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“Child’s play for the likes of Ell, and by the way, let’s not say his name, or even think it. I know you want to, in order to prove to yourself you can, but don’t.”
“Roger that.”
He smiled. “It’s good to have you back. You have to know I’m not going to be able to keep Kirsten from you for long, but for now, she’s agreed to talk to you over a video connection. Once you’re out of the shower and dressed, we’ll set that up.”
Shapeshifters don’t get hung up on nudity, so I washed my hair four times, scrubbed my body with a loofah all over at least three times, and then finally stepped out and used the toothbrush and toothpaste someone had put on the vanity.
Finally, I dried my body and stepped into the black sweatpants and pale green t-shirt I found neatly folded on the short bench. “I still have a change of clothes in my locker.”
“You’re staying on this level, for now.”
Right, because it had extra-special magical shielding, to make sure no one found me through just about any means.
“How has Kirsten held up?”
I could clearly see the unhappy dragon peering out of Aaron’s human eyes. “She remembered us talking about the town he lives in. She went to his castle and tortured dozens of his people. No one knew where he’d taken you, unfortunately.”
I blew out a breath. Nathan would not be pleased, and I hoped he’d learned his lesson and was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. “And Marco?”
“Loves you dearly. He’s worked deals with half of vampirekind, I believe. I’m pretty sure he’s managed his fair share of torture as well, while he tried to find out where you were, but he also offered some substantial rewards, should someone have information leading to your location. He kept assuring us that you would eventually rescue yourself, if your bumbling backup couldn’t manage to find you.” Another smile. “Turns out he was right.”
“I injured him. Ell had a damned karambit for the ceremony, and hitting the brainstem from the front when the bastard is shorter than you isn’t easy when you have to figure for the curve. Still, it gave me a chance to run from him, and his people were too busy trying to save him, so none of them ran after me.”
“You sure you didn’t kill him?”
“No, but I don’t believe I did. It would’ve easily been a mortal injury for most vampires, but his head wasn’t completely removed, so I figure he eventually healed himself.”
Aaron nodded. “In all likelihood, yes, but we haven’t heard from him since two days after he absconded with you.”
We’d walked into a room with two twin beds, and I sat on a bed and accepted the tablet Aaron handed me. I swiped it on, and Kirsten’s face greeted me.
“Cora! We’ve been so worried! Mordecai flashed you away and told me you had to be checked out before I could be around you! I’m so sorry I couldn’t come with you!”
“It’s okay, and Mordecai’s right to be worried. Aaron has a couple of people lined up to go through my head, and then Marco will go through it last. It’ll probably be a few days before I can see you face-to-face, but this works. It was awful, being separated from everyone.”
I felt her inside me, and said, “Wait! I feel you!”
“Yes. I feel you, too.”
“Ell told me he broke all the bonds inside me.”
“I’m not sure it’s possible to completely break ours.” She smiled. “He isn’t the first person to try and fail.”
No, another powerful vampire had tried to break our bond, and hadn’t been able to. Still, Ell had made me believe he had.
“Everything else is gone, though. I’m not connected to Marco at all, or any of my people. I’m not even certain I’ll still be Alpha.”
“Everything transferred to Ranger,” Aaron said. “Nathan and Mordecai put him in the bowels of Homewood and haven’t allowed anyone to challenge him for the top spot, since we were certain you’d return. Due to the joining of pack and coterie, Etta could stand in as the contact person. You’ll probably want to deal with the three wolves who came calling — one from Atlanta, one from Memphis, and one from somewhere in Virginia.”
I nodded. “So, that means everything should transfer back to me?”
“Yes. A good bit more involved than the process you go through when you leave the realm and return, but the same basic idea.”
“We’re on the clock, then. It has to be done a few days before the next full moon.”
“I don’t see an issue with clearing you long before then.”
I looked back to the tablet and asked Kirsten, “What else do I need to know?”
