“I can’t do it. I can’t go with him.” Actually saying it aloud and meaning it made her want to cry.

“Why not, dammit? Do it!”

Christine’s laugh was bitter, hollow. “If I go with him, I’ll end up telling him I care for him. I won’t be able to hide it. He’ll see it. He’d have me kicked out and moved back here within a week.”

“Oh,” Vera said.

Christine waited to hear some hopeful advice. That maybe he wouldn’t in fact do that, but it never came. Vera only sighed and reached to refill their glasses. The wine bottle made a hollow thump as she set it back down.

Christine looked at the empty bottle and thought it was pretty empty.

Dmetri took a seat beside Brayden in the small hotel room. After receiving some interesting news after his interlude with Christine, he and Brayden headed off Kategan land to a nearby hotel to meet with their new informant. Dmetri hated to leave the pack right now, couldn’t help but feel like he was leaving it vulnerable, but Harry Spencer was the newest Master from Claude’s clan, and he was ready to talk.

“Let’s get this over with,” Dmetri said, eager to be back at the Kategans. His reaction wasn’t normal he knew, but damn he was ready to march back over to Christine’s and force her to see his way.

Harry Spencer was a short man but built like a bodybuilder. He had veins protruding from his temple and arms even though by all appearances he looked relaxed.

“You said you had news for us,” Brayden said. He was in Judge mode, his eyes alert but giving nothing away, and his body stiff in his chair.

“First, on behalf of my clan I want to apologize for the atrocities that have occurred on Kategan land. My people had nothing do with it.”

“Actually, several of the men from your clan, all dead now by the way, were in on it.

They helped to throw the bombs, kidnap Vane Kategan’s cousin, and his newborn child,” Dmetri said.

Harry’s face tightened, the fierce frown growing deeper. “That’s true but none of the others have had anything to do with it. We don’t condone violence like that. I’d tried to get Claude to step down from Master status after I heard he tried to steal the Kategan’s land with false documents. I knew for certain then that the man was losing his mind.”

“What has caused him to degenerate?” asked Brayden.

Harry rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “He was mated to a woman named Sophie. She tried to get pregnant for years and it never happened. Then finally, six years later she got pregnant. The whole clan celebrated until...she and the baby died. The healer said it was a complication in the birthing, but Claude didn’t believe it. He killed the healer, and we ended up burying three loved ones that day.

After that, the man was never the same. To put it simply, he went batshit. Started mumbling crazy things about pregnancy problems in the pack, infertilities, things like that. We kind of let him go because we figured it was just his way of mourning.”

“That’s great but what do you want from us?” asked Dmetri, quickly losing patience. He didn’t give two fucks about Claude’s past. He had no sympathy for the man. The argument with Christine really nagged at him too.

Harry lifted his chin. “We want to be absolved from any of the crimes that Claude’s committed. If possible, we might be able to help you catch him, though we haven’t seen him since he took some of his more loyal followers with him. And well, now they’re dead, aren’t they?”

“As long as none of your clan commits any crimes there will be no charges filed against you,” said Brayden. “But if you help him in any way, whether you give him some blood or money, the Justicars will be so far up your ass you won’t know where we begin and you end. Got me?”

Dmetri arched a brow at his friend. Being around the Kategans must be getting to both of them. He never heard his friend so riled up.

“Yeah, I got it. So can we do anything to help?”

Dmetri and Brayden shared a speaking glance. “Just keep your clan locked up tight, enhance security, and keep your eyes open. If Claude learns you came to us he might seek vengeance.”

Harry stood. “I can take care of my own.”

Dmetri shook hands with the man and waited until he left before turning to Brayden.

“What’s got you so tense, drook? ”

Brayden blinked, surprised. “I’m not tense. I’m never tense.”

“You are right now, have been for a few days.”

“Being tense would mean that I’ve let something get to me, and I never do that. It interferes with the job.” Brayden gave him a look that dared Dmetri to challenge him. Dmetri let it slide.

“Right,” Dmetri said.

They headed outside into the vacant parking lot. They’d chosen a trashy hotel for their little visit, a place where the carpet smelled, the cheap paintings on the wall came from a dollar store, and the bed’s comforter was stained with God knows what secretions. But the location was perfect, only fifteen minutes from Kategan land, and the lot had no streetlights. Perfect dark.

They jumped into Brayden’s SUV and sped off down the road. Dmetri noted his friend’s permanent frown but decided not to say anything. Besides, he had his own shit going on.

Christine was driving him crazy. He’d left only because he intended to give her a few hours to calm down before he came back at her. A few good kisses and she’d change her mind. His eye ticked at the thought. Dammit, even he wasn’t sure if that would work. Maybe on a lesser woman, but not her, not his Christine. She was strong, confident. Maybe too strong.

“We got something here.”

Dmetri came alert, his eyes quickly surveying the black scope of trees flying by the car.

“What is it?”

“Behind us.”

Dmetri looked in the rearview mirror and spotted a small car rapidly catching up to them.

He tensed in his seat, though not in fear, but with excitement. He needed to let off some steam, badly.

“How long they been there?”

“Came up on us a minute after we left the parking lot.” The car’s engine roared as it nearly touched their bumper.

“Slam on the breaks,” Dmetri said.

“No.”

The car closed in, the screaming roar of the car’s little engine piercing Dmetri’s sensitive ears. The car slid side to side like a taunt, the tires squealing on the dark pavement. Dmetri found himself chanting in his head: Come on, do it. Hit us. Human, lykaen, or vampire he was ready for a fight. His blood pumped fast and furious in his veins.

The car beeped at them then swung left in the passing lane and pulled up beside them. He saw Brayden’s lips part in disgust at the same moment two young girls grinned up at them from their car. Two very young human girls wearing little more than nothing. They waved, smiles and giggles abundant, then honked once more and squirreled their car ahead of them. Brayden slowed enough to let them get out of eyeshot.

“Fucking girls,” Dmetri cursed.

“The disappointment in your voice is heavy, Dmetri. Is this woman Christine bothering you that much?”

Dmetri stiffened. “What business is it of yours?”

“It’s not, but if it’s interfering with your job then it is.”

“It’s not interfering,” Dmetri growled, fists curling so tight they turned white.

“Good, make sure that it doesn’t. Capturing Claude Phelans is our priority, not getting laid.”

“It’s not about getting laid.” Dmetri hated even saying it. The word “laid” rolled off his tongue like sludge. Christine wasn’t a lay. She was a flesh and blood woman, a fierce lykaen with quick smiles and humor. Hell, she’d even made him smile, several times. And he liked it.

God, maybe he was letting her interfere with him.

A slash of movement in the forest caught his attention. Dmetri tensed. “Did you see that?”