Page 83 of Bite of Sin

My jaw dropped. “The hell I am.”

“With or without my necklace, I’ll find you. We’re not done yet.”

“So confident for someone who’s chained to a pole,” I snapped. “I’m not going anywhere with you. And how did your blood heal me? The humans think your blood kills.”

He grinned. “Optics.”

“Excuse me?”

“If humans knew the benefits of our blood, they’d want it. We didn’t want to be hunted any more than we already were.”

“I saw a man die with it in his system. With my own eyes.” I froze, realizing I’d moved closer to him without noticing. “How do you explain that?”

He paused, sucking in a deep breath as he studied me. “Your government doesn’t want the civilians to know either.”

My heart stuttered. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I’m not telling you everything today,” he said. “But just know that the higher-ups of PARA already know about our blood. And they’re the reason that the humans in your citieslookedlike they’d died from our blood. It was a show.”

“You’re lying.”

There was no way. Was there? PARA was shady and controlling about a lot of things. But this?

“You’re part of a group that despises the government.” He arched a brow. “I’m surprised you’re questioning it.”

“I question everything.”

“Good. You should.” He shifted again, looking mildly annoyed about not being able to move. “Now for the bit of information you can tell Tim—we have a medical building in a city about three hours from Project Hope. It’s in Victor.”

I scrunched my face. “Why is that important?”

“There are only human women there. Who are there for one purpose. Why do you think that is?”

Nausea claimed my stomach, and I stared at him in horror. A medical center with only women meant one thing. They were there breeding the women with vampires. It was the entire reason why every Clover woman got a hawthorn tattoo. Vampires wanted to mate with women to make children who would grow up and bleed black. We didn’t know why. But clearly, we were missing something. They wanted to keep me until I got tested at twenty-five. Pax had told me they tried to save them. There was a deeper reason that I hadn’t figured out yet.

“That is vile,” I spat out.

“I agree.” His words shocked the hell out of me. “It’s under my father’s order. I feel that women should have the choice to mate with vampires. They don’t have a choice there. Which is why I don’t mind telling you about it.”

“You want us to save the women,” I said slowly. “Why don’t you just do it?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Because you can’t go against your father?” I sneered.

“I gave you something to tell Tim,” he said, his voice growing serious. “Tell him. And only that. Nothing else we talked about. Understand?”

I gave him a curt nod, the bile rising in my throat from thinking of those poor women. What else was out there that we didn’t know about?

“Warner is coming back inside. He must be worried about you.” His eyes drifted to the door behind me. “I’m guessing we’re done talking for today.”

“And I’m guessing you want me to come back tomorrow?” I grated out.

“Come back whenever you want. As long as no one is listening, then I’ll talk to you.”

“Kali,” Warner yelled from upstairs. “I’m coming down if you don’t get up here.”

After giving Zan one last look, I turned toward the stairs and reached for the door until he spoke up again.

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