Page 24

Maxine

“You sure they’re gonna show?” Leah had her back to a crumbling column, grey paint peeling back from the brickwork beneath.

I glanced up from the dusty windowsill I’d been leaning against, my voice echoing down vacant corridors. “They’ll be here.”

In an effort to avoid any prying eyes should this meeting go badly, I had chosen the location carefully.

Which was why we were holed up in an abandoned power plant in the Brookfield Waterfront.

The space was cavernous and silent, save for the distant drip of water somewhere in the rafters.

Grey light filtered through broken panes, illuminating swirling motes of dust.

Outside, the city bustled on in blissful ignorance under a haze of angry rain clouds.

Leah nodded once, but she shifted from foot to foot, betraying her anxiety. I couldn’t blame her. My stomach churned with a similar dread, my body thrumming with tension. We’d set the trap, arranged the bait, and now… all we had left to do was to wait.

Jordan and Hunter were hidden somewhere around the building, keeping watch from the shadows.

They were primed to rush in if things went sideways, but for now, it was just Leah and me in the dim, hollow room.

The chill in the air seeped through the thin fabric of my clothes, but it was nothing compared to the icy sensation of dread forming sharp shards in my gut.

“Are you ready for this?” Leah eyed me warily, edging closer.

I forced a wry smile and turned to her. Even in the dingy light, her eyes were warm, the faint lines of worry around her mouth emphasizing how tired she must have been. Still, she radiated a comforting presence, one that made this ruined building we stood in feel a little less foreboding.

“Not really,” I admitted, letting my hand drift to her waist. “But I’ll have to be.”

We lapsed into brief silence. Shadows loomed around us, and the wind outside kicked against a rusted shutter that clanged eerily through the bowels of the abandoned building.

Then, through the smudged window, a smear of motion.

A car—sleek and black—rolled down the empty parkway, engine too quiet for this part of town.

I felt their presence. I felt his presence. My stomach plummeted.

Leah’s grip on me tightened, her eyes widening as she caught the motion outside, the faint scuff of tires on gravel. I reached into my pocket for my phone, sending out a signal to Jordan and Hunter. “This is it.”

After a quick, frantic kiss, Leah stepped back, swishing up coal dust. I angled my body toward the open doors, shielding Leah as best I could without making it obvious. The less attention on her, the better.

As footsteps echoed ominously in the corridor beyond I clenched my fists, summoning every ounce of courage I could muster, and sent a silent prayer to whatever god watched over the damned that we would all make it out of there alive.

The footsteps drew closer and then, there they were. Thomas, Eve and Therio—my family. Lithe and poised, impeccably dressed, their eyes gleaming with arrogant certainty. My stomach churned at the sight of them, my mind flashing back to countless nights spent under their scrutiny.

But the dread curdled into outright terror when I spotted the silhouette that followed in their wake: Gregor.

He was as I remembered—tall, blond, ancient beyond reckoning, with a dangerously poised stillness that marked him as one of the most formidable vampires I’d ever encountered.

His bloodshot eyes swept the dusty interior, immediately narrowing on me.

I heard Leah’s inhale catch as he tilted his head, a predatory smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

My father, Thomas, was first to speak, his voice echoing in the eerie silence.

“Maxine. Dramatic, as always.” He spread his arms like he was welcoming us to a dinner party.

“But I see you’ve managed to stay alive and…

in questionable company.” His gaze flicked briefly toward Leah, contempt radiating from his eyes.

“Dad,” I said, forcing every muscle in my body to remain taut but collected. “Mom.” I nodded sharply at Eve, who carried herself with icy grace, lips pursed in obvious disapproval. Therio, my brother—ever the sycophant—gave me a condescending smirk.

Leah was silent at my back, the hush broken only by the distant drip of water and the bang-bang of a loose shutter in the breeze. I could feel her fear, her anger. I lifted my chin, hoping my parents couldn’t see the slight tremor in my fingers.

Gregor finally stepped into full view. He paused to breathe in the stale air before speaking, his voice unsettling in its smoothness. “So, the prodigal bride returns.” His eyes locked on mine, and I fought the urge to recoil from that piercing, icy blue. “Shall we end this charade?”

The corners of my mouth tightened. “Yes,” I croaked, hating how unsteady I sounded. “Let’s end it. I invited you all here because I’m done running.” I had to force out the last words, each syllable tasting of bile.

My mother lifted her chin in a show of triumph, casting a smug glance at Thomas. Therio rolled his eyes like he was bored already. And Gregor—he simply smiled, that chilling curve of his lips like a slash across his face.

“We have no time for games.” My father eyed me coldly, ringed hands clasped in front of him. “You understand that if we sense you’re tricking us, your little human,” his gaze cut to Leah, “dies first.”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to glance Leah’s way. “No tricks.” I kept my expression neutral. “And as for Leah, she did what you asked and she did it well. You should be thanking her, not threatening her life.”

My mother sniffed with disdain. “Well, after all this time, you’re finally seeing reason. Honestly, Maxine, what a waste of everyone’s time.”

I bristled internally but I let them revel a moment longer, my stomach knotting at their smugness.

Gregor stepped forward until he was alarmingly close, moving like smoke and shadows.

“My bride, come here,” he purred, raising a hand, beckoning me like a dog. The fine hairs on my neck stood on end, my every instinct screaming danger, danger, danger!

But I forced myself to hold my ground, summoning every flicker of defiance in my blood. “Actually,” I said, voice tightening, “I have a few conditions first.”

My father’s eyes narrowed, but Gregor’s chuckle was soft and low. He enjoyed toying with his food. “Conditions? Do you think you’re in any position to bargain?”

I exhaled sharply, adrenaline surging.

“You might want to listen.” I turned my attention to my family, catching their gaze one by one. “You see, that human you threatened? Her grandfather is no longer within your reach. He’s under Leyore coven protection now.”

My words echoed in the cavernous space, and I felt Leah’s hand at my back. From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother’s face contort, and my father’s jaw flex. Good.

Their leverage was gone. If all was going according to plan, Leah’s grandfather would be well on his way to New York by now with Dylan, River, and Sky watching over him.

Gregor’s eyes flickered with annoyance, but I wasn’t done yet.

I stepped away from the shadow he cast, drawing myself up to my full height—which still wasn’t very tall but it was the best I could do. I edged toward my family, fiery defiance coloring my words. “Through all the years we’ve spent apart, I’ve been keeping tabs on all of you.”

My father’s eyes flashed and my mother stiffened. My brother stared daggers at her side.

“I’ve heard all about your shady dealings, all the creative ways you’ve gone about breaking coven laws. I know that you’ve been scheming to take the San Francisco coven for yourself, edging your way onto the council to take the throne from the current ruler.”

I lifted my hand, counting on my fingers.

“Not to mention, you’ve been threatening humans—revealing yourselves without authorization and putting the entire San Francisco coven in jeopardy.

And —now this part is quite interesting—a little birdie told me that somebody has been stealing money from the Duvall family vault. ”

I shifted to meet my brother’s gaze, eyes boring into Therio’s as his pupils blew wide.

“What a coincidence it is that Therio has recently struck up a secret relationship with Linda, the heiress of the Duvall fortune. Rumor has it that Linda is lovestruck, but her secret man is more interested in filling his pockets than entertaining affairs of the heart.”

I tilted my head, flashing a smug little smile. “Have I left anything out?”

My mother opened her mouth but I continued, soaking in the satisfaction of seeing their faces grow paler.

“The Leyore coven now knows your secrets too. And if anything happens to me, or to Leah, they’ll be taking it up with your coven directly.

I’m sure your precious reputations would be done for, not to mention the punishment that would follow.

Banishment, isolation. All of your lovely estates reclaimed. It would be a disaster.”

Silence weighed heavily in the air. My parents exchanged furious glances and Therio shifted on his feet. Then, with a hiss, my father snapped, “You dare–”

“Yes,” I cut in, blood pounding. “I dare. ”

Drawing a deep breath, I swept my gaze across my family—my father seething, my mother stiff-lipped, Therio clutching the lapel of his immaculate suit like he could strangle me with the bare force of his glare. Summoning every bit of nerve I possessed, I squared my shoulders.

“So, to be absolutely clear,” I said, letting each word settle in the hushed air, “I’m not coming home.

I’m not getting married to this… monster.

” My gaze landed on Gregor, the corners of my mouth tightening.

“And if you think you can force me, well, Leyore coven is fully prepared to expose every skeleton you’ve so carefully stashed away. ”