I crouched and leaned forward, tilting my head to examine the overhang above the door more closely. That’s when I spotted what I was looking for. A tiny, shining dot to one side. A pen-like security camera, angled to catch the profile of anyone who might come in or out. The light would help make for a cleaner identification. As I hadn’t stepped under the thing, it hadn’t picked me up.
Simple enough to deal with. Standing on tiptoe, I used one of the stakes to change the angle so it was looking straight ahead—at the other side of the overhang instead of down at me. That type of camera often went overlooked, but it was also laughably easy to change the angle if it was within reach. Then again, maybe Royce was more worried about those who might try to escape through this door rather than attack through it?
Unsurprisingly, the door, when I tried it, was locked. I had no equipment with me to pick it.
I could either kick it in, as it didn’t look to be thick enough to present much of a problem, or shoot out the lock. Either way, it was going to make a lot of noise, and most likely draw every vampire in the building, and perhaps some of the donors and security guards, too. Resigned, I took a step back, and prepared to kick it.
And stumbled when my foot met empty air, the door opening inward just as I lashed out.
Chapter 27
Christoph stood there, holding the door with one hand, a cookie in the other. His shirt was tucked into the pocket of his jeans, his broad, hairy chest gleaming with sweat, and his curly brown hair just as unruly as ever. That weird fetish collar I remembered from last time was still around his neck, too.
Though I’d spoken to him maybe two or three times when I’d stayed here, all I knew about him was that he was Mouse’s plaything and he wasn’t from around here.
He looked me over with minimal interest while I tried to straighten myself, and my clothes, to achieve a semblance of dignity. Stumbling in the door hadn’t exactly been my idea of a grand entrance.
“Hey. Wesley said you were trying to come in this way. There are some fresh cookies in Mouse’s kitchen if you want some. Analie just made them this afternoon.”
I stood there, staring, not quite absorbing what he had said at first. Wesley knowing I was here wasn’t good. Not good at all. Did he also know I was here to fight for Sara’s freedom, and that I planned on killing him if I could?
“Hey, you okay? Come on, get in here. It’s starting to rain again.”
With a start, I did as he said, scooting past him and into the stairwell. They must still think I was allied with Royce. He shut the door behind us and flipped a latch, following me down. My heightened senses were positively prickling with the smell and proximity of Were. The belt was stirring, wanting something to kill.
‘It’s not possible. That man can’t be one. Perhaps another is near?’
Inside Royce’s home? You’ve got to be kidding.
‘There must be. It makes no sense.’
That Christoph was the source of the scent threw me almost as badly as having him open the door to let me inside. The moon was full. But ... he was ... “... how?”
He paused on the stairs, glancing at me. “Huh?”
“You’re ... are you ... ?”
“What?” He lifted an arm to sniff his pits. Made a face. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t have time to shower before I came up here. Wes caught me in the hallway on my way down from the gym and asked me to come get you.”
I snorted laughter, though I put a stop to it as soon as I got ahold of myself. “No, that’s not—I mean—are you a Were?”
I hadn’t quite meant to blurt out such a blunt question, but the belt was prodding at me incessantly, spoiling for a fight.
His expression clouded, and he hooked a finger around the collar, tugging at it. “You didn’t know?”
Shaking my head, I put a hand over where the charm under my shirt made a tiny lump. That funky-looking collar must be magic, like my charm. My necklace was supposed to protect me against the mind games vampires and magi liked to play, though there were some limits and exceptions to its powers. I could see through a mage’s illusions, and lesser vampires couldn’t beguile me with their gazes. Only the most ancient, like Royce, could toy with my mind, and then only with a great deal of effort.
Christoph’s collar must have been enchanted to prevent him from shifting. I’d never known such a thing was possible.
That it was a spiked fetish collar only made it that much more surreal.
‘That’s unfortunate. He won’t be much of a challenge as he is. Maybe we can put him out of his misery later, after we deal with the vampires. ’
I wasn’t sure that was how I wanted to deal with him. For some reason, the belt’s bloodymindedness was getting under my skin. We’ll discuss it after the vampires are taken care of.
‘Whatever. Prude.’
Meanwhile, Christoph rubbed the back of his neck, scratching at the edge of the collar. He was reddening under his tan. “Yeah. I made some stupid mistakes. Royce could have killed me for what I did. It’s not so bad, I guess. Mouse is good to me, and I still have a couple of packmates here.”
Analie and Ashi. Some things about him and the other people in the house were starting to click into place. I’d seen the three together while I was stuck here, waiting for the blood bond Max and then Royce had submitted me to to wear off. I’d never understood until just now why Analie, Ashi and Christoph, all so different in ages, backgrounds and personalities, stuck together like glue.
‘Maybe we’ll get to fight some Weres after all!’
Inwardly, I cringed. I do not need to deal with Weres on top of vampires tonight. Cover’s been blown; this is already going to be hard enough to handle.
Aloud, I said, “That’s good that you have Mouse. She’s nice.”
Nice and deadly.
Christoph brightened, nodding. “Yeah. She’s taken good care of me.” I could only imagine. The thought of what that might mean gave me the heebie-jeebies. “Ashi wasn’t so lucky. He’s with Clarisse now, but nobody wanted to go near him after John bit him. He was kind of an asshole when he first got here, but he’s mellowed out some now that he’s used to the place.”
We were nearing the first floor stairwell by now. He took the lead, holding the door so I could go first.
Royce’s home was just as busy and just as overwhelming as I remembered. I moved forward in a bit of a daze, taking it all in.
Thad and Sebastian were sitting on the bottom steps. Thad was eating one of Analie’s cookies, his elbows propped on his knees, and his arms covered with tattoos. His twin brother—the vampire with the seawater eyes—said something that made both of them laugh. Very nearly in unison, the two noticed I was behind them and waved hello, then scooted aside to give me and Christoph room to get by.
Mouse was standing in the doorway of her apartment, her free hand moving as she signed something. Clarisse, whose Easter basket grass-green eyes were alight with mischief, was chatting animatedly with her. The Irish vampiress turned from Mouse to regard me curiously, sweeping her hip-length, black curls out of her face and giving me a fangy smile.
“Oi, lovey, where’ve you been? We’ve missed you!”
Mouse gave me an enthusiastic wave and a brilliant smile. She mouthed “hello,” then lifted the plate of cookies she was holding in her other hand and tilted her head in question.