Page 57 of Claimed By Blood

“Think on it,” Samuel suggests. “Heaven knows, Cain’s new world order isn’t going anywhere in the next few days. Take a week or so, enjoy the feeling of being out from underneath our Sire’s thumb.”

“I’m no longer alone,” I finally say. “Cain forced me to take six thralls, and two of my sisters are with me. I can’t make any kind of decision without consulting them.”

I made a promise on that plane, and I intend to keep it. My gut is telling me to accept Samuel’s offer, but I won’t make another choice that separates us.

“Six thralls.” Samuel leans back on his heels, stunned. “So many…”

“He meant to destabilise me.”

“And has it?”

I shake my head. “The bonds are solidifying at different rates. So far, I’m managing.”

“Have you considered breaking them to ease the strain?”

I meet his eyes. “Have you ever felt a thrall bond break?” I know my tone is haunted, but I can’t seem to keep the memory of the pain out of my voice. “It’s like having your soul scoured from inside of you.”

“But surely having six of Cain’s minions following you around… what?”

I’m shaking my head, laughing. “You don’t know thehalfof it.”

He cocks his head to one side. “Then I’ll have them brought here.” He pauses. “You’ve changed, sister. I didn’t think our sire’s darling would ever be the type to consult others before she acted.”

Me either.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

EVELYN

I’d underestimated Samuel.

So had everyone. That’s why he’s still alive.

He told me a lot about his life since he faked his death. What he’s built is incredible. A place where Cain has no influence, big enough to be the equivalent of a small town, but with the kind of close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else. I would never have expected something like this to work. Especially with vampires, who are normally loners.

But seeing the way they work here, I have to wonder: are we loners by nature, or because Cain only chose isolated people to join his ranks to ensure they would be less tempted to rally together against him?

But he won’t answer the one question which matters most.

How can we kill Cain?

Samuel danced around the topic whenever I brought it up. That evasiveness will piss Gideon and Frost off. I just hope they don’t push him so hard he decides to throw us out, because I accepted his offer to spend time here. I think we need a place like this right now. Some way to get our heads screwed on and our pack back together before we try to take out Cain.

I told Samuel about my suspicions regarding my sisters, and he even agreed to have them monitored for me.

For the first time in forever, I don’t have to be planning the next step, or thinking about how to keep myself alive, or putting myself into Cain’s headspace to anticipate the danger he’ll throw my way next.

This is a gift, and I plan to take it.

I’d like to get to know Samuel’s family, if he’ll let me. And maybe, when the pack is here, and we’ve sorted out where we stand with one another, we can ask Samuel again, and he’ll trust us enough to tell me how we can kill our sire.

Until then… Is it so wrong to just need a break?

Well, I suppose I’m about to find out.

I glance around the room again, smiling softly.

It’s not quite what the pack is used to. In the cabin where we stayed before, and even at the crumbling resort we were based in, there was a room each for personal space. Here, spare rooms are a luxury, but the other vampires have done their best to make the space feel like home.

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