They were like a big family. They teased. They bantered. They got snippy with each other, like when Etienne had tossed his dagger at Ethan.

That had been too funny. And rather revealing. Etienne’s eyes had actually glowed with jealousy. How cool was that?

Sean shifted slightly. “How did the mercenaries find out about you before?” he asked, surprising her. She had sensed he was relaxing into the situation, but hadn’t thought he had relaxed enough to participate in the conversation.

David answered. “The brother of a vampire we slew told them, enlisting their aid in his quest for vengeance.”

“Could something similar have happened this time?”

Seth shook his head. “It was the first time in history that such had occurred. Because of the madness that plagues them, vampires tend to either kill or transform relatives they bring into the loop. And most vampires think the only thing that differentiates us is immortals’ unwillingness to kill innocents, or to let them do it. Because we don’t fraternize, vampires often don’t realize how much longer immortals live or know that we differ genetically. This human male was in a unique position to learn this information.”

Everyone shifted their gaze to a man at the opposite end of the table who sat with his arm around a pretty brunet. Krysta thought his name was Bastien, but was having trouble keeping up.

As her own attention was drawn that way, she noticed for the third or fourth time that the forbidding immortal across from Sheldon was staring at her.

Roland? Was that his name?

Krysta didn’t know what it was about him, but he unnerved her more than anyone else present. He just seemed menacing. Like he could slit your throat, then sit down, prop his feet on your corpse, and eat a sandwich.

Uneasy, she looked up at Etienne. “Who else could be in a unique position to share this information?”

He shook his head. “No one.”

“Bullshit,” Roland growled.

Etienne frowned. “No one at this table would betray us.”

“I wasn’t thinking of someone at this table,” he intoned. “We all know the mercenaries’ goal. At least the goal of those we fought before. They know vampires swiftly lose their mental faculties and immortals don’t. They need to capture one of us so they can torture and dissect us and figure out why. Once they do, they intend to use the virus and whatever information they can glean from us to create an army of supersoldiers they can hire out to the highest bidder.”

“Oh, shit,” Sean breathed. “They could make billions.”

David nodded. “And wreak havoc upon the world. No human army could stand against an army of immortals. Or a more expendable army of vampires.”

“Why expendable?” Sean questioned.

“Any human soldiers they intentionally infected with the virus would have to be slain a year later to ensure their leaders could maintain control.”

One year? “The madness kicks in that fast?” Krysta asked. No wonder she had never encountered a sane or non-murderous vampire.

“It varies from human to human and can be accelerated by things like poor living conditions or torture,” David explained. “Sometimes vampires begin to lose impulse control and experience psychotic breaks six months after infection. Sometimes, if they are extraordinarily strong, they can have three or four years before lucidity abandons them. Since the change can be insidious and difficult to detect in the beginning, the mercenary leaders would have to limit the lifespan of their soldiers in order to prevent chaos and collateral damage.”

Damn. Krysta wondered how that would work. Would the soldiers volunteer to be infected? Would they even understand what they would be infected with? Would they know, going in, that they would be killed a year later? Or would that caveat be kept from them?

“I think we all know what happened,” Roland spoke again, “why mercenaries have risen against us once more.”

“Not really,” Etienne said.

Several others nodded. They truly seemed baffled.

Roland shook his head. “Isn’t it obvious? Someone at the network betrayed us.”

Chris slammed a hand down on the table. “Bullshit!”

Krysta jumped.

Unperturbed, Roland returned his irate stare. “One of your mortal pets decided a billion dollars in his bank account sounded pretty damned good and sold us out. Probably one of your techno-geeps.”

“Geeks,” his wife murmured, chewing her lower lip.

“Fuck you, Roland! My people are handpicked and loyal to the core. You have no reason to doubt them beyond your massive paranoia and I’m sick of you trying to dump that shit on my doorstep!”

Roland’s eyes flashed amber.

Krysta’s heartbeat picked up nervously.

Etienne reached across her lap and rested a hand on the thigh farthest from him as though readying himself to sweep her behind him if all hell broke loose.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sean palm a dagger under the table.

Oh, crap.

Roland leaned forward. “I doubt everyone because of what you call my massive paranoia. Experience has taught me that even those I trust the most could stab me in the back. And have. However, I doubt your people and think them responsible for this new threat because it is the only plausible explanation. No one else knew. No one else could gain access to the tranquilizer, of which you keep a substantial supply at network headquarters. A network employee or employees, therefore, must be responsible.”

Judging by the looks of things, Roland wasn’t the only one present who thought so now that he had suggested it.

Chris was furious. “That isn’t the only explanation. Maybe one of the memory wipes didn’t work.”

“The memory wipes worked,” Seth said. “Had Etienne or Lisette handled the memories, then I would be concerned.”

Krysta looked at Etienne, who shrugged. I told you there were limits to my telepathic abilities. I am only a couple hundred years old.

Uh-huh. Just a couple, she thought back to him. A veritable infant.

His lips twitched. But he kept his hand on her thigh and didn’t relax.

“However, David and I handled it,” Seth continued. “Any memories we bury never see the light of day again.”

Jenna slowly raised a hand.

Seth smiled. “Yes, Jenna?”

“I’m confused. Do you erase the memories or bury them?”

“We bury them. Truly wiping them or erasing them can cause brain damage and scarring.”

“Oh.”

Roland leaned back. “And thus my point is proven.”

“Well,” Chris said, “we must have missed something on the technical side. A laptop or a DVD or an exterior hard drive one of the mercenaries took home.”

David shook his head. “We searched their minds before we buried the pertinent memories. If someone so much as wrote themselves a note on a napkin and took it home with them, we found it and destroyed it.”

Even though Etienne thought Chris wanted to interrogate her, Krysta actually found herself feeling sorry for him. The blond looked both furious and crushed at the idea that one of his own people may have strayed from the fold.

“Look into it,” Seth told him. “It’s the most logical hypothesis. Someone at the network must have taken information to another mercenary group and sold them the tranquilizer. Narrow down the possibilities.”

Stone-faced, Chris nodded.

“Seconds,” David said, “make sure your immortals have an ample supply of the antidote and don’t let them leave the house without it.”

The mortals around the table nodded.

Seth leaned back. “Immortals, start carrying your infrared goggles and scopes again and check periodically for heat signatures in shadows even your acute vision cannot penetrate. If you are struck with a dart, get the hell out of there and call your Second. The younger immortals among us should consider returning to hunting in pairs. For now, I leave the decision up to you. That will change if another mercenary attack ensues.”

Bastien cleared his throat. “We should also step up our attempts to recruit vampires.”

“What?” Krysta blurted, then flushed when everyone looked at her.

“The ones who have not yet entirely lost their sanity,” he clarified. “We can’t risk the mercenaries getting their hands on the virus by capturing a vampire, so we must convince the vampires we’re the lesser of two evils and see if we can’t bring them over to our side.”

“Why don’t you just kill them all?” she asked. No way in hell would she partner with a freaking vampire.

Marcus smiled. “I like this woman.”

Roland nodded.

Bastien shook his head. “The point is to have them spread the word to the other vampires that they should do everything they can to stay out of the hands of the human mercenaries. We can’t let the soldiers get their hands on the virus.”

Seth nodded. “Do it. I know you don’t like it, but vampires outnumber us and could be a valuable tool we could use to thwart our new enemies. Recruit those you can. Kill the rest. David, have you anything you wish to add?”

The other elder looked to Chris. “Only that I will make myself available anytime you wish me to examine the thoughts of network employees you think may be involved in this.”

Chris gave an abrupt nod.

“All right” Seth said. “Meeting adjourned. Safe hunting, everyone.”

Several mumbled a response.

Etienne’s hand on Krysta’s thigh relaxed.

“Etienne,” David said as they rose, “would you, Krysta, Sean, and Cameron join Seth, Chris, and I in my study?”

Krysta cursed inwardly. They had been that close to getting away unscathed.

“Of course,” Etienne responded.

Seth strode around the table, Chris on his heels, and joined David as he walked through the throng and crossed the living room.

Trying to ignore the stares she drew, Krysta peered through the black-clad bodies and glimpsed a wicker basket on the floor near one of the sofas.