Crimson Truth (Onyx Assassins 4)

“I fucking hate eating with them,” Lachlan muttered, slinging his arm around Valor’s waist.

“It had to be done,” Alek said, holding hands with Lyric as we made our way across the stone path that connected the two buildings. “We haven’t exactly been seen since Avi’s disappearance, and the last thing we need is to struggle with a coup the way the covens are.” His eyes quickly met Jocelyn’s. “No offense intended.”

“None taken.” She offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and I felt her unease rise, her heartbeat pick up. She was nervous. “It’s not like my mother even knows her throne is being bartered away for vampire favors—no offense.”

Alek huffed a laugh. “None taken. We’re going to have to bring her into the loop, you know. If you two can’t figure out who’s plotting, she needs to be informed of the situation.”

“I agree,” Jocelyn replied, shooting me a look that said she didn’t.

The area above my hip twinged, but I kept from hissing at the sting. Somehow the bond had affected my powers, moving the location of the tattoos, and Jocelyn’s hurt. But this lie, I understood. We had no idea if the witches would be able to sense the mating bond, and could only assume the worst about what the reaction would be. The next time Jocelyn stepped foot on coven lands, there was a very real possibility that she’d either be banished, or killed.

Never killed.

A growl rumbled in my chest. I’d honed myself into one of the deadliest weapons on the planet over these last centuries, and it would take a hell of a lot more than a few pissed off witches to get near my mate.

My mate. Not just my lover, or my partner in this mission. I’d found my mate. Was the bond inconvenient as fuck? Absolutely. Did I care? Not one bit. She was nothing I’d imagined, and yet everything I needed. Smart. Powerful. Strong. Sexy as hell. Loyal. Fierce. Not only could she hold her own in a Domum full of aristocratic, blood-thirsty vampires, she could rip the entire building to shreds if she wanted to. She wasn’t some innocent female who would pale at the mention of battle, she was a warrior in her own right, which was both a blessing and a really big complication in this already impossible situation.

We walked into the residence, and I immediately loosened my tie. While the others chose to dine in their leathers, making the most out of their physical intimidation to remind the aristocracy who was in control, I chose my Armani armor with careful thought, reminding any of the entitled whiners that I came from their ranks. I knew their families. I remembered their grudges. I was intimate with their lies.

As the vampires spread out through the house, I caught Alek’s attention with a nod. “I need to speak to you.”

The moment of reckoning was here.

Concern knitted his brow and he nodded, motioning into the library. “Lyric—” he started.

“She can come,” I interrupted, glancing at Jocelyn, who nodded her approval. The second Alek knew, his mate would, anyway. There were no secrets between mates, and I’d never disrespect my queen by making her hear it secondhand.

I led the way to the library, opening the door for Jocelyn, my hand resting on the small of her back as I walked her in.

The move didn’t go unnoticed by Alek. I felt the air chill in the room as his mood swiftly changed.

The door flicked shut, whether by Jocelyn’s magic or Alek’s, I wasn’t sure, and the four of us stood in the center of the two-story room, none of us choosing to sit on the nearby couches. Books lined the wall all the way to the ceiling with the exception of the wall that boasted huge windows to let in the moonlight, but I could almost guarantee there were no stories in this room that compared to what we were about to reveal.

“Spell it,” I said to Jocelyn.

Her eyes met mine, worry obliterating all the shimmery stars in their depths, but she nodded and began to whisper. Strands of purple energy wove from her hands, then bounded out, blasting into the walls where they clung, giving the room a lilac hue. “No one outside this room can hear us now,” she said in explanation.

“Did you find the traitor?” Alek asked, cutting to the point.

“No, we found something else.” I shook my head and took Jocelyn’s hand.

Alek’s gaze narrowed, and Lyric shifted her weight, leaning into her mate.

“You’re sure?” Jocelyn whispered, fear streaking through her eyes.

“He’s the only one who can help, and he won’t kill me.” I knew Alek’s character to the marrow of his bones, but that hadn’t relieved Jocelyn’s anxiety.

“He might if you don’t tell him what the fuck is going on,” Alek said slowly, tilting his head in exasperation.