Page 23 of Finn
Bram scanned the alley, his gaze sharp and probing. He possessed senses nearly as keen as a shifter’s.
I couldn’t be sure, but I had the uneasy feeling that he’d picked up on something lingering in the air. A familiar scent I was desperate to keep hidden.
“You let your food go again,” he said, his tone laced with a hint of disapproval.
He meant Ricky, I thought.
“I’m careful,” I said, crossing my arms. “Leaving bodies in Gage’s territory isn’t exactly wise.”
Bram’s gaze grew colder, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.
“We’re predators at the top of the food chain. Showing mercy is just another word for showing weakness. And the weak, in our world, are culled,” Bram reminded me.
I felt my muscles tense, readying to strike if necessary. “Is that a threat?”
“Just a word of caution.” Bram’s voice softened, almost fond. “I actually like you. You’re competent. Beric hasn’t been this entertained by a new recruit in a long time. But others might see your mercy as a flaw—and use it against you.”
I knew who he meant. “Gael?”
Bram didn’t confirm or deny it, but the flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes was enough.
Gael had already marked me as a threat, or a loose end.
“One of Gage’s enforcers has informed me we’re no longer needed here tonight,” Bram said casually, his expression unreadable. “I’ll be returning to the nest.”
“Go ahead,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “I still need to eat.”
Bram gave a brief, approving nod. “Happy hunting. Just remember to be back before sunrise.”
I held my breath, waiting until his presence finally faded from my senses.
The tightness in my chest eased, and I exhaled, the tension leaving my shoulders.
Home, Bram had said, as though that place full of death and shadows was a home.
But I’d never felt at home in the Guild, either.
I’d always been something of an outsider, half human and half… something else, something wild.
In the Guild, I had learned early to stay vigilant, to watch my back. But here, with Beric’s vampires, I found myself treading even more carefully.
I took a steadying breath, grounding myself. Finn’s scent lingered faintly in the air. Tracking him would be simple.
He couldn’t have gotten far, and I had always been a good tracker, even before Beric turned me.
I followed the scent trail through the winding alleys, slipping through the shadows with silent footsteps.
The city was alive with the sounds of nightlife, laughter and music echoing faintly as I moved deeper into the maze of streets and alleys.
Finn’s scent was getting stronger, sharper.
When I finally spotted him, he was standing at the mouth of a narrow alley, his shoulders tense as he glanced over his shoulder.
He had heard me coming. Finn had always been sharp, but he had never been hunted by me before.
He didn’t realize how quickly I could close the distance, how silently I could move.
Finn suddenly spun, his hands locked tight around the grip of a revolver pointed directly at my heart.
