Bloodlust - Helen Harper Page 0,11

as if you’re the fucking Gestapo! You can’t treat people like that, Corrigan!”

“As a Batibat, she’s not technically a person,” he said mildly.

“You know damn well what I mean when I say that. What Endor has done, what he is doing, it’s not her fault!” I spat the words out, still appalled at what he’d sent his shifters here to do.

“She’s not entirely innocent,” he reminded me. “We know that he used this place to get the money he needed to begin his campaign. Right now she’s the best lead that we’ve got.”

“And beating that lead to a pulp is going to help?”

Wold let out a squeak from behind me. I didn’t turn around; instead, in return, I tightened my grip infinitesimally around the shifter’s neck. He gasped, but otherwise made no other sound, his eyes trained on his lord and master.

Corrigan took a step towards me and I caught the sudden scent of his aftershave. The familiar headiness of it momentarily made my senses reel. A swirl of heated bloodfire rose up from the pit of my belly. Damn him.

“I was unaware of what was happening.”

“Bullshit!” I exploded. “Every single one of these shifters knew to watch out for me and not let me in. And they’d been told to do that by you. They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Corrigan’s fists clenched. “Get out of here.”

“I already told you I’m not going anywhere until I get fucking answers! You can’t…”

I stopped mid-sentence as I realised he’d not been addressing me. The two shifters on the floor painfully pulled themselves up, eyes downcast, and scuttled out of the door. Corrigan raised his eyebrows at me. I sighed and loosened my grip on the wolf. He half fell down, letting out a small whine that belied his current human form, then bolted out on all fours.

Once he’d gone, Corrigan spoke again. “I didn’t know what was happening until I got a call saying that they were here and under attack. I just happened to be in the vicinity anyway.”

I should have aimed for the heart of the shifter hanging around outside. My face twisted. “Stop fucking lying. I thought better of you than that. At least be honest with me, Corrigan.”

A tinge of red lit up across his cheekbones. “You mean like you were honest with me? Fucking me and leading me on one minute then discarding me the next?”

“I had my reasons!” I spat. “And stop the changing the subject. Own up to what you’ve done and what you are. Coming here and doing this makes you almost as bad as sodding Endor himself.”

For a moment I thought he was going to strike me, then his muscles relaxed slightly and he composed himself. “I had decided, in light of our,” he paused for a heartbeat, “relationship with each other, that it would be wise to withdraw myself from this situation with the necromancer. I instructed Staines to take the lead. He has exceeded his authority and, believe me, will be dealt with.”

The formality of Corrigan’s words lanced through me. Then his green eyes softened for a moment and he looked over my shoulder at the Batibat. “Ma’am, you have my apologies, along with those of the entire Brethren. This will not happen again.”

I opened my mouth, then snapped it shut, realising the shifters had only referred to ‘he’. They hadn’t mentioned Corrigan himself. He could very well be telling the truth. But Staines was still Corrigan’s henchman. He wouldn’t have done this if he’d thought that it would really piss his Lord Alpha off. My eyes narrowed slightly.

“Yes, but…”

Corrigan turned his attention back to me. “Not that I owe you any explanations.”

“I’m the head of the council tasked to bring Endor down. You owe me every explanation.”

A humourless smile crossed his face. “Ah, yes. Your new job.” He leaned in closer. “Tell me, how does it feel having all that power and control? Is it everything you wished for?”

I snarled at him. “Fuck. Off.”

He laughed sharply. “Why so moody about it? You got what you wanted.”

“I didn’t want this, Corrigan. I didn’t ask for this. There wasn’t a choice.”

“There is always a choice.” His eyes raked across my face. “So what happened? Was that one of my shifters?”

“Huh?” I asked, suddenly confused.

“Your face. There’s a rather conspicuous bruise and it appears that you can only see out of one eye. What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Mackenzie…”

“I walked into a door.”

A muscle throbbed in Corrigan’s cheek. His voice deepened to a rumble.