Page 38 of Claim of Blood
“My pack clocked a moving van at first light,” Nathaniel began without preamble. “Rental, parked in one of the mortal subdivisions near the big lake. One of my guys thought it was odd—who moves at dawn? Then he saw Katherine von Rothenburg. Recognized her from the packet Maja circulated. Turns out some of my pack do read.”
Adam arched a brow. “To their knowledge, Leo’s only been gone a few hours. Why move so quickly?”
“Exactly.” Nathaniel rubbed the back of his neck. “Figured they’d hang back, gather intel, maybe send a scout. But they were moving like someone lit a fire under them.”
“Pre-planned response,” Adam murmured. “Ready to enact the moment contact dropped.”
“What about the apartment in the First Cat?” Gaspard asked, voice low.
Nathaniel’s expression darkened. “Pack and a few witches hit it early this morning. Moved up the timeline when the Innsbrook family started packing out. Couldn’t wait for nightfall. But the place was clean. They’d cleared out hours before. Right after Leo was brought in, I’d guess.”
Adam’s jaw tightened. They’d been ready. Watching. Waiting for the signal.
“Didn’t get a tracker on the van,” Nathaniel said. “They were gone before we could tag it. But we searched the house.”
Gaspard straightened. “And?”
“No cameras. Just empty mounts. Wiring cut.” Nathaniel’s voice dropped. “All of Leo’s clothes were still there.”
Adam frowned. “Why leave them? Unless they assumed he wouldn’t need them again.”
“Or unless they didn’t want him traced,” Gaspard said quietly. “A powerful enough witch could track personal effects.”
Nathaniel grunted. “Anything that looked personal was left.”
Oren had gone still.
Adam saw it immediately. “What is it?”
Oren didn’t look up from his tablet. “They moved before anyone could report Leo missing. Before we took public action. We had just found their location.”
He looked up then, eyes flat. “All his clothes and effects were left behind?”
“Yes,” Nathaniel said.
Oren’s voice was measured. “Then how did they know he wasn’t in a hospital? Or drowned in the lake? How did they know he was here?”
Adam met his gaze—and understood.
“They tracked him,” Oren said quietly. “They’ve always known where he is.”
Silence fell.
Then, almost gently, Oren added, “He’s microchipped.”
The word struck like a blow.
Without another word, Oren vanished.
Adam, Nathaniel, and Gaspard exchanged a single look before bolting for the third floor.
Dr. Wright barely glanced up from his tablet as they burst into the guest suite, fingers flying over the screen in a blur of notes and diagnostics. The elegant room looked like a field hospital now—IV poles, sterile packs, open cases of supplies scattered among the antique furniture.
Lander stood near the bed, posture taut, eyes flicking toward the door the instant they entered.
“Oh—Mr. Matthews,” Elias said, finally looking up, one finger still scrolling. “So the bond—wait, sorry, the claim? I’ve mostly worked with shifters, so the terminology sometimesoverlaps. But physiologically, I’m already seeing similarities. The regenerative patterns in his bloodwork are... well, frankly, extraordinary. You usually only see this in high-magic lineages, though this—this is different. Symbiotic. I’ll need another scan—”
“Elias,” Lander interrupted, voice clipped.
