Chapter Twelve
Dashiel
Vicious fury ripped through my system the second I saw him, and I wanted to let my flames out to destroy the two responsible.
My mate. My beloved had been bound to a chair. Blood, cuts, and bruises marred his face. His eyes were swollen from all the abuse he had taken, and bruises already darkened his skin.
For one terrible moment, I saw nothing else but the pain my beloved had been through.
The warehouse disappeared.
The people around me vanished.
The only thing that existed was Landon, injured and terrified.
Hungry fire surged beneath my skin.
The urge to kill the men arose again with enough force that the concrete beneath my feet cracked.
One second. That was all it would take.
One step and I could reduce both men to ash before they had time to scream.
The thought was dangerously appealing, but reason forced its way through the rage.
Answers.
We needed answers.
Did they work for someone?
Were there others involved?
Why had they taken him, bound him, hurt him?
Dead men answered nothing.
The realization tasted bitter, but it was necessary. I needed control.
My gaze shifted back toward my beloved, nearly undoing me all over again.
Utter relief had flooded his face the second he saw me. Like seeing me had made everything better.
Like I had made everything better, which caused my chest to tighten.
Then I saw the warmth in his gaze, too, even when both eyes were swollen.
I swallowed around the rising fury.
He’d trusted me to come.
Believed I would help.
And I always would.
At the realization of his strength and pride in me, I couldn’t breathe.
Only days ago, this human male had looked at me like I was a complication dropped into his life by Fate. Now he looked at me like I belonged here. Maybe even belonged to him.
I tore my gaze away from Landon before I forgot every other person in the room existed and I went to him.
Right now, I needed to focus on my prey, so I settled my attention back on the two humans.
The one called Martin had gone pale. I had seen his picture in his office.
The other looked ready to bolt.
Neither option would help them.
I took a step forward as the heat in the warehouse rose several degrees.
Fear scented the air, and it was all coming from those two.
Good.
They should be afraid.
“Dashiel.” My father’s voice came quietly from behind me. It was a warning and reminder for me to stay in control.
I inhaled once before nodding.
Without taking my eyes off the two men, I spoke. “Soren.”
The vampire appeared beside me almost instantly. One moment, he stood across the warehouse, and the next, he was there. Spade materialized a second later beside his mate, his hard gaze locked on the men too.
I pointed toward the men. “Mesmerize them. I want everything they know before I deal with them.”
Soren’s eyes sharpened immediately, and without question or hesitation, the ancient predator simply smiled with very little warmth in it. “As you wish.”
The two men visibly paled, then screamed when Soren and Spade suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them. But with a quick uttered word from Soren, they shut up.
“Riker.”
The fox shifter practically vibrated with energy. “Yep?”
“Untie my fated and bring him to me.”
Riker’s expression softened instantly.
Then he was moving over the cold concrete floor, along with Monkey.
I glanced back at the men responsible as they spoke with a dazed look in their eyes to the vampires.
Riker and Monkey carefully pulled Landon to his feet, and when he swayed, my stomach dropped. The urge to burn something intensified dramatically.
Steady.
Control.
For Landon.
The three of them started toward me.
He was alive and safe.
As soon as he reached me, my hands rose immediately. One cupped his jaw while the other settled gently against the side of his neck.
“I would have come to you, but if I got close to them…” I clenched my jaw. “We would not have the answers we need to keep you safe.”
He smiled. “I know.”
My heart ached. “Landon.” I love you. My throat tightened as emotions rose while I took in all his injuries.
He’s in pain, you fool.
Heal him.
I brushed my thumb carefully beneath his eye, and my healing magic answered immediately.
Slivers of warm light flowed from my hands. The bruises on his cheeks faded first. Then the split in his lip and cuts vanished before the swelling finally disappeared.
Every visible injury began retreating beneath my power.
Landon inhaled sharply, his eyes widening.
Then he simply stared at me in awe and wonder, but there was also something softer that made my pulse race.
“Does it hurt?” he asked quietly.
The question startled me. “Healing?”
He nodded.
Of course he would worry about others when he was the one who had been injured.
A soft and disbelieving laugh escaped me. “No, my beloved.”
His gaze tracked the fading silver light. “That’s incredible.”
The wonder in his voice made something ridiculous bloom inside my chest.
When the final bruise disappeared, I brushed my thumb across his cheek one last time. There was still blood, but nothing else now.
I took a step closer to him. “You are safe now.”
His bottom lip trembled, but then he smiled up at me. “I knew you’d come.”
“Always.” And from this day forward, I would keep him close and safe.
If he allowed me to.
The warmth in his eyes deepened, and for one reckless second, I wanted to kiss him right here in front of everyone.
The urge nearly won, until reality returned.
I lowered my hands reluctantly. “The vampires will find out if anyone else is involved.”
Landon nodded. “Then what will happen?”
“They took you. Touched you. Made you bleed. I will have my vengeance, Landon. That is the way of our world. But more importantly, no one harms my fated.” Was this something he could live with?
“Fuck yes,” Monkey agreed.
“Too bad there’s only two of them. I wanted to kill something too,” Riker commented.
I ignored them and studied Landon. There was no disgust or objection within his gaze.
Since I could not resist touching him, I cupped his cheeks once more. I needed to make sure he understood. “Landon—”
His hands rested over mine. “You do what you need to, Dashiel.”
Relief saturated my senses. He was accepting my world. Accepting me.
I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip, and he licked there when I pulled away, as if trying to taste my touch.
I wanted this done so I could take him away.
I wished for him to be in my cottage surrounded by nothing but woods. The two of us alone.
“You are leaving with Riker and Monkey.”
His brows pulled together. “What? Why? When? What about you?”
He wanted me with him. I would be soon enough.
“Wait with them just outside.” I glanced at Riker, my gaze asking him to take care of my fated.
The fox shifter nodded, standing taller.
“I can wait here,” Landon tried, his gaze drifting past me toward my family.
But I did not want his first meeting with my father to occur in a destroyed warehouse while kidnappers awaited their judgment.
Drawing his attention back to me by gently tracing my thumb over his chin, I said, “I will introduce everyone properly soon. I need to deal with this first.”
Slowly, he nodded. “Okay.”
Relief moved through me.
Because if he argued right now, I wasn’t entirely certain what I would do.
Riker stepped closer to Landon’s side when I shifted back, and Monkey immediately took Landon’s other side. “Come on, Pops.”
It was good to know my mate would be surrounded by people who cared for him.
As they began leading him away, Landon hesitated as he looked back at me with such warmth, trust, and affection.
My pulse stumbled, but I inclined my head in a promise that I would be with him soon.
Landon’s shoulders relaxed slightly before he allowed Riker and Monkey to guide him away.
Only when he was safely behind me did I turn back toward the men who had taken him.
The warehouse grew hotter when fire curled lazily around my fingers.
Surely the vampires would have all the answers needed by now.
“Soren,” I called.
He flashed over to me with Spade. “They were the only ones involved in stealing money within the accounting firm.”
“Good. Everyone out,” I called, then allowed the fire to engulf my hands and up my arms.