Page 83 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

He turns around again and loudly says, “Director West has already offered Nora the position. She would be paired with Nick Gorgeous, and the Agency would happily assign her as your ambassador. Anytime the Agency needed to get involved in anything fey-related, Nora would be present to oversee things.”

Now the murmurs are a little louder, and most of the fey stare at Parker curiously. Several clan leaders watch me, as if trying to decide whether having me as their liaison would be good enough.

“How do we know the FUA would keep that promise?” Laagh shouts over the noise. “How do we know they will let Nora be there?”

Parker nods. It’s a fair question. “Because just today, I was hired to be the new Deputy Director of the Detroit Division of the FUA, working directly under Madison West. I will have the authority to make that call.”

“So what?” someone shouts. “You’re a vampire. What’s your promise worth?”

My whole body tenses. Rook grips my shoulder, holding me back. I want to knock some sense into these people. The fact that Parker’s a vampire should have nothing to do with it. “Because he’s my mate!” I snap. Under my breath, I mutter, “One of them, anyway.”

The entire crowd gasps, and then it goes silent in the large, crowded dance hall. “Parker Reed is one of the most honest, trustworthy, decent men I’ve ever met. He also happens to be my clan. Terrance has taken him in, and I’ve taken him as a mate. If that doesn’t show you how much he respects and cares for the fey, then you can all just keep living in the dark by yourselves. I won’t help you if you’re going to be a bunch of elitist assholes. I love all of the races and won’t tolerate any bullshit.”

Rook pulls me back. I didn’t realize I was leaning over the counter toward the crowd. “You can dial it back now.” He chuckles. “I think they get it.”

The room stays quiet for a moment as everyone looks around, waiting for someone else to make a decision or voice an opinion. Vesryn looks around the room, making eye contact with many of the different leaders. Eventually, he turns back to me. “We need time to consider this.”

I let out a breath. That’s more of an answer than I expected. And it seems no one’s demanding I become their queen anymore. So that’s a plus. “Of course,” I say, finally feeling calm. “If you’d like to have your leaders meet with Director West to discuss it further, I can set that up.”

In fact, Director West would be thrilled to have a meeting with the fey leaders.

“And we will not join without you,” Vesryn says. “That is certain. You working there as an agent and as our ambassador, or it will never happen.”

Oh, if Nick were here, his cheeks would be in pain from how big his smirk would be. As it is, Parker’s doing enough smiling for him. I hesitate, but really, the fey are the only reason I didn’t take the job. In fact, if the fey do agree to sign the treaty, my joining the FUA would help them more than refusing the job would. There’s still the issue of the demons, but the chances of them joining are practically nonexistent. “All right,” I finally relent. “If you join, then I’ll join, too, and I’ll agree to be your ambassador.”

“And you’re sure you will not be our queen?” Vesryn tries one last time.

I shake my head with a grin. “I’m sure you don’t need a queen. This is the best direction for our people. I promise.”

Vesryn looks around the room again. When many heads nod back to him, he, in turn, nods to me. “Very well. Set up this meeting, and the leaders of all local clans and solitary fey will attend. We do not make promises, but we will hear the director out.”

I grin and reach out my hand to shake on it when tingles shoot up my spine. The dread hits me hard. If not for Rook standing right beside me, I’d be on the ground. “Premonition?” he growls, already familiar with the signs. His eyes start to glow as he lets his wolf take control.

Parker, Wulf, Terrance, and Illren jump to attention immediately. “How bad?” Terrance asks.

“Bad.” I gasp. “Like Skinny’s.”

The guys spread out around me, looking in all directions. “Best options?” Parker asks, while Rook says, “Anyone see the threat?”

Without warning, Terrance turns to the crowd, who’ve noticed something’s wrong, and bellows in his raging troll voice, “EVERYBODY, GET DOWN NOW!”

Not surprisingly, the people obey. When everyone ducks, one man stands alone toward the front entrance of the club. I recognize the close-cropped head of brown hair and the long, black trench coat, even though the boy can’t be more than seventeen. “Another hunter?” I say.

Rook gasps. “That’s the kid! The one who kept staring at me in the casino last night.”

How could we have missed it? “Shit,” I curse. “I just assumed there were three, because someone had to be driving the car. But both men climbed into the back of the car. I don’t know why I never considered there was someone in the front passenger seat.”

“You bitch!” the boy shouts, pointing at me. His voice cracks from the tears he’s crying, and I actually feel a little sorry for him. “My family is dead because of you!”

Terrance moves to stand right in front of me, and Illren slips silently into the crowd. No doubt he’s slinking off to take care of this new threat. I peek around Terrance’s arm. The boy’s got something in his hand, but it’s not a gun. I can’t tell what it is.

Rook inhales deeply. “Do you smell that?”

Wulf sniffs the air. “Is that…explosives? C-4?”

“Now all of you filthy monsters are going to pay!” the boy screams. He moves his arm out to the side, and his coat flashes open. I catch a glimpse of something strapped to his chest, and I finally recognize what’s in his hand. It’s a detonator. “He’s wearing a bomb!” I cry.

Rook tries to make me duck behind the counter, but I know the boy is going to push the button. We’ll all be dead before Illren can get to him. Without even thinking, I open my mouth and release a haunting melody, pushing my song as hard as I can toward the boy in the back of the room. There are no words, and I’ve never heard the tune before, but it’s not something I’m making up. It’s an ancient song that I know deep down; my ancestors used to sing to lure entire ships to their feet. It’s instinctive.

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