Ignite: Paranormal Romance Series (Burning Moon Book 2)

by RK Close

  We left through the back door, and a short time later checked into the Weatherford Hotel. I liked that we were only a few blocks from Seth’s apartment. I sent him a quick text to let him know Simon had returned and where he could find us.

  At three in the morning, I knew he was most likely sleeping, so I didn’t wait for a reply. Tomorrow evening we’d try to locate Douglas before making any further plans.

  16

  I waited anxiously for Seth to call the next day, but he never did. When I rang his number several times, it went right to voicemail. Finally, I called the fire station and asked for his number, but the firefighter who answered refused to give out personal information. He offered to take a message, but frustrated, I hung up on him. He probably assumed I was some crazy firefighter groupie.

  Simon did not understand my concern and assumed that there was a logical explanation. Seth’s disappearance didn’t make sense to me, and I was worried about him. By the time the sun set low enough for me to leave the protection of the hotel, my nerves were shot.

  It was all I could do to keep my movements slow and normal as I made my way along the street toward Seth’s house. I stopped holding back when I reached the stairs. I knocked on the door with an urgency that betrayed my emotions.

  There was no answer. I found the hidden key above the lamp fixture, unlocked the door, and slipped inside. There were definite signs that he’d been there since last night.

  I was alarmed to find his phone sitting on the coffee table. I picked it up and examined it. It was off, so I turned it on. The screen was fuzzy and virtually useless. If he couldn’t call me, would he go to the house?

  I locked his apartment and headed to the house I was supposed to be avoiding. I didn’t make it two blocks before Simon was standing in my way. It was a wonder I didn’t run into him.

  “Get out of my way Simon.”

  “What are you doing, Olivia?” He stared me down. The glow of the streetlamp revealed his frustration.

  Angry, I blew a few loose strands of hair out of my eyes and put my hands on my hips. “I think Seth went to the house.”

  “You cannot go to the house,” he said, still blocking my way.

  “I’m going. Get out of my way, Simon.” I did not want to fight Simon, but nothing was keeping me from going to the house if Seth might be in danger.

  He studied me a moment. “Then I’ll go with you.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’d rather you not put yourself in danger. I’ll go make sure he’s not there. I promise to be careful. I just have to know that he’s safe.”

  He continued to stare into my eyes as if measuring my resolve. “I’m coming with you. If you insist on going, then I’m going.”

  “Are all Jamaicans this hardheaded?” I asked.

  “On the contrary, we are a relaxed and happy people.”

  I laughed. “Let’s go then.”

  We made quick time reaching the house. The first thing that I noticed made my heart turn to ice. Seth’s motorcycle was parked out front. I thought I would die from the flood of emotions that hit me head-on. If anything happened to him, I didn’t know what I would do.

  When we reached the back door, we stopped and listened for any sign of life or movement. A vampire could stay as still as a statue for long periods of time if they chose. The old ones could last for days in the same position, if they chose. It was a creepy thought. Vampires could also detect a beating heart from anywhere in the house if there was one.

  The lack of a beating heart is what unnerved me.

  The stoic mansion was as dark and quiet as it was the night before. But, this time, as we neared the house, I could smell them—the others. Simon and I exchanged a look before proceeding with caution. Simon opened the door, and instantly, I knew Seth had been here too. I prayed he wasn’t here anymore.

  I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell his name. I did neither, remaining silent as I followed Simon inside. Only a few feet into the kitchen, Simon stopped and relaxed his posture.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “They’re gone.”

  “How can you tell?” I wasn’t as convinced.

  “Years of experience.” He began flipping on lights within the house. I stopped when something out of place caught my eye. A note was taped to the fridge that was not there before.

  In an elegant hand was written: Olivia, Let’s play a game. The goal is to free the wolf. If you value his life, you will come to find me. A simple trade. You for the wolf. Tag. You’re it.

  A phone number with a Chicago area code was at the bottom of the note, just below an X. This was where Simon found me, staring at the letter in disbelief and shock, a few moments later. He pulled it down from the fridge and folded it before slipping it into the pocket of his jeans.

  “We need to go, Olivia. We need to leave this town,” Simon said, tugging at my arm. I turned and looked at him as if I didn’t understand what he was saying. There was no way in hell I was leaving without freeing Seth.

  “You do what you need to do. I’m not leaving. I won’t let Seth suffer because of me,” I said in a calm voice that did not match the storm brewing inside me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. He nodded as he gently led me out of the house.

  We first stopped at the address where Jessica lived. I thought that might be the best place to find Liam, but there was nobody home, so we went to the gallery. The lights were on, but the sign said “CLOSED.” I could see Liam, Jessica, and her friend busily working inside.

  “Are you certain you want to do this?” Simon asked.

  “I have to do it.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and knocked on the door. I could see all three heads pivot to look at us through the window. Liam stopped what he was doing and came to unlock the door. He didn’t invite us in right away. I didn’t blame him.

  “Olivia? Simon? What can I do for you?” Liam asked.

  I didn’t know how to tell him. I didn’t know what to say. How could I tell him that, because of me, his brother was in danger? The words wouldn’t come out. Liam stared at me with a mixture of caution and annoyance in his eyes. Thankfully, Simon spoke up.

  “There are some very bad vampires in town, and they’ve taken your brother, Seth.”

  The dark shadows that crossed Liam’s face made me shiver, but I understood him. I knew those shadows well—the shadows of secrets, of always trying to stay one step ahead of an enemy you don’t even know.

  He opened the door wider to invite us in, and we entered the warm art gallery. Jessica and Daisy moved closer with concerned expressions.

  Jessica stood close to Liam and placed a gentle hand on his arm. I could feel the tension rolling off him. I was glad that Jessica was there to keep the alpha grounded.

  “I think you need to talk fast,” Liam said.

  “What’s going on?” Jessica asked.

  “Where is my brother?” Liam demanded.

  “I don’t know. But we found this at our home. His motorcycle was parked out front,” Simon said while pulling the folded note from his pocket and handing it to Liam.

  Liam took the note and read it quickly. He looked up at us in turn. “Why would this happen? Why would they want Seth?” Liam asked. He directed the next question at me, and I felt my fear ratchet as his gaze bore into me. “And why do they want you?”

  I looked down at my hands. “It’s a complicated story.”

  It didn’t take long for Liam to locate Cole and order us all to meet at Cole’s house to discuss the situation. When I walked into the small bungalow-style house, I was surprised by how neatly it was decorated and how tidy Cole kept it. If the circumstances were different, I might have ribbed him about his domestic skills.

  Instead, I felt sick and increasingly overwhelmed by the situation that seemed to only have one option. When we were all together, Simon filled everyone in on the backstory that he and I only recently learned.

  Simon didn’t hold back any details and made it perfectly clear
that Xavier was a vicious psychopath with power. He made Lorenzo seem meek in comparison.

  When he finished, the brothers had many questions. The most immediate concern was where were they holding Seth?

  “We know this town like the backs of our hands. We should be able to locate where they’re holding him within a reasonable time frame,” Liam said, then turned his attention toward Simon and me. “Are you willing to help us look for Seth?”

  “Yes,” I said immediately.

  “No,” Simon said.

  I turned to gawk at him. “Why not?”

  “Because it’s a waste of time. These are not dime-store thugs. They will have made certain they are in a secure location that is not so easily discovered. The only way to rescue your brother is a wish and a prayer. Unless you have a crystal ball, or you’re willing to hand Olivia over to them,” Simon said pointedly.

  Liam growled at Simon, but Simon stood his ground. He was a realist if nothing else.

  “What if we had a crystal ball?” Cole asked.

  I was surprised to see that he was serious.

  “What did you have in mind?” Liam asked.

  “What about Zoey? She helped us before. Maybe she’d do it again,” Cole said.

  “It’s worth asking. I can talk to her,” Jessica said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Liam said, grabbing his jacket.

  “Wait,” I said. “Let me speak to her. This is my fault. At least let me help.” I looked from one face to another. I had ulterior motives for wanting to speak to the witch before they did.

  Liam’s expression was uncertain.

  “Let Olivia go,” Jessica said.

  He glanced at her, then at me. “Fine, but make it quick. We don’t know how much time we have.”

  I gave Simon a questioning look and he nodded. Before I left, I turned back at Jessica. “Thank you.” She nodded once and wrapped her arms around Liam’s waist as if to comfort him and keep him from unraveling at the seams.

  I doubted he would fall apart. He was the alpha of their small pack. But Jessica and Liam seemed to balance one another. I turned to leave without another word.

  Zoey’s apartment was a couple of streets away from Seth’s. By the time we reached her home, it was nine thirty. As I suspected, she wasn’t there. We went to the Burning Moon Bar, knowing we’d find her working.

  When we entered the bar, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be laying low because of the news coverage, but thankfully the small handful of patrons gave us the briefest of glances before going back to their beers and conversations.

  Zoey noticed us right away. I don’t know if she saw something in my expression or if she possessed the power to know things she shouldn’t, but she motioned me to follow her to the back of the bar.

  I looked back at Simon. “Can I speak to her alone? She might be more comfortable with only one vampire, rather than two,” I pleaded.

  “Obviously you know nothing of witches. You should be afraid of her,” he said before going to sit at a table in the corner.

  His words caught me off guard. I really knew nothing of witches, but I figured their power was mostly healing or annoying hexes, something mild in nature. Simon’s comment made me think twice.

  When I entered the “Employees Only” door, Zoey was waiting for me. “What’s happened?”

  “How do you know something has happened?”

  Zoey raised one delicate brow at me. “Really, is this the best use of our time?”

  Point taken. “I need your help.”

  “Can we move past the obvious and get to the issue?”

  Zoey was a bit grittier than I’d realized. It was easy to underestimate her. Maybe that was her power. “Some really bad people have taken Seth hostage, and I need your help to get him back.”

  “People or vampires?”

  “The worst sort of vampires.”

  17

  Seth

  She was standing there, on the edge of the forest. It was dark and cold, but the woman wore the same sundress she’d worn in another dream. She looked sad, and that made my heart ache. I loved her, my mother. I never wanted her to be scared or sad, ever. I started toward her, but she held up a hand to stop me. There were tears in her eyes when she spoke.

  “You can’t come with me, sweet boy.”

  “Please, momma. Why can’t I go with you?” I was a child again, and I wanted her love and kindness to wrap around me like a warm blanket.

  She looked at me for a long moment. “It’s not your time Seth.” Then she faded into the mist as I watched helplessly. I looked all around for her, but she was gone.

  The dream clung to me but was quickly cast aside as the pain in my head took front and center in my consciousness. My skull pounded as if someone was hitting it with a hammer. I could only see out of one eye. The other was swollen shut. Maybe someone did hit me with a hammer.

  Pain ran through my body as if every bone had been broken, reformed, and broken again. The agony was so intense, I fought to stay conscious. I was weak but didn’t understand why. Lying there, wherever there was, I tried to make sense of the flashes of memory. The details were foggy.

  At first, I could do little more than lay there and slowly assess my surroundings. Without moving my body, I used my one good eye to take in the details of the room. I needed to get a handle on my situation and how bad it was.

  Bare wooden rafters and an exposed metal roof, among other details, suggested that I was in an old warehouse or factory. I could tell that it was nighttime because the light from the full moon shone through the massive skylights some forty feet above me. A single light bulb hung in the center of the enormous room. The air was rank with staleness and something else.

  Vampires.

  That realization propelled me to fill in the many gaps as to why I was here. I remembered arriving at Olivia’s home, but I don’t remember much after entering the dark house.

  “You’re awake, I see,” an unfamiliar male voice said in a conversational tone.

  I cautiously lifted my head to see who was speaking. It didn’t take long to find him. A tall well-dressed man in a dark suit and red silk tie stepped from the shadows and into the glow of the single light. As I watched, he moved forward until I could see him clearly. His short dark hair was slicked back from his lean face. Unlike Olivia’s, this vampire’s irises were red.

  “And who would you be?” I asked, my words thick from my swollen lips. I could finally feel things beginning to heal in my body, but it wasn’t an instant process. It would take time, and I didn’t know how much I had--if any.

  The vampire smiled as if responding to a child or some lowly court jester. I knew what I could do to a vampire. One bite and he’d be toast. Just come a little closer buddy, and let me truly make your acquaintance.

  “My name is Xavier. It’s a true pleasure to meet you, Seth McKenzie.”

  I struggled to lift myself onto my elbows, but when the pain became unbearable, I dropped back like a rag doll. “I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you, Xavier. I don’t much like your hospitality.”

  “Forgive me for your rough handling. My people can be somewhat . . . overzealous in their jobs.” He moved closer to me and crouched down so I could see him.

  At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out. “I’d say so.”

  “I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting many shifters. And I’ve lived a long life, my friend. We monitored the local packs and I’ve sent liaisons to keep tabs on them. I’ve met a few, in battle, over the years. But I have never had conversations with one of your sort. It would have been akin to having a discussion with a rabid animal. You’re injured, but I’m not foolish enough to get too close. I’m well aware of what your bite can do to my kind.” He smiled smugly at me.

  I considered lunging at him, but the shackles on my wrists and my ankles would prevent me. He was taking the rabid animal notion quite seriously.

  “What do you want with me?” I asked,
closing my eyes.

  “It’s quite simple, you see. I want what is mine.”

  “And what would that be?” I asked, finally managing to work my way into a sitting position.

  He watched my suffering with a satisfied grin. “Olivia, of course.”

  My heart rate increased, and I seethed with fury when her name came out of his mouth. The look on Xavier’s face told me that he knew his words hit their mark.

  “Olivia doesn’t belong to you or anyone else. If you touch her, I’ll rip your heart out and eat it while you watch,” I said as casually as if I were talking about the weather.

  That’s when the others made themselves known, moving closer as they peeled away from the shadows, like spiders crawling from a crack in the floor. I counted eight, including Xavier, but I sensed there were more vamps than I could see.

  “Let me guess, you’re the big bad boss man.”

  Xavier looked around at his men with a proud gleam in his eye. “You could say that. Does that worry you?”

  I gave him my biggest, cheesiest grin. “No, it doesn’t worry me. Now I know who to kill first.”

  It was hard to tell, but the subtle way the muscles tightened in Xavier’s jaw told me that I’d hit my mark.

  “You are quite insolent. I believe you need to be taught another lesson. The first one must’ve been too soft,” he said, melting back into the shadows. The vampires crowded around me. I wondered what they tasted like. It was time to find out.

  It was difficult, but I came to stand on my own and tested the chains as I did. I found that I had little room to maneuver. They needed to come closer.

  As the vampires approached, I let my wolf loose, but not completely. I worried that, under the circumstances, I’d be more vulnerable in wolf form.

  My mouth filled and elongated to make room for larger teeth—sharp, powerful teeth, meant for ripping flesh from bones. In seconds, my nails grew long and hair covered my body.