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I shook my head. “She is even more formidable and certain not to be fooled long by my lack of information.”

“And how do you intend to break the news to your mate?”

I lowered the cup from my lips. “Is that what this is about? You wish to know my status with Aurora?”

Her voice softened. “Cormac, you showed up here hungry enough to drain ten men but refusing to feed. Something made you not pay attention to your hunger, and something stopped you from feeding. I’m concerned.”

I forced a smile to my face. “Don’t be. I was only distracted and then afraid to hurt someone. I’ll take two flasks of human blood with me and continue to sate my thirst that way. I don’t aspire to be feeding on the coven members.”

She nodded, satisfied with my excuse.

“Do you have them on hand?”

“In my room.” She disappeared through a doorway and returned with three flasks bearing the O’Cillian crest.

I tilted my head. “I only needed two. Keep the other for the plane.”

She sucked on her lower lip. “I’m out of blood and would appreciate a walk in the sun.”

I took the flask she held in a hand by itself. “Why didn’t you call and ask me sooner?” I bit my wrist and held the vein above the opening of the empty flask. I clenched my fist, causing a thick stream of red to pour from the wound into the vessel.

She shrugged and glanced at the floor. “I didn’t want to bother you and figured Jacob and Paul would have returned with the car by now so I could share some with them. They aren’t due to arrive until tonight.”

The stream had slowed to just a few drops as the lesion healed over. The crimson liquid reached the neck of the flask. I felt horrible that she had been stuck inside, away from the rays of the sun, for fear of disturbing me. She needed to know that evenif I took the witch as my mate, the people I surrounded myself with would remain my faction. “Come here,” I commanded softly.

She stood in front of me, her eyes glazed with fear at what I was going to say. I raised my other wrist to her mouth, the one without the healing red welts from my own teeth. “Drink.”

Her gaze locked on mine, and she refused to look away as she sank her fangs into my wrist. A pain shot through my arm, but one I was used to after the number of times I fed people. We still didn’t understand why my brothers and I had the power within our blood to allow our friends to walk beside us in the daylight, but for those closest to us, it was our greatest and unending gift.

Dani finally tore her eyes from mine and took a last swallow from my vein. I felt her tongue lash out as it sealed the wounds. “Thank you,” she said.

“Dani, you have been one of my dearest friends for a good portion of my life. I will not send my faction from me that easily.”

Her eyes dropped to the ground as she smiled. “I should have known that, Cormac. I’m grateful to see you so happy. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

I shook my head. “You’ve helped tremendously. I should be going.”

She nodded. “I’ll let you know when they are back.”

“Thank you,” I said as I walked out of her suite and into the hotel corridor. The white walls and gray carpet gave off an elegant, modern feeling. I stood before the elevator, and when the silver doors opened, I stepped into the small room. The smells of the humans who had been in it all mingled together, and I was happy that I could no longer feel the bloodlust pulling inside me. The flasks weighed down my pockets, my lifeline to hold the monster at bay.

When I stepped into the sunlight, I fished out my phone, dialing my youngest brother’s phone number. After a few rings, he answered.

“Cormac?”

“How much did you pay attention to mother when she started talking about the village witches?” The question was sure to cause him to raise an eyebrow. Of the four brothers, Conall had been the one least likely to pay attention. If it wasn’t fun and games, he had wanted little to do with it. Having three older brothers consuming the adult responsibilities before him meant the only thing he had to do was remain cute and funny.

“About as much as I did to the politics. Magic was always Lorcan’s place.”

I nodded. “That is what I feared. Any chance you can contact him?”

“I believe he incinerated the last communication device he had with his bare hands,” said Conall with a laugh.

“Hilarious, brother. We’ve run into an issue here.” I could tell through the overstated pause this announcement made Conall nervous.

“What happened?”

“The witch has found a way to not only find the Cure, but to locate the vampire she seeks as well.”