“Remove your hand from me or I’ll rip it from your body,” Ari growls.
Sol does as she says then sighs. “You couldn’t play along, could you?”
6
Solomon
There’s an extra spring in my step as I leave Ari’s house and walk into their front yard. No, I don’t like having my friends targeted, but I love exacting revenge. It’s one of my favorite things. That, loving on my kitten, and being all around fabulous.
“I should have dressed as a detective,” I tell Ford. “I need one of those big magnifying glasses and a pipe. Maybe a hat, too. I’d look distinguished.”
“You’d look ridiculous.”
I turn my nose up at him. “You don’t know what’s good.”
Ari and Rion went to check on their daughter, Phoenix, while I, my brother, and our mates are left to wonder where to go next.
“Whoever this is has someone specific in mind,” Ford states. “If Ari were the appetizer, then she’s just getting started. Makes me wonder who the next target will be.”
“I doubt she’d pick someone from the ballroom,” Sienna adds. “That would be too obvious and give her away. From Ari’s memory of the female, she wouldn’t be easily hidden.”
“You’re forgetting it’s Halloween,” Ford says. “And since she’s part fae she can change her appearance to look like anyone or anything, even one of the pack. This female could easily hide in plain sight.”
“Let’s go back to the pack house and split up,” Lilah suggests. “We’ll walk around the ballroom and slowly dip into everyone’s heads.”
“That could work, kitten,” I murmur. “As long as whoever this is isn’t fae royalty, we should be able to tap into their mind.”
“Won’t they expect that?” Sienna asks.
I shrug. “Probably. I’m not sure what else to do at this point. We have to find them before they hurt someone else. Then again, she could have easily killed Eaton or Ari and didn’t. This is so confusing. It would be easier if we knew the target.”
“Ya think?” Ford asks. “Let’s go.”
The four of us teleport back inside the pack house and split up when we reach the ballroom. Everyone inside is getting impatient. I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t like staying in one room all the time either. However, it’s the safest place for them. Or so I hope.
We each take a corner of the room and slowly work ourselves toward the middle, reading minds as we go. I get hit with so many thoughts, so much anxiety. Then, there are the few where the hatred is strong to see whoever this is brought to justice. Those are the ones I’m glad we have in this room. They won’t hesitate to end the female responsible.
The fact that someone knew about this party outside of those invited and was able to infiltrate it surprises me. The Avynwood Pack aren’t the kind to blast an invite on social media. Not with the following Lealla has. Those are all accounts the pack has, pretending to be models.
This has to be someone with insider knowledge of the event taking place. I’m not sure how that’s possible since Rion obviously read his mate’s mind and has never seen this female. He’s been with the pack almost his entire life.
Like Ford said, she could be disguised as anyone. She’s fae. My bestie, Ky, wouldn’t invite someone like that here. He’s very private and so is his sister.
I have a love/hate with playing this type of game. I have no doubt that’s what this is. Whoever is toying with us isn’t stupid and knows exactly what they’re doing. I hope I can help shed their blood at the end of the night. Nothing says an authentic Halloween party like raining real crimson down.
When I reach the part of the room Dante is standing in, I stop and look him over from head to toe. “I’ve never seen anyone design their costume based on a pet.”
The male growls at me. It’s so easy to irritate him. “I didn’t choose this because of the cat. Kaine picked it out for me. He wanted me to be something strong and tall like he says I am in real life.”
“Awww, isn’t that sweet? Although, I think it would have been better if you were a mountain or something equally hard and unyielding.”
Mira steps in front of her mate and slaps the front of his trunk. I snort. That sounded dirty in my head.
Ford’s voice enters my mind. “Fate’s sake, brother. You’re a teenager locked inside a fifteen-hundred-year-old vampire.”
“Gotta keep things fun. Admit it. You’d be bored to tears if I weren’t around.”
“I’d be relaxed, not bored.”
I roll my eyes and focus on Mira again. Her dark hair is just past her shoulders. She has some kind of crown on with vines woven into it and her dress is flowy down to the floor. Long sleeves, figure fitting. It’s this shimmering soft lilac color with a gold sash.
“Oh, I get it,” I state. “You’re supposed to be Mother Nature. That fits pretty well with an ancient oak by your side.”
“I will rip your arms off and beat you with them,” Dante growls in a low tone. It’s funny when he tries to intimidate me.
Lilah appears out of nowhere by my side. “Did you just threaten my mate? I thought we’ve spoken about this before.”
Glancing over, I find Lilah’s eyes solely on Dante and they are a brilliant sapphire. Seeing my kitten get so angry is a huge turn-on. I love it when her cheetah comes out to play. It’s even better when she combines all her shifter senses with her fae magic and vampire abilities.
Dante lets out a sigh. “Lilah, you know I’d never hurt Solomon.”
“I know I heard you just now. No, you’d never hurt him because you’d never get the chance. If by some fluke you got your hands on my mate, then I’d be the one to step in.”
Mira takes a step forward. “While all this posturing is fun, could we maybe get back to the task at hand? Isn’t there someone out there trying to get to one of us?”
“Right,” I say and straighten my leather trench coat. How does Ford wear this thing all the time? I’m sweating my butt off. It’s trapping the heat my body puts off. And it’s a lot. I’m that attractive.
Lilah and I move on from Dante and Mira but not before Lilah gives the male one last hard glare before we do so.
“You’re so sexy, kitten,” I say in her mind. “When we leave here tonight, I’m going to take you home and worship every inch of your body.”
“Once Jupiter is asleep, of course.”
“Of course. Which reminds me… How’s she doing?”
“She’s fine. Your mother has her again. At least, with Jupiter in her arms, we know no one will ever get to her. Your mother may be a pain sometimes, but she’d die before she let anything happen to our daughter.”
I nod. “That she would. And as proven by her exceptional age, nothing kills that female.”
Focusing back on the female criminal on the loose, Lilah and I split up again and each comb through the minds of those around us. By the time the four of us meet, we discover we’ve found nothing regarding the female, which is oh so helpful.