Page 90 of A Second Chance for the Beta

He smiles and shakes his head. “No, because I think you will find answers here. Wouldn’t it be smart to make the best out of your stay? Don’t you want answers? If you leave now, there is no option for you to ever return. We are well hidden.”

I stare at him. Do I want answers? Yes, of course. I’m well aware of where I am, and I know if I want to save Charlie, I need to find a way to either strike a deal with these vampires or make them believe Charlie isn’t related to their leader.

That’s what I want.

But what dotheywant? What kind of mind game are they playing?

I’m still on guard but decide to put their so-called hospitality to the test. “I want to make a call.”

“Of course,” he says promptly. “You didn’t have a phone with you, but you can use mine.”

“Please tell me you weren’t the one to put me into bed and dress me in a nightgown,” I say.

“No, don’t worry, it was one of the maids.” He rummages in his bags and hands me his mobile.

“I bet there is a tracking device on it,” I say.

“Of course there is, but it’s to track me, not you,” he explains. “Also, we know who you are and where your pack is. You are the beta of Luna Annalise from Red Claw. We don’t need to track you for that knowledge. My master has no intention at all to get into a fight with your kind.”

This is all so weird, but I decide to give his words a test. They know where I live, but they might not know that I was just visiting Silas before. Which is why I don’t call Annie but instead opt for Dante. He picks up on the first ring. “Yes?” he asks, clearly in a hurry. I can hear the tension in his voice.

“D?” I say. “Please don’t worry about me!”

“Ella!?” he blurts out. “We have been looking for you. Luna Annalise just returned and said—”

“I’m with the vampires,” I say, cutting him short because I’m scared he might reveal too much about what we did before. “Their master invited me.” I pause. “Thoughinviteis a stretch.” I narrow my eyes to a glare while looking at the young vampire. He has taken a few steps back and is at the other end of the corridor. “He had me abducted and brought here, but they claim I can leave anytime. I’m not drugged or anything.”

“Then Goddess, Ella, leave!”

I’m not sure how to convey what I want or think. These vampires are playing their games, clearly. I doubt they want to kill me, but they seem to do an awful lot to make me feel safe. I want to play along for my family’s sake. Although I hate to admit it, this vampire guard is right… I have questions. “Should I really do that?” I ask Dante.

It’s silent on the other side of the line, but I can feel through our bond that Dante is much calmer now. “You are not in any danger?”

“No, Nefeli is on alert, but it seems to be fine so far,” I say.

“Whose phone is this?”

“It belongs to one of the guards. He gave it to me when I asked to make a call,” I say.

“I understand,” Dante mutters. “For whatever reason they want you to feel comfortable and like a guest. How freely can you talk?”

“I’m not sure,” I admit. I’m one hundred percent certain that I’m here with Aloysius and his vampires, and from Silas, I know what kind of person he is. He killed a newborn. There is no way I can trust him.

“Annie told us what happened,” Dante says, leaving out any details that indicate where we came from and who we visited. He caught on fast, which isn’t really a surprise judging by the experienced beta he is. “You truly think this is a chance to… you know…”

“Yes,” I say promptly. “What does Alpha Liam think?”

In the background, I can hear Dante and Liam discussing something, then Dante is back. “He says you should listen to your gut feeling. He is not opposed to you staying… as a guest.” He puts emphasis on the word guest. “He also said that if they harm you in any way, he will march onto their lands and bring war upon them. Tell yourhoststhat we are well aware of where you are.”

“I will,” I say. “Do you trust me, Dante?”

“I do,” he says quietly. “But I’m still very worried about you.”

“D, I think I’m the last you should worry about,” I say. “You need to get in touch with Lorenzo. Talk to Annie as to why. And you have the rogues to question.”

I say rogue, while I actually mean Imogen and her men. I’m starting to believe that the vampires being after Charlie and the hitmen hunting her are two separate incidents. The lieutenant might have consulted with the mercenaries, but going by what Silas told us and by how they treat me here, the vampires’ approach is a lot different than what we have encountered so far.

Dante catches on instantly. “You think the two issues aren’t connected?”