He hung up the phone and turned to Saxon. “Take her back to the road and wait for the others to arrive. I’ve already informed Saber and Duncan they’ll be taking her back to the cabin. She’ll be safe there as I’ve left a group behind to protect Kadence and Simone.”
Saxon didn’t want Elyse here, but he’d prefer not to hand her over to Duncan, a turned vamp who’d spent most of his life caring for orphaned children, and Saber, a purebred who’d recently joined them. He trusted them, but they wouldn’t protect her like he would. He’d prefer to keep her away from Logan too, but the hunter would be out for at least another day.
“You’re going in there today?” Elyse blurted; she’d expected them to wait until tomorrow or the next day when they were more prepared.
“Yes,” Ronan said. “There’s still plenty of sunlight left, and we can’t give the Savages a chance to learn we were here. Plus, we need to be back before Logan wakes up; we’ll have to make sure he has a blood supply.”
“But…” She glanced between him and Saxon. She couldn’t leave him. “Take me with you. You don’t know what my dad looks like, and I can lead you to him.”
“We’ll know a mortal when we see him,” Declan said kindly.
She could almost hear the words he hadn’t said—especially a mortal missing his appendages and teeth.
“And you arenotgoing in there,” Saxon said.
She opened her mouth to protest his words before recalling his reaction earlier. She couldn’t push him when he was about to put his life at risk. He couldn’t enter that place in a rage; he had to be calm and in control when he went inside.
“You’ll be a hindrance and distraction in there,” Ronan said. “It’s time for you to go.”
Elyse bowed her head as she allowed Saxon to help her to her feet. “What is your father’s name?” he asked.
Elyse swallowed the lump in her throat. “Raymond.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to bring him back to you, Elyse.”
“What about my mom?”
“I’ll find out what happened to her.” Hating the crestfallen slump of her shoulders, he drew her close and kissed her forehead. “We’ll get there faster if I carry you.”
She didn’t argue with him; this may be the last time she got to feel his arms around her, and she refused to ruin it.
Chapter Forty-One
Elyse staredat the cabin when they pulled up in front of it. She was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe as the seconds stretched into minutes and every minute was one where she didn’t know what was happening with Saxon. She couldn’t stop picking at her cast as she tried to remain calm.
In the driver’s seat, Duncan put the SUV in park and turned to face her. He was one of the largest men she’d ever seen, but his brown eyes were kind as he rubbed at his scruffy beard. “They’re going to be fine,” he assured her.
She could only nod, and the motion pulled at the fresh bite marks Saxon left on her while they were waiting for the others to arrive. He hadn’t wanted to take more of her blood, but she insisted on it. He had to be as strong as possible before entering that place.
In the passenger seat, Saber had looked anything but pleased since Saxon helped her into the vehicle. Whereas Duncan was nothing but kind, Saber exuded an air of power and cruelty. With his head bowed, she could see the end of a tattooed sword handle beneath the short black hair at his nape. What she could see of the tattoo over the top of his jacket was done in black ink, but she got the impression it was like an iceberg, and she only saw the tip of the work on his back.
When he turned toward her, his piercing, cobalt blue eyes were emotionless. She couldn’t tell if he was handsome or not with his narrow face and hollow cheeks, mostly because something about him unnerved her.
“We’ll be out here if you need us,” he said.
“Okay,” she croaked.
Gripping the handle, she climbed out of the SUV and into the cold day. She tilted her head back to savor the warmth of the sun before taking a deep breath and heading for the cabin. Simone and Kadence opened the door before her foot hit the first step.
“What did you find?” Simone asked.
Death. Elyse thought but didn’t say it; they didn’t have toknowwhat awaited their loved ones, but Elyse had no doubt many would die today.
* * *
Saxon gazedat the doorway the others had completely uncovered while he’d been with Elyse. The hunters and vamps he’d returned with spread out around the door. Even without the guards, they left at the compound and the cabins, they had nearly seventy-five fighters with them.
He didn’t think it would be enough.
