11. Ronyn

11

RONYN

As we all stood around Dom’s kitchen table, I had to admit, it was impressive. She had information about a part of Delilah’s life that we’d never been privy to, and it was fascinating to listen. My blood boiled over what that bitch did to Bexley’s partner, though. Delilah would die, just for that. However, while I knew Voss wasn’t sold on the theory, I was inclined to believe her.

The problem? To test the theory, we’d have to capture another vampire and interrogate it.

I knew Bexley wasn’t going to enjoy that plan.

“So,” she said as she eased herself back down into her seat. Dom was quick to join her as well. “Do we have any idea what reason Delilah fed this particular vampire to get him to agree with the transformation?”

I was the first to sit, and my hand almost instinctively returned to her knee. “She told him that?—”

“Really?” Voss snarled, flopping back down into his chair. “You, too?”

I ignored his quip and kept talking, pouring my focus onto Bexley. “She told the vampire that she was building an army. Apparently, he was a soldier at one point.”

Bexley nodded slowly. “So, he came from a background that would have registered well with what she told him. Interesting.”

Dom finally spoke up. “You know this means that, in order to test your theory, we’ll have to capture another vampire and figure out what Delilah said to them just before agreeing to be turned. Right?”

Voss’s voice was gruff. “And until we have proof stating otherwise, we treat the idea of an army of vampires being built like the threat it is.”

All eyes were on Bexley as she stared off with Voss. I swear, the two of them were as hot and cold as I’d ever seen. One day, they were great with one another, and the next they were at each other’s throats. My stare volleyed between the two of them, wondering which one would give in first. It didn’t shock me when Voss finally stood to his feet, though. I mean, were any of us really in a position to deny our mate anything?

Especially when she was becoming such an integral part of all this?

“We should all get some sleep,” he said.

Dom stood. “I think that’s a grand idea.”

I waited for Bexley to stand, then I stood when she did. She didn’t say anything, though. She just stood there, as if awaiting her next command.

She looked drained, and I wanted nothing more than to whisk her back to my place and massage her aching body until she fell fast asleep.

“You need anything?” Voss asked Bexley.

She simply shook her head before turning away from the table and heading for the stairs.

“I’ll make sure she gets some sleep tonight,” Dom said, backtracking toward her.

“I’m fine,” Bexley droned on as she dragged ass up the stairs.

“Just let him do it,” I said, rolling my eyes.

And for once, Bexley didn’t fight or argue. She didn’t give a million well-thought-out reasons as to why I was wrong, and she was right. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively in the air.

Dom started up the staircase after her.

“Are you actually going to rest!?” Voss barked.

I slowly turned to face him and gnashed my teeth. I didn’t know what the fuck crawled up his ass and died, but he needed to back the fuck off Bumblebee. We were all under pressure, not just him.

Voss, I warned in groupthink.

Voss tossed me a look. Overriding your Alpha?

I turned my body toward him as Bexley and Dom disappeared up the stairs. When my Alpha isn’t acting like a gigantic prick, yes.

Voss charged me, getting into my face. You wanna try that again in my face, commander general?

I hunched my shoulders, closing the distance between the four inches I still had on the man. I stared directly into his eyes. You’re acting like a fucking prick. Get off her back.

“Hey,” Bexley said as she stuck her head down the stairs.

Both Voss and I whipped around to face her.

“Yes?” we both asked in unison.

Her eyes danced between the two of us. “You’re both going to get some rest, too, right?”

Voss nodded. “I do one more set of rounds to the pack, then yes, it’s bedtime for me.”

“Ronyn?” she asked as her gorgeous brown stare shimmered in the light of Dom’s staircase.

I bowed my head softly out of respect. “I’ve got one last order to give my troops, and then yes. I’m also headed to bed.”

Bexley smiled softly. “Good. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, okay?”

Then she disappeared back up the steps and out of sight.

You two better look rested in the morning, Dom said in groupthink as I heard him and Bexley walking around over our heads, otherwise, she’s going to know you asshole are lying through your teeth.

Voss stormed past me, heading for the front door. Just keep her away from the fucking windows and we’ll be fine.

I followed him out onto Dom’s front porch before I reached out to my troops. New goal: we need to capture another vampire for interrogation purposes. We’ll have to do as many as we can to confirm or deny a working theory, but we’ll do this one at a time.

Voss interjected as I watched him storm off toward the rest of the pack’s homes. If you scent one, call out. Howl. But, whatever you do, don’t go after it yourself without me, Ronyn, or Dom. That’s an order from your Alpha. We’ve buried enough.

Groupthink lit up with responses of understanding and confirmation. I kept tabs on who checked into the conversation, and after all of the troops had acknowledged their Alpha, I leapt off the porch and started toward Voss.

“So,” I said as we approached the first doorstep, “what’s the plan after rounds?”

“Sleep,” Voss said, bounding up the steps.

I paused. “With everything swirling around us, you really want to sleep?”

He knocked on the door. “You’re saying you want to deal with a pissed off Bexley in the morning when she realizes we didn’t sleep?”

He had a good point.

“Get your troops squared away, and then go get some rest,” Voss said as the door whipped open.

Before I could interject, he disappeared into the house.

I couldn’t fathom it. Sleeping at a time like this? It seemed wrong. Like a waste of resources. So, I helped Voss with his rounds. We checked in on the pack and helped with any of the children that still needed to be tucked in. I slipped into Mom’s house, hugging her and giving her a kiss goodnight before she slipped upstairs herself. I watched Voss as he came out of the last house, his body pointed toward his own home as he damn near sprinted back to his place.

Holy fuck, we really were going to try and sleep the night away.

After watching Voss slip into his home, my gaze turned back toward Dom’s place. My legs moved before my brain was even clued in to where I was headed, and before I knew it, I found myself heading up the stairs of Dom’s home. I eased his bedroom door open. I found the two of them in bed, with Dom’s arm grasping her tightly from behind. The two of them were sleeping soundly, wrapped up in one another while the sounds of crickets chirping flooded through the opened windows.

I walked over to a chair next to Bexley’s side of the bed and eased myself down into it.

“You gonna be there all night?” Dom muttered.

I kicked off my boots and propped my feet up on the edge of the bed. “Go to sleep, Dominic.”

While he shifted around and grunted to himself, I simply folded my hands in my lap. I leaned my head back against the wall. The hell with sleep. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. But, if we weren’t hunting, scouring the woods for a new vampire, or running exercises, then I needed to be watching. Waiting. Protecting.

No one was getting to my Bumblebee without a fucking fight.