Page 25 of Betrayed Mate

Right by the brick building of the biggest club were the two vampire houses. About ten vampires lived in each so they could feed off the tourists easily while remaining hidden in plain sight by appearing human. Each two-story house was made of gray brick and had a steeply sloped rooftop that gave off a gothic vibe. The front door to the last house, farthest from the main strip, was open.

A shifter in animal form wouldn’t have been able to open that huge door, and a vampire would have been able to smell them coming.

Ryker pulled up in front of the house and parked, and the five of us climbed out. A scream cut off short like the person had died.

Kendric didn’t pause, racing toward the house.

Ryker’s gaze landed on me, and he shook his head. “Hell no. You’re staying in the Suburban.”

I laughed, knowing that we didn’t have time for this argument. Not only was time of the essence, but we were getting drenched. “I’m going in and finding proof that Reid is behind the attacks.” The Blackwood pack was respected, so if I was going to accuse them of slaughtering my pack, I would need evidence. Otherwise, I would appear like a scorned lover trying to get revenge.

That was the last thing I needed.

“You two need to stop this. Can’t you smell the blood?” Gage gestured to the house. “There’s an attack going on.” Then he raced toward the house with Xander by his side.

I stepped to follow when Ryker’s hand grabbed mine.

“You were severely injured—” He started, but a scream cut him off.

The two of us took off toward the house.

We ran through the front arched double doors and straight into the living room, almost slamming into Gage and Xander. The inner walls were gray stone with a curved staircase ascending to the left.

A woman with dark hair lay sprawled on the floor behind a black leather sectional couch. The copper scent of blood hit my nose along with the sickeningly sweet signature smell of vampire, which overrode the faint musk indicating shifters once again. I still couldn’t make out anything distinctive.

Kendric was nowhere to be found, but the four of us rushed to the woman on the floor. Her chest barely moved, although her heart was still beating. Blood gushed from her neck, but her throat hadn’t been completely ripped out.

“Annabelle,” Gage gasped, kneeling beside her. He took her hand in his. “You’re going to be all right.”

She made a gurgling sound, and the corners of her lips curved upward. “Bad…” she rasped, her words almost inaudible “…liar.”

“I’ll go find human blood for her.” Xander hurried out the front door.

“No time,” she slurred, but he couldn’t hear her. He had to be searching for someone to bring back here.

“We have to try something. We can’t just let you die.” Gage’s brows furrowed, and he clutched her hand tighter.

But even as he tried to reassure her, her skin grew sallow before my eyes. Blood pulsed from her neck wound, dripping between the fingers of the hand she was using to put pressure on it.

“Who did this to you?” Ryker stood on her other side, arms crossed.

She opened her mouth to respond, but her breath caught, and then she wheezed, filling her lungs once more.

It sounded like the death rattle my grandmother made moments before she died. This woman didn’t have much longer.

“Dammit, Annabelle.” Ryker squatted, shaking her arm. “Who did this to you? What did you see? We need answers.”

“Ryker, stop.” Gage’s brows furrowed. “She’s struggling. Don’t push her until she’s more recovered.”

“We don’t have time for that.” Ryker bared his teeth. “She’s not going to make it. She needs to tell us what she can before she dies.”

My heart ached. Right now, Annabelle needed comfort and to be around people who cared for her. I understood Ryker’s desperation to know who’d attacked her, but based on what I’d seen the night my pack was killed, I suspected I knew who it was, though I still had a hard time wrapping my head around it. And she was losing strength fast.

She opened her mouth, but all that came out was an even deeper rattle.

Ryker leaned over her and placed his ear by her mouth. “Tell me again.”

Her lips moved, though I couldn’t hear anything beyond the rattle, and then her heart stopped, and her chest deflated. Her hand slackened, falling to the floor.

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