Chapter 23
“What the hell do you mean, she’s gone?”
Paula was sent in to tell Trenton about losing Ali because she used to be his favorite. Everyone thought that she had a better chance of not being ripped apart, but as she heard the anger in his voice, she started to second guess her decision. What had she been thinking when she agreed to be the one?
“Well, sir, she was in her room laying down one moment and the next she was gone. We really don’t know how she got away. She looked like she was too weak to walk out of here, let alone run and get too far. We have people scouring the woods and surrounding area to find her. We will find her, sir. She is just eluding us at the moment. That won’t last.”
Trenton’s hands were clenched on the pen he was holding. Everything was planned, and he didn’t need the distraction now. He had asked himself more than once if she was worth all the hassle. Trenton was sure that he was going to be disappointed when he finally did have her. He held out hope and couldn’t back down because of ego, but Trenton found himself far more worried about his coven and getting rid of a long-standing enemy.
“Ali is a newly turned that has not even fed properly. How is she eluding those of you who are supposed to be my best trackers?”
Paula didn’t have an answer for him, and the white-knuckled grip he had was not making her nerves settle. She hated to see him when he was this mad.
“We will find her, sir.”
Trenton wasn’t feeling violent, but he did warn what would happen if she wasn’t found.
“I’m going to hold you personally responsible, Paula.”
Paula agreed, and she felt a sinking in her stomach. Trenton was scary when he was angry, but when he wasn’t, he was just as hard to handle. There was just something about him that scared the crap out of her. Usually, it turned her on, the simmering violence, but she wasn’t having the same response today.
He let her leave, and she was shaking as she left. She heard something bang against the door and she jerked her head up. He was something fierce when he was mad, and Paula knew that she and the others better find his girl, or they were all going to lose their heads for it.
Ali wasn’t found that night and Trenton went to sleep knowing that she was still out there. Never once did it occur to him that she would go back to the pack that she thought had left her to die. Ali had seemed so convinced of that, Trenton was convinced of it as well. He half-expected that she died in the woods, her body to be discovered. Sometimes he was just wrong about something.
He woke up with the sun going down and his mind was bright. Some were already moving around in the large house, and he could hear the place waking up. Today is the day that they no longer would worry about attacks from animals. They were finally going to enjoy the undisputed top spot on the food chain around the city and beyond.
* * *
Trenton had everyone together,and he handed out maps of the village. Scouts had come close enough to see the layout, but not close enough to be detected. The information that was given by Abott was genuine, and Trenton decided that he would let him live. The man was a wealth of information, and once it was all over, if he left the area, Trenton would let him. If he came back though, it was going to be a whole other story.
Everyone knew their jobs, and since the nights before were such good nights, there were over twenty newly turned. They weren’t as strong and battle ready, but they had a hunger that was unmatched, and the village was full of the bear shifter’s human brides. It was going to be feeding day for them. All they had to do was get to it.
The original plan that he’d shared with Abott was not going to happen. They would start in Calum’s place like they’d talked about, but then the vampires would spread out and take out the rest of the village. The only one that would walk out of there was Abott. Trenton doubted that the man would even be there for the massacre.
He gave them all a pep talk that they didn’t need. Everyone that could really make a difference knew what ending the battle meant. Too many on their side had died. They were no match for the bears one on one, but together they were stronger, and Trenton believed that they were finally going to get the best of them. He had to believe it in his heart because too many times it hadn’t gone the way that he wanted it to go.
The vampires took off towards the village deep in the woods on the side of a mountain. They were all ready to kill and feed, their feet barely touching the ground as they ran. It was pitch black, but they could see perfectly in the night. If anyone would have come across the phenomenon, they would have most likely been confused and frightened. It was a sight, Trenton and his coven behind, well over two hundred strong. He’d finally had enough, and it was time to make it work. This fight was going to be the last fight with the mangy River Clan.
They got to the perimeter, far enough away to stay off everyone’s radar. Trenton’s heart was steadily beating faster. Something felt off, but there was nothing apparent as he looked around. Everyone had stopped, waiting for the cue from Trenton, but he wasn’t prepared to give it yet. Something was wrong, and he looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.
There was nothing in the woods to tell him that he was right. It was just something that Trenton felt deep down in his gut. He was the oldest of the coven, making every single vampire next to him. He should have gone with his gut, turned around right then, but as he approached the back of the village and saw the gate open, it was like the sign that he needed to move forward. Tonight was the night and that thought alone deafened him to all the rest of the inner noise trying to throw him off.
He gave the signal for the first wave to move inside. Half of the vampires around him were in the first wave. There were orders to subdue the bear leader. Trenton wanted to be the one to take him out personally.
He watched the small army start to descend upon the house, and that feeling was back. Trenton could tell that things weren’t right, and it was the faint scent that he’d thought he’d smelled before that made him worry even more. It smelled like Ali. And if Ali was there, it meant that she had most likely told them they were coming if she knew. Trenton didn’t know if she knew or not and instead of waiting around till the house was clear to send in the second wave, he did so right away, wanting them to overwhelm with sheer numbers if Calum did know they were coming.
Trenton cursed as he signaled for the rest to go forward. The ill feeling was withstanding. Something bad was about to happen. Trenton didn’t move forward like everyone else. His attention was pulled to an area in the village where he could smell his girl. She was not going to get away with the betrayal. He wasn’t going to let her just walk away from it. While everyone’s eyes were on the primary battle, Trenton planned to wage his own little war a few blocks away.
The night covered him as he found the building that had Ali’s smell all over it. He liked to think that he was drawn here, but he knew that it wasn’t a good reason. Betrayal was something that he couldn’t forgive, and Trenton was going to take the life that he’d given her. She’d just thrown it in his face anyways. Ali didn’t deserve to be immortal.
