by Morgan Fox
Chapter 9
Ryder’s hand stung from the slap he placed on Bianca’s cheek. Mortified by his actions, he dropped his hands at his sides. Even though he’d held back, careful not to hurt her too badly, his hybrid beasts were screaming at him. Both panther and wolf were furious. Striking his mate was the hardest thing he’d ever emotionally or physically done.
Bile rose up into the back of his throat and churned wildly in his gut. Clenching his jaw, he filled his lungs with air. He knew he never would’ve raised a hand to Bianca had she not been right about their situation.
Forcing himself to calm, he was able to suppress his anger and concentrate a moment. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he breathed in Bianca’s intoxicating scent mixed with the stench of vampires. They were still near, but masked from sight. His panther and wolf calmed, biting back the rage they felt over allowing her to be taken.
Inhaling another sharp gulp of air, the scent of the vampires filled his nostrils, and his hybrid senses kicked into overdrive. Her presence was dangerously close. He couldn’t risk overacting and rushing to save her before she had a chance to do what needed to be done.
His chest tightened, and he swallowed back the dryness in his throat as he studied the intense emotions consuming him. Mine! His need to protect her was more intense than anything he’d ever felt before. Balling his fists, he anchored them at his sides, casting his gaze to inspect their surroundings. He had a feeling they were hiding in the trees above, but he didn’t dare look up for fear he was right.
Bianca needs more time.
Without effort, he locked on to her scent, a combination of fear and anxiety. With a heavy sigh, he felt how afraid she was, and if he were honest, he would admit that he was, too. But his fear wasn’t over fighting the vampires. It was over losing the woman that had his mind erupting with sentiments he couldn’t describe.
He wanted her so badly, but at what cost? Lilly wanted her back, Sebastian wanted her dead, and Brody was her other lover. Did she even have room in her fucked-up life for him?
“Now what?” Brody asked through erratic breaths.
Shaking the unsettling thoughts from his mind, Ryder glanced over at him. “Can you sense them?”
Brody nodded. “Not the vampires, but I can feel Bianca.”
Ryder tried not to let those words bother him, but they did nonetheless. Bianca had history with another man, and even though Ryder had not been in her life at the time, he was still obscenely jealous of the fact.
“They are still close,” Ryder said low and so that only Brody could hear his words.
“Should we head away from the cabin?” Brody asked.
Ryder shook his head. “They must know I’m a tracker. It might seem as if I’m deliberately trying to losing their trail.”
Brody glanced toward his truck. “If I wasn’t here, what would you do?”
He pressed his lips into a frown. “I’d call Sebastian McCarthy and tell him I lost Bianca.”
His gut knotted, knowing what Sebastian wanted to do to Bianca. What he had asked him to do. Surprisingly, Sebastian had given him more time to track her than the week he had initially offered him. Why, Ryder didn’t know, but he was grateful for the extension.
“Then let’s do that,” Brody said. “It will appear as if you’re distracted and give Bianca time to head back to the cabin.” Brody shrugged. “Unless you’ve got a better idea.”
Ryder glared at him and then slowly moved toward Brody’s truck. “Hand me your cell,” Ryder said sternly, no longer masking the volume of his words.
Playing along, Brody reached inside the cab, snaked his phone from the glove box, and tossed it into Ryder’s hands. Ryder dialed Sebastian’s number without actually doing so. Placing the phone to his ear, he hesitated a moment.
“We lost her.” Ryder paused. “I know. Three vampires found us.” He paused again. “I don’t know where they’re taking her. I’ll try and track them down.” Ryder shifted, glancing behind him as if someone was there. “I won’t lose Bianca again,” he said, his gut rolling as he no longer sensed the vampires or Bianca.
Brody’s brow arched. “Bianca’s gone.”
Ryder nodded, tossing Brody’s cell phone back at him. “Time to go to work. I hope you brought your running shoes.”
Brody grinned, and both men stripped out of their clothes and tossed them into the back bed of the truck.
“I really hope no one just saw us get naked together.”
Ryder arched a dark brow, shaking his head. “Are you ready or do you need a moment before we kick some vampire ass.”
Brody’s expression grew serious. “How about you kick some vampire ass, while I save Bianca?” He cocked his head. “I think you’re more suited for combat anyway, and I am more suited to save the woman I love.” Ryder’s teeth mashed together and were about to become powder from the pressure he was putting them under. The muscles in his jaw clenched and released. His heart was pounding so hard against his ribs he was sure they were about to crack at any moment. The sting of losing Bianca to Brody was unsettling, especially since he was a werepanther.
What a joke that would be once he returned to the pack. What sort of alpha leader couldn’t hold on to his mate? What message would that send to the others who would soon follow him?
Without acknowledging Brody, Ryder jumped, shifting into panther form. He raced up the mountain toward Bianca’s cabin. He could feel Brody close on his heels. For some reason, it felt like that was where he’d always been. But then again Brody wasn’t Bryce. Brody was the other man setting claim to Bianca.
Growling, Ryder knew this was not the time for a pity party or an emotional therapy session on relationships and dating. Now was the time for action. Without Bianca, he could not get close enough to Lilly without being killed on sight. He prayed that she’d had time to convince the other vampires that she’d been Ryder and Brody’s prisoner and had contacted Lilly. If they didn’t believe her, there was no telling if she was alive or dead.
* * * *
Sebastian disappeared once again into his office. His cell phone vibrated in his jean pocket, and he quickly answered it. “What’ve you found out?” he asked, stepping around his desk and sitting in his brown leather chair.
“You were right,” Dani Lynne’s soft feminine voice replied. “I used a spell to track Brody Sullivan, as you requested, and not only did I find him, but Ryder O’Laughlin, as well.”
“Where?”
“Tennessee,” she answered. “They were with a woman.”
Sebastian’s blood thickened. “Long black hair, pale skin?”
“Yes,” she hissed. “She and Ryder looked cozy up until the point where he struck her.”
“Explain,” he ordered.
Dani Lynne quickly rattled off what she saw unfold at the bar, from the moment Ryder and Bianca arrived to meet Brody up until the vampires showed up to collect Bianca.
“So Ryder lost her,” he said, chewing on the words with heated anger.
“Actually, from what I saw and heard, it was all part of some plan.” Dani Lynne sighed. “It looked like Bianca was setting herself up as bait to lure the vampires after her.”
Sebastian frowned. He didn’t like not hearing from Ryder, and had he checked in, he never would’ve had to involve Brie’s kin. “Thank you, Dani Lynne. I appreciate your help.”
“No problem at all, Sebastian. Would you like me to stick close to them? I watched as they shifted. It looks like they’re going after Bianca and the vampires. Brody will come back. His truck is still sitting in the parking lot of the bar.”
As much as he didn’t want to put Dani Lynne in anymore danger, he needed to keep tabs on Ryder as well. “Don’t get caught,” Sebastian warned. “Keep a low profile, and whatever you do, stay out of trouble.”
She giggled. “Sure thing.” The line went dead.
Sebastian dropped his cell phone on his desk, eased back in his chair, and raked his fingers through his hair. Trac
king down Lilly was going to be the only way to save Brie’s life. Killing her was the only way to end every nightmare he and his kind faced. Bianca was his ticket to discovering Lilly’s exact whereabouts.
Thankfully, Ryder’s interrogation of his council leader over Bianca had raised some unsettling nerves among his pack, and Bryce had come forward with information about his brother and Bianca’s past relationship. Learning that Bianca was also Ryder’s mate left Sebastian feeling less than confident that Ryder could fulfill his mission.
Sebastian telepathically called out to Dominic, and within moments the door to his office opened. Dominic’s dark gaze greeted him. A sense of trepidation weighed heavy in the air.
“You found something?”
Sebastian nodded. “Ryder’s in Tennessee with Brody and Bianca.”
Dominic frowned. “But he hasn’t killed her or brought her to you?”
He shook his head. “I fear he’s been compromised by the fact that Bianca is his mate and Brody…Bryce thinks he’s lost to us as well.”
“Great,” Dominic growled. “Am I to track them now? Did you want me to go after them?”
Sebastian pressed his lips together into a tight line, and inhaled deeply. “We need to find Bianca. She’ll lead us to Lilly. It’s the only way.”
“Even if she won’t talk?”
“The witches can extract the information from her by force.”
Dominic nodded. “Consider it done.”
“Take Ryken with you. You may need backup.”
Dominic scowled. “Why not Reyes?”
The corner of Sebastian’s mouth curved slightly. “Megan would be most unhappy with me if I took both her mates from her.”
“Oh, right, but you let Reyes stay to comfort her while I’m away. Thanks. Some friend you are.” Dominic’s tone revealed he was anything but pleased.
“Just think of how she’ll greet you when you return to her.”
Dominic couldn’t hide the grin that was suddenly eclipsing his face. Sebastian assumed that after a moment of picturing a possible scenario, Dominic was more than willing to take on the mission without complaint.
“I’ll head out as soon as possible,” Dominic said, turning toward the door.
“See to your mate first,” Sebastian said. “I expect details in regards to the progress of your mission hourly.”
Dominic nodded and was gone.
He trusted Dominic as much as he trusted himself, and he knew that his second in command would do what needed to be done. Nothing meant more to their pack than tracking down Bianca and ridding themselves of Lilly and her virus.
To Sebastian, Bianca was as evil as Lilly and needed to be disposed of before her vileness could be spread. Nothing would make him happier than to be the one to end her life.
Regardless of Ryder’s potential objections, Sebastian planned to see to both Lilly and Bianca’s deaths. The sooner, the better.
* * * *
“I was beginning to worry about you.” Lilly’s voice crept through the phone, and instantly Bianca’s skin crawled.
“Funny, I thought you’d forgotten all about me and left me to be disposed of by Ryder O’Laughlin,” Bianca muttered, gritting her teeth and trying her best to sound convincing. Acting was not her strong suit, but she had no other choice.
Lilly laughed. “Oh, Bianca, how I have missed your witty charm. Now tell me where you have been hiding all this time.”
Bianca narrowed her gaze, scowling at the vampires standing in front of her. Their eyes glued to her like she was about to be their next meal. Not if I can help it. “In the mountains of Tennessee.”
Bianca knew Lilly could use the cell phone transmission to locate their exact whereabouts. A somber mood eclipsed her as she glanced around the living room. Her sweet little cabin, the place that had been her secret home, was now compromised. She’d never be able to return here again. At least not until Lilly and her army of fang fucks were destroyed.
There was a long pause between them. The silence broken by Lilly as she asked, “Has Ryder claimed you as his mate yet? Oh, please tell me he has.”
Bianca swallowed, steeling herself against the need to lie, hating that she was revealing so much more than she wanted. “Yes.”
“I knew it,” Lilly chirped. “He couldn’t resist you. How was he? Thick? Long? Aggressive? Did he last for hours? I bet he lasted all night.”
Lilly’s interest in her mating bond with Ryder made Bianca feel as if she’d been stripped naked in front of the entire lair and paraded around like a trophy whore. Her throat tightened. “He was amazing.”
“Wonderful,” Lilly replied cheerfully. “You will bring Ryder and that other one to me at once.”
Brody…
“Other one?” Bianca questioned, her eyebrows rising up into her hair. She knew about Brody. The vampire glaring at her must have phoned Lilly, revealing who Bianca was with.
“Yes, from the description I received, he was the one that you released. You will have to tell me why you did that, of course.”
The air was sucked from Bianca’s lungs.
“But not now. I want you home with me first. We’ve got so much to catch up on.” Lilly’s words were playful, but Bianca knew there was nothing but vengeance hidden in their meaning. Once Bianca returned to Lilly, she would be questioned, raped, and fed from by any and all the vampires. Lilly would torture her before letting her die, laughing as Bianca’s life seeped from her body. “Put Samuel on the phone.”
Bianca pulled the phone from her ear, fighting the cold shiver that charged into her bones. “Which one of you is Samuel?”
The dark-haired giant stepped forward. His massively muscular frame was nearly as impressive as Ryder’s. His crimson-red eyes stared at her, never blinking or glancing away. He snaked the phone from her head. He didn’t speak, just listened. Clearly, Lilly didn’t believe that she was Ryder’s prisoner. Maybe sharing that he’d claimed her as his mate sent a message to Lilly that made it unbelievable that Bianca would willingly betray him now.
She didn’t know. All Bianca knew was that Samuel was no longer on the phone. He was hovering over her, gripping her shoulders with his large hands.
Bianca had to shake the cobwebs out of her head and reignite the fiery passion she once felt while training with Ryder. Getting back to the kickass bitch she was known to be was the only way she might convince the three sizing her up that she was on team vampire.
What would evil Bianca do?
She’d kick their asses. Ryder’s voice crept over her like a warm, welcoming wind. And she knew he was right. A sense of strength filled her straight into her soul. Her mate and lover had come to aid her, and that feeling of being alone was no longer an insecurity she was forced to swallow. Now she knew they were truly there for her, and she had to be there for them.
On a breath, she shot her arms up between her and Samuel, separating them. Then she rounded, kicking her leg high enough to connect with the side of his face. He flew back, landing on his ass. She scowled, her eyes blazing with a heated fury.
“Don’t ever touch me again,” she warned. “I’ll have your head ripped from your body and your bones cooked in the sun.”
A sense of power flared up inside her as she stood with her feet shoulder width apart, her hands fisted in front of her in a stance that said she would welcome a good fight. The other two vampires hesitated, obviously not wanting to end up on their ass like Samuel.
Bummer.
There’s my feisty little panther. Bianca smiled, hearing Ryder’s voice once again slide over her.
“What did Lilly say to you?” Bianca demanded, kicking Samuel’s boot. But he said nothing. He simply continued glaring at her.
Bianca arched a dark brow. “Fine. Have it your way.” She pulled a hunting knife from a sheath located at the small of her back, suddenly very glad she’d thought to put it there before leaving the cabin. “I guess I’ll start with you.” She closed the distance with a few strides, the knif
e gripped tightly in her hand.
Samuel jumped to his feet. “She doesn’t trust you and why should she?” He hissed as she drew nearer. “You’ve already proved to her that you can’t be trusted.”
Bianca froze. “I have?” Her eyes narrowed, a piercing glare she hoped he and the other two vampires felt. “Could it have possibly been because I was hiding from Sebastian McCarthy and his pack of wolves that just happen to have been tracking me?” She clicked her fingers. “Oh, right, maybe it was the fact that Ryder O’Laughlin threatened to kill me when he stripped the child from my arms?”
Samuel scowled, his eyes a reflection of his anger and the silver swirl of the moon. “Bedding that hybrid.” He shook his head. “Lilly knows you would never be able to turn on him now that the bond has been forged.” He chuckled. “You’re as good as dead, panther.”
Bianca inclined her head. She was ready to rip his head from his shoulders. Bitch slap him into the next century. But she had to remain calm. She had to keep up the act for as long as she could.
“Am I?” The corner of her mouth curved up into a crooked grin as she glanced over at the other two vampires. Both with golden-blond hair and fiery red eyes, they did not seem to have the same set of balls Samuel possessed. “So I take it you two are here to kill me?”
Samuel stiffened. “Actually, I’m the one who will slay you.”
With lightning speed, Samuel charged at her. His claws extended into razor-sharp points. Bianca sidestepped him, darting out of the way just in time to reach back and swipe her blade across his back, fileting open his flesh. Bianca rolled, flipping over to position herself in front of the blond twins, immediately pulling two more knives from her boots and ramming them into their chests as she knelt before them. She moved so quickly, the two bloodsuckers never even saw her coming.
Before she could catch her breath, Samuel wrestled her to the ground, his teeth scraping over the tender skin of her neck and shoulder. His ferocious snarl drove into her ear like a steel spike. The sound of her blood and flesh sent a shiver of fear into her bones. Bianca still held the knife that had sliced him. Gripping the weapon tightly, she shoved it repeatedly into his back. Ramming it into the muscles of his shoulders, hips and waist, whatever she could reach until he finally released his viselike grip on her neck.
