Page 82 of Only Human in Strangeville

Finally, Katsuro stood. “Thank you all for coming,” he began. “We have much to discuss and you have all given us valuable insight. Rest assured, our goal is to safeguard our community, and as it is now clear we must deal with Vito and his gang to do this, they will be dealt with. Not only were humans suffering at his hands, but our people have as well. He has made a direct attack against our own, and now he will pay.”

That got a quiet cheer from the crowd.

“Be careful, watch your backs, and travel in groups. If you see anything, even if you believe you can handle it yourself, call for backup. We must know what is going on in our community and we want you to be safe. The time to strike against our enemies will be soon.”

This was a clear dismissal, and everyone but my four men, Nimbus, and Clare left.

I moved from the chair I’d occupied in the back of the room to the far more comfortable couch. I could have taken it at any point, but I’d been happy to sit in the back. Bridger came with me, and I sensed the first hint of nervousness from him when he glanced at Katsuro. The vampire still hadn’t reacted to my marking the others yet.

“It seems we have several things to discuss,” Katsuro said once we’d settled into a smaller group.

Clare spoke up. “I’ll leave you here in a moment. I simply wanted to congratulate Hannah on discovering another power. It is wise for you to be joined.” She squeezed my shoulder, before casting a look at both Davin and Katsuro. “However you manage it.” Then she left.

I expected that she was referring to me marking Oliver and Bridger, as opposed to accepting Davin’s and Katsuro’s.

The vampire was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “Clare is always wise. How did you do it?”

It was easier to talk about this time since Katsuro didn’t seem upset, merely curious. Though I suspected he was not someone to play poker with.

“Bridger and I were talking about all of us and how we should at least consider the possibility of being together. So, like, you know, we were talking about going on a few dates and seeing how it went.”

“I wanted to kiss her, at least once, in case I was killed. I am the most likely to end up dead in the fight since I’m only human.” Bridger shrugged. “Her magic acted up and I accepted it. We ended up with some sort of bond or mate mark or something. You obviously know a lot more about those sorts of things than I do.”

“And after I discovered it,” Oliver said. “I wanted this as well. Hannah was kind enough to oblige.”

“Very interesting.” Katsuro leaned forward, brushing his fingers along my jaw.

The magic tingled faintly, rising at his touch. He pulled his hand away in surprise. “This didn’t happen the last time I touched you.”

“I have no idea, Katsuro. It just happened.”

Nimbus grumbled.

“He believes it is simply time,” Oliver supplied.

“I will accept your mark if you accept mine,” Katsuro said after a moment.

That shocked the hell out of me. Also, it seemed fair. Was I ready for that? Well, I’d gone there with Bridger and Oliver. It seemed that maybe I should with the vampire, too.

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Bridger, I offer you my mark as well. It will give you added protection and lend you some healing properties.”

The hunter raised his eyebrows. “Let me think about it.”

Katsuro nodded sagely. Then we all looked at Davin.

“I need to reflect,” he answered. “The mate bond is common among wolves, but this”—he gestured at the rest of us—“is not, and I must consider my pack.”

“Absolutely,” I agreed. “So…” I returned my attention to Katsuro. “When?”

The vampire’s smile was predatory. “Tonight, sunshine. After we finish making our plan of attack.”

A shiver ran down my spine at his expression. He was the ultimate predator, and I was his prey, and he didn’t want me to forget it. At the same time, I remembered how considerate he was of me, and how much he cared. Yes, I was his prey, but he was also my mate. He didn’t want to consume me. He wanted to complete our bonds and strengthen us for the coming conflict.

And he wanted my blood. So, there was that.

We had a plan. No one liked the plan, but it was the best we could come up with. Dangle some juicy bait, then pounce. We wanted to hit them hard, but somewhere that wouldn’t create a lot of danger to the civilians, and we wanted to pick the battleground.

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