Page 95 of Bite of Vengeance

The emotion faded from his face. “He’s with Amaros. Go find him.”

“He’s entranced,” Pax said, disbelief lacing his voice. “See it, Kali? It gets triggered when you ask, no one else.”

“Entranced?” Cold dread slithered through me. “No.”

“Yes.” Pax cursed. “Amaros must have done it before you two left the property.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Viggo asked, a scowl on his face. “I’m fine.”

“You left with Zan over an hour ago,” Gia said softly, stepping beside me. “Now you’re here. What happened to Zan?”

Viggo scanned the room as if waiting for Zan to appear. After a few moments of silence, horror slid across his face before he stumbled back into the wall.

“I didn’t—” He ran his hands over his head. “—I don’t remember.”

“It’s okay,” Pax pacified him. “It’s not your fault.”

It wasn’t his fault, but it sure as hell wasn’t okay. If he’d been entranced, what else had he done under Amaros’s control? Did their father know we were in Deadwood? All the plans we had with the Clovers? This could wreck everything. Though, none of that was at the forefront of my mind.

I strode toward the door, hearing Pax curse before he slid in front of me.

“Where are you going?” he asked with a frown.

“I’m finding Zan.”

“That’s what my father wants,” he snapped. “I know your bond with Zan is wrecking any logical thought because he’s in danger. And that bond will lead you straight to him. It will also put you right into a trap where Amaros wants you. You need to think clearly?—”

“I’m thinking perfectly fucking clear,” I cut him off sharply, my body strumming with impatience. “Move, Pax.”

“You can’t go by yourself,” Gia added, her voice full of worry.

“I’m not going alone. I’m going to find Rya.” I met Pax’s eyes. “I have an army behind me. One that Amaros fears so much that he kept them locked up for years. His vampires are no match for Shadows.”

“If you go in blind, then Amaros will have the upper hand, even if you have Shadows with you,” Pax said slowly. “Just wait. Let us plan before we go.”

I scoffed. “We? Your brother can’t be trusted. Not now.”

“Which is why he needs to stay in our sight,” Pax shot back.

“Kali, think about this,” Gia added as she stood next to Viggo. “You need Pax and me. We know Amaros better than anyone. Just sit down and talk about it.”

Viggo was staring at me, his body sagging in defeat. “I’m fucking sorry. I didn’t know. I’ll do whatever it takes to get Zan back.”

I believed him. The only problem was that we had no idea what would trigger Amaros’s entrancement. He couldn’t be left alone for that reason, but bringing him with us was also a risk.

I sighed, nodding tightly. “Fine. We plan. Then we go.”

Chapter 38

Zan

Iwas jostled awake, and I swallowed my groan, my neck still aching from Viggo snapping it. I kept my eyes closed, letting my other senses take over. The humming from an engine alerted me that I was in a vehicle. Heartbeats other than my own surrounded me, and I counted at least six bodies. A slice of relief slid through me when I couldn’t smell Kali’s scent. At least she wasn’t here.

“Don’t try to pretend with me, son.” My father’s disappointed voice cut through the silence. “Sit up.”

My stomach rolled with unease as I cracked my eyes open. Amaros was sitting across from me, his eyes locked on me as I slowly moved to sit up. Tension blanketed the air as I glanced around, seeing his most loyal vampires on either side of me. Whatever vehicle we were in most likely belonged to PARA at some point. It was a spacious area with long benches running along the walls of the truck. There were no windows, making it impossible to know where we were.

“I wish it didn’t come to this,” Amaros murmured, shaking his head. “You betrayed me. You allowed your brothers to do the same. All because of one fucking woman.”

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