CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

 

The house was on a suburban street, next to a golf course, and it was enormous. I mean, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous enormous. Mansion would be too mundane a word for it, the place was a palace.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked.

Axel peered up at the sprawling, adobe-style house and grimaced. “Damn it, Max,” he muttered. He turned to me. “This is the address he gave me.”

He got out of the car and I followed him up the driveway to the massive front door. Lining the driveway and the walkway were palm trees, the yard more stone than vegetation. Axel hopped up the stairs and rang the doorbell.

The door swung open moments later and a small, elderly woman in a lush, satin bathrobe stood before us. Her white hair was in a neat pixie cut, her features sparkled with life, and her eyes danced with mischief. “You must be Axel,” she said with a warm smile. “And Julie Jacobs, I recognize you from television. My nephews love to watch that barbaric fighting.”

I stared at her for a long moment, unsure what to make of her and her backhanded compliment.

“Max said you could help us?”

“Of course, dear,” she said. “Come on in. I've sent all my staff home until we can come up with a believable cover story.” She stepped to the side and allowed us to walk in. She closed the door and faced us. “I'm Desiree Adams. You're welcome to tour the main house, but I thought you might prefer the privacy of the guest house.”

“We would,” Axel said.

Outside, an engine revved and died.

“I hope you've taken everything you need from the car. The crew is here to remove it now.”

I held up the duffel Rowan had left in the back for us. “I've got what I need.”

“Convenient timing,” Axel muttered.

Desiree's expression brightened. “I did build and run a Fortune five hundred company, my dear. I can certainly manage having a car towed. Come along, I'll show you the guest house.”

We followed her through the house. It was all hard edges, sleek lines, and vacant spaces. There was gorgeous art on the walls, but little else to recommend the place to my taste.

Axel grabbed my hand as we walked, then pulled me to his side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him as Desiree opened a sliding glass door and led us out onto an enormous patio. She skirted the Olympic-size swimming pool and led us to a house big enough to squeeze ten of Axel's cabins into. She pressed some buttons on a keypad next to the front door and led us inside.

The interior was less spacious than that of the main house, not cozy by any means, but more tolerable. The furniture, too, was a bit worn, softer and more inviting. I imagined this was the furniture that had been in the main house several years ago and it had been moved to the guest house when it went out of style. She gave us a quick tour of the up-to-date kitchen, formal dining room, living room, office, exercise room, three bedrooms, and two and a half baths and then made herself comfortable on a couch in the living room. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you like,” she said. “It's never used anymore and I owe Max more than a few favors.”

I sat next to Desiree and gave the air a sniff. She wasn't a werewolf, but she didn't quite smell like a human, either. She glanced over at me, her lips twitching. “I'm a witch, dear. Took centuries of witch-lore, herbal healing, and a touch of magic and created the most popular line of lotions and potions ever made.”

I gasped. “You created Lotions and Potions?” I loved her stuff. She sold everything from cosmetics to body lotions to massage oils to sex lubes.

She smiled. “That's me.”

“I adore your stuff. Your eyelash plumper mascara is the only one I use.”

She looked me over. “I'd have pegged you for a natural, no-make-up type.”

“Every woman likes to get dolled up sometimes,” I said.

Her gaze went a bit distant. “It's a shame you're in hiding. I just had the most magnificent idea for an advertising campaign centered around you.”

“But we are in hiding,” Axel said. “You mentioned a cover story?”

“Right,” Desiree said. “My staff has been with me for over twenty years, now, and they are terrible gossips. They'll be insanely curious about you, seeing as how they've never seen you at the house before.”

“They can't see us now,” Axel said. “They'll recognize us.”

She tapped her chin. “Of course, of course, but that will just make them more curious. Would you consider plastic surgery?”

“No,” Axel and I said at the same time. I was tempted to shout jinx, because the entire situation seemed so bizarre, but I managed to hold my tongue.

Desiree frowned. “You are my second husband's son,” she said, looking at Axel. “They've never met him. And you're staying in the guest house to have a honeymoon out of the public eye. I'll tell them you aren't to be disturbed. Do you think you can manage that?”

“We can't leave the house at all?” It was a big house, but I could feel the walls closing in on me at the very idea. My wolf was already whining with hatred of the idea.

Axel tightened his arms around my shoulders. “Is your staff here all day?”

“Not all of them, no, but there is at least one staff member here at every hour of the day.” She considered us both for a long moment. “Are you sure you won't consider plastic surgery?”

“We'll stay inside,” Axel said. “Most honeymoons last a week. We can handle a week.”

“What will we do after the week is up?” I asked.

“We'll figure that out when we get there.”

“Wonderful,” Desiree said. “I'll leave you kids to it, then. I imagine you're exhausted.”

She gave us the code for the alarm and left us. The fridge was stocked, so we made a light dinner and ate it on a patio table, enjoying a moment outside before Desiree's staff showed up and we had to go back in hiding.

“Swim with me?” Axel asked.

“I don't have a suit.”

He shrugged. “It's dark. Desiree's probably in bed.”

It wasn't that dark with the fairy lights that adorned the back patio and the submerged lights in the pool, but I figured he was right about Desiree being in bed. I pulled my shirt off and slid off my jeans. I was naked underneath. I didn't wait for him to get undressed, I trotted forward and jumped in.

It was chilly outside, the desert air cooling off even in August, but the pool had been warmed by the sun all day and still retained some of that heat. The water moved over my bare skin like silk and I sank down, just enjoying the feel of it and the silence.

Warm hands wrapped around my middle and pulled me up, twisting me to face Axel, his lips finding mine as soon as I was there. He kissed me hard, kissed me like it had been months since my lips had touched his, kissed me and teased my lips so fiercely and so completely that I was entirely ready for him when he slid inside me. I gasped into his mouth, because it felt so good. I was more alive in that moment than I'd ever been, feeling every inch of him, enjoying every bit of him, even as underneath the pleasure was the pain of our imprisonment, the fear of losing him if Darius tracked us down, the worry about the pack and Clarissa.

I kissed him like I could solve all our problems with my kiss. He pressed me against the side of the pool, one hand on my ass and one on my back, protecting me from the roughness of the wall. He thrust hard and fast, hammering into me like he could go forever, like he had a decade's worth of pent-up need and want.

It felt so good my eyes rolled back in my head and I moaned. I loved him like this, out-of-control with lust and need. I loved him when he was slow and tender and I loved him when he was playful. He reached between us and pressed his thumb to my clit. I exploded with pleasure, the words, “I love you,” on repeat in my brain. He reached his release seconds after mine. As he held me up against the pool wall, his breath a heavy pant against my cheek, I said, “I hate how good you feel. I hate how fast you can make me come. I hate you.”

I could feel his smile against my skin, like his smile was a part of me, like his happiness fueled my own. “I hate you, too, baby,” he said. “So fucking much it hurts.”

 

***

 

I woke the next morning in a king-size bed, a bed that smelled like sex and Axel. We'd made good use of that bed after we'd finished our swim. I stretched and smiled, thinking of our night together and how satisfied I felt. I rolled to my side to look for Axel, but I already knew he wasn't there. I hadn't heard the steady sound of his breathing, hadn't felt his warmth. I sat up, my smile falling, my heart freezing, because there was no sound of him in the house. It felt empty and cold, echoing with nothingness.

I leapt out of bed, naked as the day I was born, and I searched that house. I checked every room and every closet. He was gone. He'd left me. For one brief moment, I hoped he'd gone to the main house, but I knew he wouldn't have risked it, wouldn't have risked me.

No. I knew exactly where he'd gone and I was a complete fucking idiot for not realizing it sooner. I should have known he wouldn't run. I should have realized his desperate kisses weren't born of stress or worry, they were goodbye. He'd been telling me goodbye and I'd been too fucking blind to realize it. How dare he? How dare he promise me safety and…And forever and then bail on me? He'd bailed on me just when I'd realized how much I needed him, how much I fucking loved him.

I screamed with frustration and anger, my scream bouncing around the cold, empty house, and then I sat on the couch and looked around. The council wouldn't kill him right away. Right? Damn it, why hadn't I asked him? I looked around the living room, trying to find a phone or a computer, only to realize my vision was blurred with tears. I swiped at them, angry at myself. Now was not the time for tears. Now was the time for action.

I kicked the coffee table, needing to channel my rage into something physical. The pile of magazines that had rested there slipped to the floor, a sheet of notebook paper fluttering down with them.

With a growl, I grabbed it, but I had to wipe my eyes three times before I could read it.

 

Julie,

Clarissa called. The council is in Mule Creek and they're questioning pack members to try and find us. They're hurting my family, Jules. I can't just hide here while they hurt my family. If I go, they should leave you alone. Lay low for a few weeks and then call Max. He'll let you know if it's safe and he might be able to help you find a new pack.

I'm so sorry, sweetheart that I don't get to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. Leaving you is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

I hate you with all my heart,

Axel

 

Balling up the note, I tossed it at the wall, but it fell to the ground far short. I kicked the coffee table again and got to my feet. I could throw a tantrum like a big baby, or I could use the rage to fuel the ass-kicking of a century. Why take it out an innocent coffee table when I could take it out on every creature who laid a hand on Axel?

I dug through my duffel and put on sweats and a tank top. I didn't bother with underwear or a bra. I didn't take time for a shower. I let myself out of the guest house and I marched over to the main house. There was a man by the pool and another in the garden, but I didn't care. It no longer mattered if Darius found me. I wanted him to find me so I could rip his cold, dead heart from his body with my bare hands.

My wolf growled in approval. The sliding glass doors to the main house were open, so I marched inside. “Desiree!” I shouted. “Where the hell are you?”

“I'm right here, dear.” She stepped out of the formal dining room and walked over to stand in front of me. She studied me for a moment as I stood there, thrumming with panic. “He left.”

“How could you tell?”

She smiled, but it was a sad smile, an apologetic smile. “Clarissa called me. I woke him and let him use my phone to talk to her. He made me promise not to wake you.”

I curled my hands into fists and reminded myself she was an elderly woman who didn't need my anger. And getting angry at her would solve nothing. “I need to know how much time I have before they execute him. Do you have Max's number?”

She frowned. “Axel didn't explain the council to you, did he?”

I bit my lip not to scream at her. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“The council isn't just made up of werewolves, dear. It's eighty-five percent wolves, but there are also witches and vampires, even a fairy. As a witch, I know the punishment for revealing your supernatural nature and I know how it's carried out.”

“How long?” I wasn't looking at her, my eyes were on the door. I was calculating how quickly I could get to LA and the council, how fast I could stop them from hurting Axel.

“When they killed my husband, they gave him ten days.”

I looked at her. Really looked at her. I saw the pain in her eyes, the paleness of her skin. I should have been apologetic, understanding, but I needed answers. I needed to get to Axel. “How long does Axel have?”

“They'll want to move faster with Axel, to make the point and clean up the mess before it spirals out of control.”

“Faster than ten days could still give us a week,” I said, relief flooding me. “That's plenty of time. Can I take your car?”

She put her hands on my shoulders. “Julie, you need to put your fear aside and think. If you storm the council, they'll just add you to the pyre. What's your plan?”

I couldn't think. I couldn't even see straight. All I could see was that front door with the stained-glass windows through which I could just make out the pavement of the road beyond. I needed to get out of that house, I needed to—

Desiree gripped either side of my head, right next to my temples and squeezed. I stared at her. Was she trying to kill me? Because she definitely lacked the grip for that.

“You need to relax,” she said. It was insane, but at the word relax, a calm washed over me and my focus sharpened. “To help Axel, you'll need a fool-proof plan. You'll need to do something no one expects. Something no one is prepared for.”

Finally, her rational words sunk through my thick skull. “You're right. Are you sure I have time?”

She nodded. “I'll call Max. He'll keep us informed.”

I huffed. “Okay. Call Max while I think.”

She walked back into the kitchen and I paced in front of that enormous door. The urge to burst through it, to run to Axel and pulverize anything that got in my way was still there, but I knew I couldn't win this with my fists. I had to use my brain. I considered my options. I couldn't reason with the council, I couldn't fight the council…Maybe I could build an army and wage war against them. I thought of Axel's pacifist pack and I knew that would never work. We'd need time to train, to learn to work together. No, Desiree was right. I was going to have to outsmart them.

“Max is on it,” Desiree said, walking back in. “He said I need to watch you closely. He thinks you might be a spy.” She smiled when she said it, so I figured she wasn't really worried.

“Can I borrow your phone?” I asked. “I need to call someone.”

She handed it over without a question. I dialed the only number I knew by heart. “Julie,” Shelly said, her voice breathless. “Are you okay? It's all over the news.”

“I'm fine,” I said. “But the council, the ruling body of werewolves, wants to execute Axel for revealing our nature to the world.”

“Oh, my god,” she said. “What are you going to do?”

“He's decided to sacrifice himself to the council. I'm not going to let that happen, but I have no idea how to stop it.”

She sighed and I could picture her rubbing her temples, concentrating on the problem. “Tell you what,” she said. “If these council guys don't want the world to know about werewolves, I bet they're the ones saying you and Axel and the others were filming a home movie with amazingly realistic special effects.”

“Are you kidding me? Three humans shifted into werewolves and several vampires had their heads physically removed from their bodies. Is anyone actually buying that bullshit?”

“Some are,” she said. “But a lot of people aren't. The video wasn't doctored and it was supported by video and pictures from other people at the scene. Those council guys are probably freaking out about that mess right now.”

“Okay. How does that help us?”

“You never went into a fight without knowing your opponent's weakness, right? Those videos are obviously a weak point for the council. How can you hit them there?”

“I've got no idea, Shel. Do you think you could come here and help?”

“It's crazy here, Jules. Can't you conference me in or something?”

“Yeah,” I said. “We'll figure it out.”

“Okay…Wait…You need a whiteboard.”

“What?”

“No great plans were ever made without a whiteboard, baby.”

She hung up and I looked at Desiree. “Do you have a whiteboard and a computer by any chance?”

She smiled. “Baby doll, I've got it all.”

 

***

 

“Seriously?” I asked. “This is amazing.” Desiree had brought me to a room with a huge, oaken conference table, an entire wall that was white board and another that was all screens.

Desiree shrugged. “I think it should have everything we need.” She'd driven us to downtown Phoenix, to the twenty-third floor of a modern skyscraper. Her business took up two floors of the massive building and everything was state-of-the art and fancy, including her staff, all of whom walked around the place like they had things of earth-shattering importance to do.

It was the kind of room where a person could get things done. The kind of room where lives could be changed, the earth saved from imminent destruction. The kind of room where we could plot and plan and find an unstoppable way to rescue Axel. I felt fired up, ready to take on the world, just like I did before a big fight. I bounced on my toes, getting in the mindset to kick some ass and take some names.

I turned to Desiree. “What's the plan?”

She sighed and shook her head and, just like that, I deflated, because all the technology in the world wouldn't help if we couldn't come up with a plan. “The first step to any plan is figuring out what the other party wants.”

“And their weakness.”

Desiree smiled and nodded in approval. “Usually the two intersect, if they aren't simply one and the same. So.” She walked over to the white board, picked up a marker and wrote: What the council wants, with a line under it. “What does the council want?”

I paced, thinking. “Money, obviously. They don't want the public to know werewolves or witches or vampires exist.”

She nodded, scribbling. “And why don't they want the public to know werewolves and vampires exist?”

“Because humans might be frightened of us and kill us all.”

She pursed her lips. “That is the party line, yes, but I've always suspected it's more than that. If the world knows about werewolves and vampires and witches, the council would be in some way answerable to the world. If a wolf stepped out of line, they couldn't punish him or her without adhering to human law, without anticipating the opinion of humans.”

“They're able to act in the shadows,” I said. “So, another want is to maintain their power.”

She scribbled it on the list.

“So,” I said. “Their weakness is any threat to their power, the primary one being exposure.”

She scribbled those under weakness. And added a third, disagreement.

“What's that about?”

She shrugged. “The council is composed of a disparate group of people with different opinions on every issue that comes up. They fight often.”

“If we could find a way to divide them, to make them disagree…”

“We'd have a shot of convincing them that killing Axel is the wrong way to go.”

I sighed. This was going to be more complicated than throwing a punch or dodging a kick. “We're going to need some food,” I said. “And every bit of information we can dig up on the council members.”

“I'll call Max,” she said. “You ring down to Larry at the front desk and ask her to order whatever food you want.”

In moments, we had Max's face on one of the screens and an order in for the breakfast buffet of champions.

There were thirty-seven members of the council and Max knew something about each of them. He knew more about some than others, since some were new, and he told us everything he knew. Desiree called in one of her staff and had her create a database with names and pictures and the information we needed. I chowed down on bagels and bacon and tried to follow what was happening.

“What about exposure,” I asked, when Max was reaching the end of his knowledge. For some reason, that word kept tickling at my brain, which didn't make any sense, werewolves had been exposed, the worst had happened, there was no way to undo it.

“What?” Max asked, sounding a bit tired and grumpy.

“Does everyone on the council agree that exposure would be bad, or are there some who think it would be good for werewolves to be exposed?”

Max reared back. “No one thinks exposure is a good idea, Julie Jacobs. We remember too well how wolves were exterminated in the middle ages.”

“Really?”

He raised his brows.

“You all remember the middle ages?”

Max muttered something under his breath. “It's a figure of speech.”

“Okay, but you don't think there's anyone, not one single person, who thinks maybe times have changed and humans would be more accepting of wolves now? You don't think anyone believes exposure might actually make them more powerful?”

Max scratched his head. “More powerful? How do you figure?”

I shook my head. “I don't know, it's just an idea. Never mind.” We didn't have time for philosophical debates, we needed a plan and we needed to save Axel.

“No,” Desiree said. “Continue that thought. Let's see where it takes us.”

I sighed. “It's stupid. It's just that the world already knows there are humans with some wolf blood, right? No one really batted an eye at that. So, what if werewolves came out of the closet and people didn't want to kill us. What if they wanted to be us?”

Desiree crossed her arms over her chest. “Go on,” she said, while Max screeched in the background that I was crazy.

“We're strong, we can turn into fluffy wolves and people fucking love wolves. If the exposure was played right, werewolves could be rock stars. You can't tell me no one on the council has had that thought.”

Desiree looked at Max. “Can your brother dig a bit?”

Max threw his hands up. “What's the point?”

“Because,” I said. “If anyone in the council is in favor of exposure, it could give us a way in, a way to convince the council Axel doesn't deserve to die.”

Max shook his head. “I'll ask, but don't hold your breath. I'm not expecting to get the answer you want.”

He clicked out of sight and I sat on the conference table to study the white board. “This is going to take too long,” I said, drumming my fingers on the desk.

“It's all we've got,” Desiree said. She was also staring at the white board.

“We need more. I'm calling Shelly.”

I called her because she was my chosen sister, she was the one I'd always gone to when things seemed darkest, and she'd always had my back. She was also one of the smartest fucking people I knew. She was on the path to building an empire to rival Desiree's and I knew she'd be able to at least throw a new idea into the mix.

Shelly answered and Desiree got her up on the screen where Max had been. Shelly listened to what we told her and looked over the information on the white board. She pursed her lips and considered, her expression very similar to Desiree's when she was thinking. “You should expose them,” Shelly said.

I looked at her, surprised. “Expose who?”

“The werewolves,” she said. “The council. You're Julie Jacobs. Tell the world that you can turn into a wolf, tell them your story, and tell them Axel is going to be killed by this council. People are going to love this story, Jules. Use your platform to save Axel.”

My heart leapt for just a moment. It sounded like the perfect solution. I could make Axel famous. I could save him.

“What about the video of Julie and the others killing the wolves?” Desiree asked. “How are we going to explain that?”

Shelly frowned. “Um…Well, I…”

“We're going to have to reveal vampires, too,” I said, a plan forming. “If we're going to tell this story, we're going to have to tell the whole story.”

“Why would anyone believe you, though?” Shelly said, her gaze distant. “Unless…”

“Unless I have a vampire backing me up,” I said, mentally high-fiving myself. This was an awesome plan. Okay, it was our only plan, but it had to work. It would work.

“Good luck getting a vamp to do anything,” Desiree said. “Especially when they're a million times scarier than wolves.”

Damn it, she had a point. “Until we come up with a better plan,” I said. “We have to try. And we have to do it quietly, so the council doesn't get wind of it.”

 

***

 

“Are you insane?” Alpha asked. He stared at us through the screen on the wall, and I prayed this wasn't a mistake. If anyone was going to alert the council to our plan, it would be Alpha. Luckily, he didn't need to know every detail of our plan in order to help us.

“Just ask them,” I said. “All I want to do is talk. Isn't there anyone who might be willing to talk to me?”

Alpha sighed and shook his head. “I really fucking hate inviting vamps into my house. They're over here enough as it is. If I ask for a favor…” He shook his head again. “It's just not worth it to save some guy I don't even fucking like.”

I shrugged. “I don't blame you. It'll benefit you if they execute Axel, right? You'll get to move your pack into his territory and the vamps will get his pack and, hopefully, leave yours alone. It will be lovely for you until you wake up one night to find you've lost a vital part of your anatomy.” I tapped my chin. “Yeah, I think you'd deserve a slow death for betraying Axel and his pack to side with the council and then not doing me the smallest favor. I wonder how long it takes a man to bleed to death from a penile amputation?”

“That's a terrible idea,” Desiree said. “Allowing him to live without his penis would be much more painful in the—”

“Fine,” Alpha said. “I'll find someone to talk to you.”

He called back an hour later, saying he'd found the only vampire in the area who didn't hate my guts. Apparently, she was a UFC fan. He pushed a tall woman, with dark hair and multiple piercings, forward. “Hi, I'm Stasia. Alpha said you had some questions?”

“Thank you for talking to us,” I said, giving her a grateful smile. “I…” Shit, where did I start. “I was wondering if you could put me in touch with a vampire in the public eye, someone who's trusted, who has built her or his career on trust.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want to know?”

I wrinkled my nose, I really didn't want to tell this woman what we were planning to do.

“Hello,” Desiree said, pushing past me. “I'm Desiree, CEO of Lotions and Potions, and I'm planning a new ad campaign. I've noticed that vampires have the most flawless skin and I'm looking for a celebrity to tout my products.”

I could have kissed her, the woman was an absolute genius. Stasia grinned. “You think we have nice skin? I've always thought mine was too pale.”

“Oh, darling,” Desiree said, really laying it on thick now. “Your skin is amazing. Simply flawless. In fact, I'd love to include you in my campaign.”

“Really?” Stasia was practically bouncing with joy.

“Of course, darling. You are gorgeous.” Desiree pouted just the tiniest bit. “Of course, there won't be a campaign at all without a vampire celebrity.”

Stasia nodded. “There's Edie Waxhall, but she's a little old isn't she…What about Lila Dumont?”

I just stared. Lila Dumont was a UFC fighter. It should have given me great pleasure to learn she was supernaturally strong, but it mostly just pissed me off. “Isn't there anyone else? Anyone else at all?”

Stasia shrugged. “Not unless they're hiding in plain sight. It's not like we keep a database of vampires or anything.”

I slumped. I'd really imagined a whole horde of Hollywood elites would be vampires. It would explain so much. “What about this Edie Waxhall?” She sounded vaguely familiar.

“Old Hollywood actress,” Stasia said. “From when the films were all black and white. Our pale skin wasn't so noticeable then.”

“Why is your skin pale?” I asked. “Obviously you can walk around in daylight.”

Stasia shuddered. “Just because we can doesn't mean we enjoy it. Let me know when you want me for that campaign.”

Alpha popped back up next to Stasia and waved goodbye. Desiree hung up and he blipped out of sight.

“I take it you know this Lila Dumont?”

“She's a fighter,” I said. “The one who broke my arm.”

Desiree's brow wrinkled with confusion. “I thought her name was Lioness.”

I rolled my eyes. “That's her stage name.” I gave Desiree her number and, in less time than should be humanly possible, Lila's face filled a screen. Didn't anyone work?

“Jules,” Lila preened. She was wearing a sports bra and had her hair back in a sweaty ponytail so I assumed she'd been in the middle of a training session. “Saw you were faking that broken arm. Not that I'm surprised. You'd use any excuse not to fight me again.”

I rolled my eyes. “I wasn't faking, Lil. I got bitten. By a werewolf. Haven't you seen TMZ? It's amazing how fast I heal now.”

Her eyes widened and she froze. Then she laughed, a very fake laugh. “Oh, Jules, such a kidder.”

“Are there other people around?”

She bit her lip. “Yeah, and I'm going to hang up on you, unless you give me one good reason not to.”

“You fucking owe me,” I said. “And I'll let everyone know exactly how much if you don't take yourself somewhere private.”

She rolled her eyes and yelled over her shoulder for a five-minute break. Her head bounced as she walked, phone held so we could see her face and not where she was going. A door shut and she sat. “I don't owe you a damn thing, Jacobs.”

“You do. And you know it's true, otherwise you would have already hung up on me.”

“I don't even know you.”

Wishing I could reach through the phone and put her in a headlock until she listened, I rolled my head and forced a smile. “I won't even mention what you owe me for fighting me when you're a fucking vampire and I was a human. But how about Jesse Bentley?”

Her lips had gone tight when I'd mentioned her being a vamp, but she laughed at the name I'd dropped. “Seriously, Jacobs, that was three years ago.”

“He was my boyfriend. I actually liked him.” He had great abs and he was good about giving me space. He'd been a decent boyfriend and she'd ruined it, because I will not continue to date a man who's fucking someone else. Especially not when that someone else is my arch-nemesis.

“Well, you obviously weren't keeping him satisfied, Jacobs.”

I growled and lunged at the screen, but Desiree grabbed my elbow and yanked. She didn't move me, but she made me hesitate. “Focus on what's important, darling.”

I drew in a deep breath. “The council is going to kill Axel for exposing werewolves. I'm going to expose myself as a werewolf on national T.V. to save him.”

Lila's expression tightened. “What the fuck does that have to do with me?”

I had to play this exactly right or I'd lose her. “I'm going to explain why we killed those vamps. I'm going to tell the world that vampires feed on werewolves against their will, that they're stronger than us and can enthrall us. If you want to put in a good word for vamps everywhere, I'd suggest you join me and explain that the vampires we killed were rogue vamps, acting alone.”

She smiled but it seemed forced. “Why would anyone believe you, Jacobs? What kind of proof do you actually have? And even if you do prove vamps are vicious, no one knows I'm anything other than human.”

I had nothing and she knew it. Fuck, I was going to lose her. “The truth?” I asked, because I was all out of convincing lies. “I'm desperate, Lil. I love Axel. He's domineering and huge and he has a town full of people he's responsible for, but I love him and I can't just stand around and let him die.”

Lila yawned. “This is deadly boring, Jacobs. I really should get back to my workout.”

“It could make you money,” I said, desperate.

“How?” she asked, sneering like I was ridiculous. Maybe I was, but I knew Lila had expensive tastes and she'd lost two sponsors the month before for starting a bar brawl over a pool game. She was competitive as hell and had the temper of a wild boar.

“Just imagine the possibilities,” I said. “Being a vampire will set you apart, make you interesting to everyone, even people who don't watch fights. You're the fighter who will live for eternity, who will be kicking ass for eternity. You won't need sponsors, you'll be so huge. I'll bet this could get you a movie deal.” I was totally talking out of my ass, but if I knew one thing about Lila, it was that she was insanely jealous of my acting career, short as it was.

Her sneer deepened, but I saw the calculation in her eyes. She was considering it. “Or everyone could hate me. I could get locked up by the government and become their favorite guinea pig.”

“That's the whole point of the reveal,” I said. “We do it our way, on our terms, and we make sure we're so damn famous and likable that no government or scientist will dare touch us.”

In the distance, someone shouted her name, but she didn't take her eyes off the phone. “Fine,” she said. “Just tell me where to be and when.”