Page 77 of The Vampire’s Temptation

A different vampire was nearby. And she was in danger.

Alessandra took out the knife Birdie gave her and held it as if she’d been born with the thing. She simply needed to step inside her house to assure her safety if, indeed, her instincts were correct. But still, she paused, knowing this was a fight she could win.

* * *

“What do you mean,you’ll handle it?”

Kenton paced the front room, vowing again to get rid of these garish red walls as his unwanted guests sat calmly across from him. They reminded him of a time when he’d once lost control, of an incident he’d rather not remember.

Laria spoke this time.

“We can’t explain how we hide them, Kenton. There’s no scenario here that doesn’t come back to haunt us.”

Lawrence cut in. “If you’d just recognize that most Cheld do not pose a danger, perhaps it would be different—”

“You’re trying to protect the woman you love,” Laria said. “Admirable. And very un-Kenton-like. But not good enough for us to jeopardize other lives.”

The woman you love.

Over the centuries, he’d loved only a handful of women. Getting too close always led to pain in the end, and he had a feeling this time would be no different.

He hadn’t expected the Derricksons to reveal everything they knew, but damned if he was just going to put her life in their hands. They’d failed before—he and his brothers had ensured it. What if they failed again?

“You will just have to trust us,” Lawrence said.

Trust a Derrickson?Never.

“We don’t have time for games, Lawrence,” he snapped. “You’ve met my brothers—”

“Unfortunately.”

“Lawrence!” Laria pressed her lips into a flat line and frowned at her brother. It wasn’t the first time Kenton had thought he might actually like the only Derrickson sister had she been born into a different family.

“If you hadn’t shown up,” Lawrence said, “she’d be safe already. Telling Alessandra I meant to kill her set back my plan—”

“I will not be kept out of this,” Kenton insisted, his fists clenched. “She is mine to protect.” Protecting those he loved was what Kenton did best, after all. Before Alessandra, it had been the only thing left to live for. He may have failed his parents, but he’d helped protect his brothers for centuries, hadn’t he?

“It would be easier with your cooperation,” Laria said, inspecting the red walls, “but we will protect her either way.”

Truly, his world had been turned upside down in Stone Haven. But did he have any other choice but to accept their help? Kenton did not have the means to keep her safe.

Vampires could detect Cheld, and as Alessandra’s abilities grew, his brothers weren’t the only ones who would rather kill her than risk being killed should her stance on vampires change.

“I’m going with her.”

Again, the siblings exchanged an infuriatingly meaningful glance.

“Tell him,” Laria prompted.

What the hell was going on here?

Lawrence twisted the silver ring he’d worn since his days of ruling Clan Karyn as chief. Could he be . . . nervous? He’d rarely seen the other leader act anything but confident.

“Our fathers despised each other,” Lawrence said, looking directly at him. “And their fathers before them. We very nearly lived in each other’s backyards, and a property dispute—”

After all these years, the accusation still roused flames of rage in his gut. “I assume you speak of the ownership of my family’s home?”

“—kept us from being allies rather than enemies.” Lawrence shot a look at him. “I’d always assumed our families were destined to despise each other for eternity—” a pause, “—but perhaps we might extend our temporary truce just a bit longer.”