War of Hearts(81)

*



He found her hours later, using that ability of his, an ability Thea now realized he’d always have. No matter where she went in the world, he could always find her. She just had to convince him to let her go. Hard to do when she didn’t want him to.

She’d wandered aimlessly down a street heading toward the harbor when Conall pulled up in the SUV.

“I shouldnae have left,” Conall said, his voice was flat and emotionless as she got into the car. “Not while there’s still danger.”

There would always be danger for Thea. Even if she dealt with Ashforth, she’d never stop running.

She merely nodded in acknowledgment of his apology, their drive back to Vik’s apartment chilly.

The sun was just setting when they walked into the vampire’s loft. Vik flashed them a smile as he led them toward the sitting area but there was something off about the expression. It seemed nervous and false. Apparently Conall thought so too.

“You all right, Vik?”

A tingling sensation that was all too familiar scored down Thea’s neck. Her heart raced. The dread washed over her. “Conall … something’s wrong.”

His head whipped toward her and then his eyes traveled over her shoulder and narrowed. Thea turned slowly and the sight that greeted her made her knees tremble.

Crowded into the back of the loft were fifteen men and women.

What the hell?

The tallest man stepped forward, and the air seemed to shimmer around him as he did, as if he was stepping through an invisible barrier. Suddenly his energy blasted into Thea.

A vampire. An extremely powerful one, if the way all the hairs on Thea’s body rose in greeting were to go by.

He had an interesting face. Square and blunt. Not truly handsome but appealing nonetheless. His black eyes were hard to look away from. Thea felt Conall step closer to her as the vampire neared. He had broad shoulders like Conall and was almost as tall. Even dressed casual in a black sweater and dark jeans, Thea could see the money in the clothes and in the watch on his wrist.

Her eyes flicked behind him to his fourteen companions who all moved forward as one. The air shimmered in the same location in the loft and once they had all passed the spot, Thea felt their energy.

They were all vampires.

Pale and expressionless and all humming with the kind of cold dynamism that sizzled over Thea’s skin. They were old and powerful. Every one.

Fear Thea tried to hide clawed at her and she took a step back toward Conall, trying to place her body in front of his.

“You are wondering how you did not feel us here.” The tall vampire gestured to his companions at his back. “A little magic. To mask our energy. We knew you would feel us from outside if we did not enlist my favorite witch to cloak us.”

Thea studied him as her whole body rang with internal warning. He spoke with an accent, every word was precise and clipped, like he’d spoken a different language once upon a time and his English was just a little too formal to be natural.

“Vik,” Conall growled. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Viktor has been extremely helpful,” the tall vampire answered.

“I’m sorry, Conall.” Vik walked into view, standing near the entrance hallway. He couldn’t meet Thea’s or Conall’s eyes. “I don’t want the gates to open either.”

Realization flashed through them, their gazes locking in guarded horror before Thea turned to the vampire. “Eirik?”

He nodded, his dark eyes unreadable. “I was alerted to your existence, Miss Quinn, when word reached me at my home in Copenhagen that a human had enlisted the help of the strongest alpha of his generation.” His intense regard shifted to Conall. “Your reputation precedes you. Few wolves have a gift such as yours. Jasper Ashforth’s increasing desperation to find Miss Quinn, his dangerous bargain with someone as well known as you, led to my discovery of that which he coveted and attempted to hide from the world.” Eirik turned his regard back to Thea. “I hear we are not the only ones that hunt you.”

In that moment Thea wished she had telepathic abilities because she’d tell Conall to run. Instead, she tried to edge in front of him again without drawing Eirik’s attention.

It didn’t work. Eirik cocked his head at her movement and then frowned. He took a step toward them, which made Thea retreat into Conall and his hand came to rest on her back. Bizarrely, Eirik sniffed the air.

Surprise filled his expression and Thea got the sense he wasn’t often taken off guard. He cut a look to Vik. “I am afraid I cannot hold up my end of the bargain, Viktor.”

Vik swallowed hard. “You … you promised you’d spare the wolf. He’s my friend, Eirik.”

Thea felt Conall stiffen at the same time she did.

“And I am grateful for your loyalty, Viktor. I truly am.” Eirik sounded almost weary. “However, you are too young, your senses cannot detect what mine do.” He looked back at Thea and Conall, his black gaze moving between their faces. “Their scents have merged as one.”

Conall’s hand tightened on Thea’s back and she heard his soft exhale of shock.

What?

She glanced over her shoulder at him, but he was staring at Eirik, stunned.

“I …” She turned back to Eirik. “I don’t understand.”