Chapter 17
A strange andunfamiliar sound yanked me from sleep, a faint scratching against the window. Instantly, awareness flooded me and my instinctive senses flared to life, parsing the sound. For a moment, I wondered if it could be a tree branch scraping against the glass or an animal scurrying along the gutters, but my wolf didn’t seem to think so. The way she howled in my head, alerting me to danger, had me darting up in bed.
The room was pitch-black, as always, thanks to the heavy UV-blocking curtains hanging from the wall. They blocked the sunlight, thereby protecting Gabriel, but right now, they also kept me from seeing what was happening out there. In the blackness, I spared a glance at Gabriel, only to find him motionless on the bed, tucked in for the day, and utterly oblivious. After sunrise, then.
I cocked my head and listened to the house and its occupants. From the sound of it, everyone else still slept, undisturbed and snoring away. But someone was awake, and that someone was currently working my window—or rather, the window lock. Their movements were slow, cautious, and quiet. A professional, then. If I wasn’t a werewolf, I might not have noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. Someone was trying to break into my room. The very room I shared with Gabriel, who currently had a bounty on his head. It didn’t take long for me to put two and two together. I knew exactly what was happening. It was past dawn, meaning the intruder wasn’t Nash or Adrian, so it had to be one of my own. A slayer. And it was prime vampire slaying time.
Cursing inwardly, I hurried to the bureau, where I’d stashed everything Jaden had brought me from Jackson. I wrenched open the cabinet door and snatched up a dagger. The second my fingers closed around the hilt, calmness spread through me, and I hurried back to the bed, positioning myself between Gabriel and the window. I was armed and ready to confront the intruder head-on.
The latch gave way with a soft click, and the window slowly opened, letting in a faint breeze but no light, thanks to the thick curtains. I caught the scent of the intruder—human, male, and armed with a stake most definitely treated with monksblood and holy water. The only advantage I had was that I was a werewolf, and they weren’t. An advantage I had no problem using right now, regardless of our whole “never reveal yourself to humans” schtick.
Unfortunately, shifting would restrict my mobility. The room wasn’t small by any means, but the bureau and the queen-sized bed took up a great deal of space. Remaining in human form gave me agility and the ability to question the bastard, which, in my opinion, was the most important part right now. So, I stayed in human form, gripping my dagger tightly and waiting for the right moment.
The guy was stealthy, I’d give him that. He slipped into the room, his heavy boots landing silently on the plush carpet. But when he reached for the curtains, presumably to let in a little of that lethal sunlight, I reacted.
Lunging forward, I grabbed his wrist and yanked him fully into the room. The curtains fluttered, but remained shut, not a single bit of light entering the room.
Good for me.
Bad for the human.
Before the slayer could react, I twisted his arm behind his back, then shoved the side of his head against the wall, the picture frames rattling under the force. I held him in place with my other hand, then kicked his legs apart to keep him off balance. In a matter of seconds, I’d rendered the so-called slayer completely useless. Not a good look for the New Orleans branch. Yes, I was a werewolf, but I still expected a little better.
He bucked against me, but he hardly presented a challenge. And when I didn’t so much as budge an inch, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped like a fish out of water. Yes, I bet it was a tad surprising that he’d failed to dislodge a woman half a foot shorter than him. Perhaps a bit of a hit to his manly ego too.
“Who are you?” I demanded, pressing him harder against the wall.
He didn’t respond. Instead, he grunted and tried to throw me off again.
I sighed and clucked my tongue at him. Then I fisted my hand in his hair and smashed it into the wall a second time. This time, his knees went weak, and he started to slip. Hmm. Maybe I’d rattled his brain a little too hard. Strange how much I really didn’t care though. The man had broken into my bedroom, intent on murdering my mate. That tended to put me in a bit of a foul mood, and I wasn’t a morning person at the best of times.
“Name,” I insisted again.
Before he could answer, the bedroom door flew open, blasting us with the hallway light. Lucy and Sam stood in the doorway, their hair rumpled from sleep, but wide awake.
Lucy’s eyes leapt from me to the slayer I held against the wall, her mouth twitching with humor. “Problems?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I growled, allowing my wolf to slip out just a little bit. I shook the slayer once more, until his teeth practically rattled in his skull. “Name?”
After a moment, he coughed out a hoarse, “Gavin.”
“Gavin,” I echoed, embedding his name into my memory. “Well, Gavin, I must say, you chose the wrong room to break into.”
He hacked out another cough, not really in a position to do much more than that.
“Tell me everything I wanna know, and you might live to see sunset,” I told him. “You working alone? Or is this a group party type scenario?”
Gavin tried in vain to muster a small amount of defiance by sneering at me. Considering I was a werewolf and currently dating a vampire, his fangs left a lot to be desired. When I laughed, the fight drained out of him, and he sagged against the wall. “Just me.”
I considered his answer. If this was me, I’d lie through my teeth to protect my friends. Like hell I’d ever betray Jaden and Josh.
“Do a perimeter check,” I told Lucy and Sam. “I doubt he’s telling us the truth. Kill whoever you find.”
Gavin cursed and renewed his efforts to free himself. “Wait, wait…”
“Hmm?” I asked, leaning close. “Was there something you wanted to say?”
“Two others,” he rasped out. “One in the back, one in the front.”
“And is that the truth?” I demanded, giving him another little shake. “Or will we find more when Lucy and Sam go to collect your friends?” I leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “Think how easy it was for me to catch you. My friends are just as talented.”
Gavin’s lip curled. “There’s one more waiting with the vehicle.”
“Three more slayers,” I announced to Sam and Lucy. “Grab them and bring them into the living room, where we can have a nice little chat.”
Gavin burst out laughing. “We have nothing to say to you. You’re a traitor. You sleep with one of them.”
I couldn’t help the wicked smile that curled my lips. “Oh yes, and I quite enjoy it too. But you aren’t here to discuss my likes and dislikes in the sack. So let’s table that conversation for another time, shall we?”
Lucy’s amused snort drew my attention, and we shared a wink before she and Sam vanished into the hallway and headed downstairs in search of the other slayers.
I turned my attention back to Gavin. The fight had clearly drained from him, and he slumped against the wall in defeat.
“Let’s move this party downstairs,” I suggested, my grip on Gavin’s arm still firm as I pulled him upright and guided him out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
Jaden and Josh stood by their room, concern alight on their faces, while Aimee stood inside her doorway.
“Stay with Gabriel,” I told Jaden and Josh. “Just in case this one’s lying about how many slayers he’s brought. Shout if you need any help.”
Jaden gave a single nod, then darted into my room, still clothed in her pajamas, but armed with a pair of daggers. Josh returned to their room to grab some clothes, then followed after Jaden, his gaze lingering on Gavin briefly before he stepped into my room and closed the door.
“Need any more help?” Aimee asked.
“Nah, we got this,” I said.
“Very well. Ensure he understands how much I dislike someone breaking into my home. Violently, if necessary.”
Gavin choked back a sound.
Chuckling, I guided him down the stairs, his heavy boots thumping against the wooden steps, a stark contrast to my silent tread. At the foot of the steps, I spotted Avery, whose narrowed gaze tracked Gavin’s every movement. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her hair just as mussed as everyone else’s. A quick glance revealed a rumpled blanket on the couch, where she must have been sleeping.
Lucy and Sam soon returned to the living room. Sam had a grip on two slayers, both of whom were women and approximately my age. One had long, dark hair, the other a shorter, red bob that accentuated her face shape. Lucy held the third, a male with blond hair and freckled cheeks.
“Any neighbors see you?” I asked.
“Don’t think so,” Lucy said. “We were quiet, and it’s still fairly early.”
I nodded, then shoved Gavin into Aimee’s favorite chair. Sam and Lucy disarmed their three slayers and dropped their arsenal of stakes and daggers onto the coffee table, then pushed them down onto the couch.
My gaze swept over Gavin and his crew. From the looks of their torn clothes and blackened eyes, they’d put up a bit of a fight, but thankfully, I didn’t see any serious injuries. We weren’t their enemies, and they weren’t ours. Yes, they’d come to slay Gabriel, but they’d only been doing what they’d been ordered to do by an organization they explicitly trusted. I knew all about that.
I needed to tread carefully here. I needed to break the indoctrination that’d been drilled into their brains, but if I pushed too hard, they’d shut down and ignore everything I had to say. To save Gabriel, I had to carefully dismantle their beliefs piece by piece and make them see the Academy for what it really was. Not an easy task, considering I’d been painted as the enemy.
We also didn’t have a lot of time for this either. We had a big day ahead of us, what with our plans to sneak back into the warehouse. I was being pulled in so many directions, I truly didn’t know where to start. But right now, I had to focus on these four.
“Names?” I asked. “I’ve already become acquainted with Gavin here.”
The red-head jutted out her chin. “Daisy.”
A vampire slayer named Daisy. How…adorable.
The other woman sighed and rolled her eyes. “Justine.”
“Mark,” said the third.
“Alright Daisy, Justine, and Mark. You four are here to fulfill a bounty, right? To kill a so-called dangerous vampire? Not to mention take me down. A supposed traitor who’s broken the sacred rules of the Academy. That sound about right?”
Gavin shifted uncomfortably but nodded, his eyes narrow slits. His companions, still silent, followed suit. So, he was the leader then. My focus lingered on the other three, one male and two females, all of whom looked pissed and ready to fight.
“I used to be like you,” I continued, my tone calm and measured. “But things changed for me. And I want to tell you why. I have a story I’d like to tell, if you’ll oblige. All you have to do is listen.”
“They told us you’re a liar,” Daisy piped in.
“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me,” I said, facing her head-on. “The guilty always tend to accuse others. Ever notice that?” I surveyed all four of them. “Tell you what. You listen to what I have to say, and when I’m done, you’re free to go, provided you don’t come back and try to kill Gabriel again. If you do, I can’t guarantee you’ll leave a second time in one piece. And again, I’d like to remind you how easy it was for us to take you out. We did that without any warning. Imagine what we can accomplish when we’re on guard.”
Justine swallowed, then glanced at Gavin, who gave a jerky nod.
“Great.” Clasping my hands behind my back, I started to tell my story, all while pacing through the living room. “I used to be exactly like you, happily serving the Academy without question. I’d receive a contract and a-slaying I’d go. I had no issues slaying vampires, until the day I met Gabriel.”
Mark’s nose wrinkled, and he scoffed.
I held up a hand. “Hear me out.”
I continued my story then, telling the other slayers about how Gabriel saved my life from a group of vampires who wanted me dead. How I’d soon realized there was this connection between us—leaving out, of course, that I was a werewolf. I delved into our complete history. How I’d immediately had doubts the instant I’d learned about the contract for him. How after a little digging, we discovered the truth about the Academy’s corruption. I told them about the other slayers who’d reached out to me with the same doubts.
And then came the hard part.
I told them about our meeting with the council. How they’d handed me and Gabriel over to our enemies, then killed Chris, a slayer, just to silence him.
I watched their faces as I spoke, searching for any sign of empathy or any hint that my words were resonating with them. It was a lot to take in. And it didn’t help that I was challenging their entire foundation of the world they knew. Everything they thought to be true was a lie, and I was trying to open their eyes up to that.
“Chris was one of my best friends,” I said, my voice cracking. “He’d dedicated himself to the Academy, and they just killed him, without any hesitation, all because he knew the truth. Ask yourself, if they were innocent, why on earth would they do that? Why would they murder one of their best to keep word from spreading? Why would they hand me over to an enemy who planned to kill me?”
Gavin leaned forward in his seat, his elbows braced against his knees and his head cupped in his hands.
“If I was really a traitor like they claim, why wouldn’t I have just killed you on sight?” I asked, hoping that question would be enough to get them thinking. “You came here to murder my lover. But I didn’t kill you, did I? So maybe I’m not the traitor here.”
Justine and Daisy looked pale, their faces utterly distraught as they listened to me. It wasn’t Gabriel’s story that moved them. It was Chris’s. I’d seen it in their expressions the second I told them the council had killed him.
“I…don’t believe you,” Mark said, but his voice wavered, and he seemed unsure if he believed himself right now.
“I understand that,” I replied. “It’s a lot. All I’m asking is for you to look a little deeper. If there’s even a chance that I’m telling the truth, wouldn’t you want to know? Wouldn’t you want to know if you’re being used? The Academy turned you into murderers. You have a right to know that.”
Gavin’s gaze met mine, and for a moment, I caught a flicker of something more than just hostility. It wasn’t understanding or belief, but perhaps a hint of doubt. This gave me hope, even though I knew the battle was far from won. Like me, these people’s identities were completely wrapped up in the Academy. Convincing them to even entertain the notion that everything they believed in was a lie required more than my word against the Academy’s.
“Doubt is healthy,” I continued, seizing their momentary confusion. “It means you’re thinking, questioning. That’s all I’m asking you to do. Question. Especially before you take another life.”
“What exactly do you want us to do, then?” Gavin asked, speaking for the first time. “If what you say is true, digging for more information could be dangerous for us. We could end up dead like your friend.”
I took a deep breath and nodded, trying not to let his casual words affect me. “That’s a possibility. The Academy has shown it’ll defend itself, violently so. All I’m asking is for you to look into this for yourself. You don’t need to face the council like we did. Leave that to us. They won’t quit until I’m dead anyway, so I’ll eventually have to bring the fight to them. But you can at least do the research for yourself. Investigate. You know how. Find the answers. Then decide for yourself what you want to do about it. Are you the sort who could continue killing innocents? Because I’m not. That’s not who I am. I chose the difficult path, because it’s the right one.”
The room fell into a thoughtful silence, each of them lost to their considerations. I’d given them a great deal to think about, and pushing any harder could backfire on me. They needed time and space now to process everything I’d shared.
“As I said, you’re free to go. And I hope,” I paused, making eye contact with each of them in turn. “I hope you choose to look for the truth. Not for me. But for yourselves. You deserve to know what you’re being used for. And you deserve to make these choices for yourself.”
Gavin slowly stood, his gaze jumping between me, Lucy, Sam, and Avery. After a moment’s hesitation, he signaled to the others that it was time to leave. They didn’t speak as they gathered their weapons, but as soon as they headed toward the door, Gavin paused and turned back to me.
“We’ll consider what you’ve said,” he admitted. “But if I found out you’ve lied about anything, I’ll be back to collect Gabriel’s contract.”
Annoyance and anger flared within me, but I tamped it back before I could lash out at him. Threatening him wouldn’t help matters. I knew I’d told them the truth. Now I just needed them to confirm it for themselves.
When I didn’t respond, Gavin and his friends left, leaving the house in silence. I turned to face Lucy and released a long breath.
“What do you think will happen next?” Lucy asked.
I shrugged. We truly had no way of knowing. For all I knew, Gavin and his friends were planning another sneak attack right at this moment. Regardless of what they decided, Gabriel’s life was at risk, seeing as how our location had been compromised.
“We’ll need to prepare ourselves,” I said. “And we can’t stay here. I’m guessing they learned our location when Josh and Jaden started reaching out to contacts for information. They likely tracked our phones or something. So, we need to move, just in case. It wouldn’t be smart to remain here after being discovered.”
“Just one more thing to add to our ever-growing list of tasks,” Sam commented.
“We have other safehouses we can use,” Avery suggested. “I doubt Aimee will mind.”
I relaxed and nodded. “Let’s get moving then. Because we have a hell of a day ahead of us.”