STERLING WOKE TO find Lexine staring at the ceiling. It was still several hours before sunset. “Have you slept at all?”
She looked at him. “Not really. I’m incredibly nervous.”
He rolled on his back. “Come here.”
Lexine moved closer and laid her head on his chest. Sterling pulled her close and breathed in her scent. She smelled like pumpkin pie. How had he never noticed that before? Probably because they’d been more like roommates than anything before.
He was going to miss this.
He had no idea what Lexine had said to Dante the other day in his office, but it seemed like things were over between the cat-shifter and their leader. Sterling knew that Dante wasn’t going to date Lexine. Their leader hadn’t shown interest in her before Phoenix, and he wasn’t likely to show her interest now. But Sterling figured it was only a matter of time before Lexine made a play for Dante again and left him behind.
At least it had been fun while it lasted.
Lexine picked up her head and looked at him. “That was a big sigh. Something on your mind?”
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Nothing in particular,” he lied. “Just that we have a big day ahead of us. I was hoping to hear something about your parents by now.”
She put her head back down. “I know. Me, too.” She traced the lines of his six-pack. “I’m sorry that I put you in this situation, Sterling. I have no idea what the Council is going to do to you. I should never have made you keep my secret.”
Now would be the time to tell her that he loved her and would do almost anything for her, but he kept his mouth shut. Now, he understood why she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about her new group of friends. Pity was a bitch, and he didn’t want Lexine feeling sorry for him. He might have to seriously think about transferring out of state.
Although he hadn’t been able to find his transfer papers since the first night he read them.
Lexine paused where she was touching him, and he realized he’d never responded.
“I forgive you. You didn’t make me do anything. I chose to keep your secret. I’ll deal with whatever punishment the Council wants to hand out to me.”
She looked up again and kissed him. He cupped the back of her head and was getting ready to roll her on her back when there was a pounding at her bedroom door.
“Lexine, open up,” Lennox called from the other side.
“Oh my God,” she said as she jumped out of bed.
He was about to ask where she wanted him to hide when she marched toward the door, and he was momentarily distracted.
“Lexine, clothes.”
She looked down at her naked body and ran to her closet. She was sliding on her robe when she went and answered her door. She swung it wide, not even bothering to try to hide Sterling.
Sterling quickly sat up as Lexine said, “What’s wrong?”
Lennox looked over Lexine’s shoulder at Sterling and then to his sister. Sterling, Lexine, Sterling, Lexine. His eyes bounced until they landed on Lexine, and Lennox’s mouth turned down in disgust. “That was you the other night when Morgan heard Sterling fucking someone? Barf.”
Lexine clapped her hands together. “Lennox, focus. Why did you come knocking?”
Lennox was still focused on Lexine and Sterling. “But you let me go on and on…and it was you the whole time?”
“Lennox,” she said sharper this time.
When her brother didn’t say anything else, she socked him in the arm.
“Ow,” he said, rubbing his arm.
“Why did you come to my door?” she said, frustration in her voice.
“Oh, yeah. The shifters got Mom and Dad out safe. They’re on their way here as we speak. And Dante wants to go over tonight’s game plan.” He looked down at his sister’s attire. “So, get dressed.” He turned around and shuddered. “Yikes, I can’t believe I asked Sterling to share my sister,” he said as he walked away.
Lexine closed the door, rushed over to Sterling, and threw herself into his arms. “My parents are okay.”
Sterling held her for several minutes. When she pulled away, she had to wipe tears off her face. He was relieved to see that they were happy tears.
“We’d better get ready,” she said with a smile.
Sterling grinned at her. “We’d better. I’ll meet you down there.”
Lexine moved out of the way, so Sterling could get out of bed. He put on last night’s clothes and went to his room to shower and dress.
Fifteen minutes later, he was meeting everyone in Dante’s office. Lexine had beaten him there and was pacing the room. No sooner had he arrived than two shifters, Saxon and Zane, escorted two figures in black with large brimmed hats and black veils into the room. They removed their hats and veils, and Sterling saw that they were Lexine and Lennox’s parents.
The parents hugged their children, and Lexine apologized to them over and over again. Her parents just hugged her again. Thankfully, this part of their mission had ended happily.
Dante spoke with the shifters. Then, he thanked the shifters and told them the vampires would meet them as soon as possible.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harlow, let us give you a room upstairs where you can get cleaned up and rest. Then, later, we can take you to the vampire clinic to get you both checked out,” Dante said.
Lexine and Lennox showed them to a room. After they came back, Dante finally told the group what the shifters had said.
“Seems we’re either lucky or unlucky.”
“What do you mean?” Lennox asked.
“Apparently, all of the vampires are located at one house. We’re lucky because they’re all in one place, but it’ll be hard to take them all at the same time. Something is more likely to go wrong. I’m assuming that is the reason they have stuck together. I don’t know what their plans were for Lexine and Sterling the night before, but they have to know someone is coming for them. They’ll be ready.”
“We’re going to be ready, too,” Lennox said.
“Now, I need someone to stay back with Mr. and Mrs. Harlow.”
“I volunteer Lexine,” Lennox said.
Sterling looked at Lexine’s face. She didn’t like the idea, but she didn’t object.
Dante shook his head. “I can’t do that. Lexine is the only one who has drunk the blood of all the vampires there. I need her too much.”
“I’ll stay,” Declan volunteered. It wasn’t surprising. He was a Guardian for his computer and hacking skills more than his ability to fight.
Dante nodded at the computer genius. “Thank you.” Dante turned to the rest of them after glancing at his watch. “Okay, we have about a half hour before we can leave. Let’s go over the plan.”
The group huddled around and listened to what their leader had to say.
Thirty minutes later, they were inside their SUVs and heading out. The sky was still a little gray and not completely dark yet. They had left as soon as they possibly could.
Dante called someone. “They’re still there?” Pause. “Good. We should be there in ten.” He hung up and stepped on the gas.
Once they reached their destination, they all piled out of the vehicles. It was almost completely dark now, and they blended in with their black clothing. The shifters came out of the dark and greeted them. Sterling noticed that Dante was trying not to be obvious that he was looking for Phoenix, but he wasn’t succeeding. The female shifter was nowhere to be seen.
“Nobody has come or gone,” Damien said.
“Thanks. We owe you,” Dante said.
“We’ll put it on your tab,” the wolf alpha said. “We’ll stick around in case you need us,” he added.
And the shifters disappeared into the darkness to wait.
Dante turned to them. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Sterling and Dante circled the house, followed by Lexine, who was trying to keep a distance so that Lucas wouldn’t detect her presence. The three of them reconvened in the front with the group.
“Okay,” Sterling said. “There is a couple in the back bedroom.” He didn’t bother with names since none of the other Guardians knew who they were. “Hopefully, they’re sleeping. I sensed two more in the next two bedrooms, both female, and one male in the bathroom. We tried to wait for the male in the bathroom to leave, so we could track his movement, but he must have been doing some…big business in there.”
“And Lucas is in the kitchen. Of course he’s up,” Lexine grumbled.
“I had hoped they’d all be sleeping still,” Dante said. “But we’ll have to make do with what we have. Hunter and Ram, I want you two to go for the couple in the back bedroom. Morgan, you have the next bedroom, and, Lennox, you have the next. You all can go through the bedroom windows. Tempest, you get the male in the bathroom where he will hopefully stay. There is a patio door not far from there that you’ll have to use. Once you’re in, head to your left. Sterling, please give them a quick nod if the guy is still in the bathroom when we get up there. And then you’re with me. We’re going after Lucas through the garage. Everybody ready?”
“What about me?” Lexine asked.
“I want you to stay here. We can’t risk Lucas sensing you.”
“But—”
Dante lifted an eyebrow.
“I’ll wait here.”
“Good.” Dante turned to the rest of them. “Let’s go.”
The Guardians approached their targets and spread out around the house. Sterling was cursing himself for not drinking some of Lucas’s blood the night before as he rounded the bathroom in the back and headed for the garage. He turned around and gave Tempest a quick nod before continuing on to his destination.
Dante and Sterling approached the rear of the house and headed for the back door to the garage. Dante made a bird call into the night, which signaled everyone to go in. Sterling opened the door to the garage and—
BOOM!
Sterling felt himself flying backward and landing hard on the grass. The next thing he knew was that he had a massive headache, and part of the house was on fire. He must have blacked out for a second, but he wasn’t sure. He tried to sit up but hurt everywhere.
There was a lot of commotion around them, but Sterling couldn’t hear through the ringing in his ears. It felt like he was wearing earplugs because he couldn’t make out what was going on.
Sterling looked over to his side, suddenly remembering that Dante had been beside him when the blast went off. He saw Dante and shouted his name even though Dante probably couldn’t hear either. Dante moved his legs, and Sterling breathed a sigh of relief that his leader was alive.
Through the smoke, he saw Lexine emerge and head straight for them. She looked to be shouting something, but he couldn’t read her lips. He watched her get closer, but it almost felt like slow motion. He knew how she felt about Dante, so Sterling closed his eyes, not wanting to see her reach their leader’s side.
A heavy weight landed on his chest, dislodging what little air he still had in his body. He opened his eyes to see Lexine over him with tears in her eyes. She was talking to him, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying.
He caressed her cheek. She’d come to him instead of Dante, and despite the situation, this was one of the happiest moments of his life.
She said something again, and he shook his head.
“I can’t hear you!” he shouted while pointing to his ear.
She mouthed, Police.
He realized that one of the neighbors, if not all, had probably called the police when they heard the noise from the explosion.
He tried to sit up again, but his head swam, and he was afraid he was going to pass out. Lexine motioned someone over, saying something, and Ram came into view. He leaned over Sterling and grinned.
We got them, he mouthed. Then, he picked Sterling up in a fireman’s hold.
It wasn’t the best way to get him out of there, but it was the fastest. While Ram ran for the SUVs, Sterling held on, his head being jarred with every step.
Ram set him down in the back of a vehicle, and someone laid Dante down beside him. Lexine got in after that and put Sterling’s head in her lap. He felt the engine turn over, and someone stepped on the gas.
Now that they were out of there, he closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep, but Lexine shook him. He looked up into her hazel-green eyes, and she shook her head.
No sleeping, she mouthed. Concussion.
He looked up at her and maybe shouted, maybe whispered, “I love you.” It was hard to tell when he couldn’t hear himself.
She smiled down at him and mouthed, I love you, too.