Dillon glanced at Victoria. “Uh, do you think it’s such a good idea to bring her back with us?”
Anger twisted through my gut. “What do you mean?”
“If all the abductions—”
“Moonhaven is her home. End of discussion. Call the others before anyone else disappears.” I marched over to Victoria and brushed some hair away from her eyes. “Wake up, sweetness.”
She stirred, but didn’t wake. In the background, Dillon argued with Brick about calling Moonhaven.
I turned toward them and made an executive decision. “Brick, you make the call.” I hated being like that—it reminded me too much of my father—but sometimes I had to play hardball. I turned back toward Victoria and ran the back of my fingers along her face. “We need to get going. Wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered and then opened. She looked around and sat up. “What’s going on? Where am I?”
“At the Faeble. We need to get to Moonhaven.”
Victoria rubbed her eyes. “Did Tap find anything? I couldn’t stay awake.” She frowned.
“Tap and Soleil…” I paused, not wanting to upset her. “They aren’t here right now. Come on.” I held my hand out to help her up.
“Where’d they go?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Dillon muttered.
Victoria gave me a confused glance.
“They’ve gone missing.”
Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. “What happened?”
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we can’t find them or Carter.”
“You think they’re at the Jag?”
“It’s a good possibility.”
She turned to Alex. “Time to get up!”
The wolf raised his head and looked around.
Brick came over to us. “I just got off the phone with Jet. He’s going to tell everyone else to stick together.”
Victoria grabbed onto my arm. “Is all of this because of me? Everyone who’s tried to find my cure has been abducted—right after my college funds were cut.”
“Or they want me,” I said. “The jaguars used you as bait to get to me, right?”
Her eyes shone with tears. “What do they want with us?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. We need to get back home.”
The five of us, including Alex, hurried out of the Jag. Quinn raced out after us. “What are we going to do?”
“Just take care of the Faeble,” I told him. “That’s what Tap would want—to come back to it exactly as he left it.”
“I can’t run it on my own, and besides, I want to help find Tap, too.”
“We have to get to Moonhaven,” I said. “Find someone to help you while Tap is gone. We’ll find him. I swear to it.”
Quinn frowned. “Okay, but I don’t like it. I’d rather be actively searching.”
“Tap wants his beloved business to be run by someone capable who cares. That would be you. You have my number?”
“Yeah.” He sighed.
“And I have yours.” Something crashed inside. “You’d better get in there before the customers get rowdy.”
Quinn hurried inside. The rest of us broke into a run, heading home.
Once inside, Brick turned to me. “I want to go to the spice shop and look around for Soleil. Even if she isn’t there, we might find clues, but time is of the essence.”
“You’re right. Who do you want to take?”
“Sal, but that would leave you without either of your bodyguards, sir.”
“Take him,” I said. “The rest of the pack and a family of witches are here. We’ll be fine.” I hoped. “Just don’t split up—not even for a moment.”
He nodded. “We won’t.”
“And if you see anything remotely suspicious, give me a call.”
“Yes, sir.” He ran up the stairs.
I turned to Victoria. “Do you need to rest some more?”
She shook her head, but her expression told me otherwise. Dark bands sat under her puffy, bloodshot eyes.
“I beg to differ.” I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “Do you like the purple room? I had you in mind when we decorated that one.”
Her mouth formed a weak smile. “I love it, but—”
“But nothing. You need your rest after the shift tonight. I’ll bring your things in, but first, we need to find Ziamara. I want her in the room with you. Like I said, none of us is to be alone.”
She arched a brow. “Not even you, right?”
“That’s correct.” I turned away from her and listened. It sounded like Jet and Ziamara were in the living room. “Jet! Ziamara! Come here!”
They ran over, and I explained everything. Ziamara helped Victoria up the stairs. Jet and I went outside to load Victoria’s things into her new room.
“I’ll put your things away,” Ziamara told Victoria. “You get some sleep. I won’t need any for about a month, so I won’t take my eyes off her.”
I kissed Victoria’s forehead. “Listen to her and rest.”
She nodded and leaned against me. “I’m sorry I brought all this into the pack.”
My heart shattered. “You did no such thing. It was those jaguars—and our fathers are probably behind them. Once again, we’re stuck in their crossfire. It’s no fault of yours, do you understand?”
Victoria sighed. “I guess so.”
“You’ll feel better after some more sleep.” I pulled the covers up, and she climbed in. “I’m going to be downstairs if you need me, and Ziamara isn’t going anywhere.”
She shook her head. “I’m just going to be unpacking as quietly as possible.”
“Thanks.” Victoria leaned onto the pillow and closed her eyes.
I gave her a quick kiss and tucked the blankets around her. “Sweet dreams.”
Jet wrapped his arms around Ziamara and stared into her eyes, probably thinking sweet nothings that only she could hear. I gave them a moment and then waved Jet over into the hall.
He followed me downstairs. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to have to find a way into the Jag. I’m certain that’s where they’re holding Tap and the others.”
“I don’t suppose you know anyone who can get in there?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
We went into the living room, where everyone else had gathered.
“Is Victoria okay?” Nora asked.
I nodded. “She’s resting now with Ziamara.” I glanced around the group. “In case you didn’t hear—we’re using the buddy system. Nobody so much as pees alone, got it?”
Everyone nodded, but some grumbled.
“I’m serious. Not only have Victoria and I been taken by the jaguars, but now they’ve also managed to get Carter, Soleil, and Tap. One of their own, an angel of death, and a troll king. We’re not dealing with amateurs. They’re probably behind that cursed dead body, and they very likely hold the key to Victoria’s cure.”
“Can’t we find a doctor to remove the mole?” Dillon asked. “No mole, no curse, right?”
“I don’t know if it’s that simple,” I said. “We don’t know what kind of magic we’re dealing with here. Our focus is on getting inside the Jag—using the buddy system. Nobody goes in alone.”
“The vampire royalty offered their assistance,” Gessilyn said. “You just have to tell them what you need.”
Relief washed through me. As much as I worried about seeing the queen, we needed their assistance. “The entire group is going to help?”
“If needed, yes.”
“Gessilyn, you come with me. We need to discuss the vampires. The rest of you, brainstorm ideas. We need as many as possible.”
Chapter 22
Victoria
I woke up feeling rested, which was nothing short of a miracle after the horrible almost-shift I’d endured. I stretched and opened my eyes. Ziamara stood by the window, looking out. Bright sunlight shone into the room, indicating it was late morning.
My things had taken over the room. She’d put up pictures of Toby and me everywhere. My laptop and backpack sat at the desk. My clothes hung in the closet.
All of that meant I could see Toby every day, and that was something I’d wanted for as long as I could remember.
It was too bad I likely only had until the next full moon. I couldn’t see surviving it unless I could actually shift. My bones still ached a little where they had broken and later healed.
Ziamara turned to me and smiled. “You’re awake. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Hungry?”
“Toby’s insisting we don’t let the jaguars make us miss Thanksgiving. Those boys love any opportunity to feast.” She smiled.
I sniffed the air. I could smell turkey roasting and a mixture of side dishes cooking, too.
“I’m going to get a shower before heading downstairs. Thanks for organizing the room.”
“No problem. It wasn’t like I had anything else to do, anyway. Oh, and if you don’t like where anything is, just move it. You’re not going to hurt my feelings.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” And I might only need the room for a month. My throat closed up at the thought, but I needed to come to terms with it. If we couldn’t find the cure, this would be my last month with Toby.
Ziamara’s expression turned to concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“Don’t make me read your thoughts.”
I stared at her.
“Don’t worry, I don’t intrude on anyone’s private thoughts—unless I need to. What’s the matter?”
“Promise not to say anything to Toby?”
“Only if you promise to tell him.”
I sighed. “I’m sure I’ll have to, but I need to deal with the fact that…” My lips trembled and tears stung my eyes. “I might not live through the next shift.”
Her eyes became as wide as saucers. “You can’t give up.”
“I’m going to fight with everything I have, but at the same time—”
“Let’s get you in that shower. Toby says nobody can be alone at all, but I’ll keep my back turned. Grab some clothes.”
I sighed. “Have they made any progress?”
“Some of the royal vampires are coming. My adoptive parents might come, too.” She hugged herself.
“Remind me who they are again.” I pulled some clothes from the closet.
“The king and queen. I haven’t seen them in so long!”
I tried to smile. “That’ll be really great. I bet you miss them.”
“I do. I’ve hardly seen them since I left the castle.”
“Do you think they’ll be able to help us?” I headed for the bathroom.
Ziamara followed me. “They’re really powerful, and they’ve fought all kinds of creatures. I’ll bet the jaguars are nothing for them.”
“So, they can defeat them. Do you think they can get them to give up the cure?”
“They can be really convincing—and scary.”
“I guess we’ll see.” I set my clothes on the counter and started the shower.
She turned her back to me and sat on the toilet lid. “I’ll just be on my phone. Forget I’m here.”
“It doesn’t bother me.” I slid my clothes off and stepped into the stream of hot water.
My mind wandered to my missing friends. I hoped Toby and the guys had come up with something while I slept. The jaguars needed to be taken down. I may not have had any control over whether I could shift, but at least I could put my effort into finding and helping my friends.
Tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision. Toby and I had just reunited. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t we just get married and have our life together?
I turned the shower off. Ziamara handed me a towel around the shower curtain. I dried off and then got dressed while she played a game on her phone with her back turned toward me.
“Okay, I’m safe now.” I toweled off my hair.
Ziamara turned around. “You ready to go downstairs and find out what the boys have been doing all this time?”
“They haven’t checked in?” I ran a brush through my hair and looked in the mirror. My skin was pretty pale—not surprising given the ordeal I was recovering from.
“Nope. I could hear them discussing everything, but that’s it.”
I grabbed my clothes from the floor and went back to the bedroom. My bedroom—for as long as that lasted. A lump formed in my throat at the thought of not surviving the next full moon. I blinked back tears as I put on makeup.
Once I was done, we headed downstairs. Everyone was gathered around the kitchen table, eating and discussing eviscerating jaguars.
“Any news?” I asked.
Toby turned around. His face lit up when he saw me. He jumped up from his seat and wrapped his arms around me. “How do you feel?” He pressed his lips on mine, tasting of bacon and donuts.
“Rested. Did you guys learn anything?”
“Not a whole lot, but some of the vampires are on their way.” He helped me sit in an empty chair next to his.
Jet held out a chair for Ziamara. “There’s no way that anything could go wrong with that.”
“They respect Toby,” Brick said. “And we’ll respect them.”
Toby piled some breakfast food on my plate.
“But no news about Tap or Soleil or Carter?” I asked.
He shook his head sadly. “Nothing.”
Anger surged through me.
“The vampires are supposed to sneak in and find out,” Dillon said.
“When are they supposed to get here?” I bit into a piece of bacon.
“They have some things to wrap up first,” Toby said. “They should be here in a day or two.”
I thought of our friends languishing in the jaguar torture cells. “That’s too long. What about the witches?” I glanced around, realizing none of them were there.
“They’re sleeping,” Dillon said.
“What about the vampires? Don’t they have their own witches?” I ate some eggs, finding that my appetite was waning quickly.
Toby put his arm around me. “They’re working on it. We’ll have a huge advantage over the jaguars. Don’t worry, okay?”
“Easier said than done.” The question was whether I would still be on this side of death’s door once everything was done.
Toby leaned closer. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he whispered, tickling my ear.
I started to nod, but stopped. “No. How could I be?” I put the fork down on the plate.
He put his arm around me. “I’m going outside with Victoria if anyone needs me.”
We went outside and sat on the swinging bench.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Besides our three missing friends and the fact that we only have a month together?”
His eyes widened. “What? No. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. We’re going to shift together come the next full moon.”
I arched a brow. “You’re really that sure?”
“There aren’t any other options. With the vampires’ help, we’re going to work with all kinds of witches we wouldn’t otherwise have access to. The jaguars are going to regret ever going near us.”
“But if Gessilyn is the high witch, can the other ones really offer us anything she can’t?”
He kissed my forehead. “Of course. She’s strong, but her knowledge is low—she’s completely new to the role. Nobody knew she was the high witch until last summer. Some of the witches the vampires are rounding up are ancient. They’ve been practicing for thousands of years. Between their experience and Gessilyn’s power, we’re going to see magic unlike any other.”
“I hope you’re right.”
His eyes filled with concern and ran his fingers through my hair. “I won’t let you die again.”
“Marry me tonight.” I pulled out my necklace and took the ring off, sliding it onto my finger, where it belonged. “We may
as well make the most of this month.”
His jaw dropped and he shook his head. “You can’t think like this. Next month, you’re going to shift and finally let your wolf free. We’ll run together. Then we’ll plan the biggest, most beautiful wedding anyone has ever seen and follow that with a glorious months-long honeymoon.”
“What if it doesn’t work out that way, Toby?” I gazed into his deep blue eyes.
“It will.”
“But say it doesn’t. Wouldn’t you rather we at least spent our last month together married? Or would you rather spend it with me sleeping in the lavender room and you in yours?”
“You think I’m sleeping before your curse is removed?”
My heart ached at what this was doing to him. Perhaps it was time to face the reality I didn’t want to accept. “Maybe a happy ending isn’t our fate. Let’s at least have this month.”
He swallowed. “I won’t have you talking this way. We have to fight—harder than ever. Then we’ll prove fate wrong and have centuries to spend together. Think of how much more we’ll appreciate our time together after beating these odds.”
I frowned, trying to keep my heart from shattering into a million pieces. “So, you won’t give me this for my last month?”
“It isn’t your last month!”
“You and I both know it may very well be. Please, Toby. Marry me now.”
He trembled. “I refuse to think like that, and I don’t want you to, either. We’re going to get through this.”
I fell against him, my heart breaking.
Chapter 23
Toby
I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my hands over Victoria’s hair as she slept.
“Is she okay?” Ziamara asked, her eyes wide with concern. “Should she be sleeping this much?”
“I think being unable to shift is really taking its toll.” It had been three days since the full moon, and she’d slept about half the time.
“When are the other vampires getting here? They’ll be able to help. I know it.”
I glanced at the time. “I would think soon, though it’ll depend on their method of travel. They’re leaving Iceland.”
“Hopefully, they’ll take the dragon tunnels. Those are usually faster than the jets.”
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