“I meant no offense, Lilah,” Gregor said pacifyingly. “It is, of course, unspeakable for a parent to leave their child in an alley.”
“It absolutely is,” Delilah agreed sharply, and Abel reached out a hand to cover hers on the table.
When he did, her head jerked around and she caught his gaze.
He shook his head.
She narrowed her eyes.
He shook his head again.
She sighed a sigh that sounded like a grumble, pulled her hand from under his, and reached for the jug of cream.
“Was this in China or here, in America?” Callum asked.
“China,” Abel muttered distractedly, watching Delilah finish with the cream, put it down, and again commandeer the coffeepot.
She lifted it his way and tipped her head to the side.
He nodded.
She poured him coffee.
“Do you have registers of wolves in China two hundred years ago, Callum?” Gregor asked, and Abel sliced his eyes from his cup to the vampire.
“Wolves check in with governors if they move to a territory, and governors pay attention to wolf activity, but only if there’s a need, such as insurrection or activities that might lead to humans discovering the existence of werewolves. Outside that, we let wolves roam without keeping records, so no,” Callum returned, then asked, “What about vampires?”
“We tend to keep tabs,” Gregor murmured. “I’ll ask The Dominion. But it’s not very helpful if we have no wolf.”
“Are you talkin’ about finding my folks?” Abel asked.
Gregor shook his head like he was clearing it. “Sorry, yes. Sorry,” he repeated. “Very rude. Much is on my mind. ” He took in a deep breath and focused closely on Abel. “But I’ll repeat my apology for not being sensitive, something we’ll be in future. But I’ll do that now by warning you I’m about to speak bluntly. I’m concerned that perhaps you were not left in an alley. Perhaps you were saved in one, purposefully, for your parents might have been hunted due to The Prophesies. The Prophesies were not widely known. However, we’ve recently learned that a once-trusted member of The Council, Marcello, was an insurrectionist. He shared them. And it’s our understanding he shared them some time ago.”
“Great,” Abel muttered.
“He’s since been dispatched,” Gregor told him. “But if your parents were under threat, or felt that you were, there’s a possibility they would find the kind of human who would do no harm to an immortal once they discovered that. A human who would keep you hidden in the mortal world due to your abilities. A human they could leave you with to do just that.” His voice lowered as he finished, “It might have been their only choice to keep you safe.”
“Jesus Christ,” he snarled and felt Delilah’s hand curl around his thigh.
“Yes, terrible, if it happened that way. Tragic,” Gregor said. “But if we can trace this, we may be able to trace whoever found you and Delilah in Serpentine Bay.”
“And who scarred me,” Abel added.
“Sorry?” Gregor asked.
“Who scarred me, seein’ as I don’t scar either. But some bitch in a roadhouse in Texas slipped me a mickey, somethin’ else that doesn’t work on me, ’cept hers did. Then she used some weird-ass knife to carve into my face. She was goin’ for my heart, but I passed out. She didn’t finish me off, and considering what that knife did to my face, that would have finished me off.”
Gregor looked to Lucien, so Abel looked to Lucien and saw his jaw get hard.
“Did she…” Leah began, then paused before asking, “get cold feet or something?”
“No, he was saved by somebody,” Delilah answered.
“What’s got you tweaked?” Abel cut in, asking this to Lucien.
Lucien looked his way, then replied, “Witches.”
“Oh shit,” Delilah muttered. “More supernaturals. Fabulous.”
“There are witches?” Sonia asked, surprising Abel. Then again, she was new to this supernatural business too.
“Yes, baby doll, and some have power, but not much,” Callum answered. “I never mentioned them, because, by not much power, I mean they’re no longer of consequence.”
“Those who held long lines of power, and thus were very strong, were annihilated centuries ago,” Gregor explained.
“By who?” Leah asked.
Gregor shifted in his seat, suddenly looking uncomfortable, his eyes going to Lucien.
So everyone’s eyes went to Lucien.
“Unfortunately,” he began, “I’ve learned only recently, as I’ve also learned only recently that true magic exists on this earth, it was vampires.”
“Perhaps not one of our more shining moments,” Gregor murmured.
“You think?” Delilah asked sarcastically. “Now they’ve gotta be pissed too, pissed enough to roofie a vampire werewolf and carve into his face when they meet one at the local roadhouse!”
Her voice was rising so Abel pulled her hand from his thigh, curved his around it, and dropped it back, holding it there.
She took in a calming breath.
“Or, perhaps she was sent on a mission to take care of one of The Three,” Gregor said in a carefully even voice.
Watching Gregor, Abel knew he, too, was tweaked.
Abel broke it down. “So what you’re sayin’ is, vampires knocked off all these witches, the witches who remained are probably seriously shitty about that, so they’re probably workin’ for the dark side.”