Page 4 of Veil of Shadows

Merida, the pack’s most talented healer.

“Bexley, stop,” she said as she came around to face me. She placed her hands on my shoulders, standing in front of me while she blocked my view of Delilah. “We don’t have the capacity to fight the number of vampires that have us surrounded. We’re lucky they haven’t charged us yet.”

I watched Delilah lean her head off to the side, peeking her way around Merida. “You really should listen to her. She’s got some good advice.”

I took a few steps off to the side, ready to claw Delilah’s voice box out with my own fingers. But, Merida stepped with me, keeping the woman’s deadly features blocked from my view.

“Merida,” I warned.

She tilted her head. “Just turn around.”

“What?”

“She said, turn around!” Delilah called out from behind her.

I pointed over Merida’s shoulder. “You watch your fucking mouth, you loose-walled whore.”

“What the hell did you just call me?” Delilah hissed.

“You heard me!” I bellowed.

Merida grabbed my shoulders and whipped me around. “Look, Bexley. Just look.”

She spun me away from Delilah and I watched as the pack parted. Parents cradled their sniveling children whose faces were buried into the crooks of their parents’ necks. I saw littleAnnabelle holding tightly to her grandfather while Little Billy hugged his mother’s neck tightly. The children of our packs clung to their parent’s legs, shivering in the cool breeze that kicked up. A few gags worked their way through the crowd. I heard their little noses sniffling up a storm as soft cries echoed from the back of the pack. I scanned the compound, finding even more weary and fearful children peering through the windows of their bedrooms. Children that were all tucked in and ready for bed before we were ambushed.

Merida was right.

We were lucky they hadn’t charged us yet.

“What do you want, Delilah?” I barked as I navigated my way around Merida.

I took up a position beside the talented healer as I stared my former boss down.

“Interesting,” Delilah said as she snaked her stare down my body, “I’ve never seen you do that before.”

“Do what?” Voss snarled from behind me.

Delilah grinned devilishly. “Back down.”

My jaw pulsed as Merida peeked over at me. “I won’t ask the question again.”

Delilah giggled as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Maybe if you backed down when I asked you to on that mission, Jacob wouldn’t have felt the need to take a bullet for you.”

My hands balled up into fists at my sides before Dom slipped in front of me effortlessly. “Well, what a lovely conversation we’re having this evening.”

Delilah turned her focus to him. “You can move now. I have no use for you.”

Dom held his hands out before he tilted his head. “No can do, Vampgirl. You see, we’ve got precious cargo in this pack right now. And right now, all we’re thinking about is getting to sleep.”

Delilah giggled. “Vampires don’t need sleep.”

Dom chuckled softly. “Doesn’t mean we don’t. So, why don’t you tell us why you’ve sought us out, and then we can all get back to our regularly scheduled programming. Yes?”

“We can,” she said, “right after you hand over Bexley.”

“Over my dead body,” Ronyn growled.

Delilah shrugged. “She’s the only one I’m here for. Hand her over, and we leave and never come back.”

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