Chapter 51 Katarina
It felt like the last supper.
Whatever the reason, Roman had wanted all of us to eat in the basement dining room tonight.
It had been one day since we secured the tentative support of Sorinah and Antione, and now the men were in full battle-planning mode.
I could still see the chess pieces lined up on the other end of the table like they’d been literally plotting out battle maps.
I guess, between the four of them, they’d seen plenty of wars.
And although I had always done careful planning for my heists, I didn’t have the same attitude when it came to plotting ways to kill people.
“Can’t we just talk to them?” I asked for the tenth time. “I mean, I know Murielle. And even though she was a bitch, maybe she’d at least give me a meeting.”
“That ship has sailed, Kitty Cat,” Aiden said as he kissed the top of my head. He’d been pacing around the table while the men talked through all of the possible scenarios. When the coven might attack. Where they might attack. Where we could lure them to so we could attack.
It was giving me a headache.
Grim groaned in agreement. Since his return, which still wasn’t clear how or why he’d been dropped off in the middle of an unfamiliar wolf pack—and I’d ask Farah about that another time—he hadn’t left my side.
Our connection had returned, which meant I would need to shield my thoughts from him when I was alone with the men.
Although, with the way they were all hyped up on war talk, I might take the night to sleep alone in my room with just Grim by my side.
“You know, there’d be no frivolous wars if women ruled the world.” I popped a grape into my mouth and sat back in my chair, satisfied I got that out.
“Plenty of women have started wars,” Blaise argued half-heartedly.
“But only as a last resort. We should talk to them.”
Roman ignored me and moved to the buffet where he liked to keep the alcohol.
“The time for talking has passed, Katarina. I’m sorry, but we need to plan for the worse.
” He turned with a tray full of shot glasses filled with a dark red liquid.
“We need to be prepared.” Setting the tray down, he started passing out the shots.
“Drink this so we can be better connected.”
“Wait,” I started, suddenly understanding what he was giving me. “Is this your blood?”
“Yes.”
Blaise downed his shot.
“You want me to drink your blood?” I asked.
Aiden swallowed the liquid in one gulp.
“Yes.”
“But…I can’t. That’s gross.”
Dorian tipped his head back and swallowed his down.
I stared at them all as they studied me.
“You’ve had my blood before, Katarina,” Roman said quietly, making me wonder if he really wanted to share that information with everyone.
“Yes, but that was different.”
“It’s the same blood whether you share it during sex or have it in a shot,” Aiden told me with a wink, and I flushed in embarrassment. “He’s right. We’ll be able to feel each other better.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes,” Roman replied with a slight smile. “We always do this before battle.”
“You all sound like soldiers,” I muttered and then held my nose and threw the thick, dark liquid into my throat.
I swear I felt every drop slither down until it reached my stomach and I shuddered.
Then, the energy filled my own bloodstream and trickled out over each cell.
I instantly felt stronger and better. The fog in my brain from all the late nights practicing and fucking cleared, leaving room for the bond between us all to fill me up. My eyes widened in surprise.
“Yep, she feels it now,” Dorian laughed.
“Wow,” I breathed. “I hadn’t noticed this same feeling before when…” I was too embarrassed again to finish that thought.
“It’s different then,” Roman said in understanding. “Emotional state plays a big role in how your body will process the blood.”
“So, because I want you all to listen to reason and let me talk to the coven, the blood worked to enhance our bond?”
Blaise grumbled. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Look,” I said, standing so that I could make my point. “I love you all very much. And the last thing I want to do is see something horrible happen to us all. But Murielle wouldn’t want to sacrifice her coven members, right?”
Aiden made a noise of disagreement.
“Okay, well, I would hope that wasn’t her first choice. I mean, look at what she did. Instead of coming after us again, she used the law. It wasn’t great for us, but it showed that she didn’t want a straight-up battle, right?”
No one said anything.
“Seriously, guys? What is with you all and your thirst for death?”
Roman strode over to me and wrapped his arms around my chest. He leaned his head against the back of mine and sighed. “They attacked us in our own home.”
What he was really reminding me of was Pasha. Murielle had killed him in cold blood, just to spite Roman. “I never said they were good people,” I muttered.
“Okay,” Aiden started. “What would you say to get them to back the fuck down?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way, for one.” Roman laughed against me but he was still listening. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe we can come to some type of agreement.”
“We are not giving up this city,” Blaise barked.
I pulled Roman’s arms off my stomach so I could turn and face him. “Are we even sure that’s what she wants?”
“It’s what she wants,” Dorian muttered, but I kept looking up at Roman. After several tense seconds, he rolled his head and sighed.
“Okay,” he breathed.
“What?” the three other men shouted.
“Maybe we should at least try. Katarina has a point.”
“They killed Pasha,” Aiden huffed. “They got us thrown in jail. And they used you, Katarina. They used you for years in their bidding. Don’t you want revenge for that?”
“I’d rather we all live in peace so we don’t need to be looking over our shoulders every day,” I countered.
Blaise glared at Roman. “Are you seriously considering doing this?”
Roman didn’t answer right away, but Dorian broke the silence. “It would be nice not to shed blood for once.”
“What the hell happened to all of you?” Aiden complained.
I didn’t want them fighting in here tonight over this. “Look, if you all don’t think it’s a good idea to at least try, then I’ll shut up about it. But please make sure you’ve thought this all through.”
Silence filled the air as everyone looked to Roman to make the final decision.
I would hate being the one in charge since you would always have people wanting something else.
But Roman Zarka owned New Orleans, and he’d taken it upon himself to lead everyone.
He turned on his heel and started to march out of the room.
“Uh, where are you going?” Aiden asked.
Roman stopped, hung his head, and then took a deep breath. “I’m going to ask Sorinah to set up a meeting with Murielle.”
No one said anything else as he left. I dropped back down into my chair and worked up the courage to look at the men. Much to my surprise, they weren’t shooting daggers at me through their angry glares. “Are you mad?” I asked no one in particular.
“No,” Dorian answered first. “Not mad. Just worried. I really don’t trust them, and I know they don’t trust us.”
“We need to make a plan,” Aiden said, ever the soldier. He pushed our empty plates out of the way and brought back the chess pieces. “Now, depending on where we meet…”
I quietly excused myself, feeling a bit guilty all of a sudden.
Would this work? I figured it was fifty-fifty.
Was I happy Roman listened to my input? Definitely.
As Grim trotted by my side and I made my way to my bedroom, a wave of pride swept through me.
We really were a family now, here at the House of Shadows. The men listened to what I had to say.
For the first time ever, I had people I could trust my life with.
I had people.
Period.