Elsie wasn’t surprised to hear Lena assisted them, but she needed to focus her attention on a way out of her predicament. She had no doubt that Zander would find her, and she wanted to be alive when he did. She squinted in the dark, searching for an exit. If she managed to get free from the cuffs, she needed to know which direction to run. She’d only have one opportunity, and she needed to be quick and accurate in her escape.
“You’re all mine now, bitch. I want you to die knowing that after you’re gone, Zander will come back to me. He has for two hundred years,” Lena hissed in Elsie’s face.
Elsie wiped her cheek on her shirt to remove the spit. She stood her ground, ignoring Lena’s delusional ramblings as she continued her search for a weapon.
“I understand Zander in ways you never will. I am a vampire and know his needs. The Goddess is just waiting for the right moment to bestow our mate marks. I didn’t realize until now what I needed to do. No one is better suited for him,” Lena said as she resumed her pacing.
Yeah, okay. Delusional much?
Every fiber protested Lena’s declaration, and for the first time, Elsie allowed the connection she shared with Zander to fill her. A rustling in her chest radiated outward. He’s mine, her mind screamed. Energy surged at her declaration and she embraced Zander’s soul. Love that flooded her, and her soul acknowledged she belonged to him.
No more denying her feelings. She welcomed her love for Zander and clung to it like a lifeline. It offered a boldness she’d never possessed and was the weapon she needed. No matter what happened, this woman would never be able to take Zander from her. He was hers and she was his. Nothing would ever change that.
“Somehow,” Elsie sneered, certain some of her ribs were cracked, “I doubt the Goddess believes you are what anyone needs. As for Zander, you’ve never connected with him. You’ve never seen the real Zander. He reserved that for his Fated Mate…me.”
“Salope!” Lena screamed, kicking Elsie in the head, and everything went black.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
Sheetrock particles showered down over Zander’s face. His mate had been taken.
“Fuck!” he roared.
Another chair left his hands and embedded into the drywall across the room. He felt helpless, and was losing his mind. He didn’t do helpless. He needed to take action. For all he knew, Elsie could be dying.
Angus ducked as a computer monitor met the door frame. They could be torturing and raping her. Zander reminded himself that she possessed fighting skills. She fought and killed skirm nightly. Not that it would do any good against Kadir or Azazel. He prayed to the Goddess to keep her safe until he reached her.
“I’m going to shred that bastard! He will no’ be able to hide! I will go straight to the doors of hell if I have to!” he thundered.
He heaved a table over his head. As wood shattered and splintered in a hundred directions, he sought another object to annihilate. He hoped to vent the worst of his temper but the destruction was only making it worse.
He needed to get control, or he wouldn’t be of any use in searching for his Elsie. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The sole reason for his existence was in the hands of two evil bastards.
Please, Goddess, watch over her, Doona let her die. I need her. I canna live withoot her.
*****
Pain assailed when awareness pressed back the darkness. Noise became voices as Elsie’s memories flooded her brain. She was in a cave, chained to a wall, and that bitch, Lena, had teamed up with the demons.
She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but she didn’t want to alert her captors, so she kept her eyes closed and remained as still as possible. It was nearly impossible and she swore they could hear her pounding heartbeat.
She wished furtively that she had preternatural senses like Zander. He would be able to tell who was in the cave, and exactly where they were. The one thing she realized before everything went black was that there wasn’t a place for her to run should she manage to get free of the steel cuffs.
Wetness dripped from her temple into the corner of her eyes and her head throbbed. Given the force of Lena’s kick, she figured the liquid stream on her face was blood, and prayed that she wasn’t losing too much. With no possible escape, Elsie was in for a long haul until Zander found her. She needed her strength if she was to survive this ordeal.
Mentally assessing her overall condition, she did a quick inventory. Aside from her head, her arms ached from holding up her weight and her chest hurt with each breath. Otherwise, she was in good shape. None of the voices she could hear were close by so she cracked her eyes and tried to look around.
She strained her eyes, but was unable to see anything except eerie shadows created by flickering candles scattered throughout the cavern. Footsteps echoed and a shining image wavered in her narrowed vision. Black, thigh-high boots with metal heels stopped in front of her. Her heart raced which made the pain in her chest worsen.
“Ah, you’re awake. Good. I was bored,” Lena purred in her ear as she crouched in front of Elsie.
Elsie held back her cry when Lena gripped her hair but couldn’t stifle her scream when Lena yanked a handful from her scalp. Lena jerked her head, forcing Elsie to look her in the eye.
Lena’s blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail high on her head, and Elsie noticed her eyes were black as night. Elsie fought against Lena’s hold, and kicked out a leg, grazing Lena’s calf. The laugh that escaped the vampire was infuriating. Elsie wanted to pound her face until she bled to death.
“Is that all you’ve got? This is going to be too easy,” Lena taunted.
She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, drawing Elsie’s attention to her hair. Elsie reached out, trying to grab hold of her long hair but the chains stopped her. She cursed for leaving her dagger at home. She never took the weapon to Elsie’s Hope, given that one of the Dark Warriors always accompanied her, but that was a mistake she’d never make again.
“That’s easy for you to say with me chained to the wall. Unlock these,” Elsie rattled the cuffs, “and find out how much I’ve got,” she taunted.
The vampire may be able to kick her ass, but she didn’t care. She might not win but she felt certain she could injure the woman, and that would be satisfying enough.
Lena let go and shook her hand in disgust, trying to shake off the wad of Elsie’s hair. Elsie laughed as her curly, brown tresses clung to the vampire like a spider web. Her laughter earned a rough shove against the limestone wall, which abraded her back through her thin blouse.
Elsie hadn’t been in the supernatural world that long and this served to remind her she wasn’t dealing with normal strength. Elsie fought against the helplessness. Chained and unable to move, she vowed Lena would pay.
“Releasing you would only be a false sense of hope. You won’t live through the night. The demons are using you to get the amulet, and once they have it, they’ll eliminate you. Then I will have my Zander.” Lena stated and backed away, prowling the room like a panther stalking its prey.
“And, what makes you think they are going to allow Zander to live? Or you for that matter? You’ve made a deal with demons. How stupid are you anyway?” Elsie sneered.
She could see the wheels turning in Lena’s head but she refused to sit around and wait for her to attack again. This prey bit back.
Elsie precisely timed her attack. The moment Lena stumbled over a stalagmite, Elsie kicked out her leg. A rip followed by a feminine scream echoed through the cave. Elsie was immediately aware of two things. Her tight skirt had ripped to her hip, and she had broken Lena’s leg.
A shrill screech filled the cavern. Elsie had injured the crazy vampire bent on destroying her. Not her smartest decision but she refused to meekly meet her death.
It was satisfying to watch Lena sink to the ground in pain, clutching her leg. She glared at Elsie through narrowed eyes.
“That was a mistake,” Lena spat as she climbed back to her feet and tested
her stance.
Elsie noted Lena didn’t show any signs of lingering pain, and acknowledged she hated vampire healing abilities more and more.
“You were bested by a weak human. That must sting,” Elsie taunted and prepared for a counterattack.
When Lena charged, Elsie’s leg shot out a second time but Lena grabbed it.
“You’re too slow, cow. That’s all you are to him, you know. Food. He couldn’t possibly want you. Not when he has me. You’ll be quickly forgotten after you’re dead.,” Lena insulted.
Lena’s fist pounded Elsie’s thigh. The snap of a twig reverberated, and it felt as if a hot poker was rammed into Elsie’s leg. Her vision wavered as she realized her leg was broken. The pain was so intense she felt as if she might faint.
Staggering, Elsie barely managing to stay upright. Head pounding and ribs protesting, Elsie fought to remain on her feet. The agony made her sick to her stomach. She was forced to rest her weight on her good leg. Stumbling against the wall, Elsie fought to remain conscious. She was weak but couldn’t chance passing out now.
Taking stock of her surroundings, Elsie noted that the demons were watching the fight, and wondered why they didn’t join in the attack. Dizziness washed over her as she contemplated her next moves. She was close to blacking out again. She wavered and oblivion beckoned, but was shoved away when her stomach revolted. The action jostled her broken ribs and breathing became a thing of the past. As the world dipped and blurred, she heard movement, and was certain more enemies had joined.
Her vision cleared long enough for her to see that the space was now full of skirm, as well as, the two archdemons. Hopelessness set in as she realized there was no way she could fight them off and escape.
She prayed to God that she survived. She had so many reasons to live. Somewhere along the way, Elsie had fallen in love with Zander, and she wanted to tell him.
She regretted not telling him when she had the chance. It didn’t matter that they were two different species. Zander accepted all of her, including her broken heart. She refused to allow her black hole to dictate her life any longer. She wanted a life with him. There was an eternity of passion waiting for them, and she wanted it more than anything.
The pain intensified and nearly took her under. To escape the agony, she lost herself in images of the life they would have together. Zander had shown her how much he loved her, and there was no way this turncoat was taking that from her.
“Nothing you say will make me doubt Zander or how he feels about me. And, mark my words, he’s mine. He will always be mine!” Elsie shouted.
At hearing her words, Lena lost it. If the vampire was mad before, she was now a complete lunatic.
Lena began hitting her repeatedly. Elsie tried to duck the blows but the chains restricted her movements. One hit after another landed on her head and face. Then Lena’s fists connected with her broken ribs, sending shooting pain through her torso. It was a blessing when Zander’s soul sent warmth through her chest, dulling the excruciating pain.
Elsie refused to give up, twisting with all her might. She smiled, knowing Zander loved her. No matter what, her life was better for having him in it. The smile threw Lena off and she backed away, gawking in confusion.
“You’re so smug because you have his mark on your neck. The mating hasn’t been completed and that can easily be removed. Then you will lose him forever,” Lena stated as she approached Elsie.
Lena squeezed Elsie’s injured leg, making her cry out. Elsie couldn’t think through the anguish and couldn’t fight back. Lena grabbed her neck and panic set in when Lena pulled a knife from her boot.
“This might hurt a little, ma chere,” Lena whispered into her ear before white-hot agony scoured the left side of Elsie’s neck.
Her screams consumed the dank space and black dots winked in her vision as Lena slowly sliced into her skin.
Her soul rose to protect Zander’s mark, denying any removal of him. Both souls tried to protect what was theirs, sinking talons into the area. It comforted Elsie to know she wasn’t fighting this battle alone. Further confirmation of the connection she shared with Zander.
Lena was wrong in her assertion, yet she desperately hacked at Elsie’s flesh, trying to remove the mark.
Elsie gritted against the pain as her skin was flayed, and tissue and tendon was separated from muscle. She didn’t know the meaning of torture until that moment. A piece of her soul was sacrificed, and she lost all hope of survival. Her heart ached for the loss Zander would experience. She knew the pain of losing a loved one, and didn’t want him to experience that misery.
“I stand corrected, Kadir. I love a good cat fight. The bloodier the better,” Azazel murmured from nearby as Elsie teetered on the edge of consciousness.
“I love a good blood bath, as well, but none of this matters if Zander doesn’t come calling. I told you this plan wouldn’t work. We’ve wasted precious time and resources on this,” Kadir intoned.
Elsie wanted to curse the twisted demons, but blackness consumed her. The last thing she felt was Zander’s soul wrap protectively around her, tethering her to him.
*****
Santiago’s voiced intruded, spiking Zander’s fury. “You may want to hide in your rooms, buddy. He’ll rip your head off right now.”
Zander gazed past the destruction of the war room, and saw Santiago talking to Orlando. The warrior’s face was stricken, and it reminded him all over again of what he had lost. Fear and despair joined his rage and his body coiled again, preparing to release his anger.
His previous tirade hadn’t helped and he fought to regain some semblance of the vampire he remembered, but the emotional hurricane refused to let go. The only thing that kept him from descending completely into the dark pit was holding onto a vision of Elsie.
“Get your arse over here,” he ordered Orlando as he yanked on his disheveled hair. He needed to find her. Save her.
“Have you found a working computer, Killian, or should I behead you now? We need that database to go over known locations for archdemons and the Fae. They could have her anywhere in this fucking world, and I still canna connect to her. You,” he stabbed a finger into Orlando’s chest, “tell me everything that happened.”
Orlando took a deep breath then recounted what happened, telling Zander what Kadir said before teleporting away with Elsie.
“How did they learn aboot our charity? Or when Elsie would be there? That could be the link to finding her if we can figure that oot,” Breslin suggested.
His sister dislodged the chair from the wall and set it outside with the growing pile of debris. Normally, he would feel bad about his behavior but his fear and anger were completely out of his control. And it was getting worse the longer his mate was gone.
“Someone in the realm had to have leaked information. And, it had to be someone close to one of us. Kadir may be smart but I doubt he’s bright enough to put two and two together. Regardless, there are too many possible leads that will waste precious time. I think we need to focus on your connection to Elsie,” Hayden said as he clasped Zander’s arm, “and you need to calm the fuck down so that you can focus, my friend. I can see how hard this is for you but you are the key to finding your mate.”
Hayden held his gaze. “They aren’t going to kill her. Remember, they want to trade the amulet for her.”
Zander knew the Omega was right. They wouldn’t kill her but that didn’t mean they weren’t torturing her.
“Focus on your mate. You can feel her here,” Hayden stated and placed his palm on Zander’s chest.
Elsie’s soul jumped in response. Relief swamped Zander when he realized she was still alive.
“Now, concentrate on the bond you have with her. You need to use it to guide us to her,” Hayden encouraged.
Silence descended and Zander shut his eyes shut. He took several deep breaths, focusing on Elsie’s heart-shaped face. He cried out when his connection to her finally sparked.
“Thank the Goddess!
Yes, I feel her,” Zander exclaimed.
He used his blood bond to determine her exact location. He sensed her within a couple hundred miles.
“She isna far from here. No’ further than Victoria. I need a map. You have that computer running, Kill?” he demanded.
Killian pointed to an image on the cracked computer screen. “This is the best I can do with the damage. You can still zoom in and out, so it should work.”
“Och, thank the Goddess,” he declared.
Zander gazed at the computer screen as he concentrated on his connection to Elsie. He determined she was north of their location. After several grueling minutes, their bond his divining rod, Zander was directed to the Hoh Rainforest. Looking closer at the map on the screen, he realized there would be no easy way to get to her.
They needed buildings that were familiar to the sorcerers to open a portal. She was in the middle of a forest with nothing around for miles. A sense of urgency overshadowed everything. He had to reach her fast.
“I’ve found her but it will take all of us working together to get her back. She is here in the Hoh Rainforest. We canna portal close to her. Unless one of you,” he glanced to Jace, Evzen, Killian, and Gerrick, “knows of somewhere close to the location. We need to do something now. I have a verra bad feeling.”
Nikko flipped his sgian dubh then caught the hilt. “I can have the Cessna fueled and ready to go in twenty minutes, Liege.”
“Bluidy hell, make it fifteen. And, Kill, find an exact location we can use to portal the rest. I’ll be taking no chances with my mate’s safety.”
Zander grabbed his weapons from Kyran’s hands. The need to annihilate consumed him. He would tear Kadir apart. Piece by fucking piece.
“Yes, sir,” Nikko called from the door, his fingers tapping his phone screen.
“The closest location I found to Hoh is the Misty Valley Inn, a small B&B in Forks, of all places.” Killian shook his head and muttered, “Sparkly fucking vampires.”
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