Chapter 37
VESSA
Aheavy thunk flings my eyes open. I try to scream, but a cloth has been inserted in my mouth, wrapped tightly around the back of my head. In this dark space, I have no sense of time, nor any inkling as to where I am heading.
Confined to this fetal position, my head thumps against a hard, felt surface. An engine thrums beneath the fabric interior. Have I been stuffed in the trunk?
I writhe against plastic. My hands are zip-tied behind my back, legs secured by a tightly wound rope.
My ankles throb against the chafing fiber.
I’m immobilized. Feeling around, my fingers detect a metal bracket in the left corner.
I extend my wrists, feeling around the joint for a sharp edge or divot that may catch the plastic restraint. Nothing.
Three or four minutes later, the car pulls onto what feels like a dirt road, gradually breaking. Eventually, after another hefty bump in the road, we come to a halt. Panic spikes in my chest. I feel the slam of the driver’s door, then the passenger’s.
“We were successful in extracting the Alpha’s human. You can open the trunk and see for yourself, but I trust that you can smell her.”
A raspy female voice declines. “That isn’t necessary. Go ahead and check your account. You’ll see that you two were paid in full.”
Two sets of footsteps stalk closer to the back of the car. My stomach does a lofty somersault.
A pinging notification from a cell phone pierces the silence.
“Excellent,” Gemma says. “It was my pleasure—"
Her last words are cut off by sudden gunfire.
Bodies slump to the ground, and I scream into the void, desperately kicking my feet against the hood.
Keys jingle and the trunk springs open, revealing two heavyset armed men.
Both bear facial scars and blank expressions.
The male on the left reaches in for me, throwing me over his shoulder.
His comrade yanks my hair to the side, tearing off the bandage and plunging a needle into my wounded neck.
The prick is so sharp, my vision goes white. “Back to sleep you go,” he whispers.
I gasp, coming to my senses with a sharp slap to the face.
The next strike burns my opposite cheek.
Hyperventilating, I whip the hair out of my face, unable to use my hands.
Those are tied to a metal rod behind me.
All my garments have been removed, save for my matching underwear.
My fingers wiggle behind me, feeling for the silver bracelets that are supposed to be dangling on my wrist.
Shit. They’re on that bookshelf back at the cabin. Right where I left them.
When I finally lift my head, my entire body shivers. I’m staring at the face of the man from Dominik’s club. The scorpion.
My eyes bulge. “What is this? What do you want?”
He crouches over me, sniffing my hair. The unscathed side of my neck. “Mmm. Just like I remember.”
I jerk my face away. The man takes hold of my jaw, fingertips digging harshly into my skin. “You reek of his seed.”
The two males who pulled me from the trunk file in, one with a camera. The third on their tail is none other than Dr. Preston Caulder.
“You!” I hiss, baring my teeth at him.
Preston looks away just as the man hovering over me slugs me in the abdomen. I wheeze from the brutal punch, tears filling my eyes.
“Do not speak unless spoken to,” the dominant male grumbles.
Hanging my head, I can barely breathe, let alone form words to speak.
Preston’s eyes are sullen as he assesses me. “Vessa, please, you don't understand. My involvement is not—"
"Shut up, Preston. Get over here."
From his pocket, the scientist withdraws a vial with neon yellow liquid. Shit, is that Ludone?
Slowly he approaches and I squirm in my seat. "I'm not going to hurt you, Vessa."
I spit on his feet, rasping, "Screw you."
“Your mate destroyed my data.” He frowns. “There’s too much riding on this. It must be replicated.”
I thrash against the restraints, tears pouring out of my eyes. "Get that away from me!"
Preston grips where the silver bracelets once were, holding me steady. “I’m sorry. Just be still.”
The two armed guards grab me, hauling me up on my feet. They snip the plastic restraint and bend my arm, opening it for him. As the needle penetrates my forearm, I jerk with a sob. Within moments, my vision blurs, eyes rolling back into my head.
First, there is the indescribable pleasure. But within moments, the lights burn out and the room begins to hum. Walls begin to bleed. Ichor pours out all around me, seeping through a jagged chasm on the floor.
It’s not real, I tell myself, only for the nightmare to snatch the dying breath of consciousness and drag me down into what lurks below the dark crimson sludge.
Dominik
Admiring the new speaker installation from the upper balcony, I squash the butt of my cigarette and walk down to the south bar on the main level.
My weekend in the Heartlands was everything I’d hoped it would be, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend most of it thinking about her . . .
Within a few hours of negotiation, I managed to secure two leases for myself. A penthouse in the central business district of Delore—known by humans as the city of gamblers—and a bankrupt hotel building to serve as the next Sonic Jungle establishment.
When I approach the employees, Demi calls me for a second time. Once again, I let it go to voicemail, flinching. The only time my sister calls is when she’s giving me a heads up that I’m about to get my ass kicked.
Today, the staff and I are meeting to discuss our expansion as well as the safety logistics for next weekend.
It will be spring vacation for students who reside in Tukkon and Hichano.
Sonic Jungle will have an influx of wild college kids, which means even more sex, drugs, and cash will flood though our doors.
But not Ludone. That, we are keeping a keen eye open for, with my brother’s irritating Beta on standby.
It’s a little strange that he decided not to show up for the briefing.
He and Vessa should’ve returned this morning.
I get about halfway through my talking points before the main door bursts open. My sister comes barreling into the room while the bouncer is right on her heels, rubbing his jaw. She clocked him in the face. Typical.
“This meeting’s over,” she clamors. “Family emergency.”
Demi is breathing heavily when I stomp over to her side.
“What the hell is going on?” I snarl.
Unlike my brother, her emotions are never masked, especially in times of panic. Her eyes are puffy and furious. “We need you.”
I give my employees a sidelong look. “Give me twenty minutes.”
“Now, Dom.”
This isn’t my sister talking. It’s an Alpha’s order. Waving over the head of surveillance, I shove my papers into his arms. “I trust you’ll continue without me.”
Refusing to waste another moment, Demi yanks me out the door. “Vessa’s been taken.”
Dread ices over my spine. “The hell you mean, taken? How is that even possible?”
Mated males don’t let another soul near their new partner until they’ve run out of stamina. Intruding on their little honeymoon would be a death wish.
“A group of rogues attacked the Tilaak, drawing us out. Nell sent a small patrol militia to guard the cabin, but one of them turned on us. Shay’s sister. She had a partner who tore right through the guards.”
Cursing under my breath, I shudder. “Any vampires?”
“Affirmative. But only three. All second generation. Axe and Qinnu took a handful of warriors south last night. They’re making for the border to see if they can pick up the scent again. Chris is forming a search party back at home just in case the abductors decide to smuggle her east.”
Nodding, I ask, “What about Tesni?”
“She’s on her way to Glacier Meadow, trying to track down this Maurleen woman and her mate. He’s a former Aux, so he’ll know how to cover his tracks. Might be a while before we hear from her. So, it’s up to you, the Betas, and I to hold down the pack.”
“Do you think that witch had something to do with this?”
My sister’s face pales. “Goddess, I hope not.”
I gulp, fully taking in the severity of the situation. Someone has taken the Luna Superior. Someone who may also suspect she is the Sponsa Noctis. Fuck the Heartlands. My business there can wait. This changes everything. I swear on my mother’s grave, if they hurt her, I’ll—
My wolf snarls at the mere implication. I can only imagine how my brother’s handling it all. He’s probably ballistic. Running on fumes.
Demi buckles herself into the truck, turning the key in the ignition. “There is good news. We managed to grab a rogue before he could retreat. Jabir’s hammering away at him, though we haven’t gotten anything of use yet. Stupid prick hacked off his tongue.”
That’s rather shocking, given that most prisoners don’t last six hours down there under the Beta’s knife. If Axe is behind those bars . . .
My throat bobs, just thinking of the creative tactics my brother will deploy to get information. No tongue? No problem.
But with Vessa’s life on the line, maybe it’s time I put my augment to good use.
“What would you have me do?”