Chapter 33

THE VAMPIRE

The scene from the car window slowly transitioned from sparse to a lush, tree-packed landscape illuminated by the moonlight spilling through the trees.

I hooked my arm around Maya’s waist to offer her some relief from the cramped position between Beckett and me. Her head leaned on me, and her thigh hiked over Beckett’s leg. This vehicle was nowhere close to accommodating our sizes. My sports car was slightly larger and even then, I struggled with space . . .

I missed my red beauty. When I’d gone to that party to get a peek at Maya, I’d stolen the same vehicle. Though stealing was poor form, it had been a necessity—and I’d returned it as soon as I could. It had all worked out in the end.

Fixating over my little monster used to be a hated pastime. In retrospect, my obsession was clear. I’d used intermittent specks of freedom to find her. Seeing pictures as she’d grown up had fed the fascination.

Jean-Claude enjoyed telling me about her, likely because he’d noticed how much it irritated me. Just because he was contrary, I hadn’t requested permission to leave for Arizona to see her. I’d conjured the entire plan and set it up while he was absent from Mercy Academy. After finding her, my urge to be around her had worsened like a physical ache and now I knew why.

“Tell me why you allowed that?” Enzo snarled at Maya. I sighed. Here he went again.

“Just drive,” she muttered.

“What is that expression one uses when someone will not let an issue rest?” I leaned toward Beckett to ask.

“Dog with a bone?”

Yes, that . Enzo was a dog with a bone. He’d fixated on some video he’d watched on my little monster’s phone and would not stop pestering her about it.

“Let me see the video.” If I’d had my phone, I would have looked it up myself, but I’d left it on the nightstand after being woken by Enzo smacking me with a pillow.

Maya sighed and slumped.

I squeezed her thigh and rubbed my nose against her temple.

Enzo tossed his phone back, but Maya caught it and clutched it to her chest. “Later,” she sniped at me. I narrowed my eyes on her but let it be. “We should park to the side and walk onto the campus. If we catch him off guard, it’ll work in our favor.”

Both sides of the gates were open, but the top corner bowed inward as if a magnetic force had bent it to its will. The tires bounced over a divot in the road.

“We can get closer,” Tanner said.

“Do I park, or keep going then?” Enzo’s gaze settled the rear-view mirror angled at Maya.

The front of the rental slammed into a barrier, and a horrid creak ripped through the air as the car tipped onto its front.

Lunging, I simultaneously pulled Maya to my chest while my back slammed into Enzo’s seat.

Beckett gripped my arms, smushing Maya between us. We were suspended in the air for a moment until metal cried out as we fell backward. Beckett and I tightened our grip on Maya. I braced for the ground’s impact.

The back tires crashed down and leveled our position out. Beckett took the brunt of our weight.

Maya panted between us, her chest heaving against mine. “What the hell was that?” she wheezed. Her palms settled on my torso.

She seemed fine. Only her dilated eyes displayed visible distress. My foot cramped and a dull pain spiked up to my knee. I stifled my wince. Something broke. Lovely.

Beckett already had the door to his side open, and I moved so Maya could get out.

Her knee smacked into my leg, and I couldn’t hold back a grunt.

“Elliot!” She shooed Beckett out of the car and crawled over the seat. “What’s wrong?” Her hands hovered over my chest and flitted down.

I caught her small hand in mine. “I’ve broken a bone.” I laid it on thick.

She cupped my chin. “Where?”

Maya’s hovering face disappeared. Tanner squeezed Maya to his chest. She scoffed and wiggled.

Scowling, I straightened from my slouch.

“Tanner—”

“He’ll heal soon,” he insisted.

She huffed, and he set her on her feet while his hands drug down her neck and shoulders. “I’m fine.”

Tanner wilted. The fae was struggling.

With a sigh, I pulled myself out of the crushed car and gingerly settled weight on my foot. I sucked a sharp intake of air as the ache surged up my leg. The damage was more extensive than I thought and would take longer to heal. It’d help if I had some blood in me, but I couldn’t weaken anyone. When I had the chance, I’d catch some woodland creature and take sustenance from it.

“Let’s go,” Maya said and extricated from Tanner, but he caught her arm.

“Maybe you shouldn’t . . .” He was hesitating.

The wreck must have fucked with him. I could relate, but only she could kill her father.

Maya pressed a palm to his chest, staring up at him. After a beat she moved away and faced me. “Are you okay?” She crouched near my leg and peered up at me. Her brown eyes focused.

Such beautiful eyes complimented the smooth curve over her jaw . . .

“Elliot?”

I blinked and cleared my throat. “Ah, yes, I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.” She didn’t believe me, but she stood. “We need to go.” Her luscious ass swayed as she walked toward the area that ruined the vehicle. She paused for just a moment right before she reached the section. I couldn’t make anything out, but she seemed to have a better idea of where the invisible barrier was.

“Wait!” Enzo shouted, but Maya had already stepped through. I followed behind her with a slight limp. It hurt, but I wouldn’t be the weak link. A force slammed into my face, and I stumbled back, managing to catch myself before my weak foot took me to the ground.

I blinked. That was unpleasant. And more than a little confusing. I didn’t understand; it’d done nothing to her.

The four of us stood across from Maya. Tanner put his hand out and inched it forward. He snatched it back with a hiss.

Maya’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “I should go.”

“No!” Beckett’s growl mimicked the denial forming on my lips. She couldn’t go alone . That monster would kill her. I’d just found her; I couldn’t lose her. Panic punched my throat. I clenched my hand so hard my rings dug into flesh.

“I won’t do anything rash like confront him, but I need to see what’s going on . . . I’ll be careful.”

I kept my mouth shut, more because I couldn’t figure out what to say other than ‘don’t go.’ That would be counterproductive. It wouldn’t stop her. Maybe one of the others could convince her.

Tanner had both hands in his hair as he paced in front of Maya.

“Please trust me.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “I’ll be careful.”

Enzo turned away with a grunt and Beckett scowled. Both knew she wouldn’t be convinced.

Maya gave me a beseeching look. I sighed. Trusting her wasn’t the difficult part. “Come back to me safe, ma mignonne .”

She nodded and met Tanner’s eyes. “I’ll make sure Claudia’s safe, Tanner,” Maya said.

He jerked as if struck, but Maya ran into the trees. “Fuck.” Tanner’s curse bounced off the trees. “Be careful.”

“She will be fine.” I said it more to myself than to anyone else, but I did believe it. Her strength was magnificent, and she fought unlike anything I’d ever seen.

Enzo stepped back and dropped his clothing with quick movements. I didn’t have time to question his nudity because he erupted into his other form. I ducked to avoid a wing to the face.

His massive dragon form slammed against the barrier, but it didn’t give. Enzo swung his head toward us, smoke billowing in front of his face. His golden eyes, eerie and full of determination, settled on each one of us.

I inched away from the unspoken warning. I didn’t have the energy to heal from becoming crispy.

His onyx scales fluttered on his neck with a deep inhale, and he spat fire at the barrier. Instead of going through, it fanned outward, almost roasting Beckett.

“It’s no use.” Tanner’s frustration bled into me, but what could we do?

I sank my fingers into my hair, scratching hard. Maya . . . alone with that thing. A tremor worked through my hands.

Enzo pumped his wings, whipping leaves and dust all around.

“Don’t let anyone see you,” Tanner shouted over the beat of Enzo’s wings. Enzo shot into the sky, briefly blocking out the moon.

I had to be prepared for when we managed to get through. I’d be useless with an injured foot.

Slinking away from the group until I was far enough to hear woodland animals skittering, I focused, breathing in deep. Heavy breathing whipped my head to the side, and I prepared to lunge. I tried not to kill them, but sometimes it was unavoidable.