Page 48 of Stalk the Dark
“Thanks. Just across the border so I can get reception.”
Padma, Merry, and Edwin filed into the kitchen. Chairs scraped, plates were handed out, cutlery clinked.
Hemlock moved his chair over to make room for Merry, who beamed up at him. He smiled back, an actual warm smile, and my heart stopped for a moment because that smile lit up his face like a beacon. I must have made a sound because his gaze flicked my way, and his smile faded.
“Did you tell Ordell and Hemlock about our run-in with Matthew?” Merry asked.
The hunters turned their attention on me, expectant.
I washed down my mouthful. “He’s handing out invites to some Midnight Ball, and he said something about there being rules at the Exciatio where the nobles bring veins to share. I think he was intimating that Ezekiel might try to do the same with me.”
“You’re not a vein,” Ordell said.
“But she is his companion,” Hemlock pointed out. “Just like the veins will be to the nobles.” He chewed on his cheeks. “It’s something we need to consider.”
“The ordained cannot be fed on,” Padma saidfirmly. “It’s part of the agreement we have with Dracul territory.”
Hemlock snorted softly. “And how many of the terms in that agreement have already been manipulated or broken?”
“Good point.”
I sat back in my seat. “My mission is to protect the humans of this territory and keep Ezekiel safe. But if any sucker tries to sink his fangs into me, I’ll cut off his head. Period.”
“And start a war,” Ordell said. “If you go in as Ezekiel’s companion and harm a noble, there will be a civil war. Ezekiel may be the king of vampires, and at one time he was undoubtedly the most powerful, but this soon after awakening, he’s at his weakest.”
“The years he sleeps keep him weak,” Hemlock said. “The time heisawake is never enough for him to regain his full power.”
“So why sleep?”
Hemlock shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him that.”
“Or not,” Ordell said. “At least not yet. You need to get on his good side first.”
His good side…My dream came to mind, my body pressed to Ezekiel’s…Yep, not that good. I never wanted to be that ‘good’ with him.
“So what will you do if Ezekiel offers you to the nobles?” Edwin asked, his dark eyes filled with concern.
An idea bloomed in my mind based off thingsEzekiel had said and the information in the archives. “I’ll do what I do best. Planned improvisation.”
The carriage rideto the border passed quickly in pleasant conversation. Ordell recounted a particularly amusing hunt from a few months back, and the half hour to the border was filled with laughter. He had a nice laugh, the kind of laugh I felt in my belly. The kind that left me feeling warm, as if I were being held.
What would it be like to be held by Ordell? Not when injured or when he was protecting me, but just…held. Hugged. The thought brought me up short, worrying because I hadn’t wanted this kind of intimacy for a long time, and never this quickly withanymale before.
“What are you thinking?” Ordell asked. “Pondering my offer from the other day?”
I’d been doing my best to forget about that. “No, I was thinking about hugs and how they can make you feel.” Why had I said that?
“Oh?” He slid a glance my way. “Do you like hugs?”
“I mean, who doesn’t?” I kept it light and added a slight chuckle to hide my discomfort. The last thing I needed was for him to take it as an invitation. Nurturing the connection that was growing between us was the road to trouble.
The mist came into view. “Here we go.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and switched it on as we cantered through it. Once again, I held my breath until we were on the other side, letting it out in a long exhale that made Ordell chuckle.
I hopped out of my seat and hit speed dial for Micah. I had a feeling this would be the kind of conversation that required some pacing on my part.
“Orina,” Micah said. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”
“Please tell me you have good news.”
