Van

An hour later, Van found Livy leaning against a black SUV in front of the manor. Bane and Hailey shoved bags into the back of the vehicle, pausing only to acknowledge her arrival before returning to their argument about the best way to fit the luggage.

"They're coming?" she asked Livy.

She'd guessed Hailey was part of the others Livy had referred to earlier, but it surprised her to see Bane. A tentative truce had formed between him and Luca in the time she was in the coma, but tagging along on a rescue mission suggested something deeper was at play. Her eyes danced between Livy and Hailey.

Maybe it had something to do with whatever mess was going on between the three of them. Either way, she didn't care. She wasn't naïve enough to think she could accomplish this on her own.

"Yes. I'd ask if it was alright, but no one is asking your permission. Bane was actually sneaking out when I found him."

Interesting. But not interesting enough to dwell on. "I didn't say you had to ask."

Livy's hard edge softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

Ignoring the apology, Van handed her bag to Hailey and climbed into the front passenger seat. The seat warmers were on. Heat radiated through the leather, lulling her fatigued body into a state of semi relaxation, but before her eyelids drifted closed, she leaned forward and flipped them off.

The car shook as Bane closed the trunk. Hailey took the first driving shift, jutting her chin at Livy when the brunette girl tried to get in the front seat. The shifter looked like she wanted to say something, but in a very un-Livy-like move, she bit her tongue and jumped in the back, making sure to keep as far from Bane as possible.

Seatbelts clicking into place filled the car. Bane gripped the back of Van's seat and leaned forward. "Has anyone actually made a plan?"

"We could go back to the shack," Livy suggested. Van glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She pressed her pert nose against the glass as she spoke. "We could track their scent from there."

Hailey and Bane were both shaking their heads. Livy popped off the window and glared at them. Her painted nails tapped a furious rhythm on her crossed arms, and the tell-tell glow of anger lit up her eyes.

"If we were dealing with normal vamps, I would agree," Hailey said in a diplomatic tone. "But this is a new breed, and Isaiah used to be a Slayer. And not just a run-of-the-mill slayer. He's devoted his entire life to the eradication of the supernatural, not just vampires. Your strengths and weaknesses, he knows them all."

Bane growled. It wasn't the sexy growl Van read about in the romance novels she used to sneak. It was a true, animalistic growl that vibrated through her bones. "Then what do you suggest?"

Hailey gripped the steering wheel. "I don't know."

Van swallowed against the knot rising in her throat. There was only one answer, and they weren't going to like it any more than she did because it was going to feel like wasting time. No one wanted to find the most direct path to Luca more than her, but as much as she hated to admit it, they had to be like Isaiah. They had to know their enemy.

"We need to figure out the deal with the new vampires," she said, cutting off the argument that had started between the other three. They frowned at her. "Isaiah isn't working alone. Someone had to turn him, and I'm betting that someone is pulling all the strings. If we find that person, we might find Luca."

Hailey pursed her lips, blue eyes darkening with emotion. "Maybe we shouldn't leave then. Our moms and the rest of the Deltas are working to solve that mystery. We can help them and then go after Luca."

"Hell no," Livy cried, elbowing Bane out of the way. "If we stay, they're going to come up with a way to keep us there. Luca isn't a priority to them."

Bane pushed his shoulder against hers until they were equally sharing the space between the two front seats. Electricity snapped between them, and Van inched away, afraid to be caught between them.

"I hate to agree with Livy, but she's right. Luca is a freaking boy scout that drives me crazy, but he's our next Alpha. The Deltas don't give a shit about that, and when it comes down to it, they're not going to do what it takes. They won't get their hands dirty."

"What do you mean?" Van asked.

"I mean that the best place to find answers is to go to the source. We need to talk to a vamp."

Quiet settled over the car. He was right, and everyone knew it. Van knew she should be nervous about the idea, but all she could recall was the deep sadness she felt when her father first showed her the vampire in the cage. They were people who'd made a terrible choice, but they were still people. Surely, at least one of them retained enough of their humanity to help them.

"That's easier said than done," Hailey muttered. "But I think I know where we can start. There's a well-known nest over the state line. Every few years, the Slayers hit it hard and clean it out. There's one vampire there who might help. An old one we leave alone because he keeps his nose clean."

"Perfect," Van said. "Let's go."

"You know this is crazy, right?" Hailey asked, pulling the car onto the road. "Slayers and shifters are the biggest enemy of the vampire. If we're seen before we reach Philip, we'll be killed."

Van leaned back in her seat and smiled a grim smile. "Then let's make sure we aren't seen."