how Kale had been a military-infected werewolf used in espionage and black ops. Governments had been doing such things a long time it seemed. Then, he was sent to spy on a woman who happened to be a powerful vampiress. She changed him forever. No wonder Kale was barely sane.
Veryl hadn’t recorded nearly enough details. Having heard only bits and pieces of Kale’s past, I was flooded with questions. The shock took a long time to wear off. In the meantime, I stared at the screen until the words began to blur together.
The blood tears dried in macabre red lines beneath my eyes. A cold calm settled over me as denial took hold. I wasn’t going to lose my wolf; I couldn’t accept that.
Stiffly, I returned to the coffee pot for a refill. I stared down into the mug, watching as the cream swirled through the black liquid. As badly as I wanted to obsess over what I’d just read, I needed to bring Lilah down. I steeled myself for the return to the computer. Veryl had blackmail material on her, and I was going to find it.
Sunrise came and went. Arys never showed, but I was only mildly surprised. After the way I’d left things between us, he was likely fuming. Well, I wasn’t too thrilled either.
The sound of water rushing through the pipes broke the silence. Jez was finished with her bath. I restrained myself from running to tell her what I’d found on Kale. We had time for that later; the poor girl needed to rest.
I found many more things, though, from Lena and Brogan’s relation to one of the most powerful witch families in North America to bios and tidbits on people I’d never met. Fatigue pulled at my eyelids as worry nagged my thoughts. As I neared the end of the files, a sense of dread developed.
Then, I found Lilah’s file. I held my breath as I devoured everything in it. Cha-ching! I hit the jackpot.
“Thank you, Veryl,” I muttered aloud. “Your information hoarding has paid off.”
If I were Lilah, I’d have been worried, too. Veryl had some juicy dirt on her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
She was in hiding, fleeing a particular angel, Salem. I didn’t know a lot about angel and demon politics, but I knew that whatever it was, it couldn’t have been in Lilah’s best personal interest.
Veryl had no record of exactly why she’d been imprisoned, but being confined in the angelic cage made her vulnerable and desperate. Soon, she manipulated an angel into freeing her; however, without blood from a creature of the light, she was still only a vampire. On the run ever since, she constantly sought a way to free herself and reclaim her former glory before being found by those hunting her.
When I couldn’t fight the fatigue anymore, I shut down the computer. I had a lot to think about but enough information to play some cards during a confrontation with Lilah. Satisfied, I climbed the stairs toward bed.
Halfway up, I walked into a cloud of pain. Heavy and negative, it almost stopped me in my tracks. I shielded against the overwhelming sensation. The sound of muffled sobs drew me to the master bedroom where Jez lay curled in the fetal position in the middle of my bed. Her shoulders shook, and her hair fell across her face.
My worries faded when I saw her there. Jez needed me. That mattered more right now.
I sat on the edge of the bed and touched her arm. She grabbed my hand and squeezed, a small action laced with emotion. I swallowed hard as hot tears stung my eyes. Jez’s agony was strong, and I loved her so much. It was impossible not to feel her breaking.
We sat in silence for several minutes. I couldn’t say anything that would ease her pain, and I didn’t want to cheapen the moment with phony words.
“You can sleep in my bed. I’ll take the couch.” I finally said. “Can I get you an extra pillow? Anything?”
“Will you stay? I don’t want to be alone.” Jez’s voice was hoarse. Her grip tightened around my hand.
I climbed onto the bed beside her. The strong earthy scent of Were filled my nostrils. Curling myself around her, I hugged her close. The wolf within considered her pack. After missing Shaz so desperately, I found a sense of familial comfort in Jez. The affectionate touch of another Were gave me a soothing reassurance that was all about animal and pack.