“No.”

Her face fell. “Yes. Now. I want to see.”

Mal leaned forward, eyes going dark with the beast. “I said no.” The harshness in Mal’s voice surprised Tatiana, but then she realized he spoke with the beast’s voice too. Her satisfaction level rose. She hadn’t expected him to understand so quickly just how firm a hand Lilith needed.

Lilith flopped onto the couch to pout some more.

Just then, someone called Tatiana’s name from another part of the house. The sound of it gave her chills. She turned toward it, suddenly trembling. “That voice,” she whispered. Her hand went to her throat. “Octavian.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Getting into Dominic’s office had taken some doing until Creek had run into Mortalis. A little explanation and the fae had escorted him through the crowd without stopping. He even seemed mildly amused when Luciano jumped out of his chair as Creek walked through the door.

Creek held his hands up. “I’m not here to kill you. I just need to speak to Dominic.”

Luciano sat back down and Dominic gestured toward the other chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”

Mortalis stayed by the door. Creek took the seat. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Dominic nodded. “You and I have never had problems.” He glanced at his nephew.

Creek smiled. “No, and I’d like to keep it that way. Which is why I’m here.” He shifted a little, choosing his words. “I understand you had a death here recently.”

“To be clear, a murder. Katsumi Tanaka. She was a good friend and a trusted employee.” Dominic’s mouth tightened. “What about this brings you here?”

“You have my sympathies.” Creek wasn’t an idiot. She was more than a good friend to Dominic. She’d been his lover. He’d cared for her enough to give her navitas and raise her from fringe to noble. “I know who killed her.”

Dominic’s face shifted from human to vampire. “I already know,” he growled. “Octavian. He used to be—”

“Tatiana’s consort,” Creek finished. “How do you know this already?”

“You think I am stupido? That I can’t find out who comes into my establishment? What they do here? Where they go? I know everything that happens here. Everything.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Creek said. Damn it. This was going downhill fast.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “The question is, how do you know it was Octavian?”

“Because I got him to confess.”

“You have him? Where is he?”

Luciano jumped to his feet. “I’ll bring him back. Just tell me where he is.”

Creek popped his jaw to one side. “That’s the problem. I had him tied up, but the sedation wore off and he scattered and escaped so now I’m looking for him too. If we work together, we have a better chance of finding him.”

“Agreed.” Dominic’s face went back to human. “I never thought I’d see the day that a noble vampire and a Kubai Mata would join forces, but I never thought I’d end up anathema, either.” He smiled, but the expression held sadness. “I understand you spared my nephew’s life as well. For that, I am grateful.”

“There’s one more thing,” Creek said.

“Si?”

“I’m under orders to bring him in alive.”

Dominic rolled his tongue over his fangs, taking his time before he spoke. “Then I would suggest you find him first.”

Mal raced after Tatiana, but Lilith flew past them in a blur, laughing like a child playing games. When he skidded to a stop alongside Tatiana, Lilith already stood in the foyer, assessing the visitors. Son of a priest. What was the mayor doing here? And with Octavian? There was no way this was going to end well. The voices cheered.

“You’re dead,” Tatiana said. Her face was a frightening blank.

“No, I’m not, my darling.” He took a step toward her, but she retreated. “I can explain.”

She lifted her metal hand to point at him. “You betrayed me.”

Lilith studied the group, gaze flicking from face to face. “Who is this, Mother?”

The question brought a look of contempt to Tatiana’s face. “This is Octavian. The one who knew you as a baby. The one who betrayed… us.”

“As a baby?” Octavian turned toward Lilith, staring at her face. “It can’t be. Is this our child?”

Tatiana bent forward, screaming, “She’s not your child!”

The mayor shrank back into the corner, her anxious gaze pinned to Lilith. “It can’t be,” she muttered.

Lilith’s eyes went completely bloodred, swallowing up the white. “You.” She stalked toward Octavian. “Mother said you were a traitor. That you tried to give me to her enemies. That you’re the reason I was taken away from her.” Lilith hissed at him, spittle flying from her mouth. “You’re a bad vampire. I don’t like you.”

She grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him against one of the stone columns flanking the doors.

“No,” he yelled, but the impact silenced him, crumpling him to the ground in an unnatural heap.

Lilith picked him up again and shook him. “You hurt my mother.”

Blood trickled from Octavian’s mouth as he tried to lift his head, tried to protest.

Before he managed a word, Lilith opened her mouth and bit down on his limp neck. She yanked back, tearing a section of his throat out and spitting it onto the polished marble flooring.