“No, I will get the girl. You get to safety,” Dylan was already taking off toward the wooded backyard. If Romeo was hiding a torture shed from Cassandra, it would be deep within the trees.
“Dylan!”
“Flora, if your ass isn’t with Eddie, I’m not going to save her, sogo. You’ll meet me back here with the car. Promise,” he yelled, running in the opposite direction.
“Promise.” She dashed off with Willow and Eddie.
Running through the branches and leaves of the muddy forest, he knew there was no saving his clothes now. Going deeper into the brush, he found a small shed, maybe five-by-seven feet, and had a feeling Romeo was there, ready for a fight.
He silenced his steps so he could try to keep the element of surprise. Taking the handle of his jade blade, he broke the locked handle clean off the door. Edging it open, he stood behind the door, using it as a shield and listening carefully. He pulled out his gun, putting his Shifter pride away. He kept it trained in front of him, searching the small space and peering down the narrow staircase for any hiding spots Romeo could be in. That sly-ass fox could’ve hit the ground running the minute he realized he was outnumbered.
“Hello?” he called down the staircase. Slowing his steps, he flipped the light switch. Harsh lighting filled the basement. Directly in front of the staircase was a wall of bars, similar to a jail. Inside was a bed, a dresser, another door, and a desk. Standing in the middle of the room was who he assumed was the vampire.
“Who?” she asked, backing away from the bars. Her voice was small and broken. She pressed her back along the opposite wall. Her eyes followed every tick in Dylan’s body. She was aware of him as much as he was of her. Dylan kept his gun trained on her. He couldn’t risk an attack; those fuckers were strong. He had no clue how Romeo could trap a vamp without dying.
“This is a rescue mission. There was a panther Shifter trapped here and my Pack came to save her.”
“Another one?” she questioned, moving a single step forward. She had long black hair, her taupe skin surprisingly smooth and clean for someone being held captive. She was young, just barely an adult.
“Cassandra is dead and the whereabouts of Romeo are unknown. You have a choice: you can come with me, or you can stay here.”
“You have a gun pointed at me,” she pointed out, nodding her head toward the gun. For someone who had been kidnapped, she stood strong, her stance wide. She was ready for a fight. Dylan figured she must have been constantly in fight mode with Romeo and Cassandra being part of the equation. “Why would I trust you? How do I know this isn’t some test?”
“You don’t have to trust me. You have a choice. I’ll walk away right now; just say the word,” Dylan told her. He didn’t want to leave here knowing Romeo would be coming back for her, but he knew all too well you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.
“Okay, I’ll go with you.” Just as the words finished coming out of her mouth, Dylan shot at the lock twice, breaking it and sending it crashing to the floor. He waited for her to rush out, but she just looked at him.
“Let’s go.”
“I can’t open the door. The bars are covered in something — a witch made it — it burns me.”
Her eyes shined with pain. Those damn witches always made shit ten times harder.
“She must have also made these fuckers the scent blocker pills, too.” He yanked open the door as wide as it would go, and the vampire shot from his line of vision. He probably wouldn’t really care where she went if it wasn’t for Flora. She’d want him to bring the vamp back to the Packhouse to ensure the vamp's safety.
Racing back outside, he found her standing in the grass, looking as if she had nowhere to go. “You can come with me,” Dylan offered, grabbing her arm and dashing toward Eddie's oncoming car.
The door swung open, and Flora’s relieved face eased the pressure of the mission from Dylan's heart. The vampire climbed into the car, and Dylan followed.
“Where are the others?” he asked, checking over Flora for the sake of his own mind. The wounds around her neck were closing up; little holes dotted evenly around her entire neck. The stab wound on her hand didn’t slip past Dylan either. Romeo would pay the price for touching her.
“Chasing Romeo; he’s a fast little fucker,” Eddie said. Jackson, Leo, Ryder, and River would be able to handle that. If not, they’d come home, and Dylan would take it from there. Romeo probably avoided him knowing what it was like to fight him previously. “The guys raced here when they realized Flora wasn’t at the Bray’s other house.”
“Next stop, home,” Eddie murmured, pounding the gas and letting the car fill with the steady quiet they all needed.
33
DYLAN
The door of the Enchanted Packhouse busted open before the rescue crew could reach the front porch.
“Oh my goodness, my baby!” Lola gasped, yanking Flora from Dylan’s arms. Lola ran her hand repeatedly over Flora’s frizzed-up braids, pulling her in tight.
“I knew we could trust this Pack,” Will murmured, looking over at Dylan. With a curt nod of his head, Dylan stepped back, giving the family some room. He had his time, and now it was their turn. He could share when he had to. This wasn’t goodbye, he could give the woman time with her family.
Once Flora’s parents released their daughter, Luxe wasted no time smashing Flora’s body into hers. “Don’t you ever do that again,” Luxe said, half-joking, shedding a few silent tears.
“Who is this?” Lola asked, holding both her hands out to the vampire.
