Page 85 of Destined for Shadows
The cat whined when she hopped out of the vehicle and looked at Melena, swishing her tail. Bartol lifted a brow. “Any idea what that means?”
“She’s trying to tell us Cori is hurt but alive—at least, when she left here.”
Satisfied they got the message, Sable padded across the ground, following faint boot prints in the snow. There were two sets, but one was deeper. Bartol knew that had to be the man who carried Cori from the wreckage. The shape-shifter followed it all the way back to the highway not far from where Melena had parked. She let out a loud growl, then came running back to them.
“They must have left in a car,” Bartol surmised, his gut churning because he knew they could have gotten Cori far from their present location by now.
The sensor’s face darkened. “Griff had humans waiting for her to make a mistake like this and go off on her own. I was afraid this would happen eventually. We couldn’t monitor her every moment of the day no matter how hard we tried.”
“I should have been,” Bartol said, running a hand through his hair. “This is my fault. I upset her last night, and then I gave her space when she asked for it. If I’d just kept her in the same room with me…”
“Stop.” Melena held a hand up. “You didn’t do anything wrong, and if you’d forced her to stay close to you when she was hurt and confused, it would have caused other problems. None of us are perfect. We’ve done our best to keep her safe for nearly a month now, but we were bound to screw up at some point. Griff clearly had time and patience on his side.”
Bartol knew she was right, but that didn’t make him feel any better. “We must find her.”
“I’ll call Lucas.” She pulled out her phone. “He’s already at work with the nerou, but he won’t mind if I interrupt for this.”
Bartol listened as she updated her mate about Cori’s disappearance.
“I’m going to need your help if we want to get her back,” Melena said after explaining the situation.
Lucas grunted. “I must finish with the morning training session, but after that I can meet you at the house. Tell Bartol I’ll send Tormod now to help if he wishes.”
“This can’t wait,” Melena insisted. “Cori is in immediate danger, and everyone needs to help. In fact, I’m calling Derrick next so he can get his people on it, too.”
Bartol appreciated her urgency, but he didn’t like standing around while she requested help. All he wanted to do was start flashing everywhere until he found Cori. Unfortunately, it would be futile without assistance from others with more useful abilities. There was simply too much ground for him to cover on his own and not enough time. They needed to find his mate before Griff rose from sleep later in the day. Bartol would take every bit of help he could get.
“She is human,” Lucas said plaintively. “We have already done more for Cori than we ever have for any other mortal. As much as I like her, I cannot risk trouble with the archangels for her, which is what will happen if I leave the compound before I’ve finished for the day.”
Melena clutched the phone. “Bartol marked her last night. They are mates now.”
Silence. “You’re joking.”
Bartol couldn’t stand there listening to the conversation any longer. He took the phone from the sensor and pressed it to his ear. “Lucas, she is my mate now and the only woman who brings me peace. Not only will you help me find Cori, but you will take every last one of those damn nerou you’ve got sitting around doing nothing useful and put them on the hunt as well. Fuck the archangels and all their asinine rules. We are getting my mate back if I have to fight a legion of the bastards and anyone else between here and the North Pole.”
Melena stared at Bartol with rounded eyes.
“Understood,” Lucas replied, clearing his throat. “Meet me at Derrick’s in one hour, and I will bring you the search party you’ve requested.”
“Make it half an hour.” Bartol hung up.
