“Not really.” I admitted with a slight shrug.

“Then why take her? Why risk the naturi coming after her?” I smiled at him, finally bringing a snort of laughter from the young nightwalker. “Bait.”

“The naturi aren’t the only ones who know how to set a trap,” I said. “Danaus and I cleared the area of naturi tonight. We’ve got a small window of time to use her as bait to draw out Rowe or simply kill her.”

“You expected him already, didn’t you?”

My smile faded into a frown as my eyes returned to the blue and gray comforter. I had expected the one-eyed naturi more than a month ago. I expected him to be hounding my every step. Instead he sent a small army to harry my every waking moment, destroy the local werewolf pack, and winnow down the number of nightwalkers within my domain. Rather than attacking me personally, he was trying to turn my allies against me. Soon I would have no safe haven within this world, and I believe that was his ultimate goal.

“Rowe’s not coming here. Not without a little added incentive like my new captive,” I replied.

“That’s assuming he wants her back.”

“True,” I sighed as I pushed to my feet again. “Did Amanda say anything about the naturi?”

“No, not really. She asked if you were going to kill it. I told her yes. Are you going to prove me wrong?”

“I wasn’t planning on it. How did Amanda react to the news of the naturi’s imminent demise?”

“She didn’t. Just stared straight ahead. She might have nodded. What are you thinking?”

“The water naturi at the island wasn’t the leader,” I slowly said, mostly thinking out loud. “She might have ordered the attack while we were in the water, but she wasn’t shouting orders once we got to the shore. No one was.”

“What are you thinking?”

“What if we have their leader?”

“The naturi? The one held with Amanda? Their leader? Are you thinking they turned on her?” Tristan said, straightening from his leaning position.

“No, I’m thinking she’s a spy. I need to check on Danaus and Shelly. If you talk to Amanda before I return, ask her if she knows anything about the naturi that was being held with her,” I said, heading toward the door.

“What do you want to know?” Tristan asked, following me out of the room.

“How was she treated? Who was giving the orders on the island?”

“If I see her, I’ll ask,” he called as I rushed down the stairs.

Around me, I could feel the night decaying, showing its age, and I was growing tired. After the fight on the island, I needed to feed, but there wasn’t time. I pushed down my rising hunger and tried to ignore the fatigue gnawing at my limbs. I had to get back to Danaus and Shelly.

As I reached the ground floor and turned toward the back door and the garage, I sensed someone walking up the front stairs to the house. I paused in the rarely used kitchen and cocked my head to the side as my senses probed farther from my body. It was Amanda.

Jogging through the house, I jerked open the front door as she raised her hand to knock. Tristan had sensed her as well because he was now standing at the bottom of the curved staircase, his emotions a ball of tensed anxiety.

The young nightwalker stood alone on my front porch in a clean change of clothes, but she had yet to bathe. Her blond hair was still dirty and matted from her ordeal, while dirt smudged both of her cheeks as well as her bare arms. There was no expression on her pale face, as she seemed to stare blankly through me.

“Amanda,” I murmured, motioning for her to enter the house. “Where’s Knox?”

She stepped inside and gave a slight shake of her head. “He’s gone. I told him to go home.”

I could no longer sense an overwhelming hunger in her, so I felt it safe to assume that Knox had stuck around long enough to help her feed, ensuring that no unfortunate mistakes were made before he gave her a little space. However, I couldn’t begin to guess why she had decided to show up on my doorstep so close to sunrise.

“You should be resting,” I chided, closing the door behind her.

Amanda frowned, and I could feel the first bubble of anger rise within her. “I came to tell you that I accept your offer. I want to be a part of your family.”

At first I thought she simply felt obligated to join my family because I’d risked my life to save her, but there was something buried within her tone that made me doubt it. “But…?” I said, causing her head to snap around to me. I arched one eyebrow at her, questioning. “You don’t want to be.”

“I’m a target now because I’ve been seen with you, with Tristan. Why shouldn’t I join your family when it’s the only way I’m going to be protected from the naturi?” she said in a voice so low it was nearly a snarl.

“She warned you that you would be a target of the naturi when we met last night,” Tristan said. While I appreciated his defense, “I told you so” wasn’t going to help Amanda right now.

“Last night, you were eager to join my family. Now you’ve had a taste of the naturi in the area, and you’re unsure of what you want,” I said, walking toward my study.

“I know what I want!” she shouted, losing her temper finally. “I never want to be touched by the naturi again. You have no idea what it’s like to be held by them! To be tortured, drained, and taunted while you wait for an even more painful death.”

The distance closed between us in a flash as fury consumed my every thought. Wrapping my fingers around her throat, I threw her into the wooden railing of the staircase, causing the wood to crack and groan. I then slammed her into the marble floor, earning a whimper from her.

To my surprise, Tristan stepped forward and placed one foot on her stomach while wrapping his right hand in her hair. He was preparing to hold her still for me so I could continue to knock her around. Punishment was something he had come to understand during his time with Sadira. He was ready to put aside what feelings he had for Amanda and hold her down because of his loyalty to me. Tristan was stronger than anyone gave him credit for.

Struggling to get a grip on my anger, I balled my shaking hands into fists at my sides. “Let her up,” I growled at Tristan, and then turned my attention to Amanda. “You will never question the depth of my understanding of the naturi. I know better than any exactly what they are capable of.”

“I have no choice,” she complained, which brought a chuckle to my throat. It was a common complaint.

“No one is forcing you to join my family, and I would prefer it if you didn’t join because you felt trapped into doing so,” I said, some of the fury and tension sliding from my frame.

“But if I don’t, I leave behind my position in the community. I lose your protection,” she countered.

“True, but your other choice is to leave Savannah.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tristan flinch, taking a jerky step forward as if he could stop my words from reaching her ears. “Leave here and I’m sure the naturi won’t follow you. You wouldn’t be the first to leave here because of the naturi.”

“I’m not leaving,” she stubbornly said.

A smile tweaked the corner of my lips. I wasn’t the only one clinging to this city, a place I called home. “Now you have to decide whether you want to be a part of my family. Are you willing to serve and obey me? Are you willing to face the naturi again?”

“I want to join your family,” she said, pushing slowly to her feet again.

“I don’t want you if your only reason is to protect your own skin.”

“It’s not. Being in the family will enable me to protect others from the naturi,” she quickly said, her eyes briefly drifting to Tristan and then back to me.

An ugly smirk twisted my lips as my eyes narrowed at her. “Tristan doesn’t need your protection. He’s strong enough to face the naturi. I will personally see to that.” I shook my head and turned my back on her. “I’ve changed my mind. You’re not the person I thought you were. I rescind my offer.”