Be Still My Vampire Heart(53)

"You mean the one you sent away because you couldn't control me." Shanna's face flushed with anger. "Give me some credit for once in your life. If you couldn't control my mind, what makes you think my husband can?"

 

Sean blinked. A horrible feeling swept over him. "You—you want this? They're not controlling you?"

 

"No, they're not."

 

Anger seized him so hard, he trembled. "Then you are a traitor to mankind."

 

Shanna sighed. She glanced back at the mirror with an exasperated look. "He's hopeless."

 

"A stubborn fool." The Scotsman's fingers dug into Sean's shoulders.

 

Sean glared at Connor. "Get your filthy hands off me."

 

Connor tightened his grip, and Sean steeled his face to show no pain.

 

"Connor." Shanna motioned for him to release Sean, and he did. "Dad, I chose to talk to you tonight, because I wanted to assure you that I'm all right."

 

Sean snorted. About to give birth to a demon baby, and she called that all right?

 

"I also wanted to tell you what's going on. My husband and his followers are not the monsters you think they are. They take their meals from a bottle."

 

Sean snorted again. "Are you saying your husband has never bitten you?"

 

She hesitated.

 

"Aha!" Sean leaned forward. "How often does that bastard feed off you?"

 

"Never," Shanna insisted. "Roman invented synthetic blood so he and other Vamps like him would never have to harm another mortal again."

 

"Vampires kill mortals all the time."

 

"The Malcontents do," she continued. "They're an evil bunch who enjoy hurting mortals. They are our enemy."

 

"All vampires are evil."

 

"No!" Shanna planted her fists on her hips. "You have to stop persecuting the good Vamps. They're trying to protect mortals."

 

"Aye," Connor added. "Ye should let us take care of the Malcontents."

 

Sean shook his head. "Vampires killing other vampires? I'll never believe it."

 

"Why not?" Shanna asked. "Haven't you heard of humans killing other humans? Think about it. You know Ivan Petrovsky was killed by other vampires. It happens."

 

"Ye need to leave us alone." Connor circled the chair to stand in front of Sean. "The Malcontents are raising an army. If we doona defeat them, humanity will suffer greatly for it."

 

Sean swallowed hard. "You're just trying to trick me, to scare me off." Was this all a pack of lies? He had to know. There was no way he could invade a vampire mind, but there was a human here. He gathered up his psychic power and targeted his daughter with a full assault.

 

She stumbled back, taken by surprise.

 

Connor steadied her. "Are ye all right, lass?"

 

Glaring at her father, Shanna shoved all his power back with so much force, he rocked back in his chair. Shit. She was incredibly strong.

 

"Are you convinced now?" she asked quietly. "No one can control me."

 

"Traitor," he whispered.

 

She turned away. "Take him away, Connor."

 

"Aye. I'm sorry, lass." Connor circled behind Sean.

 

He gasped when the Scotsman picked him up, chair and all. "What are you doing?"

 

"Taking ye on a wee trip," Connor answered.

 

Shanna regarded him sadly. "By the way, your grandson will be born Friday night."

 

"He's not my grand—" Sean's voice broke off when everything went black.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 12

 

 

 

 

Angus knew he should say something comforting to assure Emma she was perfectly safe, but he didn't. He couldn't. It irked him that she'd participated in Sean Whelan's attack. And that simmering anger made him want to torment her. Or kiss her senseless. Better to keep his distance. He strode toward the kitchen. "Ye're sure ye want nothing to drink? We have stuff like soft drinks and juice in the fridge."

 

"You do? Why?" She kept watching him with that wary look, as if he might swoop down on her neck any second now. It was a beautiful neck with pale, tender skin, but that didn't mean he wanted to punch holes in it. Kissing, though, would be very…

 

He shook his head, struggling to keep up with the conversation. Oh, aye, her surprise over mortal drinks. "The mortals who guard the house during the day get thirsty."

 

"You have human guards during the day?"

 

"Aye. They're verra good. And trustworthy. They work for me." He paused with a hand on the swinging door. "Anything to drink?"