Sage didn’t even wait for a response before leaving the restaurant. The instant he did, he regretted it. After a couple of minutes of the cold winter air freezing his blood, he decided to get moving and walked around the building to the front. He saw Vaughan, still sitting in the restaurant. They made eye contact. Vaughan’s concern was obvious.
Vaughan stood and put on his coat at about the same time Sage turned. Garridan parked Bennett’s truck and got out. He stood, leaning against the door and watched as Sage started across the parking lot.
Sage wiped his eyes even as more tears came, that time they were tears of relief. Garridan smiled and held out his hand.
Garridan looked to Sage’s right and his expression hardened. Garridan lifted off the car and started running across the parking lot in his direction. He yelled something to Vaughan, who must have been somewhere behind him. Garridan growled, which confused him even more than the running did.
Something slammed into Sage, knocking the wind out of him. Whatever it was, lifted him off his feet. The pavement was a very fast gray blur.
He was stunned for a few minutes, not understanding what was happening. Once reality kicked in and he got his breath back, he started kicking and screaming. He shifted once the pavement turned to snow and leaves, and Sage saw the base of trees. His clothing fell around him as he shifted and he struggled to get out of them, wriggling his long body around.
Chapter Twenty-One
As long as Garridan lived, he would never forget hearing his mate scream in terror. That would forever live in his heart as the single worst sound he had ever heard. He would kill that stupid fucking vampire if he hurt Sage. Hell, he’d kill him anyway for touching him at all.
He shifted as quickly as he could, but it was too late. He couldn’t match Magnus’ vampire speed. Garridan lost him in the forest, although he was in the right area because he saw one of Sage’s bright red socks.
It was as if Magnus had vanished.
Garridan searched for almost an hour before he saw Bennett’s black dragon form come in toward his right. Vaughan must have called them. A blue dragon, who Garridan had never seen before, followed Bennett. As they drew closer, Garridan could smell that the blue dragon was Caerwyn. Garridan let Caerwyn lead, knowing he wassupposed to be a good tracker. Garridan’s skills in that area were marginal at best so he’d give over on that one thing.
Bennett made a noise low in his throat and moved closer to Garridan, bumping his head against Garridan’s in a show of affection that was rare for them both.
They crossed a road and Garridan saw Vaughan’s truck barrelling down the long stretch after them. Garridan noticed Vaughan had a passenger, but he couldn’t tell who it was. He must have gone back to Mother Estelle’s house.
Caerwyn veered off.
Garridan bit at the air, sending a warning. He may not have been a good tracker, but he could fight to the death better than most dragons and wouldn’t hesitate to kill Caerwyn for leading them in the wrong direction.
If anything happened to Sage, Garridan wasn’t sure what he would do. Probably go feral again. He prayed to the gods that his mate was okay.
Caerwyn dove down a few minutes later and shifted right in front of a small cabin deep in the woods. Garridan circled it a couple of times, making his presence known to whoever occupied the building.
He shifted a few minutes later next to Bennett. Garridan looked at Caerwyn. “Are you sure he’s in there?”
Caerwyn shrugged. “I smell you in there. Since we’re standing out here freezing our balls off, I’m going on the assumption it’s your mate.”
“I forgot this place even existed,” Bennett said.
A shot rang out and all three men fell to the ground. Garridan moved closer to Bennett and covered his head. “Are you hurt?”
“Other than my face is getting shoved in the cold ass snow, no, I’m just fine,” Bennett said. Garridan didn’t let up.
“Now we’re even, dragon! Give me mine and I’ll give you yours!” Another shot rang out after Magnus made his demand. Garridan felt the air move next to his leg and knew a bullet had barely missed him.
“Let me up, Garridan,” Bennett said.
“No. I’m not losing you the way I lost your father.”
“I think I can get him to stop shooting at us. Let me up so I can at least talk to him without eating dirt.”
Garridan growled and moved off. Every instinct in him screamed to keep Bennett covered.
“Ladon will be here soon and if you’re shooting, a bullet could hit him,” Bennett shouted.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth? You wouldn’t just give him to me like that.”
“You're right, I wouldn’t.”
