“Did you go into the basement?” I asked, a cold chill running over me at the thought. “Did you go that far in?”
Creole nodded. “There’s nothing there. All the doors exploded outward on that wall of vaults. That indicates to me that the vampires within died and blew the doors out as they were being dragged to Hell. It’s what makes the most sense.”
I nodded in agreement. “That does make the most sense. We assumed the vampires had been eradicated. Given what happened last night, though ...” I studied Zoe’s unreadable profile, “…maybe the infestation was bigger than we realized.”
“But why go after shifter females?” Gunner asked. “What could they possibly gain by doing that?”
I had no explanation for that. “I don’t know. We’d better figure it out, though. I have a feeling this is only the start to whatever they have planned.”
“On that we can agree,” Rooster said. “We need to lay this all out in intricate detail, get a timeline going. After that, we’ll start formulating a plan. I don’t know what else we can do.”
Eight
Talks went on for hours and we got nowhere. Ultimately, Jasmine and the other shifters opted to return to their hiding spot in the woods. They felt vulnerable out in the open, and even though I was convinced they were making the wrong decision, I didn’t put up a fight when they announced their imminent departure. They had to do what was right for them.
When Sami announced she was about to die of hunger, I suggested we take a break at Mable’s Country Table, a local diner.
“This looks good, huh?” Aric smiled at Sami as she settled into a chair between him and Gunner.
Sami’s smile was clearly designed to charm her father because she batted her eyelashes when she angled her neck to gaze at him adoringly. “It’s fine. I don’t want to be a burden, though. I’ll eat anything.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “Knock it off. Whatever you’re planning, it’s not going to work.”
“I’m not doing anything,” Sami said in an accusatory tone.
“That’s good, because it’s not going to work.” Zoe leaned back in her chair and focused on me. “What do you think?”
“I think we need more information. I don’t think we can make any assumptions on this one. I mean ... it’s weird. We have an overload of vampires and missing shifters. I’m not sure we can just assume that the vampires are responsible for the disappearances, though.”
“What else?” Zoe looked legitimately conflicted. “I’m not big on coincidences. What are the odds it’s some other creature or threat?”
“You would be surprised in this area,” Gunner replied dryly. “There are a couple sources we can tap for information, but I think it’s best if Scout and I approach them first, just to be on the safe side.” He offered up a rueful smile. “No offense.”
“We’re not offended,” Sami said, aiming a dreamy smile in his direction. “We’re fine.”
Aric flicked her ear. “How about you let your mother and me handle the big questions of the day?”
“I was just trying to be helpful, Daddy.” Sami was the picture of innocence. All she was missing was a halo.
“It’s funny how you only call him ‘Daddy’ when you want something,” Zoe noted, sipping her iced tea. “You’re not fooling anybody.”
“I’m fooling Daddy.” Sami linked her arm through her father’s and rested her head on his powerful shoulder. “She’s being mean.”
Aric heaved out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was clearly used to dealing with his battling wife and daughter. In that exact moment, he almost looked like a prisoner of war praying for death. To my utter surprise, rather than acquiesce to his daughter’s machinations, he stood strong. “Sami, we’ve talked about this. You can’t manipulate me against your mother. It’s her and me against you. That’s not going to change.”
Sami scowled. “I’m not doing anything. Why do you always think I’m doing something?”
“Because you are your mother’s daughter.” Aric winked at his wife and then focused on Gunner and me. “These sources you want to tap, what sort of help do you think they can offer?”
“They might not be able to help at all,” I said. “One of them, however, has her finger in every pie in Hawthorne Hollow. She knows everything that happens here. I have to believe she would volunteer any information she has but you never know with her. We might have to dig for it.”
“And you don’t think she’ll trust us,” Zoe surmised. “I get it.”
“Actually, I think she’d be fascinated with you,” I admitted. “I think she’d be all over Sami, too. I figured you wouldn’t want that.”
Zoe looked conflicted. “I could go with you and leave Sami with her father.”
“No.” Aric immediately started shaking his head. “I don’t want to be separated right now. In fact, I’m calling a timeout on the day, at least for a few hours.”
Zoe opened her mouth to protest but Aric was ahead of her. “Baby, you’re exhausted. And even though she would die before admitting it, Sami is exhausted, too. She was up all night worrying about Rafael, who is out doing his own reconnaissance. You know whenever she’s using that ‘Daddy’ voice it means she’s close to melting down.”
Zoe held her husband’s gaze a beat and then nodded. “We need to find a place to stay.”
Gunner leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the back of my neck. “I can talk to Rooster. There are cabins out close to where Scout is. If you’re interested, you can probably have one for a few nights for free.”
“That’s a kind offer, but I don’t think I can agree to it,” Aric replied. “A hotel is a better option for us. Zoe needs a place with constant access to caffeine and Sami will go nuts being trapped in the woods with
