Demonic Vampires (Supernatural Shifter Academy #3) - G. Bailey Page 0,37

just as Shade and Silas emerge from my room, looking bleary-eyed and out of sorts. “I’m telling you, you’re wrong,” the wolf shifter insists. “It’s all about avoiding concentrating. That’s how you get distracted.”

“You would say that,” Silas fires back. “When was the last time your strategy didn’t amount to ‘charge in, both guns blazing, and watch what happens’?”

“I resent that,” Shade mutters.

Silas gives him a daring grin. “You want to put that theory to the test, Ivis?”

Shade raises his eyes. “Is that a challenge, Silas? You’d better be careful -- I hear you’re still not back to a hundred percent.”

The dragon shifter’s expression hardens. “I’m close enough.”

The two guys come to a stop by the kitchen table. “We’ll get Boots to judge,” Shade says, winking at me.

“Nah, ah, ah, I’m not about to get sucked into another one of your arguments,” I laugh. “You guys can duke it out yourselves.”

“Fine,” says Silas. “We’ll take it to the roof, then.”

“You know you have the advantage in tall places,” Shade protests.

“Is that a problem? You just said I wasn’t back to full strength.”

The wolf shifter grumbles, but concedes, and the two guys make their way to the door. “We’ll be outside, settling this,” Silas announces, elbowing Shade. “We’ll see which one of us is the better fighter. You sure you don’t want to moderate, Boots?” He raises his eyebrows at me.

The idea of two gorgeous guys duking it out for my attention does sound appealing, but what happened yesterday has me spooked. I’m not even sure I can bring myself to go out and meet our next prospects, and that’s something we have to do. I don’t relish the idea of being forced out a window again. “You guys go ahead,” I tell them weakly. “I’m going to rest up in here. Rough day yesterday, you know.” They nod in unison, and Shade pushes the door open. “Be careful,” I call to them as they file out of the apartment.

“Always am,” Silas calls back, and with that, they’re gone. I’m left to sit in silence, damn near twiddling my thumbs as I turn over the events of the past few days in my mind. I’ve tried to tell myself I’m paranoid to be worried about Edith, but there’s no fighting it. After yesterday, I’m on high alert; I remember how she stood there watching while the chaos ensued, and while I’m willing to admit that maybe she froze, something about the whole thing rubs me the wrong way. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch, and it’s driving me crazy.

I’m just beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t catch up with Shade and Silas, at least for something to do, when the sound of muffled voices catches my attention. I raise an eyebrow -- here I was thinking Landon and I were the last people left here. The voices are coming from the room Edith has been sharing with Hunter, and I can feel my stomach drop even as I slowly get to my feet.

The vampire shifter hasn’t spoken to me at all since yesterday, but every time I’ve caught his eye, he just looks away with a melancholy expression on his face. He’s hurting, and I wish desperately that there was something I could say, but what? How can I assuage a guilt that he shouldn’t even be feeling in the first place?

Carefully, I shuffle down the hallway, doing my best to stay light on my feet. I know I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but I can’t help it -- call it morbid curiosity or something. The door to Edith’s room is open, and I can hear her crooning voice wafting out like music on the heavy air. “You know there are other fish in the sea, don’t you?”

“Not for me, there aren’t.” That sounds like Hunter.

“Listen,” Edith persists, “I get it, okay? Don’t you think I understand where you’re coming from? I’m an outsider too, just like you.”

“It’s different,” I hear Hunter protest. “You’re good at what you do. Hell, you’re incredible at it. There’s no denying that.”

“I’m late to the party, though,” she points out. “You think I don’t see the way Millie looks at me, like she’s suspicious of me? I don’t know if it’s because she feels threatened, or if it’s just because I’m not part of your original group, but…”

I can feel my hackles rising at the implication, and struggle to keep from saying something.

“You’re not giving Boots enough credit,” Hunter insists, making a warm spot bloom