Bastien’s smile returned. “I imagine they have.” He glanced around. “So,” he said to no one in particular as he tucked his hands in his pockets, “should we order pizza?”
“No,” Seth declared with exasperation. “The whole point of lodging Aidan and Dana here was to keep her from bumping into all of you every time she turned around.”
Bastien pursed his lips. “Well, that plan sort of backfired, didn’t it?”
Seth loosed a growl of frustration that Dana found more amusing now than scary. “Just get your ass back to the network, Bastien. Roland, Sarah,” he ordered, turning to the couple, “begin the night’s hunt. Marcus, you do the same.” He turned to the tallest man in the room. “Zach, you take Ami and Adira to David’s place. Then you and Lisette can begin your hunt.”
Zach offered him a cocky salute.
Since every immortal who had come to visit had apparently defied Seth’s wishes to do so, Dana was a little surprised by how quickly they jumped to do his bidding now.
Bastien offered Dana a goodbye, then left with Roland and Sarah right behind him.
Marcus kissed his wife and daughter, then headed outside after the others.
Cars rumbled to life and drove away.
Ami carried Adira over to Zach, who touched her shoulder, then curled an arm around Lisette. A second later, the small group vanished, leaving only Dana, Aidan, Ethan, Heather, Ed, Brodie, and Seth.
Seth gave Ed and Brodie a pointed look.
Without a word, the human males turned and headed down the hallway into another room. A door quietly closed behind them.
Seth turned his gaze upon Ethan and Heather. “Go get some rest. And by rest I mean sleep,” he stressed. “I’ll wake you when I leave.”
Nodding, Ethan took Heather’s hand.
Seth sank down in a big cushioned chair while the couple strolled down the hallway and disappeared through another doorway.
Aidan touched the small of Dana’s back and motioned to the closer of two sofas. Once she seated herself, he sank down beside her. Offering her a smile, he extended his hand in front of her, palm up, silently asking her to relinquish her weapon.
He still couldn’t believe she had tried to tranq Seth.
Narrowing her eyes in displeasure, she handed him the tranquilizer gun.
Damn, he loved her. There really didn’t seem to be anything she wouldn’t do or anyone she wouldn’t take on to protect him. That was actually a little terrifying.
Setting the tranquilizer gun on the somewhat battered coffee table, he leaned back into the soft cushions. Her hip pressed against his. When he stretched an arm across the back of the sofa, she leaned into him and settled a hand on his thigh.
His whole being warmed at the casual contact.
“I take it the darts don’t work on you?” Dana asked Seth, breaking the silence.
Seth shook his head. “I’m an ancient. Zach is, too. No drugs affect us.” Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the chair.
When Dana sent Aidan a questioning glance, he touched a fingertip to his lips.
Nodding, she waited.
After a moment, the rustle of leaves outside ceased as the harsh breeze stirred up by Seth’s fury diminished. Lightning stopped flashing. No thunder rumbled.
The night creatures that had quieted resumed their chorus.
Raising his head, Seth opened his eyes. The glow was gone, leaving them so dark a brown they almost appeared black. “I really did try to give the two of you some privacy,” he said, his voice carrying apology now rather than anger.
“I know you did,” Aidan told him. “And I appreciate it.” Especially since Seth was really giving him the benefit of the doubt after seeing Reordon’s incriminating video.
Seth’s lips tilted up in a faint smile. “Did Roland really apologize?”
“Very nicely,” Aidan replied.
Seth shook his head. “Will wonders never cease?”
He laughed.
“So,” Seth asked, “how does it feel to be so beloved by your brethren that they will defy me and risk my wrath to come to your defense?”
Aidan thought about it for a moment. “I find it both humbling and frightening. I don’t want to put any of them in danger.”
“Gershom is proving to be annoyingly adept at sowing dissent and dividing loyalties,” Seth grumbled.
Dana’s eyes widened. “Divided loyalties,” she repeated.
Seth’s eyebrows rose. “What?”
Aidan covered Dana’s hand with his as realization dawned. “When Dana scried my future with her tarot cards, she foresaw danger, conflict, and divided loyalties. I thought the divided loyalty referred to me because I was hiding my relationship with her.” Amongst other things.
“Divided loyalties,” Seth murmured. “An abundance of that was demonstrated tonight.”
Unease and guilt suffused Aidan as he thought of Dana’s visions. “We can’t let Gershom come between us, Seth. We can’t let him pit us all against each other.”
Though Gershom already had. More than once. First Roland had attacked Aidan. Then Ethan and Heather had been prepared to fight Roland on Aidan’s behalf. And he and Ethan were both keeping secrets from Seth.
“No, we can’t,” Seth agreed.
“So what’s the solution?”
Seth drummed his fingers on the chair’s arms. “Take tonight off. No hunting. For you or for Ethan and Heather. As Dana mentioned, the past forty-eight hours have been tough ones. So I want the two of you to have tonight off to rest and regroup and…” He shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. Have a date night or something. Anything that will restore a little normalcy.” He looked to Dana. “Again, I must apologize for your turbulent entrance into our world.”
Much to Aidan’s surprise, Dana offered Seth a hesitant smile. “Actually all of this”—she waved to the room around them that had previously been filled with immortals—“kind of helped. You guys really do seem like a family, willing to risk all to have each other’s backs, bickering among yourselves and”—she motioned to Seth—“standing up to the patriarch.”
Seth laughed. “The last, I hope, will remain a rarity.”
Again, Aidan felt guilty for withholding information from Seth.
The silence that descended then was a comfortable one.
“Dana,” Seth said, seeming to choose his words carefully, “I know that, despite your words, you are still wary of us. We have certainly given you reason to be, what with Roland’s attack on Aidan and then my show of temper tonight. But I stayed behind because I think it’s time you knew about our enemy. And I believe it would be best if you heard it from me rather than Aidan.”
Ah, hell. Seth was going to tell her all of it.
Dana looked up at him, a question in her gaze. “You look worried.”
“I am,” he admitted.
She squeezed his thigh. “After everything you’ve already told me, do you really think there’s anything that could turn me away from you?”
A couple of things actually.
Returning her gaze to Seth, she said, “Okay. Who is your enemy?”
“We believe Gershom is the one causing our current troubles. He’s most likely the one who sent the vampires to attack you and Aidan.”
Aidan watched Dana carefully, noting the faint furrow that formed in her brow.