“I can answer that,” I say.
“Wait!” Grace yells. “Where’s Alisha?”
“I can answer all of those questions,” I say grimly. “Alisha’s gone—she’s been kidnapped. Our place is smashed up, and there’s a blood trail.”
“No!” Grace cries, covering her mouth. “Is it her ex?”
“I think so,” I answer. “I think it’sallher ex. The dead soldier, the silence at the rock—he’s got to be involved.”
“What the hell is he hoping to do?” Scarlett asks. “It has to be an alpha and a magic worker to conduct the ritual—and it has never worked, anyway!”
“Alisha has magic,” I say. “Powerful magic. Isn’t that right, Grace?”
Grace nods, tears in her eyes.
“More powerful than Vanessa?” Scarlett cries. “More powerful than Azarian? They planned for years, and he still failed. How can this guy possibly think he’s going to succeed?”
“Alisha is extremely powerful,” Grace says. “Stronger than she knows. With that kind of raw talent and very little training, unexpected things could happen. She won’t be restrained by any thoughts of what she can or can’t do. She could easily reach beyond her limits and unlock the great magic.”
“And what about Paul?” I ask. “I don’t think he’s an alpha, and he’s out of his fucking mind.”
“That can only help the situation,” Grace says regretfully. “Alpha might simply translate to a sense of purpose and superiority, not necessarily royal blood. And the insane…well, they break the bonds between this world and the next with their mental state. Unfortunately, it could work.”
“Fuck!” I almost scream. “We have to get out to the rock. How long have the guys been out of contact?”
“About twenty minutes,” Luke says. “And we’ve got no movement on sat.”
“Let’s go,” I say, gesturing to my truck. “We gotta move, now!”
When I turn to run towards the truck, I feel like I’m underwater. Everything around me seems stuck, and I’m moving too slowly.
I can’t lose her…I can’t!
Losing her once, even to my own stupidity, was too much to bear. Losing her twice—and for good, this time—is a nightmarish hell I’d never wake from.
I left her alone. Oh, God, I left her alone and unprotected. I’m so sorry, babe. I should never have let this happen!
Luke’s hand comes down on my shoulder, and the shock that flashes through me makes me jump right out of my bones.
“You okay, buddy?” he asks.
“Nope,” I say. “Not by a long shot.”
“Then let’s go get your girl, and the son of a bitch that took her!”
“Right!” I answer, jumping into the truck. A few of my WS boys follow suit, and before I can stop her, so does Grace.
“Grace!” I snap. “You’re not coming.”
“The hell I’m not!” she yells. “You don’t know what you’re getting into! There’s going to be all sorts of magic going on out there, and trust me, you aren’t prepared for it!”
“She’s right, boss,” Luke says. “As much as I hate to say it. We haven’t had an answer from our sorcerers, science guys, or soldiers. They might all be wasted.”
“Fuck,” I mutter, glaring at Grace.
She glares right back at me and clicks her seatbelt on.
“Fine,” I sigh, getting into the truck. I speed off down Main Street, noticing small groups of people heading towards meeting points.
