Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(31)

"My patroness is a lieutenant as well," Pierce said with a superior smirk. He slid a look Theo's way. "Unlike those of us who are unclaimed, I hear all of the latest news."

Deborah rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. It's very impressive that your patron is so high up. We're all companions here; you're no better than the rest of us."

Pierce curled his lip. "At least mine isn't an enforcer."

Deborah slammed down the spoon she'd been using to stir the pot. "Don't you dare talk about Noah like that. He's worth more than some upstart clan member hoping to get selected to the new master of the region’s inner ranks."

I took another bite without taking my eyes off the two of them. This place was like a real-life soap opera, complete with drama and hidden agendas.

Theo held up his hands in a placating gesture as he stepped between the two as they glared at each other. "That's enough. This isn't a conversation we should have in front of company."

All eyes came back to me. I gave them a small smile and set my spoon back in my now empty bowl.

Sheila watched me with an amused glint in her eyes. "Is it true that your sire had no idea of your existence until you declared it at the selection ceremony?"

I cocked my head as I considered. It had been less of a ceremony and more of an outright brawl, but perhaps blood sport was what passed as ceremony with these people.

"That about sums it up."

"What was it like waking up a vampire with no prior knowledge of this world?" Deborah asked, forgetting for a moment her disagreement with Pierce.

I looked down at my bowl and wished more ice cream would magically appear in it.

Seeing the discomfort on my face, Deborah said, "I'm sorry. That's probably an insensitive question. You don't have to answer if you don't want."

I studied her. She looked sincere. It was the only thing that convinced me to speak. "It was difficult. I thought I was going crazy at first."

"How did you survive the bloodlust that takes all the newly turned?" Theo asked, his gaze intent. I looked around to find all of them looked interested in my answer, even Pierce.

Their fascination made sense. If they were companions hoping to make the change, they would want to know what was in store for them. I doubted they'd learn anything from my experience. It had been far from the norm, based on what I’d heard.

"I had a little help from someone in my old command. They were familiar with this world and got me through the first few weeks. Once I stabilized, that person helped me get out of the military and set up a life here." It was a heavily sanitized version of events, and I made sure not to mention any details that might be used to identify the Captain. They probably weren't bad people, but their loyalty would be to their patrons first. I didn't want something I said being used to hurt the Captain later on.

I owed a lot to that man. I didn't like to think about what might have happened had he not been on duty that night.

"Impossible," Pierce scoffed. I fixed him with a stare, arching one eyebrow. He didn't let my look phase him, secure in his own convictions. "You're lying, or at least concealing the truth. There’s no way it only took a few weeks for you to rejoin the world. A vampire's bloodlust is near uncontrollable in the beginning. Some human, or even another spook, would have no chance in controlling you."

I gave him a grim smile that held little humor in it. "You've been turned into a vampire, have you? You have first-hand experience in what it's like?"

Deborah allowed herself a small smirk as Pierce's mouth snapped shut, even Theo looked slightly aggravated at the other man. It seemed I wasn't the only one who disliked him. He mistook the power and position of his patron as his own. I hated people like that, and I especially hated when they called me a liar.

Pierce didn't have a ready retort.

"I didn't think so." To the rest, I said, "Once in Columbus, I got a job with Hermes and have been working there ever since."

"How did you know what to do to survive?" Sheila asked.

I shrugged. "I figured it out and picked up tips here and there."

I left out the fact that my knowledge of spooks was seriously lacking. Every one of them probably knew more about vampires than I did. As companions, they had an all-access pass to the vampires' habits and traits, something I hadn’t had much exposure to. I'd learned more about my own brand of spook in the past twenty-four hours than I had in the last year.

"It must have been tough," Theo said with a sympathetic glance.

I inclined my head.

Pierce scoffed. "She got an easy pass to the top of the food chain. Some of us have been waiting years for an opportunity like that, and she had it dropped in her lap."

"Pierce," Sheila said with gentle reproach in her voice. “You know Thomas, because of his power, has an exemption from those rules.”

He grimaced but didn't challenge the small, gentle-looking woman.

I pushed back from the island, being sure to hold Pierce's gaze with my own. "Some opportunity. I would gladly give it to you if I could."

I gave the rest of them a small nod before leaving the kitchen without another word. Their voices trailed behind me.

"Pierce, that was rude," Sheila said.

"What? We were all thinking it. Sarah said she won't even claim a clan. Spoiled bitch. Any one of us would have killed to be in her shoes, and she's just throwing it all away."