44. Kali

Igaped at Pax. Where the hell did that come from? My birthday wasn't for a few more weeks. I didn't have a chance to correct him before one of the men snatched my arm, trying to pull me out of the truck. Pax's next move was quick, and in the next second, there was a loud snap, and the man yelled in pain when his wrist was suddenly bent at an odd angle.

"She's not yours to touch," Pax said, his voice more dangerous than I'd ever heard. "She's with us. You'll treat her with the same fucking respect you give the Kanes."

My eyes grew big as the man cradled his arm. Since when did PARA give respect to vampires? Were they working together? Pax guided me out of the truck as the men warily kept their distance. Once my feet hit the grass, a chill swept through me. Raising my gaze, I met Zan's eyes. There was a flash of worry that crossed his face before he masked it. But it wasn't him that had my heart thudding in fear.

It was the fact that both Amaros and Norman were also staring at me.

"Kali," Amaros murmured, a dangerous gleam in his eye. "How nice of you to join us."

I swallowed thickly before lifting my chin and forcing my fear away. This was not a place to reveal any emotion that they could exploit. I already knew Amaros fed off terror. Norman was the same way. Pax strode forward, his hand staying on my back, making me walk with him. We didn't stop until I was standing next to Zan with Pax on my other side. Amaros was next to Zan, and Viggo was standing rigidly beside his father.

My eyes darted around until I found Warner. He was between two PARA members, his face blank of any emotion. Until he met my gaze. Panic flitted through his eyes, and he shook his head, looking at me in defeat. My heart clenched. He'd tried keeping PARA from getting me, and here I was, stuck with vampires again.

Something touched my hand, and I stiffened, glancing down to see Zan's fingers interlaced with mine. A move that no one missed. Norman frowned, suspicion sprawled across his face.

"Unless you have something else to discuss, my sons and I will be going," Amaros said, focusing on Norman. "I'll be sure to talk to them about entering cities that aren't ours."

"We're not done," Norman snapped. "You broke our deal."

Amaros let out a laugh that made the back of my neck prickle. "No one was hurt. Let's not ruin what we have over a small miscommunication?—"

"They saw things that your kind have no business knowing," Norman spat out.

"Interrupt me again, and I'll snap your neck before you can speak another word," Amaros warned, his voice deadly.

The vampires and humans surrounding us all shifted on their feet, the tension skyrocketing as the conversation began to take a dangerous turn. The air was thick with tension, and I stiffened, waiting for fighting to break out at any moment.

Norman took a deep breath, calming down. "Give us the girl, and we'll pretend this never happened."

"Try to touch her," Zan taunted menacingly. "See what happens. She is mine. No one will fucking lay a hand on her. Or none of your men will leave here alive."

Amaros chuckled. "Excuse my son. He's possessive of his toys. But his word stands. Kali is ours."

Rage bristled down my spine, and I pressed my lips together, keeping my emotions in check. My eyes darted between Amaros and Norman. There was no way I was getting out of this. I was either going to be stuck with PARA or with the Kanes. And from how tightly Zan was squeezing my hand, I had a feeling he wasn't going to let me go. I didn't want to be trapped anywhere near Amaros, but I couldn't deny the slice of relief. If I went with Norman, I was dead.

My eyes cut back to Warner. He couldn't go with PARA either.

Norman scowled. "We're still waiting for Rowan. He wants to talk to you."

I racked my brain, the name not sounding familiar at all. Warner didn't react to the name, but Zan did. He squeezed my hand, his body going stiff as he stared at Norman.

"And while we're waiting, I thought we'd deal with something else." Norman nodded his head, and two men grabbed Warner's arms and dragged him toward us. My heart plummeted, and Zan's hold was the only reason I didn't lunge toward Warner.

Amaros glanced at me. "Do you know him?"

"She does," Norman answered for me. "They both fled the city. They grew up together."

That got Amaros's attention. "Siblings?"

"No. Both orphans." Norman grabbed the back of Warner's neck, yanking him forward before kicking him in the back of the legs, sending him to his knees. "Not only did he flee us, but he's a Clover."

"Hmm, not a surprise after meeting Kali," Amaros mused as he focused on Warner. "You kill vampires?"

Panic had me in a chokehold, and I tried slipping my hand from Zan's. But he didn't let go, forcing me to stay at his side. My chest heaved, fear for my best friend swallowing me whole.

"Consider this a peace offering," Norman said smoothly. "We know the Clovers are just as bothersome for you as they are for us."

"No," I blurted out, my voice high. "He didn't do anything. It was all me."

"Kali, quiet," Zan breathed out tightly.

Amaros narrowed his eyes, looking at Zan, and then at me. He didn't say anything, but I didn't like how his attention was still on Warner. I knew Zan didn't want them focused on me, but I couldn't stand here when they were discussing my best friend as if he were expendable.

The rumble of a vehicle behind Norman drew everyone's attention, then a new armored truck appeared.

"Rowan's here." There was a note of relief in Norman's voice. "Hopefully we can all leave this meeting under the same terms."

"That's completely dependent on what your boss says." The way Amaros dismissed Norman as if he were a nobody put me more on edge.

The door of the vehicle opened, and a man stepped out. Unlike all the other men, his face was free of a mask and goggles. He was wearing a PARA uniform with enough patches on it for me to know that he wasn't just another soldier. He was high up in the government.

He strode toward us, his steps confident, and there wasn't a speck of fear on his face. My eyes drifted down to his neck. White lines of scars were scattered on his skin, the remnants of vampire bites.

"What the fuck is going on?" he growled, pulling my attention back to his face. "We didn't have a meeting scheduled for another month."

"Ask Norman," Amaros said. "He's the one who called it."

Rowan glared at him, his brown eyes full of loathing. His straight black hair was long enough that it kept getting in his eyes. There was a scar on his cheek, and his nose had a hump, as if it'd been broken before. His posture was rigid, and he held himself as if he were the most important person here. It was clear that he was a leader. I wondered what he'd done during the war.

"His sons entered Project Hope," Norman bit out.

Rowan frowned. "That's a breach of contract. Did they kill anyone?"

"Only when we were attacked," Viggo spoke up.

"They were on the fourth floor," Norman muttered quietly.

Rowan opened his mouth to respond, but then his gaze fell on me. Shock flared in his eyes, and he turned until he was facing me completely. Confusion slithered through me. He was acting like he knew me when I'd never seen the man in my life. Zan suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking me from Rowan's view.

"You took her from Project Hope?" Rowan hissed furiously, whipping his head toward Norman. "You let this happen?"

"No," Norman sputtered out. "She's not the one in Project Hope. She's the other one."

Zan went rigid, staying in front of me. Amaros was watching Norman and Rowan, annoyance growing on his face.

"What other one?" Amaros murmured, his voice lethal.

"If that's the case, then why is she here?" Rowan asked, looking at Amaros. "Twenty-five years ago, we shook on it. You take one, and we take one. Then we throw away the key. Why the fuck is she walking free?"

My heart stuttered as panic flooded me. I didn't have a chance to do anything before Amaros snagged my arm, pulling me away from Zan. I cried out when he pushed me forward until I was in front of Rowan and Norman. He kept a firm grip on my upper arm, keeping me next to him.

"Dad—"

"Not now, Zan." Amaros cut him off sharply. "Now, tell me why the hell you think she's the other one, Rowan."

Rowan stared at Amaros for a moment before a laugh erupted out of him. "You don't know, do you? She's been right under your nose, and you had no idea. There was a rumor that you lost her as a baby. I guess that was true, wasn't it?"

Amaros's free arm lashed out, and he got a hold of Rowan's throat. "Don't fuck with me."

Instantly, Rowan pulled out a stake, pressing it to Amaros's chest. The men around us raised their guns, the tension exploding as I tried unsuccessfully to pull out of Amaros's hold. A body pressed up against my back, and I looked over my shoulder to see Zan. He didn't help me escape his father's grip, but he put his hand on my hip, staying right behind me.

"Let's take a breath," Rowan gritted out, slowly pulling the stake from Amaros. "Neither of us wants to ruin this arrangement. We can discuss this rationally."

"Tell me who you think she is," Amaros growled, his hand staying on Rowan's neck.

"You already know," Rowan shot back. "And I don't think—I'm sure of it. Because we have the other one. They're identical."

I had no idea what he was talking about. I snuck a look past Rowan and Norman, spotting Warner. He was still on his knees, a gun to the back of his head. He shot me a look of confusion before Amaros gripped my hair, forcing me to look at him.

"How old are you?" His voice was fucking terrifying. If I said one thing he didn't like, I was sure he'd kill me right here. "When is your birthday?"

I held my breath, not saying a word. Amaros let out a snarl, looking behind me to Zan. My head began to ache from how tightly he was gripping my hair, and I stayed absolutely still, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"What happened in Project Hope?" Amaros asked Zan.

"Nothing," Zan said, his voice steady. "We thought Kali was there. We found Warner instead. Then Norman showed up."

"They saw her," Norman nearly shouted. "He forced me to the fourth floor, and he thought it was Kali."

"Is that true?" Amaros looked at Zan, anger growing on his face.

"Yes." Zan's answer was nothing more than a whisper, but since he was right behind me, I heard it clearly.

"This makes no sense," Amaros growled, facing Rowan again. "Kali lived in Project Hope her entire life. You would have known if it was her."

I bit my tongue hard to keep from speaking. I wasn't part of this. Whoever they thought I was—I absolutely was not.

Rowan chuckled. "You think we keep her in one place? She just got to Project Hope less than a month ago. Norman wasn't aware of what she looked like until after Kali had fled."

"That would explain why you humans haven't dropped the search for her." Amaros tilted my head back farther, meeting my eyes. "I knew there was something about you."

"What are you talking about?" I hissed, my breath catching when he let go of my hair and stroked my face. Disgust rolled through me, and he caught my chin when I attempted to turn away.

"You lied to me about your age," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. He didn't bring up the fact that Zan was the one who'd lied first.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said shrilly, my voice shaking.

"This changes everything," he murmured, almost to himself, before clearing his throat. He finally released my chin, and I glared at him. "Consider this meeting over."

"Not quite yet," Rowan said gruffly. "They both need to be tested. Let us take her?—"

"Don't fucking insult me," Amaros boomed, his energy changing in a heartbeat. "I do that, and I'll never see her again. The plan is to do that in neutral territory. That won't be happening tonight. And she has to be twenty-five."

This entire time, Zan hadn't said a word. But his hold on my hip was almost painful. He'd slowly been backing me up an inch at a time ever since Amaros released me, but it wasn't like he could just whisk me away from this mess.

"Check the date, Amaros," Rowan said in a low voice. "Today marks twenty-five years."

I sucked in a breath, turning my head to search for Pax. He guessed today was my birthday. Did he think I was this person they were all talking about? Pax wasn't looking at me, almost as if he were avoiding me.

"I'll see if that's true once I'm on my property." The way Amaros was staring at me had terror shooting through me. I didn't want to go anywhere with him.

"Let's go," Amaros said, speaking loud enough for all the vampires to hear. "Time to go home."

"I'll be in touch. About the testing," Rowan reminded Amaros.

A man grabbed Warner and began pulling him away. Ice chilled my veins. If Warner went back with them, he was as good as dead.

I stepped forward. "Wait?—"

Zan let me go, slipping in front of me.

"Give him to us," he ordered, nodding at Warner. "You offered him when we first arrived. You know, to show peace and all."

I stared at the back of Zan's head, wondering what he was doing. Was he doing this for me?

"Yes," Amaros agreed. "I want him."

Rowan exchanged a glance with Norman before nodding at the men next to Warner. They dragged him closer before shoving him into Zan. My emotions tore me apart as Zan grabbed Warner's arm. No matter what happened, Warner wouldn't be free. He might not die at the hands of PARA, but he wasn't safe with vampires either.

Amaros stepped up beside me. "Good. Now kill him, Zan."