Page 21 of His Eternal Temptation
“Shit.”
“He did more damage than the one I stopped. And it goes without saying that none of us heard of the incident until now. There are some angry witches here to see you.”
Rowan’s insides lurched. “This feral vampire claimed I was his sire, didn’t he?”
Felix nodded, apologetic even though this wasn’t his fault. “He did.”
Lane stiffened, but didn’t turn around.
Ignore him. “Have you shown the witches upstairs?”
“No, they won’t come in. They’re waiting on the street.”
Dammit. “Lane, come with us.” Rowan waited for his full attention. “I only ask you don’t butt in.”
He gave a blank look. “I wouldn’t. It’s not like I know what you’re talking about.”
Was that all he had to say? No interrogation about Rowan’s connection to a feral vampire?
Perhaps that would come later.
Not wanting to leave angry witches on his doorstep, Rowan led the way to the building’s entrance without further discussion.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, his steps slowed. Lane might hear the witches’ story and believe he’d created a monster. What if he snapped and resumed screaming about Rowan killing him, claiming he killed whoever was in his way, discarding people like pawns? Lane was primed to believe the worst, and Rowan hated it so fiercely, his stomach hurt.
He paused in the dark entryway, everything inside him impossibly tight. Felix gave him an odd look, but didn’t pry.
Rowan couldn’t take it. He faced Lane. “I didn’t sire this feral vampire, or any other. I would never hurt someone like that.”
Lane met his eyes, gaze unwavering and lacking its usual defiance. “I know. I didn’t think you had.”
It didn’t sound like a lie, so perhaps Lane was starting to trust him. Rowan was tempted to relax. He didn’t, but he could accept this olive branch and offered his own. “Thank you.”
He nodded to Felix, feeling better, even if he wasn’t his usual unfaltering self. Felix opened the door, and Rowan slipped out, Lane behind him, keeping close without positioning himself at Rowan’s side. Rowan hoped that counting on him not to make this confrontation worse was the right call.
“Rowan Valero. I see you’ve brought your muscle,” said a short woman, flanked by two others. Rowan’s vampire sense confirmed they all possessed magic.
“Hardly,” Felix muttered as he came to stand beside Rowan.
He could see why the witch felt otherwise. Lane was shorter than Felix, and perhaps not as built, but nowhere near as willowy as Rowan. As if stature mattered to vampires.
“How may I help—sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met. What’s your name?” Rowan asked smoothly.
“No, we haven’t, which has been nice. I’m Ava. No coven association. My sister was killed last night.” Her gaze burned with painful fury.
Rowan’s heart sank. “I am so sorry, Ava. Felix tells me a feral vampire attacked, but I swear on my immortal life they weren’t my creation.”
“If I believed they were, I wouldn’t waste time talking,” Ava said. Her companions nodded their agreement, and Rowan’s heavy heart lightened. “This is still your fault. Someone put your name in the vampire’s mouth and set him loose in our building.”
“We aren’t collateral in your disputes,” the man next to her grumbled. “We don’t even know you, other than by reputation.”
“You’re right. No one should be collateral damage,” Rowan agreed. “I don’t know who’s creating these feral vampires. If I did, it’d already be dealt with.” It was important to make it clear he wasn’t sitting around letting this happen or wasting time negotiating with a known enemy. “I’ll find out who’s behind this and end them.”
Ava didn’t appear impressed. “How long have attacks like this been happening?”
“Last night was the first I heard of a feral claiming me as their sire,” he said, and she seemed slightly mollified. Rowan would take what he could get. “Where can we find this latest vampire? Hopefully, I can learn something from their identity to help find the one responsible.”
“His body is in the van.” Ava jerked a thumb behind her. “He’s got no ID, and he didn’t say anything coherent other than claiming to be yours.”
