Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(47)

“In a manner of speaking, yes. But, you don’t want to do that, Alexa. It’s dangerous. He would seek revenge.”

A thought struck me. Lilah had messaged my phone. If the number she used was from a burner phone, I’d be screwed. If it wasn’t, however, it would be traceable right to her.

“I’m going to find Lilah, and as a last resort, I’ll use Falon to do it whether you tell me or not, Willow,” I declared, the wheels in my brain turning. “I have to confront her. The sooner the better.”

“Fine. I’m going to be there if you summon him.”

He wouldn’t be swayed despite my reluctance. It couldn’t hurt to have someone like Willow watching my back. I’d seen Falon’s power; fallen angels were not to be tangled with lightly. Yet, I didn’t feel right about bringing another person into my battle.

As we debated, I clicked around on the laptop and opened Veryl’s main folder. So many files were still unread. Until I’d absorbed every damn word in every damn file, I was determined to find that golden nugget of information, the gem that made Veryl’s death mean something. Otherwise, I’d killed him just to get my rocks off, which is what it essentially had been.

“I’ll call you back,” I said, distracted. “Don’t worry. I won’t get myself killed without my loaded guardian angel there to drunkenly back me up.”

“Hey,” Willow protested with a laugh. “I’m not always drunk. I just like to take the edge off.”

“Whatever you say.”

I ended the call and gave my full attention to the screen before me. With coffee in hand, I readied myself for as many hours as it took to weed through every word. I found something almost immediately that had me spewing coffee in shock.

Kale Sinclair’s brief history as a werewolf gives him a natural ability to understand the beasts. He knows their strengths and weaknesses. Though his mental stability is at times questionable, his loyalty is sound. His only flaw is his obsession with his sire. Given enough time, he shows much promise in assisting us with integrating shifters into the fold.

I reread the passage several times before it sank in. The tears I’d been fighting all night burst forth in an ugly crimson flood. Blood stained my hands as I raced to wipe them away. It didn’t make any sense. It just didn’t.

You never should have done this. The blood bond is not meant for one as free spirited as you. Kale’s words from almost a year ago echoed inside my head. I struggled to accept what I’d just read. Had the change to vampire destroyed his wolf?

“Why didn’t you tell me, you motherf*cker?” I cursed as the blood tears streamed silently down my face.

So many things fell into place. Kale had been my partner since Veryl recruited me. Now, it seemed obvious why. He was babysitting the new wolf, keeping an eye on me because he used to be one. When I rose as a vampire, I was going to lose my wolf.

I shook my head vigorously, praying that it wasn’t true. Suspicions flitted through my mind. I’d attributed Kale’s attraction to a metaphysical lure based on vampire power and energy manipulation. Perhaps it was his wolf all along. Maybe he saw in me what had been stolen from him.

The file went on to describe how Kale had been a military-infected werewolf used in espionage and black ops. Governments had been doing such things a long time it seemed. Then, he was sent to spy on a woman who happened to be a powerful vampiress. She changed him forever. No wonder Kale was barely sane.

Veryl hadn’t recorded nearly enough details. Having heard only bits and pieces of Kale’s past, I was flooded with questions. The shock took a long time to wear off. In the meantime, I stared at the screen until the words began to blur together.

The blood tears dried in macabre red lines beneath my eyes. A cold calm settled over me as denial took hold. I wasn’t going to lose my wolf; I couldn’t accept that.

Stiffly, I returned to the coffee pot for a refill. I stared down into the mug, watching as the cream swirled through the black liquid. As badly as I wanted to obsess over what I’d just read, I needed to bring Lilah down. I steeled myself for the return to the computer. Veryl had blackmail material on her, and I was going to find it.

Sunrise came and went. Arys never showed, but I was only mildly surprised. After the way I’d left things between us, he was likely fuming. Well, I wasn’t too thrilled either.

The sound of water rushing through the pipes broke the silence. Jez was finished with her bath. I restrained myself from running to tell her what I’d found on Kale. We had time for that later; the poor girl needed to rest.

I found many more things, though, from Lena and Brogan’s relation to one of the most powerful witch families in North America to bios and tidbits on people I’d never met. Fatigue pulled at my eyelids as worry nagged my thoughts. As I neared the end of the files, a sense of dread developed.

Then, I found Lilah’s file. I held my breath as I devoured everything in it. Cha-ching! I hit the jackpot.

“Thank you, Veryl,” I muttered aloud. “Your information hoarding has paid off.”

If I were Lilah, I’d have been worried, too. Veryl had some juicy dirt on her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

She was in hiding, fleeing a particular angel, Salem. I didn’t know a lot about angel and demon politics, but I knew that whatever it was, it couldn’t have been in Lilah’s best personal interest.