A cocky, proud smile spread across his face as he realized that she had to have been feeling better then. “Yes, ma’am,” James replied, hurrying to finish his shower.
“You take a shower like a girl,” Lily complained before taking a deep breath and turning pale. A clear sign she was giving her vampire more influence.
“I do not,” James shot back as he put on his coat and ran a wet hand through his hair. It was going to suck going outside with his hair still wet. He just couldn’t get used to this northern climate. “You’re just impatient. I know for a fact that your showers take as twice as long as mine does, if not more,” he told her as he opened the door, letting her leave first.
“For a fact? Have you been timing me?” She asked, taking a few steps outside. The sound of her steps over the rock salt crunched loud in the silent night.
“I might have,” he replied with a smirk, shutting the door the shuddering as a gust of wind blew past them.
“That’s kind of creepy. You know that right,” she teased him.
James hunched in on himself in some meager attempt to conserve what little body heat he had left and laughed. “But you like creepy,” he teased her right back. “Do you really feel nothing like that?” He asked, referring to her now vampiric state.
“Not a thing,” she said gloating and practically skipping along side him with a smug smirk on her face.
“Seems like someone is in a good mood,” Dorin said as they came up to the main entrance. “You finally got over yourself and decided to drink.”
“Go to hell,” she snapped at him.
“I already am when you’re around,” the vampire told her with a grin.
“Touche,” she replied, flipping him off.
James shook his head at both of them. “Play nice you two. Now let’s see what Greg’s found for us because I’m not your secretary to take notes while you play around with the vampire.” That had both of them scowling at him which only replied with a smile before walking into the hotel.
Chris sat in front of a computer with Xin Qian at his right. Nick and his brother sat off to his left. The Aequivalere were there too and, unfortunately, his dad. “Alright everyone, time to start this little shindig,” Chris said with his characteristic smirk.
“You know I should start charging you guys,” Greg said as soon as the webcam or call thing… whatever it was called came up. Greg held an uncharacteristic smirk on his face that matched the unusual tone of confidence. He looked the typical computer geek: lanky yet slightly wiry build, shaggy brown hair. He usually dressed old jeans and in some faded superhero or something just as geeky t-shirt.
“Now where would be the fun in that,” Lily said in a flirtatious tone with her smirk, leaning on the back of Chris’ chair. Right on cue, Greg’s cheeks turned light pink as he laughed, shaking his head. It used to drive James and his beast nuts when she did that, but now he’d gotten over it. She only flirted with Greg because she loved to see that flustered look on his face every time.
“Right,” Greg said clearing his throat. “So with what the local alphas sent over and what you’ve told me, I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“What’s the bad?” Nick demanded then added when Greg seemed to hesitate, “I’m Nick Daniels former alpha of the Northern Montana pack.”
“Right,” Greg said again and gave them a nervous grin. “Well bad news is that I wasn’t able to find anything on this Vincent guy. I didn’t get any hits on my searches and the Aequivalere’s system has been cleaned of any mention of him.” His expression darkened as he sighed. “Out of curiosity, I did other searches. I found that information on Jessie Hart and Xavier Thompson have been completely erased.”
“Sounds like they’re trying to hide from the elder council,” Lord Etienne stated, looking thoughtful.
Greg shrugged in reply. “More bad news is that in the wooded areas I’ve not found any property that hits my red flags for possible vampire hideouts. But there is a lot of private property, hunting cabins, or vacation spots. I haven’t found any ghost corporations or suspicious persons. It could mean either the vampires are not hiding in the woods or they’re squatting. Now for the good news.”
The smirk grew a little more. “I have another theory. Alpha Nick, you said the town you had lived is completely empty right?”
Nick gave him a stiff nod. “That’s the way it looks, but we didn’t stop to check every house. Why? Do you think the vampire is using the town as their base?”
“I believe that it’s very possible. From my research, I’ve gathered that vampires are, by nature, urban predators. It’s where they blend in and thrive the best. While werewolves are rual predators. We thrive in forests and wooded areas, and are able to blend in best in smaller towns,” he explained. Everyone seemed to glance over to the vampires at this moment. Lord Etienne and Dorin, both made gestures of agreement.
“That and take into account that they attacked the Northern Montana pack and herded them into the neighboring territory. I believe it’s a strong sign that there is where you might find them,” Greg explained.
“Once again Greg, you prove just how awesome you are,” Lily jumped in. “I’ll make sure we check that out.”
“I will contact our people in Berlin and have them send you a list of all Vincent’s known aliases,” Lord Etienne said. He walked over to stand next to Lily. “He’s not an extravagant vampire, but he’s not humble either. He must have money moving somewhere and somehow.”
“Uh yeah, sure,” Greg said, sounding a little nervous. “Well, I’ll see what satellites I can’t hack into to see if I can’t see any find anything suspicious from there.”
“Just don’t get caught okay. I don’t even want to think what they bail money for that would be,” Lily teased him.
“Me? Caught? Please! I know what I’m doing,” he said again with that strange sense of cockiness he didn’t show in any other aspect of his life. It always threw James when he heard it since the man confessed freely that violence made him physically sick. “So anyone else have anything they want to ask? Cause otherwise I’ll get to work?”
Everyone shook their heads, and the call thing was over. Nick straightened and with his hands on his hips in a very cop like stance he got a thoughtful look on his face. “I’m not sure if I believe the vampires would settle into town with our absence. It seems too obvious. Almost like it’s a plan to distract us,” he said thoughtfully.
“I don’t know. I think it’s a good idea. What could they possibly want to distract from anyway?” His brother replied, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.
“Distract us from getting closer and to lose time. It seems like most of you have forgotten that the full moon is in two days. I can’t ensure the dedication my pack or any werewolf for that matter to their duties that night. It’ll leave our defenses weakened greatly. If that vampire wanted to get the girl back, the full moon is the perfect opportunity. I believe we should stop all searches for the vampires and start planning a defense,” Nick explained.
James crossed his arms over his chest with a frown while Nick’s brother scowled sourly at Nick. “You would have to make sense wouldn’t you,” he complained.
“Of course, I would. I am the smarter, older brother after all,” Nick replied with a small grin then looked to the others. “So that’s my vote. We build up the defenses for a possible attack. What do you all say,” he asked.
“I’m with you,” James told him. “This sounds like something a vampire would do.” Dorin lifted an eyebrow at him with a hint of a smirk on his lips as he gave him a questioning look. “You know it’s true, Dorin. Don’t even try to deny it,” he told the vampire.
James’ dad made a sniff with a stern expression on his face. “I say we don’t waste time on defenses when we have a chance of ending this now. I saw we go to this town in the morning, do a thorough search and end this and we won’t have to worry about the full moon!”
James watched the older werewolf. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was just saying that because James supported Nick’s plan or he thought to charge in town was a good idea. “And when they’re not there and the full moon is here? Then what?” Alpha Canada asked. “We can’t be sure these vampires are there.”
“There’s every reason to believe they’re there,” Mitchell shot back at the Canadian alpha. “Even that omega thinks they’re there,” he said, sounding bitter and condescending as he said the word omega. “Everyone seemed to think he knew what he was talking about so why the hell are we doubting him now?”
“Because nothing with vampires is simple,” James jumped in. “They are masters of manipulation and deception. Trust me; I’ve got first-hand experience.”