Page 16 of Till Death

None of this was right. What choice did we have?

“You’re still here,” I said to Andre.

It was out of my mouth before I had a chance to question myself.

“Of course. Did you think I wouldn’t follow through once I’d given my word?” He shrugged. “Where else would I be? You think you can get rid of me that easily?”

He had the nerve to laugh but then again, I expected nothing less out of him.

“We are all still here looking after each other,” Kay told me. “The way we promised. Wyatt and Lisa took several wolves and a couple vampires from the Queen’s coven to another location. We’re working together.” Her sweet smile was a way to cut through the tension.

Sadly, I was about to add to the stress.

“I’ve got bad news for us. Michael is dead. He was just cut down.” The worst part was watching the light die in their eyes when they processed the news.Freaking hell.

Marla and Tamara didn’t respond while Cliff growled low in his throat.

I hesitated before going on. “It changes things in a way we didn’t expect.”

“You’re kidding?” Andre scoffed. “The big bad angel is down? What hope does it leave for the rest of us?”

“If anyone can cut a deal and get through this sticky bit to continue with the rest of their long and immortal existence, fang boy, it’s you.” Tamara accompanied the statement with a smirk.

Oh, boy. From the look on both of their faces, I wasn’t sure if the tension was sexual or other. Probably a combination of both. I had to nip it before it got out of hand.

“Look. I know you’re all burned out,” I said. “This is when we need to push through the hardest. We don’t want to lose anyone else. We close ranks. We get everyone together and we figure out a new plan.”

“It’s not as easy as you make it sound. Although you look delightful saying so.” This from Andre. He looked me up and down and the heat in his gaze warmed me a little, thawing through the layer of ice around my heart. The strange and confusing nature of our relationship aside, I wanted him here. “You know I would follow you wherever you lead, Jade.”

How did I tell them that I didn’twantto lead? I wanted to abandon ship, but not for any reason they’d guess. Every part of me wanted to find Cole and rescue him. To fulfill the promise I hadn’t been able to carry out when the demon had taken over him and he’d shifted before my eyes.

I took a deep breath.

It was up to me to save him. And I was doing a piss poor job of it.

I wanted to go to him immediately, except I was needed here, on Earth.

“I can’t believe Michael is gone,” Kay broke our hug and clutched at her throat. “He can’t die.”

Every part of me wanted to explode and my mind circled around and around like water in a drain. Kay took hold of my hand, squeezed, and only then did I realize how badly I shook.

“He can and he did,” I said solemnly. Trying to be gentle for her sake. “There are just too many of them. We need some major muscle replenishment on our side or else we are going down.”

“I thought that’s why we were here?” Cliff asked. “My wolves have been holding the line as best they can.”

Hearing him say it had my stomach sinking yet again, like I’d swallowed an anchor. I recognized the sorrow in his voice and knew he’d lost people too. He’d lost them because of me and what I’d asked him to do in this war.

These people needed me, and I didn’t have a good idea to get us out of this.

Who was the real monster here?

I had a pretty good idea, but I didn’t want to look in a mirror to find out.

“I’ll be honest,” I said. “I don’t know what next step to take. I went back to the Void and Hank was really not forthcoming with information this time around either. He seems to think that he is not only stuck where he is but he must remain impartial. Everyone else’s actions are their own and he has nothing to do with it.”

Tamara scoffed “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. I couldn’t make this up if I tried.”

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