Page 80 of Chasing Stripes

Thora moved with predatory grace, placing herself between Alaric and the rest of the group. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed him. “Talk. Now.”

The vampire elder sank into the nearest chair without waiting for an invitation – a telling breach of the etiquette he normally prized. “I’ve been held captive,” he admitted, his cultured voice rough with exhaustion. “In a warded chamber designed to siphon vampire magic.”

“Who took you?” Bartek demanded, his grip on Artemis’s hand tightening instinctively.

Alaric’s face contorted with a mixture of rage and shame. “The same entity who’s been terrorizing our community. The one you call The Collector.” He paused, swallowing visibly. “They’ve been blackmailing me for months. Threatening to expose my entire clan to human authorities.”

Silence fell as they absorbed this confession. Artemis felt Bartek’s tension through their bond, his protective instincts surging.

“What do they want from you?” Thora pressed, her interrogation skills evident in her direct approach.

Alaric met her gaze with the miserable courage of someone confessing a terrible sin. “Access to council records on soul-tethers. Approval for the fountain renovation that concealed the entrance to their ritual chamber. Turning a blind eye when magical artifacts went missing.”

His voice dropped even lower. “But that wasn’t enough. They wanted something I couldn’t give them, so they took me instead.”

“What couldn’t you give?” Artemis asked, though dread already coiled in her stomach.

“Information about you and Bartek. About your connection.” Alaric’s gaze shifted to the golden light pulsing between them. “They’ve been obsessed with it since the moment it manifested.”

Bartek’s growl rumbled through the room, a reminder of the predator that lived within him. “And you told them what, exactly?”

“Nothing they didn’t already know,” Alaric answered, defiance flashing through his exhaustion. “But in searching for me, my cousin Viridian discovered something. He confronted them, and...” His voice broke. “They took him too. I found evidence they’ve been... experimenting on him. Harvesting his magic.”

The revelation sent a palpable chill through the room. Artemis felt Bartek’s rage through their bond, his body tensing with the desire for action.

“Do you know The Collector’s identity?” Rust asked, his mayoral authority giving way to his lion-shifter intensity.

Alaric shook his head. “They wore a magical glamour whenever they appeared. But I know they’re planning something monumental during the eclipse. Something that requires the magical foundation stones beneath the town square fountain.”

Haavi, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since arriving, spoke up. “If your cousin is still alive, we need to find him. And anyone else they might be holding.”

SEVENTY-ONE

“The fountain,” Artemis said decisively. “That’s where we start.”

As the group shifted into planning mode, debating entry points and security measures, Artemis felt a gentle tug. She glanced up to find Bartek watching her, a silent question in his eyes. Without words needed between them, she nodded, understanding his desire for a moment alone.

They slipped into the small office at the back of the bakery, closing the door against the strategic discussions. The moment they were alone, Bartek gathered her close, his arms encircling her waist. She melted against him, her cheek finding the hollow of his shoulder, the spot that already felt like it had been shaped precisely for her.

“What are you thinking?” he asked finally, his voice a rumble she felt through her chest.

Artemis sighed. “About my parents. If my mother knew enough to hide these coordinates, was their accident really an accident? Did The Collector—” She couldn’t complete the thought, the possibility too painful to voice.

Bartek’s hand came up to cradle her face, tilting it until she met his gaze. The amber of his eyes had deepened with emotion, flecks of gold catching the light from their bond.

“We’ll find the truth,” he promised. “Whatever it is.”

“I’m afraid,” she confessed, the admission easier in the privacy they’d created. “Not of fighting, not even of getting hurt. But the thought of our connection being severed...” She placed her palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her touch. “I’ve only just found you. I can’t lose this.”

The vulnerability in her voice seemed to unlock something in him. His expression softened, the stoic alpha giving way to the man who had claimed her heart.

“Artemis,” he began, his voice rough with emotion. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face with exquisite gentleness. “You need to know something.”

She held her breath, struck by the naked emotion in his gaze.

“You’re not just my mate,” he said, each word deliberate and weighted with truth. “You’re my heart. I think I’ve been waiting for you my entire life without knowing it. Every part of me—tiger, alpha, man—belongs to you now.”

His thumb brushed her cheekbone, catching a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen. “Even if this magical connection between us somehow broke, my choice would still be you. Always you.”

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