Page 37 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

“Who is he talking to?” asked one of the Van Helsings.

“Or about,” added another. “Who is them, and who is her?”

“I don’t know,” returned Leo. “Find Dwayne! Get him back here. Now! We need another wolf-shifter to try to fix this.”

Flashes of the forest and the young woman continued to bombard Jonathan. When he spotted a cave that he knew well, his entire body went rigid. It was the very cave he and the others had locked Dragos away in over a century ago. The one they’d sealed mystically, preventing evil from getting in or getting out.

Calm yourself, pup, said a condescending, heavily accented voice in Jonathan’s head. It cut through every frantic thought Jonathan was having.You are about to wake the dead with your distress. Pun intended.

Dracula? How in the hell was he connected mentally to that asshole? The last thing Jonathan needed to deal with right now was Prince Dick-u-la on top of everything else. The only thing that would make it better would be if the Weird Sisters entered the conference room, and Lucian came bounding in behind them.

That would really drive home how crappy his evening was going.

Jonathan snarled, baring his teeth, trying to push the vampire from his mind.Get out of my head!

You summoned me, imbecile, chastised Dracula.You reached out mentally to me. What is it you want?

Summoned you?I didn’t summon you, Jonathan thought, making sure to project it at the vampire.

Dracula’s laughter echoed down their mental pathway.You most certainly did summon me with a distress call. Curious, though, that you would connect to me while in distress but not Abraham. Did you not align yourself with him? Did you not proclaim him to be your master?

Jonathan was about to push exactly what he wanted the vampire to do, which involved screwing himself along with an array of other colorfully worded suggestions, when the sounds of a woman screaming hit him hard once more.

It was her. The young woman from two weeks ago, and she was in danger. He knew it with every fiber of his being. It was clear his wolf understood as much and that it knew he needed additional assistance. But why hadn’t it summoned his pack or even Bram? Why had his wolf sent a distress call to Dracula, of all people?

Flashes of the woman with the broken glasses hit Jonathan so hard and fast that he swayed, still on his knees. For a second, he thought he’d vomit. They were that intense. She was in mortal danger. He had no clue how or why he knew as much or why he kept picturing her in Romania, but he had to trust his gut. And his gut was telling him Dracula’s help was required.

Help, he managed.Help her…help them.

Help who?asked Dracula.

Jonathan didn’t know her name. Desperation clung to him as he did the only thing he could think to do. He flung the images in his head of the two young women in the Romanian forest and the feeling of terror at Dracula down the mental connection they had. He showed Dracula everything, from the attack two weeks ago in Detroit to the location he was seeing the girls in now—the cave where Dragos was being held.

Dracula wasn’t known for caring for much beyond himself and his own interests. Jonathan expected the vampire to mock his worry and simply shut the mental connection to him.

Instead, Dracula’s concern reflected back at Jonathan before the vampire could mask it.I am not in Romania.

Jonathan thought he’d be sick then and there. If Dracula wasn’t close enough to help them, it was over.

I will send assistance, said Dracula, his voice shaking ever so slightly.Lucian is there.

Jonathan’s head felt as if it was ripping open as Dracula connected to Lucian too. It was basically a forced three-way call for the mind.

Lucian responded instantly.Yes?

Danger,pushed Jonathan, not waiting for Dracula to fill the man in on the details.Help her! Hurry. Dragos’s cave.

Help them, corrected Dracula.

What concerns of yours are the women?questioned Lucian, his voice off, his thoughts guarded.

Jonathan’s teeth gritted together, and he clenched his fists. He quickly smelled his own blood and knew his clawed hands were causing it. He didn’t care. He focused harder on Lucian only to realize the fellow wolf-shifter hadn’t asked for details about who Jonathan was talking about, and he’d known they were women without being told.You’re not surprised that they’re in danger. You’re not even asking who they are. You already knew!

Nonsense,said Dracula with a huff.My wolf has no knowledge of these women or of them being in danger, and he has nothing to do with it. Tell him as much, Lucian.

Lucian’s silence spoke volumes.

Tell him, repeated Dracula, the mental push accompanied by power. The kind of power a master vampire had over the animal it was able to control.

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