“The Mohiri are a warrior race of vampire hunters who have been around probably as long as there have been vampires. They are very secretive and they hardly ever communicate with other hunters though our people cross paths with them sometimes. We don’t care for them and they don’t like us, but we’re on the same side so they leave us alone.”

“Why don’t you like each other?”

Brendan had been quiet since I came downstairs and he spoke up now. “The Mohiri don’t only hunt vampires. They hunt anything that is a threat to humans. A long time ago, our kind was not as… civilized as we are now so they were hunted too. We changed over time but every now and then there is an incident. The Mohiri don’t trust us and there are still some hard feelings among werewolves for them.”

The kettle began to whistle and Judith lifted it from the burner and poured hot water over teabags in two mugs. The scent of jasmine wafted toward me as she slid one of the mugs across the counter to me then carried her own cup to the table. I let mine steep for a minute before taking a sip. I loved Judith’s teas; she grew and dried the plants herself and stuffed the dried leaves in little mesh bags she bought at an Asian market in Portland. She always seemed to know the best tea for a situation.

“You didn’t answer my question about why Roland and Peter didn’t start hunting until a few years ago,” I reminded Maxwell.

“We don’t get the urge to hunt until sometime after puberty starts,” he explained. “It’s different for everyone.”

“Yeah and we also have to train… a lot,” Peter added.

I looked at my friends, still finding it hard to believe they could become the terrifying creature I saw tonight. “Have you ever hunted vampires?”

Roland shook his head. “Not until we’re eighteen.” A satisfied gleam entered his eyes. “Not many of us get to tangle with one before our first vampire hunt.”

Maxwell shot him a withering look. “It’s nothing for you to crow over. If that Mohiri hadn’t been there we might be having a different conversation right now.”

The kitchen grew quiet as the weight of Maxwell’s words hit us. If Nikolas had not shown up when he did, Eli would have taken me away before Roland and Peter knew I was in any danger. No one would ever have known what had happened to me, just like those other missing girls. And Eli had left no doubt about the horrors he planned for me in the last hours of my life.

Pain and guilt crossed my friends’ faces. I couldn’t tell them the things Eli had promised to do to me or how close I had come to never seeing them again. They already blamed themselves; I would not add to it. And if there was one thing I was good at, it was keeping secrets.

“Sara, you seem to be handling this well, all things considered,” Judith observed.

I blew on my tea. “You didn’t see me two hours ago.”

Maxwell turned to Brendan. “We’ll have to call a meeting in the morning. It looks like we’re not done in Portland after all.”

Brendan nodded grimly. “Wish we knew what’s keeping the suckers there. They’re brazen bastards to go after a girl with two pack members and a couple of hunters nearby.”

I thought about Eli’s determination to have me even at risk to his own life. Could he really have become obsessed just because I rejected his advances and I could not be compelled? That raised another question: why couldn’t he compel me? Did it have something to do with my power? Maybe there wasn’t enough room in my head for the vampire with the beast already lurking there.

“Whatever their reason, I won’t tolerate them in my territory any longer. We’ll add more patrols here around town and send a team to go over every inch of the city. They’ll leave or die.” Maxwell’s voice rumbled with authority unlike anything I’d ever heard from him and I shivered in spite of the cup of hot tea in my hands. I stole a glance at him, expecting to see glowing amber eyes but his face was unchanged.

“I think this discussion can wait until tomorrow,” Judith said firmly, obviously not in the least intimidated by her alpha brother. “Sara, why don’t you stay at our place tonight? You still look too shaken up to face Nate.”

I almost said no to her offer because all I wanted was my own room and my own bed. But she was right about me not being ready to see Nate. One look at him and I’d probably dissolve in tears and there would be no hiding it from him then.

I looked over at Roland who nodded, his eyes hopeful. I could tell he was afraid tonight had changed how I felt about them and I wanted to reassure him that nothing would ever come between us.

“I’d like that, thanks.” I told Judith. Roland smiled.

Judith stood and went to rinse her cup.  She took mine and washed it too. “Alright, I think it’s time we head home and let you get some sleep. You must be exhausted.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.” I knew that as soon as I closed my eyes I’d see Eli’s face.

“Then we’ll keep each other company,” Roland said, following us.

Peter caught up to us. “Me too.”

Judith turned around to confront them. “This is not a slumber party. Sara’s been through a lot and she doesn’t need you two keeping her up all night, no matter what she says.”

“You boys can stay here tonight if you want,” Brendan offered and Roland’s smile faltered. It wasn’t hard to read his emotions because I was sure the three of us felt the same thing. After going through such an ordeal together, none of us wanted to be separated from each other right now.