“I am.” He shrugged again. “But I’m just doing a job. I don’t care if the person I’m chasing is a human or a non-human, it’s all the same to me. I knew what Gabriel was and I took him in regardless.”
I rattled the chains as much as I could. “So what the fuck is this then? And what about all the others you’ve poisoned?”
He didn’t deny it, and my blood ran cold. “I’m afraid this is personal.” He walked closer, taking my jaw in his hand and tilting my head to the side. The needle bit as it pierced my skin. “I gave Gabriel everything, favoured him above everyone else. And how did he repay me? By walking out as if he owed me nothing. Made me a laughing stock in front of the others.” He spoke softly as he pushed the needle in further. “And then he went and joined the fucking Paranormal police.”
“So this is revenge?” I hissed as he hit the plunger, pain hot and instant as the poison hit my veins.
“Yes. I wanted revenge for what he did to me.” He sat back on his heels, a small smile on his face. “Pure and simple.”
Fire raced through me, lighting up every nerve as a blackness danced at the edges of my vision.
I wanted to shift, needed to shift so badly my whole body vibrated.
But I couldn’t.
Something was stopping me.
Preventing the change from taking hold.
Fingers ran through my hair, and I was barely aware of a whispered, “Soon,” before I tipped my head back, roaring in frustration as a red haze descended.
* * *
Gabriel
“What do we do?” I asked as Max sped down the driveway of Rys’s pack house. I sat next to him with Talis and Nick in the back.
No one had seen Rys or Axel.
Zane said they’d never made it to Midnight, Falon hadn’t seen or spoken to either of them today, and neither had any of the fae.
We’d had to tell our chief everything—and hadn’t that been a fun conversation—and then request that she contact the fae about Axel. The only reason I wasn’t being interrogated right now was because I’d been with Max when Rys had disappeared, and we needed all hands on deck to find him and Axel. I had no doubt that’s where I’d be headed as soon as we found them, though.
And we were going to fucking find them.
I’d only just got him back. I refused to lose him again.
“Let’s go have a chat with Zane.” Max turned the car towards the centre of town.
I frowned. “Zane said they never showed up there.”
“I know he did.” Max hiked a thumb at Talis in the backseat. “But Rys’s phone shows his last known location as just down from the club, so I want to have a look around.”
I turned in my seat to face Nick. “I know you have security cameras inside, but what about outside the club?” I wanted to kick myself for not looking the last time we were there.
Before Nick could answer, Max spoke. “They’ve got one on the front door, but none on the fire exit at the side.” Obviously I’d been the only oblivious one. “There’s none on any of the surrounding properties either.”
“So we’ll only see them if they approached the front door then?”
“Yes.” Max tapped his nose. “But Talis and I will be able to catch their scent. There’s been no rain, so chances are we can trace their steps from wherever they left the car.”
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
I had one hand pressed over my chest, the warmth that had sat behind my ribs now absent, and the hole it left was almost unbearable. I’d had it for less than a day, but it had felt sorighttucked next to my heart and I wanted it back.
Every second it was missing fuelled the rage inside me and I struggled to keep it contained.
When we found Tombs, I was going to kill him.
