Anchor of Secrets by Tessa Hale

45

I couldn’t stopthe tremble that took root in my muscles. Just the sound of Maryanne’s voice had a million memories slamming into me, none of them good.

Declan pulled me in tighter to his side. Maryanne’s eyes flared, anger burning bright. But she squashed it, an evil grin spreading across her face. “What? No hug? I’ve been waiting for this family reunion for weeks.”

Colt stepped in front of me and Declan. “It would be wise if you went back to your hotel, packed, and returned to Louisiana.”

A hint of surprise flashed through her features, as if shocked that he knew where she was staying. Then bravado took over. She rolled her shoulders back, meeting Colt’s stare dead-on. “You have no say in what I do.”

Trace’s eyes flashed violet. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

Maryanne stumbled back a step at the ferocity in Trace’s tone and perhaps the violet in his eyes. “W-what are you?”

Trace bared his teeth at her, letting his eyes go full purple. “You wanted to mess with this world? The least you could do is learn your supernaturals. I’m a demon, Maryanne.”

“W-what? No. Those—they don’t come out in daylight.”

Trace’s face morphed into a feral grin. “Not all of us have to hide in the shadows. We can find you anytime. Anywhere.”

Maryanne began to tremble, but then her hands fisted, and she fought back the fear. “You can’t threaten me.”

Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. “Watch us.”

That anger was back in her eyes. No, it was more than anger. It was pure fury.

“You,” she spat. “You think you can get away with murder.”

“Been there, done that,” Trace singsonged.

A hint of apprehension flickered in her gaze, but she fought it back. “You can’t touch me. I have protection.”

“We know all about your little vamp lovefest. It won’t get you anywhere,” Ronan growled.

“Vampires aren’t known for their loyalty unless you’re one of their kind,” Dash informed her. “They’ll use you, and then they’ll most likely drain you to get rid of the problem.”

He spoke as if he were reading my AP Bio textbook. There was no emotion in his voice at all.

“Stop trying to scare me,” Maryanne spluttered.

“Dash doesn’t lie,” Colt informed her. “Never has, never will. He’s trying to help you.”

She scoffed. “Help me? I’m sure. You’re all trying to steal from me. To take what’s mine.”

Maryanne’s eyes landed on me. There was so much rage pulsing in them. Fury she could no longer disguise when her gaze connected with mine. That anger held me captive.

I’d become an expert in reading her cues. Any slight shift in her body language or voice. And everything I was seeing now told me she wanted me dead.

I swallowed hard, pushing deeper into Declan’s hold.

“Leighton isn’t a possession,” Colt gritted out.

Maryanne laughed, but there was nothing pleasant about the sound. “Looks to me like you’re using her like one. Not that I blame you; she’s not worth much.”

Shame washed over me. As much as I didn’t want to let her words have any merit, I couldn’t help the pain that flared to life as they landed.

Declan let out a low, rumbling growl. The force of it shook the ground beneath us and had people on the street glancing around and mumbling about possible earthquakes.

“Watch. What. You. Say.”

Maryanne just laughed harder. “I see she already has her hooks in you. You’ll regret that soon enough. Hell, she’s completely impotent. No magic in her at all. Why would you even want her?”

Ronan snarled at Maryanne. “She’s our mate. There’s no one we’ll ever value more. It would be wise of you to remember that.”

Maryanne straightened her spine. It was then I realized she was wearing nice clothes. Designer ones, if I wasn’t mistaken. Her hair looked as if it had been colored by someone who actually knew what they were doing. Someone was making her look presentable.

“I can see that Leighton coming to Emerald Bay has been a grave mistake,” Maryanne said with mock concern. “She has fallen in with a bad crowd. I mean, letting herself be passed around by a group of boys like nothing more than a common whore? Any court would put her back in my care.”

A series of growls lit the air.

“You signed over your rights,” Ronan gritted out.

“And any court will rescind that document when they hear what she’s been up to lately,” Maryanne said with a triumphant smile.

“You bitch!” Trace started to charge, but Colt caught the back of his shirt.

Maryanne laughed. It had a maniacal quality to it that had the trembling in my muscles intensifying. If she got me back, I’d be dead. There was no doubt in my mind.

A door slammed, and my gaze shot to some fancy black car on the street. Alister strode toward us, a sly smile on his lips. “I missed the reunion. How unfortunate. I was so looking forward to seeing mother and daughter together again.”

Maryanne looked up at the vampire with adoring eyes that had nausea rolling through me. She pouted. “They haven’t been very welcoming. They’ve been quite cruel.”

Alister looked at the guys with a hint of disapproval. “Now that doesn’t sound like the future leaders I know. The Assembly would be so disappointed.”

“This won’t work, Alister,” Colt warned low.

He gave Colt his most innocent smile. “What won’t? I’m simply trying to help.”

Dash took a step forward, his blue gaze going hard. “It would be a mistake to make an enemy of us.”

Alister’s brows rose. “Now, that sounds an awful lot like a threat. Which would be a violation of the truce.”

Ronan prowled toward him. “No threat, a warning. If you make a single move against Leighton, we will go to war. And you’re outnumbered.”

Alister’s lips twitched. “No one is threatening Leighton. But the clans believe in family above all else. We’ll do whatever we can to reunite them.” His eyes flashed. “And your father is helping me.”