That was a lot to take in.

Ray made a gargling noise and finally staggered backward.

Then he doubled over and vomited.

26

The stuff pouring out of him was putrid. Globs of yellow mixed with blood.

“Jesus, Ray!” I shouted. I broke away from Rourke and took a step toward him and then one back. I didn’t want to get close to whatever was ejecting out of him.

My father twitched and raised his shaggy head slowly. I rushed to him, my hands grazing lightly over his fur. Are you okay? Is that you?

Did you let a vampire drink me? His voice was sardonic and I almost cried out in joy.

He sounded like himself, or at least on his way.

I tentatively pushed some power into him, searching, but I didn’t feel the Screamer or the masses anywhere. That vampire just saved your life.

Ray was still churning out the mess a few feet away. He’d managed to suck out the curse, but he was paying for it.

“Good grief, man. That’s a nasty business,” Danny commented. “Glad I’m not in your shoes, then. I’d likely choke to death on the first go.”

“Danny,” I called. “Run into the house and find my father some clothes. Take whatever you can get your hands on.”

“I’m on it.” He saluted as he turned to leave.

“Naomi.” I flicked my head. “Go with him, in case he runs into trouble.” Eudoxia was still on the roof; who knew what the vamps were doing.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Try Conan’s room. He’s about the right size and he won’t be needing them any longer.” A shot of pity ran through my body. I disliked Conan, but seeing him die so violently had been awful.

“Conan?” Naomi cocked her head at me.

I pointed to the bones in the yard. Once the Screamer had exited, the vamp had decayed immediately.

“Oui,” she said. “That was Francis. He will not be greatly missed. Eudoxia had him changed on a whim. She was curious about his body, but he was not … an intelligent being. I know where his rooms are.”

Tyler paced tentatively to us, running a hand over his face. “Is he okay?”

“It looks like it,” I said. My father was still in his wolf form. “I don’t want to be overly excited until we know for sure.”

My father’s body began to vibrate, and I stepped back as he started shifting into his human form. That was a good sign.

“Listen, Jess,” Tyler said. “I didn’t mean—”

“Tyler,” I cut him off, “it’s absolutely fine. You were protecting your father. Totally understandable and I wouldn’t expect any less. It’s all finished. He survived.”

It took my father no time to shift.

He appeared haggard in his human form but was regaining his color quickly. “What did that vampire do to me?” He rubbed his neck.

“I’m not sure.” I glanced over at Ray, who was still bent over, hands braced on his knees. For the moment it appeared he was done regurgitating the nastiness. “I think he sucked the curse out of you along with the Screamer. It was incredibly lucky he was here.” There was no time to explain everything that had happened over the past few days. My father would get a full report once we were out of danger.

My father nodded once. “I am indebted to him, then.” He sat up, looking more aware by the second. “But that will have to wait. We need to prepare for battle immediately. My wolves have told me internally the fracture pack is aligning just outside the city limits. We need to amass the Pack in here and ready ourselves for war.”

“The Queen has the perimeter warded,” Rourke said, coming up next to us. “No entry is possible at the moment. The fracture pack is a problem, but that’s not the only thing we have to fight. The sorcerers have been summoning demons, and as of right now, they line the perimeter three-fourths around the mansion. We have staked out a fourth, outside the front entrance.”

“Eudoxia will have to open the ward, then. I want my Pack in here.” My father’s voice was firm. “We can’t defeat any opposition without any fighters.”

“That won’t be an easy task.” Rourke pointed to the roof. “It’s taking everything she has to fuel the ward. The magic from the outside is pushing back against it already. She has to keep a constant stream going or it will fall. It’s the only reason why the sorcerers and demons are not inside yet.”

I felt the magic building, the two sides pushing against each other, fighting for power. One had to give eventually. I just hoped it wasn’t hers. “Dad,” I said. “Nick is on the outside with the rest of the Pack and has been joined by the witches. I hope Tally’s presence means they will stand and fight with us. We have a better chance of winning by aligning with them on the outside. I say we go over the wall if the ward fails and regroup there.”

Danny loped over, waving a pair of jeans and a shirt. “Just in time, I see,” he said, nodding to my father. He tossed them with a chuckle. My father caught them and without pausing ordered, “Daniel Walker, get to the highest point on that house. I want a full report of what’s happening around us.”

“On my way,” Danny said immediately.

“Go with him,” I told Naomi, who had come up behind him. “If he’ll let you, fly him up.” I had a twinkle in my eye when I added, “He’d do almost anything to get himself into a woman’s embrace, so this should be a no-brainer.”

“Well”—Danny turned, glancing back at Naomi—“why not, then? I’ve always had a hankering to fly.”

Naomi put her head down for a moment. I couldn’t tell if she was blushing—if vampires even could blush. “I will take you,” she finally said, lifting her face toward his. “But … because of your size, I cannot guarantee I will not drop you.”

“That’s all right by me,” Danny replied jovially. “Won’t be the first time my massive frame has been hard for the ladies to handle—”

Naomi had him around the waist and up before he could finish his sentence.

My father cleared his throat.

“That was Naomi,” I told my father. I couldn’t read his expression, but he wasn’t overly excited that a vamp had taken his head of security for a ride. “She’s the vamp tracker I told you about briefly on the phone when we left Selene’s lair. I have so much to share with you, but she and I are now bonded by blood and she has proven herself loyal again and again. I trust her with my life and with his.”

“This is indeed a new world,” my father said, shaking his head as he pulled on a black shirt. “Vampires have never been our allies. This is unprecedented. It’s going to take me some time to figure out a new way to handle things.” He met my eyes. “And I will agree to examine all the new developments on a case-by-case basis, but that’s all I will promise at this time.”

That was enough for me.

My father was a savvy leader. You don’t stay in charge if you don’t learn to adapt. I was confident we would figure out a new way to move forward that included all of us. And I was content to wait until the right time to fight for what I wanted.

“Jessica,” Rourke said. “I think your father, Tyler, and I should scout around the gate to see if there’s a way to get in or out. Once the wards come down, we have to find a way to stand united, whether it’s in here or out there. If we split up we can cover more ground.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ll wait here with Ray and see what Danny and Naomi have to report once they come down.”

My father nodded once at my mate, appraising him. There was a glimmer of respect growing there, but I knew it would take time for them to get to know each other. I was exceptionally proud of my man for being respectful of my father and not fighting him for control. I would see that he got an extra special gift as soon as I could. My wolf yipped her agreement.

As they trotted around the house, I walked over to where Ray stood. “I can’t thank you enough, Ray. That was heroic and … bizarre, but you saved my dad’s life. If you hadn’t been a reaper all along, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

“Honestly, Hannon, I have no idea what a reaper is,” Ray retorted, spitting on the ground and easing himself upright. “All I know is that I’m attracted to dead stuff and my mind is telling me I can fix it. But with all the other vamp info clogging my brain up, it’s confusing as hell—a swirl of shit all getting stuck in the drain at the same time.”

“You’ve only been a supernatural for a few days,” I said. “It’s a lot to take in. It will likely all sort itself out soon.” I hoped. “And I think that’s exactly what a reaper is. I don’t know much about them, but they do fix dead stuff. And if you ask me, it kind of suits you. Did you ever talk to dead people as a kid?” I chuckled. “Or see your grandma floating around the house?”

“No,” he said gruffly. “I never paid attention to any of that kind of crap.”

“It all means you’re a very powerful supe—”

Simultaneous Orbs crashed into the walls all around us. There must have been ten. We hit the ground.

The sound was deafening. It was a concentrated effort. I was actually surprised it had taken them this long to ramp up an attack.

Ray and I stood from our crouched positions as wolf howls echoed in the night and a cloud of sulfur surrounded us. More Orbs crashed into the ward, but before I could react in any way, the Vampire Queen landed in front of me.

“See what you’ve done! My wards will not hold with this continued onslaught,” she snapped. “You have a lot to answer for—bringing war to my doorstep.” She stalked closer, challenging me. “There is no reason for me to protect you any longer.”

The next assault shook the foundation of the entire Coterie. The wards were indeed cracking. I faced her. This was between Eudoxia and me and no one else. “Bringing war to your doorstep was not my intention,” I said. “I came here for protection only.”