Page 21 of Forsaken By Night

“I don’t,” Nicole said quickly. She shot Tehya a friendly smile, and Tehya shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wanted to hate these people, but she was finding that they weren’t all the monsters she’d expected them to be.

“Then we’ll have quarters prepared for her,” Hunter said. “Katina, will you show her around?”

“Wait.” Tehya might have conflicting emotions about MoonBound, but she did know that she didn’t want to live here. “I don’t want this. I’m going home with Lobo.”

“That’s in violation of vampire law,” Aiden said, a little too gleefully. He was definitely one of the ones she didn’t like. “Skinwalkers aren’t allowed to mate with each other.”

“We aren’t... mated.” But, man, her cheeks felt hot, because mating was exactly what they’d done in the trailer. Katina rolled her eyes again. “Not like that.”

Lobo didn’t meet her gaze, and she realized that, while the mating restrictions might be true, that wasn’t what this was about. “You need to go, Tehya.”

“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest and dug in. “Not until I know what’s going to happen to you.”

“You’ll see him again,” Hunter assured her. “You have my word.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Since I don’t know you, your word means nothing to me.”

One black eyebrow shot up and his lip quirked in amusement. “I see your point. But given that I’m in charge, you don’t have any choice but to trust me.”

She hated that he was right.

“Please go, Tehya,” Lobo murmured. “Hunter is a dick, but he’s a dick who keeps his word.”

“Thanks for the endorsement,” Hunter said drily.

Reluctantly she rose from her seat and followed Katina out of the room. Only after they were on the other side of the complex did she realize that Hunter had said she’d see Lobo again... but he hadn’t said he’d be alive.

9

Once the door was closed and Lobo was sure Tehya was out of earshot, he turned to Hunter. “You told her I’d see her again. Before my execution, or after?”

There were a few chuckles from around the table, because, sure, executions were hilarious. He must have forgotten how much he’d laughed at all the people he’d seen die at the command—or hand—of Hunter’s father. Bear Roar had been a brutal leader, a strict follower of the Way of the Raven, and a total bastard. Lobohadlaughed when Hunter killed him.

Hunter gestured at Baddon, who, after giving Hunter anare you fucking serious?look, shrugged and sliced through the ropes binding Lobo’s wrists. Lobo rubbed the raw skin as circulation flowed back into his hands.

“Leave us.” Hunter’s tone made it clear that he wouldn’t tolerate argument. “You too, Rike.”

Riker frowned but, like the good soldier he was, herded everyone out, and mere seconds later, Lobo was alone in the room with MoonBound’s chief. The last time they’d been alone, it had been for the same reason and, just like now, his life had been on the line.

The only differences were that this time he wasn’t in chains, and there wasn’t a horde of people calling for a painful, drawn-out death sentence.

Hunter lounged back in his chair, his fingers steepled as his hands rested on his abs, his cold, hard gaze tracking Lobo as he paced the room.

“I told you that if you ever shifted into another vampire’s form again, I’d end you. Do you remember that?”

Lobo laughed, really getting behind the gallows humor thing. “Do you think I get death threats so often that I forget them?”

“You’re an asshole, so I’m going to answer that with a yes.”

Lobo laughed again as long-held contempt rushed to the surface. “You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you? I’ll bet you couldn’t wait for me to screw up so you could put my skull on its own special little shelf in the Cave of the Vanquished.”

“We sealed the CV decades ago. And you’re the one who broke the law—”

“And you’re the one who kicked me out of the clan without listening to my side of the story.”

“Your side?” Hunter asked, incredulous. “You were caught seducing Traygen’s mate—while wearing his form. You admitted it.”

“No,” Lobo said wryly, “you asked me if I’d taken his form, I nodded, and then you broke my jaw. I couldn’t give you an explanation after that because my face was shattered and half of my teeth were on the damned floor.”

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