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It wasn’t just me who was affected. My wolf, always intertwined with my emotions, was desperate. I could sense her restlessness, her fear of losing her mate. Combined with my own fear, it created a potent mixture of anguish and desperation. She howled, a despairing plea echoing through both of our minds. The thought of Ridge being torn away from us igniting a fierce determination to protect him. I forced myself to focus on what I could do to save him.
He’d saved me from becoming feral, from a life of running endlessly from hunters. Now it was my turn to save him.
“Let’s get him to the van then,” I said. “We can’t waste any more time.”
Dean and Jaxon picked Ridge up, carrying his unconscious, limp form between them as I led the way to the rental van. Each step was like an eternity as I impatiently urged them on, willing them to move faster.
“Is thereanythingI can do to help?” I pleaded, my voice cracking. Tears were streaming down my face, blurring my vision as my emotions clogged my throat. “I can’t lose him,” I whispered.
“First, we need to find a cure.” Jaxon’s voice was steady, but it held an underlying sense of urgency. “We’ll get through this, Tori. We’ll save Ridge.”
His words were meant to comfort me, but they did little to quell the fear gnawing at my gut. I had no idea how to go about looking for a cure or what it even entailed. It was as if we were trying to keep sand from slipping through our fingers, but I held on to every fragment of hope.
“Let’s focus on getting him somewhere safe,” Dean added, his expression grim. “Time is not on our side.”
Kyle was standing outside the van. He must have been watching for us because he came limping over to help. His face bore a clear mix of concern and worry, further fueling my own fears.
Hanna, Camila, and Gabe were in the van, their wide eyes filled with relief and lingering fear. Hanna’s expression shifted to horror as she took in our appearance. We were covered in dirt and blood, our clothes torn and tattered, our bodies bruised and battered. They took in Ridge’s unconscious body being carried by the three men.
Camila’s smile went from one of relief to terror when she saw Ridge. She scrambled out of the van to his side. “Mr. May…Ridge, are you okay? Can you hear me?” Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by her desperate sobs. Tears spilled from her eyes. “What’s wrong with him? Why isn’t he waking up? This is my fault. I’m so sorry, Tori. He got hurt because I made him promise to help me.”
Fuck, no. With everything she’d been through, the thought of her blaming herself for Ridge’s injuries didn’t sit well with me.
“Camila, you are not to blame for any of this.” I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Did you hurt Ridge?” She shook her head. “These were bad people. They did this, not you. Do you understand, sweetheart?” She threw herself into my arms, nearly knocking me over, and I wrapped my arms around her. Over her daughter’s head, Hanna mouthed a silentthank youto me.
Needing to be with Ridge, I gently extricated myself from Camila, who went to her mom. I was moving to the back of the van so I could get to Ridge when Kyle grabbed my arm. “I’m going to move the injured vampire into the empty hotel room.”
“Why?” I asked in surprise. “What the fuck does it matter? Leave him lying in the road for someone to run over.”
“Come on, Tori, think about it. We can’t leave what, for all intents and purposes, looks like a dead man in the road, only for him to be taken to the morgue or something. What happens when he heals and wakes up in a freezer?”
Loath as I was to admit it, Kyle was right. We couldn’t risk humans discovering a vampire.
I looked at my brother, who was staring right back at me. “Sorry, Kyle, you’re right. Put him in the room, but be careful. You’re injured, too.”
I watched as he limped off to move the stricken vampire. I hoped he gave the asshole a few good kicks before he lefthim in the empty hotel room. It was better than the undead motherfucker deserved.
Now I really needed to get to Ridge. My wolf was urging me to be by his side. I made my way to the back of the van, where Dean was using the light from his phone’s flashlight so Jaxon could examine the bite.
“Dean,” I said, barely more than a whisper. “How do we cure this? What can we do?” I needed answers, anything that could bring a glimmer of hope to our dire situation.
“Usually,” Dean began, his tone cautious, “the blood of the vampire responsible for the bite needs to be applied topically. She’s long gone by now, and tracking her would be a nightmare.”
My stomach churned at the thought, and I was on the verge of losing my shit. Part of me demanded to track down the vampire who’d bit him and pull her teeth out, one by one, before ripping her head off her fucking shoulders. But Dean was right. With her supernatural speed, I’d never catch her even if I shifted.
“A witch could probably help,” Dean continued. “But I wouldn’t know where to find one. They’re pretty solitary women. If they don’t want to be found, then good luck finding them.”
Hope flickered inside me, pushing through the overwhelming despair. Lola had magic, but would we be able to get back to Blackwood Creek in time?
“Please,” I begged, tears forming again as I turned from Dean to my father. “Help me get him home to Lola. I can’t lose him.”
Jaxon regarded me with a solemn expression, understanding the depth of my desperation. “Lola? Is that your friend? The one who just discovered she’s got magic?” I could hear the skepticism in his voice.
“Yes, that’s her. She’s a really quick study, though, Jaxon. She used magic to save Zander Elkins’s life, and she’d only just learned it was real.” I was rambling, and well-aware of it, but Icouldn’t seem to stop. If I stopped speaking, I’d start thinking, and if I started thinking…I couldn’t afford to think, because that just made me despair losing Ridge.
My inner wolf rubbed against me. She was frightened, too, but she was trying to comfort me. Neither of us wanted to think about losing our mate.
Jaxon pulled me into his arms and held me. “I’m sorry, my girl. I didn’t mean to sound dismissive of your friend, but Ridge needs someone experienced.” Jaxon fell silent, apparently choosing his words carefully. “There is a witch…I don’t want to make any promises, Tori, I don’t even know if we can get to her in time…but there is a witch I know of in Toronto. She owes me a favor. If we take Ridge’s private jet, we could be there in less than two hours.”
