by Deanna Chase
The biggest problem was that the house was huge. If Pandora was in there, we’d have no idea where to start. And judging by the steady stream of shady-looking shifters who’d been keeping guard all day, we’d have plenty of resistance on our hands.
“I think if we wait until after midnight, we’ll have our best shot of extracting her,” I said. “We can take the guards out one by one, or at least try to, then make our way inside.”
Allcot glared at me. “We don’t even know if she’s in there. I’m not waiting that long to find out.”
“She’s in there,” I said. “There’s no doubt.”
“And how do you know that, Kilsen?” he asked in a harsh whisper. “All we’ve seen so far are shifters who look like they haven’t bathed in two months and that piece-of-shit shifter leader Bandu. When I get my hands on him, I’ll—”
“See that shifter standing on the porch?” I pointed and added, “He’s got dark hair and a scratch across his face.”
“Who the fuck cares?” Allcot was rapidly losing patience.
I couldn’t say I blamed him. If I thought Willow was in there, I’d have been hard-pressed to keep from charging in as well. But we were only two people. Sure, a powerful vampire and a powerful witch, but by last count there were at least a dozen guards and who knew how many were inside. We’d seen enough come and go that it was impossible to tell.
“You should,” I said. “He didn’t have that wound when he walked in. Four scratches all lined up perfectly. You know where that type of wound comes from? One pissed-off vampire. I’d say Pandora is itching to hand them their asses just as soon as she gets a chance.”
Eadric squinted, studying the shifter through the bushes. “I’ll be damned.”
“I daresay you already are,” I said with a snicker.
He ignored me. “Fingernail scratches. And that’s not the only wound he has either. Look at his neck.”
My vision wasn’t quite as good as Allcot’s, but I could vaguely make out the red-tinged mark. “Fleur-de-lis. Pandora’s cursed ring?” I guessed and squinted at a couple of other shifters who wore red nail marks. Now that I knew what to look for, they were easy to spot. The fleur-de-lis mark was on almost all of them, as if she’d purposely branded them all.
I grinned at him. “She’d holding her own.”
“Of course she is.” Allcot scoffed. “My Pandora doesn’t take shit from low-life shifters.”
“Or anyone else for that matter,” I said, fueling his pride in the woman he loved.
He glanced at me, his eyes hooded. “You’ve got that right.”
I chuckled. No one would ever accuse Pandora of being weak. “So, now that we know she’s here and obviously holding her own, I think it makes sense to plan our attack for the least resistance. We could even call in backup,” I added. “Your security crew.”
Allcot shook his head. “No. They’re tied up protecting the compound and everyone else who lives there.”
“Right. Of course.” I’d almost forgotten that Willow’s nephew, Beau Junior, and his mom, Carrie, lived in the mansion. If not even Willow and Talisen were safe from this cult of crazies, who was to say the group wouldn’t take Beau and Carrie as well? I considered calling Dax but decided against it. Not with the way we’d left things earlier. And not without knowing just how loyal he was to the pack. I wanted to trust him, but couldn’t shake my lingering doubts. “All right. Just the two of us then. How do you want this to go down? I could go in first, be the distraction if anyone is awake while you search for her. Or we could both go in, guns blazing so to speak.”
He glanced down at my ankle where I kept the tranq gun strapped under my jeans. “Does it work on shifters?”
“Work? Depends on what you mean by work,” I said. “Most probably wouldn’t survive the dose, though when I see Bandu, I think it’s going to be hard to hold me back.”
“You won’t need it. I’ll end him if he shows his face again,” Allcot said with a snarl. “That bastard went way too far.”
“He had help, you know,” I said. “Carter Voelkel has his hands all over this.”
“Voelkel. Don’t worry. I have plans for him.”
On the surface, Allcot’s words were pretty innocuous for a pissed-off vampire, but his eerie, sinister tone was what sent a shudder through me. Dante had called Pandora crazy, but I could only imagine what Allcot would do if anything happened to her. Mass destruction came to mind.
Beside me, Allcot stiffened then his cold hand rested on the back of my neck, squeezing just enough to make me uncomfortable. Link jumped up and let out a low growl, warning Allcot. The vampire ignored him.
“What are you doing?” I demanded in a whisper, recognizing his action as a subtle threat. For what, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t having any of it. We’d formed a tentative partnership, but I wouldn’t hesitate to walk if he overstepped my personal boundaries. “Remove your hand, or we’re going to have a problem.”
“Not until you tell me what your partner is doing here. If he was in on this from the beginning, I don’t think I have to tell you he’s a dead man.”
“What? Dax is here?” I glanced around, my gaze searching each one of the shifters milling around out front. He was nowhere I could see him. “Where?”
“Behind us. His scent is making me nauseated.”
I spun, twisting out of Allcot’s grip, knowing he’d let me go. If he’d been serious about holding me in place, I wouldn’t have been able to move at all, at least not without breaking a sweat and casting a spell or two. It took me a moment of scanning the adjoining property, but then I spotted him. He was standing next to a large oak tree, watching us.
Our eyes met and he bowed his head slightly in what appeared to be a silent apology. A weight, which I hadn’t even realized was there, lifted off my heart, and I sent him a slight smile as I raised my hand and gestured for him to join us.
Dax glanced behind him and made a gesture of his own. I stiffened. What the hell was this? Some sort of ambush? But when I saw Leo pop out from behind the tree and the pair of them started to make their way toward us, I blew out a breath and forced myself to relax.
Allcot was silent as he watched the two shifters approach, but his body was alive with destructive energy. I knew that if Dax or Leo said one wrong word, we were going to have a problem.
“Just hear them out,” I whispered to him. “We don’t know why they’re here yet.”
“Earlier in the day your boy toy seemed pretty loyal to that trash Bandu.”
“Maybe he’s had a change of heart,” I said, praying that was true.
Dax stopped a few feet in front of us and whispered something to Leo. The young shifter took a step back, flanking Dax on his left. Link trotted over to him, sat down, and leaned into his leg.
“At least someone still trusts me,” Dax said with a smile, patting Link’s head.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” I asked him, crossing my arms over my chest.
“No. But I do owe you an apology.” Dax held my gaze. There was sincerity there and a hint of regret. “It turns out Bandu isn’t exactly who I thought he was.”
“No fucking kidding,” Allcot said, his eyes blazing. “He’s in there right now. Or did you already know that? Did he summon you? How did you find us?” Allcot turned his attention to me. “Did you tell him we’d be here?”
“No,” I said, startled by his accusation. We’d been together all day. Surely he would’ve noticed if I’d contacted Dax. But the vampire wasn’t his usual rational self, and that was completely understandable considering the circumstances.
I turned to Dax. “Exactly how did you find us?”
Dax jerked his head toward the round circular driveway. “See that Jeep over there?”
“Yeah.” It had pulled in about ten minutes ago, but the shifter who’d been driving had been cloaked in a hoody. He’d been unidentifiable.
“It belongs to Dali, who just happens to be Bandu’s nephew. I learned that today
, by the way,” Dax explained. “We followed him here after learning that Bandu was going to be out of pocket for the next few days.” He glanced over his shoulder at the younger shifter. When he turned back around, he addressed Allcot. “This is Leo. He can confirm everything that happened at the gala was a setup.”
Allcot swept his steely gaze over the kid. And when he spoke, his words were filled with venom. “You knew about this?”
“God no,” Leo said, holding his hands up. “Nothing like that. I did not sign up for this bullshit. All I wanted to do was keep people safe. This…” He waved a hand at the house. “I don’t know what that is, but abducting people, especially good people like Willow and Talisen, is unforgivable.”
“Do you think Willow and Talisen are in there?” I asked, hope and skepticism warring for dominance in my mind. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“We don’t know,” Dax said. “But we’re pretty damn sure the abductions were coordinated. Here’s what we do know: Dali asked Leo to start shit with the vampires then he disappeared. Carter Voelkel turned himself into bait for you, and then he made damned sure you were able to find him even when he had the chance to escape. We learned today that Bella Jaxon is an eyewitness to Pandora’s kidnapping.”
Allcot nodded, confirming he’d already been aware of Bella’s knowledge.
“From her description, Leo here was able to identify that wolf.” Dax nodded again to the Jeep. “It’s Dali, Bandu’s nephew. Dali doesn’t do anything without the go-ahead from Bandu.”
“Yeah, he had me cause a distraction with those vamps at the gala, then he disappeared,” Leo said, still vibrating with anger over the realization he’d been used. “If Dax hadn’t been there to step in, I’d have gotten my ass kicked from here to Mississippi.”
Allcot bared his fangs and took a step toward Leo.
The kid put his hands up again. “I didn’t know what the distraction was for. I swear. Dax thinks Pandora’s abduction was just a distraction to keep us from finding those two fae.”
It was my theory as well. I met Dax’s gaze and nodded. We were once again on the same page. “And if that’s the case…” I trailed off, not sure I should voice my suspicions.
“It means the Crimson Valley pack is perfectly fine with the blood ritual that is supposed to happen on Asier,” Dax said. “They are either part of the cult, or they are willing to sacrifice Willow and Tal in exchange for Pandora and the chance to wound Allcot.”
Everyone was silent as we all stared at the Cryrique leader. Allcot’s eyes blazed and he said, “If anything happens to Pandora, they’ll all wish they’d never set foot in my city.”
It wasn’t a threat. It was just the truth. Allcot turned back to stare at the house again, and I cleared my throat before addressing Leo.
“So you realized Dali is in the inner circle and you followed him here,” I said. “How did you find us?”
Dax’s eyes gleamed. “Reconnaissance. And the fact that you chose the best place to watch the house without being seen. There’s a reason we make a good team, Phoebs.”
I chuckled and held my hand out to him. He took it and squeezed, then pulled me against his wide chest for a quick hug.
“We’re going to find them. I promise,” he whispered in my ear. “And bring Bandu and his thugs down in the process.”
“Allcot has dibs on Carter,” I said.
“He’s welcome to him.” Dax pulled back and smiled down at me. “Are we good?”
“Good.” I nodded.
“Are you two done yet?” Allcot asked. “As touching as this little reunion is, Pandora is waiting.”
I stepped back, my face burning with embarrassment. Of course Allcot was right and the fact that Dax and I had been anything except professional in front of him was unacceptable, not to mention humiliating.
Dax, on the other hand, seemed to not give a shit what Allcot thought and said, “We have a plan.” He glanced at Leo. “Are you ready?”
The younger shifter nodded. “Yep. Let’s do this.”
19
“What plan?” Allcot demanded, his muscles twitching in agitation.
I tilted my head and stared up at Dax, waiting.
He winked at me and said, “Leo here is good friends with Dali. We’re going to send him in first, let him get the intel we need, and then the four of us will decide the best way to take them all out.”
I nodded. It was a good plan, especially if Leo was able to keep cool. “Are you up for this, Leo? Can you handle it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, standing tall. “The pack has been feeding us bullshit about being morally superior, and now look at them. The hypocrisy is disgusting. I won’t stand for it.”
I smiled at Dax. “Looks like you’ve found a passionate one.”
“Most young shifters are. And when the rest of the pack finds out about this, there’s going to be a massive revolt,” Dax said.
“How do we know he won’t warn them we’re here?” Allcot asked, still staring at the house.
“Because they’ll either kill him or lock him up if they find out he brought me here,” Dax said. “And if they think for one minute he’s working with you, it’ll definitely be the end of him.”
Leo swallowed.
I wrapped my hand around his upper arm and squeezed. “It’ll be okay, Leo. We’re here, and if anything goes off plan, we’ll storm the mansion.”
Allcot snorted his displeasure.
“Of course, some of us are ready to storm it now. So the sooner we get on with this, the better,” I added.
Leo turned his attention to Dax. “I’ll go in, take pictures if I can, and come right back out. Give me twenty minutes. If I don’t return or text, come in after me.”
“Ten minutes,” Dax said. “And if there seems to be any unusual activity, we’ll make a judgment call. Got it?”
Leo nodded and did a complicated hand clap with Dax. Then he slipped from our spot in the vegetation. It wasn’t long before he was strolling up the front walk as if he owned the place. One of the guards stepped in his path, stopping him, and I sucked in a breath, holding it while I waited to see what would happen. But it wasn’t long before the guard stepped aside and waved him in.
“Damn, he’s pretty good at this,” I said. “No nerves. He’d be a good recruit for the Void.”
Dax nodded and draped his arm over my shoulders. “He has conviction, that’s for sure.”
I stared at his hand resting on my shoulder. While I knew we were crossing a line in our professional relationship, I didn’t care. Not in that moment. I was coming to realize that Dax was the one person I could truly count on, and it felt good to just have that connection.
A few minutes ticked by, and I started to get antsy. There was no reason for my unease. The guards were just standing around, unconcerned. Dax’s phone hadn’t buzzed. The house was quiet and no lights had gone on or off. Everything appeared to be just as it had been… until it wasn’t.
Suddenly a piercing alarm went off in the house, lights flooded the grounds, and the guards shifted without warning.
“Fuck me,” Dax said, already pulling his shirt off. He was going into full-on wolf mode. If he was going to battle the wolves already heading for us, he had no choice.
Allcot didn’t hesitate. He flew through the air, more than ready to get down to business. Dax and Link followed, jumping from the vegetation at the same time. I, however, touched the sun pendant I wore around my neck, closed my eyes, and said, “Cloak me in darkness.”
My palm started to burn where the small silver pendant touched my skin, and then suddenly the magic was crawling all over me as I gritted my teeth to endure the sting of it. The burning sensation intensified and ratcheted up to almost unbearable levels, and just when I didn’t think I could endure it any longer, a sweet rush of coolness coated my skin.
I let out a long breath and stepped out of the brush, confident the wolves could no longer see me. The cloaking spell was something I’d recently d
iscovered and was a useful one but not something I could use regularly since it didn’t work on vampires. Vamps were creatures of the night—they could see right through it. But the wolves? They couldn’t, and that made the spell perfect for our mission. I just hoped the house wasn’t full of cult vampires, otherwise I was going to be screwed.
Either way, I’d deal with it.
The front lawn of the mansion was in utter chaos. Link was busy fighting off two shifters. Dax had his jaws around the neck of one and simultaneously used his back feet to kick out and fight off another. One was lying off to the side, breathing heavily with blood pooling around him. It was already a bloodbath, and the fight had barely started.
I walked silently through the carnage and right into the big house. Soft yellow light illuminated the deserted parlor, showing off the ornate, velvet sofa and armchairs. A large portrait of a vampire band hung above a fireplace. The only other decor was an abundance of white roses. Interesting.
A loud crash came from upstairs, followed by a scream.
Pandora. She was screaming for Allcot, panic in her tone.
I reached for my cursed dagger and ran. On my way up the stairs, I was almost bowled over by a wolf making a break for it. He had blood matted in his fur and panicked, wild eyes. I flattened myself against the wall and prayed he wouldn’t feel me.
I was lucky. The shifter flew right on by, unaware I’d been right next to him.
The house was filled with battle cries, snarls, and crashing furniture, making it unnecessary to be quiet, and I ran full out, trying to find Leo and Pandora. Allcot could take care of himself.
At the top of the stairs, I paused and listened. Altercations were happening from both directions. Pandora’s screams filled the hall, and I made my choice. I ran down the hall and burst into the nearest room.