Page 19 of How to Stake a Vampire (Diary of a Reluctant Werewolf #2)

BLOODY POLITICS

Heading for the Alliance meeting that evening felt like going to another funeral.

This one with potentially more deadly drama.

The usual supernatural energy that buzzed through the Chamber of Commerce felt like it had been replaced by something heavier and more ominous as we approached the building.

Or maybe that was just my fevered imagination.

“This place smells funny,” Ellie said uncertainly as we approached the familiar oak doors.

She looked beautiful in a powder-blue dress from Moonlight Couture. Claudette had positively bawled when she’d seen my best friend’s bone structure.

“You get used to it,” Bo huffed.

“You’ve been here exactly once before,” Samuel remarked.

“I’m a fast learner,” Bo said, tail swinging.

“The Alliance members go back a long way,” I explained to Ellie.

“How long?”

“Centuries,” Virgil muttered. “Some of them are like pickles. Well-preserved and sour.”

The Tremaine heir looked handsome but distinctly uncomfortable in a formal suit he’d borrowed from Hugh. Ellie kept looking at him like she wanted to strip him and drag him behind a car.

“Can’t you control her?” Barney told Virgil coolly.

“Yes, her pheromones are making it hard to breathe,” Pearl affirmed with a curled lip.

Virgil flushed.

I shot a wary look at Barney. The vampire had dropped his office-worker facade completely, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by something far more intimidating. I could vaguely see what the vampire ladies saw in him.

The doorman who had paled at the sight of me last Friday looked positively green this time around when he saw us.

“Good evening,” he managed with a gulp. “The Alliance is gathering in the Twilight Conference Room .”

“Don’t they always meet in the Twilight Conference Room ?” I asked, trying to be friendly.

The werewolf froze like a deer in headlights.

Bo wagged his tail hesitantly. “Is that smoke coming out of his ears?”

Samuel sighed. “I think you threw him off his script.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

The doorman came back to life and gave our trio of guests a hesitant look, like he wanted to say something. He elected to open the doors without another word.

“Did that sign say All Species Welcome ?” Ellie asked Virgil warily as we entered the lobby.

“Yes, it did.”

Ellie gave this some thought. “How many species are we talking about?”

Victoria cut her eyes to Virgil. “I thought you told her about the Amberford supernatural community?”

“I didn’t have time to give her a blow-by-blow of our entire bestiary,” Virgil retorted irritably.

“It is a rather long list,” Pearl observed with a sniff.

Samuel’s hand found the small of my back as we reached the stairs. “Remember, we’re here to tell our side of the story, not to start a fight.”

I could feel him trying to pacify me across the mate bond.

“I’m not making any promises,” I muttered.

Victoria sighed like she needed a drink.

Ellie chewed her lip worriedly. Virgil’s expression had stiffened into that of someone preparing for his execution.

Barney pursed his mouth in a way that indicated he would rather be swimming with alligators.

Pearl appeared ready to fire someone at the smallest infraction.

Bo wagged his tail with total disregard for the knife-cutting tension.

Yup, this meeting was going to be a total disaster.

Now that I’d had some time to calm down, the prospect of tonight’s meeting was weighing heavily on my mind. I debated telling Samuel we should turn around, but we were already at the top of the stairs and heading down the hallway toward our doom.

Voices reached us as we approached the conference room.

“Completely unacceptable that we weren’t informed immediately,” someone was saying in clipped, aristocratic tones.

I recognized Wendall’s voice.

“The situation was contained,” came Gregory’s measured, if exasperated, response through the heavy doors. “There was no immediate threat to the Alliance.”

“We have company,” Portia warned shrilly.

The conversation died just as Samuel pushed open the doors.

The Alliance members were already seated around the polished conference table, their expressions ranging from curious to buzzed to openly hostile.

Gregory and Constantia sat at the far end, both looking like they’d aged a decade since I’d last seen them.

Concern tightened their faces at the sight of their son.

A pang of sympathy shot through me. Whatever their grievance with Virgil, it was clear the couple cared for their son.

“Sorry we’re late,” Samuel said, even though we weren’t.

Daria acknowledged this with a regal nod while we took our seats.

The rest of the Alliance members observed our group with mixed expressions. A few gazes lingered warily on Barney, while others considered Virgil and Ellie with frank disapproval.

“This is highly irregular,” Oscar declared, sulfur wafting from his shadowy corner. “These meetings are for Alliance members only.”

“Or their registered associates,” Melody Flowers added all too sweetly from across the table. “I must say, this is quite the eclectic gathering.”

“Indeed,” Cornelius contributed with narrowed eyes.

Daria sighed. “How about everyone pipe down? Samuel asked for permission to bring his guests. They’re here to inform us of an important matter.”

I frowned at Samuel. “You told Daria?”

He shrugged. “She’s the Alliance chair.”

Victoria turned a cool stare on Melody. “I would have thought you’d be too busy with your little territorial disputes to attend tonight’s meeting, Melody.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Victoria,” Melody replied with a smile that could cut glass. “One must stay engaged in the community. Speaking of which, Oscar, I hear you’ve been expanding your reach in the neighboring towns.”

Daria rolled her eyes. “Must we do this?”

Oscar bristled in his kingdom of gloom. “At least I’m doing so through legitimate means.”

“Hear, hear,” Portia murmured.

“Ouija boards and pamphlets advertising summoning circles are so passé, my dear,” Melody said.

Her low laugh made Titania shudder.

“So is inherited snobbery,” the demon shot back.

“Come now, there’s no need for trash talk,” Daria protested.

No one was listening to the witch.

Finnic raised a drinking horn half his size. “How about we get this show on the road? I have places to be and barrels to drink.” The dwarf’s voice had an edge to it that said his battleaxe may soon make an appearance.

“How about you try not to drink at every damn meeting?” Wendall snapped, his nostrils sparking with irritation.

“It’s Friday,” Finnic growled, as if that explained everything.

“You lot are giving the Alliance a bad rep,” Cornelius said icily.

Titania bobbed her head, gossamer wings fluttering agitatedly.

“He’s not wrong,” Portia contributed with a sniff.

“Indeed,” Pearl sneered.

“Word,” Bo muttered.

“The next one who interrupts is going to be saying ‘ribbit’ for the rest of the weekend!” Daria snarled.

The speed at which the room fell silent indicated she had made true on this threat in the past.

“Are these really the most powerful people in Amberford?” Ellie whispered doubtfully to Virgil.

I could see why my best friend would think this. Trying to deal with the Alliance felt a bit like trying to herd a roomful of cats, most of them snooty Persians.

Daria rubbed her temples. “Samuel, you raised this emergency agenda item. The floor is yours.”

Samuel stood and waited until he had everyone’s attention before addressing the room.

“You’ve all probably heard the rumors about what’s been happening in Amberford this week. The blood bank robberies Gregory reported to us at our last meeting in fact escalated and he rightly assigned Hawthorne & Associates to carry out an investigation into the matter.”

“He just told us about it.” Wendall flashed a dark look at Gregory.

“You could have sent a text on the group chat, Gregory,” Portia complained.

“If he’s anything like Samuel, he probably deleted the group chat,” Pearl said nastily.

Guilt danced briefly in Samuel’s eyes. Gregory’s face tightened.

Finnic raised an eyebrow. “So it wasn’t just a newborn fledgling?”

“No. And things have taken a bad turn since. Several prominent vampires have also become the victims of the perpetrator.” Samuel frowned. “We almost lost Lord Chudwell on Wednesday.”

“I heard about that funeral,” Titania said.

I earned some wary looks from the Alliance as they began talking animatedly.

Daria scowled, magic bursting into life in her right hand.

The noise died down abruptly.

“That’s so cool,” Ellie mumbled.

Even Pearl looked impressed.

“The affected vampires are currently recuperating at Springhill General,” Samuel continued smoothly once Daria put away her magic. “Unfortunately, events escalated once more yesterday.”

Cornelius grimaced. “You mean, this gets worse?”

“Yes. A human was bitten and turned into a vampire by the same perpetrator.”

The Tremaines froze. Titania gasped. Melody stilled. Daria’s eyes shrank to slits. Portia made a sound that caused the chandelier to vibrate and put my teeth on edge.

The other Alliance members shifted uneasily in their seats.

“The victim was Ellie Martin,” Samuel continued, indicating my best friend. “She was targeted because the attacker was looking for Virgil.”

Constantia unfroze and shot to her feet. “What?” She turned to her son, her pupils a bright red. “Are you alright?!”

“Yes, Mother.” A guilty note crept into Virgil’s voice.

Constantia swallowed and hesitated before sitting down stiffly.

“You brought a newly turned vampire to an Alliance meeting?” Melody asked in a voice that could have turned lava to ice.

Several Alliance members were looking at Ellie like she had rabies. Portia moved her chair away slightly.

My shoulders knotted at the tension thickening the air.

Barney flashed me a warning look.

“Miss Martin is stable,” he told the Alliance dismissively. “The fact that she hasn’t ripped out any of your throats yet is proof of that.”

“That’s not funny, Barnabas,” Titania huffed.

Daria seemed in half a mind to agree.

“I could really do that?” Ellie whispered warily to me and Virgil. “Rip their throats out?!”

I made a face. “Probably.”

“Definitely,” Virgil affirmed, a steely glint in his eyes. “Let me know if you get the urge and I’ll tell you who to go for first.”

Ellie, Pearl, Bo, and I gave Virgil an admiring look.

“Why my son?” Gregory asked. His voice carried more dread than anger.

“Because Virgil’s blood is something Ludvik Bludworth won’t be able to resist,” Barney said in a deadly tone.