Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

It took several seconds for my brain to catch up to what my eyes saw.

“Adriel’s dead? As in, dead for good?”

“Doubtful. He didn’t turn back to his original form yet.”

A bloody man approached us.

“We need your help.”

Cross kissed my forehead and guided me so I could sit in the back seat again.

“Stay here, okay?”

I nodded and moved so I was fully inside. He locked the door then closed it before following the man toward the back of our caravan, where two shrouded people waited.

A glance at Vena showed her still crying in Anchor’s arms. Another of Shepard’s men had taken Adriel from him so he could hold her. The rest were walking in and out of buildings.

I twisted in my seat to watch Cross. He was talking, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. One of the shrouded people nodded. The other one kept wiping at its face under the blanket it wore. Cross opened a car door and helped the vampires get in.

A long, mournful howl rang out.

Everyone looked toward the other end of the street where Shepard and three other men carried bodies out of one of the houses. They all wore grief-stricken expressions as they proceeded past our car and placed them in the bed of the truck in our caravan.

I didn’t know what was happening and knew I would never learn if I stayed locked away in the backseat. So, after a glance at the ash-strewn yards, I opened the door and joined Vena and Anchor.

Vena had finally stopped crying as she patted Anchor.

“What happened?” I asked.

“We found our missing men,” Anchor said. “They’re dead.”

My gaze sought out Shepard, and my heart hurt for him as he pulled out his phone to make a call.

Cross left the car and came over to us.

“Shepard will want to leave as soon as possible. May I?” He took the cat from the man beside Anchor and started walking away.

Vena grabbed my hand. We, along with Anchor and at least a dozen of Shepard’s men, followed Cross to the shade of a building. He tossed Adriel to the ground and pulled the knife from his chest.

I watched the cat morph into the man, naked and wounded. His body was already beginning to heal.

“Fuck, that hurt,” Adriel groaned.

“Where is the dwarven ring?” Cross asked.

Adriel blinked his eyes open and weakly grinned. “Out of your reach.”

Cross grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

“It will be out of your reach, too. Answer or die.”

Adriel actually laughed.

“I’m a dead man anyway. Whether by your hand or another’s. I never wanted the rings. All I ever wanted was Pet. He is the only reason I was obedient.

“But I’m tired of these games. Tired of always being a pawn.” He held Cross’ gaze. “This life is so long, isn’t it? A torturous hell that has no end. I heard you escaped her by hiding in a cave, but I’ll never escape. I’m forever bound.”

With a tear streaking down his cheek, he tipped his head back and yelled, “In this life and the next, I am yours, Pet. Always.”

Adriel blurred out of Cross’ hold, but he didn’t get far.

As soon as he left the shade of the building, he burst into flames and turned to ash. He was gone.

An anguished cry echoed from the trees, and I knew it was Vivian.

A chill stole through me.

Vena stepped over to Adriel’s ash and kicked it, raising a cloud. “He’s gone? My brother is free?” she asked, looking at Cross.

“He’s gone. For good this time,” Cross said.

His gaze shifted to the woods at the end of the street where Vivian’s cry had come from.

Vena called her parents. “Mom, check Miles. Is he normal?”

While she waited, Shepard joined us.

“I know you have more calls to make,” Cross said. “Go. I’ll stay with Everly.”

“I’ll find something clean for you to wear,” Shepard said, stepping away.

Cross, still shirtless, wrapped me in a hug I’d needed more than I’d realized.

“Really?” I heard Vena ask.

My friend bowed her head and huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. Tell him I watched the bastard turn to ash myself. Cross says there’s no coming back from that. M’kay. Love you too. Bye.”

She hung up and looked at Anchor. “Miles really is free.”

Anchor wrapped her in a hug and started speaking softly to her.

Cross turned us away from them to give them privacy, and I happened to see the car he’d put the two vampires in was still surrounded by wolves.

“What’s the story with those two?” I asked.

“They didn’t fight us and begged to be saved. They went to a meeting with friends who wanted to be vampires. They had to sign NDAs to attend the meeting. What happened after was so fast that they never got a chance to say no.”

“So it wasn’t like Xiana had claimed.”

“Not for some, at least.”

“Do you think it was like this in all the other locations?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I hope not,” Cross said, his gaze taking in all of the ash piles.

I understood what he meant. The number of vampires here had been terrifying. If the other locations were as bad or even worse, I feared for those groups. Yet, I also felt incredibly sad for the lives that had been lost. I refused to believe every vampire here had been evil like Vivian and Adriel. That meant innocent people had been killed today.

“What do you think Orphia will do if all of her followers are wiped out like this?” I asked.

“She’ll try again.”

“So she won’t stop until she gets what she wants, then,” I said, hating the woman even more.

“No, she won’t.”

I leaned my head against Cross' bare shoulder, and he ran his fingers through my hair, likely trying to comfort me. Instead, he touched a spot on the back of my head that felt a little tender, and I winced.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think I hit my head on the car when Vivian pulled me out of it.”

I stood beside him, watching the shadows from the setting sun grow as Shepard’s men took turns using the homes to wash up and change.

When Shepard finally emerged from one of the houses, barely any light remained. Freshly showered, he carried a shirt for Cross while speaking on the phone.

“Let me know if anyone else reports in. I’ll reach out to Hugh with the news. We need to be ready for any backlash from this. Yeah. We’ll leave soon.”

He hung up and tossed the shirt to Cross, who caught it with ease.

“Detroit, Tank, and Army have already checked in with Doc. Their locations were like this one. Towns empty of humans. They’ve already left to check on Boulder and Buzz. Once Anchor and Vena are done cleaning up, we can head out.”

“Has it been quiet back home?” Cross asked.

“Yeah, which either means we took them by surprise with this move, or these nests are just the tip of the iceberg. We might need to expand our scrying.”

Cross let go of me to put the shirt on, which gave Shepard the opening he needed to steal a hug from me.

“She hit her head,” Cross said. “She’s got a headache that’s getting worse.”

I frowned at him, not sure how he knew, but he wasn’t wrong.

“I’m fine,” I said to Shepard. “Why do you need to call Hugh?”

“He needs to know we haven’t found Orphia or the ring.”

Shepard kissed my head when Anchor and Vena appeared then moved away to tell everyone we were leaving in five minutes.

Once we were ready, Anchor got in behind the wheel, and Vena took the copilot seat, leaving me to sit between Cross and Shepard. Cross toyed with the ends of my hair while Shepard called Hugh. His half of the conversation was brief, summarizing an estimate of vampires killed in each location, that he was waiting to hear back from the last few groups, and that he had doubts they would find the ring or Orphia based on what Adriel had said before he died.

“Make sure Effora knows this isn’t over and that her cooperation is still needed.” Shepard paused and sighed. “I know. We’ll do our best.”

Shepard ended the call and reached down to rest a hand on my leg. He looked tired. I took his hand in mine and smiled at him.

“Do alphas take vacations?” I asked.

“Occasionally,” he said. “You’re welcome to plan ours.”

“I’d like to go somewhere tropical,” Cross said. “I haven’t seen a palm tree yet.”

“You’re not invited,” Shepard said without rancor.

I shook my head, which made my stomach lurch a little. However, I made sure my grin stayed firmly in place.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii,” I said. “Maybe when all of this is over, we can go.”

“I’d like that,” Cross said.

“Still not invited,” Shepard said as his phone rang.

“He forgets I don’t need an invitation.”

“Curran,” he said when he answered. “I was just about to call you. Yes, you heard right. Adriel is dead. He killed himself, or I would have brought him to you.” He paused to listen, and I heard the deep, rumbling voice of the dwarven king, though I couldn’t make out what he said.

“Adriel said he didn’t have the ring,” Shepard continued. “You have my word we’ll keep searching for it, but I can’t guarantee we’ll find it.” Shepard nodded even though Curran couldn’t see it. “That’s my belief as well. We’ll find Orphia. We have to.”

As soon as Shepard ended the call, his phone rang again.

He groaned when he looked at the display. I peeked and saw that it said, “Caution” for the name.

“Effora,” he explained.

“Ah. Maybe she’s just calling for an update,” I said.

Cross laughed, and Shepard shot him a dark look.

“Go ahead, lover,” Cross teased. “Put it on speaker. Let’s see what kind of update Effora has for you.”

Shepard answered on speaker.

“Effora,” he said curtly in greeting. “Do you have an update?”

“I have two bottles of wine on ice and am lying in your bed without a stitch on. When are you coming home?”

If I wasn’t already queasy, the thought of her on his bed where I had just been would do it. Shepard looked like he was getting queasy too.

“We’ll be home in about five minutes, Effora,” I said on his behalf. “And Shepard would very much like you to strip the bed, not yourself. You’ll probably want to burn that bedding too.”

“Oh?” she said with less warmth as Vena swiveled in her seat to smirk at me. “And why would I do that?”

“Because they remind Shepard of everything he did with me in that bed.”

Shepard’s fingers threaded through mine, and Cross covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

“I wish I would have met you first, Everly,” Effora said. “I think we could have been lovely friends.”

“Is there anything else, Effora?” Shepard asked.

“Your home and your people are safe. You can thank me at another time.”

She hung up without another word.

“Did I go too far?” I asked, looking at Shepard.

He smiled and shook his head. Then his smile vanished, and he leaned forward suddenly to look into my eyes.

“Look at Cross for a second,” he said.

Confused, I did as he asked.

“Notice anything?” Shepard asked.

“Yes, before we started driving. I didn’t want to distract you, though. I’ll take her to the hospital after we reach your place.”

I frowned at both of them and looked at Vena, who was still turned around, staring at me.

“Looks like you have a concussion, Ev. Means you’ll get the princess treatment for a few days.” She patted my hand. “I’m sorry you got hurt, but I’m really proud of you for stabbing Vivian like you did. It was the perfect distraction. Without it, I would have never been able to kill Adriel.”

My stomach did a three-sixty flip that had me gagging hard.

“Look at me, Everly,” Cross said.

When I did, my stomach felt instantly calm, and the fact that I was in the car faded away. All I could feel was his fingers playing with the ends of my hair and a sense of calm.

Then, suddenly, he was lifting me out of the car at the complex in a yard full of people, including the Hunters.

I patted Cross to put me down as they hurried toward us.

“How is Miles?” Vena asked.

Her mom hugged her. “Himself again. He remembers everything and is wracked with guilt. So we want to take him home where he can process everything in familiar surroundings.”

“Is it safe?” Vena asked. “Some of the vampires escaped. And there are more we haven’t found yet.”

“If you give me an hour, I can provide security,” Shepard said.

“We’ll gladly wait for your kind offer,” Mr. Hunter said. “It will give us time to pack. Thank you so much for your hospitality these last few days…and for freeing Miles. I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”

“You’re welcome,” Shepard said.

“Do you want to come home with us, Vena?” Mr. Hunter asked.

She glanced at Anchor. “Um. No. But I do want to talk to Miles and offer a hug or two.”

“He could use it, but don’t be upset if he says he doesn’t want one.”

Mrs. Hunter glanced at me. “You look a little pale, Everly.”

“I’m about to take her to a hospital,” Cross said. “We think she has a mild concussion.”

“Give Miles an extra hug from me,” I said.

Mrs. Hunter nodded, and they moved toward the main entrance with Vena and Anchor. Shepard lingered beside me for a moment, even though several of the people in the yard were trying to call his attention.

“Go,” I said. “I’m in good hands, and I know that Cross will keep you updated. I’ll see you soon.”

He kissed my forehead and looked at Cross.

“I’ll keep her safe and distracted until you're free,” Cross said.

“Thank you.”

I watched Shepard walk away and looked up at Cross, slightly in awe of how their relationship had changed over the last week.

Cross grinned at me and kissed the same spot Shepard had.

“Let’s get your precious head checked then see what kind of progress has been made on our place.”

I nodded and let him help me into the car.

Just after midnight, we pulled into the parking lot of the construction site. I had orders from the doctor to avoid electronics, which I never spent much time on anyway, and to do nothing strenuous. Cross had a list of things I should and shouldn’t do, which pretty much boiled down to the princess treatment for a few days as Vena had said. And I didn’t hate the idea of it.

The lights were on inside the building, and men were walking in and out of the newly-installed front door.

Cross helped me out of the business SUV, shielding my head from the frame with his hand so I wouldn’t hit myself again. Then he led me inside where I was stunned by the transformation.

The entry was finished—glass doors, tiles, and paint. Inside, the main ordering area was tiled. Beyond that, the wood flooring was already installed and covered with protective paper. The men moving around were carrying equipment and shelving.

“Come on,” Cross said when my pace slowed. “I want to make sure there’s a place for you to lie down.”

He led me toward the stairs. A thick steel door at the top of them was wide open.

“How?” I said, turning a slow circle when we reached the top.

The second floor’s construction was finished—the rooms, the painting, the floors, the appliances—everything.

A plastic-wrapped sectional sofa took up a large portion of the main space, and a pair of wrapped chairs sat off to the side.

“I had the designer pick out some basic furnishings. If there’s something you don’t like, it’ll be easy for us to change it. Now, I promise I’ll take you on a real tour tomorrow. Let’s check the bedroom first.”

As we were headed back there, someone walked out, carrying an armful of plastic.

He saw Cross and nodded.

“I got your message,” he said. “It’s all set up. Let us know how the soundproofing is.”

Cross nodded and continued leading me down a long hallway from the kitchen.

The master suite was jaw-dropping, painted in stunning deep hues that were calming and cozy, even with only a bed to furnish the space. It seemed unfair to use the term “only,” though, when looking at the mammoth piece of furniture. It was solid and looked like it belonged in the Hunters’ estate rather than a newly remodeled urban building.

I ran my hand over the tall bedpost that helped make the towering twelve-foot ceiling look less lofty.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“I do. It’s really pretty. The best part is that it’s already made up.”

He smiled and pulled back the covers even as he indicated another door.

“Do you want to shower first or go straight to bed?”

I wandered over to the bathroom and shook my head in awe.

“If Vena saw this, she’d want to move in.”

“If you came as part of the deal, I agree,” Cross said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

I smiled and leaned back into his hold.

Sure, his crazy ex was still out there with her world-ending agenda, but here, wrapped in Cross' arms, it didn’t matter.

Everything was finally peaceful again, and we’d worry about Orphia later.

Much later. After a shower and definitely after at least a week of being pampered like a princess.

I couldn’t wait to check out the kitchen when I woke up.