Page 103 of Claimed By Blood

Except it is.

Because for Cain to be so terrified of Evie finding Samuel, means that our brother knows something. Something that could harm our sire.

Perhaps even a way to kill him.

My jaw sets as I turn my attention to the door he left through, then glance back down at Bella’s corpse.

If anyone has a chance of killing our sire, it’s Evie. All I have to do is keep myself alive until then. With my mouth shut and my ears to the ground, I might even hear something that will convince her to spare me when she’s done.

I’m nothing if not a survivor.

Ivan steps through the door as I go to leave, and I toss my hair back in a familiar motion I know will draw his eyes to my cleavage and away from my face. “Clean that up,” I snap. “And send her jewellery up to my room after it’s been cleaned. No use letting good diamonds go to waste.”

At least I can keep some remnant of my sister. In Cain’s current mood, I wouldn’t put it past him to erase her completely.

My Louboutins feel like they’re made of lead as they click across the black marble of the foyer and up the stairs to my room. I pointedly ignore Bella’s door on the other side of the hall, but it’s difficult. Vampire servants are already going in and out. Removing her things. Destroying any trace of her.

I close my own door with shaking hands, blocking out the sight. My mind is still replaying her death. Over and over, I see her panicked eyes. Her clawing hands.

The hour it takes me to get ready goes slowly. Every minute is haunted by Bella’s final moments—made worse by the knowledge that if I displease my sire, I’ll share her fate.

Normally, when Cain summons me, I focus on pretending that the lingerie in my wardrobe is armour. Today, that trick isn’t working. I spend every second resisting the urge to lock myself in my bathroom and hide from my sire.

But I want to live. So I stride down the corridor with my head held high and arrange myself on his covers in a pose I know he’s partial to.

I’m not religious, but when the door swings open, I pray to God or whoever is listening to let me see another sunset.

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

SILAS

Evie hasn’t spokena word since Samuel left us half an hour ago. She’s been sitting in the back of the van with her eyes closed, and I wonder if she’s even noticed that we’re ready to leave. The jet is loaded and fuelled, and the van is sitting on the tarmac.

Gid will set the vehicle on auto-drive to a remote location and rig it to explode somewhere in the desert. No loose ends.

Right now, the alpha is doing the final checks on our aircraft, making sure that nothing is amiss. His obsession with safety is understandable, given Evie’s recent admission.

Our silly vampire has no idea what she agreed to when she made that deal with the alpha. Despite what Gideon might’ve promised her, I’m betting his instinct won’t makeanydistinction between omega in the bedroom and omega in daily life.

The second he fucked her and she submitted, our alpha was lost, and I can’t wait to see the fireworks when the two of them realise that. Whether her not being a lycan will let him curb the worst of those instincts is yet to be seen. But for now, a pack with two omegas means he’s being twice as paranoid.

I take a step back towards the van, only to stop.

Draven is already there, tugging Evie out and into his arms.

Shit. If he takes her to the bedroom…

I spent fifteen minutes removing the bed slats and balancing the mattress over the frame to mess with him. If he puts Evie on the bed…

Disaster control time…

I head for the two of them, only to careen to a stop as Vane steps in front of me.

“I need you to back me up,” he growls. “Morwen and Mia are trying to convince the alphas to split up so they can investigate a different site. No way is our sister…”

I blank him out, staring at Draven as he carries our girl into the jet like a princess. “That sounds fine,” I mutter. “Gotta go.”

“Silas!” Vane steps in front of meagain. “You can’t be serious…”

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