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Since I didn’t have Ben’s or Fairfax’s numbers, all I could do was take deep, soothing breaths and tell myself everything would be fine. Handing my phone off to Holden, I said, “Can you please keep trying her? I just want to know she’s okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.”
In the backseat Desmond shuffled restlessly. I half-expected him to ask, Are we there yet? I could understand his unease. Werewolves didn’t like to be cooped up, and I’d taken him from a plane to a car in quick succession. I assumed he had spent most of his time on the jet sleeping since he’d been conked out when my nightmares woke me at sundown.
“How you doing back there?” I was momentarily distracted from my worry over Grandmere, which was something of a relief. If I had to spend a full hour in the car mulling over everything that could possibly have gone wrong, I would lose my mind. More than I already had. Plus we would hit a cellular dead zone in a few miles, and Holden wouldn’t be able to keep trying the home phone.
“I’m okay,” Desmond reassured me, though he sounded tired and a little cranky. It was amazing what cues I had started to pick up from his tone after living with him on and off for over a year.
“Need me to stop for some food?” I hadn’t really considered eating, since Holden and I had both fed before leaving New York. I’d made the vampire grudgingly agree to eat bagged blood at Calliope’s place since we wouldn’t have time for him to hit up whatever live taps he had at his beck and call around town. He’d made a hideous face the entire time he drank, but it meant we’d both be good until we arrived in Elmwood.
I couldn’t wait to find out his reaction when I told him he’d be drinking pig’s blood out there.
Before Desmond could reply, his stomach did so for him, letting out a loud, almost comical growl. “Um, yeah. Some drive-through or something would be great.”
Fifteen minutes later, after navigating the infuriating and completely nonsensical streets of Steinbach, the car reeked of McDonald’s fries, and Desmond’s stomach had quieted down considerably. During that whole time Holden had been unable to get an answer at Grandmere’s house.
The gnawing pit of worry in my belly was becoming difficult to ignore.
Holden, obviously sensing my anxiety, placed his hand on my thigh and gave a comforting squeeze. “You said she spends a lot of time outdoors, even this time of year. Maybe she’s out in the garden and can’t hear the phone.”
“And her two guards are ignoring it too?”
“They’re supposed to be with her, not in the house, remember?”
I wanted to point out they should still be able to hear the phone ring from outside, but he had a decent point. If the two men Callum had sent to guard Grandmere were outside with her—a very likely possibility I hadn’t thought of—they might be unwilling to leave her side. Their duty was to protect her, after all, and answering the phone would take secondary priority.
I let out my breath in a huff, willing to believe his explanation if it meant I could remain calm for the rest of the drive. Once we hit the dead zone, Holden put my cell back in my bag, and the three of us sat in grim silence. A few times I considered saying something, anything, just to break up the quiet, but I couldn’t manage to come up with a worthwhile topic.
After an hour on the road we turned off the highway onto a narrow ribbon of gravel that led away from the town of Elmwood proper. Two big, empty fields spanned out on either side, the crops having already been harvested for the season.
My heart gave a leap when we pulled into the circular driveway of Grandmere’s house to see most of the interior lights on, giving the place a warm, inviting glow.
“Thank God,” I murmured, barely remembering to turn the car off before I barreled towards the house’s front door. The boys followed behind me at a distance, and I suddenly felt nervous about the idea of introducing not one but two of my boyfriends to my grandmere at the same time. I didn’t think she would approve.
“Grandmere?” I didn’t bother to kick off my boots when I got inside, something that would appall her when she saw me.
The door was unlocked, my brain told me.
I hadn’t noticed it when I came in because the door was always unlocked. That’s the kind of place Elmwood was. I suspected Grandmere had taken more precautions when I’d been younger, but over the years she’d relaxed into the small-town safety mentality. Plus I tended to go for runs a lot at night, so it didn’t make much sense to board things up at sunset.
But she was in danger now, or at least the possibility of danger existed. Sure, she might have spells to ward against threats, but sometimes something as mundane as a lock was all it took to keep someone from getting to you.
Holden stopped at the front door, unable to continue. I wasn’t sure if I was still able to invite people in, considering how long it had been since I lived in the house, but I gave it a whirl anyway. “Holden, please come in.”
The magic holding him out yielded, and he was able to follow Desmond and me across the threshold.
“Grandmere?” Still no answer. “Ben? Is anyone here?”
The stillness of the house announced us as being the only people there. There’d been no sign of movement outside, and it was dark enough now even Grandmere wouldn’t be puttering in the garden. Something was definitely wrong here, and with every step I took into the house I got more and more afraid.
“Do you smell anything?” The question was meant for both of them, since each man had a better sense of smell than me. “See anything? Hear anything?” My hearing was the most acute of my senses, and I couldn’t pick up a damned thing beyond the noises the three of us were making.
“There’s no one else here,” Holden confirmed.
“I smell two male wolves, a human female, and a… Hold on.” Desmond vanished around the corner, and I followed him towards the sliding glass doors out to the patio. “Jesus.”
“What? Jesus what?” I grabbed his arm, tugging at it like he might answer me faster.
