He put his fist through the mirror, smashing his snarling reflection into smithereens.
Rebecca had woken up screaming in the middle of the night. It hadn't been a nightmare. Phin had been misted into her room. He hadn't come through any door or window.
Levi let out a terrible roar. His oversight had cost him dearly. It might even cost Rebecca her life.
Rebecca had been misted away, from under his very nose.
And a werebear's nose was very powerful indeed.
There was only one reason why he hadn't sensed or scented the vampire who had misted Rebecca away.
The vampire who had taken Rebecca was a Master vampire.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Rebecca wheezed and sputtered as the pressure tightened around her throat. Clawing desperately at her own neck, she could only feel her nails digging into her skin. No one was strangling her. Yet, she was being suffocated, slowly but surely.
The mist in the shower had become so dense she could hardly see her own hand. The mist had felt strangely solid against her, wrapping around her like a shroud.
She had tried to call out to Levi, but her voice wouldn't work. She couldn't even breathe.
What was happening? And...where was she?
She tried to calm herself down, get her heart rate to slow down. But first, she had to breathe.
Rebecca finally managed to suck in a lungful of air, and everything cleared in an instant. The mist fell away from her as she gasped and gulped in mouthfuls of air. The invisible fingers that she had felt around her neck slipped away, and she staggered sideways.
When she finally righted herself, she saw a naked bulb swinging overhead like a pendulum. Left, right, left right...the movement was almost hypnotic.
The room was listing and tilting, but she could see dark figures standing around.
“Who are you?” she hissed, shaking her head to clear her vision. “Where am I?”
“Hello Rebecca.”
She spun round at that disgusting, familiar voice.
“Phin,” she spat.
“It's good you can still recognize your husband's voice, and remember your husband's name. I thought you'd forgotten all about me, after humping that big, blond beefcake.” Phin circled her, smirking.
Rebecca bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't have to deny or confirm anything. She didn't have to explain herself to scum such as him. Those days were over. She feared him no more. And she would give him no more power over her.
Rebecca simply stood still and stared him straight in the eye. She didn't even bother trying to cover herself with her hands, even though she was stark naked, fresh out of her shower. Her hair was dripping, and water droplets were slowly trickling down her legs to form a small puddle at her feet.
“Why am I here? How...did I get here?” she said tightly, pivoting on her heel to stare at him levelly as he circled her. It was obvious that he was trying to make her feel like a cornered prey, make her fear him. She had fallen for that trick before. She had been so shocked, and bewildered, unable to fully comprehend how and why the man she had married had morphed into a monster overnight. His violent temper and rages had stunned and terrified her. And he had used her fear and her silence viciously and ruthlessly against her.
Well, now she knew better.
He was nothing but a coward, a monstrous, brutish coward.
She almost laughed aloud at herself. How could she have been afraid of a coward?
What did that make her?
Rebecca flicked her gaze to the silent figures standing in the shadows against the wall, watching them.
“Who are they? Friends of yours?” she smirked. “Somehow I don't think so. I don't think they'd want to make you their friend. Their slave maybe.”
“You!”
She saw his face contort with rage, but he didn't make a move to strike her. She smiled slowly. She was right. Phin was afraid of them, whoever and whatever they were.
She recalled the mist, and the choking sensation. She raised a brow at the realization that she had been misted here. “Are they...vampires?” She gave him a smug, knowing look. “They are, aren't they?”
Phin snarled at her. “Shut up, slut!”
One of the vamps spoke up. “That's enough. Lock her in the back room with the other human. You have work to do, Phin.”
Phin scowled and grabbed Rebecca by the arm. He shoved her towards a small door at the back of the room. Unlocking the door, he pushed her through the narrow doorway. “Get in,” he shouted.
Rebecca stumbled and landed on her hands and knees.
By the time she struggled up, the door had slammed shut behind her.
She felt her way through the darkness to the door, and jiggled the door knob furiously. Scratching and kicking, she attacked the door until she heard a small sound behind her. It sounded like it had come from the far corner of the room.
Rebecca whirled round, putting her back to the door. She squinted but she couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness.
“Who's there?” she demanded, glad that her voice sounded stronger than she felt.
“Hi.”
“Is Hi your name?”
“No.” The laugh was gentle. “My name is Oliver Woods. I've been kidnapped by these vamps and I've been sitting in the dark for...I don't know, a day or two now.”
“Oliver.” She took a steadying breath. “What are you, Oliver? Are you human, or...?”
“Yeah. I'm human. Are you human?” His tone was leery.
“Yes. Yes, I am. I'm Rebecca. I...I was taken right out of my shower. I'm dripping wet and I don't have anything to wear.” She didn't know why she told him that.
There was a moment of utter silence. Then she heard movement, and she began to inch away.
“W-what are you doing?” she gulped. “D-don't come any closer! I'm warning you! I...”
“I'm just taking off my jacket,” Oliver said. She could hear him take a tentative step forward. “So you can wear it. I'll just stand here, and hold my jacket out, okay?”
When she made no response, he sighed and went on, “Look, I've been kidnapped and had every inch of my neck pierced by new vamps trying out their brand new fangs. I heard the vamps laughing about it. I'm weak from blood loss, hungry, scared, and regretting I ever let my brother talk me into going to Club Mate. I might not live to see another friendly face. You're the only friendly...voice here, since I can't see your face. I'm not going to try anything funny with you.”
“You...you were at Club Mate?” Rebecca felt her eye twitching.
“Yes. That's where we were attacked. My brother, Oscar and I have never been to a blood bar before, and Oscar wanted to just have a look-see. We didn't stay long. We left after the first act, that fire-eating act. We were just leaving by the backdoor when these two vamps attacked us. Oscar escaped. But here I am.”
“You weren't there to see the strippers?” she prodded.
“No, that's not why we went there. Oscar wanted to see why so many of our human friends frequented the blood bars. They would wear fake fangs and pretend to be vamps or demons. We thought it was kind of stupid, and now that we're been inside a blood bar, we do think it's pretty stupid. These blood bars are meant to keep the vamps and blood demons from hunting humans, from drinking straight from our necks. And yet these foolish humans walk into these bars, giggling and baring their necks for all these blood suckers. They're just tempting the vamps and demons to break the law and bite them!”
Rebecca bit her lip, wondering what Oliver would say if she told him that she was a stripper at Club Mate. She decided to keep that tidbit to herself.
“I gather it's not your scene then,” she said dryly.
Oliver snorted in reply.
Rebecca shuffled her way towards Oliver, using his voice to guide her. Her hand closed around a shaking, thin wrist.
“Ow! Ouch, ouch!” Oliver yelped. “Shit!”
“Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!” Rebecca withdrew her hand immediately. Sh
e hadn't grabbed him that hard. Why would he yell out like that?
“I'm sorry,” Oliver apologized. “It's not your fault. You didn't hurt me. Those vamps did. They pierced my neck, my wrists, my arms...everywhere! I'm like a bloody pin cushion!”
Rebecca gasped. “Oh God, I'm so sorry...”
“Here, take it. Go on.” She felt a soft, warm jacket being shoved at her.
“T-thank you.”
She heard Oliver sigh in the darkness as she draped the jacket around her naked body. The way the jacket fitted her told her that Oliver wasn't a very tall, broad man. He certainly didn't have Levi's build. Instead, she gathered Oliver was rather slim and more or less around her height.
“I really don't want to die here,” he mumbled. “But I wonder if anyone even knows where we are.”
Rebecca felt her way to him. He was sitting down, leaning against the wall, and she slid down beside him. Their shoulders touched lightly.
“The PAC Enforcers will find us,” she said with conviction. Levi will find me.
Oliver remained silent.
“How many of them are there?” Rebecca asked after a long while.
“You mean the vamps? I think there're three or four of them. But only two of them use me as their training cup. So perhaps the rest are going to use you...” His voice trailed off, and Rebecca heard him swallow hard. She heard him fidgeting and swearing softly beside her. After a moment, he suddenly seemed to freeze. “I'm sorry, but what did you say your name was again?” he asked slowly.
“Rebecca.”
“Are you...Rebecca Rose?”
“I...how...?” Rebecca struggled to get the words out. “Y-yes. I am Rebecca Rose, but how did you know my full name?”
“I heard that man mention your name. Repeatedly.” Oliver's tone was cautious.
“Who? What?”
Rebecca could hear the frown in his voice when he spoke again, “One of them isn't a vampire. He's human. I think. But...he seems to have certain paranormal powers.”
“That man is Phin Lester,” Rebecca said.
“Yes, yes. I heard the vamps calling his name. Phin, yeah. When the vamps took me out of this room, I saw him, and he was behaving really strangely. He was just staring at a blank wall, but it seemed like he was seeing something, something only he could see. He kept snarling and cursing, and I heard him scream your name. He said...” Oliver gulped.
“What did he say? It's all right. Just tell me.”
Another gulp. “He said he'd kill you. And your bear lover.”
Rebecca reeled. “How did he...?”
“Okay, I know it's no business of mine.” Oliver took a deep breath and continued, “But I think...he saw you—through the eyes of that bear guy.”
Rebecca started to shake, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “What makes you say that?” she whispered at last.
“I don't mean to upset you. I just thought I should warn you,” Oliver said softly.
Rebecca nodded even though she knew Oliver couldn't see her in the inky darkness.
“Phin Lester is my ex-husband,” she said in a dead voice. “He beat me, all the time. I had to go to the hospital, many times, and each time, I always told them that I'd had a fall.”
Oliver remained utterly silent beside her.
“When I filed for divorce, he tried to kill me. He escaped from the psychiatric ward and came for me. He didn't manage to kill me, but he did manage to put me in a coma. When I woke up, a PAC Enforcer was in the hospital room with me. He had been assigned by the PAC to protect me. He's the bear guy.”
Rebecca hiccuped a sob and she felt cold, clammy fingers reach for her hand. “I'm sorry. I know that's not the words you want to hear, but I am sorry. I truly am,” Oliver muttered.
Rebecca gave Oliver's thin, shivering hand a light squeeze. Everything will be all right.
“Do you know where we are?” Rebecca sniffed.
“I think...we're in some sort of old underground bunker.”
“Makes sense. Vamps don't like the sun, so I guess an underground bunker is the perfect hideout for them.”
“How...” Oliver began and hesitated.
“It's okay. You can ask me anything.” Rebecca shrugged. “What is it you want to know, Oliver?”
“This, um, remote viewing thing. Was your ex-husband able to do this all along? Or did he buy an under-the-counter spell or something from a witch...?”
Rebecca shook her head. “I really don't know. I don't think he had this ability while we were married. We weren't married long, but...no, I'm pretty sure he couldn't see through another person's eyes then. One night, while Phin was beating the shit out of me in our kitchen, he was taken away by a blood demoness to her demon lord. The demon lord drank his blood, and made Phin ingest some of his demon blood. Phin was brought back to the city after the torture and thrown into the psychiatric ward. I suspect the demon blood has something to do with his change, but I really don't know and I really don't care. Phin is a monster, with or without the demon blood in him.”
She could sense Oliver nodding quietly in the dark. “So now the vamps are using your ex-husband,” Oliver said.
“Using Phin? How?”
She heard Oliver release a shuddering breath, before he replied, “To spy for them. I heard them talking, and I gathered...that your bear guy is a PAC Enforcer.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Levi sat at the long conference table in the PAC meeting room and glared at Jett. Why had Jett dragged him into a Council meeting instead of letting him go search for Rebecca? Time was of the essence. He shouldn't be sitting around, listening to a Council discussion when he could be doing something.
Jett was reporting the rogue vampire attack to the Council. “Oscar Woods is in a stable condition, and recovering well. But we still haven't found his brother, Oliver Woods. I sent two of my vampire Enforcers, Faye White and Evan Barnes, after the rogues, but the trail went cold. They traced the rogues to the edge of New Moon City, and then all traces of the rogues just disappeared. Completely.” Jett threw out his hands. “How is that possible?”
Lucas Rieve, the PAC Alpha, turned his eyes to Glenn Constantine, the Master vampire on the Council. “Is that possible, Glenn?”
Glenn nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
“How?” Jett demanded impatiently. “Faye and Evan said those two vamps are fairly young. In fact, from what they gather, they are newly turned. Levi can confirm that. Levi was one of the first at the scene, and he caught their scent. Newly turned vamps always leave traces of themselves when they mist.”
“That's right,” Glenn answered levelly. “But I can mist anywhere, and you won't be able to trace me.”
“Yeah, but that's because you're a Master vampire!” Jett huffed. “What's your point?”
“That—is my point exactly.”
“So you're saying a Master vampire came and misted his two proteges away?”
Glenn sat back and gave a brief nod.
“A friend of yours?” Jett raised a brow at Glenn.
“No. I know all the Master vampires in the city. This one is no friend of mine. Neither is he known to me. I suspect he may be a new Master.”
Lucas rubbed his chin. “A vampire becomes a Master vampire by killing his Master. So this vamp has just killed the vampire who turned him, and became the new Master of that vampire coven. Do you know which vampire coven had a change of Master recently?”
Glenn shook his head. “News spreads fast within the vampire community. News of a new coven Master is juicy gossip, but no such tidbit has been circulating among the vamps.”
“But if the old Master didn't have a coven...” Jett began.
Glenn smiled, acknowledging his point. “That is a possibility. The old Master might have only turned one vampire, or he might have turned many but ultimately only kept one alive. And if that one surviving vampire killed the Master, that vampire would inherit all his Master's powers and abilities and become a Master vampire himself.�
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“That's why those two rogues vamps are newly turned!” Jett slammed his palms on the table. “This new Master is building up his own coven, creating his own vampire underlings! And...he might be the same Master vampire who...” Jett turned to Levi, his expression grim.
Levi was sitting bolt upright, unable to blink or breathe. He stared round the long table, looking every Council member in the eye.
“Rebecca was misted away by a Master vampire,” he said at last, forcing the words through his constricted throat. “Jett is right. I believe it's the same Master vampire who turned those two rogue vampires. And I have a very strong feeling that Phin Lester, Rebecca's ex-husband, is involved with these rogue vamps. He was misted into Rebecca's bedroom by a vampire. I...failed to protect Rebecca.”
He pushed back from the table. “I have to find her. I have to get her back. Before...” Before it's too late.
Jett put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “You can't do this alone, Levi. This involves rogue vamps. It involves the PAC. We are going to find Rebecca, together. Can you...scent her, at all? I know bears can scent their mates, even from miles away.”
Levi shook his head. “No. I can't scent her at all.”
Blake Madden frowned at his cousin across the table. “Every bear can scent its mate. Unless...”
Levi jerked visibly and the two werebears shouted out in unison, “She's underground!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rebecca blinked awake when the door slammed open. She turned to see Oliver raise his head from her shoulder and gape at the open door. Oliver turned to her, and Rebecca smiled back at him. They were seeing each other for the first time.
From the light streaming through the door, she saw that Oliver Woods was a slim, young man, probably in his early twenties, with gentle brown eyes and sandy hair. His face was pale and worried, and he seemed to shrink back when the figure stalked into the room.
It was a female vampire, and from Oliver's reaction, Rebecca knew that she was one of the two new vamps who were cutting their brand new fangs on Oliver's neck and wrists. Protectively, Rebecca tried to move in front of Oliver to shield him.
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