felt.
She closed her eyes and breathed. “He was here.”
“Mind telling me what you want? I’m a little busy and don’t really have time for this.” Ah, true to form, my mouth was about to get me into trouble. Swell.
“Just saying a friendly hello.”
The man unwrapped himself from her arms, setting her aside gently, his dark eyes always on me. He was the oldest. How I knew this, I had no idea. When he slipped free of the cover of her long hair, a thick scar became visible on his right cheek. It cut through his eye, drawing the corner down. Another old slash curved around that same side of his mouth. “We weren’t aware the general had taken on a new addition to his little family,” he said, his voice low. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Malachi and this is Tabitha.” He gestured to the woman. “Behind us are Garrett and Henry. Our two families have known each other for a long time.”
I stepped back as he advanced, not really wanting him any closer. His musky scent made my throat clench. The chill on the back of my neck had now run down the length of my spine. Where the hell was Rhys? “That’s interesting. No one’s ever mentioned you.”
The undamaged side of his mouth twisted into something of a smile. “How rude of them to overlook us.”
I forced myself to stop backing away. Amusement grew in his expression with each step. He liked it. “Problem solved now.”
“Indeed.”
The wind picked up, blowing my hair into my face. I brushed it aside, tucking it behind one ear. Then I noticed the other two were no longer behind Tabitha.
The fairer of the two had moved to stand at my left. The other I couldn’t see. But I could smell him. Gunpowder. Behind me.
I was surrounded.
Malachi leaned in, putting himself face to face with me. He must have been in his thirties when he died. Sucked to be him. I clamped down on the impulse to make some snide comment to that effect. “Pretty,” he said. “But then, the general always picks pretty things.” His hand came up towards my face and I tried not to recoil or show the fear that threatened to jumpstart my mostly dead heart.
“Touch her, and you die.”
The tension leaked out of my body the moment I heard his voice. I slumped backwards and felt his chest right there. His hand had locked around Malachi’s, stopping it just before he had made contact.
Malachi jerked his hand away immediately and backed up. “Rhys. I wondered what was taking you so long. Had to go get all your friends did you?”
Friends? Keeping glued to Rhys I let my gaze leave Malachi. Cade stood at Tabitha’s back, arms at his side and ready for anything. Millie’s attention was locked on the blond-haired vampire, and though I couldn’t see her, I could smell Madge’s perfume as well.
Rhys slipped an arm around my waist. I hadn’t realized I was shaking until his steady grip pressed against me. “This isn’t your territory, Malachi,” he said. “I suggest you leave.”
“Tabitha scented you at our borders. An investigation was in order.”
“I didn’t come that close. The city is ours.”
“Close enough, and with a new scent. The wind must have carried it. It is within our rights to check it out.”
“And if you don’t leave now I’ll be forced to make you,” Cade said. The entire atmosphere changed once he entered the conversation. It seemed that while Malachi had no fear of Rhys, the same could not be said for Cade.
Tabitha glided to Malachi’s side. “You wouldn’t want to start something like that. We’ve made no actual threat. You would be in the wrong. We’ve been at peace for some time now, and you’re all so busy at the moment.”
Cade refused to let her have the space she wanted. “You no longer have the protection of Cordoba. Don’t make me ask you to leave again.” He drew up in front of her, nearly nose to nose.
Tabitha hissed at him. Honest to God, hissed like a cat. Malachi caught her waist with his hand and kept her close.
She closed her eyes and breathed. “He was here.”
“Mind telling me what you want? I’m a little busy and don’t really have time for this.” Ah, true to form, my mouth was about to get me into trouble. Swell.
“Just saying a friendly hello.”
The man unwrapped himself from her arms, setting her aside gently, his dark eyes always on me. He was the oldest. How I knew this, I had no idea. When he slipped free of the cover of her long hair, a thick scar became visible on his right cheek. It cut through his eye, drawing the corner down. Another old slash curved around that same side of his mouth. “We weren’t aware the general had taken on a new addition to his little family,” he said, his voice low. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Malachi and this is Tabitha.” He gestured to the woman. “Behind us are Garrett and Henry. Our two families have known each other for a long time.”
I stepped back as he advanced, not really wanting him any closer. His musky scent made my throat clench. The chill on the back of my neck had now run down the length of my spine. Where the hell was Rhys? “That’s interesting. No one’s ever mentioned you.”
The undamaged side of his mouth twisted into something of a smile. “How rude of them to overlook us.”
I forced myself to stop backing away. Amusement grew in his expression with each step. He liked it. “Problem solved now.”
“Indeed.”
The wind picked up, blowing my hair into my face. I brushed it aside, tucking it behind one ear. Then I noticed the other two were no longer behind Tabitha.
The fairer of the two had moved to stand at my left. The other I couldn’t see. But I could smell him. Gunpowder. Behind me.
I was surrounded.
Malachi leaned in, putting himself face to face with me. He must have been in his thirties when he died. Sucked to be him. I clamped down on the impulse to make some snide comment to that effect. “Pretty,” he said. “But then, the general always picks pretty things.” His hand came up towards my face and I tried not to recoil or show the fear that threatened to jumpstart my mostly dead heart.
“Touch her, and you die.”
The tension leaked out of my body the moment I heard his voice. I slumped backwards and felt his chest right there. His hand had locked around Malachi’s, stopping it just before he had made contact.
Malachi jerked his hand away immediately and backed up. “Rhys. I wondered what was taking you so long. Had to go get all your friends did you?”
Friends? Keeping glued to Rhys I let my gaze leave Malachi. Cade stood at Tabitha’s back, arms at his side and ready for anything. Millie’s attention was locked on the blond-haired vampire, and though I couldn’t see her, I could smell Madge’s perfume as well.
Rhys slipped an arm around my waist. I hadn’t realized I was shaking until his steady grip pressed against me. “This isn’t your territory, Malachi,” he said. “I suggest you leave.”
“Tabitha scented you at our borders. An investigation was in order.”
“I didn’t come that close. The city is ours.”
“Close enough, and with a new scent. The wind must have carried it. It is within our rights to check it out.”
“And if you don’t leave now I’ll be forced to make you,” Cade said. The entire atmosphere changed once he entered the conversation. It seemed that while Malachi had no fear of Rhys, the same could not be said for Cade.
Tabitha glided to Malachi’s side. “You wouldn’t want to start something like that. We’ve made no actual threat. You would be in the wrong. We’ve been at peace for some time now, and you’re all so busy at the moment.”
Cade refused to let her have the space she wanted. “You no longer have the protection of Cordoba. Don’t make me ask you to leave again.” He drew up in front of her, nearly nose to nose.
Tabitha hissed at him. Honest to God, hissed like a cat. Malachi caught her waist with his hand and kept her close.
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