“Then perhaps I can be of assistance,” a soft female voice said from behind Tane.
Whirling on his heel, Tane silently cursed his inattention, his fangs on full display as he watched the small female with a long mane of reddish gold curls and faintly slanted eyes that were the palest shade of green halt mere steps away. It was the towering vampire with long black hair, and silver eyes rimmed with black, however, that held his attention.
Victor’s power was a tangible force in the air, challenging Tane’s aggressive need to prove his superiority. It was never comfortable having two alphas in the same place.
“Easy boys,” the female murmured.
Tane sent Victor a tight smile. “Boys?”
The clan chief of London gave a small shrug. “My mate has a challenging sense of humor.”
There was a brief pause as the two predators became familiar with one another. Tane used the opportunity to run a practiced glance over the female’s slender body attired in jeans and short sleeved sweater before moving to the towering Victor who wore a dark pair of chinos matched with a charcoal silk shirt.
He could easily detect the silver dagger hidden beneath Victor’s shirt and catch the scent of the handgun tucked in an ankle holster. So far as he could determine the female didn’t carry any weapons.
At least not the mundane sort of weapons.
She had witch’s blood running through her veins, which made her more of a danger than any dagger or handgun.
“Charon,” Victor drawled, the silver eyes narrowed. “And a Jinn.” He tested the air. “No. Half Jinn.”
“As you say,” Tane growled, bristling in warning.
There was the sound of footsteps behind him, then a completely unprovoked blow to the center of his back as Laylah felt the need to vent her displeasure.
Meeting Victor’s amused gaze, he grudgingly shifted to the side so Laylah could step out of the cell, her face still concealed by the hood.
“My name is Laylah.”
“A beautiful name,” Victor’s mate was swift to step into the tense silence, her smile kind. “I’m Juliet and this is Victor.” She sent the vampire at her side a wry grimace. “My mate when I choose to claim him.”
Tane stepped toward the clan chief, his body rigid with the compulsion to put as much distance as possible between Victor and Laylah.
“I must speak with you in private,” he demanded.
Laylah grabbed his arm. “Tane …”
“I must warn you, Laylah, that it’s a waste of breath to argue with vampires,” Juliet murmured, moving to place an arm around Laylah’s shoulders.
“But I have questions.”
“So I heard. Come with me.” Juliet urged Laylah down the opening between cells, obviously headed for the nearby stairs. “I think I have the answers you want.”
Tane’s brows snapped together in disbelief as he watched the two women disappear. Dammit, was Laylah trying to drive him nuts?
Victor snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Tane.”
He jerked to meet Victor’s amused gaze. “Where the hell are they going?”
Victor arched a brow. “Does it matter?”
“Laylah is a creature banned by the Commission. As soon as she leaves the tunnels she will be vulnerable.”
“So? It’ll save you the trouble of… shit.” Victor’s humor was replaced with cold fury as Tane grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall of the cell. “Unless you have an overwhelming itch for your grave I suggest you release me.”
Tane was rarely stupid.
He’d learned a brutal lesson in ever allowing his emotions to overcome his senses. Until Laylah.