Sentinels displayed that steely control and neutrality of emotion, but Elijah had heard Adrian speaking with Lindsay and he knew the angel’s still waters ran deep.
She snorted. “Not everyone in your ranks is toeing the line either, I hear.”
“You’ll stay away from Lindsay. She’s no longer any concern of yours or Syre’s.”
Vash looked at Elijah. “She’s a vampire, Adrian. That makes her one of us.”
“She’s my mate; that makes her mine. Forgetting that will see your neck no longer serving its purpose.”
“I love it when you talk dirty,” she purred. “Give my regards to Lindsay.” She ended the call, then redialed. The video activated and Syre’s face appeared. “Lindsay’s okay. And Adrian threatened me over her, so he’s still protecting her. She’s in loving hands, Samyaza.”
Elijah stepped closer, his gaze riveted to the vampire leader’s haunted eyes. A long moment later, Syre swallowed and a deep exhale escaped him. “
Todah
, Vashti.”
“You’re welcome.” Her face and voice softened. “I should have checked sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it.”
Silent understanding passed between the two vampires. The instinctive exchange bespoke of a long relationship and deep compassion. Elijah was contemplating his own changing perceptions about Vashti—most especially his absorption of her as a person who had a soft heart beneath the hard exterior—when she ended the call and faced him.
She arched a brow. “Feel better?”
“Enough for now.” He wouldn’t feel totally settled until he spoke with Lindsay himself, but at least he knew she was with Adrian, who would die for her. His friend was safe for now.
“Less inclined to kill me now?”
He bared his teeth in a smile.
She shrugged. “Worth a shot.”
C HAPTER 4
A s Vash opened the rear hatch of her Jeep, she felt Elijah’s stare move down her back.
Something had shifted between them a moment ago. She’d felt it, even if she couldn’t define it.
“What are you doing?” His rough, rumbling voice at her shoulder prompted a deep, cleansing breath, and she closed her eyes.
The hardest transition from Watcher to Fallen hadn’t been the loss of her wings; it had been the surge of emotion that shattered her previously inviolate equanimity. Since Charron, the only blessing she’d received was the numbness of all-encompassing fury. That a lycan—one of the very creatures who’d made her what she was today—should be the one to break through her shell and rattle her was the most heinous irony.
“These are surveillance cameras.” She pulled out one of the long rods that had a camera on top of it. “You’ll want to get some of your men to place themaround the perimeter in widening circles. Then station a team on the surface to monitor the feed.”
Stepping back, she let him see that the rear seat had been laid flat, expanding the cargo area to hold dozens of cameras.
“Jumping in with both feet,” he said, glancing at her with those brilliantly verdant eyes.
She set the tip of the camera pod on the ground and leaned her weight into it. Syre didn’t want the lycans to know just how much they were needed, but there’d been too many skeletons popping out of closets already. Considering who they both were—hunters of the highest caliber for their respective factions—there would certainly be more transgressions they’d hate each other for. Neither of them could afford to hold back from this point forward, just as they couldn’t delve too deeply into their pasts. Theirs was a merger of necessity. Regardless of the things they’d done previously, they needed each other now. Digging up secrets would only make the going more difficult; it couldn’t change the route.
Vash met his gaze. “What choice do we have?”
“Right.” But the line of his mouth softened.
“These are just a temporary precaution. We’ll start moving your people out of here in the morning. I know you’ll want to be near
She snorted. “Not everyone in your ranks is toeing the line either, I hear.”
“You’ll stay away from Lindsay. She’s no longer any concern of yours or Syre’s.”
Vash looked at Elijah. “She’s a vampire, Adrian. That makes her one of us.”
“She’s my mate; that makes her mine. Forgetting that will see your neck no longer serving its purpose.”
“I love it when you talk dirty,” she purred. “Give my regards to Lindsay.” She ended the call, then redialed. The video activated and Syre’s face appeared. “Lindsay’s okay. And Adrian threatened me over her, so he’s still protecting her. She’s in loving hands, Samyaza.”
Elijah stepped closer, his gaze riveted to the vampire leader’s haunted eyes. A long moment later, Syre swallowed and a deep exhale escaped him. “
Todah
, Vashti.”
“You’re welcome.” Her face and voice softened. “I should have checked sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it.”
Silent understanding passed between the two vampires. The instinctive exchange bespoke of a long relationship and deep compassion. Elijah was contemplating his own changing perceptions about Vashti—most especially his absorption of her as a person who had a soft heart beneath the hard exterior—when she ended the call and faced him.
She arched a brow. “Feel better?”
“Enough for now.” He wouldn’t feel totally settled until he spoke with Lindsay himself, but at least he knew she was with Adrian, who would die for her. His friend was safe for now.
“Less inclined to kill me now?”
He bared his teeth in a smile.
She shrugged. “Worth a shot.”
C HAPTER 4
A s Vash opened the rear hatch of her Jeep, she felt Elijah’s stare move down her back.
Something had shifted between them a moment ago. She’d felt it, even if she couldn’t define it.
“What are you doing?” His rough, rumbling voice at her shoulder prompted a deep, cleansing breath, and she closed her eyes.
The hardest transition from Watcher to Fallen hadn’t been the loss of her wings; it had been the surge of emotion that shattered her previously inviolate equanimity. Since Charron, the only blessing she’d received was the numbness of all-encompassing fury. That a lycan—one of the very creatures who’d made her what she was today—should be the one to break through her shell and rattle her was the most heinous irony.
“These are surveillance cameras.” She pulled out one of the long rods that had a camera on top of it. “You’ll want to get some of your men to place themaround the perimeter in widening circles. Then station a team on the surface to monitor the feed.”
Stepping back, she let him see that the rear seat had been laid flat, expanding the cargo area to hold dozens of cameras.
“Jumping in with both feet,” he said, glancing at her with those brilliantly verdant eyes.
She set the tip of the camera pod on the ground and leaned her weight into it. Syre didn’t want the lycans to know just how much they were needed, but there’d been too many skeletons popping out of closets already. Considering who they both were—hunters of the highest caliber for their respective factions—there would certainly be more transgressions they’d hate each other for. Neither of them could afford to hold back from this point forward, just as they couldn’t delve too deeply into their pasts. Theirs was a merger of necessity. Regardless of the things they’d done previously, they needed each other now. Digging up secrets would only make the going more difficult; it couldn’t change the route.
Vash met his gaze. “What choice do we have?”
“Right.” But the line of his mouth softened.
“These are just a temporary precaution. We’ll start moving your people out of here in the morning. I know you’ll want to be near
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