Chapter 35

Liv promised to meet me the next day before my shift. She was busy with her magic users, plugging holes and putting magical plasters on the barrier. I reminded her – carefully – that my job was nearly as important as hers; if we didn’t find the gems, we might as well kiss the barrier goodbye no matter how many of her ‘band-aids’ she put on it.

Her response had been frosty but at least she’d agreed to meet me. Before that, I had to find and question Aoife’s father. I checked in with all of my contacts at the local businesses and got a hit on the fifth one. Ironically, it was Kamluck Logging. I was starting to feel like the universe was pushing Connor and I together. Oh, right … fated mates. The universe was really being pushy.

Connor’s second-in-command answered the phone. ‘Kamluck Logging, Margrave speaking.’

‘Hi, Lee, it’s Bunny.’

‘How can I help you, ma’am?’ His tone was obsequious. Yuck.

‘Firstly, by never calling me ma’am. Secondly, I called a couple days ago and left a message for Hester. I’m trying to get some details on a chap called Jayden Donaldson. He may be seeking cash-in-hand employment.’

‘We’ve got a Jayden working for us,’ he confirmed. ‘A new hire. Hester doesn’t actually work at Kamluck – she’s a professional mentor. She works with vampires all over Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and she’s not in town right now. Jayden gave his last name as Dansford though, not Donaldson.’

‘Can you describe him?’

‘Six feet two, brown hair, beard, dark eyes, white dude.’

That matched the most recent prison photo I had and my spine tingled with excitement. ‘Is he in now?’

Lee clicked on the keyboard. ‘You bet.’

‘Okay, keep him busy but don’t alert him to any trouble. I’m on my way.’

‘You got it.’

Finally I was going to get some answers! With Fluffy in tow, I climbed in the Nomo vehicle, started the engine and cranked up the heat because I was still shivering. I wished I had a thermos of hot tea with me.

Fluffy sat in the back and watched the road. It was a ten-mile drive out of town to Kamluck. I tried to keep my head in the game but it constantly switched back to Connor and the thought that we were ‘fated’ to be together. Even if I ignored the zing, I couldn’t ignore the way he’d been there for me from the beginning – the shooting, the fire, taking care of Fluffy, a hundred small things. He’d checked under my bed for monsters and he’d made me a cup of tea. Hell, he’d painted my walls.

I loved the way he always seemed drawn to touch me with a gentle hand on the small of my back or a proffered arm. His eyes smiled when he looked at me. I sighed. Was I really throwing away everything we could be just because the universe had decreed it? Yes, I was. Contrary was my middle name, even if I was cutting my nose off to spite my face, even if I knew on some level that I was being a twat.

I let Fluffy out and we went into the logging office but no one was manning it. Lee had said he’d keep Jayden busy, so where were they? I checked my phone but there were no messages from either him or Connor.

After five minutes, I was growing concerned. By ten minutes, fear had me in her icy grasp. ‘Come on, Fluffy. Something is wrong.’

Connor and Lee were vampires, and Jayden was supposed to be a powerful witch. I’d learned that witches came in many flavours, and I had no idea what kind he was. That seemed like a foolish omission now. ‘Let’s hope he’s a hearth witch and makes excellent soup,’ I muttered as we looked around the building then headed to the warehouse.

Fluffy gave me a flat look: he didn’t think it was likely. Nor did I.

There was a gravel trail from the office to the warehouse. I’d kissed Connor on that path and it had set my heart pounding and my skin on fire in the most delicious way. Now my heart was pounding with a whole different feeling. Where was everyone?

I walked as quietly as I could, wincing at every crunch of the gravel, and unsnapped the holster on my gun as we got closer. It was quiet, too quiet. There was usually the noise of machinery as equipment moved boards and logs around, and the mill buzzed with the sound of cutting. This silence was heavy and choking: I couldn’t even hear the birds. It was eerie, like everything within a mile radius had been silenced.

I eyed the dark woods around the buildings and for a moment they transported me to other woods where there were red eyes and smoky tendrils. I gave myself a shake. The barrier was still up and the beast was a worry for another day. I needed to find Jayden – and Margrave. And maybe Connor, too.

Then I saw it: fire.

Fuck. This was not the place to have a fire. There was way too much dry wood around.

I broke into a run. It had looked like the smoke was rising from the warehouse but, as I grew closer, I saw it was actually coming from behind the building. Expecting the worst, I tore around the corner.

The car park behind the warehouse was empty except for Connor’s white Kamluck Logging truck – and it was on fire. My floppy heart gave three beats as I raced towards it. Please don’t let him be in there! I prayed. Fire and staking were two of the three ways to kill us; sun was the third. If Connor was in there, he wouldn’t survive.

I tore towards the flames, ready to burn myself on the red-hot metal if it meant saving him. God, I’d do anything to save Connor. Don’t let him be dead. Don’t let him be dead!

The heat from the truck was intense and part of me basked in its warmth, but I pushed that aside to focus. I willed myself to move through the scalding wall of heat, desperately searching for any hint that Connor was inside the vehicle. I looked through the windows on each side but spotted nothing. Empty. Thank fuck. It was empty.

But if Connor wasn’t in the truck, where was he? He wouldn’t sit idly by whilst someone torched his belongings. Where was he? Where was Lee? Dread curled in my stomach.

‘Fluffy, find Connor. You know his scent. Find him!’ Fluffy looked at me balefully but put his nose to the gravel, scenting as best he could with the smoke billowing around us.

He led us unerringly to the warehouse. I had to go in, to make sure they were either fine or elsewhere. The side of the building that looked onto the car park had a steel entrance door but no windows so I couldn’t see inside – but on the plus side, no one could see me approach, either.

As I walked boldly up to the metal door, Fluffy whined quietly. He was alert and pointing right to where I was heading. ‘Definitely in there?’ I asked quietly.

He looked at the door and laid back his ears. That was good enough for me. I drew my gun.