“Exactly, and it’s also impossible to break, therefore we can deduct that someone has taken her against her will.”
Benedict slowly nodded his head. Yes, she was taken. Of course, he foreseen this, he knew that it was risky to find his mate, but for Ben, it no longer matter who did what. It was imperative to find Ally so he can assure himself that she was safe. The fact that she was also in transformation made their situation a little trickier.
“Will you assist me, Gabe?”
“Ben, you really needn’t ask. Have I not said, since we were lads, that I would always be by your side no matter what?”
“That was after you stole and broke my wooden train set. You know, I cried for days.”
“Yes, and who was there for you?”
“Bastard.”
“Indeed. Now, where do you want to go with this? And how far do you want to go?”
Benedict shrugged. “I contacted some officials from the High Counc—“
“Right, well, while you go around in circles, I’ll be questioning the Verdons.” Gabe interrupted.
Impatiently, Benedict glared at his friend.
“If you think that I’ll allow you to harass Moira and her family, let me disabuse you from that notion right now.”
The last thing Benedict needed was to upset Moira, who he knew was not involved one way or another. How could she, who was thousands of kilometers away, have known about Ally? She had been visiting her friend for two weeks now.
“I’m telling you, she’s involved!”
“Gabe, what exactly do you have against the Verdons’ House? Why do you have such a grudge against Moira and her family?”
Gabe smirked. How many times had he heard this question? It would have been so easy for him to tell Benedict, to have shared his pain with someone who might understand. To expose the Verdons for what they truly were. But, not today. It could wait. Someone dear to Ben was depending on both of them to get a move on.
He walked across the room. As he reached the door, he shot over his shoulder, “All in due time, my friend.”
Benedict was getting mighty tired of hearing that response.
After Gabriel’s departure, Benedict resumed pacing the lavishly garnished room. He felt helpless, and it annoyed him to no end. With every minute that passed, Ben became more restless and fearful. He knew what could happen to Ally if she was not properly taken cared for during her first few several hours as a vampire.
Maybe it was wrong. The tome he plucked from his father’s ancient library could have had errors. Vampire and human interbreeding was a rare occurrence and little documentation was done on the subject. To make matters worse, most of what was documented was written in the Old Language. Who knew if what was translated was even correct. Perhaps, he was making a bigger deal about this than he should. However, Benedict was never much of a risk taker for the things that were important to him.
Damn it, he muttered softly, taking a seat in the armchair that Gabe once preoccupied. He closed his eyes and tried to focus, tried to reach out to Ally and locate her whereabouts. He allowed his senses to spread outwards, to expand beyond its limit to connect with his mate. Once a vampire bonded with another, the pair shared a unique connection. An ability to sense the other’s presence, emotions, and even, in some rare occasions, to know what they were thinking. However, Benedict was not certain that he could attempt a connection with a transformed vampire. Nowhere was it written that they would be able to share this talent. Yet, he had to try.
Shutting everything out, he concentrated on Ally. Ben squeezed images of her beautiful face, of her intoxicating scent, of the feel of her velvety skin and the taste of her sweet lips. He shook with intensity as he tried to stay focused; he pried, poke and tried his hardest to reach Ally, but he kept hitting a black solid wall. Try as he might, he was unable to connect with her. Was it simply because Ally was not pureblooded, therefore could not be reached, or was someone purposely preventing Benedict from connecting with her? If it was the latter, how were they capable of doing such a thing?
Ben stood and walked over to call an old friend. He needed to confirm what he read earlier was correct, and if it was possible to block a signal. If anyone would be able to give him some advice and answers, it would be the former Historian Archivist from the High Council.
As he was about to pick up the phone, it rang. Puzzled, he picked it up and held it to his ear, listening.
It was Moira.
CHAPTER FIVE
November 1st
7:41 AM
Benedict was glad to hear from Moira. Despite what Gabe thought, he was sure that she had nothing to do with Ally’s disappearance. He was absolutely convinced. He remained unsure about her father and the rest of the Verdons’ family, but Moira truly wanted him to be happy. She was like this ever since they were kids.
Eight decades ago, while they were strolling the grounds of his parent’s estate, Benedict confessed to Moira that he wanted to find his mate. Initially, he thought this revelation would upset her. Her family was looking forward to the union. Benedict recalled her father proudly announcing that the two powerful households in their realm would finally be reunited. Instead, he was surprised when she smiled at him, resting her right hand softly on his arm.
“Benedict, you know that I love you like a cherished brother. Nothing would please me more than to see you happy.” She kissed him softly on his lips. She tasted so sweet. She whispered that it was all right and that she would wait for him if ever he were to be unsuccessful in his search. Benedict was mildly surprise how he almost decided that perhaps Moira would make a better mate than any other women.
Recently, Moira even became inspired with Benedict’s dedication and started reading up on vampire and human interrelationships. She told Ben, unbeknownst to her own family, that she, too, was trying to seek her match. It was for this reason why she went to visit her friend in Argentina. Moira was certain that in order to find one’s mate, it was important to visit every major city in the world. To increase one’s odds, she said cheerfully. Benedict remembered how amused he was when he saw the maps of places she visited and would soon go.
“Hi, Benny!” Moira greeted with gusto. Ben irked. He hated that childhood nickname she imposed on him, but never really bothered to correct her. Now was not the time to talk about it.
“Moira.” Benedict replied coolly. Should he broach the topic of his missing fiancée?
The decision was taken out of his hands when Moira started chatting about her Argentinean friend, Anabella, and how she managed to get pregnant with her true-blooded husband.
Benedict sighed inwardly. He was glad to receive this confirmation. Moira was not in town or in the country when Ally was kidnapped. He would not have to face and probably destroy one of his closest friends since childhood. A huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“You wouldn’t believe how happy she looks. I’m thinking of planning another visit next month. You should come! Argentina is such a beautiful place…”
“Hmmm.”
Moira frowned at his comments. It was rather lackluster. She realized that perhaps something was wrong. If she didn’t know any better Benedict seemed distant.
“What’s wrong, Benny? You seem distracted.”
Benedict smiled. It was funny, how well Moira could sense his moods without being bonded to him. If he never had met Ally, Moira would have made an excellent wife. She was considerate to his needs, even though she should be putting her efforts on another man.
“Nothing, Moira, I guess I have a few things on my mind.”
“Well, let’s hear it. You know it’s not good to bottle things up.”
“I found her.”
“Her? Oh, my God, do you mean your match?” She asked bewildered.
“Yes.”
“Really?!” Moira laughed happily. “I can’t believe it! And just in a nick of time! Wow, Ben, that’s wonderful.”
Benedict stared out the window. The first rays of
sunlight were breaking through the sky. Daybreak, so soon? He turned away from the awakening landscape. He would not torture himself by remembering that a new day would begin without Ally. He turned his full attention to the conversation he was having with his fiancée.
“Thanks, Moira. I knew you would share in my joy.”
Benedict was not surprised by Moira’s reaction. It was just as he expected; she was thrilled and excited for him. Where did Gabe get off blaming her? What was his obsession with the Verdons Household? Ben reminded himself that he would have to get to the bottom of this. He was getting afraid that his friend needed some dire help before his fixation got out of hand.
“Listen, Benny, should I announce the news to daddy? Maybe if I were to let it down to him gently, he won’t have a complete mental breakdown.”
“No, Moira, not yet. Let’s keep this between us for now.”
“But Benny, the wedding is in THREE days! We need to get it annulled before it’s too late.”
Benedict was well aware of the time crunch he was in. He leaned back against the window, shaking his head. If he did not find Ally before the wedding date, than he would have no choice but to marry Moira.
“Our wedding will continue to take place as planned.”
She gasped. “Why?”
Benedict narrowed his eyes. Had Moira lost interest in marrying him? Did she manage to find her own mate? Was there someone else in the picture? Ben shook himself. What did it matter, anyway? Even if she was against their union, it was not as if she had any choice in the matter. None of them did.
“Look, Moira, I have a lot of things to deal with at the moment. As of now, my mate is missing and I haven’t the faintest idea where she is. If I can’t find her in 3 days, than I’m afraid that I will have to move on without her.”
Moira was silent for a while. “Gosh, do you think daddy is involved in this?”
“I verified his whereabouts and he was working on a few urgent cases at the High Court yesterday.”
“Oh, good.” She replied, relieved that her father had an alibi. “Oh, Benny, I’m so sorry to hear about this. What rotten luck! Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Keep your eyes open. If you hear anything about a morphed named Ally or Alice, call me ASAP.”
“You got it!”
Benedict hung up the phone and returned his gaze to his family’s grounds. The sun was fully out and the land was wide-awake. The weather, blissfully ignorant to Benedict’s state of affairs, did not bother to match his mood. The bright cloudless sky promised a day full of warmth and fun. Bitterly, Benedict wished he could block the sun. Darkness was all he could tolerate right now. He wondered if he was doomed to a life of gloom without Ally. If time ran out and he had to wed Moira, would he eventually, once again, find the light in his life?
Shrugging, he knew better than to procrastinate with pitiful questions. He frowned and mulled over the conversation he recently had with Moira. She mentioned Anabella and her pregnancy. Anabella, one of the most beautiful Argentinean vampires he had ever seen. It seem like only a few days ago, he saw her and asked how she was doing now that she moved back to Argentina.
In fact, it WAS a few days ago. He saw her at the high court. Anabella was applying for some sort of document before passing in front of his office. Her exotic beauty and the darker tinge of her skin always took Benedict aback. Smiling, she mentioned how she was excited to be in town for the Halloween festivities.
Benedict whirled around and stared at his phone. How could Moira have seen Anabella, if she was here in town? More importantly, why would Moira fabricate such a lie? Was it a slip of the tongue? Did she mean to name someone else?
“You’re acting paranoid. Don’t let Gabe influence you.” Benedict whispered to himself.
Still… Something was not sitting right. Benedict decreed that it would not hurt to look further into matters.
CHAPTER SIX
November 1st
?:?? ?M
Ally was getting restless. It seemed that they have been locked in this cell forever. God, she wished she were wearing a watch. It was difficult to determine how many hours have passed since she awoke from unconsciousness. Plus, who knew how long she was out.
However, to make matters worse, she knew that she needed something. Something, she refused to admit wholeheartedly to herself. With each and every moment, she felt weaker, sicker and more tired than ever. Do vampires even get tired? Don’t they stay up all night chasing humans around, she asked herself. Instantly, she imagined herself in the woods running after human prey. Hmmm, warm, bloody humans— No! She shook herself. She did not need it. It will pass, she reassured herself. It was probably just the transformation making it seem that she was hungrier than she felt. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to push those morbid thoughts out of her mind, Ally realized that the cravings would not go away.
She wondered if her friends were hungry. How long have they been in here? She guessed longer than she did, since her friends watched as Moira dragged her to the cell. They probably have not eaten since last night. Geez, if only she had some candy bars with her. All of a sudden, a thought came into her mind. Was Moira planning to starve them all to death? Dreadfully, she had a vision of Pam and Trish. They were famished, dehydrated, and waiting for death to take them. Ally cringed.
More than ever, she wanted to break down the iron bars that were confining her and hug her friends. But, would they let her? After revealing herself as a vampire, her friends fell silent. She heard them scuffle in their cell, but conversation definitely came to a halt. How she wished they were not here. Both should be waking up in their own apartments, looking forward to what the day was going to bring. Not dreading yet another encounter with a vampire. Ally hated this. She wasn’t going to allow it. The second Moira decided to grace them with her damn appearance; she was going to ask her to let her friends go. No matter what the cost.
Pam finally broke the lengthy silence. If they were to be locked in this dungeon, Pam wanted to get all the facts straight. What had been done was done. There really was no use crying over spilt milk. Plus, the sooner they come up with some sort of a plan the better. If Ally was truly a vampire, than she must have some super power. Pam was convinced of this notion. If Moira could morph herself into whomever she liked, than Ally must be able to do something cool, too. Hopefully, something really useful. Like laser beams, permitting her to carve out a hole so they could escape this dungeon!
“Ally, are you certain that you’re, um, a vampire?” Pam inquired.
“Positive.”
“D-Did he, like, bite you?”
Ally smiled, amused by Pam’s question. Leave it to Pam to conjure images of Ben sinking his sharp, lethal fangs on her small, fragile neck. Good grief! She probably thought that an obscene amount of blood gushed out of her jugular, presumably to be lapped up by him. Did Pam think Ben was some bloodsucking bastard who transformed her against her will? Ally groaned. Wasn’t this how it was always depicted on the silver screen? Well, Ally was no damsel in distress, and she was certainly no victim. She made her choice. She wanted this.
She straightened up within her cell and began telling how things truly occurred. She told her friends how she unabashedly stalked Benedict from Flambé. How she spied on him while he did a secret gesture to enter a private pub called The Silver Bullet.
Trish sucked in her breath. “Wait, you were stalking him?” She asked in a disapproved tone. “Were do you get such crazy ideas?”
Ally wondered the same thing. “I know it seems a bit out there, but it was like I was being pulled by a strong force. I really can’t explain it, but turning around wasn’t an option for me.”
“Love at first sight?” Trish suggested.
Pam rolled her eyes. “More like lust at first sight, if you ask me.”
Ally shrugged. It could be lust but she had a deep feeling it was more than that. She decided to continue with her story and explained how she encountered a real life Banshee. Aga
in, it took some time for her friends to come around with this new tidbit of information.
Yes, Banshees also exist in this world.
No, she had no idea what other mythical creature they could meet next.
Pam was astounded by her story. Vampires and Banshees? Would Santa Claus make an appearance as well? She snorted. Despite all the dangers, she could not believe that Ally continued to follow Benedict. Could infatuation this intense exist? She thought this kind of passion was fictional. Something that was made-up for girls who were bored with their mundane lives. Was it even safe? By the way she was describing him, it seemed that Ally was addicted to Benedict. God! Pam wanted to shake Ally until her teeth rattled.
“Honestly, Ally, I would have dropped the chase after meeting that banshee. Even so, you continued to follow him. Why? You don’t even fucking know him.”
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