Page 94 of Wicked Allure
Dru would get her back, and when she did, she’d never let her go ever again.
“What did you just say?” Dru stared at the second pilot who came from the cockpit.
He visibly shuddered at her glare. “I said that there is going to be a delay with landing, General.” He reached up and tugged on the collar of his shirt. He swallowed hard before continuing. “There is a herd of caribou blocking the runway.”
Dru blinked and glanced over at Orenda and Talbot who’d joined them. Seven hours of flying had Dru’s skin crawling. This was time that was being lost from her searching for her mate. She ran a hand along her face.
Caribou was blocking the runway?
“Why can’t you just plow through them?” Dru grunted. How was this even possible? She stood from her chair on the private jet.
The pilot took a step back. The scent of fear filled the air. She shook her head and moved over to where her thick coat lay on a couch. The party traveling with her was small. She didn’t need a full battalion to accompany her to the king and queen.
Savadeen would be extremely cold this time of year. Even though she was a vampire and her body could acclimate fine to the weather, this type of cold was something else. She lifted her leather coat and put it on. It was a thick and lined with fur and would be perfect to shield off the chill.
“Our plane would take significant damage. The ground crew is working on clearing the caribou. We should only be delayed fifteen or twenty minutes,” the pilot said.
“You have ten minutes to get this plane on the ground.” Dru returned to her chair and took her seat. She wasn’t going to settle for more delays. The quicker she could make her delivery to the queen, the quicker she could begin her next mission—finding Tomesha.
In the seven hours since she’d left Butterbush, the postmaster had not found Tomesha’s whereabouts. Dru made a mental note to remove him from his command. She did not accept failure in anything, and he’d be replaced. She had a few prospects in mind who would be perfect for that position. There were trustworthy vampires who wouldn’t let her down.
“Yes, General.” The pilot bowed his head before retreating to the cockpit.
“There will be transport awaiting us,” Orenda said.
“Good. We’re going to make this quick.” Dru turned to Talbot who was working on his tablet. She’d put him on the search for her mate. Someone knew where she was. The draft kept extensive documentation on the human-vampire matching. They kept up on the matches and even released statistical information each year to prove the success of the unions. Someone had to know something. “Have you discovered anything about Tomesha?”
“Not yet, General. There’s so much red tape to get through. This is not the norm,” he murmured.
Dru scowled. This wasn’t what she wanted to hear. How was it that she was a general and no one would give her the information she demanded? Her position should mean something.
Talbot glanced up at her. “But I’ll continue on.”
She stared out the window and took in the winter wonderland that awaited them below. Orenda, Talbot, and the few warriors accompanying her prepared for the descent into the cold, remote area. It had been a long while since she’d visited the royal castle which was located in the Northwest Territory of Canada.
The pilot’s voice came overhead, announcing they were preparing to land. Dru felt some satisfaction that it hadn’t taken as long as they’d suspected. They safely landed without incident. Once the doors opened, Dru stood and reached for the heavy leather bag that held the traitor’s head. She strode to the door and breathed in the frosty air. She peered around and took in the barren land that surrounded the small airport. A log cabin positioned off in distance acted as the terminal.
Out on the tarmac were several vehicles with the royal insignia on them. Dru jogged down the stairs of the plane behind Talbot and stalked toward their arranged transportation. It shouldn’t take them long to arrive at the castle—Dorston Keep.
Dru was escorted into one of the waiting vehicles. The trip to the keep did not take long, for which Dru was thankful. Her skin crawled at the thought of her mate and wherever she was. Dru couldn’t get Tomesha off her mind. Worry filled her again. Was she safe? Was the vampire who had her treating her with respect? Had they laid a finger on her?
Dru bit back a growl. If one single strand of hair was out of place on her mate when she arrived, Dru would burn down the world.
Savadeen was carved from ice and silence during this time of year. The sky stretched out dark and endless with the faint shimmer of aurora. They arrived, and the vehicles parked. Dru’s door opened. She clutched the handle of the bag and stepped from the ride. The faint snow that drifted in the air hit her like shards of glass. She scowled at how damn cold it was here. Great Bear Lake lay beneath the darkened sky, a mirror of black glass, its frozen surface reflecting the jagged peaks and the iron silhouette of Dorston Keep.
The castle rose from the edge of the lake, a beast in the snow. The ancient stone walls were covered in frost, its steeples hovering against the dark morning sky like shadows. Gold banners marked with the royal crest snapped in the cutting wind, their edges frozen in ice.
Dru adjusted her coat, the thick leather helping to shield her from the cold. It creaked as she moved. The traitor’s head weighed down the satchel at her side. It was a gruesome token of victory that should have had her feeling proud at her accomplishment. This moment was dimmed by the fact that her mate was missing.
The weight of Tomesha’s absence was heavy. Her mate should be by her side at this time. Dru would have been honored for the king and queen to meet her. To have a union blessed by the royal couple was an honor that she’d live for, but she wouldn’t be robbed of this opportunity. Once she’d obtained her mate, she’d be sure to introduce Tomesha to the Riskels.
The bond between them was a dull ache behind her rib cage. Every moment they were apart scraped at Dru’s nerves. She promised herself that her mate would not be absent from her side for long.
Dru’s warriors flanked her side as the massive doors of the keep opened. They stalked through them, Dru intent on meeting with the queen who expected them. Royal guards in their armor were posted at the entrance. They bowed their heads in respect as Dru walked past them.
“General. Welcome to Dorston Keep.” A guard stepped forward.
Dru and her warriors stopped.
