Lisa Renee Jones by Hot Vampire Touch Read Free Book Online

choice. The Vampire Council feels they negotiated and operated with honor. They are not convinced The Society did the same.”
    “Nico refused to allow either of you to be tested right after Troy was attacked,” Marcus said, walking to the bed and dropped down onto the mattress on his side, crossing his booted feet and resting his weight on one arm.
    “What?” Cassie asked, sounding stunned. “Nico knew you requested a blood test and he refused?”
    “This is news to me,” Troy said, and not good news. It supported his concerns about Nico.
    “It seemed the easiest way to put everyone’s fears to rest,” Marcus replied, his attention on Troy. “Especially with your belief that the wolf who attacked you was female.”
    “Female,” Cassie repeated, turning to Troy. “You think the wolf was female?”
    “I know it was.”
    She made a sound and looked at the ceiling a moment, before fixing him in a steady stare. “And I was the only female there but Sarah. I guess I’m lucky you didn’t try to kill me while I was busy trusting you. The wolf that attacked you was male. I know. I attacked him, I bit him, I smelled him. That’s why I was so shocked when he ran. Male wolves do not run from battle. They kill or get killed.”
    “Then why shift to fight him instead of using a weapon?” Marcus asked.
    “I had one star left and it hit the wolf’s shoulder,” Cassie said, giving Troy her profile. “I either had to shift or watch Troy die.” 
    “And yet you were certain to die yourself,” Marcus pushed.
    “Troy had seconds to live,” Cassie said and she didn’t turn, didn’t look at Troy. “I, at least, had a chance to survive. When I rounded the corner, Sarah was straddling him and trying to stab him. He turned the knife on her, and she collapsed on top of him. The next thing I knew a wolf was charging towards him. He never saw the wolf attack coming, it happened so fast, and from behind him. But nothing I say is going to change the suspicion placed on me. Just test my damn blood and get it over with.”
    “That’s what I suggested,” Marcus reminded her. “Nico-” 
    “Isn’t here to stop me,” Cassie said. “Did you tell him Troy thought his attacker was female?”
    “Yes,” Marcus said. “And in Nico’s defense, his concern was that you had bitten the infected wolf. He was afraid of how both his people, and your own, would react if your blood was altered. I suspect he wouldn’t test himself because it would potentially lead to more pressure to test you.” 
    “Then he’s just trying to protect me.” She made a sound deep in her throat and looked at the ceiling, as if she was choked up over the protectiveness, as if she believed Nico was all she had in the world. Troy didn’t want her to feel that way. He also didn’t want her hurt, and he feared that was exactly where this was headed.
    Troy’s eyes met Marcus’s and there was a silent understanding between them. Marcus believed her. Troy believed her too, and that scared him like nothing had scared him since he’d become a vampire. Not since he was human and been fighting to save his parents and sister as a rogue vampire slaughtered them with no chance of success. And not because he was afraid of being hurt. Because he had information that could well mean a war was brewing between their races. If he stepped wrong, if he let what he felt for Cassie cloud his judgment, lives could be lost.
    Cassie turned to him, her eyes glossy. He’d never seen her eyes glossy. He wasn’t being fair to her, if she was innocent, and he didn’t know how to fix that. Only that he wanted to. “I’m trying to understand how you feel,” she said. “I know Sarah betrayed you. I even understand why you would distrust after everything that has happened to you, but that distrust is like a bleeding wound destroying both of us, and even the truce between our people. We have to solve this. We have to get closure. And you can’t do this alone anymore.