Rising Son (The Juliana Lucio Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

minimizing the missing persons and death reports in a single area. They eventually turn a large number of them as well. Intel shows they are creating an army, which is what is allowing them to have an increase in numbers spread across the globe. They are attempting to over-throw The Council, and at the same time make a coordinated outing of vampirekind to the world. Humans are not just going to back down, and allow themselves to be preyed upon. They already know our number one weakness whether through book, movie, or myth-- sunlight. An outing would cause an out and out war between humans and vampires which is what t he Council is working to prevent.”
    He started shifting around on top of me making me appreciate the closeness of our situation. He reached back behind him pulling off his boots. I pointed to my gag, raising my eyebrows questioningly. I really didn’t want this to be a one sided conversation anymore.
    “Sorry Jules, I believe you’ll listen now, but I’m still not so sure you won’t compel me to turn around and walk right out of here.”
    “The primary objective of the Council is to protect the existence of vampires from humans. The last thing they want is an outing. It’s hard to know where and how The Coven is working. That’s why all the strict laws about revealing ourselves to humans, it could be a coven member testing the waters so to speak.
    That’s also where Ana and I come in, along with others. We are part of a clandestine group within the C ouncil called Sub-Rosa, whose primary objective is to seek out factions of The Coven and try to infiltrate within their ranks. There are only two other vampires who even know of our role or existence within the Council, Sebastian Ramírez, the Director of the Council, and Martin Harris, the Director of Sub-Ro sa. The identities of the other s involved with Sub-Rosa is completely classified information to protect the members and the information obtained.
    That’s why all the secrets, all the weapons, the cars. Well, I really just like fast cars so that one is mostly me, but we couldn’t tell you before we dealt with Nathaniel. If he was somehow able to compel you, and found out about us working for the Council it would not only endanger our lives, but thousands of vampire and human lives as well.”
    He put his hands on my face looking earnestly into my eyes, “We never told anyone within the Council about Nathaniel’s interest in Christian. We tried to protect him as best we could, but he and the rest of your family still can’t know about you. If your family discovers you are a vampire and the other council members realize they know, all of our lives will be forfei t. They can accuse us of being C oven for not reporting it, and if we do report it they can force you to turn, kill, or enslave them. There is no happy ending in them finding out you are still alive. Do you see why we were protecting you? Why we waited to tell you the whole story?”
    I tried to answer him, but still had that stupid gag in my mouth.
    Gradually, the tenderness he was starting to show me was fading as his eyes were slowly becoming rimmed in black. I could see him thinking over what I had done, and I went to reach for my gag. I needed to apologize before his temper was too far gone. He grabbed my wrists once again, and slammed them firmly into the mattress behind my head. His face was inches from mine, and I could only see the smallest sliver of the deep brown of his eyes.
    “I risked everything for you! Even knowing it could cost me my life, my job, my reputation. I went willingly with you against a 400-year-old master vampire who very well should have killed us all, so I could protect you! As vain as that may seem I thought I could protect you,” he said as he gave a self-deprecating laugh.
    He eased a bit then was holding my wrists even harder, pushing them farther above my head straining my arms. I couldn’t believe how badly I had screwed up. Everything he was saying