“Let’s go down the road, out of the woods and try to call Reese there,” suggested Aris. "The dead zone can’t reach that far.”
“If that doesn’t work,” said Cyn, “we’ll head to the nearest hospital and kidnap a doctor.”
“You can’t do that,” Angela huffed.
“Yes, I can, sweets. It’s kinda my specialty. You hang in there.” Cyn and her mates left.
Thomas heard the car doors open and shut and the engine rev. The spinning tires spit gravel and squealed against the pitted road as the mini-van took off.
Gareth was trying to help Angela with the breathing exercises they had all practiced.
It wasn’t going well.
“Why didn’t we get morphine?” she wailed. Sweat dripped down her face. “I’d really like some morphine.”
“It’s okay,” soothed Gareth.
“The hell it is!”
Gareth looked at Thomas helplessly. He had the ability to lessen her pain, but Angela wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted on having the baby completely natural. And she also refused Thomas’ offer to make her forget the labor process. It’s part of being a mother, she’d said. He wouldn’t go against her wishes, though he badly wanted to end her agony.
Angela screamed as another contraction viciously gripped her womb.
Thomas watched water spill out from between her thighs. In horror, he looked at the soaked bed. “Gareth, her amniotic sac broke.”
* * *
The argument about who should stay and who should go was short. Mostly because Abby’s stubborn mate knew he didn’t have a chance in hell at convincing her to stay home. Abby wasn’t letting her husband go off and battle the Ladon without her. Abby’s parents were babysitting the twins, who were conked out for the night anyway. If things went well, she and Reese would be back before dawn broke.
The black SUV sat in the driveway, engine rumbling. It was early evening, but the sun had gone down leaving only the velvet black of night. The Hunter had insisted that their mission rely on only a few trusted members of the Valiant colony. That was easy enough—all five of Abby’s brothers were guardians of the colony in general and the alpha in particular.
Abby sat in the passenger seat of the SUV, and her husband on the driver’s side. The Hunter sat in the back, marveling at the luxurious interior. Her brothers had squeezed into the seats behind the Hunter. Luckily the SUV was an extended cab.
“I need one of these,” said Judith, patting the leather seats.
“Well, they’re not as fast as you are for transporting,” said Thomas as he put the car into drive. “It’ll take a good two hours just to get to Hellion Hill.”
“Oh, that’s not fast enough at all.” She waved at hand at the engine. The SUV revved into high gear and shot down the road. “We should be there in less than thirty now.”
“I can’t drive this thing!” yelled Reese.
“You don’t have to,” said Judith. “I’m driving it.”
“From the backseat?” he asked, horror in his voice. Abby watched Reese grip the useless steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. As they zoomed past other cars and weaved between the slower the ones, Abby felt her stomach pitch.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” she asked Judith.
“Of course I do.” Judith smiled winsomely. “Magical spirit, remember?”
* * *
Eliza DuChamp held up her smartphone, a smirk twisting her lips. She stood in the safe house kitchen having just finished off the blood wine. “I found them.” She looked at Craig, who was the epitome of an asshole. He lounged on the couch, perfecting an air of boredom. “They’re in a place called Hellion Hill.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I have eyes and ears everywhere. My humans know that if that if they lie to me or fail me, I will suck them dry.” She rubbed her tongue over her fangs. That blood wine, delicious as it was, had not been enough sustenance.
“How long will it take to get this Hellion Hill place?”
Craig stood up from the couch. Eliza had to admit that the werecougar alpha had quite the outer package. If she didn’t loathe him, she might well seduce him. But the shifter cat had made it clear how distasteful he found her. His revulsion angered her to no end. She was beautiful and powerful and wealthy. He was nothing compared to her.
“That’s a bit of good news. It’s less than hour away. And by vampire? Mere minutes.”
Craig grimaced. “I don’t want to fly anywhere else with you.”
“You are such a whiner.” She threw her hands up. “Fine! I’ll magic us there instead.”
His eyes widened. “I thought transportation ability was a vampire myth.”
“Not a myth. But only the oldest and most powerful can perform the magic needed.”
“I still think we should take some of my guardians with me.”
“Like that worked out so well for you before.” She delighted in his pained look. The only reason Craig Harper had deigned to chase their prey himself is because the last time he sent minions, they’d betrayed him.
She, too, had been betrayed. Her rage for Thomas was a bright and hot as a star. How dare he dump her for a human? And Cyn Salais? Eliza sneered. She would eat that bitch’s flesh and gnaw on her bones.
“We stick to our plan,” she said. "No one else is needed. Agreed?”
“Yeah.” Craig stuck his hands into his jean pockets. “So how do we do this transport shit?”
“Put your arms around me,” she said. “Don’t worry,” she said, flashing fang, “I won’t bite you.”
“If you want to keep that lovely face intact, you won’t,” said Craig.
“Aw. You say the sweetest things.” Eliza enacted the transportation magic and in the next instant, they stood among
