Page 25 of Claiming the Dhampir

I pulled my phone from my pocket and created a group text with Damon and Elliott, explaining my theory.

Damon: Stay put

Elliott: it’s a good theory but there are too many unknowns. we’ll be there in 10 mins

Me: okay

But it wasn’t okay. Nothing about this felt okay. I looked out the window again and had another epiphany. It was morning. Nathan’s most vulnerable time. Whoever had him could take advantage of his weakness and end his life. The thought sent a stabbing pain through my heart.

I still hadn’t let myself think about him as more than the clan leader and master vampire. I couldn’t decide if my desire for him was because of fate, like my other mates, or because of my dhampir. Six months ago, I would’ve laughed at anyone suggesting that fated mates were real. I would’ve slapped them if they’d said I would have three or four.

After everything that happened to me in the last couple months, I couldn’t deny it. Now was definitely not the time to dwell on it, either. I cradled my head in my hands and tried not to scream. I needed to do something productive, not just sit in this stupid house coming up with ridiculous schemes and theories that only made everything worse.

A swell of magic preceded a soft popping sound. I spun away from the window to find Alyssa standing in front of a tall, dark, oval-shaped thing. Magic pulsed from the multicolored swirls spanning across the outer rim, making the center opaque. I could almost see through to the other side. Almost.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out it had to be a portal. She hadn’t snuck into the room, and that magical doorway had to come from somewhere.

I’d only seen Alyssa a couple times and had never been introduced officially, but she was easy to recognize. She didn’t have a glamour toning down her stark beauty. Her dark hair was tied back by a long braid, accentuating her round face. Was that fear in her eyes? She glanced at the entry between the living room and hall, then back to me.

“Come with me,” she whispered. “I know where Nathan and Kenrid are. I can take you there, but we have to hurry.”

She extended her hand to me, and I took a step toward her before I stopped myself. How would she know where they were unless she was involved in their kidnapping? Had she just thrown my whole theory about being a victim herself out the window?

“Please,” she pleaded, her eyes shining. Were those tears? “Brance has them both. I…” She bit her lip. “I may have made a mistake trusting him. You can fix it, though.”

I still hesitated because duh! It was obviously a trap, wasn’t it? She’d just admitted that she shouldn’t have trusted Brance, which meant that the two of them weren’t kidnapped by Kenrid’s family. Yep, my theory was definitely blown wide open.

But if I went with her, Damon and Elliott could find me through our bond. They could help me rescue Kenrid and Nathan. Or could they? I couldn’t sense Kenrid, so they probably wouldn’t sense me, either.

We could swap blood with Nathan and kill them all, Mir said.

I cringed at her suggestion, but she might be right.

Do we really want to reveal ourselves to them, though? I asked. Conrad said the fae paid his contract. Maybe this is a trap for us. What if Nathan and Kenrid are the bait to lure us in?

Mir didn’t reply. She didn’t have to. If Kenrid and Nathan died because the fae wanted me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

Alyssa frowned and glanced toward the muffled conversation at the front door.

“I’ll go with you, but you have to tell me where,” I insisted.

“I can’t tell you,” she hissed.

“Are you taking me to the fae realm?” I asked.

She laughed, and the voices at the door stopped.

“None of us can return to Fairie,” she replied, not bothering to lower her voice. “Why do you think Brance took Kenrid?”

She lunged for me, and I threw myself toward the hallway. But I wasn’t quick enough. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist and a blinding light replaced the living room. The last thing I saw were my protectors reaching for me. I just hoped they heard Alyssa’s claim about not leaving Earth. If we were on Earth, I had to trust that my mates could find me.

Several seconds later, a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders and forced me to my knees. The blinding light slowly faded, but I didn’t even try to let my eyes adjust. I squeezed them shut and tried not to breathe. I didn’t need to see Nathan to know he was in the room. I could smell his blood. A lot of it.

Sweat broke out all over my body, making me shiver in the chilled room. My heart thumped against my ribs, aching with each beat. My damned fangs poked at the inside of my lips.

I wanted my vampire!

---