Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
TEAGUE
Macklin’s sharp inhale has me gripping the phone. “What?” Silence. I lift the phone and see we’re still connected. “Damn it. Talk to me. Is Charli okay?”
There’s a harsh exhale and a low muttered curse. “Fine. More than fine.” His laugh is strained as if something has a grip on him. “Damn.”
Nonplussed, I contemplate his words, but he’s being deliberately evasive. “Have Victoria pull an entire wardrobe for her and send it over this week,” I order.
Charli always looks beautiful, but she needs more clothes. Ones that fit her personality and the confident woman waiting to emerge.
“Will do.”
“Do you want me to go out and talk to Ames? I’ve gotten to know him pretty well at our monthly poker games,” I ask Macklin. He’s not exactly the friendliest dragon I’ve met.
“You’ve got a date, remember? I’ll go. My responsibility,” he states firmly. “Make sure she takes that lodestone with her tonight. It really helped steady her. And don’t let anyone touch her.”
“I’ve got it,” I gruffly state, frustrated that he tries to take on everything by himself. “And when you get back, we’re going to talk about you and her. Charli feels the connection, and so do you. She’s stronger than you think. It’s past time, Macklin.”
He’s silent for a second. “Here she comes. I’ll have her back in an hour. She hasn’t eaten lunch yet.” He hangs up.
I grin. Protective by nature, he’s chafing at the thought of his possible mate strolling around without him. I need to make sure he spends more time alone with her, stretch those rigid boundaries of his until he breaks and claims his mate.
My grin fades. Then we need to figure out what to do about Andros.
Raine assured me he was also her mate, but it’s hard to think about letting him near her again.
It was too fucking close. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it in time, and I still can’t get the sight of her at the bottom of the stairs out of my head.
Damn it. Why does it feel like we’re missing something?
Andros has been triggered in the past, and it’s never been this bad.
Macklin said he was almost feral. His sole focus was getting to her.
I can’t help but think this has something to do with her being his mate, but unfortunately, he isn’t willing to reach out to other vampires. We need more information.
I bring up my phone and shoot off a text to Ronan in Ireland, an ancient vampire who’s seen it all, and a close friend.
Teague: Hey, you crotchety old bastard. Where’s that Irish whiskey you promised to send me?
Ronan: Been a little busy. Kian disappeared. Have you heard from him?
Kian’s part of his brood, along with Alejandro.
The three of them have lived together for centuries.
They were originally part of the vampire king’s personal retinue, but when he was overthrown, they refused to give their allegiance to the new self-appointed king.
Eight hundred years later, they still live together, but now they use their skills to investigate supernatural cases.
I frown. It’s not like Kian to be out of touch.
Teague: How long has he been gone?
Ronan: Three months. Got a lead on a technowitch and his family who disappeared outside of Oak Vale.
Teague: Odd coincidence. Our seer disappeared, and we’ve got a lead on a dragon being held captive. I’ll drop you the info.
Ronan: …
Ronan: Damn. There’s something going on. We’re working at least twelve disappearance cases. Alejandro and I will be there tomorrow. We want to be in on this one.
Teague: Can always use the help. Bring the damn whiskey with you.
I’ll ask Ronan for the mate info later. Shooting off a text, I send him the information along with photos of Charli’s sketches from earlier.
Macklin intends to head out to Ames’s place later to ask what he knows about Mavros.
An ancient ice dragon, Ames leads the clan here in Greystone and serves as the head of the worldwide dragon council.
Plus, he keeps a record of every dragon on this earth.
Twelve missing cases plus the three we know of—Mavros, Raine, and the girl.
Brings the total to fifteen. Sixteen if you count Kian, and those are only the ones we know are missing.
I slide through the photos of Charli’s drawings from earlier.
Sterile halls. Medical equipment. Captives. This is organized.
Movement catches my eye, and I turn toward the monitors to watch as Macklin walks Charli to her door, then hands her the bags in his hands.
Her brow puckers, and she shakes her head several times, but Macklin’s face tells me he’s not budging.
I chuckle. It’s obvious she’s trying to pay for the clothes.
Wait until she finds out we instructed Victoria to outfit her with an entire wardrobe.
Our door opens a minute later, and Macklin strolls into the room, a small, satisfied smile on his face instead of the broody expression he usually wears. I haven’t seen him this light-hearted in decades. He needs her.
“Good day?” I ask, keeping my tone bland.
He settles across from me on the sofa, a contemplative expression on his face. “Mmm hmm.”
“Ready to tell her?”
He stubbornly shakes his head, and I blow out a breath.
“Your call.” As much as I want this for them, it’s not as if I can force the issue. Although he knows I won’t stop pushing him.
I fill him in on my call to Ronan.
“We should call around to the other Vales. See if they know anything,” Macklin says, pulling out his phone. “What’s the count?”
“Possibly sixteen that we know of, but based on her sketches, they’ve got facilities up and running, which means this is bigger than we think,” I growl, hating the idea of someone hunting us.
Seven o’clock on the dot, I knock. The door swings open, and for the first time in my very long life, I’m speechless.
Expecting to see my shy, innocent mate, I’m blown away by the siren standing in her place, wearing a daring green silk blouse, the tiniest damn skirt, and boots that make her legs seem a mile long.
A glint of gold draws my eye to the deep V of her blouse and the hint of curves showing on each side.
I silently groan, tempted to bend her over and lick a line down the center of that tantalizing “V” as my hand slides between her legs.
“You’re absolutely stunning,” I rasp, as the image continues to play in my mind. Fuck me. Pretty soon she’s going to see exactly what I want to do to her.
Her light green eyes widen, and a blush steals across her cheeks while her gaze unconsciously slides over my body. “Teague.” Her voice is breathless and full of need.
My name on her glossy pink lips is like a match, and I shove my hand in my pocket to hide the very physical inferno raging inside me. Taking a deep breath, I push my desire and the need to claim her back behind the wall.
Her hair moves, revealing her forehead. “That looks amazing. Barely a scar.”
Her blush deepens, and she peers up at me from her long dark lashes. “Thank you.” She nods. “It’s really crazy how fast Joy’s treatment worked. Like a miracle.”
“Or magic,” I say nonchalantly.
She blinks. “I didn’t think about that. Wish I’d had this long ago.” Her lips curl down at the corners as if she’s thinking about the past. A second later, she shakes it off. “You look incredible.”
Killing me. I grin in response and do a little twirl in front of her to jokingly show off my tailored black suit and dark charcoal grey button down. “Hmm, thank you. Do you have your lodestone?”
When she nods and taps her purse, I take her coat and hold it out for her.
She turns her back to me and slides her arms in, then lifts her tousled curls from inside the collar.
I inch closer and inhale the delectable scent, teasing my senses.
Instead of her usual light vanilla, tonight’s scent is a combination of darker, seductive notes that make me want to skim my teeth across her sweet body to see if she tastes as good as she smells.
Slow, remember.
Before I do something she might regret, I step back and hold out my arm. She slips her hand into the crook of my elbow with zero hesitation, and a curl of satisfaction flares at this tiny step forward.
When we reach the garage and she sees the car running, she peers up at me and smiles. “You’re spoiling me. I’m never going to be able to get into a cold car again without grumbling.”
“You deserve to be spoiled,” I state firmly, helping her inside. She hasn’t shared much, but the little she has said tells me she’s gone through more than most people do in a lifetime.
“Did Macklin tell you about the place we’re going?” I ask as I pull out of the garage. She shakes her head. “The Fork is at the base of the mountain with an incredible view across the valley. Everything they prepare is grown right on their ranch, and the food is unbelievable.”
“Sounds delicious,” she says, but there’s a slight note of uncertainty in her voice. “Is this the ranch where the hatchlings are? The ones you mentioned the other day?”
I chuckle. “No. The Fork is run by Elementals. True magic users. They wield power as easily as you and I breathe. In fact, Elijah is the one who made the snowstorm bigger to make sure the pass would close.” Her brows lift. “We didn’t want you to worry.”
She looks at me, then down at the hands she’s wringing in her lap. “Thank you.” Her mouth opens, then shuts.
Reaching over, I hold my hand out, palm up, and wait. She slides hers in mine, and as our palms touch, the connection surges, adding to the intimacy in the car. “We won’t let anything happen to you. But it’s not just me or Macklin. Greystone protects its own, and you’re one of us now.”
“Because we’re mates?” she asks, biting her bottom lip.
I shake my head. “Very few people know we’re mates. Although, I warn you, they will after tonight. Greystone is a hotbed of gossip.”
She lifts a shoulder. “I grew up in a small town.”
Interesting. Another glimpse into her past. Unprompted too. “You’re one of us because you’ve been here a grand total of ten days and already used your ability to help someone else. Twice. Without asking for anything in return.”
A stunned expression crosses her face as if she didn’t think about it. I lift her hand and press a kiss to her fingers.
Her breath catches as her gaze shifts to my lips, then she clears her throat and says dismissively, “I didn’t really do anything. It’s not like I have control over my visions.”
“Don’t,” I tell her sharply as I pull into the restaurant.
“Every time you have a vision and you choose to share it with someone, or you choose to use the knowledge for their benefit, you’re making a very important decision.
You. Nobody else. That’s control. Power.
Don’t downplay the magic you wield as a seer. ”
She sucks in a breath.
Cursing for having been so blunt, I slide out and hurry around to her side of the car. Growling a warning at the panther shifter already opening her door, I move in and extend my hand.
To my relief, she takes it and steps out.
“I’m sorry, Charli,” I say, cupping her jaw and tilting her face up. “I don’t know everything you’ve gone through or why you feel the way you do. Just know that this world, our world, sees you. I see you. Your gift is remarkable.”
She slowly draws in a deep breath, then lets it out. “I’ve felt powerless for so long. Terrified of my gift. Of being different. I don’t know how to be the person you see.”
Her whispered confession pierces my heart, and I lean closer. “Sweetheart, you’re already that person. You don’t have to change a thing. I promise.”
Her lids lower, covering her eyes, and I can’t tell if my words are getting through.
“They’re waiting for us to leave the car,” she murmurs, motioning to the two valets.
I want to growl at them to fuck off, but I rein myself in. This is Charli’s first date. Our first date. I want it to be magical.
“And I promised you a fabulous first date,” I remark, forcing myself to find some fucking patience.
She looks up, relief in her eyes, and I wink at her.