Page 107 of The Enemy to the Living
“He’s yourmate, Quinn.” Drew’s grin turns wicked, which I’d say he’s learnt from his mates, but he’s right—I know him better than that. “Didn’t know you were going to go after such an old man, by the way.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, because Adam’s so young, is he?”
“For a vampire,” Drew says, sniffing primly, and then we both collapse into chuckles. Drew lets go of me and leans back on the cushions.
Oh. “Speaking of vampires…”
“Yeah?”
“The Hunt has a young one. Grant.”
“Young?”
“He was turned about fifteen years ago, Asher said.”
I asked about Grant in between everything today. Asher’s a little worried about him, too. Not because Vlad turned him and that seems—as far asIcan tell—to have given him powers he otherwise might not have—but because he spends all his time at the base and, yeah, doesn’t seem to have his own friends, even if he’s friendly with some of the fae.
“What about him?” Drew asks, no doubt tucking that information away for later. I’m not worried about it. He’ll ask his mates, and they’ll keep whatever they know to themselves.
“He wants to see a wolf shift. I can show him, but I thought it might be nice if he could hang out with you, me, and Dax one morning.”
Drew’s grin splits his face in two. “You’re coming running with us?”
“Yeah? Of course. Now that I can shift again…” Iwantto. My wolf stretches because he does too but doesn’t push for me to shift now. Drew and I could both shift in here, but we wouldn’t have much room to do anything but lie around afterwards.
“Yeah, he can come,” Drew says, almost breathless. “I mean, I’ll check with Dax, but he won’t care. Oh! Do you think he’ll chase us?”
I snort, then think of the way Vlad never takes his eyes from Grant for too long. “Yeah. We might have to be gentle with him, though. His sire will have something to say about it if not.”
“Yeah, no, that’s fine. It’ll be great. Let’s do it!”
We fall into making plans—this will have to happen at night, of course, and I don’t know exactly when I’ll be spending time with Asher, but Drew can go any day before he has to be at Hallowed Grounds, and Dax seems easygoing enough.
A sharp knock at the door interrupts us. I don’t even need to try to scent who’s there; it’s apparent from the instant way Drew relaxes next to me. “Sam’s here.”
I frown but get up to open the door. Sam smiles up at me, not a hint of dislike in his expression or scent, and my wolf barks at the presence of our pack’s second, forcing my eyes low.
Sam doesn’t seem to care about that. His smile bubbles up into a grin. “Asher’s here.”
He is? I scramble, reaching for that strengthening bond in my chest.He is!But he’s down the hall, in…
“Why isn’t he here?” Drew asks before I can. He rests his chin on my shoulder and Sam snickers at the sight of us.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go and find out.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Asher
TheHuntsmaniswaitingwhen I arrive at the base, and true to form, he doesn’t look pleased about it. Everyone else is on edge, except Maurice, who gives me a knowing grin from the seat he’s taken next to Grant on the sofa. Vlad stands behind them both, with Jeremiah and Paxton over in the corner where Paxton usually sits.
“Maurice informed me you were busy,” the Huntsman says, disapproval clear in his tone. I take a seat next to Maurice on the sofa and rest my elbows on my thighs, surveying the Huntsman for a moment.
Start as I mean to go on. I won’t devalue what Quinn and I have for anything, and I meant what I promised—I won’t abandon him either, no matter the cost.
“I was with my mate,” I say, and behind me, Vlad lets out a barely audible hiss.
The Huntsman holds my gaze for a second before his eyes fall to my chest. “I see.”
