Page 124 of Those That Are Lost
“Hands where we can see them,” the taller one yells.
“Fuck off Paden,” Mitch half stumbles a step forward. “And put the knives away, you missed all the action.”
I want to demand how Mitch knows the male’s name but I’m too dumbstruck.
More come round the corner, more males in combat gear and a couple of females too, including one I think is the shield.
The last two are both pure Fae. Their grace and distinctively pointed ears are hard to miss. The male is in all black but jeans and a shirt instead of combat attire like the rest. And the female is wearing a crisp black suit, her blonde hair braided over one shoulder.
She pauses as she takes in Mitch’s battered state.
“You’re alive. Would’ve been nice of you to answer your damn phone,” she quips, but I see the tension in her shoulder relax a little.
“Been rather busy,” Mitch bites back. “As you can see, it kinda went to hell tonight.”
“Was the outcome as planned?” she asks, scanning each of us and the bodies stacked by the growing fire.
I stay rooted to the spot, Red similarly tense beside me. Her curiosity at the conversation unfolding in front of us is more trusting than the betrayal brewing in my chest. It’s clear Mitch knows whoever this squad is.
And it’s clear as a summer’s day that they are a team. They’ve slipped into easy formation without communicating verbally. They’re all watching each other's backs, and whilst weapons have been sheathed for now, I note how they all keep their hands poised to draw them once more. A few are even strapped with guns which has me hesitating in engaging in any way.
I feel Henry and Antares move towards us, slinking silently into a protective range. They sense the danger and arereacting to their need to protect us. I catch Antares’s gaze and he cocks his head the tiniest amount in question.
“Not yet”I mouth to him as subtly as I can. I have no idea how many he can pull under his power’s control at once but the look of determination on his features tells me he really wants to try it on each and every one of the new threats standing against us.
“I’d say so, although I’m sure they’re about to attack you, so can I fill you in after introductions are made?” Mitch says casually, opening his stance so his back isn’t to us any longer.
“Can someone please explain what is going on?” Henry is the one to step forward and demand answers.
It’s the female in a suit that answers. “I’m Detective Chief Superintendent Morris, I am in charge of the protection unit for Froan. We have been gathering intelligence that vampires still remain on the island and that a pack is being established. Detective Sergeant Mitchell called this evening requesting assistance.”
She gestures at Mitch and my blood drains. Clutching Red tighter to my side, I stare that the male whom I shared a room with, shared this whole plan with, and was trusting with my mate in a flat across the continent a week ago. Has he been playing us the entire time?
“You’re with them?” Antares accuses. “How?”
Mitch catches my gaze and must see the anger behind my blank expression because his eyes fall away before he speaks in a submissive gesture.
“Ty, I am so sorry I lied. I had to keep my cover.”
“How long?”How long has he been planning to rat us out.
“I was part of the force before I came here. It’s the reason I came here.”
“But you’re a…” Red speaks beside me, almost saying the word that will hand Mitch, and probably the rest of us, a death sentence.
“I’m a vampire, yes,” Mitch responds calmly. My eyes shoot to the line of detectives who now have every right to arrest and kill him for that admission. However, none of them move. None of them look even remotely surprised. “I manipulated Adicious into turning me so I could join the pack undercover.”
“I know this will be hard to trust,” the Fae female, the one in charge says. “But we are not here to arrest you. My squad was formed about six years ago to investigate the likelihood that any vampires still remained here on Froan Island. There had been a few instances that had flagged warnings in the system. We’ve also been canvassing the public, trying to gauge the feeling towards vampires now that there are a few decades between the war and the hate campaign has died down.”
My heart is beating out of rhythm in my chest. For a second, I worry I’d assessed my earlier injury wrong, but as each unbelievable word comes out of their mouth sinks in, I feel more terrified. Despite the words, I fear I’ve led Red home and walked her into a bigger trap than the one we were here to fight. I’ve led Henry and Antares to their slaughter.
‘Do we run?’Red’s voice cuts through the million different thoughts racing around my head. Her voice sounds scared and I want to lash out. We’ve been through enough these last few days.
‘I don’t think we can,’I tell her honestly.‘They have guns, and several have powers. The shield is making it hard to tell how strong their magic is but I’d bet several are powerful. That’s without talking about the two Fae in the middle.’
“Ty…” It’s Ash that speaks up. “I know this is hard to comprehend, but they speak the truth. They’re not here to arrest you. We’ve been working with them too.”
I nearly stagger backwards with the information.
