Page 118 of Heir

I tried various doors, but they were all locked.

A third, terrified, agonizing shriek juddered my soul.

“Gemma!”

Drak appeared, slightly out of breath. “Did you find her?”

“No! She’s screaming, but I can’t figure out where she is.”

“Maxar said it’s Lerris who took her?”

I nodded. “And killed Delia. And my father.”

His eyes widened.

“He’s out in the main part of the plant. Go. Detain him. I need to find Gemma.”

Drak nodded and took off in the direction I came.

I kept trying doors.

More and more screaming.

Where was she?

The hallway was never ending. I grunted and growled, wishing for Zandren’s strength so I could just tear down the doors. She had to be behind one of them. I just couldn’t get in to her.

I ran back out to the main part of the warehouse only to see Zandren charge Lerris, teeth bared and ready to destroy. But as he charged him, his flame crown fell off, and that was enough of a window for the worst to happen.

I watched it like it was in slow motion.

The moment Zandren’s eyes changed. His target, his mission, his alliance was distorted. Lerris had his mind now, and rather than tear it to shreds, he was going to use my mate as a weapon. A weapon against us.

Maxar was there, throwing flames at Lerris. He landed quite a few good hits. Scorch marks covered my uncle’s clothes, and he had to pat out flames a few times. But when the last batch of black flames whizzed out of Maxar’s hands, Zandren spun around and charged Maxar, roaring and shoving him to the ground, standing on top of him. He slashed at his shirt with his sharp claws. Maxar screamed out in pain.

I ran up, crying, “Zandren! Zandren, stop! You’re hurting him.”

I glanced over to find Drak in a hand-to-hand battle with Lerris. He kept baring his teeth, his fangs dropped, and he searched for an opening to lunge forward and bite. But Lerris evaded him well.

One of them would land a sharp blow, knocking down the other, then the other would retaliate with just as much precision and force. They were matched for strength and agility.

I couldn’t worry about them right now though. I had to trust that Drak had this. My focus was on stopping Zandren from killing Maxar. I threw myself over Maxar’s body. “Please,” I sobbed. “Please stop. You don’t want to do this.”

I braced for the swipe of his claws against my back, but they never came.

Glancing up, I found him sitting back on his rear, staring at me with a confused head tilt.

He even gave a cute little whimper.

“He can’t hurt you because you’ve mated,” Maxar wheezed beneath me. “You’re the only thing keeping him from killing me. Lerris has manipulated his mind and made him believe that we’re the enemy.”

Lerris landed a harsh blow to Drak, sending him flying across the warehouse and into the wall. That pulled Zandren’s attention, and the murderous look returned to the bear’s eyes. He bounded forward with a devastating growl, head-butted Drak, then opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite of the vampire’s thigh. Drak bellowed out in pain.

I screamed. “No!”

Lerris clambered back up to standing and laughed. “You’ve only mated with the bear. If you’d mated all of them the bear wouldn’t attack the other two. Stupid girl.”

“And where’s your mate?” I asked. “Hiding from you, I’m sure.”

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