Sadie, on the other hand, had smoke practically billowing out her ears, but as only a quarter wolf shifter, she wasn’t about to shift on me.
The other two were fifty/fifty bets.
“This... this... vampire,” Sadie practically spat, lifting her arm and pointing to the oldest vampire in the city.
Bartholomew Jones. Double fuck.
“Just threatened me.”
I stepped closer to Sadie and put a hand on her, then thought better of it and reached for the men instead, gripping each of their wrists and squeezing.
A fission of awareness skittered up my spine when I touched them, but I shook the thoughts of lust away and focused on the massive task I had in front of me. I had to keep everyone calm enough so that the Father didn’t have an excuse to protect himself and kill us all.
I leveled my gaze on Bartholomew, though Fridge tugged his arm to get away from me, and I could hear the growl in Rogan’s chest rolling towards me.
I was stronger than both shifters. They weren’t breaking my grasp that easily.
“Hello, Father.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep my cool when I saw the light of excitement in Bartholomew’s eyes.
This particular vampire Father rarely left the safety of his fortress. A penthouse in one of the most expensive parts of the city.
The fact that he was here, alone, said volumes about how important this meeting with Sadie was.
I straightened my spine. “May I help you?”
Bartholomew lifted his nose a touch, his anger at my lack of subservience obvious. But I was not about to go down on my knees and kiss his hand in front of all these people, and he knew it.
Especially since my own clan had officially ostracized me since I’d refused to kill Jack Williams.
I owed them nothing.
The Father spoke, “Vincent, Vincent, Vincent. I’d heard you’d become mixed up with the wrong sort of people, but I hadn’t realized it was this... group.”
Bartholomew’s nose curled up like he smelled something foul, but all I could sense now was Fridge’s sweat. He was getting hot and angry. And it was making me hard.
Focus!
“One can’t choose our blood mate, as you know, Father.”
The ancient vampire’s eyes widened infinitesimally.
I wasn’t sure if I’d made the right choice to reveal that Sadie was important to me, but it was pretty obvious to anyone who watched us together. No point hiding it now.
Hopefully the vampires wouldn’t use her against me in the future, but at this point it was a risk I was willing to take.
“And which of these creatures is your mate?” he asked, his gaze flicking around the group that now surrounded me.
His eyes found Fridge and a smile curled his lips. “The large dragon, perhaps?”
“Get fucked...” Fridge hissed in a strange, snake-like voice and went to move past me.
I gripped his wrist with all my strength and clicked my tongue. “Fridge. Stand down.”
I turned my head and glared at him for a single second, not wanting to look away from the Father, but also needing to convey to Fridge how serious I was.
This vampire could kill all four of us in a manner of moments if he chose.
But he was a stickler for the rules, thank God, and would not execute us without cause.
We must not give him that cause.
Fridge’s eyes connected with mine and the dragon was on full show. His eyes had shifted to a diamond shape and his skin was rippling with purple and black scales.
I glared at him—hard—willing him to understand.
Please, Fridge. Please. Hold it together.
Fridge’s jaw clenched hard and his skin began to flicker back to human.
Thank you.
I turned back to the Father. “I’m sure Sadie misunderstood you, Father. Thank you for coming by. Can I walk you out?”
“No! He...” Sadie began to argue against me.
I wrapped my free arm around Sadie’s shoulders and pulled her tightly into my side. “We don’t want to keep the Father from his important duties, Sadie.”
Sadie’s chest was heaving beneath my arm and I pulled her in front of me to hold against my ribs.
We hadn’t known each other long. Would they all trust me in this?
Eventually, I could feel the tension leave Sadie and she stiffly nodded her head. “Please leave.”
Bartholomew obviously couldn’t resist a final shot and smiled at Sadie. “Please remember what I said. Your father wasn’t very smart when it came to the politics of this city, but I hope you will heed my warning. It would be such a shame... if you didn’t.”
Sadie’s breath caught in her throat and I thought I heard her swallow a sob, but nothing was said, and finally Bartholomew bowed his head and swept out of the room.
I raced for the door and shut it as fast as I could, turning around to receive the explosion from my mates I was expecting.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Sadie screamed at me.
Fridge charged forward with his arms outstretched as though to strangle me. “We could have taken him.”
I zipped across the room and out of his grasp. Then I decided to let my own feelings explode into my bloodstream, coursing around my body and making me wild with anger.
“What was I doing?” I repeated, glaring at Sadie. “Saving your life! Saving ALL of your lives! Do you not know who that was?”
Rogan, who had been the most restrained of the three began to pace up and down. “It was a vampire. So what?”
I huffed out a humorless laugh. “A vampire? Just a vampire? That was Bartholomew Jones. The oldest vampire in the entire city. Also, the most ruthless. He lost his humanity a long time ago, and if you had given him even the smallest reason to attack, he would have taken all three of your heads off and walked out the door without a single person reproaching him. You’re lucky I got here when I did.”
Fridge charged up to me, his hands clenched and his nostrils flaring. This time I didn’t run away but held my ground and stared up into his gaze.
“What the hell are you talking about? We could have taken him on.” He growled at me.
I covered my mouth with my hand but not before a laugh escaped. “Taken him on? Have you lost your mind? You and Rogan could not overcome me... and Bartholomew could kill me with a single blow. Do you seriously think you would stand a chance against him?”
Anger and frustration flashed through Fridge’s face and I saw his swinging haymaker punch coming from a mile away.
I ducked and grabbed him, twisting him around and slamming him up against the wall behind me. Then I deliberately got up in his face to make my point.
I grabbed his shirt and put my nose up next to his. “Do you think I’m joking? Do you think I’m full of ego when I say this? I am serious as a seizure. He will kill you... he will kill all of you... if you give him an excuse. I saved your lives, and I deserve a thank you, not this nonsense you’re dealing.”
Fridge’s posture changed and he relaxed against me. I knew I was pressing my hard cock into his belly, and as his eyes changed back to human, he glanced down and I realized he could feel it too.
When he met my gaze once more, there was something else there. Something I’d never seen before, and something I didn’t have time to explore.
Not right now, anyway.
I stepped away and moved towards the door. I opened my mouth to tell them all that I was heading back to the apartment, but I heard Sadie’s sob and the others rushed for her.