Chapter 23
Dru settled back in the seat of the SUV as they drove to the lab. She was still angered by the thought of someone watching her mate while she broke her fast. The rage that had filled her almost had her killing Leland. She’d seen red the moment he’d confirmed someone had been watching Tomesha.
Had it been Solomon?
It wouldn’t be hard to find out where she and her men were staying.
She was sure everyone in Butterbush knew.
She glanced over at Tomesha next to her with her face practically plastered to the window watching the scenery fly by.
The vampire lab she’d report to was located in town.
With the local post being in Butterbush, it made sense they’d have a facility here.
“We should be there shortly,” Orenda announced from the driver’s seat.
Another SUV followed behind them. With this recent threat, Dru wasn’t taking any risks while traveling with her mate. They pulled up to a light and paused.
“There has been a message from Talbot.”
“And that is?” Dru arched an eyebrow. She snagged Tomesha’s hand and entwined their fingers.
Tomesha glanced over at her and smiled.
“He’s found the human male.”
Dru’s head snapped around. She met the warrior’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Is that so? Alive?” she asked.
“Yes. He has him at the inn,” Orenda replied.
“Good.” Dru would submit her blood sample and register, then she’d take her mate back home and interrogate the male. It wouldn’t take her long to get the information she needed. “No one speaks with him until I return.”
“I’ll pass that on.” Orenda sent a message on her tablet while the stop light remained red. She slid her tablet back into her pocket just as the light changed to green.
“What human male?” Tomesha asked.
“He has some information I need.” Dru kept the response short and sweet. She wasn’t going to dive into details that Tomesha didn’t need to know. She rephrased the answer at the worry that was in her gaze. “I’m looking for a vampire, and this male may have the location.”
“The vampire you think was watching me?” Tomesha asked.
“Yes. He’s very dangerous and is wanted by the queen,” Dru admitted. It wouldn’t hurt to share a little information with her.
Understanding dawned in Tomesha’s eyes. “That’s why you were really sent here? When you said you were going hunting, you were looking for this vampire?”
Dru nodded and lifted Tomesha’s hand to her lips. She pressed a kiss to the soft skin. She should have taken her mate up on the offer she’d made earlier when she’d asked Dru if she had the need to feed.
The hunger burning in her belly had little to do with the actual need to consume blood but to taste her mate’s sweet nectar and watch her reach her climax.
“Once you find him, then you’ll return to Maine?”
“We’ll return to Maine,” Dru corrected her. When she left Butterbush, Tomesha would come with her. They’d never be separated. She’d ensure Tomesha and her family had everything they’d need to settle down in Crystal Cove.
“We’re here.” Orenda parked the SUV in front of an office building.
Across the street were a few stores. There was a general store, a clothing store, a shoe shop, and a bakery. Few pedestrians ambled down the sidewalk.
The cloud cover still held well to allow Dru and her warriors to be out during the day. She wouldn’t have to worry about burning. The other SUV pulled in front of them. Her men immediately exited and began securing the area.
“Are you sure you want to come in with me? Would you like to visit those shops across the street? I could send a warrior with you?” Dru asked.
“I’m not allowed in there?” Disappointment lined her voice. Tomesha looked at the lab.
From the outside, it looked ordinary. A slab of gray concrete and mirrored glass nestled between two other offices. Its entrance was unmarked to the naked human eye. To any human passing by, it would seem like another faceless architecture in the small town.
This wasn’t a place she’d want her mate to be exposed to.
But then as a mate to a high-ranking general, Tomesha would need to learn all there was to the life of a vampire. She was a strong female. Dru thought of the Riskel sisters’ mates and how each human was a strong woman who handled life amongst vampires just fine.
Tomesha would be no different.
“Not sure what their protocols are, but you’re welcome to come with me. If you’re unable to, then I’ll send Orenda with you to the shops.” Dru wouldn’t argue or throw her weight around if the lab had rules. If she had to send Tomesha away, she had the utmost confidence in her warrior.
Orenda exited the vehicle and opened Dru’s door.
“I am interested in seeing if your process is the same as mine was,” Tomesha said.
“Then let’s go.”
Dru stepped out of the SUV and strode to the other side. Her gaze swept the area. Her men had the area secured. The unknown visitor at the inn didn’t sit well with her. She opened Tomesha’s door and held out her hand.
“Come, miere.” Dru assisted Tomesha onto the sidewalk. She brought her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Tomesha glanced up at her with a smile on her lips. Dru vowed at that moment to ensure her mate was always happy. This would be her life’s purpose. It was ingrained in vampires.
Take, mate, and cherish.
It was a creed that most vampires lived by.
Tomesha was an optimistic human. She’d been dealt a crappy hand at life and she’d taken what she had and prospered.
There was a strength inside her that Dru respected.
Not many humans were as accepting of the way of life after the war.
Tomesha was worthy of being the mate of a general.
My mate.
She entwined their fingers and guided Tomesha to the building.
The glass doors parted soundlessly at their approach.
Inside, chilly air reached them. The empty lobby held a minimalistic modern look to it.
Smooth white walls, a polished floor that gleamed brightly.
A reception desk manned by a male speaking on the telephone in a perfectly controlled voice.
She strode up to the counter just as he hung up.
“Name?” the male asked without taking his attention from his screen. His fingers moved over the keyboard in a steady motion. He looked up and froze. His eyes widened at the sight of her.
“I am—”
“General Dru Moldark. Yes, we’ve been expecting you.” He flew from his seat and stood. His face flushed as he took her in.
She eyed him wearily.
“I’m sorry. You’re a legend. I’ve heard stories about you and Princess Lethia.”
“You’re a warrior?” Dru arched an eyebrow. He didn’t look as if he could pick up a sword, much less wield one.
“No, ma’am. My father served under you when he was younger. He’s since retired and works as a guard here in Butterbush,” he stuttered. The skin on his face deepened in color. He reached for a tablet on his desk and swiped the screen.
“Who was your father?” she asked, now curious. That made more sense. This male would never make it through the basic training they put their new recruits through.
“Gattas Frey,” he replied.
The name was familiar. Dru had fought with thousands of vampires in her years. It would be hard for her to remember every single one of them.
His gaze flickered to Tomesha. “The human lab is located elsewhere. If you need the address, I can provide that for you.”
“We’re only here for me.” Dru tightened her grip on Tomesha’s hand.
Her mate moved closer to her where her chest brushed against Dru’s arm.
“Yes, we were notified that you were to come here today,” he replied.
She glanced down at his name tag—Garth.
He tapped out a few commands on the tablet before glancing up again. “I just have a few questions to ask, then we’ll get you back to the phlebotomist.”
He rambled off his questions while she offered the required details.
“You’re from Scotland?” Tomesha gasped.
Dru blinked and gazed down at her. It dawned on her that she and Tomesha had much to learn about each other.
“That I am,” she replied.
“But you don’t have a Scottish accent.” Tomesha chuckled.
“That was a long time ago. I left there when I was much younger.” Dru didn’t want to remember why she and her family had to leave their homeland.
The Grampian Mountains were beautiful. She was sure much had changed since the last time she’d been home.
But it had been centuries since she’d last stepped foot in the town they had escaped from.
“Please follow me.” Garth motioned for them to come around the desk. He led them to a closed door with the number five on it. He opened it and waved them in. “They’ll be with you soon.”
The examination room was colder than the hallway.
Dru’s body temperature ran lower than Tomesha’s.
She took in the shiver that passed through Tomesha.
The air here was heavily laden with antiseptic and something stronger.
A single reclining chair dominated the center while another chair sat next to a table and computer.
The counters and sleek instruments set out gleamed beneath the harsh fluorescent lights.
Tomesha took a seat in a chair while Dru remained standing.
Garth nodded and shut the door. Dru didn’t care to be enclosed in such a small room with no windows, no exit.
It was the warrior in her. Now that she had her mate in her presence, her instincts were sharper, and the thought of a threat against her, or herself, weighed heavy.
She had more than herself to think about.
Dru rested a hand on one of her daggers at her waist, comforted by the feel of the weapon.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Tomesha asked.
Dru glanced over at her and shrugged.
Tomesha rolled her eyes and sighed. “Well, I can say this is a little different than when I got processed.”
“How so?”
“Well, one, they didn’t ask you about clothing, or illnesses, or interests and stuff,” Tomesha said.
“I’m sure that is so the vampire can prepare for the arrival of their mate. We wouldn’t know anything about them. We may not have much time to prepare, but it gives the vampires a heads-up,” Dru replied.
“Is that right? So you’d want to know what I’d be interested in?” Tomesha studied her.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Dru frowned. The report she’d receive once it was confirmed they were a match would be basic.
They were going to have a lifetime to get to know one another.
Once Tomesha accepted her mating bite and blood, she’d walk this earth for centuries.
They’d learn all there was to know about one another. “What is one thing you like to do?”
“I love to sew. I was a seamstress before I went to work for the madam,” Tomesha said.
Dru had noticed at the club that Tomesha’s outfit had been different than the other donors’.
“Your clothing at the club,” she began.
“I made them. Mistress allowed me to create my own. I do love the creativity of designing my own clothing.”
Dru tucked that bit of information in the back of her mind.
There was rap at the door before it opened suddenly. Dru clutched the handle of the dagger and tensed. A woman in black scrubs came in. Her gaze dropped to Dru’s hand then darted back upward.
“I’m Phaedra. I’ll be obtaining your blood sample. Please have a seat.” She motioned to the recliner. “Please. This won’t take long. I need you to pull your sleeve out of the way as well.”
Dru walked over to the chair and sank down on it.
The nurse gathered her supplies she needed.
Dru remained still and kept a watchful eye on Phaedra.
Dru barely felt the small prick of the needle.
As a warrior, she was accustomed to pain.
She’d been stabbed with much larger weapons in the past. Blood flowed into the vials.
The rich and dark fluid would one day coat her mate’s lips.
She glanced over at Tomesha who watched the encounter with interest. Dru couldn’t wait for the day she’d introduce her blood into her mate’s mouth as part of the claiming.
Her heartbeat quickened with the imagery that came to mind.
Her beautiful mate’s lips coated with her blood.
She couldn’t wait.
When it was over, Phaedra slipped a small bandage onto the tiny pinpoint wound. She stepped back and applied the labels to Dru’s vials.
“Your registration will be deemed complete. You’ll be notified if there is a match for you.” Her gaze briefly flickered to Tomesha who she’d ignored from the moment she’d entered the room.
Dru grunted and pulled her sleeve back down. She stood and motioned for Tomesha who came to her side. Her mate slipped her hand into hers.
“I already know who my mate is,” Dru murmured. She opened the door and led them out of the room. There was nothing this test could tell her that she didn’t already know. She was relying on her basic vampire instinct.
She’d already had her mate.
Now she needed to claim her.
The corridor seemed longer on the way out.
Each footstep echoed too loudly. Dru didn’t like the sense that she was getting.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention.
They passed the empty receptionist desk.
She paused a few feet from the door so it wouldn’t automatically open and listened.
“What is it?” Tomesha whispered. She moved closer to Dru who held up a hand.
Dru listened for a few moments more. This was one time she wished she’d worn a communicator. But if something was wrong, Orenda would have come inside to notify her.
“Something just feels off,” Dru replied.
“That sense like I had?” Tomesha’s eyes grew wide.
“Something like that.” Dru took in the scenery outside the glass doors and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. She tightened her grip on Tomesha’s hand. “You are to always to obey my orders.”
Tomesha jerked her head in a nod. It made Dru feel good that her mate knew what she was speaking of.
She strode forward to activate the doors.
They slid open silently. They walked outside, and Dru scanned their surroundings.
Her men were still visible, and the area seemed to still be secured.
The street was nearly empty, though. She looked in the other direction, and the pit of her stomach gave way.
She sensed they were not alone. Someone was watching the street, and it wasn’t human.
“Orenda!” Dru snapped.
Her warrior appeared from around the SUV that was still parked on the street.
Dru brought Tomesha to her side. “Put her in the truck now.”
She handed her mate off to the warrior who promptly assisted Tomesha inside the vehicle.
She strode forward and onto the street. Her warriors were now on alert.
Dru felt the shift in the air. Her senses screamed that the enemy was present.
She drew her dagger from its sheath and clutched it in her grasp, tight.
She inhaled, and it was then she caught the scent of wolf.
Lycans.