The Tracker's Rage (Mate Tracker #3) - Ingrid Seymour Page 0,33

Bernadetta Fiore has summoned her generals. They are gearing up for a war against us.”

“How do you know?” I asked.

“All the pack leaders have been communicating, my grandfather included. Their scouts brought reports that say a war is imminent.”

“Shit, this is bad.” A rush of adrenaline flooded my body as if I were in a fight or flight situation and not simply standing on the sidewalk.

“Um,” Rosalina checked the time on her phone. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re going to be late, Toni.”

I pondered for a moment, then made a decision on the spot. I had no idea if Damien and Eric would get mad at me, but the information Jake had could be useful.

“Why don’t you come with us?” I said.

“Where?”

“We’re meeting with Damien Ward and Eric Cross. Damien is working on a cure that will cancel rhabo’s effects. I also think they’re on our side and can help us.”

Chapter 16

“Who is this?” Damien demanded, giving Jake the once over.

We stood outside his door while he barred the entry, standing like Zorro with fists on hips and his long black cloak hanging from his neck. The only thing spoiling the effect was his top hat. He needed to exchange it for a mask.

“This is Jacob Knight,” I said. “He’s a... friend of mine. You must remember him from the day you blew a hole in my office.”

Damien’s left eye twitched. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’ll need to leave.”

“But I thought we were—” I started to protest.

“No.” Damien cut me off. “Change of plans.”

He started to close the door, but I blocked it with my foot. “Is Eric here?”

Damien lifted a hand toward my foot, magic crackling between his fingers.

“I’m here,” Eric called from within the house. “Let them in, Damien. Quit being so paranoid.”

“Paranoid? It’s not child’s play we’re dealing with here.”

Eric appeared behind Damien, his blue gaze locking with Jake’s silver one. “I’ll vouch for him.”

“You know him?” the mage asked.

“I know of him.”

Damien huffed. “That’s not good enough.”

“He got confirmation for me, Damien,” I said. “I was right, Stephen Erickson is behind all of this. Jake fought with me and helped stop that huge shipment of rhabo from flooding the city.”

Eric put a hand on Damien’s shoulder. “We need all the help we can get. What we’re setting out to do is no easy task.”

The mage threw his hands up in the air. “Okay, but no more surprises.” He whirled and pushed past Eric, his cloak fluttering behind him as he stomped away.

“What a prima donna,” Jake said under his breath as we entered.

“I heard that,” Damien growled as he disappeared through a door I hadn’t noticed before. It was set under the grand staircase, its surface painted to match the wall, so when closed, it would blend in perfectly.

“He’s in a bad mood,” I pointed out.

“You would be too if your daughter were dying,” Eric said.

“What?! His daughter?” Rosalina exclaimed.

“Yeah, he didn’t tell you? His daughter is a vampire and is addicted to rhabo.”

“No, he didn’t mention that,” I said, feeling horrible and finally understanding Damien’s fury and frustration when he discovered that Jenson and Blake had destroyed his potions room.

“He has a daughter,” Rosalina repeated to herself, looking a little bewildered.

“Yes,” Eric said. “It may not look like it, but Damien has been around for some time. He was married once.”

I blinked at Eric. For someone who was especially secretive about his own personal life, he certainly was being forthcoming about Damien’s.

Rosalina frowned, taken aback by all this information. She liked Damien, but maybe learning the more personal tidbits about someone who’d been alive for who knew how long would make her interest in him die down. A person that old would have a lot of baggage. I’d only been around twenty years and look what a clusterbumble my life was.

Jake extended a hand toward Eric. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”

Eric shook it. “Same here.”

Suddenly, the strong scent of aggression filled the air, making my skin prickle. Their interlaced hands squeezed as if to break bone. Keeping eye contact, they took each other’s measure, and though Jake towered over Eric by four inches, the smaller man appeared just as intimidating. They held on for a bit too long, making their handshake super awkward.

Rosalina shuffled from foot to foot and threw a nervous glance my way.

My hackles rose, and I felt oddly torn between Jake and Eric, wondering whose side I would be on if they decided to fight. But just as I