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bonded mate, but he was also the worst player I had ever met. Then there was also the problem of Cass happening to hate Kieran with a vengeance. This was one affair that couldn’t possibly last.
    “My lips are sealed, I promise,” I said. “So, did she tame the wild beast?”
    He laughed. Aidan raised his brows, suddenly interested. Before Kieran could answer, I heard footsteps approaching.
    “Saved by the bell,” Kieran said.
    Scrambling up, I peered into the darkness, but could make out nothing. A bolt slid and the gate opened slowly with a loud creak, just a tiny bit but enough to let me glimpse the face of a young woman, pale as a ghost with eyes as dark as rivers that seemed to swallow up the light. Her eyes shifted to and fro, focusing on nothing in particular.
    “I’m Aidan McAllister. This is my girlfriend, Amber Reed, and my brother, Kieran McAllister.” Though he spoke quietly, Aidan’s smooth, dark voice oozed charm and confidence.
    The woman’s nervous gaze swept past Aidan and settled on me, examining me as though she’d never seen another female before. Her stare seemed unnatural, wooden, like that of a dead doll creeping you out because it looked like it might just get up and start talking any minute. I shivered again and averted my gaze, but I could feel her watching me closely for long seconds as the silence deepened around us.
    “Maybe you don’t know who we are,” Aidan said eventually. His tone softened, trying to instill a sense of trust the way you do when talking with a fearful child. “In which case, get Blake.” He spoke the name sharply, leaving no doubt that he had yet to forgive his former best friend’s betrayal.
    The woman’s gaze eventually shifted away from me and focused on Aidan, ignoring Kieran completely. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware it was you. Please come in.” She spoke quietly, but something in her tone caught my attention. Her voice had a layer of fear to it, as though she was scared of us. I didn’t have time to contemplate my thoughts because she pushed the gate open and stepped to the side to let us in.
    I walked in after Aidan, followed by Kieran. The woman closed the gate quickly, then turned to face us. “My name’s Maya. I’m responsible for your wellbeing and shall show you to your quarters. If you need anything during the length of your visit, I’m the one to contact.”
    The night bathed her face in complete darkness but my heightened vision picked up the unnatural glint in her eyes. I squinted to get a better look but she turned her back on me and took off down the cobblestone path through narrow streets, past dark buildings with closed shutters. She moved so swiftly I barely had enough time to shoot Aidan a questioning look. If he caught it, he didn’t respond.

Chapter 3

     
    The silence felt awkward, making me feel more like an intruder than a guest. We walked briskly for a few minutes, then stopped in front of an inconspicuous building that blended in with the others around it. As soon as we entered the hall, a jolt of electricity rushed through me. For a second, I thought I heard whispers coming from the hall behind us and I knew at once there was nothing normal about this place.
    “Do you hear that?” I whispered.
    Kieran arched a brow in enquiry. “Hear what?”
    Aidan wrapped an arm around me and whispered, “Spirits might be trying to communicate with you. Just tune them out like we practiced.”
    I nodded and focused on telling them to come back another time. Soon the voices disappeared and I let out a sigh of relief.
    “You speak to the dead?” Maya said. Her tone was sharp; her gaze was cold. There was something else. Hostility. Detest. I came to the conclusion she didn’t like me very much. Maybe she believed all the rumors about vampires, that we were cruel, blood thirsty, callous barbarians. I couldn’t blame her. More than half of us certainly fit the description, but I harbored no intention to become one of