Page 10 of Hound

With a large opening, lance-shaped glossy green leaves crawled on it. Moonlight crept into the wide space and reflected on the limestone with a small glow, highlighting flowers in the dirt. They reached my thigh in height, but I nearly stepped on them since their pitch-black petals camouflaged in the dark.

Humidity clung to the damp air, a slight powdery-like scent trailing the deeper I walked inside. Why was it familiar? I shook it away, my line of focus centering as I tugged my baby inside through thin layers of mud. At the far end, where shadows met, the sleek exterior of my motorcycle obscured itself.

There was no way the naked eye could detect it.

With suitcases in hand, I headed back the same route, but instead of entering from the front, I eased into the off-end entrance. Guardians were taught to distinguish camouflaged doors at any corner, but this one wasn’t supposed to be easyfor half-humans. It was for superior eyesight that could notice the minuscule difference in the hardware, the obscure hollow outline that appeared from three meters away.

But why?

I stored that thought for later. Right now, I had a different priority. And I’d wasted enough time, so each security point would be handled tomorrow.

A four-story building met my eyesight as I stepped through. Further down, another tall gate enclosed the space, guardians posted within centimeters of each other. But what caught my attention was the short figure with black hair that, even in a high braid, reached below her kneecaps, as she crossed and didn’t notice me in the distance.

Adrenaline pumped through my chest as my body sprinted into action. She stopped before the other tall gate in high alert, shoulders raised and back straightening as she faced me. Quickly, I closed the gap between us as she whirled right and into me.

Furrowed, soft, yet angled features against deep, umber skin suddenly eased. Wide forest green eyes fell on me. Recognition softened her gaze and plump lips pouted as she jumped onto me. Her short, muscular build easily weighed into my embrace.

“Lorenzo!” Katerina Eli’s familiar low, silvery voice reverberated in my ears.

“I’ve missed you, Nina.”

My cousin pulled away and hopped onto the ground. It had been months since we last saw each other, yet there was a different air to her. In gym clothes, she’d always been relaxed. Casual. But with the newest edition of the black guardian uniform, she stood taller and authoritative. It had also been a while since I’d seen her in uniform.

Her eyes shimmered as they took me in, but a hint of wariness shadowed them. As if I was a ghost from the past. Like I was the last person she was hoping to see.

I lifted the metal suitcase that had weighed down my ride. “Don’t think Lace didn’t warn me about your non-feeding habits.”

“It’s not a habit,” she said as she took it from my hand. Ah, there was the typical defense. “It was a mistake.”

I wrapped an arm around her neck and smoldered her into my chest. My other hand rubbed against the top of her head like I always used to do as a kid. She hated it. I loved it. “‘Cause of that, you owe me two laps.”

She tugged, trying to get away from my hold, but that only worsened my grip on her. “But! You just got here!”

“There are no buts, Nina,” I said and pulled her away from wherever she thought she was going. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Chapter 4

CHRISTOPHER SEPHTIS

October was a month of temperate weather, dedicated to fun, celebratory observances for humans. Vampires were known to partake in particular celebrations for further assimilation, however, under the Sephtis household, the tenth month of the year was the beginning of tumultuous measures in the act of revenge.

The schemes begun as a means to release anger between the seven of us, to showcase the suffering that our society and That Man had bestowed on our mother. The message was never received, and in turn, the schemes simply increased—from staged, small scuffles in social events to arguments targeted toward Ministry members to destruction of property that infiltrated national news and resulted in permanent bans.

For five years, amongst ourselves, the schemes were our source of entertainment. Until it wasn’t. And nearly two weeks ago proved so.

Kaleb, the third oldest of the Sephtis name, acted on pure impulse to repair his inflated yet sensitive ego, utterly ignoring the positions I’d set in stone. Schemes, with their rigorous mechanisms, could never simply be enacted by one or two. Allwere to contribute their part to balance its scales—because if the equilibrium unsteadied, all collapsed.

His scheme wasn’t merely for entertainment. Dragging Alek, the fourth oldest, permanently rooted in the middle, was dense. Nearly unjustifiably killing two of our guardians was senseless. However, committing to all of this and endangering the Ambrogio sisters was pure homicide.

Thankfully, through the help of Anabella, I’d secured their words that the actions of that day wouldn’t escape the household’s walls. But even the simplest favors had the heftiest dues.

A swift knock reverberated from my chamber’s door. There was no need for a response when this territory harbored one person who warned rather than sought approval when entering.

“Sonia.”

Our Senior Guardian was as unchanging as this household. Dark, metal-black hair withstood gravity in a sleek ponytail, the waist-length, pin-straight strands unmoving along her broad back as she paused. Large mirrored-shades enhanced her sharp cheekbones and contoured her cool amber flesh as she bowed.

Over two decades stood no ground against her and the vibrant, ruby red lipstick she appeared to live in.

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