With few options in front of her, the girl turned on her heel and raced toward the woods. “Little girl!” Gunner called out to stop her.
“I’m not a little girl!” she screeched back at him before disappearing into the trees.
I was determined to find her, but before that, there were vampires to deal with.
The tanned vampire raced headlong into the melee, snapping teeth and growling assailing my ears. I jerked my eyes back in that direction and made up my mind on the spot. I was leery of the vampire, but the girl clearly trusted him above the others. On top of that, he appeared to be ready to sacrifice himself to protect her. That was enough for me.
I unloaded three bursts of magic, catching two of the vampires, the ones flanking the others, by surprise. They caught fire immediately, their anguished screams filling the air. The third burst missed another vampire but Gunner, who had shifted without me noticing, was already engaging in battle with him. That left the two vampires pummeling the tanned one for me to deal with.
I threw myself into the mix, using my hands to grab a blond vampire by the hair and pour a burst of magic into his mind. His eyes went wide — he probably had no idea what was happening — and then he burst into flames from the inside. I was already turning to face the final vampire when Gunner snapped the neck of the one he was fighting and raced to take on the fifth. Before I could snap out a curse, Gunner was on the vampire from behind, dragging him down.
“That’s not fair,” I complained, making a face. “I had a new curse I wanted to try on him.”
Rather that respond, Gunner ripped out the vampire’s throat with his powerful jaws, the undead creature immediately going still.
Gunner shifted instantly, his familiar human form focusing on me. “You got to kill three to my two. I think you’ll survive.” He had a scratch down the side of his face but looked exhilarated. “How is he?”
I pivoted toward the tanned vampire, who had turned exceedingly pale. He looked to be clinging to consciousness. “Not good,” I replied, kneeling next to him. “Can I see?” I inclined my head toward his side.
He didn’t put up a fight.
The wound was ugly, to the point I knew a human wouldn’t be able to survive. A vampire was a different story.
“Get him inside,” I instructed Gunner, standing. “Tie him to a chair just to be on the safe side. I don’t want him trying to use us to boost his blood volumes in the middle the night.” I started toward the woods.
“Where are you going?” he called to my back.
“To find the girl. She’s out there, alone. She’s obviously not safe.”
“You won’t find her,” the injured vampire rasped. “She’s stronger than you. She won’t allow you to take her.”
That was both intriguing and disheartening. “I have to try. Get him inside, Gunner. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Four
I didn’t find her. The vampire was right about that. Wherever she was hiding, it was a good spot. Even the magic I tried to expend didn’t reveal her hiding place. When I hit the woods in the direction she fled, her trail somehow disappeared, right in the middle of nowhere.
I was exhausted by the time I returned to the cabin. Gunner looked as if he was about to melt down and raced over to me when I let myself through the door.
“I was about to go after you.” He smothered me with a crushing hug. “You scared the life out of me. Why didn’t you answer your phone?” He went from loving to accusatory in the blink of an eye.
“My phone is plugged in next to the bed,” I replied ruefully. “I didn’t even think to grab it when we headed out.”
“He managed a smile, but it was weak. “I didn’t even think of that.” His expression twisted. “I take it you didn’t find her.”
“No. He was right about me not being able to find her. It’s as if she simply disappeared into nothing.”
“I could go out and search for her,” Gunner offered. “I mean, she is part shifter. Odds are she won’t be able to hide from me.”
I considered it, then shook my head. “She’s terrified. I don’t know that stalking her in the middle of the night is a good idea. Let’s wait until first light and then we’ll go out again.” I glanced at the unconscious vampire tied to the chair. “Make sure the curtains are drawn so he doesn’t fry. Unfortunately, we probably won’t be able to question him until nightfall tomorrow. I’m hoping we find that girl long before then.”
“You and me both.”
We tumbled into bed, his arms immediately coming around me. Even though there was an invader in our space, I passed out within seconds. My body refused to stay awake for a second longer, despite my worry about the girl.
She was out there somewhere. Alone, probably terrified, and hunted. Tomorrow, I would find her. No matter what.
I WOKE SHORTLY AFTER SEVEN AND FOUND Gunner was already awake and staring at me. A small smile played at the corners of his lips.
“Did I drool?” I immediately wiped at my mouth.
His grin only widened. “No, but when you’re really tired, you let loose these dainty little snores. It’s adorable.”
I rolled my eyes. “I do not snore.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Whatever.” I shifted so I was on my back and rubbed my forehead. “We didn’t get much sleep.”
“About four hours total.”
“I think that’s going to be it. I want to look for that girl.”
He nodded. “Me too. Let’s start moving.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. We quickly showered together. Under normal circumstances, the shower would’ve likely turned playful. That wasn’t an option today. I strode into the kitchen, determined to feed the cat and then head out when
