Page 32 of Claimed By Blood

Draven’s jaw clenches, and I grimace.

Yeah, one of the sunniest countries in the world would be a bit of a problem for him, given his relative youth. That could work out in our favour if he turns out to be working against us.

Fortunately, I don’t have the same problem, and neither does Vane. The two of us are lucky enough to be part of the fifty percent of hybrid immortals who gained the strengths of both races, rather than their weaknesses, so the sun doesn’t affect us.

“Your reasoning?” Gideon demands.

“It has the lowest vampire population in the world,” Eve begins. “And I have the vaguest memory of him liking the country—but I might be imagining that…”

“You don’t think that would be a bit obvious?” Silas asks the question we’re all thinking. “Surely that’s the first place Cain would look?”

This time Morwen answers. “You have no idea what the man was like. You’d meet him and then ten minutes later forget everything you’d talked about. If a month or two passed without him being mentioned, you’d forget he even visited. He was just that… forgettable.”

“Not to mention we all thought he was dead,” Immy adds.

Eve sighs, rubbing her temples in frustration. “It took me days to remember just that much of the conversation.”

“Surely Cain wouldn’t have—”

“Do you honestly think our sire cares that much about any of his children?” Immy raises a single, haughty brow. “He didn’t even bother choosing us himself. He made his sons go out and find the girls they thought were special enough to warrant his attention.”

“His one condition was that we weren’t old enough to remember too much of our lives before.” Eve’s hand tightens on Finn’s as he leads her into a seat beside me and takes the spot on her other side.

I could kiss the omega right now.

Having her within arm’s reach is just too much temptation. I can’t help the way my hand sneaks out to stroke the side of her thigh.

Contact. Connection. Rightness.

Something has changed. Can she feel the way the thrall bond shifts slightly? I study her face, inhaling, searching for some clue that she feels it too.

Her hand comes up to rub at her breastbone, and I can barely contain the grin which threatens to surface.

Whatever happened when she was separated from us, the thrall bond is finally growing. Settling back into that space in my soul that belongs to her.

Thank God.

Gideon, apparently oblivious to the monumental change between us, carries on planning like the sensible alpha that he is. “When we land in Cairo, will you be able to—”

“Not Cairo,” Eve interrupts. “Too public. Cain’s allies will be concentrated there and we’ll be noticed. We need to land in a smaller city. One that’s out of the way.”

Gideon nods. “I can do that.”

“By the sea,” Eve adds. “That’s where I would go. It has the best options for escape.”

The alpha runs an exasperated hand through his hair. “You realise Egypt is a massive country which borders two seas and two gulfs?”

Morwen levels an unimpressed look at him, taking her own seat at the back of the plane. “Just get us within a few hundred miles and my gift will kick in. Don’t wake me up until we’re over the border.”

My co-alpha gives me an unimpressed look. Discontent rolls off him in waves, and I imagine this must be his own special version of Hell.

Gideon likes a well-structured, entirely thought-out plan. Flying to somewhere ‘near the sea’ and waiting for a supernatural gift to ‘kick in’ is completely the opposite of how this would be going if he had his way.

Lifting one shoulder in a shrug that translates roughly to ‘what can we do?’ doesn’t seem to be the kind of support he was looking for.

Ah well, he needs to loosen up. Maybe this will be good for him.

“I’d prefer a more concrete plan than flying around until your gift kicks in,” he grinds out.

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