April
Supernatural creatures move far too quickly for my painfully human eyes to keep up, especially when we're in a cavern and the only light source is the sporadic placement of lanterns.
Still, I can see enough to know that Nik is winning.
He rips apart the Nightcrawlers like they are bugs. They flame and sizzle and burn as the cavern begins to fill with smoke, making my vision even hazier.
I cough and step back and my foot catches on a jutting stone. I fall backwards right into the waiting arms of Wickham.
The damsel in distress role got tiring after the first time, but we're now at number two hundred-and-something and I am officially over it.
I kick and thrash against him and it is of no use.
"Enough, Nikolai!" Wickham's booming voice makes me cringe. "Or the next body to fall will be hers."
Nik rips off one final head and then glares at Wickham, panting and soaked in blood.
"If you touch her," Nik says, "you know what I'll do to you. Didn't you hear about Sebastien? He made a similar threat. And guess where he is now."
"I knew you would be an issue," Wickham says. "I'm offended you thought I didn't plan for it."
"Nik!" I shout as a Nightcrawler speeds up behind him and jabs a needle into his neck. I don't know what is in it, but it must be strong because it knocks Nik—a thousand year old vampire—out in ten seconds flat.
And then I am alone. In a cave full of vampires.
Wickham's arms slowly release me and I stumble away from him. He smells faintly like bleach and, strangely enough, hospitals. That icky clean scent that you can never quite scrub out of your hair for weeks after a visit.
"Why are you doing this? I want to see Reed," I demand.
"Well why didn't you say so? I'm happy to take you to him," Wickham agrees. "Now that Nik is out of the way."
I glance over my shoulder and see two Nightcrawlers hauling Nik up and dragging him further into the depths of the cave system. Please don't hurt him. It's my fault he's here in the first place and if they kill him...that will be my fault too.
"If you had a way to knock him out the entire time, why not start with that?" I demand and see a slight flare of amusement in Wickham's pale eyes. "That was entertainment for you, wasn't it?"
"Nonsense," he scoffs. "These vampires are like my family."
"Some way to treat family, sending them off to die in your stead." First with the werewolves, then with Nik. It seems so callous and unnecessary. In fact, this whole situation seems unnecessary to me. "Why are you doing this?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Eventually." He seizes my arm with a grip so strong it hurts. I try to twist away from him but it is useless. He strides forward and all I can do is hurry behind him so I don't get dragged along the cave floor.
"Where are we going?" My voice is shaky and terrified. He doesn't answer. He is a single flash of pure white against the otherwise inky setting around us. The cold lantern light brandishes his white hair almost silver.
He forces me down a long tunnel that is more dimly lit and appears to be a dead-end. Fear crowds my throat.
"Stop. Where–where are you taking me?"
Abruptly, he halts and his gaze pierces me. "You asked to be reunited with your werewolf mate." He presses his white shoe against a large boulder and then shoves with his leg. The boulder screeches to the side. "I am giving you what you requested." Suddenly I am launched forward, down a dark hole in the bottom of the cave. I fall and land with a hard thud, pain shooting up my side.
A scraping sound indicates the boulder is being put back in place, covering the opening above me.
I groan, clutching my knee that aches dully.
"April?"
Oh my god. My head shoots up and relief ricochets through me, so overwhelming my heart stutters.
They are here; all of them.
Heath and Lark and the other werewolves.
Reed.
My wolf. My mate.
He strides forward, dressed only in a pair of jeans, and picks me up, pulling me against him. I clutch him desperately, sobbing loudly. It all bursts out of me at once.
I couldn't break down before—I had too much to accomplish—but being in Reed's arms frees me from all that responsibility. I am safe to fall apart. And that's exactly what I do.
"I was so scared. I thought you were dead," I cry into his bare shoulder, my lips moving over his skin, my tears wetting his neck.
"I'm here. I'm here." He strokes my hair soothingly. "You're safe." It comes out ragged, like he has been just as worried about me as I have been about him.
I know we have an audience, but right now I can't muster the will to care. His arms are strong and safe and they hold me tightly enough that I know he will never let go.
I pull back to kiss him messily. It isn't sexy or arousal-inducing like usual. It is salty from my tears and desperate and full of unspoken pain.
"I've got you," he whispers against my lips. "I've got you." He cups my cheeks, brushing away the wetness with his thumbs. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," I tell him. "I was looking for you."
"How'd you end up here?" His jaw tightens in frustration. "I told North to keep you out of this."
"It's not his fault," I rush to say. "He kept me safe, got me away from the pack house. But I couldn't just leave you. I had to come looking, I had to–"
"You came out here by yourself?" He questions, his face screwed up in confusion.
"Well..." I hesitate. He won't like that I ran to Nik for help. "It's complicated."
"All that matters is you're ok," he says, cupping my cheeks firmly.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "About your dad."
His jaw tightens, grief flaming in emerald eyes. "It's fine."
"Reed..."
He kisses my forehead and then steps back, looking over at Heath. "We need to figure out what this vampire wants and then we need to kill him and get out of here."
"I'm on board with that plan," Heath agrees, his arm around Lark's shoulders. She gives me a weak smile that I do my best to return.
"Have you guys overheard anything about Wickham?" I wonder.
"Wickham?" Reed questions and I nod.
"The pale man, in the white suit."
"He didn't speak to us," Reed explains. "Just ordered his followers to bring us down here. We don't even know what he wants."
My mouth purses into a grim line. "I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough."
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just want to say, to anyone that has voted or commented on this story, thank you! Always gives me motivation to write.