Queen (Bloodline Vampires 3)

I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. “I’m going to need a blade,” I finally say. “Thankfully, Grace left behind a whole stack to choose from.”

“Mina.” Malachi watches me closely. “If you don’t want to do this—”

“There’s no other way.” I shake my head. “Let’s not waste time trying to find other options. If this is the plan, we need to perfect it.”

Malachi hesitates, but finally nods. “Let’s go over it step by step.”

15

While I’m not feeling particularly confident, at least I know the steps of the plan by heart after we go through it a few times. Whether or not it will work… I don’t know. There are too many things beyond our control, which means too many things that could go wrong. The most important of these, of course, is Wolf’s sister.

She should arrive any minute.

Rylan and Malachi went hunting earlier, returning rosy-cheeked and brimming with health. They fed Wolf, but no one offered to feed me. I can feel the hunger stirring—I’ll have to eat again before we attack the compound—but I’m just grateful they’ve stopped trying to feed me human food. The very thought disgusts me. That revulsion which will worry me later, when I have time and energy to think about the implications. First, I have to focus on the threat directly in front of me.

Lizzie.

I don’t expect to feel her approach. It’s been so long since I’ve been around other vampires, and I certainly didn’t feel my father and his people break into the mountain home. This is different. Very different. I lift my head, turning in the direction of the sensation. It feels a bit like what I imagine all the water being sucked out before a tsunami hits feels like. “What is that?”

“Lizzie.” Wolf bites out her name. “She’s not bothering to shield. She wants us to know she’s coming.”

Without saying another word, we move into the living room. It’s got a clear view of both front and back doors. Malachi nudges me to the loveseat that backs a wall with no windows, and then pushes Wolf gently down next to me. “Let me and Rylan do the talking.”

“That won’t work and you know it.” Wolf’s voice shakes a little, but he’s more composed than he was this morning in the kitchen. “She won’t be satisfied with that.”

I place my hand on his thigh, a fierce protectiveness surging. If this vampire thinks she can come in here and harm those I care about, she’ll have to go through me to do it. I squeeze his thigh. “She will not touch you.” Something akin to power thrums through my voice. It feels strange, and all three of the men tense in response.

The door flies open before anyone has a chance to comment on it.

I don’t know what I expected of Wolf’s sister. Perhaps someone like him, who dresses in style that’s Victorian crossed with underground club scene. Someone who feels out of time. Someone fiercely beautiful and wildly unhinged.

The woman who walks through the door looks like a suburban housewife in her dark jeans, cream knit sweater, and knee-high boots. Her dark hair is pulled back into a perfect, sleek ponytail and her makeup is present, but tasteful. She’s wearing a floral headband. She’s attractive in a generic kind of way, but she doesn’t possess the kind of beauty that will stop people in their tracks. She’s devastatingly normal.

At least until I look into her icy blue eyes. There’s no warmth there, no soul.

She smiles, flashing fang. “Hello, baby brother.”

Wolf goes still beside me. “Lizzie.”

She surveys the room, her gaze flicks dismissively over Rylan before lingering on Malachi. “Interesting company you’re keeping these days.” Her grin never wavers. “Nice to see you out and about, Mal. Silly of you to fall into that trap in the first place.”

“Lizzie,” he rumbles. “You’d better be here to help, rather than cause unnecessary trouble.”

“I never cause trouble unnecessarily.” She finally looks at me, blue eyes assessing. “So this is the new girlfriend. Welcome to the family, sweet girl.” She takes one step toward me and laughs when all three men jolt. “Relax, lads. If I was going to kill her, I wouldn’t have walked through the front door.”

Rylan makes a vaguely snarling sound that shouldn’t have been able to come from a human mouth. “Don’t fuck with us, Lizzie.”

“Can’t blame a girl for having a little fun. Everyone is so tense.” She walks over to the chair where Malachi sits and props a hip against it. “Now, tell me who you want me to kill. I feel a tad bit guilty about the little fire incident last time we met, so I’m willing to play nice for the duration.” She feathers her fingers through Malachi’s long hair. “Besides, I couldn’t resist the temptation to see old friends.”