Blood Ties (Monsters of London Book 2) by Alexandra Keillor

Author:Alexandra Keillor [Keillor, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty-four

Drew

Kieran’s the first through the door, almost barrelling it open in his haste. I barely have enough time to stand before his hands are on my shoulders, running over me as if he’s expecting to find an injury.

“You’re okay?” he asks. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you here—”

“I’m fine.” Lucien follows him through the door, then Sam and Adam. Sam’s holding Adam’s hand, but his eyes are dark as they trace over me in much the same way Kieran’s hands did.

“Why did you go outside?” Kieran says.

“I just—I needed fresh air. I’m sorry! I didn’t go through the wards, I swear. I just needed to be outside.”

“He didn’t go through the wards,” Sam says, and Kieran nods, though I don’t think he disbelieves me.

“Sit, my love,” Lucien murmurs, one hand sweeping over Kieran’s shoulders. “It has been an eventful night.”

Kieran squeezes the back of my neck once before he withdraws, and I drop into one corner of the sofa again. Sam leads Adam over, sitting him next to me and taking his place on the other side. Lucien sits in one of the chairs, and instead of getting his own, Kieran deposits himself in Lucien’s lap, resting his head on Lucien’s shoulder for a moment.

It’s as much for Lucien as it is for him. I can see that. Some of the tension leaves Lucien’s frame and he presses his lips to Kieran’s temple.

“What happened?” I ask. I don’t want to break the moment, but I can smell Adam’s distress, and the lightning buzz of Sam’s anger. Kieran’s, too, though it’s buried under concern.

When Adam doesn’t speak, I look at him. He’s not pressed up against me, not the way he was yesterday, and I don’t want to push. Still, I spread my legs until our thighs touch, and my heart thuds when he doesn’t move away.

“Chieftain Lazarus was murdered,” Lucien says, “and the hunters discovered Adam in the house where Lazarus was last alleged to be.”

I frown. But why would—

“It wasn’t just that,” Adam says. His voice sounds hoarse, and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “She found me standing over a pile of ash with a stake on the floor. They think I killed him.”

“But you didn’t.” I look at the others. They know that, right? They have to know—

“We know,” Sam says, and there’s still banked anger in his eyes, but it’s not directed at me. “Someone’s trying to frame Adam, just like they tried to frame me.”

I take a deep breath, filtering through the smells that reach my nose. Fear, anger, sorrow… Hunters, someone else’s magic, but not a hint of another vampire aside from Lucien and Elle.

“I can’t smell another vampire,” I say quietly, and Adam turns his head to look at me. “I can tell them, if you want. You didn’t do it.”

“We all know, Drew,” Lucien says. He sweeps his hand up and down Kieran’s back. “I believe it does not matter. And if we were to take you to the Council right now, I am afraid it would lead to other problems.

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