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“That will change soon. Our shift ended about half an hour ago. Other enforcers will be coming into this area,” she bluffed.

  “Word is that your master has abandoned you and you’re weak. He took all the strong ones with him.”

  She masked her face, not happy to learn that the Vampires somehow had that information. It would be stupid to deny what they already seemed to know. “We don’t have a master. We call him a clan leader, and he always travels with some of his guards.”

  “Whatever he is, Decker Filmore contacted our council and has left the state.”

  Kira clenched her teeth, wondering what Decker planned to do next. Did he hope to bring Vampires in to start a war with the other clans, since he’d failed to get the GarLycans on his side? She really hated the bastard, but these two Vamps might be on a fishing trip for more information. She decided to keep bluffing. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Decker goes on trips often and speaks to lots of packs and nests. He’ll be back soon.” She didn’t look away from the Vamp in front of her as she spoke. “Not to mention, you take on one clan, you take on all of them. We’re not an easy target just because a small handful of our number went on a trip.”

  “That’s not what we heard.” The one to her left came a little closer. It was creepy because he didn’t make any sound when he moved.

  “That’s the thing about rumors. They usually aren’t true.” She turned her head to glare at him. She welcomed anger over terror and clung to it. “You need to leave, or within an hour you’ll have hundreds of VampLycans tracking you. That’s just from this clan. The other three will be contacted and they’ll join the hunt. My shift ended at sunset. I’d give it less than an hour before they’re sending an entire team out to see where I am, if they haven’t already done so. Just how far do you think you’ll get before dawn? They won’t stop until you’re found.”

  He frowned and glanced at his friend. She followed his gaze, the one in front of her obviously the leader. It made sense. He was the one with the slight accent, probably the older Vampire who had made the American into a suckhead.

  The European one spoke replied, “It’s convenient that your shift just ended.”

  “You smell me. I’m mostly human. Do you know what one of the down sides to that is? I can’t see well in the dark. I work the day shift. A few human poachers made a mess so it delayed me from going in on time. Use common sense and it will tell you I’m telling the truth. I’d be useless after dark since I have shitty night vision.”

  He didn’t look happy with that information, and it encouraged her.

  “I’ll be honest with you.” She decided to try a new tactic. “I don’t like Veso much. He’s kind of a jerk who isn’t exactly nice to me because my mother was human. If you killed him, just take him away with you. Dump his body far beyond our territory and bury him deep. He can go for days without being seen before it raises suspicion. Me? They don’t completely trust me. They’ll send enforcers to hunt me down. I won’t mention I saw you because I don’t want the treaty broken. You were given some bad information. It happens. Now you know the truth and can go before this gets out of hand.”

  The older Vampire smiled, revealing white fangs. It was chilling. “You’d just forget you saw us?”

  “As I said, I don’t want the treaty broken. I wasn’t around during the war between Vampires and Lycans, obviously since I’m way too young, but I’ve heard the horror stories.” She’d swear to anything if she could just survive. Of course, as soon as she got home, she’d tell the clan. Veso might be an asshole, they weren’t friends, but he had earned her respect for training her.

  “Shit happens.” She shrugged for effect. “Veso’s next shift starts day after tomorrow. That will give you plenty of time to make tracks. Mistakes get made. Lesson learned, and hey, you did me a favor because he was a pain in my ass. I won’t have to deal with him anymore if your friends killed him.” She hoped not.

  “I believe her,” the younger one announced. “She is mostly human. I can’t see them being any kinder to her than we would be. Humans tend to have little to no fidelity to the ones who own them.”

  Kira allowed the insult to roll over her without comment.

  The older Vampire’s smile faded. “How disappointing. I had planned on taking out this clan.”

  She kept her mouth firmly sealed.

  “I know.” His companion sounded depressed. “I was looking forward to slaughtering them. The full-blooded Lycans are so easy to kill it’s not any fun to take one down.”

  It was becoming clear why VampLycans hated Vampires. She masked her expression to hide her dislike of them. They spoke of committing murder in the same tone as some discussed the weather. It left her wondering just how many of their nest had invaded the territory. It would take a lot of them if they honestly believed they could win an all-out battle. She wasn’t about to ask them questions to figure it out.

  “We’ll leave.”

  She breathed a bit easier.

  The older Vampire smiled again. It looked downright evil.

  “But…correct me if I’m wrong, Chris?” He glanced at the younger one. “I do love my Shakespeare. Young lovers running away together to start a new life sounds much more believable. No one would look for us at all.”

  Her hope of surviving plummeted. She tensed as she waited for Chris’s reply. The asshole laughed.

  “That’s so true. They’ll chalk it up to them having a steamy affair. And what would be the fun in leaving without spilling some blood?”

  She cringed. “No one would buy that in a million years. Did you hear me when I said Veso is an asshole? We don’t get along and everyone knows it. He hates humans. I’m more than half.”

  “You’re a pretty woman.” The older one stepped closer, staring down at her. “I’d have an affair with you.”

  Her stomach revolted and she almost dry heaved at the thought of him touching her.

  “Yes, I like that idea.” The older Vamp narrowed the distance between them too. “Your clan will believe you ran away with the VampLycan. Two lovers on the run.”

  “You should believe what I’m telling you. I’m considered off limits by all the men. They don’t want to have weak babies with me. It’s that pesky human blood of mine. I’m good enough to work patrol but nothing more.”

  “I didn’t say he had to mate you.” The Vampire with the accent leered at her. “You’re very fetching, and I know I want to fuck and suck on you.”

  “Thanks,” she managed to get out. “But no thanks. There’s one problem with your lover scenario. I’m so human I can get pregnant without being mated. No VampLycan would take that chance. They also see me as too fragile to want to sleep with. To Veso, I’m about as sexy as that tree behind me.”

  “I don’t believe that.” The older Vampire leered at her breasts, and then suddenly reached out, grabbed her badge and tore it off, the chain snapping. “Any man would want to fuck you.”

  They were going to kill her anyway. “Cold and clammy isn’t my thing.” Her chin rose as she glared at him. “You’d be smarter to go with my plan. They’ll know something is wrong if I disappear. Veso would rather die than end up with someone like me as his lover. He’d rather hump a tree. Everyone knows that except you.”

  Chris laughed. “She’s got spirit, Master.”

  “That she does.” His eyes appeared black in his white face. “Do you know what a thrall is?”

  “I’m immune to hypnotic suggestion.” She immediately regretted admitting that but it was too late. The idea of him attempting to persuade her to do anything sexual seemed too sickening.

  He suddenly lunged and gripped her throat.

  She could breathe but he had a firm hold. Kira didn’t struggle because she could feel his sharp fingernails digging into her neck. He’d rip skin open if she pulled away.

  “I’m five hundred years old,” he hissed. “Do you know what that makes me?”

  She bit back her first reply of him being a conceited asshole