Page 20 of Hitched to the Vampire King

ChapterSeven

It wasincredible how much better I felt after a full meal. And by full meal, I meant at least half the rotisserie chicken was now resting happily in my belly. Along with six slices of bread, lots of cheese, half a head of lettuce, mayo, and a full tomato. Sandwiches were the epitome of comfort food. And after three days of hardly eating, this had felt like a feast. The protein eased my jitteriness, but also made me hella tired. If it was Thanksgiving—and I was wearing jeans—I might have popped the button and let my happily distended belly do its thang. A notion Avery clearly shared with me as she groaned and leaned back on the couch.

Yeah, I felt that down to my bones.

We couldn’t sleep though. Or rather,Icouldn’t sleep. I knew Adrian and his vamps were hiding from the sunlight. But I also knew—thanks to the daily holy water regime—that he also employed humans. Humans he could have ordered to scour all the closest neighborhoods until they found us. Sitting still made me anxious. No way I’d be able to sleep through that.

Not to mention, I still had dozens of questions to unload on Avery. And I had a feeling that once the retrieval team arrived, I’d lose my chance.

We both turned to stare at each other, our eyelids drooping, but neither willing to rest.

“So—”

“I—”

Chuckling, I gestured at her. “You go first.” Truthfully, I wanted to go first. But it seemed the polite thing to do, since she was the one providing me with food and shelter. I might have been raised by the foster system, but I still had manners.

“Thanks.” She reached her hand out to me. “Avery Goldman. Werewolf. Ranked fifth in the New Orleans Pack.”

My eyebrows lifted. Fifth. Wow. That certainly wasn’t anything to shake a fist at. I didn’t know the New Orleans Pack’s exact size, but I did know they were quite large. Perhaps even larger than the Mississippi Pack.

I took her hand and shook it. “Madison Smith. Werewolf. Vampire Slayer. Not technically part of a pack.”

Avery frowned. “What does ‘not technically’ mean? I thought you said you were Sam’s sister-in-law?”

“I’ve always been a lone wolf, so to speak. And my sister understands that. I have friends and family, and they make up my pack.”

Avery’s frown didn’t ease. Clearly, she didn’t understand my logic. To her, werewolves belonged in packs. Being a lone wolf wasn’t something to strive for. But I’d been alone my whole life. I’d never wanted a pack. I’d wanted a family, and I had one. One I was desperate to return home to.

“And you said you’re a vampire slayer?”

“I am. Have been for going on six years.”

“But…” Her gaze drifted to the ceiling, likely picturing Gabriel upstairs.

“Yeah,” I said, chuckling. “My mate is a vampire. Trust me, it was a shock to me too.” I didn’t mention that Gabriel was the Vampire King.

“Okay. I’ll try to wrap my head around that one. Now, the man that’s chasing you. Gabriel said he was his father?”

I nodded. “Adrian. He’s got a bit of a grudge against his son, one he refuses to let go.”

“Must be some grudge,” she commented, her warm eyes peering into mine.

I didn’t really feel like getting intothatparticularly messed up story. “What does Adrian want with you?”

Her eyes widened. “Me? Nothing that I know of. Why?”

This time, I was the one frowning. I cocked my head and regarded her. “He must have put you in that cage for a reason.”

Her face darkened like a thundercloud. “Adrian hadnothingto do with that.”

“What do you mean? That warehouse?—”

“Doesnotbelong to your Adrian,” Avery growled. “I don’t know how your problems and mine intertwine, but that warehouse belongs to a vampire named Nash. I’ve been hunting him for a long time. Unfortunately, he found me first.”

“Okay, hold up.” I lifted a hand and pinched the bridge of my nose. “So that warehouse doesn’t belong to Adrian? And those cages…?”

“Are all Nash’s design.” Avery exhaled slowly, her gaze hardening and jaw tightening. “Nash has been a blight on this area for about a year now. Kidnapping werewolves, caging them, torturing them, killing them. It wasmyjob to find the bastard and run a stake through his black and withered heart. But?—”

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