Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-six
Emery
I was freezing, and I knew that big lug of mine probably had the AC on full blast all night. No, fudge—and I opened my eyes—the panic he would lower the temp and not take Tia into consideration died in my throat as I was faced with blackness. Then everything flooded back, and I jerked and sat up.
Oookay… so this was a little freaky. Wherever I was, it smelled of mold, was cold and damp, and I was over the whole vampires and coffins in crypts vibe. Where was a sparkly Edward when you needed one?
And whatever Phoenix or Esther might think, I definitely didn’t have any wolf in me because I couldn’t see peanuts.
I took a moment to congratulate myself for not using the s— word, but I knew I was putting off the inevitable.
I was stuck. My wonderful idea had failed miserably, and Phoenix was going to kill me, at least assuming there was anything left after the bloodsuckers were done with me.
If I got out of here unscathed, I promised my guardian angel I would stop giving her overtime and behave.
I even managed a small smile at that, and then I paused.
This was going to sound even more freaky, but I hadn’t smiled.
I’d just felt a lightness almost in my head.
Maybe they’d already drained enough it had driven me insane? Was that a thing? I didn’t feel faint or seem to have any breathing difficulties, which I would associate with blood loss, but who knew?
Then light flooded the room, and I squinted and peered at Alessandro and another vamp I remembered from my last visit. “I don’t think much about the accommodations,” I drawled. “When I get out of here, I’m definitely giving you a one-star review.”
The second vamp looked confused, but Alessandro waved his hand, and voila, I was back in the bedroom I remembered from before, and I sat on the bed. Except this time, I really wasn’t sure which was the illusion.
The second vamp took a step forward, and it took everything in me not to jerk back. Alessandro was no picnic, but I didn’t like this other guy one little bit.
“Why am I here?”
Alessandro raised his eyebrow. Admittedly, not as well as Phoenix, but then I was kind of smitten with him, even his eyebrows.
“Are you forgetting you came to us?”
I just managed not to roll my eyes. “To talk. What was with locking me in your crypt?”
Alessandro smiled, and I struggled, really struggled, not to swallow or break out in a sweat. Something had changed. Alessandro had never been exactly nice, but he was different, and I didn’t know why. He inhaled, and his eyes glittered. “I can smell your fear.”
Well, sh— peanuts. “What do you expect?” I asked reasonably in my best teacher-parent voice. “I’m assuming the whole trapped-in-a-dungeon thing wasn’t meant to make me feel at home.” I frowned. “Unless, of course, that is home, in which case you really need to reconsider a new interior decorator.”
“Shall I silence him?” vamp two asked.
I glanced at him. “Who are you? I assume you have a name that’s an actual name and they don’t call you Doom-slayer or Fangs.”
He opened his mouth to demonstrate Fangs was definitely something he could be called, but then, for that matter, I’d seen Phoenix’s canines. Not that they were the same, and unsure where I was going with this, I just waited patiently.
Alessandro laughed. “While your humor has been entertaining, I’m afraid you’re wasting your time. This is Valentin, and I’m sure you will get to know him intimately over the next few weeks.”
I really struggled not to roll my eyes that time. Valentin? Really? Almost my last name? Maybe it was time to change my last name to Colton. Mine didn't sound that great suddenly. “I’m not sure why you think I’m going to allow—”
And Valentin sneered. “Allow? When I have my fangs in your throat, you’ll be begging me for everything.”
I wrinkled my nose. And even though I could really panic and freak out if I wasn’t used to kindergarten kids, who were easily scarier than two vamps, the worry I felt was in my head again, almost as if it wasn’t mine.
Which made zero sense. And then it was accompanied by such a rush of love I almost had to shake my head to focus.
“We both know the pack won’t allow—”
“They won’t risk a war, not even for you,” Alessandro said smoothly. “You’re a human, and they broke the treaty first by telling you of our existence.”
“But you took another human as well.”
“Who also knew of our existence. Besides, he’s of no consequence.” I didn’t dare let them know they had my father. It’d be a bad idea to let Alessandro know he had more leverage. I knew Phoenix would come for me. Absolutely knew.
“Why now? What’s different?”
“Because you’ve proven you can birth a child. While we have always used human females, Valentin here is willing to experiment for the good of the coven.”
And yuck. Valentin was getting nowhere near me.
“But like I said, what’s different now?”
“You mean from your previous visit? Well, last time I had to let you go because I needed my heir. Now I have… what is it you humans say? Ah yes, two bites of the cherry. Because not only do I have another male heir, I now have a delicious incentive that encourages my true heir to stay closer to home.”
It didn’t surprise me that Ben was Alessandro’s.
Phoenix had recognized his scent. So they were using the threat to Ben to keep Rhys in line.
“Don’t you care he’ll end up hating you?
” I hadn’t meant to say that. I was waiting to find out what he was going to say about my dad and determined not to ask and give him any ammunition, and much as I didn’t want Dad to die, the harsh thing was, if it became a choice between Dad and Rhys or Ben, I had a feeling there wouldn’t be any choice.
Dad had been willing to ruin my life and risk the lives of those I loved.
And I was briefly distracted because I felt that same rush of love again. In the same place I’d felt it before. I didn’t have a wolf, right? No, I couldn’t feel anything furry wanting to escape, which was a shame.
Alessandro smiled. “He will lose all emotion soon, and I care not if he hates me before then.”
There wasn’t really anything I could reply to that with. It was heartbreaking, and I would do anything I could to make sure that didn’t happen.
“But Ben doesn’t act like you.” He was the most unvampiric person I knew.
“It matters not. Not all half-breeds are successful. We may only use him as an incentive. He’s being trained, and as I said, he is useful.”
Bait? What the hell? “Rhys won’t let you hurt him.”
“Who says I’m talking about Rhys?”
Which shut me up. Who else could Ben be an incentive for? His mom and dad were dead. Did they mean against the pack? With Callie?
“Great sire?” Valentin took another step toward me, and I did scoot back a little that time.
Alessandro held his hand up. “Not yet. We need to be certain of the pack first, and we have an easier way now, as you know.”
Valentin scoffed. “They only found the fortress because you chose to reveal it. They would be helpless otherwise.”
“Yes, but we can avoid a war altogether if we keep the mate here long enough.”
I frowned. They assumed Phoenix wouldn’t come for me because of the treaty.
But I knew that wasn’t true. And again, I felt something in my mind.
But something told me it wasn’t an animal.
I didn’t like the air of such satisfaction surrounding Alessandro.
It was almost like he knew something I didn’t.
“I can see he didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?” I tried to sound bored.
"You are a human blood mate and carry no wolf. Apparently, it means Phoenix’s wolf has to do the job for both of you, but in bonding it means the two of you are inextricably linked.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course we were linked. We loved each other, for starters.
He tipped his head in consideration. “I don’t just mean the mate bond which will happen with fated mates.
The difference is Phoenix’s wolf has to work doubly hard, as you don’t have a wolf, which is normally fine when you are together.
Except apart—and I’ll be honest, I don’t know how long for—Phoenix will lose his wolf. His wolf will die but not Phoenix.
“Except, as I am sure you can imagine, an alpha without his wolf wouldn’t wish to live anyway.”
I felt a rush of air, blinked, and I was back in the dungeon, except this time, I wasn’t on my own.
“Ben?” I croaked out, still reeling from what Alessandro had told me.
Why hadn’t Phoenix said anything? And then I remembered when he’d come to the bar while I stayed with Gemma all those weeks ago.
If I’d have thought about anyone but myself, I’d have questioned why he looked to be in so much pain.
And the why was because he was a good man.
One that didn’t believe in emotional blackmail.
Ben stirred and opened his eyes. He was chained and looked colder than I was. He also looked like he was in the same clothes. “Emery?” He sat up a little, or tried to, and winced. “They caught you, too?”
I grimaced because, no, they hadn’t caught me.
I’d waltzed in because I thought I knew better, and I’d been seriously wrong.
“How are you doing? Have they… hurt you?” I wasn’t going to say bitten.
And I wasn’t chained, unlike him, so I moved closer to see what I could do. At least warm him a little.
“They’re not fond of letting me take regular bathroom breaks, and water isn’t reliable. To be honest, after I found out about shifters, I shouldn’t be surprised that vampires are real.” He tried to laugh and winced. “Do you know why we’re here?”
I nodded. He was the only one that didn’t, so I told him why I was here, and he gaped. “I don’t know what to say.” So, of course, because I was sharing, I told him why he was here.
“I’m… a vampire!” he squeaked, then shook his head. “But I don’t—” He broke off and shook his head.
“Take regular transfusions?” I asked, hoping to make him laugh, which he did, but it sounded more like a sob. “Look, you’ve clearly got a lot more human going on than vampire. Unless you can sprint really fast and haven’t told me.”
Ben didn’t bother answering my ridiculous comment and leaned his head back against the stone wall. “Why did they take the human?”
I just shook my head. I didn’t want to think about it.
“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered honestly and rubbed at my swollen nipples. What had I done? Of all the idiotic things I’d done. Why did I think I knew best? Although, I didn’t. I’d been terrified for Phoenix, and I’d hoped because Alessandro had been reasonable the last time, he would listen this time.
I couldn’t even think of another word to use instead of fuck-up this time. It seemed to fit.
Phoenix
I woke up with a start when Tia seemed to wail loudly enough.
I was certain the pack could hear her and noticed immediately that not only was the bed cold, but I couldn’t smell Em anywhere.
I picked Tia up, trying to soothe her, thankful at the knock on the bedroom door heralding Simeon.
“Where’s Emery?” I demanded, walking out with Tia in my arms. “Hush, baby, we’ll find Daddy,” I promised.
But by the time we’d established that Emery wasn’t anywhere in the pack, the outer scouts reported the trucks were here, and I was so close to my shift, Esther took Tia from me and tried to feed her, but she just screamed louder.
“Alpha, I think I need to take her to my cabin,” Esther said.
“No,” I whispered. I took her back from Esther and brushed a kiss on her tear-stained face. “She needs to stay here.” Simeon appeared with Emery’s shirt from the laundry basket and wrapped her up. Esther handed him a bottle, and she was blissfully silent and fed a little, but not enough.
My dad, Bayer, Isla, and Matthew came hurrying in and listened in horror as I explained Emery was missing. But I knew where he’d gone. I just didn’t know how.
Then, the outer scouts reported a car with both Gemma and Danny in it, and I shook my head. Of course, because the outer scouts would neither challenge the car and Emery’s friends arriving, or them leaving.
Gemma and Danny walked into the pack house, and I wanted to shake them both. “How could you?”
“Because we’re his friends, and he needed me to be loyal. You’re a pack alpha. Don’t you know all about loyalty?” Gemma asked quietly.
“He also left a couple of bottles in the fridge. As much as he could,” Danny said, and because I might be the alpha and everyone was waiting for a decision, I took Tia out of Simeon’s arms and walked back into the bedroom with her. I needed a moment.
“Silly Daddy,” I whispered to her, and she kicked her legs.
Surprised, I looked down at her to see her wide awake and gazing up at me.
I rubbed my nose along her cheek, making sure my scruff didn’t scratch her, but needing her scent.
“What are we going to do with him, huh?” Because the biggest problem was that if the silver-skins didn’t want to be found, I had zero idea where to try.
We would go to the motel, of course. Danny had told me that’s where they’d met, but Alessandro always appeared.
Not even I could follow scentless beings back.
Tia gurgled and waved her fists, and I got such an overwhelming rush of love from her I was astounded, and I inhaled again.
She smelled of Emery, of course she did, but it was almost at that second like he was standing in the room with her.
I could feel his scent wrap around me. Then I smiled.
In the panic and helplessness, I didn’t know how, but I was convinced our baby girl had just reminded me of a very important fact.
The silver-skins were scentless, but Emery wasn’t.