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Chapter 21

Regan stared at the gap in the forest where Sardi and Catrin had vanished. The sound of hoofbeats faded, but she could still hear the faint baying of the hounds in the distance. She bit her lip.

How could she have let this happen?

Caleb put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll get her back.”

“Will we? But at what price?” She shook her head. “This is my fault. I was so arrogant, believing I could control the situation. Why did he take her? He could have taken me; I would have gone instead. Why Catrin?”

“To cause you pain.”

Beside them, the bonfire dwindled, and she turned away from the forest to gaze into the glowing embers. “I should never have lit the fire.”

“You did what you thought was right.”

“It wasn’t right,” she said. “But then, I always think I know best.”

“Maybe that’s because most of the time you do.”

“Not this time, and now Catrin is paying for that.” She glanced up as Darius and Kael stepped back into the clearing.

“They’re long gone,” Darius said. He turned to Regan. “So I take it you know this guy?”

She nodded. “I did, a long time ago.”

“And you and he had a thing.”

“A thing?”

“You know, an exchange-of-bodily-fluids thing.”

Regan stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Have I ever mentioned the fact that I dislike you intensely?”

Darius grinned. “Once or twice.”

Kael shook his head. “I suggest we get back to the Council and decide exactly how we’re going to go after this man.”

Something cold and wet pushed against Regan’s hand. She jumped then looked down. Diablo pressed his nose against her. She stroked his huge head as something occurred to her.

“They must have been gifts from Sardi,” she said, looking at the two hellhounds. “I thought they were from my mother, but she would never admit it. Sardi must have sent them.”

“A gift from an old lover,” Darius murmured. “How sweet.”

She opened her mouth to say something then decided—what was the point? She turned to Caleb.

“Are you coming back to the Council?”

“Yes, he is.” Kael answered for him.

Caleb scowled but nodded. “Just give me a few minutes. I need to sort my wolves out, and then we’re out of here.”

Regan glanced around and realized that most of the wolves had returned to their human form. They were pulling on clothes while casting suspicious glances toward the Council. Regan was unsurprised; they’d probably never seen vampires before, and many of those vampires were eying the werewolves with hungry looks. She hoped Darius and Kael could control their people, or this had the potential to descend into a bloodbath.

Kael must have been thinking the same thing. “I take it you’ll travel back with the wolf,” he said, and Regan could tell from his words that he was far from accepting Caleb yet.

She nodded.

“We’ll see you back at the Council then.” He turned and melted into the forest. Darius gave her one last grin and followed him, the rest of the vampires falling in behind until only the wolves remained.