“I don’t understand. Why me?”
His green eyes were high beams in the dark of night. “Because you have the power.” He tugged on my fingers. “We don’t have much time.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m your son,” he said.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then checked up and down the dark-as-sin road. Nothing. No cars. No sign of anyone.
This wasn’t happening.No. No. No.
Tears streamed down my face, and I sucked in air when I recalled more of my dream.
The woman ahead of me tossed a look over her shoulder, her red eyes glowing like a devil from the depths of hell.
“You need to stop her, Mom,” a boy of about five years old said from somewhere nearby. “She’ll kill us if you don’t.”
A wolf howled, jarring me out of my stupor as I sobbed, holding on to my daughter for dear life.
“We’ll find them, Rorie,” I whispered to her as blue lights cut through the darkness.
A police cruiser skidded to a stop in front of me.
Tripp was out of the car before the driver hit the brakes. His bronze eyes swirled to black as he scanned the yard.
“Luna and Orion are gone,” I cried to Tripp. “There’s a guardian in the house.”
Stan came around the cruiser. “What the fuck?” He got on his radio. “Mike, round up the troops. We need a search party. Have them meet me at Webb’s house.”
Sam dragged out Norman Collier’s limp body and threw him off the porch. “This fucker won’t talk. I’ll need my sister to read his mind.”
With vampire speed, Stan restrained the vampire with chains just like he’d done with Rianne, then shoved Norman into the cruiser.
I stood rooted to where the driveway met the road, rubbing Rorie’s back, hoping the act would take away my pain and regulate my breathing.
Sam stalked up to me. “Baby doll, go inside and put Rorie in her baby rocker. Jordyn woke up. She has Ellie.”
“How are you calm?” I asked through tears.
A crease dented the space between his eyebrows. “Believe me, I’m trying not to set the town on fire or rip that fucker Norman’s head off. I need my wits about me if I want to get answers.”
A wolf trotted up.
“Rebekah,” I said. I’d forgotten about her. She’d complained earlier that her wolf needed to run. Maybe she’d seen something. “Orion and Luna have been taken. Did you see anything suspicious anywhere?”
Bones cracked before Rebekah reemerged into human form, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t. Let me put some clothes on.” She darted into the house.
I hurried behind her while Stan, Sam, and Tripp were trying to wake George, Conrad, and the three deputies.
Jordyn was in the family room, holding Ellie. “I’m sorry, Layla. I tried to stop him. I promise.” Her tone dripped with guilt.
“It’s not your fault,” I said. “But did you see anyone else with Norman?”
“I was just about to fall into REM sleep when I heard a female voice. At first I thought I was dreaming. But then, the female said, ‘We need all four babies.’ I opened my eyes and found Norman about to take Ellie. That’s when I screamed. Then he shot me with a dart.”
“So you didn’t see the female?” I asked, praying she did.
“No,” Jordyn cried. “What is going on, Layla? You think it’s Granny behind this or Roman?”
