Page 53 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

Max gives him a look, a challenging look. “That’s what I said.”

I’m pretty sure that this group knew I was coming and know exactly what I am, but some part of me I don’t understand loves Max for identifying me the way I want to be identified. It’s like from the moment I became this thing I hated I’ve felt lost. Like no one sees me the way I am deep inside, and Max’s words give me some hope that maybe some people in this world can still see me as something other than a Blood Mage.

“And Braxton? He’s new to the force, correct?” Thomas looks unconvinced.

Max nods. “A man I trust with my life. And I can’t do my job if I don’t have someone I trust at my back.”

Braxton looks like he could explode with pride.

“Okay,” Thomas says, then his hands come down hard on the table in front of us. “Now, let me show you what we’re working with. See this?” We come closer and see that he’s pointing to the center of the town. “He’s there. Even with helicopters we can no longer see him, but yesterday we could, and that seemed to be where he’d placed himself… where the bodies are gathering. But that’s not the only danger. All over town, people seem to have lost their damn minds. We don’t know what he’s doing to them, but they’re running around screaming, pulling out their own hair. Some of them have even killed themselves. It’s hard.Before we could see inside, like looking through fractured glass, but now we can’t. We think that means he’s getting stronger.”

“Has anyone tried to reason with him?” Braxton asks, speaking my thoughts aloud.

“We have. He’s given no response. Nothing at all.” Thomas seems upset, which I hope means he’s the kind of guy who would rather this all end peacefully.

“And what does he look like?” I ask.

“Dark hair, maybe auburn, maybe brown. A twenty-something-year-old. We don’t have a lot more than that.”

My heart races.Maybe auburn? Dark?My brother had bright red hair, but maybe this man was mistaken. It could be him, after all. He’s in his twenties, like me.

Or, it could be anyone else.

Do you even want this to be him?I don’t know. I don’t want to hope for it when whoever is in there has done all of this.

Thomas levels his dark gaze at me. “But, and no offense, I don’t see how this tiny woman is going to get in there and defeat someone this powerful.”

“Because I’m a young woman?” I ask him, feeling my anger brewing.

He laughs. “Nah, I’ve had enough experience to know that sometimes the littlest pack the biggest punches. I’m just saying, I can feel that Blood Mage’s power. I can’t feel anything from you.”

Fuck. He’s right. If this isn’t my brother, if this isn’t someone I can handle, I need to get stronger.

I look at Max, then back at Thomas. “I can handle it.”

“Alright then.” He motions for someone behind him, and a short man comes running up. He hands us all vests and walkie-talkies. “Keep these on you at all times. Not only should they allow us to communicate with you, but they have trackers onthem. Although you should know, we’re not sure if they’ll work once you get inside.”

We take them, put the vests over our clothes, and slip the walkie-talkies into them.

Then Max looks at Thomas. “We’re going to circle around and find the best place to enter. A favor though, I don’t want Grim anywhere near us or our target when we get the shield to fall.”

Thomas lifts a brow, but says, “I’ll do what I can.”

Which is a relief. Somewhat.

Max then looks down at Trouble and up at Braxton. “Maybe he should wait out here.”

“Because you don’t want him hurt?” Braxton says, a slight teasing note in his voice.

Max does not look amused.

Thomas speaks up. “He’s more than welcome to hang out with me. I’ll take good care of him.” And the smile on his face as he looks at the dog tells me he will.

Braxton thanks him, then kneels down. “Now, Trouble, I want you to stay here with this man. You understand? You’re a good dog, and that space isn’t safe. Okay?”

“He’s a dog. He doesn’t understand,” Max grumbles.

But Braxton still rubs his face along Trouble’s, squeezing him tightly like a little boy. When he finally releases him, he leads him over to Thomas and says, “Stay.”

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