Page 27 of Fanged Embrace

Laurie was still talking and I tried to decipher her babble. “Arlon tracked them to a warehouse outside the city. It’s all on camera. I’m not making this up!”

“I’m not doubting you!” I said quickly. “It’s just—” My voice choked off. A cold tremor of dread crept under my skin, recalling Ethan’s earlier interaction.

A polite, murmured apology and that strange man’s hand on his shoulder.

My head snapped up.Surely not…?Hunter and Maxine read the alarm in my eyes because their own expressions turned serious. My gaze drifted to the corridor Ethan disappeared down earlier.

I started toward it, pressing the phone tightly to my ear. “What did the guy look like? The one who approached those people?”

“I don’t know, the footage wasn’t exactly high definition.” Laurie fell silent for a moment, then stammered out a few details. “From what I could see, he was handsome? But vampire handsome, you know? Too perfect. And he was always wearing the same suit. Kinda silvery.”

My blood ran cold in my veins. “Laurie, are you absolutely sure about this?”

She let out a bitter snort. “Obviously I’m sure. I wouldn’t be calling if I didn’t think it was important. Look, I’ll send you the location. Can you meet me?—”

“River?” Maxine’s voice at my shoulder, tight and shrill. “What’s going on?”

I ignored her and picked up the pace, hurrying toward the corridor with a growing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. “Laurie, text me the pin. Right now.”

I marched down the dim hallway with Hunter and Maxine in tow, ignoring the startled looks of a few lingering guests. At the far end, a solitary door.

Laurie’s voice crackled faintly over the line, “—sent it to you. We’ve got to check it out tonight.”

I couldn’t respond, not yet. Not with my heart in my throat. I threw the door open. Outside, I found nothing but an empty lot and chilly night air. Tossed gravel, faint tire marks. A knot of horror coiled in my stomach.

But… Ethan was a vampire. Why would they take him? From what we’d gathered so far, the organization was specifically targetinghumans, and only humans. Unless there was more to this organization than we initially thought.

“River?” Laurie’s voice reached me from the cell left dangling in my hand. “River, I know I sound crazy right now, but you have to?—”

I brought it to my ear, croaking out a reply, “I believe you.”

There was a slight pause on the line, like she hadn’t expected that response. “Really? So… you’ll meet me there?”

“No.” The word left my mouth before I could temper it.

I turned away from the scuffed gravel, ignoring the questioning looks of Hunter and Maxine. Some odd, protective urge roared through me, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint its origin. My voice sharpened with urgency. “Laurie, listen to me—you stay put.Do notgo there alone.”

She let out an irritated sigh that crackled over the call. “What am I supposed to do!? Twiddle my thumbs? We don’t have time?—”

“I’ll handle it,” I interrupted, voice rising despite my best efforts to contain my panic. “Stay where you are.”

Why do I care so much?We’d barely met, and Laurie was about as approachable as a porcupine on a bad day. Yet something about seeing her fall apart—twice now—ignited something in me, a strange sensation that felt like splinters in my chest when I pictured her running headlong into danger.

Laurie answered with a frustrated groan. “This is my fight too, River. I’ve been chasing these monsters for?—”

“Not tonight.” I gritted out the words, tension rolling up my spine, and I forced an exhale, willing my tone to soften. “I’ll check it out, okay? Just… trust me.”

She made a low sound of disgruntled agreement. “Fine.Call me if you find anything.”

I ended the call, shoulders trembling with adrenaline. Hunter and Maxine waited at my side, confusion and concern etched into their features.

Hunter cocked her head, arms folded. “What was that about?”

I stared at my phone, sucking in deep breaths through my nose. “Ethan’s in trouble.”

“What?” Maxine’s lips parted in alarm. “How do you know?—?”

“I just do. Someone got into his head and led him away,” I murmured, scanning the coordinates Laurie texted through. “But I know where to find him.”