“Send one of your companions to watch over her. She shouldn’t be alone.”
“And you, master?”
“I’ll be in my study. Inform me when she returns inside.”
“As you wish,” Archer replied curtly with a slight bow. He spun on his heel and couldn’t hide his disapproval.
Aggravated, I stormed inside and poured a drink, downing several shots of Irish whiskey. The smooth burn settled into my stomach but didn’t ease the tension in my shoulders. For the first time in my existence, I was overwhelmed and obsessed with a female. If I could have erased the doubt in her mind, I would have but she seemed adamant on thinking the worst of me. Maybe it was because I let the charade of my mate’s identity linger far too long.
Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. Why was love so complicated?
My heart nearly stuttered at the word. Suddenly, I didn’t want to remain in the house any longer, not without Piper. My halran.
Outside, the moon was at its highest peak, looking down with a sad and melancholy glow. Hands shoved into my pockets, I crossed the lawn and thought about what I would say to Piper. Halfway across, I stopped.
My entire body tingled as I felt the wind shift and the scent of Lycan doused the air with its heavy, dirt laden odor. Mongrel blood had been spilled as well as the blood of another. An elixir that called to my beast within. Snarling, I was instantly worried for Piper.
My body reacted instinctively, and I turned toward the forest beyond the gates that bordered my property where the smell was the strongest. It took only a few seconds to realize that Piper’s scent was entangled with the beast. Panicked, I ran toward the garden and picked up the faint aroma of coconut before it disappeared into the trees.
“Archer!” I shouted, calling forth my hunters. “Archer! She’s gone!”
He was at my side within a minute as his nose lifted into the air. “Lycan.” Gulping, he nodded toward the others as they arrived a few seconds later. “The beast has taken Miss Vanek.”
My heart stuttered as I grabbed my chest and nearly fell to my knees.
“We will find her,” Archer declared, turning to his brethren. “Your mate and our mistress will be safe again very soon.”
I didn’t reply as they shifted into their incorporeal forms. Their bodies glowed an eerie pale yellow as the zombie-like skeletal structure of their true form was exposed. These ghostly specters were deadly and excellent at finding prey, their skills refined from thousands of years of prowling the earth. Ghouls were the oldest of the immortal bloodlines. They would find Piper wherever she was located.
Whistling into the air, I called for my hounds.
Hellhounds were precious pets to vampires. Their unique ability to track a soul was legendary. They used their muzzle, but it was the soul’s aura that these hounds truly hunted. None could hide their spiritual aura. No immortal had ever been successful. There was no known magic that could mask our true forms from the hounds. They were created for exactly this purpose and only responded to and obeyed their masters. Fiercely loyal, they tracked their prey ruthlessly until found.
“Track my mate, Piper. Find her and then protect her from every enemy,” I ordered.
The hounds howled into the air as their massive heads lifted and they snarled. Drool leaked from their large canines as they salivated and anticipated the hunt. Seconds later, I stood alone as the black mist that accompanied their movement disappeared. They would signal as soon as Piper was found and wouldn’t stop until I arrived. Vicious hunters and fierce protectors, they would attack and kill without mercy any who tried to harm her, even the Lycan.
I was left to follow behind, my fear so tangible I could almost reach out and snatch it from the air.
Sucking in a ragged breath, I tried to focus. My mate was alive. I could feel her spirit, sense her heart still beating in her chest as if she was right by my side. There was no doubt in my mind now.
Piper was my forever.
There was no time to dwell on such a joyous revelation.
The second she was back in my arms I would make her understand the extent of my feelings and confess everything. I’d hold her close and admit my black heart was hers forever if she wanted it. Cracking my neck, I inhaled and exhaled slowly. My shoulders rolled back as I stretched and then burst forward into the forest, using the trees as momentum. They were nothing but springboards for my hands and feet as I flew through the air at speeds the naked eye could never pinpoint. My body was fluid and graceful with every step while I closed in on the Lycan foolish enough to take what was mine.
It never occurred to me that I could be wrong in my assumptions.
I never doubted the Lycan Brotherhood were responsible. It made the betrayal that much deeper when I stopped at a clearing, mere yards from where my beloved was chained to a concrete slab on the ground. One wrist and ankle were clasped in pure silver cuffs attached to a thick metal pole buried deep into the concrete. As I paused to detect any kind of trap, it became clear exactly what was happening.
Piper was taken and left here as bait . . .
But I wasn’t the only immortal interested in her capture.
This was a game. A sick, sadistic twist of fate that would ensure I lost the most precious thing in the world as soon as I found it. Only one vampire knew of my darkest wish. I’d kept it secret and buried for so long, I’d nearly forgotten I told her once. Rebecca was one of my feeders, a female of worth that I chose to suck on her vein from time to time. A nemah, as she was called. As one of my favored, she knew the depth of my longing and the extent of the betrayal as she would cut off the possibility of my siring any offspring. I would be rendered useless, my line abruptly severed. No one else knew my secret.
I was the last of the Black male heirs.
My powerful family had been decimated many years ago in the very war that now waged between Lycan and vampire. Every hope was pinned on my ability to mate.
There was no time to dwell on any of this now.
Werewolves and other immortals were unleashed as the literal dinner bell rang and the prize was served up on a concrete platter. Piper was the delectable reward, her scent of fear a palpable morsel waiting to be tasted.
Flashing to my beloved’s side, I stood my ground and listened for the first attacker. If I died protecting my mate, so be it. I only needed to hold on long enough for the ghouls and hounds to arrive. Once they did, I would seek my vengeance. With a snarl, I faced my enemy.
The hunt was on and I would not stop until I was victor.
We went our separate ways once we reached Salem’s home. He was stoic and closed off, stuck in a past I didn’t understand, and he refused to divulge. The space between us seemed a mile long and I didn’t care for the cold way he dismissed my questions. I wasn’t angry but I was definitely hurt and frustrated.
The night was cool, and the moon bathed the lush foliage on the property in an inviting glow. I decided for a walk in his garden as I heard Salem speaking low to Archer. Needing some personal space to sift through the crazy night, I ventured farther from the pathway and out into the wild. Salem’s backyard was a forest where tall trees huddled close together and the world was sufficiently snuffed out. Perfect for a wandering and lost soul.
The fence protected against the wildlife beyond and I mistakenly thought I was safe.
A twig snapped behind me and I turned, expecting to see the brooding face of my vampire. Yes, he was mine. Even if I fought against the idea on more than one occasion, and although he had a mate, I still wanted Salem in my life. The idea of losing him sent waves of pain hurtling into my heart.