Page 23 of How to Stake a Vampire

The air in the room grew so cold I was surprised my breath didn’t mist in front of my face. Gregory’s nails lengthened where he was gripping his arm rests, his eyes now a vivid scarlet.

Barney straightened in his chair.

The tension filtering through the mate bond had me glancing at Samuel.

His shoulders had bunched up, like he was ready to spring into action if Gregory tried anything stupid.

Constantia licked her lips nervously. “My dear, calm yourself.”

Gregory ignored his wife. “Unreported?” His voice had taken on a dangerous edge.

“The facility managers were concerned about retribution,” Didi said uncomfortably.

My pulse spiked when I felt power rise under Gregory’s skin. It bloomed around him in a thick cloud that choked the air, the taste and smell starker than that of his son’s.

Gavin and Didi flinched and shrank in their seats. Bo whimpered and dropped to the floor, his paws over his head.

I reached hastily for my inner wolf and urged her to do her nifty pacifier thing, my gaze focused unblinkingly on the vampire. My wolf let out a warning growl instead.

Gregory’s eyes snapped to me. His canines lengthened, his expression growing ugly.

Great. I was about to be skewered by a vampire in front of my boyfriend, my dog, and my coworkers.

“Enough!”

The command cracked the air like thunder and made my wolf’s ears flatten. My gaze snapped to Barney.

My mouth went dry.

The vampire’s head practically brushed the ceiling where he suddenly loomed over Gregory. Shadows fluttered around him, forming a cape with a pointed collar that flickered in and out of view. His pupils were bloodred and radiated a chill that made Gavin’s tail pop out and Bo whimper where he’d dived under my chair.

I swallowed. I hadn’t even seen the vampire move.

A tiny gurgling sound issued from Gregory’s throat. He made himself small in his chair.

Constantia was staring unblinkingly at Barney, her cheeks rosy and her eyes filled with undeniable hunger.

I had a sudden, stomach-churning suspicion about her history with Hawthorne & Associates’s Head of Finance and Investments. From Didi’s whole-body shudder, so did the witch.

“How about everyone relaxes before Gavin sets fire to the room?” Samuel ground out, amber lighting up his eyes where he’d risen to his feet.

Gavin’s horns were fully out and his nostrils were sparking wildly.

Didi hastily moved some paperwork out of the dragon newt’s range.

There was a knock at the door. Janet walked in without waiting for a reply, a tray of coffee and assorted pastries in hand.

“Refreshments, anyone?” the werewolf said with excessive brightness.

It was clear the HR Manager had been eavesdropping.

Samuel flashed a grateful look at her.

“Are there brain muffins?” Bo quavered.

Janet blinked, nonplussed. “No.”

“Good. Because what just happened cured my constipation and brain muffins would definitely give me diarrhea.”