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Chapter Nineteen
Jack
Fear. The feeling came over me like a splash of cold water. My heart thundered in my chest. My breathing grew rapid.
And my brain told me what my body was already realizing: Claire was in trouble. It was her fear that I was feeling. And if the strength of the feelings that were overtaking me were any indication, she was in more trouble than she’d been since the day we’d first met.
Looking down, the reports I’d been going over blurred before me. I’d been sitting in the station, trying to keep Claire off my mind when she came racing back into it in the worst possible way.
There were a few other officers in the station, but I paid them no mind as I jumped to my feet and ran out the door. I was in the patrol car and speeding out of the lot before I even considered which direction I was going. Because I knew.
My phone rang beside me on the seat, causing me to swerve into the other lane briefly. I let the call go to voicemail, but when the call continued to repeat, I finally answered the phone. I hoped it was Claire, telling me everything was okay.
But even as I hoped for that, my senses told me she was in no position to pick up her phone.
“Not sure why you went bolting out of the station like that,” Carl Branson said, after I’d delivered a curt greeting. “But you told me to call you if any more freak weather incidents occurred nearby. It appears something is going on at the Anderson’s farm. Again.”
As I looked at the outstretched highway before me, I realized that was where I’d been headed all along.
“Thanks, Carl. I’m headed that way.”
Throwing the phone on the passenger side seat, I gripped the steering wheel harder and punched the accelerator. There was no question in my mind that was where Claire was. I’d been an idiot to think that she wouldn’t try to go there on her own, especially after our conversation last night. I’d been attempting to make things easier for her to separate from me. But all I had done in the end was push her right into danger. I just hoped I could get to her on time.
If the warlocks who had abducted Claire the first time were the same ones who had taken Darla and Taryn, there would be no forcing a bond on Claire this time around. Which meant that they would find something even more heinous to do to her. My fingers itched to pick up my phone and call her. Worry that she might be hiding somewhere and her phone might give away her location kept me from picking up the phone.
I knew it was all wishful thinking. I hoped she had found a way to hide from whoever was stoking her fear. Logic told me that whatever was going on with her was much worse than her hiding in terror, though.
As it was, she was unknowingly pushing on the bond that had been established between us. It was giving me a tether to her feelings. But the force of her pulling on it made it somehow pull me closer to her as well. It wasn’t as strong as it would have been had we been properly bonded. Had we been properly bonded, it would have likely led me right to her like an internal GPS.
The stretch of highway where Claire and I had traveled last night was once again littered with downed limbs. There were no power lines down this time, which would at least keep the utility trucks away for now.
My heart stilled as I saw Claire’s car parked haphazardly on the side of the road. I pulled in behind it and killed the engine, jumping out. I was going on pure adrenaline and the pull that was tugging on my bond with Claire.
Breaching the edge of the woods, I pushed through. I was barely aware of the stinging slap of the limbs as I ran through the forest, following Claire’s magical trail. Had I not been running, I might have seen the young witch barreling toward me. Instead, our bodies met in a painful smack, knocking her down and throwing me back.
Looking down, I saw Taryn Morgan staring up at me, wide-eyed. Her chest heaved, likely with the exertion of running and the fear of running into someone else. I looked around, seeing Claire nowhere nearby. Perhaps had I been less worried about my mate, I might have been more diplomatic in my approach. Instead, I hauled the girl to her feet. She screamed. I threw a hand over her mouth.
“Where are the others?” I asked, my voice barely above a growl.
She struggled against me, but my grip was firm.
“I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to know where Claire and Darla are. You can leave as soon as you tell me where I can find them. I need to help them.”
“The woman who came in was trying to free us,” she said, finally, her breath labored. “She got me free. But he came back in before she could free Darla. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know who the “he” was in her story, but I could imagine. I wanted to rail at the girl for leaving them behind, but knowing Claire, she had likely told her to run. It wasn’t as if she could have done much good, anyway. She trembled as I looked down at her. She’d been through enough.
“Where did you come from?” I asked.
Taryn gestured behind her, to my right.
“Run until you get back to the highway,” I said, releasing her. “My patrol car is out there on the shoulder. Get inside and hide. Don’t open the door for anyone but me.”
Nodding vigorously, she shot off through the forest, and then I fled in the opposite direction. I ran hard, my feet sliding through wet mud and nearly sending me tumbling over thick tree roots.
Finally, I reached a clearing where a small cabin sat. I’d had enough of small cabins for a lifetime. From my vantage point, I could see that the cabin door was open.
And inside was Claire. She was standing immobile. I could still feel the fear rolling off of her. Next to her, in front of a small bed, Darla sat, head bent at an awkward angle. I hoped she was only asleep. Her feet and wrists were restrained.
Nearly blocking my view of both Claire and Darla were two large warlocks. They towered over Claire and both seemed fixated on her alone, Darla all but forgotten.
I watched, trying to figure out what was going on before making too hasty a move.
Then I saw the silent warlock unzip his fly and remove his cock.
Whatever plans I may have had were forgotten. Fire flooded my veins, and I rushed toward the cabin.
