Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(64)

"You're the eldest," I said, taking a chance.

His lips curved, but he didn't confirm or deny. "You should be feeling better now."

I frowned at him, knowing a subject change when I heard one. I couldn't argue with his statement since I was feeling a lot better. Actually, even better than I would feel normally, now that I thought about it. My body felt like there was a current running through it, like I could do an Iron Man and then go for a nice hike up a mountain afterward.

"Fine, have it your way," I told him, letting him know I was on to him. "Where is Brax's werewolf?"

Liam slid to standing in an otherworldly movement that had me blinking. Sometimes I forgot that he wasn't quite human until he did something to remind me.

"I had Nathan show them to one of our interrogation rooms," he said.

He kept pace with me as we made our way through the mansion. I kept an eye on the halls we turned down, wanting to better understand the layout so I wouldn't keep getting lost.

"Wow, not my first choice for questioning someone," I said. "Would have preferred to keep them comfortable so they were more likely to share."

People tend to clam up the warier they were.

"I've found fear is a powerful motivator in convincing people to talk," Liam said, humor in his voice.

I gave him a sidelong look. Hm, I could see how that might work for him. He'd scare the piss out of them, and they'd fall over themselves trying to say whatever it took to get him to go away. It was something I was unlikely to ever pull off, though. I lacked the necessary scariness that would make such a maneuver effective. Perhaps it had something to do with being a baby vamp.

"This is us," he said, stopping in front of a heavy wooden door, one just like every other door on this corridor. Nothing marked it as an interrogation room.

"You coming in with me?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm as curious you are to see what drove your friend to such desperate actions."

I thought as much, but the confirmation was nice. Perhaps I could use his presence.

"Let me take the lead," I said. I’d paid a steep price for this and wasn't willing to have him take over.

He nodded. "For now. If I feel the need, I will take control of the interview."

"Guess I'll just have to make sure you don't feel the need," I muttered.

There was a light touch on the small of my back, and then he reached past me to open the door, pushing it open. I took a deep breath before stepping through.

The woman waiting was not what I was expecting, nor was the room. Instead of an austere, grungy interrogation room straight out of a TV or movie set, it was a warm and welcoming sitting room. There was a dark gray couch and other comfortable looking chairs around the room. The coffee table had an array of bright magazines, and the room was painted a pale, sunny yellow. Everything was designed to put you at ease, to say come in and have a seat while we have a conversation.

I gave Liam a dark look over my shoulder, and he grinned un-repentantly at me, knowing exactly what I had envisioned when he said interrogation room. A dungeon this was not. Tricky, tricky vampire.

The wolf was a petite woman with wavy, blond hair and a pixie face. She wore a bright green sundress and greeted us with a happy smile, standing when we entered. This was the woman Caroline attacked? That didn't seem right.

"Are you Aileen?" she asked in a light, high voice, giving me a nervous smile. "They told me to wait because you had questions for me." She fidgeted, twisting her hands in front of her as she waited for my answer.

I smiled, hoping it didn't show how off balance her presence put me, and held out a hand for her to shake. She took it with a grateful smile, and I felt a smidgen of relief that my people skills hadn't completely deserted me.

"I'm Aileen. Sorry to keep you waiting so long."

She smiled again, the expression lighting her face. Her makeup was flawless, understated and elegant. This was a woman who had probably never been unpopular. She was all sweetness and butterflies, and I could easily imagine her in a sorority before making a graceful transition to adulthood. It wasn't a combination that should have set Caroline off. Granted, the two would probably have never have become besties—the woman in front of me was too normal for that and would have bored Caroline and inspired reluctant distaste, but not antagonism. Caroline would have just consigned her to being unworthy of her notice.

"I'm Lisa. It's nice to meet you."

"How long have you been a werewolf?" I asked.

She blinked and sputtered out a laugh. "That's a personal question."

I forced myself to give her an answering smile, even as I felt impatient. She must know Brax sent her here to answer my questions, most of which would be personal on some level. "Sorry, I'm new to the whole vampire life myself, and Brax led me to believe you were in a similar situation. I apologize if I overstepped."

"No, no. That's perfectly understandable. I remember when I first transitioned I was always looking for others in a similar stage as I was." She clasped her hands in her lap and shared a conspiratorial smile. "It helps to have someone who understands what you're going through."

"Exactly," I said. Not really. At least for me. I was too much of a loner for that.

"I've only been two natured for about a year and a half," she confided.