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Marek weighed his options, his fingers drumming on his thigh. He wasn’t so deluded to think he had taken her for anything other than personal reasons.

Now that he had her, he was reluctant to let her go. Everything in him screamed to claim her, to complete the mating bond. His vampire didn’t care if she worked for his enemies. Leah, Julian’s mate, had also worked for the Organization, and they’d freed her from the Organization’s control. Yet, until he could confirm Olivia was telling the truth, he couldn’t risk binding them.

A mating bond connected two souls and opened them up to each other, exposing their deepest selves to one another. It allowed her to read his mind, know his feelings. It gave her access to everything he knew about the CDI, about their plans against the Organization.

It might also be the fastest way to determine if she was telling the truth. The bond might bypass her mental shield, allowing him access to her thoughts.

No, it was too risky. Other lives, all those under his command, depended on him. Was he so weak as to make the same mistake as before?

There had to be another way. Sascha wouldn’t fail him. He only had to be patient.

“Well?” she urged seconds later.

A plan slowly formed. “Your sister is in a coma in LA. Do you know why?”

“No. The detective won’t tell me on the phone. I was going there today.” Desperation clung to her features. “If you know about Betsy, then you know I’m the only one who can help her.”

Did she know how much he wanted to fulfill her wish? That was the danger of a mate’s power over one another. His instinct demanded he help her because she was the most important thing in his life.

In this case, it was something within his power, for it suited his purpose as well.

“Your sister is one of the witches that cast a spell that destroyed the Ruins in Los Angeles. You’ve heard about it on the news, I assume?”

Her mouth went slack. “Yes, but the news said it was a gas line explosion.”

“Right. That’s what we told the public. It’s much easier for humans to accept a gas line explosion than a supernatural cause.”

Even though humans had known about vampires and other supernatural beings for a century, the tense relationship, especially between vampires and humans, meant any supernatural incident provoked an extreme response from the humans. To maintain peace, leaders on both sides decided a gas line explosion was a better story.

“You’re telling me Betsy was involved? My baby sister who wouldn’t hurt a fly? Why should I trust you? How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

“Who informed you your sister was in LA?”

“I think he said his name was Sam something? I wrote it down in my phone. He said he identified Betsy from the missing persons report I filed.”

Marek nodded and dialed a number on his phone. After two rings, a middle-aged man popped up on the screen.

“Good morning, Sam,” Marek said.

“Morning, Marek,” Sam responded with a smile. He was the detective in charge of investigating the Ruins’ explosion, including the witches involved. Used to working with vampires, he was more friendly toward them than most human cops. “Surprised to see you’re still up.”

“Work never ends.” Marek sauntered over to bed and held out the phone so Olivia could see the screen. “I have Olivia Rodriguez with me.”

Her eyes widened. “Uh, hello,” she muttered.

“Hello, Dr. Rodriguez. I assume this call is about your sister?”

“Yes,” Marek confirmed. “Can you tell the good doctor the truth about the explosion? Not the gas line versions?”

“Yeah, sure.” Sam repeated what Marek had said.

“Happy now?” Marek asked at Olivia’s stunned look.

She nodded, mute.

Marek said goodbye to Sam and hung up. She stared at nothing for a second, digesting the information, before scrutinizing him. He would give his wings to hear her thoughts.

“Who are you?” she asked. “You’re not just some random vampire who happens to have a bone to pick with Zylotech, are you?”