Page 11 of The Love Bitten Series: Vol 2

Jareth followed me from the room, and when we entered the kitchen, I felt something crunch under my foot and looked down to see that I’d stepped on a gingerbread cookie. “What the hell?” I grunted as I glanced around for clues as to what had happened. There was a plate of food on the counter, undoubtedly the one she’d made up for my brother. She must have dropped the cookie when she returned to the kitchen, but I didn’t understand why she hadn’t brought the snack into the den.

Unless...shit. Was it possible she’d come to the room while Jareth and I had been discussing Barbra? If she’d only heard part of the conversation, I could easily see how she would misinterpret what we’d said.

“Do you think she heard…” Jareth trailed off, but it was clear he’d come to the same conclusion.

The back door slammed open with a gust of air, making me realize that it hadn’t been shut. I sprinted to the entrance and out into the multi-acre backyard.

The gate in the fence that opened to the side of the house was also swinging in the growing wind. A snowstorm was headed our way. I’d been looking forward to being confined to the house with my consort for a few days after completing our bond.

Right now, though, Amaia was still human, so this weather could make her sick. The miracles of modern medicine meant she would most certainly recover, but having lived as long as I had, I couldn’t help picturing my sweet girl as she would have been a centuries ago, lying in bed, sick and dying. The thought sent me sprinting once again. I ran along the side of the house until I reached the front and glanced around the circular drive, hoping to see her waiting or, better yet, heading back to me.

This relationship was still new, so I couldn’t blame her for not waiting around for an explanation, though I desperately wished she had. When I found her, I wasn’t going to wait any longer to make her mine forever. All of this could have been cleared up immediately if I’d taken that step before tonight. We’d have the ability to share a mind once our bond was complete, and she’d never need to doubt my feelings for her again.

“Where do you think she went?” Jareth asked as he jogged up next to me.

“My best guess is Everleigh.” I squinted up at the moonlit sky as fat flakes of snow began to fall. “But I’m not sure she had her phone. Which means she’s out in this weather, running from me, trying to find a place to call her sister.”

Jareth sighed as the wind whipped the snow into our faces. Our blood ran colder than most, so this weather didn’t affect us unless we had very prolonged exposure with very little clothing. But that didn’t mean the sensation was pleasant.

“I’m going to send help, then go to Marshall and Everleigh. I’ll explain what happened so he doesn’t kick your ass. Then they can look out for her and let you know when she contacts them. If she had her cell and Everleigh already came for her, then I’ll make sure she stays put until you can get there to explain.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled before taking off down the long driveway, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of my dark-haired, violet-eyed beauty.

Stephan and Braedan popped in a minute later, immediately keeping pace with me. “When we get to the road, we’ll each take a direction,” Stephan informed me. “Ren is on an assignment, but Cian and his brothers are at Kieran’s for the holiday. They offered to help if we don’t find her soon.”

I nodded, grateful that I came from such a robust family. Cian and his two siblings were the sons of my father’s youngest brother.

Braedan handed me a belt that held a sheath with a stake and three little pouches, one filled with garlic, another with a cross, and the last held a vial of holy water. I had tried not to think about her encountering any nightwalkers, but Braeden thought rationally, and I gave him a grim smile in thanks. Armed, we jogged to the main road, and I went straight, while the other two split in opposite directions.

Despite our connection not being fully in place, I hoped I could get a sense of her nearness just through the bond of being mates. I’d realized shortly after finding out Amaia was gone that something in me had known. I’d sensed she wasn’t there anymore, just as I did when she was near.

Suddenly, Braeden appeared in front of me, bringing me to a skidding halt so I wouldn’t bowl right into him. “Let’s go,” he said right before he took my arm and teleported.

We landed in the dimly lit parking lot of a twenty-four-hour convenience store. I was about to ask Braeden what the hell he’d brought me here for when, through the heavily falling snow, I barely spotted Stephan darting around the side of the building into an alley. He was followed closely by Ren and Jareth, so I took off after them.

What’s going on?I asked my brothers.

Ren answered,We found her. She came in to use the phone and walked right into a fucking nest.

Fuck. My legs worked harder as I darted around the corner of the building.

There’s another girl, Jareth added.Amaia managed to free her before escaping, but the nightwalkers are just about to close in on them.

When I exited the alley into the area behind the store, I saw Stephan and my brothers engaged in a fight. Braeden ran into the fray to help. I swept my eyes over the scene until they landed on my beautiful consort. Amaia was huddled between two dumpsters with a terrified girl hiding behind her. Any time a nightwalker came close, she flicked droplets of holy water at them.That’s my girl.

Knowing she was as safe as she could be for the moment, I shifted my focus to the fight. I went after the leech closest to the girls, and when the vampire jerked out of the path of the projected poison, she stumbled toward me. Then I grabbed her shoulder, spun her around, and shoved my stake into her heart. She burst into flames, and I didn’t wait around to see her ashes blow away with the snowy wind.

Another vampire had jumped onto Braeden’s back and was trying to twist his neck. I started toward him, jabbing my stake into a nightwalker who lunged at me along the way. Braedon saw me coming, and I tossed him the small wooden cross from my belt. He caught it and pulled out his own before pressing them against the nightwalker’s forearms. He screamed in agony as the crosses burned and charred his skin.

He loosened his hold on Braeden, who was then able to throw him off, making sure to aim my way. The evil bastard hit the ground and rolled, using the momentum to get back on his feet. Except, he stood up directly in front of me. With a smirk, I thrust the stake in an upward motion, going under his ribs and into his heart.

I fought off two more nightwalkers and glanced around for another threat. But Ren plunged his stake into the last one that I could see. After the pop and flicker of flames, we waited for any to come out of hiding, but it seemed we’d destroyed them all.

Stephan, Braedan, and Rex walked into a huddle to talk while Jareth and I approached the frightened consorts.

“Amaia, my darling,” I said as I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms, burying my face in her soft, dark hair. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“Wha-a-a-...um...what the heck just happened?” a shocked and horrified voice stammered from behind Amaia.

---