Page 104 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

The sun is out when Robert finally shows up.

There is grief in his eyes, a heavy, crippling sorrow that breaks my heart. My body moves without warning, and I wrap my arms around him. He remains still for a moment before his own arms rise to wrap around my neck.

I can feel the unsteady breaths against my hair, and I murmur, “Are you okay? What can I do?”

He doesn’t speak, just holds me tighter. We stand like that for a couple of long minutes, and when he pulls away, he says roughly, “Coffee. Please.”

He sits down at the kitchen table, and I reheat the pot I just made an hour ago. Pouring him a cup, I place it in front of him before sitting down across the table.

“I’m sorry about Florian.”

Robert stares down into his cup, his hands wrapped around it. “Yeah. So am I. He didn’t deserve this.”

“Do you know who killed him?” I ask hesitantly.

“The Nelo Clan.”

Robert’s tone is dull, and I don’t know why I feel so shocked, or so guilty. I don’t have any association with the clan anymore, but I do have Beruth’s blood in my veins. Maybe that’s why this ball of guilt is settling in the pit of my stomach.

“I’m sorry.”

My apology has him looking up at me. “Why’re you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”

I give him a tight-lipped smile. “Can’t help it.”

“This has nothing to do with you.” Robert reaches out to grasp my hand. “I’m not so small-minded as to hold you responsible for what your clan does. And I had warned Florian to be careful. He got a call on his phone from an informant asking to meet at his house. The informant was also dead. The two vampires injected wolfsbane into Florian. He tried to resist, but they wanted to send a message. The whole place was a fucking bloodbath.”

I can sense his pain, and I wish I knew how to fix it. But he’s grieving, and grief can’t be fixed.

“How do you know it was two—”

“We have an eyewitness. A neighbor’s kid. He took photos of the vampires entering with the informant. The latter placed the call to Florian, and they must have killed him immediately after. Florian showed up, and they ambushed him at his front door. The kid took a picture of that, as well, and one last one of the two vampires leaving.”

“Were you able to identify them?” I ask, feeling sick to my stomach.

“Not yet, but I’ll look into it.”

“Show me the photos.”

Robert hesitates before taking out his phone.

I study the first picture, and my heart begins to race as I see a familiar face. “That one. He’s Seth Morgan. My father’s right-hand man. He does all of his dirty work. The other one I’m not so sure about, but I think he’s one of Seth’s people. I’ve seen that face before, bu—”

My voice cuts off as I suddenly remember a night from long ago, before I lost my abilities. I had been unable to sleep and wandered out into the compound, looking for my father. I heard screams and followed the source, only to see a vampire leaning over a young man. That wasn’t the only time I saw such a scene.

“This one,” I breathe, a flash of fear striking me. “He’s dangerous. Very dangerous. His name is Michael. I don’t know his full name, but he’s called ‘The Butcher’ among the clan. He’s a sadistic monster. Seth and my father were grooming him to become one of their strongest soldiers. He would bring human victims to the compound, late in the night, and drink from them in the most horrifying ways. He would torture them till they were begging for death.” I slide the phone back to Robert, my hands shaking. “I was a child when I first saw him and found out who he was. All these years later, they’ve probably succeeded with whatever they were trying to mold him into.”

Robert covers my hands with his. “If I were to show you photos of some of the vampires from your clan, do you think you could identify them?”

I don’t have to think twice. “Of course. I might not recognize some of the younger ones, but the older ones, I should be able to.”

“I have some of the pictures here, and the rest are at the office. I’ll bring those over to the cafe when you’re on break.” He studies me. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with this?”

“I have no loyalty to the Nelo Clan,” I tell him seriously. “I have no loyalty to anyone, to be honest, except for you. So, if you need my help, I’ll gladly give it.”

Robert holds my gaze, and there is something in his eyes as he murmurs, “What about Terrence?”

“What about him?” I blink.

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