Page 70 of Fangs and Fudge

“Until I find the vampires from last night, I’m staying with you. That’s not negotiable. You already agreed to it.”

Vena crossed her arms. “My family’s house is out in the middle of nowhere. We don’t have to worry about vampires.”

“You don’t think they can track you there?” Shepard asked with a laugh.

Vena pressed her lips together. We were likely thinking the same thing. Cross hadn’t had any problems tracking me either. While I didn’t believe any vampire there last night had gotten a taste of my blood, the truth was that I had bled. Did we want to take that chance? Not just with me but with her family too.

“I’ll let you go with us on one condition,” Vena said.

“What is it?”

“Tell me what you’re doing to find Anchor, and promise to keep me in the loop at each step.”

“That’s pack business, Vena,” he said gently.

She grinned. “According to you, we’re like family. And family means pack. If it didn’t, why else would you have seven people here watching over us? Or are you saying Everly isn’t a part of your pack anymore and doesn’t need to follow your orders?”

And that was why it didn’t pay to argue with Vena. She knew how to twist a person’s words. Great when it was used on my behalf. Kinda sucked on the rare occasion she used it against me.

Shepard narrowed his eyes at Vena. “I stand by what I said.”

“Good. Then you can tell me how you’re going to find Anchor on the way to get Miles.” She opened the backseat door. “Please make yourself comfortable.”

He glanced at the backseat and then at us. “We’ll take my SUV.”

“No. We’re taking my car so my parents don’t think something’s going on,” Vena said with a smirk. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to be seen in my car?”

He scratched his jaw. “We’ll take your car, but I’ll drive.”

She smirked again. “Neither of us will want to answer the questions my parents will ask if they see you driving the car they bought their precious daughter. Besides, you don’t know where we’re going.”

He glowered at her before proceeding to wedge himself into the backseat. Vena closed the door with a chuckle and practically skipped to the driver’s door.

“Can you text Miles that we’re on our way?” she asked me as we pulled away from the curb.

“On it.”

“Are you in a hurry?” Shepard asked.

“Yes, for you to start telling me what you’re doing to find Anchor.”

I twisted in my seat to look back at Shepard. His gaze held mine for a moment before shifting to Vena’s in the mirror.

“Everything,” Shepard said. “I am doing everything in my power to find Anchor. I know you’re worried about him, but please don’t do reckless things to find him on your own. Anchor would never forgive himself if you were hurt attempting to locate him.”

“Ouch. You go right for the guilt knife,” she muttered.

My phone buzzed. I looked down at it expecting a message from Miles.

Cross: Is there a reason Shepard is going to Vena’s parents with you?

Me: Yeah, he doesn’t trust Vena farther than he could throw her.

Cross: Understandable.

The phone disappeared from my hands, and I twisted to scowl back at Shepard as he tapped out a message on my phone.

“If you want to talk to him that badly, take his number and use your own phone. I don’t appreciate you using mine.”

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