Page 104 of Feeding Frenzy

“Wait.” He coughed up blood and it dribbled on his chin. “I’ll admit who took me, but you have to tell me, please.”

I paused and eyed him. He seemed desperate for my response. I could work with desperate.

“Let’s go.” I pulled on some leather gloves and went to yank his chains off the hook.

“We will talk in the vehicle.” The vehicle I didn’t know how to drive.

“You,” I pointed at the human girl hovering near the door, watching my every move with cautions eyes. “Go collect one of the two vampires upstairs to drive me.”

Her eyes widened on mine, and she quickly avoided them. Many did not like the look of red eyes. They were off-putting.

I didn’t grab the contacts to change the appearance. The Council would need the proof I’d been healed. And there was one thing vampires wanted more than bloodshed—a cure.

Catalina had saved this Coven.

THIRTY-SEVEN

catalina

“They have exposedour existence to multiple humans. Ones that are not feeders in a Coven.” Imogen’s voice rang out in the silence.

“Those are grave accusations Imogen, that go beyond your initial Coven dispute.” Roberta said, her eyes narrowed.

“I have proof of their wrongdoings.” Imogen announced and threw her hand out dramatically. “Here is one of the humans they exposed our existence to.” She snapped her fingers. She turned to look to her left where there was a door, expectantly waiting. The door swung open and first there was a flash of long flowing hair and the grin of the vampire who was tugging something behind her. This was giving me flashbacks to Calliope’s little show back?—

I sucked in a breath as the human being dragged in became visible in the doorway. No! A scream stuck in my throat. Talia grabbed my wrist, stopping me from lunging forward. I turned to look at her, my eyes wide and horrified. She frowned, looked at Peter and returned her gaze to me.

She squeezed my wrist and shook her head, mouthing for me to wait.

I felt simultaneously frantic and frozen. When had she found him? How had she known about him? The how, why, and whens swirled in my head. Talia squeezed my wrist harder, and the pressure pulled me out of my thoughts and back to whatever bull shit Imogen was saying.

The vampire offered the rope to Imogen and glided back through the door she’d entered. I couldn’t look at anything. I couldn’t look away from Peter’s bruised face and bloodied lip. Bites covered the side of his neck. This bitch had left him all bit up and bleeding.

“You are saying that the Crimson Coven Sires were so careless that they let a human know about our existence and sent him back out into the world? I find that difficult to believe. Why can we not simply compel this human to forget as he surely was in the first place?” Gregor drawled, and thank God he’d said that. Yes, just compel him. Then let him go?—

“Thereisproof Council members. They did not compel him. They could not. He has some sort of immunity to compulsion.”

The Council shuffled, obviously shocked by this.

“Impossible,” Roberta spat, shoving her nose in the air, pompously.

“You’re welcome to attempt it yourself,” Imogen said sweetly. Roberta flicked her hand toward a female vampire standing to the side of the podium. There were six of them. As many as there were Council members. Likely there to step in should there be efforts of retaliation between the disputing parties during the trial.

The female approached Peter. She grabbed the rope at his neck and dragged him close to her face. The frayed edges dug into the back of his neck. Talia forced me back down. If I started something now, it’d all go to shit. She’d kill him once she saw me, just to see my horror. I had no doubt she knew who he was. She was so sick.

“I do not recognize this human. And it is impossible for a human to resist compulsion. Imogen has lost her mind,” Tobias said bitingly.

“Such a good brother you are,” she said, heavy with the sarcasm.

“That was a lie,” Fred interjected, staring directly at Tobias. The crowd broke out in whisperings.

“He can sometimes sense when people are lying. It comes and goes, but it is never wrong,” Talia whispered.

We were fucked. It felt like she was about to take off with me.

The female vampire looked into Peter’s eyes.

“Stop breathing.”

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