Lucian pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. He was at a loss for words. Nothing frustrated him more than being forced to repeat himself. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the front door swung open.
A tall, slim man stepped inside.
Adrien Aldridge was the most intelligent member of the clan. He appeared to be in his late twenties, with mismatched eyes—one sea-blue, the other emerald green. He ran his hands through his brown hair, breathless, his gaze flicking from Jules to Lucian.
"Regent," he said quickly. "We have a problem."
Two others followed him inside.
Scarlett Marshall looked no older than nineteen. She had short blonde hair, hazel eyes, and the kind of beauty that demanded attention. Porcelain skin flushed softly at her cheeks, and a pale blue dress clung to her slim frame. Her role within the clan was social diplomacy—maintaining relationships with humans to protect secrecy. She hosted parties in her home, worked the floor at her jazz bar, and charmed patrons just enough to keep suspicion at bay. She batted her lashes at anyone who lingered too long. Everyone either wanted to be Scarlett or be with her.
Something about that made Jules feel an unexpected sting of jealousy.
Beside Scarlett stood a man.
Ambros James was broader, stockier, with straw-colored hair cropped short and dark stubble shadowing his jaw. His hooded eyes scanned the room with practiced caution. His duty was to train fledglings—newly turned vampires—and patrol the borders of their territory.
Their scent was different from Silas's. More familiar. More controlled. Like Lucian. Like Cassius.
Jules realized then that she could distinguish clan members from rogues by smell alone.
Each member of the clan bore a crescent-shaped tattoo. Lucian's rested just below his right ear, near the nape of his neck. The three vampires before her carried the same marking, each branded in a different place.
"There's been a sighting of Sentinels," Ambros said, his voice tight.
Lucian dragged a hand through his hair, already thinking.
"Where?"
"At my bar," Scarlett answered, stepping forward. "They came in, and I could smell it almost instantly."
Jules tilted her head, confused.
"Sentinels?"
"Vampire hunters," Adrien replied flatly.
"You're going to scare her," Lucian snapped.
"She should be scared," Adrien shot back. "We haven't seen Sentinels in years, and suddenly they show up right after a new fledgling appears?"
Lucian's fists clenched at his sides.
"That's enough," he warned.
But Adrien didn't stop. And deep down, Lucian knew he was right—he always was.
"This is why exceptions to the laws are dangerous," Adrien continued. "They exist for a reason. Her family is actively searching for her, and it's putting all of us at risk—"
Lucian's hands flew to Adrien's collar. He yanked him forward with inhuman speed, towering over him. The fury in his eyes made Scarlett take a sharp step back.
"I said that's enough," Lucian growled.
Adrien swallowed hard as Lucian released him. He straightened his shirt with trembling fingers.
For a moment, no one moved.
What unsettled Lucian most was the look on Jules's face.
She looked terrified—just like the first night he'd seen her. It was an expression he recognized all too well.
One he'd spent a hundred years trying to forget.