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Harris asked, “Where were you that night then? Wasn’t Cheyenne supposed to meet you at the waterfalls?”

“I’ve been wracking my brain about it and I honestly can’t remember. I just don’t know.”

Briggs crossed his arms over his chest. “Whaddya mean you don’t remember?” He leaned against the side of the fridge closer to me. “Dzat doesn’t make any sense.”

“I remember going to the park. Then, the next thing I knew Lord Stovall had called me to the yacht. He said there’d been an attack on the theme park. Shortly after that, I was on
The Resurrection.
Later that morning, Kiernan called and told me Cheyenne was in the hospital. It never occurred to me to think why I hadn’t seen her.”

“This is mad mental.” Torchy poured the hot water from the kettle into a pan and placed Khai’s bottle in it to warm. He grabbed the counter tight, and his knuckles turned white.

Harris opened his mouth to say something and then he closed it again before speaking.

“Something’s rotten inside me, and I have to figure it out. Cheyenne is scared to death right now—and honestly, I don’t blame her. She won’t let me talk to her about it. You saw how she was.”

Harris shook his head. “Dude, you remember what Cheyenne looked like in the hospital? She was almost dead. Of course, she’s gonna be ridiculously scared of you. There’s no way in hell I would talk to you either.”

I blew out exasperated puffed cheeks, vibrating my lips. “Most likely, Sheridan is gonna come out of their room just as frightened of me, and I’m probably never gonna see Khai again.”

Briggs put his beer down on the counter. “So wait … you’re saying dzat you dzink you’re the attacker, but you don’t remember doing it? ’Ow is dzat possible?”

“Bloody hell if I know. But the blood exchange opened locked memories inside both of us. We both watched as she saw me kill people and attack, leaving her for dead. There was this mermaid … I heard the sirens and ran out the back door and swam across the lake.” I rubbed my head as the flashes kept coming in waves. “The more I try to recall, the more I think Amicula was involved. That’s where everything goes fuzzy. Like someone had written a script to blur out the faces.”

Harris asked, “Wait—there was a mermaid?”

Torchy and Briggs looked at Harris and then asked the same question with their eyes as they looked again toward me.

“Never mind. It’s kinda complicated,” I explained.

Torchy asked, “How can you discover the truth? Do you honestly think you could kill like that, especially Cheyenne?”

“No, I don’t believe I could do that now. Centuries ago, yeah, it was no big deal, but that was before the Human Preservation Act.”

The guys nodded their heads, possibly recalling some of their own prior exploits. A sly smile escaped Briggs’ lips as though he remembered something special or naughty. Or something especially naughty.

“I’m afraid the only way I’m going to learn the truth to these blood memories is to succumb to the blood trials.”

Torchy took a defensive posture. “No way, mate. You’re an idiot tube to believe this shite. I bloody well know you, and you wouldn’t do this of your own accord. This is haverin’ nonsense. That nutter Amicula bitch has to be behind this. I cannae believe it, and I won’t let you do the exsanguination.”

Briggs whistled. “Damn, man, dze blood trials? Dzat shit ain’t cool. I’ve ’eard rumors—’ardly anyone ever survives dzem. If anyone does, dzey’re never quite dze same.”

I chewed on my lip and stared at him. At all of them. “What other choice do I have? How can I know the truth if I don’t subject myself to this?”

“Wait, what’s the exsanguination?” Harris asked. “What does our game have anything to do with this?”

“No, not
ExsanguiNation
. It’s the draining of blood. The blood trials is a way I can test my blood memories and learn if there’s anything I don’t remember.” I put down my empty beer bottle and stared at the ceiling. “It’s like a blood lie detector test. The results reveal truths, even if you don’t recall them.”

“Is it possible someone or something could ’ave planted false memories into your blood?” Briggs asked.

“I’ve never heard of anything like that, Briggs. I guess anything is possible.”

“What about hypnosis? Why do you have to drain your blood?” Harris opened the fridge and removed another beer. He handed it to me. “What’ll happen if the tests prove you’re the attacker? Do you have to go to some kind of silver encrusted vampire jail or something?”

I shook my head, almost disregarding his question, but thought better of it. “Hypnosis doesn’t work on the Vampyric mind, only weaker human brains. Ultimately, it’s up to the queen to decide my fate if I’m guilty. If I succumb to the blood trials, I can learn if my blood is clean. If it isn’t, then I need to understand what happened to me, who did it, and figure out where to go from there. But to answer your question—there’s no real vampire jail, but Queen Civetateo could have me put to death. And if I did kill those people, then don’t I deserve it? Why should my life be spared when others have met the undeniable death for the same crime?”

“I appreciate your help guys. It means a ton. But I don’t have any answers.” I slumped against the counter and ran my hands down my face. “Guys, how is Cheyenne ever going to forgive me?”

The kitchen fell silent and we could hear Khai’s cries through the walls.

I clenched my eyes shut and bound my fists together. My voice fell to barely a whisper. “I feel so out of control.”

“
H
old up
.” Sheridan held up her hand. Her face stoic. She had morphed into CEO mode. “Look, there’re three sides to everything. Yours, his, and the truth. Let’s get to the bottom of this whacked out situation and figure things out. I say we talk it out in a safe environment and see what Khaldon can tell us. There’s a lot more to this story than I think either of you realize.”

I shook my head, smearing more bloody tears across my face. I kept on stuffing clothes and toiletries into my bag.

Beano sniffed at my clothes. “Get out of there.” I gently pushed on his nose. “Don’t worry, big fella, I’m not leaving without you.”

Beano sat down next to the suitcase, and Stormy yapped to get on the bed. “Where’s your suitcase? We need to pack you and Khai too.”

“Cheyenne, I can see you’re really scared. I would be too. But c’mon, let’s go pour a tall glass of wine and work through this.” She picked up Stormy and put her on the bed. “Hell, we’re all scared with the shite hitting the fan the way it has tonight, but I’m sure Khaldon is just as upset over all this as you. He’s done so much to help us. He’s already a part of our family whether you like it or not. I can’t imagine him doing anything to purposefully hurt any of us, especially you.”

I listened to Sheridan’s words, but I just couldn’t make myself believe it. Her logic made total sense, and the little angel sitting on my right shoulder was rooting her on, but I stammered, “I … I can’t.” My mind raced out of control. The little red demon on my left shoulder continued to stab me in the neck with the horrific images of Khaldon the Terrible destroying those people. The way he ripped Janie the mermaid in half and showered in her blood, the way he tore hands and legs from bodies all around me and laughed about it was more than my mind could bear.

I couldn’t relive any more of it.

“Promise me you’ll leave the ranch or you’ll make him go. We have to get you to the main house tonight. Don’t be alone at any time while he’s here. Make sure Harris or Torchy stays with you and Khai tonight.”

Sheridan put Khai back in his crib and he cried out for her. She opened up her arms and hugged me. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry this has happened to you—to both of you. I love Khaldon like a brother, and I know how much you love him.” She held me at arm’s length and looked me straight in the face. “But I’m not going to move into the main house tonight. Torchy is here. I’m okay. We’re fine. We’re protected.”

I vehemently shook my head.

She continued, “I know this is a real shock, for both of you. And now—you’re engaged. How are you going to get through this?”

She reached in to hug me again, but I cut her off with a violent slice to my throat. “I can’t ever trust that horrible creature. He’s a real-life Jekyll and Hyde.”

My sister’s tone of voice changed as she firmly grabbed my shoulders. “Listen, it’s obvious you’re frightened, but dammit, you need to listen to me now. Get a hold of yourself. There’s a worldwide crisis going on out there, and there’s no telling what city is going to be hit next or what type of disaster you could be driving into. You need to stay here, on this ranch, where we know it’s safe. I need you here to make sure
ExsanguiNation
is running and available for emergency help for people who are in real life-or-death situations.”

I gaped at her insensitive words. Narrowing my eyes I could have spit poison at her but I knew she was trying to be rational. I certainly wasn’t. “You don’t think this is a life-or-death situation for me?” I seized my bags, jacket, keys, and cell phone and wrenched open the bedroom door, which led out into the main hallway. I stepped into the foyer and turned around with Beano hot on my heels.

The guys stared at me with forlorn expressions from the kitchen. They said nothing, but Khaldon reached out his hand to me. “Cheyenne?”

My heart urged me to converge, but I didn’t move.

“I don’t know what to do!” my voice broke from the hysteria and I tried to breathe and calm myself.

Obviously sensing I was terrified, Beano nudged my leg and whined.

Sheridan peeked out of the bedroom with the baby in her arms as I got to the front door. Torchy brought the warmed bottle out to Sheridan and put his arm around her, his face solemn. Ash and Soot sat by their feet.

Nobody said a word. They stood in shock, staring at me most likely thinking I was lying for accusing the wonderful Khaldon of such a heinous crime.

Khaldon took a tentative step toward me. “Please, m’lady?” He took another step and I dropped my bags onto the floor. Defeated, I had to try.

In less than an instant, he cradled me in his arms while I fell apart. We slid down the wall as I sobbed. “Who could have done this to us? Why?”

Khaldon stroked my hair and tugged out more pine needles. “I am reliving this just as you are. I don’t have any conscious memory of that terrible night, Cheyenne. You have to believe me.”

Sheridan spoke quietly, “We need to investigate, understand what’s going on. Learn who’s behind this and why.”

I resigned and Beano licked my face. His doggy kisses were a welcome relief, a safe refuge from the terrors.

Torchy cleared his throat. “It’s obvious. It’s that crazy loon, Amicula. She
has
to be behind it. She is the common denominator.”

Harris squatted down beside us. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Chey. You’ve got a lot to process. When we first change into Weres, the pack sends us off for a couple days to read and mentally work through things. Ya know, so we can wrap our heads around it. Then when we’re ready, we come back for answers. You need to process this or it’ll eat you up inside.”

“He’s right.” Khaldon lifted my chin and looked deep into my eyes. Both of us, our eyes rimmed in bloody trails. “You need time to work through the myriad of emotions going through you. A good couple days would be good for you. I’ve got to get back to Florida. To find Stovall. He’s the only one who can help me right now.”

I reached out to cup his cheek and held tight onto his arm. “But the man I know and love, he—you would never have done this. My head and mind are telling me horrible things, but my heart knows you’re innocent.”

“It’s the only way, Cheyenne. I have to learn what’s inside my blood memories. Learn what else Amicula has been doing to me. She’s raped me, and now this. It’s out of control, and I can’t allow it any longer. I’ve got to reclaim myself before I can be any semblance of a man for you.”

Torchy asked, “Just what exactly will the exsanguination tell you?”

“The blood trials tell the truth, even if you don’t remember it. If I’ve been wronged—”

I cut him off, my voice incredulous. “If? We’ve all been victims of her wrongs.”

“Yes, once I can read and see the blood memories in their entirety, then I will have the proof I need to convict Amicula of her crimes and present the evidence to the queen. But I have to go to Stovall to do it. And I have to do this alone.”

Khai slurped on his bottle and Stormy nudged her head into the palm of my hand. She licked my fingers. Briggs and Torchy helped us off the floor. I tried to smooth down my shirt and realized what a mess I was.

“I—I just don’t know what to do. Everything is so confusing. And now this?” I lifted my left hand and indicated to the ring.

“I know, and I understand. Until I can figure out what I’ve done, and who I am, I want to put our engagement on hold.” He kissed the ring on my left ring finger.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. “What? But I—”

“Cheyenne, look—bollocks, I know I said I never wanted to be apart again, but right now I don’t deserve you. I’m not safe, and I can’t trust myself to be around anyone until I can get control of this insanity.” Khaldon beat his fist against the wall, puncturing the drywall. “If everything we saw tonight is true, the queen is going to—she won’t let me live. I have the sword of Damocles hanging over my head. I don’t want you to be engaged to a dead man walking. Until I learn what has happened, I have no right to keep you on reserve. I won’t do that to you. Once I clear my name and prove Amicula has done this to me, then I can be the man who can truly honor you as a husband and a friend.”

“But I don’t care. We’ll find a way, we’ll get through it.” The tone of my voice begged for his belief that I could be stronger, that maybe I could find a way to handle the Red Man. “Let me come with you. I can help—”

He cut me off and his eyes flashed with fire. “No, I refuse to give you a broken spirit, never really knowing what I might do. Always doubting, questioning, and, even worse, you’ll be afraid of me. I won’t have it, Cheyenne.”