Page 83 of Dark Flame

With her mouth in a flat line, she says, “Alright. Tell me everything you know, and I’ll fill in the gaps.” Her attention goes to my neck, where evidence of Alec’s bites makes me bring my hair over my shoulder.

I wonder what he’s doing right now.

I wonder if he’s coming for me.

I wonder what I’ll do when he does.

Thirty-One

ALEC

Leaving Cedric behind,I streak through the woods, following my Bride.

Every nerve inside me is hardwired to her scent. Toher. To ensuring we get her back and can keep her safe, protected forever, shielded from anyone who’ll do her harm.

Her scent travels in a straight line through the woods. This time, she didn’t try to make it difficult on me.

Because she wants me to find her.

Logically, I know it’s because she was in such a hurry she didn’t bother with stealth, believing her powers will be enough this time.

My eyes remain peeled for signs of a struggle between her and any other who’d seek the cure, but the scents remain clean and bloodless. It’s almost unfortunate, because I could use a fight right now. To not show mercy and release the frustration that’s been knotting my insides since the moment Harlow left the castle. I need to kill something in rage, because it certainly won’t be her. Never her.

I’ll rip out my own intestines before I harm her again.

Right after I’ll do anything in my power to apologize for the harm Ididcause.

The closer she gets to the edge of the forest, the less traces of urgency can be found in her scent. She exited the forest and followed the road for some time, making it impressively far before stopping.

There’s another scent mingling with hers that sends panic scorching down my spine. There’s a sickly natural trace to the newcomer, suggesting only one thing: a witch was here.

I’d be concerned about Harlow’s whereabouts if I didn’t have a pretty good idea where this witch had come from—and where they took her.

I turn north and start my way towards the Canadian border, and eventually Banff, Alberta, where Highridge Coven, the coven every Sinclair up to Harlow has been a part of, makes camp.

No need to chase the bond. I’ve been to Banff numerous times over the years. They often have a protection barrier around the town, forcing me to wait until the inevitable time when the Sinclair I was hunting left safety.

This time will be no different, only I’ll be keeping her.

Thirty-Two

HARLOW

“A few months ago,two vampires attacked the house. Mom and Dad fought them off and told me to go, but I couldn’t leave them and stayed to help. My magick exploded greater than I’ve ever felt before, and it lit my house on fire. It was chaos. The vampires burned, and it was all I saw before passing out. I woke up outside with paramedics over me. The house was fine, but my parents were dead.”

Morgan’s frown of sympathy is hidden by her sip of tea.

“After that, there was a protection spell around the property, except I no longer had access to my powers.”

“Magick is driven by emotions, which explains the barrier,” she remarks. “Your magick used the last bit of itself to keep you safe. As for losing them…I’d never heard of such a thing.”

“For the following couple months, I fell into a depression that only broke when I had to survive, when Alec came for me.”

She sucks in a breath. “You wouldn’t mean Alec Dormer, would you? The vampire who’s been after your family ever since Elizabeth Sinclair.”

“That’d be the one.” Of course, the coven would know about him. “He captured me, locked me up, and later revealed his history with Sinclairs, except with me, he wanted to sell the cure to other vampires.” I skip over the party and other details of my time with Alec.

Her gaze goes to my neck. “So he’s not the one who bit you?”