Page 13 of Halfblood Deceived

“So, what’s your address, Aella?” Zeydan asked.

Aella peered at him, once again thrown by his amusement and that hint of suspicion she wasn’t sure if she was imagining in his eyes.

She gave him the address.

The driver took them away from the club.

The gargoyle warriors were following, and soon it would be over.

Soon, soon, soon.

Aella had miraculously done her part. They would do theirs.

“What a beautiful bracelet,” Zeydan commented, peering at Aella’s hand. “It looks like a gift from a mate.”

Aella huffed, an automatic reaction that suited her purposes at that moment. Micah had never given her jewelry. He said it was useless both because her clothes wouldn’t allow them to be displayed and because she needed to remain humble and jewelry led to vanity.

“A friend gave it to me,” Aella said, realizing it was the truth once more.

“He must love you very much,” Zeydan commented, looking curious.

Aella gulped. “I-I don’t think so. We… I… He can’t love me. He’s married.”

Zeydan’s brow furrowed. “Friends can love each other in a non-romantic way.”

“Not if they’re male and female,” Aella responded automatically.

Zeydan huffed, half smiling. “What weird concepts your people have, Aella.”

Aella stopped breathing, eyes going wide. “My people?”

Zeydan grinned, double fangs flashing. “Yes. Your people, little gargoyle.”

CHAPTER 4

The sight of those fangs made her insides turn to lead.

She was dead-dead-dead.

Zeydan shook his head. “I suppose I should not be surprised. But I am a bit insulted that your males are so cowardly.” He huffed. “Sending a female that clearly has never seen the inside of a club to lure me into a trap is a new low even for them.”

Aella jolted. How does he know I am luring him into a trap?

She looked out the tinted window and realized they were going in the opposite direction to the address she had given him. They were passing by the city’s center, right in front of a theater. The sidewalk was full of people. Witnesses who would definitely notice if seven gargoyles dropped from the sky and tried to kill the vampire.

“Where are we going?” Aella asked.

“To a place where I can’t be ambushed by your lovely friends and your mate, of course,” Zeydan answered, texting on his smartphone as if he didn’t have a single care in the world.

Aella flinched. How did he know she was mated?

Zeydan flicked a glance at her, reading her unspoken question. “I can smell him on you underneath the perfume you’re wearing.” He let out an exasperated breath. “What kind of a fucking idiot would let his wife risk her life this way?”

Aella’s tongue tasted bitter. Even the vampire monster who was planning to kill her thought Micah was an idiot for putting her in danger. That was both disturbing and oddly validating.

The driver made an agreeing noise. “I’d rather die than send my wife on a suicide mission.”

The words “suicide mission” rattled in her head, making her hands shake.

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