I squinted at the purple shading, my brow furrowing as I caught a slight shift in the color. “What is that?” They weren’t yellowish orange like the others. “Why are they so faint?”
“Age,” he replied. “Go pick out some knives. You’re going to need them.”
That didn’t sound good. I wanted to ask him what was happening, but he disappeared into his armory again before I had a chance.
So I did as he requested and picked a few knives from the wall of weapons decorating his sparring area. They were combat-style tools meant for hand-to-hand training, very unlike the items in his secret room.
I also selected two throwing stars, one of which I carefully tucked into the back of my boxer shorts. The other stayed in my hand, while I held two knives in the other.
This isn’t very efficient, I thought as Ryder returned in a dark vest that matched his black pants. He was still shirtless beneath, leaving his muscular arms on display. They bulged threateningly as he slipped a blade into his tool belt. It reminded me of one a Vigil would wear, only more high-tech.
I was about to ask for one, but my mouth forgot how to function as I caught the dark glimmer in his eyes.
“If you ever go in there without my permission, you’ll regret it,” he informed me as he approached. Then he seized my chin between his finger and thumb and forced me to look at him. “And if you even think about using those daggers on me tonight, you’ll find out how I prefer to use a knife. Got it?”
“You’re the one who told me to attack you,” I reminded him. This wasn’t the time for a debate, but my exhausted mind couldn’t help throwing words back at him. Everything he did went against the norm.
Shouldn’t his Vigils be handling the attack outside? Wasn’t that one of their key responsibilities—to ensure the safety of their royal vampire?
Is Ryder even who he says he is?
His eyes narrowed. “Now isn’t the time for being clever, little pet.”
“I’m just saying, you keep changing your rules.” Making it impossible to know what to expect from him.
“Then learn to read me better,” he replied, tightening his grip on my chin. “Those assholes want to kill me. That’s why they’re here. I strongly suggest you do what I say if you want to survive.”
I held his gaze. “What do you want me to do?”
“Help me kill them.”
“How?”
“By protecting my interior,” he murmured, his grasp loosening just a little. “And try not to die. I’m not done with you yet.”
That sounds promising, I thought with a mental snort.
“The power is going to go out in about sixty seconds as a result of my emergency protocols,” he added. “Now go find a decent hiding spot before that happens. If anyone who isn’t me touches you, stab them. Understand?”
Part of me wanted to deliver a snarky retort, but the moving blobs on the screen had me reevaluating my stance and nodding instead. “Okay.”
“Good girl,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my lips that sent a tingle down my spine. “Happy killing.”
7
Ryder
These assholes thought they could sneak up on me. I would have laughed if it weren’t such a fucking insult.
I crept over the roof of my home, careful to stick to the shadows. My security had sprung to life about forty seconds ago, cloaking my property in darkness. But I couldn’t do anything about the moon hanging overhead.
The idiots with death wishes were coming in on all sides, making it difficult for me to pick a position. So I went with the corner facing the three with minimal body heat. They would be the oldest. Vampires didn’t grow colder over time; we just required less blood to survive. And my thermal scans picked up on that aspect of the body signature. It helped me know whom I was up against before they arrived.
None of them would compare to me in age unless Kylan had decided to pay me an unexpected visit. But last I checked, he had a brain. So no way in hell would he be creeping over my yard now.
I rolled my neck, loosening my shoulders, and lowered myself into position near the sniper rifle I kept up here just for this purpose. I had seven, all in different areas and facing opposite directions.
One could never be too prepared in my position.
I’d pissed a few vampires off when I originally opted to remain here instead of taking a leadership role. Most had given up trying to punish me for it. So I suspected these bastards were here for an entirely different reason.
All right, Dick Number One, let’s see where you are.
My scope had night vision equipment enabled, allowing me to easily spy my target about seven hundred yards out. This was precisely why I had my security equipment set up at my borders. It gave me time to prepare, and the alarms wouldn’t be heard that far out, even by lycan ears.
I scanned the area for Dick Number Two and Dick Number Three.
They’d spaced out a little, making it difficult to take them all down in sequence. Which meant one or two might disappear after I fired off the first bullet.
I waited half a beat, measuring the distance of their varied trajectories, then fired one bullet directly into Dick Number Two’s skull. He’d survive with a mild headache but wouldn’t wake for at least an hour. That would give me enough time to take down some of the others permanently and leave him alive for questioning.
Dick Number One tried to fall to the ground, just like I expected him to. I pulled the trigger to ensure he stayed there permanently, then focused on Dick Number Three. He’d also collapsed to the ground, my lack of trees making hiding difficult.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
I pulled the trigger, his angle of escape predictable.
And those were the oldest of the group, leaving nine young vampires left to play with.
My rifle compromised my position and cost me the element of surprise, but it was worth it to take down the larger threats.
Rolling up to the balls of my feet, I edged along the side of my roof to one of the makeshift ladders I’d built into the brick siding. Several quick steps later, my boots touched the gravel below.
I didn’t waste time looking around. Even if the vampires had run, they wouldn’t be here yet.
Moving a few feet to the right, I knelt and pulled open one of my trapdoors in the dirt, then dropped into the tunnel below. My entire property held a maze beneath the surface, all lined with hidden entrances that could only be accessed by my thumbprint.
Maybe I should have put Willow down here, I thought as I closed the door over my head. Then I frowned at the notion.
Since when did I try to protect others?
Shaking my head, I took off at a sprint toward the area where the largest cluster had been seen on the cameras. They’d probably already split up, but I could catch a few off guard with some of my presents lying in wait throughout the fields.
After a bit of a jog, I slowed my pace, then stopped beside one of my panels to bring up the footage of my property.
Two offenders had already reached the front door.
Three more were rounding the back of my house.
One stood near the outer perimeter, unmoving. Maybe he no longer wanted to play. That’d be the smart decision.
Another was less than ten feet from my position and frozen, likely because he could sense my presence.