Page 112 of Taming His Vampire Mate

Then we’d fight Godric together, I decided.

In wolf form, I was nearly as fast as the average vampire. I could get to him, even if no one else came. Even if none of Thierry’s people listened, I would still go. Maybe I could distract Godric long enough for Thierry to destroy him. The bond between us was sealed. We could work in unison better than our foe might expect. That was an advantage.

With those thoughts piled on me like granite slabs, I waited out the ten minutes with agonizing slowness. When they finally elapsed, I climbed out of bed feeling like all the pieces inside me were made of broken glass, scraping together, cutting me to ribbons.

I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Nathaniel:Thierry needs backup NOW. Michael’s house. Send everyone.

But it was early morning. Was Nathaniel still awake? Did vampires stay up all night and sleep all day? Thierry didn’t seem to. Would Nathaniel see my message?

Thierry had said we were being watched. I didn’t know what that meant. Had Godric enlisted a witch to scry us? To bind a spirit to watch and report back?

I didn’t sense anything strange—but that didn’t mean anything. If I was being watched through a witch’s scrying mirror, I probably wouldn’t.

But if I was being watched…

What would I have done if I’d woken up to find Thierry gone with no explanation?

“Thierry!” I called, setting my phone on the mattress and rising from the bed, my voice just a hair above normal. Perfectly loud for vampiric hearing. And I wasn’t supposed to sound alarmed—yet.

There was no answer, of course.

I let that sink in, not having to act the part. The dismay I felt at the silence—even though I’d known it was coming—was very real.

I retrieved my clothes from the floor and pulled them on.

When I finished dressing, I pocketed my phone without checking it. I left the bedroom and stepped into the empty apartment. No lights on, but I could see just fine.

“Thierry?” I called again, trying to sound uncertain.

My wolf growled low and silent in my chest, warning me.

I could feel it—the pins-and-needles sensation of being watched. It came from the far corner of the living room. I had the distinct impression of someone sitting in a chair, staring at me. I couldn’t quite see it, but I knew it was there the way I could sense the creatures from the bleeds, or the way I could sense the flow of magic itself. It was a supernatural presence, disrupting the natural order of reality.

Even though every instinct ached to attack, I forced myself to ignore it, as though I couldn’t sense it at all.

Instead, I scanned the room, gaze flicking to the coffee table, counters, end tables—anywhere Thierry might have left a note—exactly as I would have if I’d woken to find him gone. When my eyes passed over the corner, I was almost certain I saw the mostly transparent outline of a man in the darkness, watching. It looked almost like a patch of slightly darker shadow. I let my gaze drift away, as though I hadn’t seen him.

“That bastard,” I muttered to myself. I shook my head like I couldn’t believe it—as though my insides hadn’t just turned to solid ice.

The man in the room was Godric. I was certain. Even if he wasn’t solid, I recognized him from Thierry’s memories. When we sealed the blood bond, I had seen Godric for an instant.

I let my hands tighten into fists, as though Thierry had pissed me off by skipping out without a note, and I scowled at the front door with a flash of anger I didn’t feel.

“Fucking vampire,” I said, forcing as much heat into my words as I could.

The presence in the corner vanished. I felt the faint disturbance in the air as it popped out of existence.

I let out a long breath of relief.

Then I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed Lindsey. “I need you to call the vampire king. And any other vampires you know. Keep calling until you reach someone. Thierry is in trouble.”

She sounded wide awake. “Jeremy, what’s going on?”

Using as few words as I could, I told her.

When I finished, a full two minutes had passed. It had been at least fifteen since Thierry left. It felt like an eternity.

She didn’t ask for more. She just said, “If you get yourself killed, I’m kicking your ass.”