Chapter 12: I’d love to work with her

Aritzea’s POV

“Ari, I think I kissed a bloodsucker last night.” Selene's words filtered through the phone, taking me aback.

What the heck?

“Excuse me? You did what?” I blinked rapidly in disbelief staring at the screen.

Selene buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t know he was a vampire! I just—I was dared, and he looked good, and he tasted good. Oh, fuck. I'm so lost!”

I suddenly felt pity for her, but first, I burst into laughter. “I can’t believe you kissed a bloodsucker.”

“I know! He must have been so confused. I ran as soon as I realised though!”

“I CAN’T believe he let you.”

“I know!!!”

I spent the next few minutes consoling her. After all, it was a drunken mistake. Not like my own case…. No! I'm not thinking about him!

Selene groaned, dropping into her seat. “I need to erase my memory. Think Elma can get some potion for that?”

I laugh, amused. “I'll try to ask her.”

“Thanks, Ri. You're my true love.” She blew a kiss to the camera.

I chuckled. “Really? Wasn't that your vampire sweetheart?”

“Aritzea!” She shrieked. I laughed heartily even when she hung up.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, rattling against my nightstand. Thorne’s name flashed on the screen and I rolled my eyes. I still wasn't talking to him. After what he'd said to me.

I considered ignoring it to make him wait. But then, I remember that he'd probably just send someone to fish me out of bed if I didn't pick up.

I sighed and grabbed the phone. “What?”

“Council building. Now.”

No greeting. No explanation. Just orders, like always.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing my temples. “Are we ever gonna break this habit where you actually tell me things instead of treating me like some clueless pup?”

He turned silent, like he always does when he's guilty. But then, he doesn't apologise. “Just get here.”

And the line went dead.

I stared at the screen for a second before tossing my phone onto the bed. I already knew what this was about. The hunters. The mess they were making.

I scoffed as I dragged myself out of bed. I thought he didn't need me? And now, apparently, it was urgent enough to drag me out of bed.

Fine. Whatever.

I threw on a jacket, grabbed my keys, and headed out. As I started my bike, I felt a weird gaze lingering on my back. I turned around. No one. I frowned, but brushed it to the back of my mind.

---

The council building was in neutral human territory, tucked away in a place where we could meet without drawing attention. As I walked toward it, I turned a corner—

—and slammed straight into someone. A human.

He stumbled back, landing on the pavement with a grunt. “Fuck—”

I exhaled sharply, offering a hand. “You okay?”

He grabbed it, and as I pulled him up, I caught his face. His amber eyes caught my attention but before I could look closer, he ducks his head.

He muttered something under his breath, throwing a brief glance at me before running off like he had fire on his soles.

Okaaay. Creepy.

I looked away from him, heading towards the building. Inside the council building, the tension was thick and as soon as I stepped in, everyone turned to me.

I froze for a second before making a beeline to the only empty seat placed in a corner.

Werewolves were all on one side, vampires on the other. Everyone looked serious, their brows furrowed into light frowns, even my brother and Elma. Everyone except, Lucian of course.

I couldn't help the frown when our eyes met. What was he doing here?

He leaned back on the chair lazily, like he was just here on a whim, a smile curling his lips as he winked at me.

My wolf went into a slight frenzy and I immediately looked away, clenching my jaw. If I looked at him too long, I’d start wondering how hard I’d have to twist his head to snap it clean off.

Thorne looked at me with warning and I rolled my eyes.

They continued the meeting normally. “The hunters have escalated. There's been bodies around remote human towns and counties. If things continue like this, it'll attract too much attention from their government.”

That got my attention.

My brows drew close in concern. A murmur ran through the room. We all knew what this meant.

“They’re trying to expose us,” someone muttered.

After the fall of the hunters, werewolves and vampires had buried themselves in myth. It took generations of erasing records and manipulating memories of those who remembered to me humans forget we actually existed.

But if that veil lifted now? With their technology, their weapons, their science?

We wouldn’t just be hunted. We’d be dissected, experimented on, picked apart like rats in government labs.

While we saw the possible consequence, some vampires didn’t see the problem—of course, how could they.

“Humans are weak,” one of them scoffed. “They’re not a real threat.”

I rolled my eyes not hiding my irritation one bit. “Yeah, right. Because last time they definitely didn’t nearly wipe us off the face of the earth.”

The vampire glared at me, insulted by my sarcasm. I wonder why, his stupidity was way more insulting.

Arguments continued, dragging back and forth for no damn reason. I couldn't do anything about it. Anytime I wanted to chip in something, Thorne would look at me like I was about to destroy the universe.

Then why the hell had he called me here?!

I kept shut, leaving my anger simmering underneath. Fortunately though, the quarrels ended.

“We need a team,” Thorne said cutting in. “People who can track the hunters, figure out what they want, and stop this before it gets worse.”

The vampire king leaned back, his chin raised. “Well, that's not a problem. My son will lead the investigation.”

I turned my head to look at the son he was talking about. Lucian.

He sat back calmly looking with interest at something on his ring. Seriously? This dude?

Lucian looked just as trustworthy as a wolf with a blood-stained mouth standing outside a henhouse. Why would they even give this job to someone like him? He doesn't even care about what was going on!

Thorne, thankfully, frowned. “I dont think so. We can have—”

He was about to suggest someone else. I felt a twinge of disappointment and I looked down so it wasn't that obvious.

Suddenly, someone cut in. “I believe Aritzea should lead.”

I blinked, my head shooting up. All eyes turned to Elma, who sat there completely calm, as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb into the conversation.

The elders exchanged glances.

“She’s the strongest of her generation,” Elma continued. “If anyone can handle this, it’s her.”

Shock flickered through me. She was really letting me down this? I straightened, glancing at Thorne. I tried to look unbothered but my fi gers gripped my keys tight.

A frown formed on his lips and he opened his mouth to argue, but before he could—

“I’d love to work with her.” Lucian’s voice cut through the room.

I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. He was looking right at me. Staring, actually. Like I was something interesting, something fun.

My fingers twitched, the biting urge to claw off his smug little face taking over my senses.

The vampire king, watching his son with an unreadable expression, gave a slow nod.

“Then it’s decided.”