Newt sank down onto the grass, wings folding back into his skin. His borrowed T-shirt, Vaughn’s shirt, was rumpled and sweat-soaked, but intact. The memory of his mate's scent still clung to the fabric, reminding him of safety and warmth.
“Now what, genius?” he muttered to himself. “You’ve escaped one problem only to create three more.”
He needed to get back to Vaughn’s house, but he had no idea where he was or how far he’d traveled through the portal. Creating another one was out of the question—who knew where he’d end up next time? Probably in a dragon’s lair or a kraken’s bathtub, given his luck with magic.
Newt pushed himself to his feet, brushing grass from his knees. Time to find his way back the old-fashioned way, by walking and hoping he didn’t get eaten by something worse than vampires in the process.
“Next time,” he promised himself, “just tell the handsome wolf shifter you’re a virgin instead of creating portals to vampire houses. It’s less embarrassing in the long run.”
With a sigh, Newt set off down the winding driveway, keeping to the shadows of the trees. The sun climbed higher in the sky, warming his skin and reminding him that, at least for now, he was safe from his fanged pursuers.
Chapter Six
Toweling his hair dry, Vaughn listened for movement in the bedroom. Strange. No rustling of sheets, no soft breathing. He curled the towel around his waist and stepped into an empty bedroom.
“Newt?” The rumpled blankets on the floor lay abandoned, still holding the faint impression of their bodies, but the fae himself was gone. An uneasy sensation crept into his gut, like someone had tied his intestines into sailor knots. He dressed quickly, pulling on jeans and a Henley, all while telling himself there was no reason to worry.
Downstairs, the kitchen stood empty, the only sound the hum of the refrigerator. No cotton-candy-haired fae examining appliances or asking about microwaves. No one marveling at blenders or coffee makers or hovering near the ceiling.
“You’re being paranoid,” Vaughn muttered to himself, opening cabinet doors as if Newt might be hiding behind the cereal boxes.
He checked the living room then the garage for some reason. The house felt larger somehow, emptier, with Newt’s absence carving out spaces Vaughn hadn’t realized needed filling.
Pushing down his rising anxiety, Vaughn headed back upstairs. Preston and Jalen might have kidnapped Newt. Those two had all the boundaries of toddlers with scissors.
He knocked on Zeppelin’s door, trying not to look as worried as he felt.
Preston answered, hair sticking up in all directions. “Morning. You look like someone stole your coffee.”
“Have you seen Newt?” Vaughn asked, leaning against the doorframe, trying to seem as if he wasn’t internally panicking.
Preston’s eyes lit up. “The fairy?
“Fae,” Vaughn corrected automatically.
“No, but I was hoping to hang out with him today. Jalen wants to see him doing some magic.” Preston shook his head. “I haven’t seen him since last night. Why? Did you lose him?”
Vaughn frowned. “I didn’t lose my mate.”
Jalen appeared behind Preston, concern etching lines between his brows. “Who did Vaughn lose?”
“His mate,” Preston replied.
“I didn’t lose him,” Vaughn argued.
“Have you checked the ceilings?” Jalen asked, pulling on a hoodie. “Or maybe he’s with the kitchen appliances. Hey, did he break the toaster?”
“Don’t you think I checked those spots,” Vaughn asked. “He was in my room while I showered, then…gone.”
“We’ll help you look,” Preston offered.
Jalen stepped into the hallway. “Maybe he’s exploring? This place is huge.”
For the next twenty minutes, they combed through every room in the house. Each empty space they found cranked Vaughn’s anxiety higher. By the time they’d checked the basement, even Preston’s enthusiasm had dimmed.
“Could he have gone outside?” Jalen suggested as they regrouped in the foyer.
Vaughn ran a hand through his hair. “Why would he? After what happened last night, after…” He stopped himself from mentioning how they’d spent the night curled together, how Newt had draped himself protectively over Vaughn after his nightmare. How they’d kissed this morning like they had all the time in the world.
