They’d been told the blood would help them heal quicker. And it did. But it couldn’t reverse death and the shifters hadn’t intended to leave behind any survivors.
My blood ran cold at the revelation. Few races had the ability to heal. Let alone the ability to transfer their healing properties.
Shifters could regenerate but mixing their blood with a human’s would result in becoming a shapeshifter—assuming the human survived the transition. Vampires could also regenerate but finding one willing to sacrifice their blood was damn near impossible. The H.A.C. had managed to get their hands on Irina, but she was dead now and the blood ingested had to be taken straight from the source to work.
The men before us had been given vials of blood to drink, meaning vampire blood was out.
It was too much of a coincidence. Because the only other blood I could think of with regenerative qualities was harpy blood, and the only harpy I knew, was missing.
“Sonova—” I wanted to kill the men in front of me even more than I had before. “Where is she?”
They’d provided their names. Ashton was the man Derek had beaten the hell out of and Gareth was the other. Gareth sputtered now, having flinched back from my outburst.
“Where’s Melody?” I seethed.
Declan lifted a single brow in question but didn’t interrupt, deciding instead to see where I was going with this.
“I … I … I don’t know what you’re ta—”
“The blood. You were given blood that heals. It wasn’t shifter blood and it wasn’t a vamp’s. That leaves harpy. Where is she?”
Gareth shook his head and flicked a look toward his still unconscious friend. “I don’t know. We never saw where the blood came from. It was passed out before we left. We didn’t—”
I turned toward Declan in question and he nodded. The man was telling the truth. It didn’t matter. I knew deep down in my bones the H.A.C. had her. I didn’t believe in coincidences. Melody was missing and now all of a sudden—
Brock rushed over, an urgent look on his face. “Clan Bear was attacked.”
Declan flicked a glance toward Robert, who nodded as some silent communication passed between them. He grabbed my elbow and ushered me to the Hummer, opening the back door for me before going around to the driver’s side, Brock climbing into the front passenger seat.
“Tell me everything.” Declan barked as he pushed the Hummer into gear and headed toward the freeway.
Where is he planning on going? Clan Bear was too far—it would take hours to get there and by then it would be too late for us to offer any sort of assistance.
Declan’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror and the weight of his gaze let me know he was thinking the same thing.
“It was just called in. They’d been attacked just like Clan Wolf. A group of men, heavy artillery, the same regenerative ability visible in their survivors.”
Declan swore. “Casualties?”
I held my breath.
“None. Six injured but everyone survived. The Clan house was virtually empty. Caynen was already on his way to the Compound at the time of the attack. His Clan is the smallest within the Pack and most were traveling with him. Those who weren’t were outside of the building so when the bastards showed up, the bears hit them from behind. They left one man alive but after they questioned him, they finished it.”
We both released a collective sigh. “Call a Clan meeting. We’ve left the situation with the H.A.C. to fester long enough. It’s time we took a more direct approach with our enemy.”
I swallowed and resolve thrummed through me. Jason hadn’t been the only one working on borrowed time. The H.A.C. couldn’t be ignored, not after these attacks, and if I was right, they were responsible for taking Melody too.
I was going to get her back.
With enough time, Jason and Twitch would confirm the H.A.C.’s involvement. There was no sense in delaying.
As expected, it didn’t take long to confirm that the H.A.C. was behind Melody’s abduction. Fury settled deep in my bones. What was my mother hoping to accomplish by taking her? Was this some ploy to get to me or was it just a way to strengthen her men?
I stared down at the phone in my hands. Ryan had called several times but I didn’t know what to say to him. How did I explain that Mel’s disappearance was my fault? My mother could have taken any Harpy, but instead, she’d gone after the one I called friend?
Coincidences. I didn’t like them.
I threw my phone on the bed and stalked out the door. I needed to get some air. Having already dressed, I made my way through the winding hallways that led outside. The evening air was crisp. Pine needles coated the forest floor, softening my footsteps. I moved to my car and slid into the driver’s seat, uncaring of where I went only that I went somewhere.
I didn’t know how to be idle when everything in me wanted to act, but I couldn’t be the impulsive merc anymore. I had responsibilities. People who counted on me.
I’d just passed the Compound gates when memories flooded my vision.
I slammed on the brakes and rode the wave. It’d was like a tsunami of emotion. My lungs choked and a surge of want and need washed over me. But beneath the emotions I knew weren’t mine was the mate bond between Declan and I.
I focused on that. On my feelings for him.
