Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4) – Chloe Neill

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals–and they’re camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are … tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else. 

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn’t help that she can’t tell who’s on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who’s tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago’s supernatural society–a world full of vampires who seem too ready to fulfill the protesting human’s worst fears, and a place where she’ll learn that you can’t be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands…

This is a hard one to write.  After spending the last 4 days reading this series, I’m at a bit of a loss right now.  I’ve read on Chloe Neill’s blog to trust her, and I do, because I have a feeling that not all that I just read is as it appears.   But no matter, right now, I feel a sense of loss and can’t wrap my head around what just happened.

Things are rough in Chicago.  Celina’s latest hijinks have caused the table to be turned on the Vampire community.  No longer the “celebrities du jour” they must contend with protester and accusations of violence, no so more than Cadogan House.

Mayor Tate is on a mission, to rid the city of the escalation in violence and he’s tasked Ethan and Merit to “fix it”.  To add a little incentive, he has an arrest warrant ready, with Ethan’s name, if they don’t solve the issue with the raves.  To make matters worse, Darius, a member of the Greenwich Presidium, comes to town to talk about the recent goings on with the Chicago houses…specifically what Ethan, as senior Master, is doing to deal with the issues.

Unfortunately, Darius doesn’t quite see things the same was as Ethan and Merit, which leads to Merit having to enlist some help from the vampires within Cadogan house, as well as some of those mysterious Red Guards (although not in an official capacity).

We were left with many questions and on hell of a shock at the end.  I don’t know what I’ll do til November, but I have a sneaky suspicion that we won’t have all our answers for a while.  Chloe Neill, I’m doing as you asked and trusting you!