Silence answered her. Looking around she noted he’d left her be, and she slumped onto the bed, considering her brother’s words. Was it because it was Maxim and she’d trusted him? Did she let it get under her skin because she so badly wanted to believe he was different, and really, was he anyway?

  Because she valued honesty above all, she had to admit it was because it was Maxim that she was so hurt and felt betrayed. She’d wanted to trust him with what she knew. But she felt…an affinity? No, that was too weak an explanation. There was a connection, just as Peter had pointed out.

  “I want… I want to trust him with my problem. I want his viewpoint. And I think I want more?” That was a question she couldn’t answer. This vacillation confused and frustrated her. There were bigger problems that should be occupying her mind. Roger being one of them, and what she should do to achieve what she wanted from her life. Yet here she was letting her emotions wind her into knots, especially centred around a man she barely knew.

  Feeling that everything was still unresolved in her mind, she rose and looked around the room, suddenly sure that this would be the last time she’d be here. Pippa swung the laptop bag over her shoulder, added her rucksack, and took the handle of her suitcase and pulled it from the room.

  The walk to Maxim’s felt like miles as she considered how to handle what came next. Maxim was inextricably now linked to them both, and she and Peter would need to understand that his needs were also important. She considered that maybe she was so caught up in her own issues, that she couldn’t see reality, and maybe it was time to get out of her head and stop focusing on how she was the only one affected. Too many questions and nowhere near enough information to understand the dynamics of the situation, and besides, Maxim hadn’t asked to be thrust into this situation.

  He was waiting on the porch. “Come in,” he said and ushered them both inside the small house. It was tidy, just as it always was. “I have made up the bedroom for you both. One room each,” he quickly clarified, but not before she noted the crest of red which painted his cheeks. “However long we are here, you will have privacy.”

  “Thank you,” she said and followed him.

  “Peter, you may be comfortable in here.” He indicated a room by the kitchen. On the other side of the hall was where she remembered Maxim’s bedroom was located, the one with the doors leading to the outside. Next to Maxim’s was another large room. “Pippa, this should suit you better.”

  She considered the room and was pleasantly surprised by a pale violet on the walls and soft cream furnishings, unlike Peter’s maroon and black room. She popped her bag by the doorway, wondering how long they’d have to enjoy the rooms, but Maxim indicated another room.

  “Bathroom there,” he said, and now she detected an increased thickness to his accent.

  Peter dumped his bags at his door and sighed. “I guess there’s no plan for dinner?”

  Pippa rolled her eyes. “I’ll have a look in the freezer if you’re okay with that, Maxim?”

  He shrugged, and she noted the rueful expression. “I don’t want to poison you,” he said, and she couldn’t help the smile, thinking back to their earlier conversation.

  “No, I guess not. Lead on, Maxim. Peter, what do you plan to do?” she queried.

  Her brother shrugged. “I guess I need to look at that pre-entry exam preparation,” he muttered, spearing his hands through his shaggy hair.

  She left him there and followed Maxim to the kitchen. “Right, let’s get a look at the state of your fridge.”

  He cleared his throat. “It’s quite empty.”

  Raising an eyebrow, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “You don’t cook?”

  Before he could reply, her phone rang, and glancing down, she saw it was Niamh calling. “Hi Niamh, what’s wrong?”

  “We have vehicles coming now. Get in as soon as they arrive. Take your bags and anything else you need. And relay that to everyone.” Urgency spiked in Niamh’s voice, and Maxim must have seen something on Pippa’s face, as he plucked the phone from her suddenly nerveless fingers.

  “What’s up, Niamh?” he demanded to know.

  His gaze didn’t leave Pippa’s as he listened to the instructions.

  “Fine. More details then when we arrive.” Maxim hung up and ushered Pippa back to the bedroom. “I’ll get Peter,” he said. “Wait by the door with your bags.” Then, as she watched, he stepped away, alerting her brother he’d be entering the room with two sharp raps of his knuckles on the wooden door.

  The sound urged her feet to move, and she hurried for the bedroom, grabbing the bags she’d just put in there and carrying them to the door. She didn’t have time to peer out the peephole though, as Maxim and Peter joined her, their arms similarly loaded up.

  One, then another, and a third vehicle slid to a stop outside, and the tension rolling off Maxim ratcheted up her concern further. The hard set of his shoulders softened a little as he watched a procession hurry to the door. “Niamh’s brothers,” he muttered and opened the door to allow them to enter the house.

  “Finn, Danny,” Maxim said, nodding to each man in turn, but they shushed him.

  “Give us the bags and get into the black car. Go!” urged the man Maxim had identified as Finn.

  Niamh’s other brother, Danny, reached for the bags, and Maxim pushed both Pippa and Peter through the door and down the steps. They hurried along the path to the car. Jessica, Simon’s second, Pip remembered from her first meeting with Niamh, sat behind the wheel as they climbed in.

  “Simon said he didn’t have time to explain,” Jessica said, her eyes on the door as the two brothers carted the bags to the car, assisted by another lycan who climbed inside. “Get your seatbelts on,” she growled, and once the bags were stashed and the boot closed, she accelerated away.

  They glanced back to see the red and blue cars had swung in behind them. “Jessica?” queried Maxim.

  Maxim contained his emotions and waited.

  “We believe Roger has an accomplice. We tracked down the delivery vehicle and a body of a man in the back. Or the husk anyway. It’s one of the companies we’ve dealt with in the past, and we found a note pinned to the uniform.” The other person in the car passed the note back, and Maxim grabbed it.

  “Safe nowhere. RH.” He watched the dilation of Pippa’s eyes as he read out the brief message.

  “He knows where we are, and he’s coming for us,” Pippa croaked.

  “Celina and Javed’s Yeux Secondes has given us permission to stash you in their nest,” Jessica explained. “We need to get you there before their vampires set their evening patrols. You’ll be fully briefed once we arrive.”

  Maxim hated being shuttled around like some kind of package, but he understood that Jessica was following the instructions of her alpha. He thought about what she’d said. “Husk?”

  Jessica nodded. “Dead. With no blood and missing a couple of fingers,” she muttered.

  “Roger has a thing for them. Joked they were like sausages only with extras,” Pippa choked out.

  Peter growled. “Bastard. Fucking gnawing⁠—”

  “Peter,” Pippa admonished. “Was there anything else? Tufts of hair or⁠—”

  “Yeah,” Jessica replied. “There was a woman’s shoe. It’s in the boot, and I’ll show you if you think it’s relevant.”

  “He keeps trophies—shoes, hats, bags, and purses. His chosen prey is female, but he’ll take a man if they get in the way. If he gets a particularly lively ‘guest’ as he calls them—” She shivered now, her body wracked with cold so Maxim could almost feel the chill radiating from her. “—he’ll ditch their trophy.”

  Giving in to the urge, he dragged Pippa close and enclosed her in his arms, willing the heat of his body to make her feel warm again. She didn’t wriggle or try to escape his hold, simply laid her head on his shoulder.

  Peter watched with an assessing gaze, but Maxim refused to explain.

  They drove in silence now; the day had melted away, and darkness surrounded the car as it cut through the night. On the highway, he noted the flow of traffic heading away from the city, and watched as the skeletal outline of trees just coming into their leaf were black against an inky, dark blue night sky. This area was still well-populated, though the houses here were affluent, with high walls and large, well-tended homes, lit with a warm, yellow glow.

  The vehicles started to slow at the outskirts and veered suddenly to the left, and the road changed to not quite as wide or welcoming. The large walls were dotted now with towers and turrets, and Jessica slid the car to a stop outside an ornate metal gate, manned, he guessed, by vampires.

  Rolling down her window, Jessica waited for a man to slide without effort to the side of the car. “Delivery from Simon Bellingham,” she explained. “Three guests of the house. Celina and Javed await them.”

  The man depressed something at his ear, spoke softly, then nodded to the other guards who opened the gates. The car moved through slowly and advanced to a second set of gates, this one less ornate but no less impressive as they glittered in the illumination of the headlights.

  “This house is new but is fitted with the best security of all the houses in the region. After the Slaughterhouse Rout,” she said, talking about one of the fiercest skirmishes prior to the final vampire battle, “all the nests took their security seriously. Too many members of nests and houses were lost to Creedar and his evil.” As the car drew to a halt, she removed her hands from the wheel. “Here we’ll have to wait for the witches to open the wards.”

  Maxim grunted as two women emerged from the darkness dressed in black fatigues and carrying what looked like an orb, which they waved in the air. Once they nodded to the man in the guardhouse, the gates opened and the vehicle made its way through and down the gravelled drive to a house.

  When the car stopped, Jessica climbed out, and glanced back to the red and blue cars which idled behind the black SUV. “Maxim, Pippa, and Peter, if you would follow me.”

  Men emerged from the dark shrubbery around the brightly lit house and removed the bags before following the group up the stairs to the doors and inside.

  “Wait here,” said one of the men. “You will be met and escorted to our master and mistress.” They then walked away, carting the bags under their arms as if they weighed nothing, though Maxim knew better.

  Jessica turned to them. “This is where I’ll leave you. Simon and Niamh need me to complete one further task. So, good luck. I’m sure things will be fine, but remember, take no chances, remain aware of your surroundings, and I hope to meet you again soon.” With a smile, she left them standing in the entrance hall.

  Pippa had heard of all these places and people. Who hadn’t? Names like Celina and Javed were spoken with awe, but she would never have considered herself important enough to be in their presence. Yet here she was about to meet them.

  A vivacious redhead entered the room, followed by an imposing man with piercing green eyes. A feeling of power surrounded them, and Pippa watched, sure her mouth was open as she curled her fingers into balls to contain her agitation.

  “Javed. Celina. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance finally. David and Hope spoke of you kindly,” Maxim intoned.

  “It’s good to see you again, Maxim, though you may not remember us. We were there when Niamh was rescued. This time you have friends with you. Hello, I’m Celina, and this is my life mate, Javed. Simon has apprised us of the situation, and we’ve prepared rooms in the bunker section of the house. You’re welcome to stay for as long as it takes to sort this problem. We do have a few rules which will be explained to you, given we are a vampire house. Javed? Do you have anything to add?” The red-haired woman, who appeared normal and unvampirelike, turned to the man who waited quietly beside her.

  “No, my love. Only to welcome our guests and to assure them that their safety is a high priority for us. We ask you do not leave the environs of the house. There is ample space around with gardens, so Peter, your interests are catered for, and Phillipa, our chef is very keen to spend time with you. Maxim, whatever you may wish to do, our facilities are at your disposal. However, if you will forgive me? I must visit the plant tonight and ensure our new manager is ready to take over.” Javed bowed low, then kissed his life partner on the cheek. “Tell the children I will be home for the midnight break with them.”

  Pippa frowned. Children? Could vampires have kids? She’d have to ask Maxim when there was time.

  Another man joined the group, and Celina turned away, “Ben, thank you for coming to settle our guests. If you’d show them to their rooms and around. They’ll need to meet with the gardeners, the kitchen staff, and Maxim may wish to see the library.” She turned back. “You’re in good hands with Ben. He can answer any questions, he’ll give you your key codes and ensure you have access to the wireless system.”

  She withdrew and Pippa watched as she left without a sound and appearing to almost glide over the floor.

  “Pippa?” Maxim said.

  She turned slightly and looked at him.

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. The thing was, it felt like an anchor in a situation that was even more confusing and surprising than the mess she’d dealt with since fleeing Roger’s influence. So, when he made to tug away, she twined her fingers through his, keeping him by her side.

  Peter seemed totally unaware as he started peppering Ben with questions about the gardens, and she listened to his chatter as Ben proceeded to herd them toward the middle of the house.

  “This is the access to private guest suites, where we’ve decided to house you. They are underground, so I hope none of you are claustrophobic.” He brushed a hand over a small square on a pillar, and a cover slid away to show a swipe point. From his pocket, he drew out a swipe card. “There are swipes in your rooms, and each is individualised, so security is aware of who is coming and going.” A hidden door slid open, and Pippa noted the polished marble of the walls were covered with paintings of landscapes and the stairs were a highly polished dark wood. “When Javed and Celina began rehabbing the house, they were keen to ensure it was not just modern, but also welcoming. The paintings are works of some of our nestlings—er, house members, if you will. The house itself is home to some three hundred vampires, weres, witches, and associated paras. It has a fully self-contained catering and housekeeping service, along with advanced care facilities.”

  “Javed mentioned children?” The words popped out before Pip could stop them.

  Ben stilled at the bottom of the stairs. “Celina and Javed adopted three girls. They have a private suite in another part of the house. You’ll no doubt meet them later. They are with their tutors right now, but when their school day is done, you’ll see them around.”

  Their school day hadn’t finished? That seemed odd, but this time Pippa kept her mouth shut.

  “Peter, this is your room.” Ben pushed open the door and ushered her brother within, and she noted his bags were already waiting for him inside. “You have a private bathroom through the far door—all these suites have their own facilities—and desk and entertainment units. Any problems, ring two-three-two on the phone and housekeeping will assist. Your swipe is on the bed.”

  Peter moved into his room and glanced around. “Wow. This is massive,” he muttered then closed the door. Pippa smiled at his comment, and allowed Ben to usher her down the hall, her hand still firmly grasping onto Maxim’s.

  “We have a visiting healer here, along with some visitors who will be addressing the council, so I can’t put the three of you together. Maxim, you and Pippa are around the corner.”

  The corridor was large, she guessed to accommodate numerous vampiric visitors. They turned the corner and it felt like this corridor was just as long again. At the end of the corridor there was a single door to a lounge room. It wasn’t huge, but certainly it was comfortably setup with a desk, tiny kitchenette space, and a large television flanked by a two-seater lounge and two armchairs. In the middle sat a coffee table.

  “This is a suite,” Ben said. “I could have put Peter and Pippa together, but realistically, if Peter wishes to spend time with the gardeners, he’ll be in and out at differing times. Now, Pippa, this is your room, and Maxim, there’s a room on the other side of the lounge.” He opened the door to her room, and she peered inside.

  “Wow, it is big,” she breathed.

  Ben laughed. “This suite is usually reserved for families or for delegations. But as I said, once Simon Bellingham explained your interests, we felt this was the best way to accommodate the three of you. Now, two-three-two is the direct line to housekeeping, and they will be more than happy to assist you with anything you need. Swipes can be found on the beds.” His wrist unit buzzed, and Ben glanced down. “I have to leave you now. But please, make yourselves comfortable.”

  She turned and watched as Ben made his way to the door and realised she was still holding onto Maxim’s hand. “Oh, sorry.” Embarrassment had her cheeks heating, the warmth impossible to ignore, and without conscious thought, she raised her hands and placed them against her burning cheeks.

  “You needed the support. I was glad to help,” he said in a deep voice that melted something inside her gut. A once more unfamiliar sensation that wasn’t wholly uncomfortable.

  Pippa wanted to shift on her feet but made sure to constrain herself. “I, uh…”

  He smiled, and warmth flooded her as she watched the crinkling of the wrinkles she’d never noticed at the edges of his eyes. “Come. We can unpack then make our way upstairs and find some food.”

  ***

  Maxim paced the room, calling himself different kinds of fool. His emotional attachment to Pippa was growing, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. “For years you’ve kept yourself contained.” Why now?