Fallon raised his glass toward me in a silent salute as Barnabas smiled, a flash of fang coming into view.

“Quite testy today,” Barnabas commented as his gaze flicked down to the mating mark on Kaillen’s neck. The vampire’s eyes widened briefly, and a rainwater scent—a scent which I guessed meant he was surprised—rose from him before he assessed me too, noting the same mark on my skin. “Ah, now this is an interesting development. Last time I saw you, there were half a dozen sirens begging you to—”

A loud thump came from under the table, and Barnabas gave an aggrieved moan. “No need to kick me. If that’s not a story you want me telling your new mate, all you need to do is say so.” He flashed Kaillen an innocent grin.

Kaillen gave me an apologetic smile. “My mate doesn’t need to hear about something that happened three months ago in the Shadow Zone.”

I figured that was Kaillen’s way of telling me he’d been upholding his reputation in whatever scenario Barnabas was referring to. I clung to the fact that whatever had happened with those six sirens, it’d meant nothing to him.

“Well, that’s no fun.” Barnabas grinned, as Fallon’s expression didn’t waver. “Now, tell me, how did you end up mated? Last time I saw you, you were as single as a horny new vamp.”

“I hired him to find my sister,” I cut in. “And apparently, his wolf took a liking to me.”

Barnabas raised his eyebrows. “And why would you need my dear friend to find your sister?”

“She was abducted. I needed somebody to hunt her down.”

Barnabas’s indigo eyes turned awash with curiosity. “Is your sister as beautiful as you?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Would it matter?”

He inclined his head thoughtfully. “No, but it would give me some good fantasy material for my next lonely Friday evening.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Kaillen grumbled, then bared his teeth at his friend, but I snorted a laugh at the vamp’s blatant flirting. I had been warned, after all, and since I’d been hit on by more vamps than I could count, I dismissed his comments for exactly what they were—a vampire succumbing to his carnal lust and never-ending desire for sex and flesh, even if I was his friend’s mate.

I cupped my chin. “Considering Tessa and I are identical twins, you could say she looks a bit like me.”

Barnabas’s eyebrows rose. “So there are two of you? How fascinating. Tell me, have you ever—”

Another muffled thump came from below the table, and Barnabas let out an exaggerated wail. Kaillen turned fiery eyes on him. “Don’t even go there.”

I muffled a laugh as Fallon snorted and took another drink.

“Let me guess.” I tapped my chin, and said in a mockingly flirtatious tone, “You were about to ask me if my sister and I have ever been in a threesome with a vamp dude?”

Kaillen gave me an incredulous look as if to say don’t encourage him, but Barnabas merely laughed.

“Oh, I like her.” The vamp nudged Kaillen, then said to me, “And yes, you read my mind. That was exactly what I was going to ask.”

I swallowed a chuckle. “For a vampire, you’re not very original. I think I get that question about a dozen times a year.”

Fallon snickered, the first slip to his stoic mask, as Barnabas threw back his head and howled in laughter, before he clapped Kaillen on the shoulder. “I really like her.”

“Just don’t get any ideas,” Kaillen replied in a throaty growl, but a smile still tugged at his lips. “I’d have to stake you.”

Fallon continued to sip his drink. I got the impression that of the three of them, he was definitely the quietest one.

“So are you two going to tell me what you’re here for?” Barnabas picked up his drink again, eyeing me suggestively. “I’m guessing you’re not on a mating honeymoon if you’re here for our help.”

Kaillen opened his mouth to reply, but an explosion of magic flared from a few yards away. I ducked on instinct just as Barnabas hissed and Fallon whipped a dagger from his belt.

The next thing I knew, a whistling sound of something flying through the air passed me.

I opened my mouth to call out a warning, but the flying object careening toward Kaillen came to an abrupt stop mid-air. A razor-sharp knife hung suspended in front of Kaillen’s face, the hunter’s hand gripped tightly around its handle

My heart hammered. Kaillen had literally caught the knife in mid-flight. If he hadn’t, it would have gone through his eye.

A low growl came from my hunter, and I whipped my head toward where the magical explosion had occurred.

A tall supernatural stood at the long purple bar, his lip curled back in disgust. Fallon let out a sigh while Barnabas gave a delighted laugh.

“Oh my, someone wants to play. Looks like things are about to get more fun.” Barnabas’s tongue darted out as he licked his upper lip. Another wave of pulsing hot desire shot through me, and I realized I’d let my guard down for a split second.

Cheeky bugger. When I glared at Barnabas, he winked.

I quickly called upon my magic again as the vamp’s hot sexual energy pounded through me, my body clenching in sudden need. Considering the energy coming off the vampire had increased ten-fold, potential danger obviously increased his sex drive.

Kaillen’s nostrils flared. “Hands to yourself while I’m gone. I mean it.” He gave Barnabas a look full of retaliation, then picked me up and slid out of the booth. In a blink, he’d placed me back on my seat before launching himself toward the supernatural who’d apparently just tried to kill him.

I blinked. “What just happened?”

“Occupational hazard,” Fallon said in a bored tone. “No need to worry.”

Sure enough, Kaillen was already upon the tall man.

Grunts and snarls came from Kaillen’s direction, and I looked at Barnabas and Fallon, wondering if they were going to help their friend, or if I should, but Barnabas merely watched with a languid expression as Fallon continued sipping his drink.

“Doesn’t he need help?” I said, my voice rising.

Fallon didn’t even glance up. “No.”

A groan came from the tall supernatural as my mate gave him an uppercut to the jaw.

“Ooh, that had to hurt.” Barnabas’s pupils dilated as blood went flying from the supernatural’s lip. When it splattered across the wall, the vampire clucked his tongue. “What a waste.”

“Who is that?” I asked as my heartbeat calmed since Kaillen did seem to have the matter under control.

Fallon set his drink down. “That’s Olaf Hoffsteder. He’s had a bone to pick with Kaillen since his wife hired your mate to track him down.”

“And why did she hire Kaillen to find her husband?”

Fallon picked up his drink again. “She was convinced he was meeting a mistress every weekend instead of going on business trips.”

So the hunter also did domestic jobs. Interesting . . . I would have bet that was easy money.

“Let me guess,” I said when Kaillen landed another punch, and the tall supernatural doubled over. “She was right about her hunch?”

Barnabas angled his head. “Indeed she was. Olaf has had it out for Kaillen ever since his ex-wife got most of their money in the divorce. This isn’t the first time Olaf’s tried to kill him.”

Fallon nodded in agreement, then took another sip from his drink before he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his email.

“Why hasn’t Olaf been arrested?” I asked as their fighting continued.

Barnabas gave me an affronted look. “And tell the world we’re not capable of handling our own scuffles by running to the authorities?” He tsked. “I’m guessing you’re new to our kind of business.”

Hearing that reminded me that I hadn’t even known Kaillen for a full month, yet we were now mated. For the first time since we’d claimed one another, a sense of unease slid through me that my wolf immediately let me know her displeasure about.