Victor sipped the Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt, sighing as the liquid slid down his throat. It was magnificent with so many flavors to savor that he took a moment or two to concentrate on them…baked apples was one, as was red fruits of some kind, and he could definitely taste gentle citrus notes together with honey, and to finish off there were the classic wood spices and, of course, oak shavings.

“This is another fabulous whisky, Quinn. I think I’ll have to buy a few cases to take home with me.”

“I agree.” Quinn tipped his head, placing his own glass on the antique side-table. “I prefer this to their nineteen-ninety Grand Vintage. Of course, their Vintage Pride knocks everything else out of the park, but that’s ten times the price and this little beauty is already expensive enough.”

“True,” Victor took another sip, relishing the whisky then nodding toward the huge fireplace they sat before. “Why do you have that burning away? It’s not as if you feel the cold. I have to admit it looks impressive but it’s rather redundant…no?”

“For me, yes, but for Amaya? No. She loves to curl up in front of the fire all the time and she hates being cold. My heating bills have certainly increased since she’s come into my life, a small price to pay to have her with me.”

Victor had seen the change in Quinn the moment they’d arrived. Although they’d been on friendly terms before, Quinn had been a brusque man, and at times, he was downright terse and could be offhand and rude. Uptight was another word he’d use for the Scot, now he was far more relaxed, friendly even, and he’d bet his last dollar it was down to having bonded with Amaya. A Bloodmate worked wonders for a man, a Vampire…soothing their soul like nothing else could.

“I understand that completely, my friend. I’d pay a fortune just to see Kimber smile and have those eyes of hers twinkle with happiness.” He remembered clearly how she’d done both numerous times when he’d given her gifts, both expensive and trinkets that cost little but were thoughtful and garnered the same response from her. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you if the guards that Jana promised had arrived.”

Quinn reached for his glass, swirling the amber liquid around and inhaling sharply before taking a sip and replacing the glass back on the table. “Indeed. Ace has been dealing with them and they’re all sorted. You know what he’s like, he wanted to suss them out first before giving them free rein here.”

Victor smirked, remembering the cold-as-ice Head of Security, Ace Carver. The man was hard and lethal but had a brain that worked overtime. Victor could just imagine Ace doing checks on The Directive’s guards. Hell, he probably searched them too for anything he thought was out of place.

“Did they pass his checks? Or did any of them fail?”

“Apparently,” Quinn leaned forward to place his arms on his knees, looking amused, “one of them had a few girlie magazines in his luggage and Ace pulled them out, paraded back and forth while he looked through them then stopped in front of the guy and stared him in the eye and said ‘Just what the fuck are these? What the fuck gives you the idea you’ll have time for this shit? You’re here to do a job and you’ll do that for the entire time. You will not have time for this shit. We have very fucking important people here to keep safe…and you want to whack off to this shit? Not happening. Have I said that simply enough for you? Do you understand? If you don’t…there’s the fucking door. Go home and tell Jana I said hi.’ He then tore them up, prodded the guy in the chest and said he’d be keeping an eye on him to ensure he didn’t slack off.”

Victor slapped his thigh, laughing as he visualized the large man going through that scene. He could see it in his head as Ace’s bright blue eyes blazed with anger, and he could also imagine Ace as the man held himself in check while he prodded the guy’s chest…instead of punching him full in the face. Because he sure as hell knew that was what Ace would have wanted to do.

“Damn. So, apart from that, everything went okay?” Victor chuckled over at Quinn who was also laughing now.

“Aye, between Ace and Thorne everything is good to go. We’ve got guards on duty twenty-four-seven with a mix of Vampires, Wolves, and even a couple of Witches thrown in.”

Victor thought on the location together with the way things had been kept under wraps and adding in the security, he was certain everything would go off without a hitch. Maybe they could’ve brought Vikim with them after all.

“You’re looking very thoughtful. What’s going through your head?”

Quinn rose, coming over to take his crystal glass that was now almost empty before heading to the bar in the corner to refill their drinks.

“Kimber was upset earlier, about leaving the baby behind, and I have to admit I’m missing him too.” Quinn returned and handed him his refreshed drink, then he remained next to Victor, an inscrutable look on his face while he looked down at him. “I was just thinking we could have brought him. With all the extra security we have here, maybe, just maybe, it would’ve been okay.”

Quinn continued to stare at him for several seconds before a twitch at the corner of his eye gave him away and then he shook his head. He gave one sharp tug to the right then back again; his body was taut, and his lips pressed tightly together. Finally, he let out a long pent up sigh.

“No. You made the right decision. That child is precious. Beyond anything that either of us have ever had before and you couldn’t take the chance…not even the whisper of a chance…of putting him in harm’s way. You did the right thing, Victor. I would’ve made the same call, no matter how much it hurts you both at this moment, it was the best thing to do. We don’t know these people. They could be wonderful, fabulous and great even…but we can’t be sure of that. Not until we meet them and look them in the eye and even then, we can’t be one hundred percent sure. We have to get to know them and we can’t do that in five seconds and that’s all it would take for a powerful being such as you, or I, to kill something as vulnerable as Vikim.”

An icy chill skittered up Victors spine as Quinn’s last words fell from his lips, causing the hair on his neck to stand up and his hand to tighten on the glass in his hand. The delicate chalice shattered into a thousand pieces, sending shards flying in all directions as the liquid dribbled over his hand and down onto the floor. The sharp pieces pierced his skin in too many places to count. Quinn used his Vampire speed to get out of the way before he was struck by the projectiles and disappeared before returning with pristine white cloths.

“I apologize.” He offered the tea towels. “I shouldn’t have said that. It was too much and I’m sorry.”

Victor grabbed one of the white cloths, cleaning his hand before picking the remnants of glass free so he could heal. “Maybe, but it was the truth and it was why I decided to leave my son at home in the first place. I made the right decision, Quinn, you were right and I was just missing him. I must be getting soft in my old age.”

Quinn disappeared again, returning with a small dustpan and brush to clear away the mess. His friend’s action surprised Victor. He’d expected him to summon a member of staff to do it, but Quinn carried out the clean-up himself while talking away. Definitely a different Quinn to the one he’d known before.

“I know what you mean. Amaya has changed me too, in so many ways. I’d say most of them are for the better.” Quinn looked up, quirking an eyebrow with a twinkle in his eyes.

Yes. This was definitely a different Quinn Alexander.

“Kimber’s had the same effect on me so you’re not alone.”

“Aye, having a Bloodmate will do that.” He stood and got rid of the debris before returning with a fresh glass and drink then sat back down. “Now, Flint and Kenzie arrive in the morning and then we have Adrian and Lavinia arriving early evening, as per discussed we are using first names only because some are a little concerned about privacy. Adrian is a very private person and Lavinia is part Wolf. We also have Gunner and Imogen arriving, but they’ll be a little later, neither of them is a day-walker, so they’ll have one of the specially adapted cottages that the girls have been working on. I’m going to, now what’s that phrase? Play it by ear…yes, that’s what Amaya says, play it by ear…and see if they want to come over or wait until the Ball. I think people might be a little tense or nervous so perhaps it will be better to leave them be until the Ball. Have an open invitation sort of thing and leave it at that…no pressure on them.”

Victor had to agree with him. He couldn’t imagine putting pressure on an already tense Vampire having a good outcome in any situation, especially one where they had their Bloodmate with them. They would be thinking of one thing and one thing only; keep their Bloodmate safe.

“That sounds like the best solution. I don’t think pressuring them into anything is a good way to go, especially if they’re nervous or anxious about putting their Bloodmate in any kind of danger.” Victor raised his glass and his eyebrow to press his point. “I can assure you that anyone who tried that approach with me wouldn’t get a good reaction and I assume it would be the same with our guests.”

Quinn’s face hardened, his eyes cold as ice and his body tensed up while his jaw clenched before his upper lip twisted into a snarl showing clenched teeth. Yeah. He felt the same and it took him a moment or two before he regained enough control to respond so Victor savored his whisky and gave his friend the time to calm down.

“Damn it, Victor, I’m not long bonded to Amaya so I’m still new to all this and I guess I’m a little…”

“Scared witless? Because that’s how I was to begin with. I admit it.” Victor chuckled at Quinn’s wide-eyed look of surprise. “What? You don’t think I know that’s how you’re feeling? I do. I was terrified every single time Kimber left my sight in case something happened to her or in case someone swooped in and stole her from me. I know how you’re feeling so don’t apologize. Just go with the flow because if you mother hen her she’ll not thank you for it, or that’s how Kimber was. There’s a fine line between being loving and protective and being over protective.”

“Tell me about it.” Quinn looked around as if he expected Amaya to appear out of thin air, and when she didn’t, he carried on. “Amaya is a Tiger…literally, and she’s fierce as hell, so any kind of coddling doesn’t go down well with her. It’s driving me insane. At least here, when we’re home, I feel better because of the security we have.”

“Are my ears burning?” Amaya appeared with Kimber.

Quinn’s eyes lit up when she walked toward him, and Victor was sure his did too at the sight of his Bloodmate. Kimber’s cheeks were rosy red from the cold, and she was rubbing her hands together even though she still wore thick gloves. They both rose to meet their women as they headed toward the fireplace removing their scarves and mittens and leaving them on a nearby stool.

“Well? I’m sure I heard you talking about me, darling. Was I wrong?” Amaya’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she stopped to warm herself, holding her hands to the flames.

Quinn reached her, his hands slipping around her waist to hold her firmly before he placed a kiss on the nape of her neck.

“I always talk about you, darling. How could I not? You’re amazing and I can’t help myself.”

Kimber laughed as Victor reached her, pulling her around to place a kiss on her red nose. “You’re cold, baby.”

“Good save, Quinn.” Amaya looked over her shoulder, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.

He shrugged, smiling. “I thought so. Now, how has your day been? Is everything organized?”

Kimber sniffled, her head lying against Victor’s chest as Amaya relayed that everything had been done and was set for the arrival of their guests. When she’d finished, Kimber relaxed in his arms and let out a soft sigh against his chest.

“Sounds like we’re all set then.” Victor added some pressure to his hold on Kimber. “Nothing more for us to do but sit back and relax now and wait for them to arrive. It’s a pity that some have declined our offer to attend, though. Nikolai, Hunter, and Ivan are the ones that Jana passed onto me. Hunter told her that his mate was newly turned, and he wasn’t keen on bringing her because of that. I can understand his reasoning. The other two she gave no reason. I’m not sure why they decided against coming, but it could just be as simple as them being wary of the situation. I guess we’ll never know.”

“I’m surprised that we’ve got as many as we have.” Quinn looked him dead in the eye. “We’re not exactly a friendly species, and to bring their Bloodmates with them, well, that’s putting a lot of faith in us.”

Victor knew exactly how much, and they’d worked their asses off to ensure everyone would be safe.

“I think it has a lot more to do with Jana than anything. She can be very persuasive.”

His friend shook his head, his dark green eyes locking with his once more. “I don’t doubt she is, but I disagree. Your reputation is known far and wide and it’s one that’s grown since you’ve met Kimber. I’d say that has a lot to do with why they’ve agreed to attend our little gathering, that and the fact that possibly their mates would like to meet others in the same situation as they are. Maybe they feel isolated and have questions and this could be their only opportunity to do that.”

“I agree,” Amaya added. “On all of that, but whatever the reasons, I’m just glad we’ve got any coming at all and I’m excited to meet them.”

“Thanks, Quinn, but as Amaya says, it doesn’t matter why they’re coming. The important thing is that they are, and I’m certain this is going to go off without any problems. So why don’t we get our women fed and then we can retire for the night?” Victor said.

Quinn looked over at him, his eyes taking in his hold on Kimber, and gave him a knowing look before agreeing. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll go and check with Aggie and ensure she’s got something organized for the girls.”

“I’ll come with you,” Amaya added, taking Quinn’s hand before they disappeared leaving him and Kimber alone.

Victor could feel how tired his Bloodmate was. Her body rested against him heavily as he held Kimber up. Her head lay against him, and she didn’t seem like she was going to move it anytime soon either, so he scooped her up and carried her to his armchair, then sat down with her cradled in his lap. The fact she didn’t protest told him far more than any words she might have said.

She snuggled tighter against him, and he enveloped her in his arms, holding her as tightly as he could, remaining silent and giving her these moments to collect herself. Why? He wasn’t sure. Only knowing that she needed them.

Finally, she moved, her head lifting so her eyes met his. What he saw caused his guts to clench with concern. He saw fear in her gorgeous emerald eyes as she gazed up at him and he had no idea why.

“What’s wrong, Kimber? Talk to me, darling. Tell me and whatever it is…I’ll fix it.”

Her head shook, her body trembled and still she remained silent for long moments…it was only seconds but to him it felt like a damn lifetime while he stared into her eyes. He wanted to take that fear and smash it into a million pieces. It wasn’t supposed to be there in her face. Never. His love should never feel that emotion. Not while she was with him. Not while she was his Bloodmate…not in his presence should she ever feel fear.

“I can’t tell you why, Victor, but I’ve got a feeling, something inside me, my Dragon is uneasy and telling me something is wrong. I can’t tell you what it is, so you can’t fix it. I know I’m not making sense. I know what I’m saying is…”

Her voice quavered, her body shivered, and her eyes looked at him with such an imploring look that his throat suddenly acquired a fucking great lump in it. One he had to swallow several times to get rid of before he could answer her.

“I can’t begin to understand what’s going on inside you, Kimber. I’m a Vampire and I don’t have an inner beast, but if you’re telling me you’re uneasy then I’ll take that on board. I’ll talk to Thorne and Ace and ask them to step things up even more. I’ll make them be extra vigilant and I’ll do whatever I can to ensure the safety of everyone, but understand one thing, baby. I will absolutely, one hundred percent, protect you. Nobody will hurt you, Kimber, because I’ll tear them apart if they even think about it.”

Her eyes closed, and she gave a brief nod before opening them again and giving him a sad, woeful look. “I know that. I do. And I’m not even sure what’s going on. I just feel…something. It’s unsettling me, and I feel stupid about it too. I know there’s plenty of guards and security here so it’s not as if we’re unprotected. I know that…but still, I can’t explain this.”

Victor didn’t anticipate trouble. Hell, the place was locked down tight as a fortress, but he’d lived long enough to learn to know to expect the unexpected. If Kimber was feeling this way, no matter that there was no concrete evidence to support it, he was going to take it seriously.

Whatever it took to ease his Bloodmate’s mind he’d do it. Kimber came first. Always. And if there was a threat…he’d find it and eliminate it with deadly force.