Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
Winter was going to come out of his skin. If Aiden hadn’t kept his hand on his arm, Winter was sure he would have slipped past the veil and disappeared from sight so no one could stop him from marching on wherever the fuck Fox was being held. Not that even he knew that much right now.
When they arrived at the loft, it was to find tear gas still lingering in the air, windows broken out, splashes of blood on the floor, and no Fox. The weapons cabinet had been raided, but Winter was hoping that was Fox’s doing.
Helpless rage and fear sloshed through him, nauseating him and weakening his limbs. He needed to kill something. Someone. He didn’t fucking care. No, he did. He wanted to wrap his fingers around Damon’s throat and choke the life out of the bastard before carving him into tiny little pieces.
But first he needed to hold Fox. Needed to know he was okay.
Aiden had pulled him into his SUV and driven straight to Marcus’s home. A couple of phone calls were made to his family on the way, but Winter didn’t hear any of it. He was just trying to think past the anger.
The Varik clan was assembled by the time they arrived. The only ones missing were Jullien, Ryder, and Gideon. Apparently, Rafe had sent them out to try to lean on some contacts who might know where Fox had been taken or where Damon was holding court within Hartford.
Sofia, leader of the Montgomery clan, was also present with her werewolf mate, David.
And surprisingly, Zelda was there as well.
Winter knew he should feel reassured that so many had gathered together to help fight Damon, but his brain kept screaming at him that he’d failed Fox. He’d promised to keep the man safe, to protect him from Damon.
Fuck, he should have taken Fox to Marcus’s house, or even Rafe’s, prior to meeting with Aiden. How could he be so cocky as to believe that his home wouldn’t be discovered eventually?
“Winter!” Aiden said sharply. The youngest Varik’s head popped up and he looked at Aiden’s stern expression. “You need to stop. These thoughts aren’t helping get Fox back.”
“Damon’s men were careful to take him. They wanted him alive,” Marcus added.
“The bastard isn’t going to do anything to him until you’re there to witness it.” Rafe leaned forward where he was sitting, his eyes narrowing on Winter. “And we’re going to rip his fucking guts out before he realizes he’s even under attack. We’ll get your Fox.”
Clenching his teeth, Winter managed a small nod while swallowing against the lump that had formed in his throat. His brothers’ words helped. Knowing they were with him, ready to fight, Winter could breathe a little easier.
“Did Damon give you any hints to what madness he has in mind?” Sofia asked.
She was seated in a delicate plush chair with her massive mate standing just behind her shoulder.
The vampire looked like such a diminutive thing, but Winter didn’t doubt that she was a fierce creature if she managed to become the leader of one of the largest clans in the Americas.
Aiden recapped the meeting at The Gallery, which really came down to kneel or die. Oh, and hand Winter over as collateral.
Considering the timing of the attack on Winter’s loft, Damon had known Aiden would reject his terms. Or maybe Damon wanted Fox in hand at the same time to make sure he had a weapon against the Variks, assuming he still believed in the stupid prophecy.
“We need to take the fight to Damon as quickly as possible, before he has a chance to fortify his position,” Wyatt said. He paused and looked around the room. “Unless you think he’s already returned to his mansion in Virginia.”
“He wouldn’t have time unless he had a chartered jet waiting for him already,” Winter murmured.
“He’s still here,” David announced with confidence.
Winter’s head popped up and he stared at Wyatt’s brother. “How do you know?”
“I have spies at all the airports big enough to handle a private jet. I was in contact with them while on our way here. No vampires have taken off from the Hartford area.”
Wyatt smirked at his brother. “You’re keeping an eye on the airborne vampires?”
David grinned in return. “Vampires are very…particular about their takeoff and landing times.”
“Mmm…yeah, that whole silly sunlight issue,” Lola snarked from the other side of the library, where she was leaning on the bookcase with her slender arms folded over her chest.
“Damon is still in Hartford or the immediate area,” Marcus said, moving the conversation forward. “Do we have any idea of where he would go to ground? Who his allies are in the region?”
Silence dominated the room for several seconds before Zelda huffed irritably. Some part of Winter cringed. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what came out of her mouth.
“You’ve gotta take off the ring, Winter,” Zelda said firmly.
Winter automatically fisted his left hand and then covered it with his right as if he expected someone to march over and steal it from him.
He knew she meant that he needed to talk to the ghosts, use them to track down Damon, but Winter didn’t want to take off the ring.
It held the tiniest drop of Fox’s blood and it was his only tie to the witch at that moment.
Just the idea of slipping the metal from his finger left him wanting to vomit.
“What ring?” Bel asked.
“Yes, Winter. Did you marry your witch and not invite your family to the ceremony?” Rafe prodded, but it didn’t have his usual bite.
“Fuck you, Zelda,” Winter snarled under his breath. She could have said something where the others couldn’t hear. There was no getting around it without telling everyone his darkest secret.
“Fox wants you to tell them,” Zelda replied gently.
“He’s not here now, is he?” Winter shouted at her. He was a bundle of ragged, raw nerves and he didn’t give a shit who he lashed out at. He wanted his Fox. Needed him.
“But you can use your gift to find him.”
“Curse,” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. The first flare of temper had faded, and he wanted to curl into a ball. Or he wanted to rain death on the city. Either one was good. Just so he stopped hurting for a little while.
“Winter?” Marcus said.
The worry in his oldest brother’s voice was like a knife.
Of all his brothers, he was the closest to Marcus.
The twins always had each other. He and Marcus were regularly teamed up to beat back and control the other clans in the name of protecting their family.
Out of anyone, keeping this secret felt like the biggest betrayal of Marcus’s trust.
“I see ghosts,” Winter said dully.
“What do you mean? When you do your disappearing trick?” Rafe asked.
“You mean all the time, don’t you?” Bel corrected in his soft, worried tone. “That’s why you didn’t want me to say anything about your gift. I really did see Mother that day.”
Winter dropped his face into his hands as chaos exploded around the room. Voices were raised, demanding to know about Winter’s gift and how Bel had seen their dead mother. Aiden then started shouting over them, trying to calm everyone.
But it was the warm weight he suddenly felt on his leg that had Winter’s head lifting.
He blinked and found River sitting on the floor, leaning against his leg and offering silent support and comfort.
A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up to find Wyatt standing over him, reassuring and protective all at once.
“I couldn’t say anything, but they know I’ve been worried about you,” Bel said.
Winter found himself smiling at his brother as he sat alone on the sofa, a worried look on his handsome face.
Winter had seen his brother’s wolves snuggling close to him when he was upset about something, and he’d always found it strange.
He’d thought their presence would feel oppressive, but it was comforting in a way he couldn’t explain.
Winter would have preferred to have Fox in his arms, but their light touch made Winter feel less alone.
“It’s time to tell them everything, Winter,” Aiden said, and he found himself nodding.
Winter stared at his hands, his eyes once again locking on the gold band with the sparkling blue gem. A little piece of Fox was locked inside his crystal structure like a promise. If he was strong, if he was brave, he’d get his witch back. For Fox, he could do this.
“I heard voices when I was young…and human. I don’t know if they were the same as Mother’s, but I told only Aiden.
” He paused, keeping his gaze on the sapphire glinting up at him.
The ring Fox had picked out for him. “I didn’t want you to leave me behind.
I’m a Varik too. But I didn’t want you to have to deal with me the way you had to watch over Julianna…
so I only told Aiden. I made him swear to not tell anyone else. ”
“Aiden!” Marcus roared.
Winter was on his feet in an instant, pulling from his werewolf-shaped security blanket and moving to stand between Aiden and his brother.
“He kept his word. It was bad enough that you had to protect each other from Julianna. Do you really think I was going to burden you with having to stop me as well? No, absolutely not!”
“But you mentioned ghosts,” Philippe said when Marcus retreated with a snarl. Winter watched his older brother walk over to the chair he’d been sitting in, his hands balled into fists. Ethan pulled at him, urging him to sit again.
“When I was reborn a vampire, I discovered that the voices I’d been hearing were actually ghosts. I can see them constantly. Talk to them.”
“You mean like right now?” Lola demanded. She tightened her arms around her waist and looked around her as if she was expecting to see a ghost pass through the room close to her.
“I did…before I met Fox.” Winter sighed and shoved a hand thought his long hair, pushing it from his face. “Dealing with the ghosts constantly was exhausting. There was no getting any peace. No matter where I went, they were there. Some paid attention to me. Others didn’t.”