Harrison shook his head. "I smelled vampire, but it's not one I'm familiar with. He was long gone by the time I got outside. I tracked him to a parking spot a couple of blocks down, but I missed his car."
The swinging doors between the storeroom and the front of the store opened and Callum appeared, his usual good-natured smile long gone.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you were watching Dumont today."
"One of his guys left the office building and I had a gut feeling that I should follow him. Turns out, he was following a woman. A woman that looked a lot like the one you were stalking at the grocery store yesterday."
I scowled at him and ignored the curious look Harrison shot my way. "Did she go to see Dumont?"
Callum shrugged. "I'm not sure. It was an empty office building as far as I could tell, but there were five floors, so I can't be sure."
One of Dumont's guys followed her and scared her half to death. Why else would he have done that if she hadn't had some sort of contact with him?
"It doesn't make any sense," I muttered.
"I know," Callum replied. "By the time I found a parking spot and caught up to him, she was inside the shop. He watched through the front window for a second but took off when he saw Wolf Boy coming out."
Harrison growled in his throat, short and threatening, which made Callum smirk at him.
"He was a fast fucker," Callum continued. "Even with the two of us trying to herd him and flank him, he got away and back to his car. It's almost like he could trace."
My brows lifted. Tracing was essentially teleportation and an ability that came with age for most vampires. Most who had the ability were old, very old, or descendants of vampires with the power. If Marcel was capable of tracing and he was after Merry, she was in imminent danger.
I turned and sprinted back to Ava's office. Ava was a tough witch and normally I would put my money on her, but if she didn't know he had the ability to trace, he could be inside the shop and on top of her before she could react.
I burst through the office door, Callum and Harrison right behind me, to find Ava sitting in a chair next to the couch, talking to Merry, who was awake.
Merry gasped and scooted back on the couch, staring at the three of us as though we were monsters. Then, she relaxed when her eyes focused on me.
Ava got to her feet and put her hands on her hips as she faced us. "What is wrong with you three?"
"We think the vampire following her can trace," I answered. "I was afraid..." I trailed off, my sentence interrupted by the haughty look Ava shot me.
"Do you really think I wouldn't have wards set to repel that sort of thing, Marcus Vane?" she asked.
"Uh, well, I didn't exactly think about that." I heard Callum and Harrison both take a couple of steps back and cursed them for cowards in my mind.
Ava's stance relaxed and her arms dropped to her sides. "I guess I can't be angry with you for charging to an unneeded rescue. I appreciate it."
She turned toward Merry. "Guys, this is Merry Clarke. Merry, this is Marcus Vane, Callum Donalson, and Harrison Morris. I know they look big and scary but they're really more like annoying adolescent boys."
Oh, yeah, she was still irritated with us for busting into her office.
Merry eyed the three of us with wariness but she relaxed against the pillows on the couch.
"Hello, Merry," Callum said, shoving his way past me. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I can promise that we're harmless as puppies."
She stared at him with wide hazel eyes. Then, she smiled. Just a little. "I don't think I believe that for a minute."
Callum pressed a hand to his chest. "I'm wounded, darlin'."
Ava gave him a shove to his shoulder. "Tone it down."
He sighed and backed away, lifting his hands in surrender. "Yes, ma'am."
Harrison stepped forward. "Hi, Ms. Clarke. It's nice to meet you, even under the circumstances."
The smile widened when she looked at him. But when her gaze shifted to me, it faded.
