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Shaking her head, “No, but you know police, it’s probably taking forever.”
With my worry for Leland and hatred of Emerson, I have already forgotten about the lake. I should be there for her. She likes to think she can handle everything on her own, but as separated as she is from herself, she is vulnerable. I don’t want any harm to ever come to her if I can prevent it. That is my duty as her mate. Even if she can protect herself, I will always be there to have her back.
I decide to wait a little longer, there is no reason to panic. Dredging up the lake could take hours. Even then, she might want some time to process. Since she learned she wasn’t doomed to darkness forever, she’d been getting up earlier and staying up later, enjoying the rays of sun she thought she had lost forever. I make a mental note to get a phone for her as soon as possible. We’ve been soinvolvedwith one another that it hasn’t been a priority.
Eleven in the morning, and I am officially losing my mind. “I’m going to go look for Wren,” I tell everyone, unable to contain myself anymore. Charlee wordlessly joins my side. I nod, and we make our way outside. Keeping to the trees in case the humans were still around slows us down, but we are still making decent time.
Silence forms between us, and that unsettles me even further.
Charlee is a quiet woman only when she is deep in thought. The fact that she is silent now speaks volumes to me. She and Wren have grown so close that sometimes I wonder if she’s as protective of her as I am.
A jolt of fear, pain, and anger forces its way into me. The whisper of words edge my mind, but they aren’t clear enough to make out what Wren is saying. I get the distinct impression that she is in trouble, but where?
I freeze in place, and Charlee doubles back, waiting.
My awareness reaches into the sensation of Wren’s emotions, and I try to see if I can use it to sense where she is. I have a strong urge to go straight to the road, ignoring the risk of humans. Pointing my feet diagonal to our position, I take off, “This way!”
Running at full speed, we reach the site of the accident in minutes. My eyes run wildly through the trees, searching for any hint of Wren. There’s no sign of anyone, human or vampire though her scent lingers. Her sweat, the smell of sweet honeysuckle, and… her blood.
A small puddle on the ground, of what is definitely Wren’s blood. Sitting in the pool are small white rocks. Compelled to pluck one from the ground, I hold it up and examine it closer.
A tooth?
One of Wren’sfucking teeth!
There are two others on the ground as well.
Forcing my panic from my mind and into my gut, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Wren, blood, and… gasoline.
Something else, something familiar. Flashes of a blood-crazed maniac ripping into any human he could sweep across my vision. Emerson.
“FUCK!” I yell, my hands going to my head in distress. Emerson had come for us, found her first, and taken her. Pride that she fought as hard as she did swells within me. She slowed them down enough that they had retreated instead of continuing to the house for a larger fight. That means I can find her, and I can save her.
Certainly, it couldn’t have been his goal to steal Wren. He wouldn’t have known she was out. No, it is a sick coincidence that she was on this road when he and his henchmen arrived. I look towards our home. This road gives great cover for vehicles and would have allowed Emerson and his men to make their way to the house undetected.
No, this was an impulsive reaction.
Emerson had seen an opportunity, and he took it. Hell, he could probably smell me all over Wren, which undoubtedly made it all the more exciting.
Charlee examines the plant life around us. Broken branches, strange sliding marks in the dirt, blood that smells distinctly vampire but isn’t Wren’s. There had been a fair number of people with Emerson. They ganged up on her like the weaklings they are. “We’re going to get her back, Oz.” I watch my sister’s face reflect anguish similar to mine. “We’ll find him and tear down everything he’s built. Watch as it falls around his head. And then, we’ll make him suffer.” Through her tears, I can see her seething rage. Nobody hurts our family and gets away with it.
Returning to the house doesn’t take very long, and we relay what we learned to the others. Everyone is on board to follow me into the city and take back our family. If they are dead, I don't even want to think about that possibility. Though if they are, I won’t rest until I carve Emerson up the same way he carved up Roanoke.
We load up on weaponry. Everyone has a fully automatic rifle and a pistol or shotgun, depending on their style. I will rip holes through every last one of them to get to Wren and Leland.
Rolando bursts through the door, looking like absolute shit.
Charlee jumps and rounds on him. “What the fuck?”
He looks like he is about to fall over.
“Nice to see you too.” He doesn’t fall so much as slides down the door. I close the distance between us, biting my wrist and offering my blood to him. He doesn’t hesitate and drinks deeply.
Taking the blood of a well-fed vampire healed our kind quicker than regular human blood. It doesn’t satisfy hunger the way human blood does, but healing is what we use it for the most anyway. Immediately Rolando’s wounds begin to close, and strength returns to his form. I would be a little weaker, but I intend on eating before we attack.
“Whathappened?” I pull Rolando to his feet, my eyes search his for an explanation.
