Keeping Secret (Secret McQueen) - By Sierra Dean Page 0,15

but we were a governing unit.

“It would be most unconventional,” Hansel admitted, his words a subdued translation of the shocked expression on my face. When Sig did not reply, Hansel’s gaze darted nervously to the elder next to him, a female vampire named Rebecca with whom I was familiar.

“It may be in the best interests of the council to eliminate any further disturbances,” Rebecca suggested, her French accent making the entire statement sound very…proper.

“Tribunal Leaders Secret and Juan Carlos,” Sig said, looking from left to right. “You are excused.”

Chapter Eight

Excused.

Just like that, Juan Carlos and I were on the wrong side of the council chamber’s doors, having been shut out by an apologetic-looking warden. What had just happened? First Juan Carlos opened his stupid, deformed mouth, and now I had been kicked out of a meeting I’d requested.

“I hope you’re happy,” I snapped.

“Happy?” He was pacing the width of the corridor, the clip of his pricey leather shoes echoing against the polished stone walls. Clip-clop-clip turn. Clip-clop-clip stop. “I will never be happy as long as you’re involved.”

“What is your fucking problem?” In previous years, I would never have dreamed of being so coarse with him, but I was getting sick of his surly attitude, and we were technically equals now. But tell that to him and his massive ego, because he still treated me like dirty gum on the bottom of his shoe.

Juan Carlos got close, closer to me than he’d ever been in our seven-year acquaintance. He was mere inches away, and with him standing in front of me, the imposing size of his frame was evident for the first time. For years I’d only seen him seated. In fact, I could only remember seeing him on his feet once before this, and I had suffered too much blood loss to pay much attention to his build. Now with him towering over me—anger coming off him in tangible waves—it was hard to notice anything else.

“You,” he spat the word out. “You are my fucking problem.” Hearing the profanity spoken in his lingering Spanish accent with his hatred unrestrained in his tone and his rough masculine voice barely able to maintain a whisper, I shuddered.

“I haven’t done anything to you.”

“You exist. That’s bad enough.”

I took a half step back, but he didn’t give me the space I was seeking. He prowled closer, backing me up until I was against the stone wall and had nowhere left to go. I didn’t like moving away from him in the first place, but his proximity made me uneasy, and I wanted some distance in between us. Now, he had me cornered.

“Step back,” I commanded.

He placed one hand on either side of my face and leaned in. If it had been anyone else, I might have taken the move as a come-on and assumed he was trying to kiss me. But there was nothing sexual about what Juan Carlos was doing. It was not lust he was projecting—it was pure menace. In spite of my best efforts to appear fearless, a cold sweat trickled down my back.

“Make me.”

The hair on my arms stood on end. “Are you challenging me?”

He stopped moving at those words. His pupils got huge, blotting out his dark brown irises. For a second I thought he might bite me since the inky blackness filling his eyes was a sure sign of hunger and rage. Instead he balled his hand into a fist and punched the wall beside my head so hard his knuckles were buried in the rock.

“I asked you a question, Tribunal Leader.” I kept my voice steady, but there was no hiding the way my pulse was racing. If he decided to challenge me, I would lose. I had no doubt in my mind.

Juan Carlos lowered his head towards my neck, his nose grazing the thin skin, sending a renewed wave of shivers through my body. I waited for his nose to lift and his teeth to take their place, but it never happened. He took a deep breath, absorbing my scent through my pulse point, then finally took a step back.

“I would never dream of challenging you.” The formality of his tone made it hard to believe that mere seconds earlier he’d had me pinned against the wall with his fangs barred.

“I should hope not.”

It was strictly forbidden within the council for members of the Tribunal to challenge each other. Since the only way to become a member of the Tribunal was to kill someone already