43. Kali

"Why are we here?" I bit out, staring into the darkness.

"You're here because I don't trust you enough to leave you at Impulse with Gia," Pax grumbled, tapping on the steering wheel. "I'm here in case things go wrong."

At least I wasn't stuck with Amaros. I hadn't even seen him yet. Or gotten out of the truck. The second we'd entered Deadwood, one of the vampires whispered something in Pax's ear, and then we were back on the road again. No matter how many times I asked where we were going, Pax ignored me. Now we were parked in the middle of nowhere with a giant field in front of us. Not that I could see much when the moon went back behind the clouds.

"Pax, what's going on?"

"Aren't you tired?" he tossed back, not looking at me. "I can bet you've barely gotten any sleep over the last couple days. Close your eyes. We'll be here for a while."

He was right about me getting almost no sleep, but I wasn't tired. I must have still been running on adrenaline after everything. I couldn't sleep, even if I tried. My leg bounced, and I shifted, trying to get comfortable on the truck seat. I'd barely stood up all day, and now we'd been parked here for the last two hours.

"Is Zan meeting us?" I asked.

"Hopefully," he muttered before clearing his throat. "How are you feeling? You were limping slightly when I found you in the woods."

I frowned at the sudden change in conversation. "I'm fine. All better."

He nodded, looking deep in thought. I opened my mouth, wanting to know what he was thinking, but headlights stole my attention. Straightening up, I stared out the windshield when more appeared. There were at least fifteen vehicles parking on the other side of the large field.

"Humans?" I asked in a low voice.

"How do you know?"

I shot him a look. "Because vampires don't need lights to drive in the dark."

"Smart." His eyes were on the cars too. "There are more vehicles coming that you can't see."

My heart stuttered. Humans and vampires? What the hell was going on?

"Why are we staying here?" I asked tightly. "Is Zan there?"

"I'm not sure," Pax said distractedly, peering at the vehicles.

Jealousy tore through me, knowing he could see every aspect of what was going on while I sat here blind. I opened the glove box, rummaging through the items, trying to feel what I was looking for. Grumbling under my breath, I bent down, feeling around under the seat. I caught the strap of a small bag, and I hurriedly hauled it up next to me. Pax watched as I dug through it, and I grinned when I found it.

"Why are there binoculars?" I asked, not that I was complaining. But vampires certainly didn't need them, and I knew this truck had come from Deadwood.

"Human watchers use them during the day," Pax said, reaching forward to try and grab them. "Give them to me."

I put them behind my back. "Why? You don't need them. I want to watch."

"No."

I scowled. "Why not?"

He didn't answer me, scooting closer. My free hand landed on his chest to try and keep him back. I shoved him as hard as I could, and he went still, his eyes dropping to my hand.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Fine. Watch. But we're not leaving this truck. No matter what you see."

Apprehension cut through me. He was being mysterious, and I didn't fucking like it. Whatever was happening was something big. After giving him a curious look, I slowly brought the binoculars to my face and looked out the windshield.

The vehicles had formed a semicircle, keeping their lights on, and people were pouring out. Most of them hovered near the edge of the clearing, but there were a few who were walking into the middle. A gasp escaped me when I spotted Zan. He was being pushed forward by Norman, and his hands were tied behind his back. Viggo was between two other PARA members, in the same predicament as Zan.

"They're fine," Pax murmured.

"Fine?" I choked out. "Is this because they went into Project Hope to look for me?"

"Yes."

Guilt hit me like a brick. I shouldn't have felt bad. Yet I did. PARA had them because they'd come for me. My eyes stayed glued on Zan as they halted near the middle of the semicircle. Norman stood next to him, and Zan looked ready to murder him.

"It's only ropes on his wrists," I mumbled. "Why hasn't he broken free?"

"They probably put hawthorn on it, making it more painful." He paused. "And my brothers know they aren't in danger."

My lips parted. "PARA took them captive."

"You know the man standing next to Zan?"

"Yes," I said slowly. "Norman. He runs Project Hope."

"I know. We've met him."

"What? When?"

"We've known him for years."

I lowered the binoculars and looked at Pax. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed. "I can't tell you. Though I'm guessing you'll find out soon enough. The point is, Zan is fine."

I was still reeling from what he'd said, but I focused back on what was happening. Zan and Viggo were just standing there, and no one was talking. They were waiting. For what? I swung my gaze toward the vehicles, and my heart sank. Dread spread through my limbs, and I squinted, as if hoping I was wrong.

"Don't, Kali. We're still not leaving this truck."

My grip on the binoculars tightened. "Warner is there."

"I know."

"He could die," I said, my voice cracking. "You're confident that your brothers are safe. But what about Warner?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Chills ran through me when Amaros suddenly appeared in front of the headlights. He strode forward, not stopping until he was a few feet in front of Zan and Viggo. He was furious, his mouth moving quickly as he spoke to Norman.

"What's he saying?" I asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter."

"Liar," I hissed.

"Fuck, Kali," he snapped. "There is so much going on?—"

"Then tell me."

"No. You can talk to Zan when we get home."

"Not good enough."

I quickly swung open the truck door and tumbled out, hearing Pax yelling at me to stop. I got to my feet and bolted toward the field. Pax's footsteps were loud behind me, and I pushed myself harder.

"Kali," Pax ground out under his breath. "You can't fucking go over there."

His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he jerked me back, stopping me in my tracks. I yanked my arm away, and when I slid free, I nearly froze. I wasn't sure who was more shocked that I'd gotten out of his hold, Pax or me. I scrambled away, only getting a few steps before he grabbed me again, but this time, his grip was much tighter.

"Shit," he muttered, his head whipping to the right. "We need to go."

"Why—"

Flashlights suddenly shined on us, and a group of PARA members circled us. Fear had my pulse thudding, and Pax's face went cold as he glared at the men.

"Kill them," one masked man ordered. "We don't need witnesses for this meeting."

"You do that, and you're all dead," Pax snarled, putting me behind him. "You have two of my brothers over there. Want to take a guess at who my father is?"

Some of the men shifted uneasily, and I watched in shock. I thought humans didn't know what Amaros looked like. Or his sons. I had a feeling that everything I knew was a lie.

"Don't believe me?" Pax continued. "Is my face not enough, seeing as my twin is over there?"

"Fine," the man said coldly. "You'll join them, then. Get in the fucking truck."

Pax hesitated, glancing at me. He really didn't want me going over there. There was no denying that I was terrified, but I wanted to go. Warner was there. And Zan. I needed to know what was happening.

Pax held on to me as they herded us to a nearby truck that was hiding in the darkness. Two men climbed into the back with us, and I was practically on Pax's lap so that I didn't have to sit near the military members. I took a long breath, trying to calm my racing heart as we drove toward the field. It didn't take long, and a couple of minutes later, the driver parked near all the other vehicles.

I looked through the windshield, my heart leaping into my throat when I caught Zan staring at me. His hands were free, and he was now standing beside his father instead of Norman, but he wasn't listening to their conversation. He was solely focused on me.

"Out," the driver commanded.

Pax leaned closer, keeping his words between us.

"Happy Birthday, Kali. Please don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed once we're out there."