Okay. She’ll be a lot better when Castor is found. She doesn’t think he’ll come for her, but she wants him out of the picture all the same.
We all do. Jared paused. Gotta go. We’ll keep you in the loop. You just concentrate on Lexi.
Like I could do anything else. And not only because there was a potential danger out there to her. The woman had been on my mind since I first laid eyes on her.
The news that I’d claimed her as my vessel must have circulated quickly, because no males ogled or flirted with her. Vampires respected such claims. It was a language they understood. Only a goddamn fool would ignore it.
Knowing Lexi would have at least five more minutes before her break was over, I crossed to the table where the female squad sat. Flicking up my brow, I skimmed my gaze over each of them. “Is there a reason you’ve been pulling Lexi into conversation after conversation rather than letting her work? No, don’t tell me you were just been social.”
Sheepish, Imani raised her shoulders. “We wanted to meet your vessel.” The others nodded.
“Now that you have, maybe you can all give her some space,” I suggested.
Paige swirled her bottle, her eyes lit with humour. “Are you worried we’ll scare her off?”
“There’s eight of you,” I said. “As a group, you can be a little overwhelming. Plus, you’re all nosy as hell. I don’t doubt that you tried quizzing her.”
“We did try,” Cassie admitted, “but she’s ace at dodging questions or answering without really answering—it’s a skill I lack and admire.”
“I swear, Damien, our intention wasn’t to put Lexi through a gauntlet or anything,” Ava assured me. “We were just curious about this woman who has you all tied up in knots. Ooh, you’re not even stuttering denials. I thought you’d try to play the whole thing down.” Grinning, she gave a little clap. “This is awesome.”
I frowned. “Is it?”
Ava gave me a duh look. “Well of course. You’re one of our boys. We want you happy.”
“Lexi’s human, so I shouldn’t have to point out that nothing serious can come of this,” I said, my voice edged with impatience, my stomach twisting painfully.
“You’re not walking away, though,” said Jude.
“Because she’s my vessel.”
Maya snorted. “You claimed her as your vessel because you feel it’s the only claim you can have over her. Also, it keeps other guys away from her. That suits you fine.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
Keeley gave me a faint smile. “At least you’re not denying it.”
“This doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’re making it in your head,” Cassie said to me. “Yes, Lexi’s human. But we were all human once. We didn’t stay that way. Who’s to say she has to either?”
“I’m not going to ask her to Turn for me.” The temptation was there, but I wasn’t selfish enough to act on it.
Maya tilted her head. “You wouldn’t want that?”
Of course I fucking would, but … “Only if she felt that this life was right for her, with or without me. If something happened to me on an assignment, she would have to go on without me.” And that could very well put her off.
Ava pursed her lips. “Well maybe you could try giving her reasons to feel that this life would work for her. Tell her more about vampirism. Use your gift to have some fun with her. Show her the positives of our way of life.”
Imani nodded. “Instead of holding back and bracing yourself to lose her, give her your all. Reel her in. Make it so that she can’t imagine not having you right there with her every night. I don’t think that’ll be hard. It’s obvious by the way she talks about you that she’s totally into you. More, I think she—”
“Damien!” Maisy grabbed my arm, having dashed to me in vampiric speed. “He took her,” she burst out, her eyes flashing with fear. “Castor. He took her.”
My heart literally fucking stopped, and every muscle in my body seemed to tighten. “What?”
“One of his nest, Colm, teleported him into the break room,” said Maisy, her words tumbling out of her in a hurry. “They were there and gone too fast for me to do anything.”
Heat rushed to my head as fury and dread pounded in my blood. I clenched my fists, needing to punch something. “Fuck.” I would have rushed off—though where, I didn’t know—if Paige hadn’t come to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.
“Stay calm, Damien,” said Paige, all business. “Lexi needs you to keep a clear head. You’ve drank from her plenty of times recently, you can find her.”
And I had every intention of doing so. But the tug in my own blood that told me what direction she’d gone in was a very weak sensation, which meant she wasn’t close by.