“I won’t give up on you, El,” she said firmly. “Don’t you dare give up on me, or I’l hunt you down and bite you with my fangs.”
Elijah was stil smiling when they reached the city limits.
Vash crossed her arms and studied Syre’s face. His posture was different, his carriage lighter. His eyes were less shadowed than they’d been just that afternoon.
“You look better,” she said.
“I feel better.” From their position just outside of Syre’s warehouse office, they watched minions quietly make the necessary preparations for the sleeping lycans to head out at daybreak. They’d work in the field the same way—the lycans taking the day shift and the minions the night. “Are you certain it was a good idea to al ow Elijah to escort Lindsay back?”
She shifted on her feet, hating to hear her own concern voiced aloud. “I can’t al ow or disal ow Elijah anything. And if he’s going to have second thoughts about this al iance, better he has them now instead of later.”
“Hmm…the Vash I know would kil a lycan she couldn’t trust rather than test him.”
“Ha! If that was true, they’d al be dead. Besides, we don’t have that option. He’s the only Alpha around.”
“You want him to choose you.”
“Isn’t that why you sent me to him to begin with?”
Syre turned so that he stood directly in front of her, forcing her to look at him. “I sent you to strengthen our position. Instead, you very nearly kicked off a war today.”
She met his gaze, letting him see her disquiet. “The Sentinels aren’t in any position to attack us. There are too few of them.”
“You believe they’d wage a battle instead of a war. You’re wrong. They won’t come at us in a swarm. They’l pick away at us, hitting strategic targets and individuals, excising the most valuable players with surgical precision. What’s left of us wil be chaotic and easily overwhelmed.”
“You’re guessing,” she shot back. “Adrian isn’t at the top of his game now. He attacked me in ful daylight on a public street! He’s reckless and emotional.”
“Yet he risked his most valuable possession, putting his mission first yet again—something I’ve always relied on you doing…until today.”
“Elijah is pivotal to our plans. You said it yourself.”
“Your responses are making me wonder if the Alpha is more of a liability than an asset,” he said softly.
Vash schooled her features to show no emotion, even though the elevated rhythm of her heartbeat gave her away. “It’s not the Alpha you’re worried about—it’s me. If you think I’m compromised, you should assign someone else to deal with him as I suggested in the beginning.”
His arms crossed. “You misunderstand me, perhaps deliberately. I don’t want to separate you from anything that makes you happy, and frankly, the Alpha’s fascination for you works to my benefit. His hunger for you is a weakness. If we can control him with it, we’l have an even stronger advantage. But I can’t al ow anything or anyone to jeopardize the vampire nation, including you. Enjoy your lycan, Vashti, but don’t forget where your priorities lie. Like you said, the time to have second thoughts is now.”
Pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes, she cursed under her breath. Everything was screwed up. She was screwed up. Her priorities had shifted at some point, from the past to her present. Now the thought of manipulating Elijah like a puppet made her sick.
She dropped her arms and looked at him. “Pair him with Raze. It’l be best for everyone.”
“Thank you,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Perhaps a bit of distance wil clear your perspective and you’l be able to revisit. Do you want to tel him or should I?”
That Syre made the offer told her how shaky the ground was that she walked on. For him to step up personal y rather than delegate meant he gave the matter serious weight.
“No, I’l do it.”
“He won’t take it wel .” It wasn’t a question.
Remembering how Elijah had responded the last time she tried to gain a little space, she smiled rueful y. “I don’t know, but probably not.”
“Use me if you need me.” He dug into his pocket and she heard the rattle of keys. “I’m heading to Shred with some of the others. You’re welcome to come.”
“No, thanks. I’l see to the final prep here. I want to get this entire crew out tomorrow, so we can get the next wave in and debriefed. Hopeful y we’l pick up some strays while we’re out in the field; we need more than one outpost’s worth of lycans.”
“We’l dig into that in the morning. See you then.”
Remembering something she should never have forgotten, Vash cal ed after him. “Commander. Adrian took my blood.”