Page 6

The man utters a curse and takes several steps back, throwing his hands up. “I don’t want any trouble. I’m not involved in Ethan’s drama.”

A cool breeze sweeps down from the mountains, and several raindrops patter on the hood of Cassian’s vehicle. The cool weather is welcome, but I’m too distracted to enjoy it.

“I take it you know who I am?” Cassian stalks forward like a tiger.

“No, but I know what you are.” Hunter glances back like he’s about to make a run for it. “And like I said—I’m not involved, and I don’t want to be involved.”

“It’s a little late for that.” Cassian backs him against the front of our vehicle.

Like a cornered cat, the man attacks, attempting to punch Cassian. Unfortunately for him, Cassian has had a couple of centuries to perfect whatever martial arts technique he uses. And just like that, Hunter is pinned against the hood.

I blink, startled by how quickly that all went down.

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” I ask Cassian, nervous.

Hunter’s eyes go wide as he jerks his head to look at me.

“I could,” Cassian muses. “It’s well within my rights. He was illegally infected.”

“I mean, that’s not really his fault.” I think about that for a minute. “Unless he wanted to be infected, which I suppose we have to consider.”

“I started dating a woman Ethan introduced me to—I didn’t know what she was,” Hunter says, desperate. “One thing led to another, and now I’m this.”

I look at Cassian. “Was she one of Sophia’s vampires?”

“Looks like it.”

Uncomfortable, I say, “He wasn’t dating Sophia herself, was he?”

“No.”

I figured. If Hunter had been romantically involved with Sophia, I’m afraid Cassian might have killed him already.

“What do you want from me?” Hunter demands, his eyes flashing even though he’s terrified.

“Tell me which line your brother was involved with,” Cassian says.

“I don’t know.”

“Piper, look away,” Cassian instructs. “This might be gruesome.”

“Wait!” Hunter cries. “Wait. I…I remember someone he started hanging out with.”

“I need a name, Hunter.”

“It was something old.” His eyes scan us frantically, trying to remember. “Uh…uh…Albert? Alvin? It’s Al something.”

“Alfred?” Cassian suggests.

“That’s it!” Hunter nods as well as he can while he’s pinned against the hood. “He was doing business with us, but Ethan handled it all.”

“How did they meet?”

“Alfred’s girlfriend is friends with the woman who changed Ethan.”

Cassian yanks the man up. “Alfred’s girlfriend is friends with Sophia?”

“Yeah. I don’t remember either of their names.”

“Did you ever see her?” Cassian releases him. “Alfred’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah. She was a brunette. Pretty. I don’t remember too much about her.”

Cassian shoots me a look. “What did I tell you?”

“Yes, fine. There are lots of pretty brunettes,” I say wryly. “I got it.”

“She wore red lipstick!” Hunter exclaims. “And had a strange accent.”

Cassian whips his attention back to the man. “Was her name Larissa?”

“I don’t remember,” Hunter says, and I think he means it. “I’m sorry.”

Cassian turns to me, eyes narrowed. “Larissa didn’t mention she was dating Alfred.”

“Who’s Alfred again?” I ask, keeping an eye on Hunter, wondering if he’s going to run.

“He owns the hotel where we met Sophia.”

“Oh, right. He’s the son of that well-to-do vampire family that was changed in the 1800s. His father is your friend, right?”

Cassian nods, frowning. Then he looks back at Hunter. “You’re not registered in the system.”

He gulps. “I didn’t want to get my girlfriend in trouble.”

“Are you still dating her?”

“We broke up a few months ago.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t want to be linked to the mess with my brother.”

“Tough break,” Cassian says.

Hunter shrugs, uncomfortable.

“Where have you been getting your meds?”

The man presses his lips together, nervous as heck. “I’m, uh, not on any. Don’t need them.”

Cassian narrows his eyes. “You don’t need them?”

I’ve never been around a final-stage vampire who’s gone off his drugs, but from what I’ve heard, they aren’t this stable.

Cassian takes a step forward. “Who have you been eating, Hunter?”

“Just…uh.” He clears his throat. “You know how it is. Some women don’t mind.”

Cassian catches him by the neck. He moves so quickly, I let out a startled scream. Too calmly, with his eyes boring into the man’s, my conservator asks, “How many vampires have you made?”

Hunter raises his hands in surrender. “I haven’t made any, I swear. None.”

“If you’re not biting them, how are you getting blood?”

Hunter’s face is turning red. He begins to choke, looking like he’s not going to make it much longer.

“Um, Cassian,” I say carefully. “I think you’re gonna kill him if you don’t let up a bit. And it’s hard to answer questions when you’re dead.”

“He feels like he’s dying,” Cassian says, his tone turning conversational as he speaks to me. “It’s not a fun sensation to have your windpipe crushed. But it won’t kill him. He’ll just lie on the ground unconscious for a few minutes while it repairs itself.”

Oh. Well.

“I…bite…” Hunter chokes. “But…sterile.”

Immediately, Cassian drops him. Hunter falls against the car, clutching his throat and gulping in lungfuls of air.

“You’re what ?” Cassian demands.

“I went in for a round of shots,” Hunter croaks, tears streaming from his eyes.

“Where?”

“I don’t know.” He sinks to the ground and drops his head into his hands. “Somewhere in Mexico.”

“Do you think they used him as a guinea pig for Sophia’s experimental sterilizer?”

“Sounds like it.” Cassian frowns down at Hunter. “For not being involved, you sound pretty involved.”

“Please,” the man begs, his voice ragged. “I don’t want any trouble. I tried to get away from this vampire stuff as much as possible.”

“It’s too late. You’re already up to your neck in trouble,” Cassian says.

“But the good news is you have a chance to change teams. I don’t know how much you know about this ‘vampire stuff,’ but when you’re changed, you get adopted into a house.

I’m the head of your house, which means I’m your patriarch.

Your boss. Your liege . Defy me, and I will get rid of you.

” He smiles. “And by that, I mean I’ll kill you. ”

“I don’t want to defy you,” Hunter says, suddenly sounding exhausted. “What do you need from me?”

“I want more info about this sterilizer—who made it, where you got it. But right now, you’re going to show us properties.” Cassian offers to help Hunter off the ground.

The man stares at the vampire prince’s hand in disbelief. Resigned to his fate, he finally accepts the help. “You’re actually looking to buy property?”

Cassian turns to the decrepit old farmhouse. “Yes, but I don’t think this is it.” Then he smiles at Hunter like he didn’t just about choke the life out of him. “What else do you have?”