Chapter 25 #2
Max flashed a fanged smile that usually meant someone was going to die, but he’d told me long ago he could handle himself.
As much as I would have enjoyed seeing him behead the elder vampire—despite the law forbidding our kind from killing each other—I admired how he never gave Vlad the satisfaction of seeing his rage.
He prefers to kill ignorance with intellectual resistance instead.
“Present and accounted for!” Max chirped as we took our seats at the table.
“Although, speaking of fashion choices, we were almost late thanks to this history book I’ve been reading.
Did you know that even the so-called lords in medieval times used publicly-collected urine to wash their clothing?
I can’t imagine the stench! It would have been the death of me—assuming the plagues brought on by the lack of hygiene didn’t kill me first—but you know all about that, don’t you, Vlad? ”
The self-appointed board president glowered from the head of the table, but lost his chance to reply as the last of the local vampires settled in for this entirely pointless meeting.
If only there was a way to send the information electronically instead…
As usual, my attention waned as the meeting shifted from regular business to Vlad and the other old-timers ranting about the increasing werewolf population.
Then, everyone around the table took turns sharing observations on human activity from the various industries we worked in.
Max confirmed our favorite food source still saw shopping malls as necessary social hubs and that he didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
I wonder how long he’s been thinking of moving away?
My mate’s earlier comment had been the first he’d said anything about relocating, but I fully supported the idea—not only because I trusted him implicitly, but a fresh start sounded like something we all needed.
Not to mention, leaving the Heather situation far behind would keep Star safe from suspicion.
“And the last item on our agenda is thirds!” Vlad called out, snapping my attention to his deeply-wrinkled face. “A timely discussion for some of us, hmm?”
When his eerie gaze turned our way, I stiffened, but Max remained outwardly unruffled. “Are you referring to yourself, Vlad? I wasn’t aware you’d managed to abduct one mate, let alone found another unwilling victim to turn.”
Usually, such an expertly delivered jab would be enough to have Vlad changing course to save face, but this time, his smug grin only grew.
Which does not bode well.
“Oh, my new mate is extremely willing,” he crooned, making me shudder in disgust. “In fact, I would say she was more bloodthirsty as a human than most vampires I know.”
This earned him a few polite laughs around the table from the usual sycophants, but Vlad wasn’t finished.
“I wasn’t actively seeking a third to add to my nest,” he continued conversationally, despite no one asking.
“But I happened to be taking a midnight stroll through the werewolves’ forest about a month ago when I heard something unexpected—a vengeful voice calling out for help from six feet underground… ”
Now Max had gone perfectly still, his head cocked and cold gaze locked on our opponent.
“And where is this mate of yours now?” my mate growled. “Since attendance at these quarterly tragi-comedies is supposedly mandatory.”
Vlad’s creepy smile had now reached near-manic proportions. “She’ll be joining us soon enough… after she wraps up some business with an old friend.”
WE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!
Forever on the same wavelength, Max abruptly stood, pulling me to my feet along with him. “Well, if attendance is so flexible, my mate and I have business to attend to as well.”
“Good luck!” Vlad gleefully called after us as we hurried from the room. “Hopefully, you don’t arrive too late!”
I will stake him myself if anything happens to Star.
“Everything will be okay, Damon,” Max soothed as we swerved around the shoppers still wandering the concourse of Retail Haven. “If anyone hurt our girl we would feel it—just like I felt it when you…”
His voice choked off, in the same way it did whenever we touched upon a topic he’d rather forget.
When I was nearly hanged.
When he was frozen in his coffin, unable to protect me…
“The difference is you could have protected her now!” I rasped, too terrified to stop from driving the knife in deeper. “I didn’t want to leave her alone—”
“I know,” he quietly interrupted, pointedly facing forward as we crossed the threshold of our eerily quiet store. “I fucked up again.”
Again?
Is he talking about when this happened with me?
Max was so unapologetically confident in the way he moved through life, it had never occurred to me that he could be carrying around insecurities of his own.
And my words have probably only made things worse.
“Max, I’m sorry…” I began, but he silenced me with a finger to his lips.
As we neared the breakroom, I understood why. A familiar, shrill Valley Girl was villain-monologuing under the fluorescent lights, running through all the ways she intended on torturing our third.
Over my dead body.