The panic I felt when I saw that Prince Trifoli had shed his clothing and taken flight from the alley was intense. My body tried to swell, my bones wanted to twist, and the tight ‘uniform’ I was wearing, started to pop out seams all over the damn place. I texted as fast as I could and started pushing through the crowd. I knew where she was, I had to get there before he did anything to harm her.
Her scream reached my ears, and I died inside. Rage filled my body, and I barely made it to the alley before shifting completely. I bounded up the side of the building, leaping from ledge to ledge until I reached the roof, but I was too late, the rooftop was empty, and I howled in fear and anguish, I had failed her. Answering howls in the distance were little comfort, the werewolves couldn’t help me.
I sniffed and searched, finding drops of her blood, but it was no use, they’d taken off through the air and I couldn’t track them that way.
I needed to know where the bastard lived, no doubt he took her there to harm her. I didn’t bother shifting back to human, I raced back down off the roof the same way I’d come up. Leaping from ledge to ledge. The crowed below was starting to make its way back inside, the real power company had already shown up and flipped all the right switches.
Our plan should have worked, we should be celebrating right now. I wanted to kill Prince Trifoli and Alejandro for putting her in this impossible situation. I could practically taste their blood on my tongue. They had done this to my mate, and they would pay dearly.
I shifted to human in an alley, but there was no time to try and find clothing. I walked out of the darkness nude and sniffed out Jackie, ignoring the grunts and gasps of surprise as I walked freely through the thinning crowd. I found her standing under a third-floor balcony where two gnomes were getting ready to hop into her waiting arms. “Where does Prince Trifoli reside?” I growled.
“Can you hop up there and get them down safely? They have the key! Where the hell did Vivian go?” She gave me an exasperated look and it took everything I had not to grab her and shake her until she told me what I needed to know.
“Terrance took her!”
Jackie turned to me and bit her lip, fear all over her face and her eyes glistening with sudden tears. “Oh my god, what will he do to her?”
Horrible things, I knew it and I couldn’t stop it if I couldn’t find them. “That’s why I need to know where he lives sooner than I could sniff around town and find it. Do you know?” I demanded.
“Yes, I showed a house next to his recently, and could smell him. He doesn’t live alone though, there are at least four other fairies there with him. Now can you help out here? We might need the key to bargain for her.”
I looked up at the two gnomes who I would like nothing more than to leave behind. I needed to get to Vivinity as quick as possible and I knew Jackie was right about the key. I shifted and hopped up to the balcony. Blade and Calin climbed on my back and I was back down swiftly. Blade hooted as if he were riding a horse and Calin screamed in fear. I shook them off a little rougher than necessary and shifted back to human form. “Let’s go.”
“You can’t walk around like that,” Jackie pointed out.
“And what do you suggest?” I couldn’t care less about my nudity, I was only interested in getting to Vivinity, saving her from whatever harm or emotional turmoil she was enduring. Then forcing her to admit that we belonged together. This had to prove my point, she needed me, I could protect her better than anyone and she would have to admit that.
“Hop up into the nearest room and rummage!” Jackie said with a barely disguised duh.
“No way, I’ll go in jackal form.”
“Then what? Confront the prince naked?”
I hated that she was right because it was a waste of time. But I couldn’t go in naked. I jumped to the first balcony and walked in. I found a bunch of mini dresses and yoga pants, not going to work. I jumped to the next, men’s clothes in there, but they would never fit. Looked like they were for a teenage male. “Fuck!” I growled, jumping to one more. If I didn’t find anything there, I was going to just give up. Naked or not, I was going to rescue Vivinity.
Lucky for everyone, I found something acceptable. A pair of basketball shorts and a tank top. I pulled them on in a flash and jumped down to the ground. Jackie had the car waiting and I hopped in, throwing Blade and Calin in the back, despite their griping. “Drive,” I gritted out when she hesitated.
Jackie shifted into gear and stepped on the gas. We were on the way, way slower than I would have liked, way behind, despite my fear, and with no real plan. I was worried. I could feel my soul trying to shatter into pieces with fear. Was I about to lose my soulmate before I had even had the chance to really know her? That’s the sort of thing that would make a man go insane.
Another thing that would drive a man to rip out throats first and ask questions later? Being the second to arrive to negotiate the release of your mate when she’s being held for ransom. Which is what we found when we finally arrived and snuck close to investigate the situation.
When I regained consciousness, I had a splitting headache, dried blood on the side of my head, and burns on my arms, back, and chest where the silver chain had held me. It took me a second to gather my thoughts and remember what had happened. When I did, I was beyond pissed.
Our plan had failed and my not father had kidnapped me. I didn’t swoop down and get the key, I wasn’t currently hours away from being a free woman. I was being held in what looked like a very nice bedroom by Prince Terrance Trifoli who not only hated me but had turned against his own son as well. What a great guy… I couldn’t imagine what he thought he would gain from keeping me captive, but at least I wasn’t dead, yet.
I moved slowly, feeling for any other injuries. I thought I was okay. I swung my feet off the bed and slipped to the door, pressing my ear against it. I heard voices, but they were muffled, and I couldn’t tell who it was, or how many. I moved to the window and looked out. I was surrounded by a large fenced in yard. This must be Terrance’s home. I wondered briefly if I could expect anyone to try and save me. I didn’t count anyone as a friend, not really. I didn’t have a boyfriend, and I didn’t have coworkers. Who would even notice I was missing? If Jackie and Sobahn decided it was too much trouble to bother with me, the only person who might care is the one person I never wanted to see again, Alejandro.
Oh my god! What have I done to myself? How could I have left myself so disposable, so forgettable that I could disappear off the face of the earth and not even make a ripple! I wanted someone to care, I wanted someone to fight for me, to search and save me. I thought about the way Sobahn talked about me, the way he watched me with such intensity. How his arms had held me so tender. If he wasn’t full of shit, if he wasn’t just hoping to get in my bed, then he would come, I was certain.
The amount of uncertainty that went along with that thought was heart wrenching. What if he didn’t care enough, what if he’d been posturing the whole time, not really interested in me, only doing a job and hoping to get laid in the process.
I threw myself on the bed. I wanted to scream. Not because I was being held captive by the man I had thought was my father, but because I wasn’t sure if the neighbor I didn’t want to like, may not actually think I am his intended mate, and might not show up to try and save me. And this was all my fault because I’d spent the last thousand years trying my best to keep everyone as far from me, physically and emotionally, as possible.
I was so lost in confusion and anxiety; I didn’t get up and try the door. I just laid on the bed contemplating all the mistakes I had been making with my life. But I didn’t make promises, I didn’t say I’d do this or that to change things if only I could get out. What was the point? I knew I wasn’t going to get out. No one was coming for me, and I couldn’t fight him by myself.
“Oh good, you’re awake.” A woman sneered as she walked in. I assumed this was Pauline, the woman who’d lassoed me with silver and knocked me on the side of the head. She was wearing a crisp white pantsuit with white ballet flats. Her white-blonde hair was cut to her shoulders and half held back in a clip, revealing her pointed ears. Her pale purple eyes held no kindness as they assessed me on the bed.
I narrowed my eyes at her, I wanted to attack, but couldn’t be certain she wasn’t hiding any weapons. “What has Prince Trifoli told you to make you hate me without knowing a thing about me?”
“You are a vampire, a bastard daughter, and a friendless waste of space. These are all things I know because I am a fairy.”
She said it with such pride I wanted to punch her. I wasn’t, even if I wasn’t turned into a vampire I wouldn’t be a fairy, I was half my father, I had the blood of Osiris running through my veins. I lifted my chin and met her gaze refusing to defend what I am.
She narrowed her eyes, obviously annoyed that her insult hadn’t hit. “Prince Trifoli has never spoken your name in my presence before tonight. I don’t think you’ve been even a blip on his radar in the last thousand years, not since the night you failed to die.”
“Failed to die? As if it had been my choice, as if I had sought out the vampire Demetrius in a sordid suicide attempt.” I snapped, unable to hold back my anger.
“The way I hear it, you were never supposed to survive. It was the deal your father and Isis made with Demetrius. First, he took out your whore of a mother, then he was supposed to dispose of you.”
I bared my teeth and hissed at her, who the hell was she to say these things to me? But it hit true, after the words were out of her mouth I knew she was right, I could see that hatred and betrayal in Terrance’s eyes, he’d wanted me to die all those years ago because of what I was then, but he’d only managed to make me into something far worse in his eyes. I didn’t attack the woman because I knew she as telling me the truth and for that I was thankful, I was done living under the lies of others. I wanted to know all of my history.
“I’m not afraid of you.” She held up the silver chain that had bound me so quick and easy on the rooftop.
I hissed again for good measure, but made no move forward. “Did you come in here to be annoying, or are you going to take me to Terrance?” I deliberately used his first name and no title, wanting to be sure she understood, I held zero respect for the man.
“Prince Trifoli is waiting downstairs.”
Her grin and sneer put me on alert immediately. There was something I was really not going to like down there, but whatever it was, it was better than sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I stood up and crossed the room, staring her down with a blank look. “Better not keep him waiting then.”
She huffed and turned swiftly. I followed her out of the room, down a short hallway, and down a staircase that led to a bright foyer with marble floors and Greek inspired pillars. We went into a room, that I only realized later was decorated in a very Greek style as well. In the moment, I could only see the two men that were in the room, nothing would have told me to expect this.
There with Terrance, sat Alejandro, deep in discussion. I didn’t know what to think, how could this be the scenario? Was Alejandro trying to save me? Negotiate my release in a bid for my heart? He was already pretty much guaranteed to get my body and power at this point, the deal was made, the time was almost up, and I was out of options.