Page 80 of Always Eros
“Welcome.” I shift my gaze to Yves. “Are there new developments?”
“There are,” Yves answers. “Dimas?”
Dimas nods. “Two covens were destroyed last night. My crew found them. It has to be the actions of the nest we found. Neither of the covens even interacted with society, choosing to live in seclusion.”
“I recognized some of them,” Hale says. “So our theory that this gang of rogue vampires is hunting former Nightsky members is likely accurate.”
“Which means…” Yves says, allowing his words to trail off.
“Hale is in danger, and possibly Justice,” I finish.
“Exactly,” Dimas says. “My suggestion is the same as it was. We strike first. They have no idea we’re even aware of them. We go at night and burn them to the ground.”
“Nighttime is risky,” Thorn says. “They’ll be active.”
“You propose we go during the day?” Dimas says, his tone incredulous.
“We don’t even know what their habits are, do we?” Raphael asks. “They could be active during the day. We are.”
A phone rings and Michel turns away to answer it. My attention is focused on my front door as foreboding creeps over me. I will not, cannot, let anything happen to Justice now that I’ve found him.
“We won’t let him get hurt,” Raphael says, squeezing my shoulder. “I’m so happy for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve changed. Your heart is at peace, yes?”
I gaze into his warm eyes. “You can tell?”
“Yes. Happiness pours from you, my friend. You’ve found your mate?”
“I believe so, yes.”
My brothers crowd around me for a moment, not speaking, but their feelings of happiness wash over me like summer rain. I have to clear the lump of emotion from my throat.
“Now, more than ever, we have to protect him.”
“And we will,” Thorn says. “I’m glad you brought him here.”
“Thank you for the gentle encouragement.”
We both laugh.
“Gentlemen,” Michel says, returning to the group and tucking his cell phone into his jacket pocket. “I have a contact in Neubrook who let me know we had visitors about ten minutes ago. They were visiting an area that used to be our bad side, and they were asking the residents if anyone had heard of Nightsky. They didn’t find anyone, so they left quickly.”
“But that means they are getting closer,” Syn says. “They’re saving New Onyx, likely because of the size and the known vampires here.” He turns to me. “Do we follow Dimas’s plan?”
“The sooner the better, in my opinion. I won’t be able to relax until I know the threat is dealt with.”
“Just understand what we’re dealing with,” Hale says. “They seek to annihilate. There isn’t any talking except for strange demands of a blood king. When they don’t find what they want, they kill.”
“Not this time,” Midnight says. “This time they fucked around with the wrong coven.”
Ambrose, who’s been silently watching, finally speaks up. “They deserve to die for disturbing the harmony amongst us. I’m in.”
“We are too,” Augustus says.
“And I,” Michel adds.