Page 98 of Claim of Blood
It should’ve been unsettling. Instead, it felt... grounding.
“Swipe left for reports, right for live feeds,” Oren instructed. “The AI flags anomalies, but you can set custom alerts—”
“When do we meet the others?” Gaspard interrupted, glancing at the time on his screen.
“Ten minutes,” Oren said, a trace of amusement in his voice. “We can’t expect Emilia to walk the perimeter.”
“Thus the golf carts,” Leo said before he could stop himself. Oren chuckled. Gaspard sighed theatrically. Leo blinked. When had this started feeling... easy?
“Thus the golf carts,” Oren confirmed, switching the display to perimeter schematics. “Now, this part’s important.”
The walkthrough of patrol routes and checkpoints took another few minutes. By the end, Leo’s head was full of codes and contingency plans—a welcome distraction from everything else gnawing at him. When they stepped outside, the shift from the cool, high-tech space to the sun-drenched June afternoon felt like a slap of reality.
Emilia Anderson was already ascending the mansion’s front steps, her natural curls catching the sunlight like polished obsidian. She moved with effortless grace, her heels clicking a measured rhythm that seemed to harmonize with the drone of cicadas.
“Early as always,” Gaspard called, prompting a warm smile that lit up her whole face.
“Time’s just a suggestion, darling,” she replied, her New Orleans drawl turning the phrase into music. Even the heat seemed to bend around her, as if magic carved out a pocket of comfort. Her gaze landed on Leo, full of warmth. No twitch of her nose, no polite glossing-over—just genuine pleasure. “Leo, honey, you’re looking better than the last time I saw you. Court life agrees with you.”
Leo flushed at the knowing glint in her eyes, grateful she couldn’t sense what the vampires could. Emilia always made him feel seen—but not too seen. “The company’s not bad,” he said, earning a laugh that somehow made the air feel lighter.
The walk to the golf cart garage was filled with Emilia’s easy chatter, mostly catching up with Gaspard about mutual acquaintances. Every now and then, she pulled Leo into the conversation with light teasing about how well he was adjusting to Court life. Leo caught Gaspard’s nostrils flare again as they walked—subtle, but there. A glance in Leo’s direction, then nothing.
Oren was already ahead of them, slipping behind the wheel of a six-seater cart. Leo climbed into the passenger seat while Gaspard and Emilia settled behind them. Gaspard managed an elegant sprawl despite the tight space, looking as unbothered as ever.
As they pulled away from the mansion, Leo tried to stay focused. “We’re looking for a ward that works with the security system,” he said, voice steady. “Something that can detect unwelcome hunters—or anyone with hostile intent toward Innsbrook’s residents.”
Emilia clicked her tongue, the sound somehow both thoughtful and mildly reproving. The motion stirred the surrounding air, carrying the faint scent of herbs and summer storms. “That last bit is mighty vague, sugar. And be warned, a ward this size will include all of Innsbrook’s residents, eventhose sweet humans who don’t know what goes bump in their night.” She adjusted her sleeve, revealing a glimpse of intricate tattoos that seemed to pulse with their own heat in the summer sun. “There may be false signals. A jealous spouse, an angry teenager—intent isn’t always as clear-cut as we’d like.”
The golf cart had barely reached the tree line when Nathaniel emerged from the woods, his massive frame making the entire vehicle dip as he swung into the back row. Leo stiffened slightly as the shifter’s presence filled the space behind him, hyperaware of what Nathaniel’s enhanced senses might detect. But the Pack leader’s attention was entirely elsewhere.
“How’s Elias?” Nathaniel asked without preamble, earning a good-natured eye roll from Emilia as she twisted in her seat to face him.
“Dr. Wright is settling in just fine,” Emilia replied, amusement warming her drawl. She patted Nathaniel’s knee as he visibly deflated. “Now, sugar, you know he’s a shy one. A homebody. New people make him nervous, especially...” she cast a meaningful glance at Nathaniel’s imposing presence, “loud, outgoing adults. There’s a reason he chose pediatrics.”
Nathaniel’s sulk was almost comical on such a large man. Leo had to bite back a smile as Emilia continued, her tone gentling. “Give him time. Time to settle into the Coven, time to adjust to his position at the clinic. It’s overwhelming enough without your...” she paused diplomatically, “enthusiastic attention.”
Looking back at Nathaniel through the seats, Leo was struck by how the massive Pack leader seemed to shrink in on himself, shoulders hunched, bottom lip actually jutting out. It was jarring to see such a childlike expression on a man who could probably bench press the golf cart they were sitting in. More importantly, Nathaniel’s complete focus on Dr. Wright meant his attention was mercifully elsewhere. Small mercies.
The drive around Innsbrook’s perimeter took on a rhythm. They’d stop every few hundred yards, Emilia closing her eyes to feel out the magical resonance of the land while Leo assessed the terrain. “My clan would use these rises for surveillance,” he pointed out at one stop, surprised by how naturally the tactical analysis came now that he was on the other side of the equation. “And that ravine would make an excellent approach point.”
The words felt alien in his mouth. His clan had trained him to exploit weaknesses like these—not fortify them. And now he was building defenses against people he once called kin. But Oren and Nathaniel took notes without question, discussing patrol patterns and security placements based on his input. Leo found himself contributing more than he’d expected, and more surprisingly, being listened to with genuine consideration.
“We’ll need patrol houses,” Gaspard muttered, tapping away on his phone. “Permits will be a nightmare, but we can’t expect patrols without facilities. Storage, food...”
“Medical supplies,” Leo added, thinking of injuries mid-shift. “Emergency comms. Backup power.” The suggestions flowed from instinct, and Nathaniel nodded.
“The ward in exchange for warehouse coverage is fair,” Emilia added, drawing shapes in the air that shimmered briefly before fading. “But I expect the guards to be respectful.”
“They will be,” Oren said, no hesitation.
Emilia turned to Leo, eyes warm. “Actually, I’ll take Leo’s word on it. That’s just as good now.”
Leo blinked, caught off guard. Not just as Adam’s claim, being humored out of politeness, but as someone whose word carried weight. The warmth in her dark eyes was genuine, and Leo felt something tight in his chest ease.
“You have my word,” he said softly.
Emilia’s smile widened, satisfied, and Leo found himself thinking that he really, genuinely liked this woman. She hada way of making people feel seen, valued, without any of the careful diplomatic maneuvering he’d grown used to from the vampires.
