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There’s a beat of silence on the other end, and then, “Who?”
I close my eyes, struggling to focus on Atlas instead of the growing pressure in my chest. “The woman who turned me,” I say through gritted teeth, low enough the driver can’t overhear my words.
“Why the fuck would your sire take Calla?”
My grip on the phone tightens, threatening to snap the thing in half if I’m not careful. I let out a slow breath, finally prying my eyes open. “It’s a long story. Not one I can get into right now.” I glance out the window as we fly down the freeway. “I’m getting on a plane shortly. I’ll be home soon and then I will explain everything.” My voice starts to shake with unbridled anger. The story of my turning was never one I wanted to relive—and certainly not one I wanted to share with the guys. But I’m left with no choice. They need to know—Calla’s life depends on it.
“Lex will meet you at the airport. Whatever this is, Gabriel, we’re going to figure it out.”
I end the call without another word, glaring at my phone screen for several moments that feel like their own eternities.
Then, with a shaky hand, I dial a number I regrettably know by heart and lift the phone to my ear, my pulse pounding in my throat. I can’t say how I know for certain—perhaps it’s the familiar weight on my chest and tingling in my veins, or maybe it’s intuition. Because Marcel was right. If Dante took her, we’d know it by now, mostly due to his need to brag. No one else would have the guts to make a move against us like this. It… it has to be her.
Each ring feels longer than the last. My heart beats in my throat, and my stomach plummets when the call is answered.
“I was wondering how long it was going to take you to put it together.”
My entire body goes rigid at the soft, melodic sound of her voice. I haven’t heard it in years, and still, I respond to it automatically. Memories flash in front of my eyes; nights of drinking until we were drunk—on alcohol and blood. Fucking in different clubs around the world, surrounded by vampires and humans alike, but all I saw was red. And her. Always her.
It was a lifetime ago.
“What have you done with her?” I ground out.
Selene chuckles, and the sound presses into my chest, making it harder to breathe. “That’s the first thing you want to say to me? After so long?” She tuts her tongue. “I have to say, I’m disappointed.”
“I don’t care,” I snap. “Where is Calla?”
“Your little human is perfectly safe. In fact, she is free to leave whenever she wishes, though considering everything you lot have been keeping from her, she may not want to see any of you ever again.”
“What did you tell her?” I growl, barely restrained anger making my voice shake. The driver glances at me from the rearview mirror before quickly returning his attention to the road and switching lanes to pass a transport truck.
Selene sighs as if I’m a child who stepped out of line, and it makes my jaw clench. “Relax, my love,” she purrs. “She knows nothing, which I imagine is exactly why she’s so upset with you and your boys.”
“You don’t know anything.” I grip the edge of the seat until my knuckles are leached of color. My insides are on fire, and all I want to do is scream. Instead, I pull the phone away from my ear for a moment and suck in a slow, steadying breath. In a low voice, I say, “Tell me where you are, Selene.”
“Hmm, now that is tempting.”
I close my eyes against the tension building behind them and let out a sigh. She’s taunting me, and I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Even still, the way it still gets under my skin in seconds is infuriating. “What game are you playing?”
She laughs, and it’s a soft, lyrical sound that I used to adore. Now it claws through me like nails on a chalkboard.
“Selene,” I growl. I’m losing it; my heart rate has kicked up and my knee is bouncing quickly. The situation is slipping out of my control—that’s if I had any to begin with, which when dealing with my sire is unlikely.
“It was lovely speaking with you, Gabriel. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed the sound of your voice, even when you’re cross with me. I do hope to see you soon. We have so much to catch up on, you and I.”
Before I can get another word in, the line disconnects.
The phone slips out of my fingers and bounces against the seat next to me. I snatch it up and shove it in my jacket pocket as the driver pulls through the gates leading to the airstrip.
* * *
After what felt like the longest flight of my existence, I’m back at home in Washington, sitting stiffly on the couch next to Kade. Lex and Atlas are in the chairs across from us.
“Now that we know who took Calla,” Kade says, “we just need to find out where they are.”
“Selene’s got a witch blocking their location,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose as I lean against the back of the couch. “The only shot we have of tracking them is using the bond I have with her.”
“You don’t think she’s blocking that as well?” Lex questions.
