Page 47 of Fanged Secrets
I winced as her mouth formed the words, something snake-like and alive writhing in my stomach. Right… that.
Of all the terrible things I had come to expect from my father, it had never occurred to me that he’d go so far as to orchestrate my demise to further his agenda. And while I still wasn’t sure exactly what his agenda was, it was pretty clear – painfully clear – just how little my father thought of me. Despite everything Don had put me through, it still hurt.
When I looked up from licking my wounds, I saw Jordan speaking and pushed all other thoughts from my mind. There would be time to grieve a loveless childhood later, for the time being we had to figure out Don’s next move. I couldn’t protect myself from Don, but I could damn well try to protect Dylan.
“We tested the substance out on a few volunteer vamps.” Jordan’s lips moved quickly, but I could just catch on to her words. “Whatever was mixed into that perfume, it was definitely intended to target our kind. Every single one of them went into bloodlust almost immediately. It took three of us to subdue one. And not without injury.”
When Jordan paused and looked toward me, all eyes followed. “And yet, somehow, you snapped Dylan out of it without getting so much as a scratch.”
My eyes snapped to Dylan in alarm. Dylan looked uncomfortable and adjusted the collar of her jacket.
It hadn’t occurred to me just how much of an impact the perfume had on her. Sure, she’d been terrifying, but I thought that was just how vampires were. I thought maybe she couldsense I was about to start my period… I blushed slightly at that mortifying thought.
“Maybe it’s because of the mating bo–” Maxine’s lips moved briefly, but she was abruptly cut off by Hunter's hands coming up to cover her mouth.
“The what?” I signed my question at Dylan, but she only looked more uncomfortable.
“Later,” she signed back, looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. “I’ll fill you in later.”
“Anyway,” Jordan continued, but I noticed the slightest smile twinge the corner of her mouth, “it’s safe to say whoever made that perfume knows what we are. It was tailored perfectly to mess with our senses.”
Her burgeoning smile fell away and she leaned back in her seat. “Meaning Don Leone knows more about us than he’s let on. It’s also highly likely he’s working in tandem with the dragon shifters – another anomaly we still know very little about.”
“What happened on the mission to the warehouse?” Dylan leaned forward beside me and I strained to catch sight of her lips.
“There was no one there when we arrived.” River was the one to answer, tugging at a tassel on her coat. “They cleared out before we got there. Probably got spooked once they knew their hideout was compromised.”
“So basically,” Hunter piped up, lips moving decidedly slowly and I imagined her speaking with a bored drawl to match her expression, “we know jackshit and fuck all and our list of enemies keeps getting longer.”
“We have an idea of what Don’s plan could be.” River shot a disapproving look at Hunter, most likely for her foul mouth. “According to vampire rules, Amara is a human we agreed to shelter. If she were killed by a Leyore vampire, Don coulddemand a life for a life. He could seek revenge, and that would give him the excuse to go after one of us.”
Dylan cocked her head to the side. “Couldn’t he have just done that from the beginning? Why offer up his daughter on a silver platter and not just aim to kill from the start?”
“Because he’d lose,” Jordan cut in. “If he just attacked us it would mean losses on his side. We’re vampires, he knows what we’re capable of.”
“So…?” I watched Dylan’s questioning expression and molded my own to match.
“So, he’s playing by our rules instead. He surrendered Amara to keep the peace. If Dylan were to have killed Amara – sorry – then he would be able to demand compensation. A life for a life.”
I gripped Dylan’s arm in horror, holding tight like my father could appear any moment and tear her away from me for good. Dylan put a reassuring hand over mine, squeezing my leg under the table as she faced Jordan. “But what good does it do him to just have me killed? He’ll be down a daughter and back at square one.”
“He doesn’t want you dead,” Jordan replied, deadpanning as she laid out the facts. “He wants me. If he can take me out in a fair fight, then the Leyore coven crumbles. I haven’t named a successor yet, and no new leader would be able to come into their power until the next Black Moon, which is months away.”
“Maybe that’s where the dragon shifters come in.” River shifted in her seat and I snapped my head up to catch her words. “If they’re working together, Jordan’s death would pave the way for them to take over completely. It’s Jeremy all over again.”
I aimed a quizzical look at Dylan and mouthed. “Jeremy?”
Dylan shook her head, rubbing at her brow like the whole conversation was draining her.
Jordan ran her hands through her hair, looking suddenly fatigued herself. “It’s clever, I’ll give him that. He only has to kill one vampire rather than face off against our forces.”
“But can he kill you?” Dylan gestured at Jordan with a raised brow. “I mean, a human going up against a vampire. I wouldn’t call that a fair fight.”
My head ping-ponged back and forth on my shoulders as I struggled to keep up with their debate.
I was just in time to see Maxine pipe up, lips pouted more so than usual. “Don would be allowed to choose a champion. He doesn’t have to fight Jordan himself. He could very well pit her against one of their strongest dragon shifters. Though I wouldn’t call that much of a fair fight either. Those guys are terrifying.”
Jordan looked pensive. “It’s a plausible theory. Don has always been power hungry, and eliminating me would give him a clear path to domination.”
