“You’ll be okay, kid.” Pete winked and chuckled. “I know you think you’re going nuts, but it’s gonna be fine.” He tilted his head and smiled at Tatiana. “Nice to meet you too, Tatiana. Wolf Clan. Right?”
Tatiana nodded but didn’t say anything as she looked at the man who admitted to being a vampire. She’d never met a vampire, but unlike Matt, she knew they existed, along with a multitude of other supernatural creatures. Tension, and an overall sense of unease, settled over her.
Pete won’t hurt you. Dominic’s voice, calm and commanding, floated into her mind. His energy waves wafted around her like a blanket, comforting her. She ducked her chin and slanted a glance in his direction. I know… but I won’t deny that I’d feel safer if a vampire wasn’t sitting across the table from me.
“I’m Marianna. Pete’s extremely pregnant wife and member of the Bear Clan.” She ran both hands over her enormous belly and let out a long, slow breath as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh baby. There’s another one.”
“Holy shit! You’re having a contraction?” Pete’s eyes flickered and glowed bright red. “I’m getting you out of here.”
He stood, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down into his seat without even opening her eyes. Tatiana suppressed a grin as she watched Pete, a strapping vampire, reduced to a pile of mush by his wife. His eyes continued to glow, and his body was wound tight, ready to spring into action, but he did as she asked and sat next to her.
“I’m fine,” she said calmly as she opened her eyes. Marianna turned her surprisingly serene gaze to Richard. “It’s those Braxton Hicks thingies.”
“Are you sure?” Steven asked.
“Yes,” Marianna said evenly. “They only happen every so often, but they’re getting stronger. So while I’m all for helping out, I’d really like to go back to New York City to get ready for the big event. Now, what’s going on, and what can we do to help?”
All eyes turned to Richard.
“Of course. I’m sure Tatiana is wondering why we are meeting here instead of the house,” Richard said with the hint of a smile as he took his wife’s hand and looked lovingly at baby Jessica. “This is a sacred space. It is shielded from psychic invasion, or any type of unwanted intrusion, and given our situation, I felt that kind of assured privacy was important.”
“Where is here, exactly?” Tatiana looked up at the starry sky and then to the prince. “Where are we?”
“This space has housed our Council, the governing body of the Amoveo, for a millennium. The people seated around this table right now, aside from yourself and Matt, are all members of our new Council.”
The air flickered with static again, and seconds later, another Amoveo couple materialized in the room and, like Salinda and Richard, they had an infant with them. The man was tall and well-built like most Amoveo men, and his wife was a petite blonde with large blue eyes. Their child couldn’t have been more than a couple of months old, and she gurgled happily in her mother’s arms.
“Apologies for being late, Richard,” said the man with the tousled chestnut hair. “Jane needed a diaper change, and given what’s been going on, I didn’t want to leave my girls alone.”
“Understood,” Richard said. He waved his hand and uttered the ancient language, making two more chairs appear at the table next to himself and Salinda. “Malcolm and Samantha, this is Tatiana and her friend Matt, who is now part of the Vasullus family.”
Tatiana braced herself, waiting for the prince to introduce her as Dominic’s mate, but to her surprise, he did not.
“Hi,” Matt said through a shuddering breath and a strangled giggle.
“Hello,” Tatiana said before turning her gaze back to Richard.
Amoveo were multiplying by the second, which only made her want to run the hell out of this place. However, since the door seemed to have disappeared, she figured her best chance of getting out was to move this little meeting along.
“So, we’re in a super-secret, whammy-proof bunker.” Tatiana fought to keep her voice calm and controlled. “Now, with all due respect… what the hell is going on? Why would the Caedo, or anyone else for that matter, want to kill your horses? I don’t get it.”
“I’m not convinced the Caedo are behind this particular incident,” Richard said.
“Purists?” Dominic’s voice cut in, suddenly making Tatiana jump. “Could they be working with the Caedo again?”
“That’s entirely possible, but whoever did it got onto the ranch undetected, which would lead me to believe it’s another Amoveo. A Caedo—a human—would not be able to do that, at least not without help.”
“Fine.” Tatiana sighed with frustration. “Then why would a Purist want to kill your horses?”
“It was a warning, and it wasn’t just any horse.” Richard squeezed his wife’s hand as she wept quietly. “It was Salinda’s mare, and until Spirit got sick, she rode her every day.”
“Agreed,” Dominic said tightly. His energy waves rippled with tension as he leaned back in the chair and folded his muscular arms over his chest. “Whoever was poisoning the animals must’ve realized that Tatiana was here to treat them, and obviously, they ended up resorting to more drastic measures.”
“Shock value,” Dante interjected. “Slaughtering the horse like that and leaving a bloody message? That has definitely got the marks of a Purist. They use the love we have for our mates against us. Whoever is doing this wants us to be terrified for the safety our women.” He looked at Kerry through worried eyes. “I have to be honest… it’s working.”
“They want us off our game.” Dominic flicked a brief glance to Tatiana before turning his attention to Richard. “They know how intense the bond between mates is, and they are using it. Our enemies want us on edge and so fucking freaked out that we’ll make mistakes.” He straightened his back and avoided Tatiana’s gaze. “Fatal mistakes.”
“True,” William said slowly. “However, the Caedo are well-schooled in our ways and know how important our mates are to us. They could be involved as well.”
“You saw the message yourself,” Dominic insisted. “It’s about the women, and a Purist, not a Caedo, is going to target our women. The Caedo hate all of us equally, but the Purists are driven by their hatred for hybrids and lack of pure-blood mates.”
“Yes.” Richard nodded solemnly. “I tend to agree, and given the fact that this individual got onto the ranch undetected… it leads me to believe it is one of our elders.” He turned his serious eyes to Tatiana. “Amoveo over two centuries old, like myself and Salinda, have the ability to mask their presence from others. My money is on one of the Purists.”
“I don’t understand.” Courtney looked at Steven through frightened eyes. She’d been quiet for so long, Tatiana almost forgot she was there. “You told me that the Purist group was dismantled. You said they couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“The Purist compound was destroyed, and most traitors went back to their clans and begged forgiveness.” Steven’s features darkened. “They’re lucky that their clans were willing to give them another chance.”
“Not everyone came back or has resurfaced. There are still two high-profile Purists unaccounted for, among others.” Richard’s mouth set in a tight line. “Dr. Moravian and his daughter, Savannah, have not been heard from since the compound was overthrown.”
“You mean Dr. Frankenstein?” Steven’s eyes glowed brightly, and his energy waves fluttered violently around the room.
“Yes.” Richard gave Steven a sympathetic look. “We cannot discount the fact that Moravian and his daughter could be gathering supporters, trying to reignite their cause. Possibly working under the radar again.”