“Hopefully the pack meeting didn’t get that far.” Diskant ran his fingers through his hair, growling low in his throat. “They wouldn’t have started without Trey. No matter how hard Cade pushed for information, they’d have kept their mouths shut.”
The roar of a car engine in the distance snared everyone’s attention. Nathan looked at Ava, who closed her eyes. After a moment she opened them and exhaled softly.
“It’s Cade.” She confirmed their suspicion. “He’s almost here. And he’s not in a very pleasant mood.”
“He’s never in a pleasant mood,” Trey muttered.
“You got that right,” Diskant grumbled his agreement.
Why should the man be? If it was Trey, he’d be pissed too.
Earlier that morning Caden had been promised information he’d been waiting weeks for, only to be pulled away from those who had the news he wanted to hear. He’d almost had vengeance in his hands. It was like taking a toy away from a lonely infant. If he were in the human’s situation, he’d be pissed too.
“I’ll get the rooms ready,” Mary told them, leaving Ava’s side. “I’ll also have to get Rocky’s kennel,” she added, referring to the Boxer puppy Emory had given her that’d grown by leaps and bounds. “I don’t think it’s safe to let him roam outside.”
She walked to Emory, lifted onto her toes to kiss him on the cheek and left the room.
A door slammed and heavy footsteps approached. Cade breezed into the house as if he owed the place—typical. He didn’t look like a happy camper, scowling at them.
“You requested my presence, your majesty.” He mock bowed to Diskant. “Well here I am.” Glaring at Trey, he quipped, “As for you, don’t ever ask me to cover for your ass again. I don’t like being left high and dry and I don’t like being promised answers when no one wants to talk. Next time take care of your own shit.” Trey tried to talk but Cade waved him off. “Don’t worry about me. You have your own problems. Do you have any idea how angry the pack was when I told them you weren’t coming and had wasted their time? Smooth move, Ex-Lax.”
“Caden,” Ava acknowledged the man coolly. “It’s always such a pleasure.”
The man knew better than to confront Diskant’s female and said nothing.
Good choice.
“It appears something more important has come up,” Diskant informed the short-tempered male. “And before you start spouting off—I’m talking about ‘it’s the end of the world’ kind of shit. You can’t get the people you’re after if that happens, can you? So mellow the hell out and use that thing between your ears called a brain for a change.”
Since tensions were so high, Trey shouldn’t have been surprised when Sadie and Leigh popped into the room. The world loved to nudge those teetering on the edge. Still, relief almost sent him to his knees. She’d returned, just as she promised. He rushed to his mate, only to stop midway when she shook her head. He froze and looked at her companion.
Leigh—God help her—looked petrified.
“What the fuck?” Cade yelled, eyes trained on the females, going for the gun at his side.
Nathan charged the human like a freight train and took Caden down. They fought for the weapon, squirming on the ground. Cade was more than able to handle himself but Nathan was fighting for his mate. It didn’t take long for the Beta to rip the gun from Cade’s hand and send it skittering across the floor.
“Don’t you ever, ever, pull a gun on a woman in this house,” Nathan snarled in Cade’s face. The two men were almost nose-to-nose. “Especially mine. Everyone else might put up with your shit but I won’t. I’ll drop you where you stand. I will kill your worthless ass.”
“Women,” Cade replied menacingly, lifting his head so he and Nathan almost butted noses, “don’t appear out of nowhere. Neither do shifters.”
“It’s because we’re vampires, idiot.” Sadie schooled him good and proper, her eyes ice white. She glowered at the men on the ground. “It’s called phasing. Not that I’d expect a human to understand anything about that.”
She vanished again, going from Leigh’s side, reappearing crouched next to Cade and Nathan. She kneeled, getting into Cade’s personal space. “Shifters don’t have shit on us, mortal. You pull a gun on me and I’ll be behind you before you can blink. I’ll break your neck before you know what’s happening to you. You’ll go down faster than a five-dollar hooker.”
“Have you lost your fucking minds?” Cade’s gaze shot around the room. “Are all of you totally insane?”
Nathan gave the human a harsh shove and cautiously made it to his feet. Trey shifted closer, prepared to take the man down if need be. Cade moved slowly, keeping his attention on the Beta. Step by step Nathan backed his way to Leigh. The skittish vampire tried to move away from the werewolf but it didn’t do her any good. Nathan grasped her arm and tugged her against him, forcing her to his side. Trey could relate. He wanted to do the same with Sadie. Seeing his female relying on her abilities and speed instead of turning to him for assistance gnawed at his pride.
“Vampires?” Cade huffed, clenching his fists. “Aren’t your hairy asses enough for one house? You decided it would be good to add brides of Dracula to the mix?”
“Can I show him?” Sadie asked, her attention steeled on Cade. “It’ll be faster than any of us trying to explain and he needs to know who and what he’s dealing with. Plus I think your human needs a bit of enlightenment.”
“Do it,” Diskant directed curtly before Cade could bolt.
Fuck, Sadie was fast.
She had her fingers clasped around Caden’s wrist before the man could try to escape, trapping him in her strong grasp. At first he tried to yank free. She held her ground. After a couple of seconds he stopped pulling away, his untrusting gaze homed on Sadie.
He looked full of wonder.
He also looked like he was going to retch.
“That’s right, dumbass,” she whispered, holding on tight. “Watch, listen and learn.”
Caden relaxed, tight shoulders easing, the muscles in his arms going soft. Instead of leaning away from Sadie he moved closer. Trey’s beast snarled at their closeness, demanding he do something about it. Enough time had passed. Cade—the asshole of all assholes—had all the information he needed and then some.
Trey went to snatch Sadie from Caden’s range when she let go of the man.
His body collided with his mate’s and he curled his arm around Sadie’s waist, tugging her against him. At first she froze. Then she went soft. He felt her fatigue—a faint pulsing of exhaustion beating at him. Her ass nestled against his hips, the tantalizing globes settling perfectly around his cock. She felt just right, soft in all the right places.
Claim her.
Don’t waste any more time.
“It’s impossible.” Cade sounded as dazed as he appeared. “Things like these…events like that…it can’t be true.”
“You know it is,” Diskant said, and his sidelong glare at Cade made Trey uneasy. “Think about it.”
Hesitantly, with gravity, Caden nodded.
Fucking bastards.
They were hiding something—Diskant and Cade.
What had the Omega shared with the human member of the pack?
What didn’t he know that—as the Alpha of the pack—he should have?
If things were different he’d have pushed the issue, giving them hell until they told him what going on. But his inquisition would have to wait. Everyone in the room had to be on the same page. They had Leigh but Aldon was still on the loose. Until they had their safeguards in place they had to be united by their common interests.