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“I needed to see you. We need to talk.” I push past her friend, frowning when Serenity takes a step back.

The slam of the door echoes around us when no one speaks.

“Do you have another roommate?” I ask.

“We do. She hasn’t been home for a few days. We just realized. This is Ava, and her roommate was here before I moved in. Why?” She forgets her trepidation and moves closer.

“Was her name Beth Brayer?” I ask.

“It was. How did you know that?” Ava stands beside Serenity, suspicious.

“There are some things I need to tell you that may be hard to believe. But after I tell you, I will need you to trust me. You have to come with me for your safety.” I attempt to push my calming influence on her, but it doesn’t work.

“I already told her about your world. We had a long talk last night. It took some convincing, but she finally believed me. You may have to show her, though.” Ava looks at her affectionately.

“Really? Everything?” I ask, growling, not sure if I should be angry or relieved.

“Not the reason you are here, but we talked about mates and happily ever after,” Ava smirks at me.

“I see. How do you know this?” I narrow my eyes, searching my memory for where I met her.

“I dated a wolf for a bit. I met you at your club,” she reminds me.

“That’s right. You were with Ryan for a while. I wondered if he told you.” Ryan was a tool. He came to the club for a month straight, sucking up. He thought it would be fun to befriend The King of Vampires.

“Ryan,” she sighs. “Did he ever find his mate?” Ava asks.

“He ended up on the wrong side of a fight. He died.” I shrug. His Alpha took his loose lips seriously, and he let them fly one too many times.

“That’s too bad. He was a good kisser,” she says softly.

“He was a terrible fighter,” I say wryly.

“Can you two stop this little trip down memory lane? Why are you here? What happened to Beth?” Serenity demands.

“She’s dead.” Shocked gasps come from both of them.

“How?” Serenity asks.

“There is a man, or men, taking humans and trying to turn them into shifters. He took her, left her behind the club this morning.”

“Trying?”

“It’s difficult to turn humans. Forcing them to turn without a mate increases the likelihood of failure. They end up stuck in both forms.” I stick to giving an overview; they don’t need all the gory details.

“Shit. They did this to Beth?” Serenity grabs Ava’s arm. I have a minute of insane jealousy, hopeful she will reach out for me to comfort her in the future.

“She was half-human, half-wolf.” I have to tear my eyes from her hand in Ava’s.

“Why do I have to come with you?” Serenity asks.

“Both of you will come with me. Ava is your friend, and I learned my lesson with friends. The bad guys will take the friend to get to you.” I take a deep breath. “You, because you are my mate.”

Chapter Eight

Serenity

How did I find myself in a vampire's car? Ava’s in the backseat with packed bags filled with our things. I have been in a daze since last night. Learning about the world of shifters and vampires has been unbelievable, scary, and fascinating. I blame the fascination for the reason I am sitting in the passenger seat beside Ryker going to his lair.