As he tried to draw breath, pain shot through him, amplified when the human pulled the knife out, then plunged it in again several inches above the first wound.
The agony it caused was blinding. But more potent than Caleb's pain was his fear for Emily's life, and his rage at the men who thought to harm her, lending him enough strength to retaliate.
Grabbing the man's wrist without thinking, he turned and slammed his fist into the human's jaw. Sadly, it didn't stop his companion from closing in and kicking his boot into Caleb's uninjured side so hard he cracked several ribs.
Still, Caleb fought, landing another blow before taking a boot to the jaw—and everything grew blurry.
He wasn't sure what happened next, laying on his back while the humans took advantage of his inability to fight back by punching and kicking him wherever they got the chance. Blood spattered across the grass, bones snapped, each blow bringing him closer to a full black out.
“Get off him you sons of bitches!”
Joslyn's infuriated bellow came just as she tackled the masked human away from him. At the same time, a wolf identical to Caleb's lunged at the unprotected man.
Caleb was so dazed he thought their intervention was just a dream, particularly when a radiant female leaned over him. Adriana?
Tugging the knife out of his chest, the fae used her healing abilities on him just as she'd done for Conner earlier. In moments, the warmth spreading through his body renewed his strength, the fog of pain clearing from his mind. With that relief came enough clarity to better perceive what was going on around him.
Not only had Aislinn and Troy accompanied his fae savior to the scene, but the rest of her sisters were nearby, keeping watch on a surprising situation; the ethereal females had bound his attackers in a number of vines sprouting up from the ground.
Additionally, the humans were surrounded by three growling wolves—actual wolves.
Caleb recognized those canines. They belonged to the pack that roamed the hills around his home, which wasn't far from the carnival grounds. So their presence wasn't surprising, and knowing the fae had gotten the animals to help keep those humans subdued felt like poetic justice.
Now it was just a matter of getting The Bastion to arrest them.
As soon as Adriana finished her healing work, Caleb thanked her and sat up, still stained with blood as he turned to his brother and sister-in-law. Neither seemed happy to sit back and allow the fae to keep the humans under watch, but they stood down in favor of making sure he was fine.
Rushing to his side to help him stand, Joslyn remarked, “We heard your howl and came as soon as we could. Are you okay? And where's Emily?”
“Those bastards took her!” Caleb growled, explaining precisely what had happened.
“Oh my god! We have to find her, now!” Joslyn exclaimed.
Caleb was in full accord, heading to the bushes where Emily left his clothing so he could get dressed again. But when he lifted his jeans, he noticed her camera had been tucked away beneath them, still on after she'd used it to take pictures of the van as evidence.
Snagging the item, he stood back and used the controls to preview the most recent pictures taken, drawing out, “Holy shit.”
“What?” Joslyn asked.
“Emily got pictures of the license plate. We can call Josh and have him track it.”
“I'm already on it,” she confirmed, using her phone to call the detective so they could get someone after the van as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, Caleb redressed and used his own phone to call Travis, annoyed when all he got was a voicemail prompt. So he left a detailed message that included the license plate number, then put in a call to Stephan and Maddox to do the same thing.
But ironically, Stephan actually answered the phone despite the remaining daylight hours. “Yeah?”
Caleb didn't remark on how strange it was to get an answer, cutting right to the chase. “Stephan, Emily's been abducted by those assholes, and I might need you and Maddox to track her down at sunset. Where are you guys staying?”
“We're in Atlanta, at the Spire,” he started, then asked Caleb to hold on while he relayed the information to Maddox.
Finally, the vampire said into the phone, “Maddox is calling The Bastion to let them know, and it won't take us long to get there once the sun sets.”
“Yeah, but by then … ,” Caleb trailed, guilt digging its claws into his chest so deeply he was unable to make himself say it might be too late.
What the fuck have I done?
He'd left Emily to fend for herself, hadn't been there to protect her, and now?
The disturbing image of finding her the same way he'd found Fiona surfaced in his mind, and Caleb suddenly lurched forward, dropping his phone as he nearly lost the contents of his stomach.
By some miracle, it all stayed down, allowing him to regain his composure with several deep breaths. But in his heart, he knew the truth. When Fiona died, he'd moved forward by promising not to let history repeat itself. When Emily accepted him, he'd vowed to never let her regret it.
This time? There would be no moving on. Marked or not, if the worst came to pass, and Caleb lost Emily, he wasn't going to make it. I'll only promise to follow her.
During his thoughts, he vaguely perceived Stephan's voice coming from his phone nearby, but couldn't get himself to pick it up again. Such hesitation gave Adriana the chance to step over and lift the device to her pointed ear with something particularly surprising to say.
“Excuse me, are you a vampire?” she started, then went on after a brief pause, “Yes, Caleb's here, and he's worried sick. So I have a proposition for you. I'm a sun fae living with the werewolves in Arkin City, and if you tell me where you are, I'll teleport there, feed one of you blood, and bring you to Caleb now.”
“Adriana?” Troy interjected, but the fae held up her hand to tell him to wait.
“The Atlantan Spire?” she asked into the phone. “I'll be there momentarily, and here's a fair warning; I'm bringing two ferines with me, and they won't hesitate to end you if you get out of line once we're outside the Spire.”
Caleb had worked his way back to his feet by the time she finished, and noticed a look of approval on Troy's face. There was no question that the ferine was biased against all vampires, so he probably appreciated coming along to ensure Adriana's protection.
Proving him right, Adriana hung up and told Troy, “I know, they're vampires, and I hate them, too. But my blood will let them move in the daylight and find Caleb's mate before she's hurt, so it's worth the risk.”
Caleb was in utter awe of this sun fae. She'd saved his life that night, his brother's, and was now making it possible to find Emily more quickly by allowing a vampire to drink her blood.
His gratitude was overwhelming to the point that he had no idea what to say. But she didn't give him a chance anyway, immediately teleporting herself, Troy, and Aislinn to the Atlantan Spire. I'm buying her a carousel of her own once this is over.
Still, the time it took for them to return felt like hours when in reality, only ten minutes had passed. In the meantime, Josh had two lupine police units on alert, and Travis called back to say that he was getting things in gear that very moment.
The remaining fae had even charmed the human captives into admitting why they'd sneaked a container of colloidal silver into a batch of ice used for snow cones; they'd wanted to kill as many lupines as possible to protect humankind.
But all Caleb could think about was Emily until Adriana reappeared with Aislinn, Troy—and Maddox.
Somehow, the vampiress didn't seem at all enthused to be walking in the sun despite the likelihood that she hadn't seen daylight in centuries. Instead, her golden eyes scanned over everyone present until they landed on Caleb, and she reached out, stating, “Come on, we'll reach Emily faster in mist.”
Caleb had never traveled in such a fashion, but didn't hesitate to take Maddox's hand, allowing her to phase into a cloud of vapor—and his pe
rception was completely altered.
Everything around them seemed foggy, yet Maddox moved with immense speed, whipping by trees at a rate he knew he'd never match, even as a wolf. The thought provided him with some comfort—they'd hopefully catch up with Emily in no time.
Still, he had to admit that traveling as vapor wasn't precisely what he'd call fun.
They soon found their way to another paved street, having arrived so quickly that Caleb wasn't certain if it was the same one they'd left. Yet all of his questions over their precise location died the moment a black van came into view in the distance. That's it!
Strangely, the vehicle was stationary on the roadside, and a middle aged woman with long, blonde hair stood at the back, shutting the doors.
At the same time, a man called from the driver's seat, “Damn it, Peggy, are you done yet?”
“Shut up, Sam, I'm goin' as fast as I can! This was a stupid idea, anyway! Poisoning lupines in the middle of a carnival,” she muttered too quietly for the driver to hear—and Caleb had to wonder at their names.
He'd never heard of anyone called Peggy before, but Sam? Was it just a coincidence, or was Sam Gibbons behind the wheel?
Still, the most important question was Emily's current whereabouts. Caleb had gotten a good look inside the van before Peggy shut the doors, and it was empty.
So what the hell had they done with her?
As if to answer his question, Maddox occupied a space by several trees and materialized behind them. Once they were solid again, the vampire informed him, “Emily's not far away, moving in that direction.” She pointed toward the forest. “Go find her, and I'll stop the humans from leaving.”
Caleb nodded and took off without question, already able to catch traces of his mate's scent from where they stood. So he tore his shirt off on the way in order to shift and use the enhanced senses and speed his wolf form offered—and the moment his paws hit the ground, he ran faster than ever.
Thankfully, tracking wasn't at all hard. Not only was Emily's scent strong, he quickly came across her footsteps in the dirt, and the prints were widely spaced, suggesting she was running pretty swiftly. Why, he had no idea, but relief overwhelmed Caleb just knowing she was still alive and at least well enough to possess the ability to run.
Yet a new worry replaced the old in relatively quick time, and all because of the woman they saw on the roadside. She had to be the witch they were searching for, but what reason did she have to release Emily—unless her memory had been wiped.
All they'd need to do was remove her ring of pentacles, and dread knotted in his gut at the thought. What if she couldn't remember anything, including him, and the things they'd shared?
With the distressing thoughts in mind, he emerged from a dense area of trees, rounding the corner of a large trunk just in time to spy his mate, still running through the woods. At the sight of her, his heart flipped in his chest, particularly when she stumbled to her knees, panting for breath.
Her mad dash must've exhausted her, yet Caleb didn't immediately charge over to greet his mate. Instead, he weighed his options on the best way to approach her.
It was extremely likely she couldn't remember the witch, or where she'd been that evening. But if she didn't remember him, would it really be a good idea to emerge as a naked human in the middle of the forest? Maybe a wolf would be better.
Yet Caleb didn't have the time to make a final decision—during his deliberation, he noticed Emily lifting her hand to stare down at a knife clutched in her fingers. Why does she have a … Emily, NO!
He would've yelled the words if he could, watching in horror as she lifted the blade in both hands, and stabbed it down to pierce her own heart.
Chapter 36
—Run, girl. Run as fast as you can, and don't stop until your lungs are about to burst.—
Emily did exactly as bidden, running through the woods without questioning her directions, but she didn't need to question them.
She simply needed to carry them out.
Her movements were so swift that it didn't take long before she was winded. Yet she continued on, running past trees and over rocks, pushing herself hard until she stumbled forward and landed on her knees, rasping for air. My lungs are about to burst. So now what?
Panting, Emily thought back, recalling her instructions easily enough.
—When you can't run anymore, you're going to stab this knife into your heart.—
What knife? Confused, Emily looked down at her left hand to see a sharp, silver blade clutched in her palm, and her eyes widened with delight. That's exactly what I need!
Clutching the hilt in both hands, she took a deep breath of determination, then lifted her arms into the air to follow through.
Without a single pause for thought, she stabbed the knife down at her own chest—just as a loud growl sounded and a swift rush of air hit her left side.
Right before the tip pierced her chest, a large wolf came out of nowhere and knocked her onto the grass. The blow was so heavy Emily lost her grip on the knife, which flew a few feet away.
“No!” she cried. “I need that!”
Without care to look at her assailant, she turned over and scrambled for the blade, knowing nothing more than the orders she'd been given to carry out.
“Emily, no!”
Two large arms wrapped around her, dragging her back across the ground as she tried to grasp the weapon.
“Let me go!” she screamed, fighting back, but it was no use. Her aggressor was much too strong, and she soon found herself rolled onto her back with her wrists pinned above her head.
“Emily! Look at me!”
“Get off me!” she demanded, still staring at the knife—it was so close! “I have to do this! I have to!”
“No! … Emi, please,” came a gentler voice, right against her ear. “Look at me, sweetie. Just turn your head and look.”
She knew that voice, but could barely break her gaze away from the blade she was told to stab into her chest. If I could just free my hands! I could—
A kiss landed against her jaw, then her throat, followed by the words, “I love you, Emily Sterling, and I'll never let you hurt yourself.”
Oh god, I know that voice.
A shiver ran through her when he kissed her ear, adding, “I'll let go of you as soon as you look at me and say my name.”
He'll let me go? Then I can do what I was told! Finally, Emily turned her head to look up at the man above her, his warm, copper eyes so calming she wanted to stare into them all night.
And recognition hit.
“ … C-Caleb?”
He held her gaze for another moment, his face awash in relief. “You remember me?”
“Of course I do, I … ,” she trailed, looking around at the completely unfamiliar area. “Wait, where are we?”
Caleb didn't answer right away, and instead, sat back and helped her up—then hugged her so tightly she nearly couldn't breathe.
Nuzzling her neck, he murmured shakily, “That doesn't matter right now, sweetheart. I'm just so fucking glad you're okay.”
As he spoke, memories were emerging like a morning fog clearing in the afternoon sun. She knew she'd run here, but why? Brows narrowing, she thought back even further, and suddenly gasped.
“Oh my god, I was going to kill myself!”
As if believing her peril was still imminent, Caleb's grip tightened. “I'm pretty sure that bitch hypnotized you to make you do it, just like she probably hypnotized Fiona to do the same thing with her pills.”
Lifting her head back, Emily asked in confusion, “What bitch?”
“The witch wiping people's memories,” he growled. “You don't remember her? Or anything that's happened today?”
“I … I know we were at the carnival, but then Conner was hurt and … Oh!” she gasped, recalling more that had happened with each passing moment. “Sam Gibbons was with them! And Margaret's the witch!”
“That was Margaret? The blonde Sam called Peggy?
”
“That's her,” she confirmed certainly.
Emily's memory of awakening in the back of the van was fuzzy at best, but she clearly recalled Margaret giving her instructions to stab the knife into her heart now.
Yet even that was questionable—hadn't Margaret been reported as deceased?
Relating her confusion to Caleb, he pointed out, “She was, but there's a million ways she could've faked it, too.” Groaning as if irritated by the thought, he then asked, “Is that all you remember?”
“Yeah, aside from her telling me to take that knife and … god, I couldn't stop myself. If you hadn't been here … ”
Realizing just how close she'd come to death, she leaned in to plant several lovingly grateful kisses against Caleb's neck, cheek, and then his mouth—and he wasn't hesitant to return them.
Between kisses, he rasped, “I was fucking terrified when I found out he'd taken you. I shouldn't have left you!”
“But you just saved me, too,” she insisted, clutching him tight with no intentions of ever letting go again.
Yet her statement brought a curiosity to mind over his quick arrival. “Wait, how did you find me so fast?”
“Maddox brought me here.”
“Maddox? But,” Emily glanced at the late evening sky, “it's still daytime.”
“I know, and it's a long story,” he remarked, helping her to stand. “But speaking of Maddox, we need to get back to her. She went after Sam and Margaret, and might need some help.”
Hearing this, Emily immediately agreed. “Okay, just lead the way.”
Caleb nearly turned to do exactly that, but stopped in favor of staring at her in scrutiny. Reaching up to her chin, he tilted her face and asked, “Why is your cheek so red?”
At his question, she recalled the blow that knocked her unconscious, and related, “Sam hit me.”
Lowering his hand from her chin, Caleb's eyes glowed threateningly with his next comment.
“Oh, we're definitely gonna go meet them now.”
Hunter's Moon Page 30