Page 117 of Taste of Forever
Vampires, brusang, and humans all gave me strange looks, dodging me as I sprinted straight for the Blood ‘til Dawn compound. My lungs burned when I finally came upon the building, which looked like an ordinary warehouse from the outside. One of the large garage doors was open, light spilling out and music blasting as a few vampires hung around. A couple seemed to be working on their motorcycles. Others smoked or just stood nearby talking.
I was a good dozen or so yards away when they turned around at the sound of my footsteps. Immediately, everyone reacted. The music cut off. Cigarettes and tools were dropped to the ground as everyone ran toward me. There was something about that show of concern that just sapped the rest of my strength, and I crumpled.
“Heather!” Someone grabbed me before I hit the ground. I saw ruby-red eyes and tattoos covering an Adam’s apple and slender throat. “What the fuck happened? Where’s Laith?”
“They have him,” I gasped with labored lungs. “He gave himself up for me and we need to get him out!”
Thorne’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Who has him? The same people who did this?” His fingers hovered over the bump on my head.
“Yes! Please, you have go now. We have to get him out! They hurt him with silver!”
“Thorne, what are you doing? Bring her inside!”
“Someone has Laith, but I don’t know who she’s talking about.”
Thorne’s face floated away, and I saw Tavia’s hovering nearby. Multiple voices overlapped, but I heard hers the strongest and clearest.
“Bring her inside, she’s hurt. The rest of you, quit fucking barking! She’s in shock. Give her some space.”
Someone lifted me off the ground and I felt dizzy from the motion. My head pounded, my lungs burned, and everything in my body hurt. All I could think about was Laith, how much time had already been wasted and there was nothing more important than going out to find him. But every time I opened my mouth, my lungs seized up and I couldn’t breathe.
“She’s having a panic attack. Everybody out. Just leave me and Bea with her.”
The noise dissipated, leaving a ringing in my ears. A light touch pressed against my back and rubbed in a soothing motion. It almost felt like Laith, the weight comforting.
“Breathe, Heather. You’re safe with us now. Everything will be okay. Just focus on breathing. That’s it. Keep it up.”
The room came slowly back into focus, as did the woman sitting cross-legged in front of me. Her aquamarine eyes set in black were a stunning focal point.
“Hey, Heather.” Bea tilted her head with a small smile. “Are you with us?”
The hands on my back lifted away, and I turned to see Tavia sitting behind me. “How you doing? You okay?”
“I don’t, I…Laith?—!”
“We’ll get to him. I’m asking aboutyouright now.” Tavia’s tone was equal parts stern and loving. “Are you composed enough to tell the guys what happened? Or do you need more time?”
Fuck more time. Laith didn’t have that luxury.
“I can tell them.” I let out another long breath and nodded. “I’m good. I can keep it together.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” My voice finally steadied and I said it again. “Yes. Please. Every minute counts.”
Bea brought me a glass of water and the two women left to gather the vampire muscle. The men filed into the room with serious expressions, spreading out while maintaining a good amount of distance from me. Tavia had probably told them not to get in my face.
Thorne was the last to come in, but to his credit, he didn’t beat around the bush. “What happened, Heather?”
I told them everything, taking sips of water when my breath came too short. Some of the vampires’ expressions became drawn when I mentioned the shadowy government operation that was gathering information on vampires.
“Do we know of anything like that?” Rhain asked the question, looking at Thorne.
“Not specifically, but there’s been speculation for decades.” The clan leader didn’t seem particularly concerned. “What time is it?”
“Just after two a.m.,” said Des.
“So we’ve got three hours at the most to get Laith out and back home before dawn comes. To be safe, let’s call it two and half.” Thorne looked at me. “Heather, is there any way you could locate where they’re keeping him? Even a rough estimate?”
