Chapter Two
Callum
I stood in the field where the Highland Games took place just two days ago; the place where I’d spent almost every moment since the events wrapped up.
Except of course for Sam, Flynn and Fletcher’s bonding ceremony, which served as a great distraction.
But beyond that, I stayed right here. Because two days ago in this very spot, I caught a faint trace of my mate’s scent.
I’d picked it up after Sam was shot, but I couldn’t seek out my beloved; I had to get Fletcher to safety, along with Sam and Flynn.
Sam took a bullet to the head and nearly died in the afternoon sun.
Luckily, we were able to get him and his mates inside and they all recuperated completely.
As soon as I saw the men were okay, I rushed to the field to try to catch the scent again and gain clues about my mate, but to no avail.
I hated the gunman for what he did. Not only did he nearly kill very close friends of mine (not to mention the prince’s consort), he robbed me of meeting my mate.
I could only imagine how frightened my beloved was when everything happened.
I wondered if he got hurt in the chaos, or if he had anyone to console him.
The fact that I couldn’t support him made me hate the gunman even more.
Which was also why I hadn’t been in to interrogate him. I prided myself on being patient and fair with everyone; even those who went against my coven. But I was afraid I’d lose any constraint and end the man once I saw him. He’d taken so much from me.
Because of him, I didn’t even get to lay eyes on my mate.
I barely got a whiff of his sweet, buttered toffee aroma.
Because I didn’t meet him directly, I could still drink the bagged blood from the bank on our grounds, but it tasted sour and disgusting.
It wasn’t what my body needed or craved.
I needed my beloved, and the fact that he was so close to me without my knowledge made my stomach turn over.
If only I’d stepped into the crowd at the games.
If only I’d been paying more attention to my surroundings.
I’d visited this area constantly over the past forty-eight hours, trying to get another whiff of him.
But all traces of him were gone. I was lost and empty inside, and didn’t know how to get to him.
“I thought I’d find you here.” I turned towards the sound and saw my best friend Lachlan approaching.
He’d been my closest companion for almost five hundred years.
We’d stood against enemies together, fighting side by side in battle.
We’d celebrated the king’s victory, and welcomed many new members into our coven.
Lachlan was a good man, and a loyal friend.
“He was here, Lach,” I told him for the twentieth time over the past two days. “He was so close to me; the man I’ve waited half a millenium for.”
“I know.” He rested his hand on my shoulder and we looked over the field together. “You’ll find him again; you must trust Fate.” I nodded even though it was easier said than done. “Until then, you need to keep your strength up; you need to eat.”
“I fed last night,” I argued. “It was horrible.”
Lachlan gave me a sympathetic smile. “I meant you need food .” Aside from needing to drink blood at a minimum of once a week (preferably every two to three days) to fuel our life force, vampires needed food daily as well.
He held up a small white box in his free hand.
“I brought this for you; I made it fresh this morning.”
I took the box and opened the lid to find a thick, flaky pastry. Lachlan owned a bakery in our village and always had an assortment of fresh biscuits, cakes and scones. Everything he made was delicious, and even though I was downtrodden, I couldn’t resist his baking.
“Thank you.” I took a bite of the pastry and hummed at its sweet flavor as blackcurrant filling burst onto my tongue. “It’s wonderful.”
He squeezed my shoulder and let out a sigh.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but you really should go speak with the prisoner.
He’s been locked up for two days and Kade said he has been refusing food and water.
” Kade was one of my security guards in charge of keeping watch over the gunman.
“If you wait much longer, he may starve himself to death before you get any answers.”
“Maybe I should let him die,” I said around another bite of my breakfast.
“Maybe,” he shrugged, “But not before you speak to him. You need to find out his reasons if you can; Sam and Prince Dante deserve that at the very least.” One reason why Lachlan was such a good friend was because he was straightforward with me, even if it was hard for him to say or hard for me to hear.
He was honest and had a good head on his shoulders.
“You’re right.”
“Talk to him and then I will help you find your mate. We’ll travel to every village in all of Scotland and if we don’t find him, we’ll scour the globe.”
I gave him a wide smile and patted his back. “Thank you, my friend.” I finished my pastry in a few more bites. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck. And stop by the bakery when you’re done, yeah? Let me know how things go.”
“Of course.” Lachlan nodded and left me alone. After one last wistful look around the field, I made my way into the village once more.
I kept my steps slow on my way to the jailhouse, which hadn’t been used in many years.
It once housed prisoners of war or those who threatened our coven, but we’d lived in peace for over a century.
The only “prisoners” we’d had lately were visitors who got a little rowdy in the distillery after too many samples of our whiskey.
We’d put them in the “drunk tank” for a few hours to let them sober up before sending them on their way.
As I walked, I took slow, deep breaths to try and calm myself down. I didn’t want to burst into the jailhouse and threaten or harm the gunman because Lachlan was right; we needed answers. When I got to the entrance, I took one last deep breath and entered, finding Kade standing guard inside.
“I’m here to speak with the prisoner,” I told him, and a wicked grin crossed his lips.
“I think I’ve got him warmed up for you.” He cracked his knuckles and I scowled at him.
“You know my rules. No one is supposed to touch prisoners before I see them.”
“I didn’t hurt him...much,” he shrugged, still wearing a sadistic grin.
“We’ll talk about this later.” It was insubordination, but I found it hard to punish him, seeing as I wanted a pound of flesh from the gunman as well.
“Let me know if you need any help in there.” Kade flicked his eyebrows as he unlocked the cell, but I ignored him and stepped inside.
The door had barely closed behind me when I was engulfed in the sweet toffee scent that had evaded me for days. My pulse pounded and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. My fangs tingled and lengthened, but my heart dropped as recognition settled over me; my mate was the shooter.
How can this be? How could Fate finally deliver my mate, just for him to be a criminal? I wanted to curse Fate aloud as much as I wanted to fall to my knees and take my beloved in my arms, forgiving him on the spot.
But I did neither. I just stood there in disbelief, raking my eyes over my mate.
He was cowered in the corner with his face hidden, but I could tell that he was neither tall nor broad.
He was such a small man; not at all what I pictured for an attacker.
His clothes were dirty and torn, and the only trait I could clearly make out was his headful of unruly dark brown curls.
I was unsure how to begin this difficult conversation; I needed answers, but I didn’t want to scare my mate.
Since I was in his presence, our empathic link was formed, so I could feel the emotions rolling off of him.
It was important for a vampire to recognize their mate’s feelings so they could always give them what they need.
My mate’s fear, despair and guilt permeated the surrounding area, nearly choking me with their intensity.
I sat down cross-legged on the floor before him, hoping to come across as non-threatening and inquisitive. I usually never got so close to those I interrogated, but I felt no fear towards my small mate.
“My name is Callum Duff,” I began in a soft tone, and my mate gave a quiet gasp.
“Master Duff,” he whispered, and I wondered what he’d heard from the guard watching over him.
“Are you here to kill me?” His question was like a knife to the chest; I couldn’t bear to think about harming my mate, and the hope I felt coming from him regarding his death was too much to handle.
I rubbed my chest to try to ease the pain, but it didn’t work.
“I’m here to ask you some questions.” He nodded his head, but didn’t turn to face me. “What is your name?” Even though our situation was difficult and I didn't know what our future held, I needed to know the name of the man whom Fate had granted me.
“Brodie Vass.”
Brodie . Hearing his name sent shudders down my spine. But they were short lived when I noticed the untouched plate of food and full glass of water near him. “Brodie, I hear that you haven’t been eating.” He nodded again, and I asked, “Will you tell me why?”
“Because I want to die.” His response sent another pain rocking through me. If Brodie’s life ended, so would mine; having found my human mate, I could only feed from him. If he died, I'd soon follow since his blood could no longer fuel my life force. “I don’t deserve to live after what I did.”
“I can tell you have a lot of remorse over what happened, so why did you do it?” I desperately needed to know what drove my mate to such an act.
“I didn’t mean to. I know you don’t believe me, but I swear it. I’d never hurt anyone on purpose; I know what that’s like and-” Brodie stopped abruptly and shook his head again. “This isn’t about me.”
“Who hurt you, Brodie?” I’d have their head. No one touched my mate.