As I reached forward to clink my glass with Kates, tingles shot up and down my spine. Someone was watching me. I scanned the club and then backpedaled when I saw a lone female in a narrow hallway. She watched me back and then I realized it was Pippa. When she saw that I'd seen her, she motioned to me.
"I'll be right back." I slid off my stool before Kates could ask me any other questions. As I drew closer, I asked, "Pippa?"
She looked scared. Pale.
"What are you doing here?"
Her eyes glanced over my shoulder. "You're in danger."
"Come again?" When she looked behind me again, I turned as well. Emily and Brown had returned to the table with Kates. All of them were smiling and laughing. "Do you want to go over there?"
Her eyes went wide. "No. I can't. And you shouldn't either. You have to get out of here, Davy."
"Why?"
"Um." She bit her lip and her hands were twisted into the ends of her shirt.
"Pippa, what's going on?" I couldn't look away from her hands. They kept twisting around each other. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. And then I slipped inside of her.
'She has no idea. I don't know how to tell her. Oh god. Why couldn't he leave it alone? He had to go and tell Mother Wolf. What's Emily going to think?"
I grabbed her shoulders. "Pippa! What is wrong? What's happened?"
"It's Pete," she wrung out. "I've been shielding you from Mother Wolf, but he didn't. He went straight to her. I could tell he didn't like you. He knows that you're different. He doesn't know what it is, but neither do I. He went straight to her."
"To who?"
"To Mother Wolf." She took a deep breath. "She sent a small army for you. They're coming here. Now."
I gulped. "How big is a 'small army'?"
"Twenty wolves. Her best fighters."
"And Pete? Is he one of them?" I had no idea what to do if the Alpha was going to attack. Saren helped me evade him once. And after my first encounter with him, I didn't think I could suppress the Immortal again so quickly.
"No, but he'll be watching. They aren't supposed to hurt Emily, but it's hard to control that in a fight. Especially when it includes vampires." As she finished speaking, her eyes went over my shoulder again.
I turned, but I already knew who she meant. Roane stood a few feet from the doorway. Gregory trickled in behind him, followed by Gavin, Wren, and Tracey. Another vampire stood behind her, but all of them stood as one force.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Roane saw me in the next second and jerked his head towards the door. As I grabbed Pippa's hand and pulled her with me, Gavin hurried across the club to grab Kates' arm too. She yanked it back, but when he whispered something in her ear, she relaxed and looked for me. I gestured towards the rest of the group and watched as she switched from best friend to vampire slayer. It was shocking, but also not. Before Gavin found her, Kates had been laughing. A different look now slithered over her face and her eyes sparked in anticipation. She was born to hunt, much like Roane. It was what she loved.
As she met me at the door, chills went down my spine. She was once again the stranger that had kidnapped my friends not long ago. Emily stood behind her with frightened eyes and I knew she recalled the same event. Brown was beside her. She stared in befuddlement at Gregory. Her eyes trailed up his giant form and back down, and then repeated. As the group started outside, Brown scurried to follow him.
Gregory looked at her and his eyes narrowed. The rest of his face was emotionless, but he glanced at me as we followed Roane into a back alley. I shrugged.
Wren and Tracey fanned out to stand at one end of the alley. They both passed me, but Tracey met my gaze for a brief moment. She was taller than I had realized and wore darkened red armor with her long blonde hair pulled into a braid to fall at her waistline. When she passed Gavin, I saw they were built the same. Tall and muscular. Gavin was lean for a guy, but she was sturdy for a female.
'The wolf told you?'
I looked at Roane, who stared at me with hard eyes. He was brimming in fury, but it was suppressed. He asked again, 'She told you? A pack of wolves are coming. We need to move. I don't want to fight them in town.'
'The Alpha went to the Mother Wolf and told her about me. I don't know what he said, but he knows I'm different. He doesn't like me. Pippa came to warn me about them. How did you know?'
'Some wolves are loyal to me.' Then Roane barked at Gavin, "We'll cross the park. Kates, you'll drive their car back to the dorm. We'll follow and transport everyone somewhere safe."
Gavin nodded and walked to the front of the alley. Gregory took position next to me and Brown followed behind him. The other vampire trotted back in, past Wren and Tracey towards the group. He swept cold eyes over me and spoke to Roane, "They're coming in fast. If we hurry, we can meet them in the park."