“Holy shit. We’re airborne,” Finn exclaimed from the pilot’s seat. “Let’s just hope we stay that way.”
The land below them was dark as they flew over the tops of the trees. Although Mateo had no idea what was waiting for him back at Broadmoor, he sure as hell had an inkling, and the thought made his stomach turn.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Finn was centering the aircraft above the clearing near Broadmoor. The moment it touched down, Mateo leaped from the helicopter and shadow-moved through the forest.
He burst into the house to find Brenna in the kitchen, eyes closed and chained to the fireplace. Blood dripped from a fresh wound in her arm, and an older man lay unconscious at her feet. It was Selena’s father. A fresh round of panic coursed through him as he scanned the room.
“Where’s Selena?”
Brenna opened her eyes, a pained expression on her face. “Move him...away from me,” she said haltingly. “I can’t think.”
Wounded vampires had one thing on their minds. Blood. Selena’s father wasn’t a sweetblood, but that didn’t matter. A hurt vampire was a hungry vampire.
Quickly pulling the man out of her reach, he repeated his question.
“I...don’t know,” Brenna said. “I told her...to run.”
And that’s when he smelled it. Darkbloods.
His worst fears had come true.
“How many are there?” They usually traveled in pairs.
“Just...one. A female.” Brenna grimaced. “I tried to stop her…and I held her off for a while, but then…this happened. I’m sorry, Mateo.”
His heart thumped a hammer-like staccato in his ears as he sprinted outside and tried to pick up Selena’s scent. Which way had she run, goddamnit? With the wind blowing as hard as it was and the rain washing everything away, all he smelled was sea air and the earthy, clean fragrance of the forest.
At least the Darkblood was at the same disadvantage. His only hope was that the female hadn’t found Selena yet.
