The Montevallo vampires lived near the edge of town in an old brick mansion. It consisted of two massive stories with a high-pitched A-framed roof. There was a circular gravel driveway in the front and a perfectly manicured yard. A small house sat to the right of the mansion made from the same materials. I assumed it was the caretaker’s home. Did they have a caretaker? I imagined they had to have someone to care for the place while they were away for years on end.

Did this caretaker know he worked for vampires? Or was he compelled to not notice strange happenings by Ivette?

My stomach soured as thoughts of the doctors Regina had compelled filled my mind. They’d been practically zombies. I hoped that wasn’t the case with the Montevallos’ caretaker.

As we crept up the gravel road, I spotted the same baby blue car I witnessed Julian drive. Two more vehicles were parked in front of it—a cherry red sports car and a solid black one. Both were different models and brands. I assumed they belonged to Julian’s sisters.

Wasn’t there a fourth sibling? Another male?

When would he be making an appearance in Mirror Lake? Did he even get along with his siblings? Was he returning home like they had? Maybe he didn’t want to.

I didn’t blame him.

If I were a vampire, I wasn’t sure I’d return home either. What was the point? Everyone you knew and loved would have already passed. It seemed too depressing.

Instead, I’d travel the world, never staying in one place long.

And unlike the vampires in the paranormal shows Gracie watched, I’d stay away from New Orleans. Gran had taken me and Gracie once a couple years ago when she paid a well-known witch who owned a shop on Bourbon Street a visit for some special herb seeds. That section of the city could be pretty disgusting. Even in the middle of the day, it still smelled like puke.

Eli cut the engine of his truck and let out a long exhale. It was clear he didn’t want to be here.

“This place is a hell of a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” Dorian insisted as he slipped out the passenger seat and glanced up, soaking in the mansion. “I can’t believe I’ve never scoped this place out before.”

“I know what you mean,” I muttered as climbed out of the truck behind him. I slammed the passenger door shut and started toward the front door. An intricate vine with flowers had been carved out of the wood door that nearly took my breath away.

I hadn’t stepped foot inside yet and already I was wowed by the place’s beauty.

“It’s too big for me,” Eli growled as he walked straight to the front door.

“I think it’s amazing,” I said. “There’s this romantic vibe oozing from it I like.”

“Romantic vibe?” Dorian teased. “God, you’re such a damn girl sometimes.”

I rolled my eyes, but before I could say anything in response to his jab, the front door of the place opened.

Julian stood in the threshold, dressed in dark jeans and a gray cable knit sweater. His dark-framed glasses reflected the sunlight behind us, and his hair had been spiked to perfection again. I wondered how much time it took him to get it to stand up like that each morning.

My gaze drifted to his face. The expression he wore had my wolf on guard.

He didn’t seem happy to see us. In fact, he looked on edge. Anxiety and tension rippled off him, vibrating through the air and making me question if coming here was a good idea. I glanced at the guys, trying to gauge their reaction. Dorian seemed uneasy, but Eli looked as though he was ready to go head-to-head with Julian in a full-out brawl.

“Julian,” Eli said with a sharp edge to his tone. “We have something we need to discuss with you. It involves the Midnight Reaper.”

I reached out for Eli’s hand and smoothed my thumb against the length of his index finger to calm him. Where was all of his tension and hostility coming from? Was it because he was in the presence of a vampire? Even though this wasn’t the one responsible for his father’s death, his wolf might not care—which meant his wolf might be fighting him for control or fueling him with rage.

The twitch under Eli’s eye seemed to diminish at the same time his features visibly relaxed. My touch was having the effect on him I’d wanted. This was good. He needed to get his crap together because Julian wasn’t the enemy—the Midnight Reaper was.

At the same time Eli seemed to relax from my touch, Julian relaxed as well.

“I had a feeling you’d be by soon,” he said as he stepped aside and motioned for us to enter. “Please, come in.”

He’d had a feeling we’d be coming by soon? What did that mean? Did Julian have the power of premonition? His youngest sister could compel people, and I knew he had a talent. I just didn’t know what. It had to do with the mind or possibly emotions, I was positive of it.

My gaze narrowed on him as I walked past him into the mansion he called home.

Gleaming cherrywood floors and dark paneled walls captured my attention. There was a massive crystal chandelier casting light from behind us in every direction. It looked like a gigantic diamond dripping from the ceiling.

Julian closed the door behind us once we were all inside. He moved down the richly colored wooden steps that led to a sunken great room next, motioning we follow.

A rich color palette of reds, creams, and deep browns decorated the room. It was all too dark and dreary for my tastes, but this was the home of vampires.

Julian continued to a chocolate brown sofa positioned in front of the stone fireplace and situated himself there.

“Please, have a seat,” he said. “Can I get anyone anything to drink?”

“No,” Eli insisted as he released my hand to sit on the opposite sofa. The tension was back in his features.

Dorian sat beside him. “Nope, I’m good.”

Julian’s eyes locked on me. I shook my head.

“Okay,” Julian said. “You mentioned the Midnight Reaper. What about him brings you to me?”

“Are you aware of his killings?” Eli asked. His facial features tightened as he spoke. This was more difficult for him than I’d thought it would be.

Julian nodded. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“Are you aware the killer has struck in Mirror Lake within the last twenty-four hours?” Eli pressed.

Julian eyed Eli carefully. “I am, but I’m sorry, I’m not sure where you’re going with this. My sisters and I heard about the death of a young girl, but why would that bring you to my doorstep?”

“Jane, her name was Jane,” Eli insisted. “She was killed by the Midnight Reaper. So was my father.”

Julian’s brows pinched together. “I’m sorry; I had no idea. My condolences.”

Eli nodded.

“We’re here because we aren’t sure whether the Midnight Reaper is one vampire or multiple,” Dorian said when Eli seemed to have gone quiet. I reached out for Eli’s hand again. This time, my touch didn’t seem to have the same effect as before. Maybe he was too far gone in his memories of finding his father. “We think he, or they, might have a special power as well,” Dorian continued.

“What sort of power?” Julian asked as something more than curiosity built in his eyes.

“Have you ever come across a vampire who happens to be exceptionally fast?” Dorian asked.

Julian leaned back. “Yes, actually I have. A few in my time, to be honest.”

“Is it a popular power among vampires?” Dorian pressed.

“Yes.” There was a smugness to Julian’s tone I didn’t care for. “All vampires have this ability, but some are faster than others. Same with humans. Not everyone’s top speed is the same.”

“What about vampires who can make you see things that aren’t there?” I asked.

Julian grew stiff. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting my question. I had his attention though.

High heels clicking across the wood floor echoed close by. A woman slightly older than Julian stepped into the room with us. She wore a black leather dress that hit above her knees and a pair of strappy stilettos. Her dark hair was twisted on top of her head into a formal bun, and her lips were painted blood red. She held a wineglass filled with a deep red liquid I wanted to think of as wine but knew it was most likely blood.

“Let me introduce you to my oldest sister, Octavia,” Julian said once she situated herself on the sofa beside him and placed her glass on the coffee table. “Sister, this is Eli, Mina, and—I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name,” he said as he pointed to Dorian.

“Dorian,” Dorian introduced himself.

“And Dorian of the Mirror Lake wolves,” Julian insisted, finishing his introductions.

“I know they’re of the Mirror Lake wolves. Any idiot could sense that,” Octavia said in a raspy tone. She crossed her long, slender legs. “What exactly are they doing here? Do they need our help again?”

“No,” Eli said in an eerily calm and authority-ridden voice. “Quite the contrary. We came to warn you the Midnight Reaper is now in Mirror Lake.”

“And why would you need to warn us?” Octavia asked as her dark eyes drifted over the length of Eli.

I wasn’t sure if she was sizing him up because she liked the look of him, or because she was annoyed with him. Either way, I was beginning to think Octavia Montevallo was a grade A bitch.

“Because when my father was murdered by him last night, there was a message written in blood across his forearm,” Eli snapped. Clearly, he didn’t like the tone she was using with him.

Julian shifted and something passed over his face. The same emotion seemed to register in Octavia’s eyes for a split-second as well. It caused my wolf to sit up and take notice. The fine hairs along the back of my neck stood on end.

The Montevallo vampires were hiding something. The question was: What?

“What was the message?” Julian asked.

“One down,” Eli seethed.

I squeezed his hand in mine as silence bloomed through the room. His rage was sweeping off him in waves. I knew the vampires could sense it as plainly as Dorian and I could, and I didn’t want this situation to get out of hand. No one needed to feel threatened here. We were just talking.

“That could mean anything. Why waste your time warning us?” Octavia asked as she glared at her fingernails.

“Because we aren’t sure what it means,” I said, finally deciding to speak up. “We know it can mean one of two things—either this killer vampire is hell-bent on wiping out our pack members one by one, or he’s planning to go after all supernaturals in town. In which case, we decided to warn you. You’re welcome.”

My flippant attitude garnered her attention. She lifted her dark eyes to lock with mine, and I swore I saw the flicker of a smile twist the corners of her red painted lips.

“Also, we’d like to know the best way to take out a speedster vampire,” Dorian insisted. “If that’s what we’re dealing with.”

“Thank you for your warning. We appreciate you taking the time to give it to us personally,” Julian insisted. Octavia had gone back to picking at her nails. While she was the oldest Montevallo sibling out of the vampires I’d met so far, Julian appeared to run things. Maybe he was the first created? After all, with vampires human age didn’t count. “However, there is no trick to take down a speedster. They’re the same as any vampire.”

“What about one who can make others see things that aren’t there?” I asked, reminding them all of the other power we seemed to have encountered with the Midnight Reaper.

“I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer for that either,” Julian insisted.

I waited for him to elaborate, but he never did. In fact, he didn’t seem to want to discuss the issue further.

“Okay, well. I think we’re done here.” Eli stood. “We’ll be paying the Caraway witches a visit next to warn them as well, and then we’ll begin patrols.”

“Patrols?” Julian repeated.

“We have to find the Midnight Reaper, whether it’s one vampire or more. The safety of my pack and the town of Mirror Lake relies on it,” Eli insisted.

Even though he didn’t say it, it was clear Eli was hell-bent on getting revenge too. I could taste his desire for it in the air.

“I’d like to help with patrolling if you’ll allow me,” Julian surprised me by saying.

I waited for Octavia to offer her help as well, but she didn’t. Instead, she reached for her wineglass. It slid across the table directly to her hand. I blinked. Apparently, Octavia could move things with her mind. It seemed as though each Montevallo had a special power.

“Absolutely,” Eli said. “We’ll always welcome more help. Meet me at my trailer at seven o’clock tonight. I’ll give you your designated search area.”

Seven tonight? I was surprised Eli had said such a late time, considering it was almost 10 a.m. Maybe he was finally realizing he needed sleep and food to fuel him if he wanted to make it through the search tonight and hold his own.

“I’ll be there,” Julian insisted as he walked us to the door.

The three of us followed him. I could feel Octavia’s eyes on us. While I didn’t think the woman was evil, I did think she had an attitude from hell. I also thought she and her brother were hiding something. They knew something about the Midnight Reaper but were refusing to tell us. Why?