Page 22 (1/2)

"Desmond, as you know, has been with you all day" Lucas’s tone was ss were secure, around seven thisat me, and I didn’t dare meet his eyes "He told ested we allow you to sleep through the day He stayed with you to er seeped in with the last word

I looked at Desmond and smiled weakly, unable to put the warmth into it I would have liked He didn’t se they used to have aroundmyself in," Holden added, "and found both your wolves here"

Desust when Holden said sundown Of course they were perfectly aware he was a vampire The hostility was evident I couldn’t tell which part bothered Lucassuch easy access to my apartured honesty here couldn’t hurt Lucas already kneorked for the council "They wouldn’t allow just anyone access to them, and because of what I do I need to be able to communicate with them directly Holden…" I indicated the stone-still vauy on the inside"

I looked at Holden, trying to ignore the twist of a smirk on his lips and his s to out me as a half-vampire for the sake of it I’d trusted him for six years and had to believe I could trust his?" He validated arnered him all in the span of a few seconds I was surprised they hadn’t made some sort of introductions since Holden had obviously told them his name Hefor introductions at all considering he was already aware of who they were, having watched thehts prior

Holden was a snob like most vampires He believed olves were at the bottom of the supernatural totem while he and his kind were at the top Vamps wouldn’t even feed on weres if they could avoid it They considered lycanthropy a conta had told me that, one of his little side comments that madeof the Eastern states" I inclined rumpy blond olf in the chair adjacent to the loveseat

Holden nodded to Lucas "Your highness" I had never heard a royal address sound so belittling It’s a what two hundred years can allow you to do with inflection alone

"And Des for the most appropriate way to introduce him "Lucas’s second-in-command"

"Well, well…" Holden met my eyes, "…quite the lupine social cli an advance" I instantly wished I hadn’t brought up his stunted progression in the council I was largely to bla attention to it in front of those he considered lesser beings was a lo

Lucas and Dese without interruption, and then Lucas rose to his feet He ca doith a sain, hardly able to believe it even with him this close

"Of course" The warmth of his tone made it seem like there had never been any doubt, and perhaps there hadn’t What I didn’t know about olves could fill volucontest?

No, I couldn’t believe that Marcus’s intent had plainly been to kill Lucas That Marcus was crazier than a Bathter didn’t maketo take the throne away fro foolish not to take the threat round my teeth but didn’t know if it was out of frustration or worry Holden atching onlyain, but he had decided to use the va his role as hed ain

"Can I have a ith you?" I said, which caught Des a quarter of an inch towards aze traveled to my bedroom door, and I shook my head "Out in the hall" The s to suspect Lucas already knehat had happened last night, but there was no sense in literally rubbing his nose in it

"Okay" He opened the door and stepped back to let ed partway out of his seat, and Desrowled

"Boys, do you think you can call a truce for threeto kill each other" I cast a wary glance at Lucas Nothing in his face supported or contradicted , but returned to their uneasy staring contest

I stepped into the tiny hallway that separated my apartment from the street entrance stairs, and was only a little surprised to see Do how relieved I was to see the grinning blond olf alive

"I’narly in there" Judging from his smarmy smirk, he wasn’t too shaken up by his near-death experience "Did you take good care of my brother?"