“Still.”

“We don’t have time to go back.” He nudged me gently into a jog, flipping open his cell phone to use the GPS. “We’re not far. The coordinates came in just before I got you.”

“It’s not at the caves with all the pomp and ceremony?”

“No way. After two botched assassination attempts in a single week, the Drakes decided on a secret coronation.”

“That is so cool.” And I still couldn’t believe I’d been invited. “Will the council be there?”

“Representatives from each ancient family, yeah.”

The Raktapa Council were formed of the three most ancient and powerful vampire families. The Helios-Ra had a similar council.

“Who else? The Hounds?”

“Yeah, Isabeau, the princess you met last week.”

“That is so cool.” I nearly bounced on my toes. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“Just don’t tell Caleb it was me.”

“As if I’m telling Grandpa at all.”

“Good plan.”

The concept of treaties between the peaceful vampire families, the Helios-Ra, and the Hounds was exciting to me. As exciting as firearms and surprise nest-takedowns was to Grandpa. And we’d almost lost the chance at an alliance entirely when Hope, one of the higher-ups, had sent her own rogue unit to attack the Drakes. She’d nearly taken down the entire society with her, putting any future hope of diplomacy in serious danger. I really admired Hart and what he was trying to do. Especially since Hope had killed his brother and partner, Kieran’s father, in order to rule with Hart. Grandpa, of course, wasn’t exactly full of admiration for the treaty. Big surprise. I hated to disobey him even when I knew he was wrong. So if he didn’t know about it, he couldn’t forbid me to be a part of it and I wouldn’t have to lie and do it anyway.

“Can’t we go any faster?” I urged, nearly plucking the GPS out of Kieran’s hand. This was better than prom.

He swatted me away. “Cut it out.”

“Can you believe we’re doing this?” I shook my head. “I thought you were usually on Grandpa’s side with this stuff.”

“Yeah, then I met a girl.”

I smirked. “I totally love that.”

“Yeah, yeah. It also helped to learn that vampires didn’t kill my father.”

We stepped around a copse of elm trees and came face-to-face with a vampire, armed to his pointy fang-teeth. Instinct had me reach for my stake. He was wrestler-huge and bone-pale.

“We got the call,” Kieran said, stepping in front of me. He stomped on my foot while he was at it. I fell back, but only a little. I might be thrilled to be here but I was still in training. I didn’t smile prettily at vampires in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods. I was no Little Red Riding Hood.

“Password?”

Kieran glanced down at his phone’s display and read off a word in a language I’d never heard before. It sounded old.

The guard nodded. “Go ahead. Turn right at the cedars and go straight through into the pine forest.”

“Thanks.”

It felt weird to turn my back on a vampire. I must have more of Grandpa in me than I thought.

The red pines towered above us, the ground a carpet of fallen needles and not much else. In the center, Helena Drake and her husband, Liam, waited, along with most of their sons, Isabeau, Lucy, and a bald human bodyguard. Hart was on Liam’s left, with three more hunters. The Raktapa families were there, each with a guard holding up a banner painted with their family insignia. The Drake banner was a dragon entwined with ivy and Latin words I couldn’t read. There were other vampires as well, nearly a dozen of them.

I didn’t see Quinn.

Not that I was looking for him.

And not that his twin, Connor, wasn’t standing right next to Solange, looking exactly like him. Except that Connor’s hair was shorter.

Still.

I followed Kieran to Hart’s side. He kept sending Solange sidelong glances. She smiled, pale as a pearl. Her fangs were very sharp but delicate. Treaties were all well and good in theory but something else entirely when a vampire was flashing fangs at someone you considered to be your brother. I wondered if I should worry about him.

“Hunter.” Hart smiled at me. “Glad you could make it.”

“Thank you, sir.” I tried not to flutter and went overboard into formal cadet stance. He was the head of the entire society and he knew my name and he’d asked for me specifically.

“At ease,” he said. “You’re here to witness history, not do battle,” he added.

“Yes, sir.”

“We’re nearly ready,” Liam called out pointedly.

Quinn sauntered out of the woods, a vampire girl on his arm. They were both grinning and it was totally obvious what they’d been doing. He was just as gorgeous as I remembered, his long hair falling nearly to his shoulders, his eyes so blue they didn’t seem real. The girl giggled.

I refused to stare. Mostly.

It wasn’t my fault if I could still see him out of my peripheral vision. It was a hunter’s duty to be aware of her surroundings.

Even if those surroundings included a beautiful vampire with a charming smile who liked to flirt with anything that had boobs.

Except for me, apparently.

I did not just think that.

Luckily the ceremony began before I embarrassed myself completely. I was also exceedingly grateful that vampires couldn’t read minds.