The Housemates

Truth Revealed

Chapter Twenty-Three

Truth Revealed

Elli had prepared a feast for her housemates. She had been planning to go all out for the holiday anyway. After all, it was the first Thanksgiving she and Noah had spent together in ages. She had wanted it to be memorable. It was definitely going to be, but for all the wrong reasons.

There were complaints about the tofurkey, but she wasn’t surprised and she really didn’t care. Other than that, her friends were greatly enjoying the meal and she was happy that at least something was going well for them. She knew she had a habit of ruining meals. This would not be an exception.

They chatted while she shoved her food around the plate. Addy sat at the head of the table, Jasper on her left and Peter on her right. Desmond was beside Peter and across from Kate. Elli sat next to Desmond with Noah in front of her. He was surprisingly cheery for the lack of Richard’s presence. Blake was on Elli’s right and she could tell he had noticed her lack of appetite. He had given her a questioning look, which she had pretended not to see.

As the meal began drawing to a close, Elli cleared her throat to get her household’s attention. She felt their eyes on her, but the only person she was concerned with was Noah.

“Richard’s in trouble,” she told him. It was for all of them, but there was no doubt she meant it for him.

He stiffened at her words and just stared for a moment without saying anything, so she continued.

Her mouth felt dry as she began the next part. “The hunters have him.”

At that sentence, Desmond and Blake’s eyes widened and she could see their panic in her peripheral vision.

“Where is he?” Noah questioned, far too calmly. The scent of his blood hit her nose and she realized he was clenching his fists so tightly that his nails had dug in.

“I don’t know,” she replied. She could hear Jasper and Peter asking Addy what was going on, but she blocked the conversation out.

Her brother leapt to his feet, ready to barge out into the world and find his mate.

“Noah, wait!”

“Elli, we have no idea how long he’s been there! Did he even go home? Gods, how do we even know he’s alive? I can’t wait. I need to go now.”

“Noah,” she growled as he began heading for the exit. “It’s not just any hunter.”

He froze; hand just about to open the door. He turned and looked at her. “It’s not…?”

“Victor has him. He found us.”

Noah nearly collapsed at the news, but Blake was on his feet catching his housemate.

“When did you find out?” he demanded, as the vampire sat him back in his chair.

“This afternoon,” she replied. “I wanted to wait and tell everyone at once, because it affects all of us. Well… almost all of us.”

“So what’s your plan? To pack up and leave, abandoning him? We can’t keep running, El!” he snapped.

She growled and it sounded feral. So much for any shot she might have had with Jasper. “I know that! And we can’t leave anyway. If we run, he’ll kill Richard.”

Noah let out a snarl that actually scared Elli. She could only imagine how the others felt about it. “That psychopath threatened his life?”

She nodded.