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“Vegas?” They had met many people in Vegas. “Is it the Hunters?”
“But why here?” Felix paced, looking back and forth as though it would help him remember. “If the Hunters are experimenting with something, why not take the vampires and shifters to a Hunter base?”
“And they knew we were coming,” Nikolas added thoughtfully. “The cages opened once we got here.”
They looked at each other, no closer to the answer than they were before.
One thing was for certain: they had to return to Vegas.
Gabby sighed and swept her gaze over the cages. “We can figure it out later, but what do we do with them? We cannot leave them here.”
“But we can’t bring all of them,” Nikolas said. “We have enough tranquilizers and chains to take the vampires, but the shifters…” He shook his head.
“Let’s take the vampires.” She would not leave Maria behind. “Can we contact the nearest pack? See if they can send someone.”
Nikolas nodded. “I can do that.”
Gabby found Andrea on the other side. “Can you block the cave’s entrance? That way, no one can grab them while we are gone. We’ll come back for them later.”
“Yeah, I can.”
“Thank you.”
They made quick work of re-tranquilizing the vampires and chaining them up. Conrad yanked off a thick tarp covering a few cages in the corner. They cut it into three large pieces and wrapped their captive vampires in them.
Ahmed hugged and kissed Maria despite her unconscious state. Wetness tracked down his dirt-smeared face.
“Let’s go,” Nikolas said before Gaby could comfort Ahmed.
Ahmed wiped away the tears and lifted Maria while Conrad carried the other two, one slung over each shoulder.
Once they were outside the cave, Andrea turned back to the entrance. She spread her feet shoulder width apart and clapped her hands together. A yellow-green glow surrounded her, extending from her feet up to her head. Gabby noted Andrea had taken off her shoes at some point.
The ground at the cave’s entrance rumbled. A wall of stone and dirt rose until the cave entrance was no more. If Gabby hadn’t been inside the cave herself, she’d never have known its existence.
“You are amazing.” She breathed a sigh of relief.
They took off in the same order they’d come in, except with three captives in tow. Once they made it outside, without triggering any more traps, Conrad stowed his two vampires in the back of the van while Ahmed settled with Maria in the backseat.
Gabby gladly took the bottle of blood Felix handed her and drained it to replenish her strength.
“Back to the town, or to Haven?” she asked Nikolas as she climbed into the van. This time, Andrea joined their car while Conrad and Ahmed took the other vehicle.
“Haven. It’s safer and we have more supplies. I already asked Eliza to transport the ones we caught yesterday to Haven.”
Nikolas really thought of everything. What would she do without him? Gabby worried her lips and flickered a quick glance at Felix. If she and Felix got back together, what would happen to Haven and Eden? They could combine the two Houses, which would make them either the largest or second largest House not only in America, but possibly the entire world. Did they want the attention or challenge?
Would Nikolas stay with her? She’d never thought he would leave her, but how would he feel about being second-in-command once she and Felix ruled together? He’d been running Haven for four centuries without anyone else’s interference.
Nikolas was the most centered and stoic vampire she knew, but he was still an Ancient. Would he submit to their rule? Or would he leave to build another place for himself? Nikolas had guarded her for centuries. Perhaps it was time to let him go.
What’s wrong?Felix asked, sensing her sudden melancholy.
I will tell you later.After she untangled her feelings on the matter.
Once they arrived at Haven, Nikolas called the nearest shifter pack while Gabby and Felix, with Conrad and Ahmed’s help, transferred their prisoners to Haven’s basement. She would’ve joined Nikolas in calling the shifters, but she had no mental energy left to deal with the politics. Another thing for which she had to rely on Nikolas.
One day, she’d pay him back for everything he did for her and for Haven.
