Page 108 of Claim of Blood
Her gaze pinned them both—calm but implacable. “Elias is invaluable to those under my protection. And Nathaniel, your pack’s resilience has never been in question.”
The men sat back, tension leaking from their frames like steam from a closed pot. A servant swept through, refilling glasses with practiced ease.
Adam reached for his blood wine, rare and deliberately chosen for tonight. “Now that we’re all properly refreshed,” he said, voice cleanly slicing through what remained of the tension, “let’s discuss our unexpected guest.”
He turned slightly, angling Leo in his lap. “Your cousin?”
Leo nodded. “Felix. He’s alone, which isn’t standard hunter protocol. He’s always been...” He hesitated. “Unconventional.”
Adam tilted his head, catching the sound of the mansion doors opening. “Then perhaps he can explain his methods himself.”
Footsteps and voices echoed down the corridor—one rising in animated commentary above the rest.
“But really, don’t tactical vests limit mobility? In my experience, they’re terribly restrictive. Are they optimized for silver rounds or stakes? The layering must be fascinating—”
Morris’s low growl cut through the dissertation as they entered, the bear shifter’s patience clearly hanging by a thread. Carlos’s normally stoic expression had developed a distinct tick, while Jamie looked like he was contemplating shifting back to mountain lion form just to have an excuse not to listen anymore. Only Lydia seemed entertained, her lips twitching.
Their captive stood a shade taller than Leo, all lean angles and barely contained energy. His dark curls had mostly escaped their bun, creating a chaotic halo around features that might have been severe if not for the infectious curiosity lighting his brown eyes.
Those eyes landed on Leo—and widened with delight.
“Cousin!” Felix beamed. “You’re alive! And not in the chicken coop!” He faltered. “Although... was the tracker on a chicken? That would explain a lot...”
The room stilled.
Leo stiffened in Adam’s lap. “Felix,” he said flatly. “Did you know about the tracker?”
“What? No! Well...” Felix’s hands fluttered midair. “Not at first. It was clever, whoever moved it to the chicken. But Leo, we were worried. You disappeared. Then Uncle Stefan—”
His voice softened. “I had to make sure you were okay.”
Something twisted in Adam’s chest. That wasn’t the voice of a spy—it was a cousin who hadn’t known when to stop caring.
“What business with Uncle Stefan?” Leo asked, suddenly sharp.
Felix blinked. “He showed up the morning after you didn’t come back. Told everyone to pack up—the First Cat crew, too. Your father got the call and left immediately. I saw Stefan speak with your mother, but I couldn’t hear what they said. The cousins were furious—though not about you, sorry. They were pissed about leaving Adam’s doorstep behind. Will and Max were livid.”
Felix’s voice dipped, frustration bleeding in. “But Sabine overruled them. Stefan had final say. So they left.”
He looked at Leo again. “I didn’t. I couldn’t just... leave you.”
Leo’s body tensed. “My father got the call and just left?” His voice cracked. “Didn’t try to find me?”
His breathing turned shallow. “And the cousins, my mother... they just gave up? Because Stefan said so?”
Leo’s breathing grew shallow, rapid. “What happened to ‘leave no one behind’? What happened to family?” His voice rose, years of ingrained loyalty crashing against the reality of abandonment. “I spent my whole life believing that meant something!”
Felix’s enthusiasm faltered completely, his expressive face crumpling like a child’s. “Leo, I’m so sorry, I tried to argue—”
“You tried?” Leo’s laugh cracked. “You tried, but everyone else—my father, my mother, my brothers—they just decided I wasn’t worth the risk? That I was expendable?”
Adam felt the tremor that ran through Leo’s body, felt the way his claim’s breathing turned shallow and rapid. This wasn’tjust hurt—this was the shattering of everything Leo had believed about family, about loyalty.
“I... I wasn’t told about the plan—” Felix started desperately.
“What plan?” Adam’s voice cut through the room with deadly quiet. His power stirred beneath his skin, responding to Leo’s distress, to the need to protect what was his.
Felix’s mouth opened and closed, his earlier enthusiasm completely gone. He glanced nervously around the room, hands twisting in his lap. “I... I probably shouldn’t... Uncle Stefan made it very clear that sharing hunter intelligence with...” He gestured vaguely at the assembled supernaturals. “Well, with anyone outside the family would be considered treason.”
