Page 30 of Claimed By Blood

“About that…” Finn coughs. “She’sourbestundercoveroperative.”

Both men round on the omega, wearing matching glares. “Say that again,” Vane growls. “And pray to God you didn’t say what I thought you just said.”

But Gideon is there, standing between them and the omega without flinching. “She’s been working undercover in the Lycan Compound for years. She proved her worth. It would have been a waste of a good operative if I left her in that pack.” He stares both betas down. “We can have this conversation later, but if you break her cover, I swear to God, I will leave both of you in New York.”

“What has she done to her hair?” Silas mutters, turning back to the window. “Black? Really?”

“Are those tattoos? On herface?” Vane is beyond seething. He’s furious. “And how many piercings…”

Finn suppresses a small smile, and I roll my eyes. LikeVanecan talk about piercings when his own ears are decorated with studs and chains.

The brothers have always had one, Mia-sized, blind spot in their lives. Their youngest sister has always been a troublemaker with a heart gilded in leather and studs. If anything, I’m glad Gideon assigned her something to do. It probably saved the Paris pack from being burnt to the ground.

But after what happened to the rest of their family, I can understand why Vane and Silas wanted an easier life for her.

The group outside exchanges long looks, until eventually Morwen, Immy, and Mia all nod. As soon as that happens, Eve leads them to the plane.

The second our girl makes it through the door, Finn is on her. The omega’s arms wrap around her, engulfing her in his taller frame until he gets fed up with their height difference and just lifts her into his arms.

“God, I missed you,” he groans.

Damn him, that’smyline.

When he eventually lets her go, it’s Silas’s turn. The beta scoops her up and drags in a lungful of her scent. Like Finn, Eve hugs him back.

She’s trembling, I realise with a start. Why the fuck is she trembling?

Evidently Vane is having the same thoughts I am.

“Why are you shaking, Princess?” he demands.

Her fangs sink into her lower lip as she replies. “Because this is the only time I’ve ever actively plotted against my sire. It’s different than planning to run away. If he catches us now…”

Silas takes her face into his hands and forces her to look at him. “We have decades of experience of keeping out of Cain’s reach,” he reminds her. “Even when we’ve been caught, we’ve managed to get away. We’ve got this.”

“You’d better,” Morwen says as she struts onto the plane, Mia close behind her. “Otherwise, we’re all going to die an incredibly painful death.”

“Your optimism is inspiring,” Finn quips. “Please, do go on.”

Morwen hisses at him, which makes all of us stiffen. Fortunately, Mia grabs the vampire’s arm and shakes her head.

“That’s their omega,” she mutters, pulling Morwen farther down the plane and studiously ignoring the glares both of her brothers are giving her.

Evidently the middle sister knows what that means to lycans, because she inclines her head slightly in apology.

Immy finally makes it into the plane with Draven hot on her heels. I have no idea what took the two of them so long, but I nod to him, and he raises a brow back. He tilts his head incrementally in the direction of the red-haired vampire before shaking his head.

The meaning is clear. He doesn’t trust her.

He’s not the only one. Then again, I don’t exactly trust him or Morwen either.

Cain sent all of them on this mission. Odds are, at least one of them will betray us.

I want to know Eve’s opinion. What does she make of her sisters? What about Draven? Fuck, at this point, I don’t think I’d blame her if she didn’t trust any of us.

“If we get found out, you can just sire a whole army of ghoul-vampire hybrids to get us out of trouble,” Silas quips, pressing a soft kiss to Eve’s lips. “Don’t panic.”

I raise a brow at him, and Gideon does the same. Both of us silently scolding him for letting slip pack secrets in front of people whose allegiances remain suspect. To his credit, the younger beta blushes and bites his lip, baring his neck in quiet apology.

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