Page 103 of Crossed Fates

I arched a brow. “Beta Hardt stopped him?” And he didn’t report that to Alaric or Hawk?

“He asked Titanium why he was in the territory, which he smoothly lied about and said he was there with Kristen, a known friend of Tyler’s consort.”

“Couldn’t jeopardize the other contact,” Titanium inserted.

“Precisely right,” Bortex murmured. “However, unfortunately, Kristen found out about that claim later, and I think you know what happened from there.”

Titanium captured her.His own sister. Jackass.

And then...

“You bled her and left her on Alaric’s yard with an invite in hopes of drawing him back to the city.” That explained the small pinpoints on her neck. His fangs must not be a normal vampire size. I could make all sorts of jokes about length here… but I refrained.

“Yes, I bled her after realizing she wouldn’t be useful to our operation. But a friend left her in the yard. Not me.”

A friend? What friend?“And the initials in her foot?” I prompted, wanting to milk him for all the information he had to give. If I was going to be in this situation, I might as well make good use of it. And he was far more forthcoming than Vex had been.

He grinned. “I branded her skin to invite your mate out to play.”

“Why?”

He merely smiled. “Doesn’t matter, does it? You’re here now. Chained to a chair. Ready to play.” He snapped his fingers for one of his minions.

Apparently, interrogation time was over. Which was unfortunate because I wanted to know who the “other contact” was, this mysterious friend who had placed Kristen’s body on Alaric’s yard. I suspected it was one and the same.

And why didn’t Hardt report Titanium’s presence to Alaric or Hawk?

I started to tell Alaric the details of my interrogation with Bortex when the rattling of instruments caught my attention. Vampire Cuntcake stood next to the tray HJ had dropped off, preparing a syringe of some kind.

Drugging me again? Are they timing this shit or something?

What were you saying about Hardt?Alaric demanded.

He found Robert in the territory. Did he tell you or—

My thought cut off as Vampire Cuntcake stepped toward me, holding up the needle filled with a cloudy gray liquid. “Now, normally, I would have you drink this, but I’m fairly certain you’re not in the mood to swallow.”

Uh, Alaric…A shiver started up my spine.

“So this will have to do,” Vampire Cuntcake continued, tapping the syringe. “You know, I don’t normally stoop to the level of menial jobs. But going into that alpha meeting as a caterer to deliver the silver solution was worth it to stir such chaos. It blinded them all to our real plans. It’s still blinding them.”

Silver solution? Vex’s phone call… This is the asshole who poisoned Tyler. Shit!

Alaric growled in my mind, his mounting anger palpable and temporarily blinding me.Who?

Vampire Cuntcake,I replied.Pretty-boy vamp with the needle in his hand.Which would normally serve as my indicator to end this rather informative interrogation. But I didn’t have my escape mechanism.

Shit. We have a lead, Makayla. We’re coming. I promise.

The liquid in the syringe shimmered in the light for a second, and my eyes widened.You’d better hurry,I said, my heart skipping a beat. Because he’s about to pump me full of silver.And I had no idea how much my body could take.

What?!Alaric lost all vestiges of his calmness, his wolf rioting inside his mind and making mine whine in response.

Deep breaths,I coached myself.Just…I started to struggle with the cuffs around my wrists, but these weren’t the kind that easily unlatched. They were solid. Hard. Andburned.

“I’m very curious to see how your body reacts to this. You’re not immune to silver, I assume?” Vampire Cuntcake asked conversationally.

“Stop dicking around, Todd, and do it,” Bortex demanded.