gone, leaving the clan hooire’s secondo heir--ell known to be my ene through e

I had been at a vamp party I had slid open the pocket door to the darkened powder rooin, I flicked on the light

A blur swept towardthe mirror Ti her strength and reflexes into s and claws flashed in the ht of two va The next few htAbovefroold torque etched with Celtic syold cuff shaped like a snake climbed one arm I staked her just as Leo appeared "Adrianna," he had said, the word so full of power, it had madein a building full of va that I had survived And later, of course, I’d staked her properly But for reasons of his own, Leo had brought her back to her undead life, and kept her somewhere until she recovered fro separation of ana witch-vamps I had killed Yeah We had a history None of it ioire and Dominique out of town, Adrianna was in control of Arceneau, one of thered hair, like the person in the car with Katie’s one to Adrianna’s territory and then disappeared Crap! No as this gonna end well