"But you're afraid of Calvin?"
A ring of red encircled her eyes as her chin tilted. "You will leave, Calvin will still be here."
"So eager to get rid of me?"
"It is simply what will happen. You will move on, as you have done so many times over the last year, and continue to make sure that the practice of using blood slaves has in fact been eradicated from the outer colonies."
It sounded like a worthy cause, but he knew that it wasn't what he or William had been doing. In fact, they had yet to encounter a town where blood slaves were still being used. Coexistence between the species hadn't been easy, there was still a lot of fighting and resentment amongst the humans and vampires, but Braith had a lot of troops moving throughout the settlements who were working hard to keep the peace. He was hiding amongst these outer towns; he knew it, just as he knew William was also well aware of the fact that he was doing the same.
She was right, when he was done here, he would move on. He would continue to do so until there was nowhere left for him to go, or until either he or William decided it was time to return home.
"You're right, I will move on." Her nose crinkled slightly at his words, her gaze focused on the wall behind him. "But I can guarantee that Calvin will continue to leave you alone when I'm gone."
"I'm sure you believe so."
"I know so." With his temper under check again, he grabbed hold of the chair and pulled it next to her bed. "He won't ever force you into something that you didn't willingly choose Hannah, I can promise you that."
She looked as if he had just handed her the most precious jewel in the world as her mouth parted and hope filled her eyes. "Why would you do that?"
He wasn't entirely sure how to answer that question or even what the answer to it was. "Because no one should be forced to do something they don't want to do."
"Thank you," she whispered.
"What is Calvin's weakness?" he inquired.
"He doesn't have one," she said as she stifled a yawn.
"I thought everyone in this town had something wrong with their DNA."
"That's true, everyone, except for Calvin and Kane. From what I've been told they showed up here four hundred years ago and never left."
Like a thermometer in the sun, Jack felt his temper rising again. "So he established himself as the leader in this town because he believed everyone to be weaker than him."
"We are weaker than him, they're not Undesirables."
"Neither are you."
A sleepy smile curved her mouth as her eyes fluttered closed. "I'm glad you think so."
He sensed it when she fell asleep again and bent down to press a kiss against her temple.
***
Lucas shifted nervously and tapped his fingers against his leg as Jack pulled the rope on the bell hanging beside the gate. "Those are not friendly puppies," William muttered as he eyed the dogs growling at them from the other side of the gate. "Seriously those things could rip my arm off and they'd probably even be able to nibble off one of your vampire fingers."
Jack shot him a look as he pulled at the bell again. Calvin knew they were there, he was certain of it, but he was enjoying making them wait. He briefly contemplated just killing the man and ending all of their problems right now, but even Braith couldn't save him if he was arrested and tried for murder. From what he'd seen, Calvin had done nothing overtly wrong. He couldn't kill the man simply because he didn't want him going anywhere near Hannah again.
"Maybe we should throw them some steak or something," William said.
"I won't let them eat you," Jack retorted impatiently.
"You didn't promise that I could keep my extremities."
"I may just shove your foot in your mouth if you keep talking."
"Somebody's cranky," William said with a roll of his eyes at Lucas.
Lucas wisely chose to remain mute as Jack glowered at William. They were more than friends, he'd come to consider William a brother. However, like any sibling there were times when he wanted nothing more than to throttle him, especially right now. He'd appreciate the silence strangling William would bring, but he would also miss him.
"Ripper, Vicious, sit."
"How fitting," William muttered as the dogs retreated a few feet and sat down at Calvin's command.
The large blond vampire smiled as he approached the gate. "They're really much friendlier than they seem," he said as he opened the gate. "Please come in."
He made a grand gesture with his arm as he stepped aside to let them pass. William's eyes remained riveted upon the panting dogs but for once he kept his mouth shut as Calvin closed the gate behind them. "If I had known that you were coming to visit, I would have had them put inside so they didn't bother you."
"They're not a bother," Jack said as William finally turned away from the animals.
"Well come in then. I was hoping we would get a chance to talk some more," Calvin invited.
Jack seriously doubted that but he didn't argue against the bullshit Calvin was trying to shovel on them as he followed him up the stairs to the double front doors. One door was already open and the ugly vampire Kane he remembered with Calvin in the tavern was standing just inside of them.
"It's unusual to see you out of the tavern, Lucas," Calvin said as he led them down a lengthy hallway.
"I get out once in awhile," Lucas replied tersely.
Most humans would have had a difficult time seeing in the gloomy home but Jack's eyes picked up all the details of it. Spears, knives, swords, katanas, and an assortment of crossbows and long bows lined the walls beside him. Jack imagined the assortment of weapons, and the implication that Calvin knew how to use them all, had been meant to intimidate the vampires that had entered here before him. He didn't feel intimidated though, instead he eyed a finely crafted crossbow at the end of the hall that he would like to get his hands on.