stepping forward. “Ismerelda doesn’t make a habit of calling me for unnecessary chitchat.”
A fair point well made. Every time she picked up a phone, she risked her life. It was why I usually texted with her in code, but Damien had felt the situation warranted a voice discussion. Which meant he took my and Willow’s situation seriously.
Maybe I would only shoot him once instead of four times. He really was a loyal friend, as was Izzy. And if she trusted Jace, then I could temporarily extend him the same courtesy.
I finished my blood bag and folded it in my hands before saying, “One of your terminated humans recently ventured onto my property. She was in bad shape and dying, but I cured her with my blood.”
Jace’s dark eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “You saved a human?”
I nearly smiled. “Does my temporary humanity shock you?”
“Yes.”
At least he didn’t feel the need to lie. “Is it because you wouldn’t do the same?” I wondered out loud.
“No, because we live very different lives,” he replied.
That was fair and true. “I don’t care for this new world or the penchant for treating humans like cattle. Honestly, it would have been kinder of me to let her die, but she tried to attack me, and I found that rather amusing. So I’ve kept her. She’s mine. And now she’s dying again.” I looked at Edon. “Which brings me to what I need to know—what really happens when a human is marked for termination?”
“They’re supposed to be killed immediately,” Edon informed me, his dark eyes holding no signs of emotion. “But I’ll admit that I haven’t ventured to that part of my territory for some time. I’ve only recently ascended.”
Fair enough. “Well, this human was marked for termination three weeks after her Blood Day assignment, yet she stumbled onto my property just over four weeks ago. And even more important, we believe she was bitten.”
That evoked a reaction from the alpha’s dark eyes. He shared a look with Luna and then Silas, a slight hum of energy coming off the three of them. I suspected they were mentally communicating, something that happened with lycan mates. It also occurred between vampires and their Erositas, but not between Sire and progeny.
From what I learned during my time in Clemente Clan territory, Edon had turned Silas into a wolf. He’d won the last Immortal Cup, which earned him the gift of eternal life. And in this case, it appeared he’d won the heart of his alpha, too.
Luna gave a slight nod, confirming one of my observations from last month.
Edon considered her an equal.
That was a rare trait in alphas these days.
Making a quick judgment call, I opted to lay all my cards on the table. They’d figure this out anyway, so I might as well ensure they had all the pieces of this puzzle. “I also tried to turn Willow last night, and it did—”
“Willow?” Silas repeated, his blue eyes widening.
I frowned at him. “Yes, that’s her chosen name. I prefer it to the serial number of her birth. Anyway, as I was—”
“I need to see her,” he interjected again, causing me to question his survival instinct. That question turned into a raging red flag as he moved around Edon and attempted to enter my home without an invitation.
I caught his shoulder and shoved him back, which stirred a growl from the ballsy pup. Edon stepped up to his side in a show of solidarity, just as Damien moved to my side.
Jace sighed audibly. “Honestly, children, can we play nice for five more minutes and discuss this like adults?”
“I need to see her,” Silas stated again as if it were his God-given right to make demands on my land.
Luna moved forward and put her hand on his arm as she softly explained, “He had a friend at the university named Willow. She went to the breeding camp, and he learned from Kylan last night that her location is currently unknown because she escaped.”
“Kylan? What the fuck does Kylan have to do with this?”
“His Erosita also went to the university with them,” Luna replied. “Kylan tracked down her location as a favor for Rae, and he passed on the information to Silas via Jace.”
I wasn’t even sure where to begin with all of that, the information startling and revealing a whole new level to the game that I hadn’t even begun to explore. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who disliked this new way of existence. Izzy had always