A cooler power, like that of the cold bite of an arctic night, flared as Liam tensed to meet him. You would think the absolute chill of his power would be uncomfortable. It wasn't. It called to some deep part of me that shifted in answer as if hearing the voice of a loved one after a long absence.
"It's my wolf and by her own admission she's been in contact with her. Your vampire has interfered with one of the most sacred aspects of our existence. If it was the other way around, your kind would have attacked en mass," Brax snarled.
"I don't disagree with the importance of locating your wayward wolf, and I'm well aware Aileen has trespassed on things she does not understand."
I shot him a glare at that last part. He ignored me, focusing on the wolf in front of him.
Brax watched Liam with a careful gaze. He seemed to be considering, weighing each of Liam's statements.
"Your vampire has already proven her inability to keep her nose out of things that don't involve her," Brax stated. Much of the antagonism had dropped from his voice, and the hint of a growl that had been there since he'd barged in had disappeared.
"This does involve me. She's my friend. She came to me for help." If he thought I was going to wash my hands of this, especially after what he'd just revealed about how close she was to a death order, he had another thing coming.
He shot Liam a glance as if to say 'see'.
Liam sighed and muttered, "You're not helping matters."
I folded my arms and sat back. By all means if he wanted to handle things, whatever they decided, I'd find a way to work around if necessary.
"Until your pup can be found, we’ll take responsibility for Aileen," Liam said.
My head twisted so fast that I almost got whiplash. One of his hands dropped from the back of the couch to brush against my neck. I held my tongue, not because I trusted him or because that touch asked me to. I did it because I had no intention of letting him or his men keep me on a short leash. I figured it'd be easier giving them the slip than it would be Brax and his people. Not to mention I had a feeling my stay with Brax would be a lot less cordial this time, given the degree of hostility currently being aimed my way.
"She’ll stay with us, and I, or one of my enforcers will be with her at all times. You have my word on it." Liam sounded firm, and I wasn't sure if that first part was directed at me or Brax.
"That doesn't fix the problem she's already created," Brax said, his gaze canny. "I wonder how the newly selected master of the Midwest would take it if he found out one of his own had misstepped so horribly. How would he handle it if the rest of our city knew the vampires have taken it upon themselves to interfere with our young? It might feed into some of the hard feelings that have been brewing over the last few months."
Liam was a frozen statue at my side, none of his feelings leaking through as he regarded the wolf with a lazy gaze. "You've made your point. To help smooth over this matter, I will attempt to locate the pup and bring her back to her pack."
Brax drummed his fingers on his thigh, studying me and the vampire at my side. He looked like he didn't like the proposal, but he couldn't find a reason to say no. Sondra, at his back, shook her head in disgust and hopped off my counter.
"Fine." Brax's acceptance was grudging. "You keep her close, and if by chance you find Caroline, you notify me immediately."
Liam gave him a sharp nod.
Brax's gaze swung to me. "And you?"
I let out a breath. "Whatever you say."
Liam turned his head, meeting my eyes with a catlike smile, as if he'd gotten everything he'd ever wanted. His hand behind me reached up to twirl a piece of hair around his finger. I narrowed my eyes at him and sat forward.
"Checkmate," he rumbled in a low voice, one intended only for my ears.
We remained seated as Brax and Sondra showed themselves out. The stairway rattled as they made their way down, even supernatural beings unable to navigate its length silently.
Nathan said, "That went well."
Eric, his hands clasped behind his back, made a small noise of disagreement. Liam pulled his arm from the couch behind me and leaned forward.
"What are you guys doing here anyways?" I asked. Not that I was complaining, for once. Without them, I got the sense things might have gone very differently for me with the werewolf alpha. I had a feeling I might have been kidnapped before the day was over, had Liam and company not shown up.
It was just strange, that was all, given the sun's height. It was just now beginning to set, and I could feel it as it began its descent. Twilight wouldn't be far away. While the myth that vampires couldn't go out in the sun was largely just that—myth—it was still true that it wasn't our natural element. I'm told that older vampires, ones that have matured enough to stay awake through the day, could go out in it without burning themselves to a crisp. They could enjoy the beach on a summer day, catch a wave and sun themselves. All the things I haven't been able to do for two years. The drawback being, they were significantly weaker and long-term exposure became uncomfortable. Or so I'm told.
Nathan and Eric looked at Liam. After a beat, Nathan said, "We heard the wolves were in the area and thought we'd stop by to see if you needed help."
I frowned at Nathan. Something about that story didn't add up. "You drove all the way from your headquarters downtown to my little abode on a rumor? During rush hour?"
Nathan once again looked at Liam before nodding. "Yup, that's what we did."
I turned to glance at Liam. He stared back at me, his gaze enigmatic. He looked relaxed and at ease as he rested against the couch, as if he'd just stopped by for pizza and a beer. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was pretty pleased about this turn of events.
"Did you have someone watching my apartment?"
His gaze sharpened, and the slightest bit of tension entered his muscles. That was a yes.
"I thought we had an agreement," I said, my eyes flashing with anger. "You leave me alone if I found one of Thomas’s progeny, and I go my merry way."
Thomas was the vampire who had become the master of the city and the ruler for all the surrounding territory earlier this spring. He also happened to be my sire. I'd negotiated for my freedom before revealing that last bit. It should have been enough to buy me out of vampire interference, but as usual, things were stickier and more complicated than I'd anticipated.
"That agreement was with Thomas and Thomas alone." Liam relaxed back into the couch.
"He's your leader. How can you say that?" I said.
"As I recall, he only agreed to not force you into a clan or compel you to serve him; nothing in there about keeping an eye on you," he said with a lazy smile that exposed the points of his fangs.
Vampires. Always looking for a loophole.