163

Ian’s POV

Stepping out of the condo, I felt the familiar weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. After everything that had happened in the vampire realm, a quiet moment back in the human world should have been a relief, but it wasn’t. Not really. There was too much lingering tension, too many unanswered questions. I had left Sophia with Jenny and Jacob for the afternoon, hoping they could help her relax. She needed the break—hell, we all did. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still off.

Mike had been away for months during the height of the attacks, and even though he’d returned, I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with him properly. We just talked briefly about the situation in the vampire realm, but there was something about his demeanor that seemed different, distant even. We weren’t like before. Maybe it was just my nerves playing tricks on me, or maybe I was still trying to process everything that had happened.

I decided to head over to his place, hoping to clear the air and get some insight. Mike had always been a steady presence in my life, the kind of friend who never wavered no matter how bad things got. But lately, that steadiness seemed a little… forced.

When I reached his house, I noticed his car in the driveway. The place looked quiet, normal. But as I approached the front door, I heard voices coming from inside. I paused for a moment, frowning as I tried to make out what they were saying. One of the voices was unmistakably Mike’s, but there was someone else. Someone I didn’t recognize.

I stood still for a second, hesitant about eavesdropping. But something in the pit of my stomach told me not to walk away just yet.

“—don’t worry about the council. They’re more distracted by the realm’s rebuilding than anything else,” Mike’s voice drifted out from an open window near the front of the house.

My brow furrowed. Who was he talking to? And why was he discussing the council so casually?

The other voice replied, low and muffled, but I caught fragments of the conversation. Something about “timing” and “moving forward” and “keeping things under control.”

A cold knot formed in my gut. What the hell was Mike involved in?

I took a step back, my mind racing. Could he really be involved in everything that had been happening? The attacks, the council deaths, the chaos in the vampire realm—it didn’t make sense. Mike had always been someone I trusted, someone I could rely on. But now, standing there outside his house, listening to this secretive conversation, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.

I was torn. Part of me wanted to march in there and confront him right away, demand answers. But another part of me—the part that had known Mike for years, the part that still wanted to believe in him—was telling me to calm down, to brush it off. Maybe I was being paranoid. After everything that had happened, maybe I was just seeing shadows where there were none.

I stepped away from the window and made my way to the front door, deciding to knock and announce myself. I needed to clear my head, and the only way to do that was to talk to Mike directly.

The door opened after a few moments, and Mike stood there, his expression neutral, though a flicker of something passed through his eyes when he saw me. “Ian, hey. Didn’t know you were coming by,” he said, his tone casual but a little too smooth.

“Yeah, I wanted to check in,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, trying to push aside the doubt gnawing at me. “See how you’re doing.”

He stepped back to let me in, gesturing toward the living room. “Yeah, come on in. I was just finishing up a call.”

I followed him inside, glancing around as I did. The house was neat, as usual, but something about it felt off. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but my instincts were screaming at me that something wasn’t right. I tried to push the thought away.

“So, how’s Sophia?” Mike asked as he sat down on the couch, giving me a quick glance.

“She’s… good,” I said, hesitating. “She’s been through a lot, but we’re managing.”

Mike nodded, leaning back slightly. “I can imagine. Everything’s been a mess lately. But at least the realm’s being rebuilt. That’s something.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, though the words felt hollow. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d overheard outside. The conversation I wasn’t supposed to hear.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us, and I could feel my pulse quickening. Should I confront him? Should I ask about the council, about what I’d heard?

Mike seemed to sense my unease. “Something on your mind?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my expression neutral. “You were on a call when I got here. Sounded important.”

He shrugged, his face unreadable. “Just some business. Nothing major.”

I didn’t believe him. Not for a second. But I didn’t push it. Maybe I was being paranoid, reading too much into things. After everything we’d been through, it was hard not to be suspicious of everyone and everything. But Mike had been my friend for too long. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

We talked for a while longer, about the realm, about the council, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was holding something back. Every time I tried to steer the conversation toward anything more serious, he deflected with ease, changing the subject or giving vague answers.

Eventually, I made an excuse to leave. As I walked out of his house, my mind was still racing. I had to be imagining things. Mike couldn’t be involved in the attacks. He wouldn’t betray us like that. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, but what I had heard was just to complicating.

By the time I got back to the condo, I was exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I didn’t know what to think anymore.

Sophia was in the kitchen when I walked in, talking with Jenny and Jacob, who were sitting at the table. She looked up when she saw me, her expression softening. “Hey,” she said, smiling gently. “How was Mike?”

I forced a smile. “Same old Mike,” I replied, though the words felt heavy. I didn’t want to worry her. Not with everything else that was going on. She had enough on her plate as it was.

But as I sat down at the table with them, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the everything I heard pressing down on me. There was something going on with Mike, something I couldn’t ignore. But for now, I had to brush it off. I had to focus on what mattered most—keeping Sophia safe, keeping our family safe.

As the conversation around me continued, I glanced over at Sophia, watching her laugh at something Jenny said. I would do anything to protect her, no matter what. Even if it meant facing the possibility that one of my oldest friends was hiding something dangerous.