Page 89 of Obsessed in Blood
After finishing her espresso,Colantha left Devon’s office, walking out the door without another word. None was needed. The team had already been wondering about a cave, and now they were just handed proof one existed with no resolution on how to find it.
They hammered through final personnel assignments for another half hour but were no further along on the cave or how to garner more information. Lucas could research old survey maps of the island, but Lorenzo had owned it for a long time, and it could take weeks to gather information that would be questionable at best.
The constant influx of data coming in so late into the planning grated on Devon and the cadre; none of them pleased with making so many last-minute changes. He glanced at his watch. They’d run out of time to discuss it further.
He entered the foyer and found Cressa waiting for him, staring up at one of the family portraits as she fiddled with the strap of the evening dress she wore. It was an emerald-green silk that fell to mid-thigh, enough to show off her long legs. The neckline was modest, the thin halter straps allowing for a low cut in the back that showed off a lean, muscular figure, the result of hours of training.
When she turned, her eyes sparkled with excitement. She sauntered over in surprisingly low heels, but it would be a long evening, and he had to be satisfied with her not showing up in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked before standing on tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his lips.
“How lucky I am.”
Her warm gaze switched to curiosity. “You’re a smooth talker.”
The doorbell chimed, giving him an easy out as he led Cressa to the door. “Let’s greet our guests.”
Rafael opened the door as they approached, revealing The Wolf on the other side.
Devon beckoned him in. “Welcome to our home. Please come in.”
The Wolf nodded as he entered, leading a small entourage. Directly behind him was Braden, his beta, Elijah, the alpha of the Humboldt pack, and Raquel, Elijah’s beta. Decker trailed behind, hands in his pockets and a warm smile on his face.
When Remus stopped in the middle of the foyer, he made a slow circle as he took in the fresco painting on the ceiling and the tiered crystal chandelier that cast rainbows when the sun hit it. “Stunning as ever.”
He gave Cressa a long look. “I haven’t been here since the night I came to deliver a package.”
Cressa blushed and glanced at her feet.
Devon couldn’t fathom the relationship between these two that made Cressa blush whenever she saw Remus. She wasn’t shy, and he wasn’t jealous, but he’d admit he was insanely curious.
“And it was a fortuitous day for the House Trelane, which has only strengthened our bond.” Devon shook The Wolf’s hand. “Let’s go to the solarium and have drinks while enjoying the sunset. We can discuss the mission after dinner.”
The conversationin the solarium ended with a brief discussion of the mission. I was positive Devon and Remus would talk past the call for dinner, but it was Decker, who’d been out of town until earlier that day, who kept the conversation going as he was caught up. They agreed for the teams to meet at one of Devon’s downtown warehouses to review the mission a few more times before everyone left for their final assignments.
Then, the shifter stories began with the vamps trying to outdo them. It was all in good nature, and while the alcohol didn’t have an impact on them, Ginger and I giggled at pretty much everything. Though most of my focus was on Devon.
He’d taken blood earlier that morning, and he looked so much better. Not in the hot way—even low on blood he was gorgeous—but healthwise. And with it, his mind became sharper, and I listened to the requests made of him throughout the day including issues with the mission, security for the manor and the safe houses, to more personal matters. Every decision was made quickly with each requestor seeming satisfied when they left. It never got old watching how well he led.
Dinner was the standard meal served when welcoming an ally. Endless days of Anna’s training regarding etiquette and the proper place settings once again paid off. And Cook outdid himself, with several threats to steal him away.
Ginger and I reduced the wine intake throughout dinner so we’d be ready to show off our skills when the group retreated to the game room. Ginger warned everyone off allowing me to handle the darts, and then proceeded to kick everyone’s ass in the process. On the other hand, I showed off my skills at air hockey, but playing against a vamp older than a hundred years was near impossible, so I wasn’t shamed when I beat most of the shifters.
The finale was the pool contest between the vamps and shifters. In the end, the shifters won three games to one. Vamps had excellent eye-to-hand coordination that made their shots smooth and decisive, but the shifters understood how to run a table, and they held the edge for bank and trick shots. I’d rarely seen anyone in Devon’s gaming room, and for some reason, I had the feeling shifters used their gaming table for talking through business in addition to friendly Friday night gatherings. It was like anything else: the more you played, the better you got.
We ended the evening in the library, where comfortable chairs had been rearranged with the sofas to form a half circle so everyone had a clear view of the display panel where a painting used to hang. Lucas was at the controls, and Devon gave a ten-minute overview of the recent changes made to the mission.
“And why this sudden change?” Elijah asked.
Devon glanced at me, and I nodded. I’d agreed to give part of my secret away but not everything. He rubbed his hands together then took the glass of cognac Bella handed him as she continued on with a tray of snifters.
“Cressa occasionally experiences prescient dreams.”
Braden snorted, then looked aghast as he turned to me. “I apologize.”
I laughed. “Please. That was a rather large drop of information for anyone to take seriously. But I’m afraid it’s true.”
“Do they all come true?” Remus asked. He was the only one of the shifters who knew about dreamwalkers, and Devon told me he shared my prescient dreams with him. He had a great poker face, which was probably necessary as The Wolf.
