vampires step in to guide them. If we get lucky, some of the newbies might fall back into their old routines to bring order to the chaos.”
Charity sank deeper into her chair. She noticed Devon’s look of sympathy. It helped a little.
“What’s my task?” Yasmine said in a loud, clear voice.
Devon shifted his attention. “You’ll shadow me. I have a class around the same time as one of the other newbies. You’ll post up nearby to keep watch. I’ll meet you afterward, and we’ll tail that one. Rod, you’ll head to…”
“My house,” Charity said quietly. “Samantha was there after the party. She was hungry—famished, actually. She plans to track me down. She sees me as easy prey, and if what you say is true, she doesn’t have to try to quell the hunger. No one’ll miss me.”
“We’ll miss you,” Andy said. She expected a grin or a sarcastic smile. Instead, his expression was serious, almost imploring.
She bit her lip and picked at her nail. It wasn’t much, but it helped.
Devon stood abruptly. “How did you know that? Any of that?”
Charity started and blinked to clear away the sudden heat prickling her eyes. “I felt it,” she blurted, remembering the strange, crawling feeling that had settled over her skin. She’d almost been able to pick out the path Sam had chosen through the house. In the moment, it hadn’t occurred to her that that was strange. “I could tell a vampire had been there. I also noticed that your body language went from savage to pitying as soon as you got outside my bedroom and had a big sniff. As for tracking me down…” Charity shrugged, dropping her hands to her lap. “That’s just logic, right? I’ve got nobody.”
“Had nobody,” Devon said firmly.
“I’m sorry, what is it you do? I haven’t smelled magic like yours before,” Yasmine said in a light voice.
Macy gave Yasmine a look of death. Andy noticed, and his seriousness melted away, replaced by a huge grin. Charity had no idea why.
She shrugged again. “You can talk to Devon about that. I’m still not sure I wholly believe it.”
“All right, well…we’ll table that for now,” Devon said, still staring at Charity. “We need to plan for tonight. We’ve got a novice and a new wolf. Anything could go wrong.”
“And probably will,” Charity mumbled. Something told her she’d made a huge mistake.
Chapter Nineteen
The tires on Devon’s Range Rover crunched to a stop at the corner of a long, wide driveway. Up ahead, light spilled from every window in the large house, illuminating the porch and rooftop. College kids lingered in clusters, holding beers or cups, jeering and laughing. Occasional screams of mirth pierced the night.
By the look of it, this party had been in full swing for a while, most of the attendees half lit and pushing harder for oblivion. The sweet smell of weed mixed with the sting of tobacco, masking other, more important, scents. Devon would take it; drunk and high was better than suspicious and nosey. These kids wouldn’t care what happened in their midst, as long as their indiscretions didn’t go public.
They’d taken three cars, and once they’d all parked, he gathered the crew near the trees in a loose circle. The distance they were from the house should ensure none of the partygoers could see them, but if someone drove up or left, at least the crew could quickly find cover. They each held a red plastic cup in case someone wandered past. The interior lights from the cars showered everyone’s faces, all confident and ready, except one.
Charity stared off at the house with a fearful expression, picking at her sweater. If Devon wasn’t mistaken, she regretted coming along. Her fear would hinder her decision-making, possibly getting her—and everyone else—into more danger.
He kept from blowing out a breath in annoyance. Roger usually had unassailable judgment, but in this, Devon couldn’t help but wonder if the alpha had missed the mark.
The other new member of their team, Yasmine, stood poised and ready—eager, almost. Her eyes shone with the excitement of the hunt, her posture firm and fearless. She met his gaze, and he felt the mutual fire of arousal. His insides sparked and his groin tightened in anticipation, both for her and the hunt.
“All right,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “This should be a simple extraction. For the new people, our plan of attack is usually to use someone as bait. He or she will lure the subject into a dark corner