Hupotasso (Vampire Bachelor Games #2)

58

58

“You’re sure?”

“The trail stops at a house in the hills,” Jag grunts, “but I have my best men on it. We’ll search day and night.”

“And you’re sure she’s not with family.”

“Even if she was stupid enough to run to family, which she’s not,” he mutters, “I’m sure. I’ve visited them all. I’ll start on friends and colleagues next.”

“You’re right,” I run my hands through my hair in agitation, “she’s with The Free Men. They’re not going to do something so blatantly fucking obvious.”

“If I were them I’d have spirited her overseas already,” he sighs. “Somewhere far, far away.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“Helpful would have been if you’d bitten her at the altar,” he snaps.

“You’re the one who kept telling me I was becoming my fucking father,” I snarl. “I vowed I’d never bite her against her will.”

“And yet,” he says quietly, “you did.”

“Just find her,” I mutter before hanging up.

For a long time after the call I sit with my head in my hands.

He’s right. If I hadn’t lost my temper and bit her she’d be here now, safe in the castle with my heir cossetted inside her body. And I’d be treating her like a queen to try and win back her affection, despite knowing I have no right, no right at all, to any such thing.

And in the meantime there’s another woman, one who’s never professed to care for me, one who’s waiting for me to kill her husband and marry her, as I’d promised.

And all of these problems stem from one thing — my family’s intergenerational vendetta with Spider’s family.

Rising, I walk to the fireplace and catch my reflection in the mirror above. I’ve never noticed it before, or perhaps I just haven’t wanted to.

I’m the spitting image of my father.