Page 88 of Veil of Shadows

I just hoped they forgave me once they realized that I wasn’t going to try to escape.

Not until I had all of the information I needed to keep them safe, anyway.

28

DOMINIC

Ronyn didn’t hesitate to launch into what I knew was swirling around inside of his head the entire meeting. After all, Ronyn never could keep his own thoughts quiet when addressing anyone from his troops.

His mind was much too loud for that.

“We need to play defense,” Ronyn said as the three of us stood around in the darkened sniper’s nest.

I slipped my hand into the air. “I’ve got an idea.”

Voss rolled his eyes. “This isn’t kindergarten. Spit it out.”

I grinned as I folded my arms over my chest. “Such a control freak. Anyway, I think that—while you did a great job of reinforcing this place, Ronyn—that we need more than protection here. I think we need to start laying traps.”

Ronyn grinned. “Go on.”

I shrugged. “Those vampires have attacked us multiple times on this same turf, and while I agreed with Voss when he said that we needed to stay put because they’d expect us to move, I don’t think that’s our wisest choice any longer.”

“You think we should scout for a new place?” Voss asked.

Ronyn studied my face. “No, I think he’s saying we need to be prepared either way.”

I shook my head, though. Even I felt the deviousness of my smirk as my plan came together. “Nope, I’m not saying either of those things. What I’m saying is that, since we’ve been attacked more than once here, we’ve set precedence that we’re staying. And that can work to our advantage.”

Voss blinked. “Like… a trap?”

I pointed at him. “Bingo. Exactly like a trap. I mean, Ronyn fortified this place very well. It’s automatically going to draw in any of Delilah’s vampires that like a challenge. So, let’s use that to our advantage. Let’s scout out and find another place where we can slowly move our stuff and use this compound as a trap for when weareattacked again. Because you know they’re coming back.”

“He’s right,” Ronyn said, looking over at Voss, “those vampires most likely expect us to stay here out of sheer stubbornness at this point. We could use this home to bait them while creating another home to retreat to.”

I nodded. “Especially with the pups that haven’t reached their shifterhood yet. I took a headcount while helping everyone get the kiddos tucked in. We’ve got fifteen of them in the group.”

“Fucking hell,” Ronyn grumbled.

Voss clicked his tongue. “How does any of this get Bexley back, though?”

His question brought the entire conversation to a grinding halt. My heart leapt into my throat. My poor little one. God only knew what the hell she was enduring under the fangs of Delilah. If I believed in any sort of higher power, I’d pray up a fucking storm.

But it was Ronyn who broke the tense silence. “Right now, I’m working under the assumption that Bexley has her end under control.”

Voss’s face set itself in stone. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

I sighed heavily. “I have to admit, it’s not the best plan in the world when it comes to her.”

Ronyn simply tilted his head. “Look, that woman has survived more than any human we’ve ever known or come across. If there’s anyone who knows how to keep herself alive and useful in a situation like this, it’s her.”

Voss growled beneath his breath. “I still don’t like it.”

Ronyn snickered. “Doesn’t matter if you don’t like it, we can’t concern ourselves with it right now. We have to trust that she’s got her end of the deal on lockdown. So, as much as this sucks, we can’t worry about her right now.”

Voss turned and got into Ronyn’s face, his fists balled up at his sides. “You may not give a flying shit about her, but that doesn’t mean Dom and I don’t.”

Ronyn snarled. “Get in my face and say that again.”

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