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CHAPTER 16

Lucy

“Malcolm is heavilyinvolved with the alliance,” Jenny said, just before accepting a cup of coffee from one of the drones.

I could tell that she wasn’t overly fond of the idea that humans willingly gave up their blood for us. She was on edge, her hands shaking and her eyes darting about as if she couldn’t quite believe that she was actually staying in the royal vampire court.

Of course, not everyone was overly happy that two of the most prominent members of the alliance were now being protected by vampires. As a rule, vampires are very unforgiving creatures. Okay, so I know that is a huge blanket statement.

But I swear it’s one hundred percent true. Most of my case studies are based off of my experiences with Veti. The very same individual that was currently sitting beside me and whispering in my ear.

“I can’t believe that you slept with Marcus and Henry,” she hissed.

“Shh,” I whispered back. “I don’t think that they heard you in New Jersey.”

“Your snarky attitude won’t save you, young lady.”

I rolled my eyes and huffed loud enough to have Joanie give me a strange look from across the room, where she sat near her parents.

They were talking about the Duke of Draven. I didn’t know him personally, but I had heard of him and his brother, Sven. They are really terrible people. And according to Jenny, they are planning a major attack on the royal court.

As much as I should be paying attention because this was really important, I had Veti’s scandalized tones throwing me off guard as she whispered loud enough for any self-respecting vampire to hear.

“Do you have any idea what you are doing?”

“Veti, be quiet, seriously.”

Veti leaned over and pinched my side. Just as I was about to retort something with a four-letter word Clark said something that stopped me in my tracks.

“They are planning on eradicating the entire Vasile family. They said they have informants on the inside. This isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

“So, what do we do?” Joanie asked, frowning. The Triple A’s sat flanking her protectively, like her own personal army.

Viv cleared her throat. “We fight.”

Her mates nodded in unison.

“We aren’t going to let them get any of you,” Henry said protectively and then moved to stand behind my chair. His arm on my shoulder immediately brought a sense of grounding that I can’t even explain.

Veti, for once, didn’t say a word.

“Sven really is alive?” Joanie said it more as a statement than a question.

“He was alive as of a few days ago,” Jenny answered her daughter.

“Do you have any names of who the insiders might be?” Marcus asked.

Jenny shook her head. “No, they didn’t know we were sneaking around trying to gather information. It wasn’t until they caught us listening in on a conversation between Malcolm and Sven that they left us for dead. They are coming after Evangelina; they know she is here.”

“There is something else,” Clark added. He and Jenny shared a knowing look before continuing. “Helen was frantic to get Evangelina back.”

Brendon, one of Viv’s mates, visibly stiffened.

Viv did that weird thing that she sometimes does, almost as if she were talking to him with her mind, which is obviously impossible. But she stared at him intently for a long moment.

Brendon’s hands were clenched when he said, “Helen is dead.”

Jenny frowned. “No, she is very much alive.”