Page 157 of The Blood Witch

“Anything for you, gorgeous,” Jasper said. He leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her hair. “Do you need anything else?”

She shook her head, eyes already back on her book, cuddling deeper into her chair. Jasper’s hand remained on her shoulder, trailing his fingers over her skin lovingly.

Oh.

That’s new.Callum raised an eyebrow at his brother, a smile curving up his lips.

Alastair just sighed.

“Out with it, Callum. Why are you here?”

Right to the chase. As always.

Callum took a deep breath before he spoke, to steady himself. Somehow this? This was the hardest thing he’d had to do since becoming the new deSanguine.

But it needed to be done.

“I did it. By formal decree, just last night,” he told Alastair. “I shut it down, brother. All of it.”

Alastair went still. Callum wasn’t even sure he was still breathing. From her seat next to the bookshelves, Fey looked up, eyes narrowing.

“I can’t guarantee the drug trade in the realm will stop,” Callum continued. “But I can guarantee that no one in the Vampire Faction will be providing or selling anything. Not anymore. Not as long as I reign.”

Alastair’s face was a picture of stunned shock.

“Callum,” he whispered, voice heavy with emotion.

Callum held up his hand to stop him.

“It’s done. And I didn’t do it for you. And I didn’t do it for Delilah, either.” He took another deep breath. “I did it because it was the right thing to do. I don’t want, or need, your thanks for it, brother.”

Callum shifted in his seat, looking anywhere but at the other Vampire watching him.

“That’s not what I need your help with, though. I want…” He searched for the words, swallowing. “I want tohelp, Alastair. I want to help fix this city. I wantthatto be my legacy.”

Fey closed her book, setting it aside.

“Our faction has kept themselves apart from the rest of the realm for too long,” he said with a sigh. “It’s time we did something. It’s time we did somethinggoodfor a change. Helped heal the realm, instead of… instead of just numbing it.”

Everyone was so still in the room, watching him. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable under their attention.

“Our family has money,” Callum continued. “More money than I know what to do with, as deSanguine. And I want to invest it in our city, in the communities here, but…” He paused and licked his lips. “I’ve been sheltered, living in the manse. I don’t know where the money would be best invested. I need… I need your help.”

He looked up at them, then.

Fey’s eyes were bright, a wide smile on her face. Even the Wolf looked stunned.

But Alastair? His eyes were so full of pride, so full of admiration, Callum had to look away.

“I think that’s something we can help the deSanguine with,” Alastair told him.

Epilogue

VEE

Today they hid it in the bread.

That was good. Better than good, even—that was great. Yesterday they’d dosed her water, which had been incredibly annoying. Not only had she gone to bed that night thirsty, but it also had meant she’d had nothing to use for bait.

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