Unbound (39 page)

Chase may have changed his mind about the whole thing when he found out, not to mention how Debbie might have reacted. The grandchildren would be a big deal to Debbie and he really didn’t know if it would have bothered her to have part human grandbabies. But Mason was focusing on what could have been instead of the reality of the current situation. Mason would need to help his boy deal with mourning the loss of his first real love if she didn’t come home.

This all
brought to mi
nd the memory of the agony he’
d felt i
n Tessa’s touch, the agony he’
d felt in Griffin so long ago. He remembered the loss of his brother and his brother’s mate
. Leann committed suicide after
the crushing blow of
losing David
to the bastard that had now taken the love of his son. Chase was c
learly in love with Danielle. Mason
had never seen him so passionate about anything in his life. Debbie came to sit with Mason after she helped calm Cayden.

“Did you know about Chase’s affection for Danielle?” she asked, taking his hand.

“No, but I did know he didn’t want to bond with Samantha because of another girl.” He threaded his fingers with hers.

“I spoke with Danielle about Chase earlier today. I was taken aback by her description of him. I intended to speak to him about her. Maybe talk to you about having her moved from his home because of the way Sarah was reacting to her appraisal of Chase. Danielle said he was a gentleman and a gracious host. It was plain to see she cared for him. Seeing his behavior makes me ashamed of myself for denying him love. I guess it’s too late now. Even if it weren’t, we need him to honor our agreement with Griffin.”

And there it was. Even if Mason had known about Danielle and Chase, he would still hold him to the engagement because there were too many variables and what ifs concerning Danielle. They had agreed to do all they could to fulfill Leann Vaughn’s prophecy, especially now that kids were dying left and right. It might be crazy to believe it would work but the children were worth the risk. Mason had to believe that fate would take over and bring about any changes that needed to take place without his further interference.

* * *

Every warrior that was on duty and many that weren’t were
out patrolling and sweeping the surrounding area for the stolen van used by the vamp hunter. The missing girl had become an unofficial warrior due to her bravery and self-sacrifice. So there was
urgency
to the search because they were searching for one of their own. Warriors were a loyal sort. The warrior class was really a true brotherhood. Most of them lived side by side and raise their families in a close-knit community. Now that they had their first little sister, you can imagine they were a bit protective. Most of the warriors were unhappy when the girl had left the
Enclave
where she could be protected and become a part of their community. Unfortunately, they didn’t get a vote. If they had, she wouldn’t be in danger today. She was also very popular among the men for other reasons. None of the single warriors believed Cayden would hold onto Dani for very long. He was known to be lecherous and self-centered, the spoiled son of the chief that had no goals in life or morals when it came to women. He wasn’t up to the challenge of closing the deal with a girl so far above him she could have any man or vampire. Good looks would only get you so far in life. There was actually a pool going with guesses as to how long it would take Cayden to screw it up.

This particular warrior was tired of waiting. He intended to make a move as soon as they found her. Cayden had proven himself unworthy of having a charge in his care. He would insist on taking over the duty. She should have been his charge to start with. He was the most senior warrior on the
Enclave
, next to Gage, and a Wrath leader. Tonight he was combing the city in search of his prize.

After over a hundred years as a warrior, he had developed a sixth sense. Sitting at a red light, lost in thought, he almost didn’t notice the white van cross the intersection in front of him until that mysterious extra sense kicked in and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He turned to follow the van on its journey across town. When he
was close enough to see the van’s plate
s, he knew he had his man. Actually, it was the woman he was after. The man was going down for his efforts to bring the Angel of Wrath harm. Of course, he knew his orders were to apprehend the assailant for question and punishment by the Council, but he didn’t trust them to deliver swift justice. This guy was a proven danger to the vampire race. Too many of their young were dead due to his treachery and it couldn’t be endured any longer. The first clear shot he got, the bastard was going down hard.

The van finally pulled off onto a side road. It would be harder to follow him without being noticed but the good news was there are only a few roads leading in and out of this area by the port. It seemed like a good time to call for back up. He called the
Enclave
dispatch center with his position and positive ID of the suspect vehicle. This place would be c
rawling with warriors very soon. H
e needed to
get in and make his move. It ha
d been hours so he hoped the girl was with the bastard. All he needed before taking him out was confirmation that she was still in the van. If not, it would be fun beating her location out of the vermin.

After giving the van enough space to reach its location, he followed and located it parked outside of an abandoned warehouse. He moved in on foot. The driver was nowhere in sight, so he crept around the corner keeping as low as possible until he reached the back of the van. Peeking in the window, he could see her sprawled face down on the otherwise empty floor of the van. Then the door of the warehouse slammed against the wall and some unintelligible cursing sounded from the front of the van. Perfect. He’ll never know what hit him. The warrior waited for the vermin to climb into the vehicle. Without hesitation, he crept up and served his brand of justice, firing through the window. One shot and it was over. Neither the Council nor any warrior would hold this against him. It would be simple to explain the need to secure the hostage at any cost. The guy was attempting to flee, again.

He turned his attention to the back of the van. Opening the door, he found Dani barefoot in a black gown. She was beautiful, even in her disheveled state. He checked her over for injuries that would prevent him from moving her. She seemed all in one piece, but completely unconscious. So much for being the superwoman with fangs everyone believed her to be. She was vulnerable and fragile. He wanted to take her from this place and return her to the safety
of the
Enclave
. Any minute now
the others would arrive
, and surely
Cayden would be leading the cavalry. He wouldn’t give him the chance to screw up again. He holstered his gun and scooped her up. She was lighter than he expected and she smelled even better than he remembered. Of course, Darren hadn’t been this close that day in the training room. Carrying her limp body to his vehicle, he couldn’t help putting his face in her hair and breathing in her womanly sweetness. He’d watch over her and harm would never find her again.

* * *

Gage was leaving the condo that had been the command center for the days search operations. He tucked his son under his arm in the elevator. After so many hours with no news, it was time to pack it up and go home. They wouldn’t find Danielle tonight. They may never find her. It was hard to believe his boy had grown so much as a person in the last weeks, just to have his reason for changing ripped away from him. He hoped Koren would be able to help him console their son. Gage just wasn’t very good at the emotional stuff. He never had to be before. Cayden had always been the love them and leave them kind of a guy. Emotional attachments took a back seat to friends and partying. This was such a departure from his normal behavior that both Gage and Koren were as shocked, as they were pleased. Danielle had been a beautiful and intelligent girl with the fire and backbone to deal with a guy like Cayden. It broke his heart to watch his boy speak of family and wanting to be bonded to a female. He was in love.  

The way he’
d seen Cayden looked at Danielle with reverence and awe was akin to the way Gage felt about Koren. Gage was a hard ass man but all it took was one look from Koren and he turned to putty in her delicate hands. She owned him and she knew it. To have their son experience the same love without a forced bond was a dream of his mother’s. Now they would have to tell her of their failure to protect Danielle. Koren had held her hand and nursed her through the last brush with death, becoming very much attached to the girl. This evening wasn’t going to get any easier when they got home.

Gage and Cayden reached the sidewalk when they both got a standard status update text received by all the warriors from the
Enclave
, just as Gage’s phone rang. When Cayden read the tex
t, he took off for his car, shou
ting over his shoulder,

“They found the van!”

* * *

Cayden could hardly contain himself when the call for back up in the port area came across the text. The suspect
’s
vehicle had been spotted in the same area where Dani had tracked the last hostage. They couldn’t be stupid enough to set up shop in the same spot, could they? His stomach twisted as he considered the possibility of being too late to save Dani. If she were hurt
,
or worse, he would go crazy. He had to get there fast so they could move in on the location and take down Nathan and hopefully whoever he was working for.

Several other warriors beat him to the scene and his father leapt from the car running ahead of him before the wheels came to a stop. He parked and tried to follow but several guys held him back.

“Just wait here until Gage is done, Cayden,” Garrett said, grabbing his arm to restrain him and Troy stepped in closer to assist if needed.

“Get the hell off me, man. I’m going after my girl,” he struggled.

Troy grabbed his other arm, “Gage said to hold you back until he assesses the situation.” Cayden looked past the Wrath warriors detaining him to the van at the other end of the road. Gage was looking in the back of the van and shaking his head. What the hell was going on?

“Is…is she down there?” Cayden’s voice shook. “Is she alive? Tell me she’s alive.” It was no more than a whisper. He continued to watch his father circle the van with his hands in his hair. Neither warrior answered him. He began to struggle again as he called his father.

“Dad, is she okay?” Gage looked up surprised. Cayden never called him Dad in front of his men. He motioned for the others to release Cayden and he ran.

Gage shouted at him, “Cayden, I need you to stay calm.” But Cayden didn’t listen. He had to see her fo
r himself. As he neared the van
he saw the dead body of the bartender turned kidnapper slumped over behind the wheel. His breath froze when he reached the rear door. It was empty. Nothing but the empty syringe that must have been used on Dani was in the van. She was gone and he didn’t know where to look or who had her now. He was too late. Dani was already given to the murderous monster that would take her away from him forever. His knees hit the ground and he began to cry for about the hundredth time that day. His girl was gone and no matter who he
blamed
it wouldn’t bring her back to him. His father’s voice rang out from the other side of the van.

“What? Who has her? Is she alive? Where is she now?” he paused and listened a moment. “Alright, I’m on the way. Call me when they arrive.” He slapped the cell shut. Cayden walked around the van with wide, glassy, black eyes.

“She’s still alive, son, but not awake. We have no idea how much damage she may have sustained. It seems Darren has her with him and he’s in route to the
Enclave
. She is heavily drugged and in need of medical attention,” Gage informed his relieved son.

Cayden hit his knees
again. This time is was joy and
relief that took him down. She wa
s alive. After almost an entire day of dealing with the idea of her eminent death, he could breathe.

NINETEEN~

Dani had been unconscious for two days. Cayden sat at her bedside holding her small hand in both of his and listening to the steady beeping of the machines she was connected to. The helplessness was overwhelming. He was supposed to be a warrior. He shou
ld be strong and fearless; he’
d been anything but that for the past several days. He’d been scared to death and he had cried and collapsed in front of everyone when he thought Dani was lost to him. Warriors were supposed to protect their charges and deal
with losses as they come. He’
d failed at both duties and was waiting for the consequences. His father had likely not approached him yet due to Dani’s condition, but he had the distinct feeling he would be relieved of his charge.

Doc had him talking to her and trying to reach into her mind the way Chas
e had, but it didn’t work. He’
d never done this before but he wanted it to work so badly that he refused to take a break at all. He had even allowed his mother to bring his bags of blood instead of heading out to hunt. This was unthinkable to him before, but it was better than leaving her again. It worried Cayden that Doc was spending so much time at the
Enclave
tending to Dani. It was out of the ordinary and made Cayden wonder if he was holding back information regarding Dani’s prognosis.