Sealed With a Curse(85)

“Magical beings emit a stronger, more attractive aroma—infected vampires prefer mystical blood.” Liam’s hand swept around the kitchen. “There are seven us gathered here. She could have fixed on our collective scent and just spotted Emme first.”

Aric shook his head. “Her condition was advanced enough to leave a death trail on her way here. Any attacks would have been reported to me by now.” He double-checked his cell phone before focusing back on Liam. “What happened upstairs?”

Liam rubbed Emme’s arm. “We were about to take a shower. I scented the vamp just as Emme passed the window. She dug her nails into me when I hauled Emme out of the way.”

Koda’s fury filled the room. “Aric, you came from the outside. She should have sensed you and gone after you first. Why wait to eat? Patience is a foreign concept to a famished bloodluster. I think she specifically targeted our girls.” The thick muscles of his forearm wrapped around Shayna’s slender waist. She trailed her fingertips along his wrist until her small hand covered his at her hip.

I hopped up on the counter. “Someone has to be controlling the vampires. It’s the only possible explanation.”

Aric moved next to me. Unlike my sisters, who welcomed the closeness of their wolves, I squirmed away from mine. Aric dropped his head and sighed. Guilt stabbed my chest like one of Shayna’s daggers. The dagger twisted deeper as I took in the disapproving faces of the other wolves.

Aric ignored them. “No one has ever been able to control an infected vampire.”

My fingers knitted together. “I know that’s the theory. But none of this has followed the normal path of bloodlust—even the method of infection.”

“I’m not saying it’s not possible,” Aric snarled.

The tension between Aric and me exploded in the kitchen like a barrage of firecrackers. My tigress snapped to attention and so did his wolf. We locked gazes, but the anger that riled our beasts slowly disappeared as those brown eyes softened beneath my stare.

Koda cleared his throat. “I want to stay here, Aric. Just in case something else shows.”

“Fine.” Aric didn’t look away. “You and Liam can both stay. I’ll call Gem and the rest of the pack. We’ll search the surrounding area and see what we can find.”

Taran tapped an irate foot. “You need to go after the other judge.” She glanced in my direction. “And Misha’s master.”

Koda scoffed. “We can’t. The treaty between our kind and those leeches prevents us from interrogating the masters unless we witness a direct violation. Our Elders will have to speak with their grand masters. It will take some time before we can seek them out.”

Time we don’t have. I twisted around and disconnected my phone from the charger plugged into the wall, finally breaking my eye contact with Aric. “I’d better call Misha and tell him what’s happening.”

“Why are you calling him?”

Aric’s growl kept me from dialing. I jumped off the counter. “He has a right to know. This is the third judge. It affects him, too.” Aric’s eyes narrowed further, like I’d somehow betrayed him. “God, why does everything have to be a fight with you? I know you hate him, but…” I stopped. His piercing gaze went right into my core, stirring more emotions I couldn’t bear to hold on to and keeping me from gathering a single breath. I stomped up the stairs to my room, taking my phone with me.

Liam’s words slowed my steps as I reached the landing. “Damn, Aric. What is up with you and Celia?”

I hurried into the solace of my room and fell against my closed door. I hated fighting with Aric. And I had the feeling he hated it, too. Worse yet were the final words he spoke before leaving our house: “Keep Celia safe.”

The touch screen on my phone locked out twice before I finally dialed.

“Hey, Misha,” I said when I heard his voice.

There was a brief pause. “What troubles you? Are you hurt?”

It bothered me that my voice shook so hard, but Aric—God—Aric had taken my feelings for him on an emotional loop-the-loop. I tried to relax as I explained to Misha what happened.

At first I believed Misha would erupt like an earthquake and the floor beneath me would tremble. I could almost smell his seething anger on the other end. A very long and very tense minute passed as I paced around my bedroom, waiting for him to respond. But the outburst I expected never came. “You have to investigate the remaining judge, Misha.”

“I. Can’t.”

“Why?”

“My master, Uri, fears I am too invested and my anger will cloud my judgment. He has ordered me to stay on my premises. His plan is to return to the Americas in three days’ time. At that point he will decide how best to proceed.”