Ophelia nodded, and Aden faced his pack, the role of leadership fitting him like a second skin. A wolf skin. “We’ll plan tonight, and tomorrow we’ll strike.”
He looked over his shoulder at Ophelia and the rest of her group, “That is still the plan?”
Ophelia nodded, soon followed by everyone else’s agreements. Liam, Serena, and Melina walked into the house. Daniel began to follow as Aden, Carissa and the pack dispelled into the woods, but Ophelia held Daniel back with her hand on his arm. He turned to her, his blue eyes aflame with questions.
“I know this is bad timing, but I need to tell you something,” Ophelia said, her eyes trained on her feet.
Daniel tilted her head up, meeting her gaze with his, a smile curving his lips. “It’s never too late to tell someone how you feel, Phia.”
Her mouth dropped open for a moment, before she snapped it shut and shook her head. “That’s not the point,” she mumbled. He smirked, and she closed her eyes, rushing on. “I heard what you said to me.”
“Oh?”
Ophelia opened her eyes and looked into his handsome face. Her heart raced as she confessed the truth. “Yes. I heard you say you love me.”
The smile on Daniel’s face grew even wider. “You did, did you?” He leaned down and brushed a light kiss over her lips. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
“Kind of. Look, I’m not good at this sort of thing, and I’m still not sure it’s a good idea.” Ophelia reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “You step up and fight for me. You don’t let me face anything alone, and you haven’t from the start. You’ve been a rock for me, even when I tried to push you away. I still care what you are, but I’m finding it doesn’t matter quite as much as it did.”
“You are my vampire,” Ophelia leaned into him and whispered just before she laid her lips on his, “I love you, Daniel.”
With a grin, Daniel swept her off her feet, twirling her through the air. He was still grinning when he set her down, and she laughed. “I love you, too, Phia,” he said, and then he covered her mouth with his as their friends whistled from the doorway.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Gwen cursed in frustration as she stalked around her room. Nothing was going according to plan. Guards had been stationed beneath her window since the night before, and the doctor had not returned.
“That fucking snitch,” Gwen snarled.
Even her father hadn’t been back to visit—a sure sign of his displeasure. Her door was locked from the outside, and food was spelled inside, the tray removed precisely ten minutes later, whether she was finished or not. Gwen stopped in front of her window, the great glass panes flung open to let in the hint of breeze. She felt as though she was being watched, but she couldn’t pinpoint the source. That led her to believe that it must be by magickal means, so she hadn’t changed her clothes in a day and a half, and every trip to the restroom was accompanied by a glare, a middle finger, and her blanket over her lap—no easy feat while pregnant.
“Fucking peeping perv,” she muttered.
Gwen snorted, rubbing an absent hand over the life squirming in her belly. Her child was as restless and impatient as she was, but there was currently no way out for either of them. Gwen leaned out the window a ways, her eyes scanning the tree line, and the guards that marched below, their eyes focused on her. She still had one option. She could jump. Better to dive from the ledge and take her life and that of her child, than continue to be used by her father and the sorcerer.
Standing straight, her hand continued to rub circles over her stomach. She already loved her child more than anything. Gwen sat down in the desk chair and cradled her head in her hands, tears slipping through her fingers to form salty puddles atop the wood. She couldn’t do it. As long as she lived, there was a chance her child could be rescued. She still had five months to go. Five agonizing months. Five months where every day would bring her closer to her own demise, and the kidnapping of her child.
No.
Rafe would understand. He wouldn’t want her and their child used in such a way. As painful as the decision was, there was really only one way out. Dashing the tears from her eyes, Gwen offered up a silent prayer to any deity that might be listening—Please make this as swift and painless as possible. I cannot give them what they want. I will not send my child off to a fate worse than our death.
Gwen rose on shaking legs, peering through the window opening once again. For once the guards were not looking in her direction, but at something within the woods. More tears glimmered and fell, raining down to dot the windowsill. She clambered up, arms braced, legs bent. She looked down at the gentle swell of her stomach.
“I love you,” she whispered.
And she jumped.
Eleanor sat straight up in bed, her head spinning, her senses stretched far beyond her tiny shack. The fear and despair ate at her soul. The overwhelming lack of control, the weightless fall into the pitch-black abyss of hopelessness shocked her consciousness from her body. Through the dark her soul floated, zipping through the air toward the wounded heart of her granddaughter.
Eleanor’s grounded body swayed as she watched Gwen fall in her mind’s eye. Soundless words slipped past fluttering lips. A muted prayer, a heartfelt plea. If only her granddaughter would listen…
Gwen fell in slow motion. Her hands cradled her belly as she leaned forward, the wind whispering past her face, tangling her hair. Something caressed her face, cocooning her in warmth and the smell of lilacs. Her wolf stretched, arching her back within her soul, coming to attention with the grace of a mighty hunter.
A low growl issued from her wolf’s throat. The grass rose higher, coming ever closer. Her wolf howled, screaming her order to the star-filled sky. Shift, Gwen, NOW!
And she did.
Her paws slammed into the ground, taking the impact, and saving her life. Wolf and woman were one. The guards spun around in shock, but their yells had no effect on her as she sprinted for the woods. Freedom. She could taste it on the wind, the tangy spice of it lingering on her tongue as her paws dug into the damp ground. She ran as if she’d never see another sunrise, and as she heard the guards shift and run after her, she realized that might be true.
A frightened whimper tore from her throat, her muscles bunching as she raced. But like her dream, freedom was not to be. A mighty bound, and one of the pursuing wolves tackled her to the ground. Jaws snapping, she lunged at his neck, but he was too big and too quick. He held her until the other guards arrived, followed by her father still in human form. She shifted again as he reached her.
Garrett shook his head, a frown on his face. “I really thought more of you, Gwen.” He nodded toward the two guards nearest her. “Take her to the dungeon, and have someone extend the wards to the grounds. I don’t need any more errant shifting before Myrick gets his payment.”
Gwen’s human scream melded with the howl of her wolf as they dragged her back into captivity. As the dungeon door slammed behind her, she vowed that she’d see her father dead if it was the last thing she ever did.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ophelia paced back and forth in front of Carissa’s window. “It’s been three weeks of nothing. No one’s contacted me. No one’s come after Daniel—hell, no one’s looking for Craven, either! And I just fucking want to know where my aunt’s body is!” She broke off on a sob, sinking down onto the couch next to Carissa.
Her friend wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “We’ll find her, Phia. One way or another. Maybe we just haven’t looked in the right place.”
“We’ve been all over Haughton, Shreveport, Bossier, the estate in Mooringsport—even the warehouse between here and Springhill that Jeremiah was using has been cleared out. They’re all gone, and we still don’t know where Gwen is, either. I don’t know what to do at this point.”
“You know one place we haven’t searched?”
“Where?”
“I was looking through some of Garrett’s papers this morning, and I
found the deed to a property in Minden. It was purchased two years ago under the parent company, Mystic Empires, and entrusted to Garrett. It doesn’t say what the business is supposed to be, but it’s the only clue we’ve got.”
“Mystic Empires?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Myrick’s front business, and the same one he used on the deed to the warehouse Jeremiah was using.”
“We need to tell the guys.”
Ophelia nodded, jumping up from her seat. She hadn’t made it two steps when she doubled over as a wave of nausea beat at her senses. Queasiness churning in her gut, she sprinted to the bathroom, where she lost everything she’d eaten since breakfast. Leaning weakly against the side of the tub, her body clammy and quivering, she didn’t look up when Carissa entered behind her. Without saying a word, her friend flushed the toilet, and pressed a cool, damp cloth to the back of Ophelia’s neck. After a few deep breaths, the queasiness backed down, and she focused on Carissa.
“Thanks. I guess I couldn’t avoid the flu forever.”
“It’s the end of July, Phia.”
“And?”
Carissa laughed and reached into the cabinet above the sink. She handed Ophelia a little pink and white box. “One of the pack members left this here last week,” she told her.
Ophelia looked down at the object in her hands, and dropped it with a muffled squeak. “A pregnancy test? Carissa, have you lost your mind?”
“No, but you did lose your lunch, and since I know you and Daniel have been cuddled up in that room, alone, for three weeks, now…”
“Nuh uh. Just, no. I can’t get pregnant. Daniel’s a vampire!”
“Not exactly, from what you told me. Didn’t you say he was a sorcerer and a dhampir before Jasmine attacked him? What if his transformation was more like Aden’s, and he didn’t die?”
“But that’s not possible!”
Chuckling, Carissa patted her gently rounded stomach. “I assure you, it is. Take the test, Phia. If anything, it’ll at least put your mind at ease.”
“If you say so,” Ophelia grumbled, “I am a week late…”
Still laughing, Carissa left her alone in the bathroom. Ophelia stared down at the box on the floor, her heart racing. Just take it, the little voice told her, it’s going to be negative, so just do it! Sighing, she picked it up, and pulled out the instructions. Frowning, she followed them, setting the little wand on the edge of the tub to await the three-minute time limit. She’d just flushed when Carissa came back in.
“Did you take it?”
“It’s over there,” Ophelia said, pointing, “I’m not looking at it.”
Carissa didn’t walk any closer, her face splitting into a huge grin. “Girl, even if you don’t look, you’ll know in a few months, anyway.”
“What?” Ophelia spun around, her eyes unerringly seeking the tiny window next to the test strip. There was a dark pink plus sign, as broad as a barn, and as obvious as sunlight. She sat down hard on the toilet seat, causing the whole thing to rattle. She looked up at her best friend, eyes wide.
“Holy shit. I’m pregnant.”
“And now you have to tell Daniel.” Carissa giggled. “I wonder what he’s going to think about this?”
Ophelia raised an unsteady hand to her head. “I have no idea. Oh my God. What if he’s not happy?”
Carissa leaned over and wrapped her in a hug. “He loves you, Phia. He’ll be happy, I’m sure of it.”
She rose as there was a knock on the door, followed by Daniel’s voice. “Are you two okay in there?”
Ophelia grabbed the test and stuffed it back into the box, which she threw underneath the sink. “Y-yeah,” she stammered, “just, you know, girl stuff.”
“Are you sure? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“No! I-I mean, yes. Yes, I’m fine. We—we’re fine. Honestly.”
“Okay, if you say so. Uh, if you need anything, just, um, holler.”
“Okay.”
Ophelia listened, holding her breath, as Daniel walked away. Carissa clutched her sides as silent giggles bent her over. “Real smooth, Phia, real smooth. I’m sure he suspects nothing.”
Ophelia grabbed an unused toilet paper roll off the holder beside her and threw it at her friend. “Hush, you.”
They finally emerged after Ophelia brushed her teeth. She grabbed Carissa’s arm as they walked through the door. “Don’t say anything,” she whispered.
Carissa nodded, and mimed locking her lips shut. “Mum's the word, my friend, but you’re gonna have to tell him at some point. Or just give it a few months. Then I can go after you with the Crisco and crowbar. Either way, you won't be able to hide it for long.”
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Never,” Carissa said with a grin. “So, sooner? Or later?”
Ophelia laughed weakly. “I’d prefer later. Right now, let’s go tell them what you found.”
Ten minutes and a group text later, everyone in their circle was gathered in the living room. Liam and Melina sat on the couch, looking tense. Serena sat in an arm chair, her jean-clad legs elegantly crossed, and a pensive look on her face. Daniel, Craven, and Aden stood leaning against the far wall, eyes watching everything. They all looked up as Ophelia and Carissa entered.
Daniel pushed himself away from the wall and crossed over to them. “Please tell me y’all have something, because I’m drawing a blank, here.”
Ophelia told them what Carissa found, “But I really think we should contact Eleanor before we investigate. If there’s any possibility that Myrick is there, we’ll need a lot more power than what we have in this room.”
Daniel’s hand was warm on her back. “I think that’s a smart idea.”
Carissa raised a hand. “There’s only one problem with that.”
“What is it?” Ophelia asked.
“Nana’s not home. I talked to her yesterday and convinced her to go out of town for a little while, or at least until this blows over. If something we do brings Myrick back to Jaune, I didn’t want her in the middle of it.”
Ophelia turned wide eyes on her friend. “Well, that’s not helpful. Smart. But not helpful.”
Carissa smiled. “Sorry.”
Craven moved away from the wall beside Aden. He held out his left hand, palm up. Green flames flashed to life above his skin, before winking out just as quick. “I think you’re forgetting the one of us that trained under Myrick. Your Eleanor may be more powerful, but I know the sorcerer.” He focused on his half-sister with a smile. “Between the two of us, I think we have enough power to keep us safe. This will take planning, and we’ll need to devise a spell of protection before we go, but I believe it’s possible to investigate that residence and come out unscathed.”
Ophelia considered, her eyes scanning the rest of the group. When no one argued, she nodded her head. “This is as good a place to start as any.”
She started to turn around, but the door suddenly burst open. Her cousin, Breanna, ran inside, her black hair flying behind her like a banner. Her brown eyes were alight with worry. Ophelia crossed the room to meet her in the middle. She grabbed Breanna’s arms.
“How did you get here, Bree?”
Her cousin shook her head. “I know Garrett, but that’s not important. Someone destroyed the store tonight, and I can’t reach Eleanor. I tried to call, but your cell and Carissa’s cell both went straight to voicemail, so I went by your house, but no one was there. I came here, hoping that Garrett or Carissa would know where you were.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Whoever trashed the store spray-painted an address on the side, with the instructions that it was for you and Daniel, only. Whoever Daniel is.” She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Ophelia.
Daniel raised his hand. “That would be me.”
Breanna nodded. “Then maybe y’all can make some kind of sense of this.”
Ophelia read what Breanna had written. “This is
Guy Chauvin’s address. He’s a trapper that lived a little ways from Eleanor. Aunt Janice used to purchase frog legs from him,” she told them, frowning, “but he couldn’t have had anything to do with this. He passed away last summer. Why would whoever did this send us to his place?”
Daniel scanned the paper from where he stood beside her. “I don’t know, but my gut tells me something’s more wrong than a trashed store.” He dropped his gaze to hers. “Let’s go, then. This doesn’t feel like a typical trap. It’s also the first break we’ve had in weeks. We need to check it out.”
Aden finally moved from where he stood against the wall, silently observing. “It’s no use suggesting that you don’t go, so I’ll merely insist that you don’t go alone. Craven and I will go with you.”
Ophelia opened her mouth to argue, but Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. “He’s right. We’ll do better with backup.”
Ophelia pulled the keys from the pocket of her jeans. “You’re probably right. Okay, let’s go.” She started to follow the men toward the door, but Carissa grabbed her arm and held her back.
“Are you sure this is smart? You should stay here with us. Let them go.” she hissed.
Daniel hadn’t looked back yet, so Ophelia quickly shook off her friend’s hand while Liam, Melina, and Serena looked on curiously. “I’ll be careful. I promise. Nothing will happen to us.” She pressed a gentle hand to her stomach as she spoke, and Serena sucked in a startled breath. Ophelia locked eyes with the fairy and gently shook her head before focusing on her friend. “I promise,” she repeated, and turned around to follow the men through the door.
Ophelia caught up to Daniel just off the porch. He rubbed her arm as they walked toward her truck. “Is everything okay?”
She kept her hands at her side, resisting the urge to rub her stomach again. She smiled up at him as they split up to get in the truck. “Everything’s fine. Let’s go look at this, and then we can come back and plan.”
Savage Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 2) Page 29
