“There. Pull over near the building,” Aiden directed sharply. He needed to get out of the car, to face them.
Wyatt followed his instructions, parking off to the side of the road. Aiden had his door open and his foot on the ground before the wolf even had the SUV thrown into park. Behind him he could hear doors being thrown open and shoes hitting the asphalt. Grabbing on to his last shreds of self-control, Aiden forced himself to slow his pace, giving the rest of his family the chance to catch up with him. While Aiden planned to act alone, he knew they had to stand together as a family.
Fifty yards away, Mara stood bundled in a long wool coat that was cinched at her narrow waist. A smug smile was on her pale face. Another vampire stepped up to stand beside her. This had to be the infamous Christopher Heller. Aiden had never actually seen the vampire prior to this moment. Despite being a former member of the American Ministry, he’d been content to hide in Damon James’s shadow.
“I’ve spoken with the European Ministry, Aiden,” Mara called out. “It seems they are feeling generous and are willing to give you a second chance. As you know, we have the traitor and we are taking him back to Europe, but they won’t kill him if you agree to their terms.”
“Where is he?” Aiden demanded.
“Are you going to submit to the demands—”
“Where is he?” Aiden bellowed. His voice broke across the valley like a crack of violent thunder, and every one of the vampires he faced jumped. His temper was at the breaking point. He wasn’t sure if he could offer mercy now even if they begged him. His heart was screaming and his head was throbbing. Ronan, the man he was never supposed to see again, the man he was never supposed to kiss, to hold, to love, was alive, and he couldn’t lose him now.
Mara frowned, her shoulders stiffening at his tone. She made a quick motion with her hand and two vampires hurried over to the rear of an SUV. They opened it and Aiden could see them roughly pulling a rumpled and battered Ronan from it. As they got him to his feet and marched him toward Mara, Aiden could see the trickle of dried blood running from his temple to his jaw. His shirt was torn and splashed with blood, but Aiden had a feeling it was the blood of the vampires he’d killed.
Some small bit of the panic subsided and for the first time since Ronan’s disappearance, Aiden could breathe again. While Ronan was a little battered, he didn’t look to be in bad shape. His hands were bound in front of him, but he still had all his digits and was walking with relative ease. No, Mara was making sure to deliver Ronan in good condition so the Ministry could enjoy itself breaking him.
But that was never going to happen. Even if Aiden didn’t ride to Ronan’s rescue, he knew his old friend was not going to be beaten by the Ministry.
“Hello, darling,” Ronan said with a grin.
Aiden wanted to laugh and shake him in between his broken sobs. “So, this was your plan to lead us to the Heller clan? To uncover all who threaten me?” Aiden asked. He sounded weary and maybe even incredulous to his own ears.
Ronan shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Well, it seemed the most expedient solution.”
“We caught him! He handed himself over to protect you!” Mara cried, but Aiden and Ronan ignored her.
There was a low growl to his left, and Aiden looked down to find River in his wolf form standing next to him, his head low and hackles raised while white teeth were bared in anger. He hadn’t realized that Wyatt and River had changed into their wolf forms.
“That’s quite an army you brought,” Ronan said.
Aiden glanced down the line to see his clan, his family standing with him. Bel stood with a raven on his shoulder, but he had no doubt more animals were at the ready. Marcus, Winter, Rafe, and Philippe were prepared with swords. A small flame flickered in Ethan’s palm while the air around Fox crackled with energy. Yes, they were very impressive and absolutely lethal when it came to protecting one of their own. And Ronan was theirs.
“You attack us now, and Ronan won’t survive the trip to Europe. Your family will be slaughtered! You will be dragged before the Ministry!” Mara threatened, her voice shaking and growing louder with each word.
“So…blood and carnage?” Ronan asked. His grin tilted, becoming a little more devilish, but Aiden shook his head. Vampires weren’t scared of blood and carnage. Aiden intended to create a nightmare from which Mara would never escape.
“How well do you remember 1347?” Aiden murmured, and Ronan’s smile disappeared into a mask of confusion.
Turning his attention over to Christopher, Aiden narrowed his gaze. He took a step forward, putting a little distance between himself and his family. “The Ministry intends to use you against me. You’re a pawn. The power they promised you is a lie. I’ll give you and your clan this one final reprieve. Leave now. Be out of Connecticut tonight. Be out of the Americas in forty-eight hours, and I’ll let you all live. Stay, and every last member of your clan will be slaughtered.”
Heller laughed, the sound was high-pitched and a little desperate. “You’re insane, Varik. Even if you kill us, I swear we’re going to take a good number of you with us. I’ll finish Damon’s work. The Variks will be destroyed.”
Aiden slowly lifted his hands with his palms up, almost in supplication. “No. No, you won’t.” He drew in a deep breath and held it for a second before steadily releasing it between parted lips. As he tapped the power deep inside his chest, an overwhelming sense of peace swept over him. It was a strange and almost frightening calm he hadn’t felt in centuries, but then it had easily been that long since he’d last used his gift.
Long tendrils of mist started to creep and slither across the ground toward the gathering of Heller’s clan. Aiden had seen a similar fog wind through cities plenty of times in his life, but this was different. This white mist moved with purpose.
Aiden looked up at Ronan’s worried gaze and offered a sad smile.
“Aiden?”
“Look only at me, my love. I have you. I swear.”
His control would be perfect and precise. Nothing would touch Ronan or his family. Or Mara. He wanted her to watch and remember.
The gathered vampires shifted uneasily as the mist closed in. No one paid much attention to it, and that was fine with him.
“Kill the Variks!” Mara shouted.
But no one moved.
Then the first one screamed. The mist wrapped around its victims, sinking into their flesh. More voices were raised, one after another. The vampires clawed at their flesh and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. After a couple of moments, it became clear that skin was blackening and pulling away from the bone.
“What-what’s happening to them?” Bel gasped as one of the wolves whimpered.
“They’re rotting,” Aiden said simply. “It’s my gift. I can make living creatures decay.” It was a horrible, ugly, wretched gift. He’d always hated it. Hated that he could so easily do something so hideous. Bel’s was a beautiful gift. Marcus’s darkness was a blessing. Rafe’s charm was playful. Even Ronan’s gift of sleep was gentle. But this, it was monstrous.
And yet it came to him as easy as breathing.
Mara spun in place, pulling away from Christopher with a frantic scream as he clawed at her. She grabbed at Michael, frightened tears streaking down her face as she tried to get him back to his feet and to the car. But there was no escape.