Nodding, Riff eyed me for a moment before pulling his phone from a pocket. My heart ached when he pressed a number, and the line rang. Judging by how he held it, and the volume, Riff had it on speakerphone. Why? The smile curling his lips warned he’d enjoy the reaction of whoever answered, while the trouble shining in Char’s eyes agreed. “Do you have any idea what time it is, you asshole?” An angry voice roughened by sleep growled after a few rings, and something in my soul perked. “We have school in a few hours. Why the hell are you calling me at two in the morning on a fucking Thursday? What could you have stumbled into… wait…? Why weren’t you at school yesterday? Where are you? Is Char with you!?” With each question, the boy on the other end of the line seemed to wake and realize who he spoke to. My heart panged upon realizing my loveable idiots were missing for an entire day. So, the vampires had them for a bit, then. “Have you seen… never mind. You would have led with that if you had.”
“You know that house Jax left you in charge of, saying you would know who to entrust it to? That he had faith they would come to Wolfram one day? Can I have the keys to it?” Riff asked with a grin so full of trouble, I feared for poor Dakota’s sanity. As it was, the sadness in his voice pained me so much I wanted to discover a way to reach through the phone to hug him. Ryker, I noticed, struggled to not laugh as did Char. Why were they picking on poor Dakota? Huffing silently, I crossed my arms and stared at Riff, who pleaded with his eyes for me to understand, or at least give him a chance.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Riff? Are you seriously fucking with me, at two in the fucking morning!?” Dakota snarled, and I scowled at Char, who snickered. “Oh, fuck you, Char! Come here for the keys, and I swear I’ll remind you I’m no longer a beta by choice.” With a grin a mile wide, Char pointed at me, putting his hands together in a gesture for supplication. It took a second for me to realize what they wanted, how they desired to reveal they found me and I was all right.
Swallowing nervously, I cleared my throat before softly asking, “please, Dakota?” Had he been human, I doubt he would have heard me since my voice was so quiet. I wasn’t sure how the teenager would react to hearing me with how I left, nor that we asked for something his beloved cousin gave him.
Stunned silence met my words, and I winced, already fearing the angry outburst sure to follow. “Angel,” Dakota breathed after a moment, and tears stung my eyes when there wasn’t even a hint of anger in his voice. “You found Angel! Is she all right? Did the vampires hurt her? Is she scared? Is she mad at us, still? I wouldn’t blame her, but I hope she isn’t. Other than Kyler. She can hate him until the end of time.”
“I’m all right, Dakota,” I answered before Riff could, and he grinned with laughter shining in his eyes. “We reunited about an hour ago.” Realizing it had been such a brief time, I glanced at Ryker warily, with the vampire shrugging in reply. Someone was impulsive. Or, did he always mean to take me back to Wolfram? Then why the mark on my hand, or was that a test? “However,” I added thickly, “I cannot come back to Wolfram alone. Six will come with me, one of which is Matty.”
“That meddling asshole,” Dakota grumbled although there was no strength to his words. “Just couldn’t help himself.” Clearing his throat, he raised his voice to add, “well, I have keys to a house big enough for you. A certain cousin of mine bought it, paid it off, and the taxes for two decades. The utilities run at the bare minimum which he prepaid too, somehow. Jax could be compelling when he desired, or he’d guilt you into doing whatever he wanted. But, uh, it’s sort of a mansion, and none of us have been in it. He said I could, but I never mustered the courage to unlock the door.” Oh, Dakota. My heart ached for him, knowing he must have stood on the doorstep, the key in the lock while he tried so hard to find the strength to turn it.
“Well, how about we meet you there?” I offered thickly, and, somehow, I knew his lips curled into that heartthrob grin of his. I saw it in my mind and nearly smiled because I loved the way he brightened when he grinned.
“Sure, bunny, how far out are you?” Dakota asked, all signs of sleep in his voice gone. I felt terrible for waking him, wondering how exhausted he would be tomorrow, er later today. Couldn’t we have waited until dusk? Although Marcus would be awake and banging on the door within minutes of us entering his territory. Wouldn’t he feel it
