ShadowsofNight (17 page)

A searing pain sliced through her hip, but she didn’t stop
to investigate the source. Fear and adrenaline kept her going. She reached the
high wall at the back of his estate and took a running jump, clearing the barrier
and landing on the other side. The pain in her side was getting worse and it
caused her to stagger.

“Fuck!” Emma took a few more faltering steps, closed her
eyes and traced to the safe house.

She opened her eyes, stumbled onto the bed just before
dizziness overcame her and she blacked out.

Christian woke with a gasp. He sat up and the room spun from
the sudden movement.
How long did I sleep?
Dizziness continued to plague
him. He should’ve fed after mating with Emma. It had been a while since his
last meal.

He hauled his legs over the edge of the bed, letting his
feet settle on the cool stone floor. His body resisted when he tried to stand.
I
feel like crap.
He glanced over his shoulder at the mountain of blankets
and decided to rest a little more. Maybe snuggle with his mate before finding
food. He lay back down and reached for Emma.

“Good Lord, woman, aren’t you hot buried under all those
covers?” He grabbed the comforter and threw it back.

Where the hell is she?

In an instant, he was back on his feet. He reached out to
her mentally but there was nothing.

A terrible sense of foreboding came over him. He sniffed the
air and closed his eyes to see if he could sense her at all. He glanced around
the room and noticed a note by the bed.

Christian,

I’m sorry but I won’t let you risk your life. Please
forgive me.

Emma

“Fuck!” Curses continued to flow unabated from his lips as
he realized she must’ve left while he slept. He forced his body to move. He
felt drained after giving all he had to her last night. He threw on his
clothes, traced to the kitchen and quickly consumed several pints of blood.

Almost immediately his strength returned. But more
uneasiness swept over him with each passing minute. A cold chill ran down his
spine at the thought of her trying to seduce Dorian, and so soon after their
coupling. Dorian would know she belonged to another male as soon as she got
within a few feet of him.

He ground his teeth, fighting back the rage threatening to
consume him. Her betrayal hit him hard. He’d make good on his threat and kill
Dorian, then decide how to deal with the pain flooding his chest
.

He traced inside the armory, grabbed a long black leather
trench coat from a closet and put it on before stuffing the pockets with
several throwing stars, a dagger and a couple of bullet clips. He surveyed his
choices and decided on two UV guns, which he placed on a stainless steel table
before strapping a weapons belt around his waist. He also picked up a crossbow
and arrows off one of the shelves.

Marcus materialized inside the armory and leaned against one
of the stone walls. “What are you doing in here?”

“Emma’s gone after Dorian.” He slung the crossbow over his
shoulder. “I need to find her before she gets herself killed.”

“Didn’t you explain the dangers?” A shadow passed over his
face and his expression darkened.

“Apparently I wasn’t convincing enough.” He shook his head. “I’m
wasting time here, I must go.”

“It appears her need to avenge her parents’ deaths has
overridden reason.”

“I understand the need to seek vengeance. But for her to go
about it this way is suicide.” He shoved more clips in a bag.

“I’ll gather some of the men and go with you.” Marcus
dematerialized before he could answer.

Christian didn’t want to waste any more time. He glanced at
his watch and tried to decide where to start looking first. Dark images of Emma
and the uncertainty of her fate made his head swim. Maybe he should go directly
to Dorian’s estate…

Yeah. Waiting for Marcus to gather help wasn’t a bad idea.
They might need it.

Tell me where you are Em, please…
Christian closed
his eyes and reached out to his mate again, hoping their connection would show him
something.

A picture appeared in his mind. Emma in the fetal position.
Is
that blood?

He stumbled forward as pain lanced his chest and his vision
swayed.

Is she dying?
“No!” Christian growled and his lips
drew back in a furious snarl. He clenched his jaw against the rage that
threatened to consume him.
Don’t you dare die on me!
She hadn’t
completely transformed, which made her extremely vulnerable. His insides turned
to ice, sending his emotions into a tailspin. He started to pace like a caged
animal because he didn’t recognize her location.

Marcus appeared with several guards. “I’ve got news from an
informant about your mate.”

“Does Dorian have her? Tell me!” He grabbed Marcus.

“No, she got away by crashing through a window and jumping
over the wall of the compound. It was daylight so Dorian couldn’t give chase.
However, she was shot by one of his guards before she cleared the wall.”

“I have to find her. But I’m not sure where to start because
she didn’t return to her flat. I don’t recognize the location. The images are
fuzzy.” Christian punched the wall in frustration.

“Easy, Christian, I have an idea. How do you feel about
breaking into the Network?” Marcus asked.

Christian didn’t hesitate. “Let’s do it.”

“Very well,” Marcus replied, and gestured for Christian and
his Sentinel guards to follow him. They traced inside the lower garage and
stayed in the shadows, passing humans unaware of their presence.

They found the door leading to the stairwell, broke the lock
and took the stairs to the upper floors of the building. But all the interior
doors were reinforced steel, with security locks that required a passcode to
open. Christian tried to rip one of the locks off its casing. “We’re going to
be surrounded by security in about a minute. Better think of something quick.”

“Step aside.” Marcus smiled, placing C4 next to the broken
lock, along with a switch. They stepped back and Marcus detonated the fuse,
causing the heavy door to come off its hinges with a loud bang. “After you.”
Marcus smirked.

Christian rolled his eyes and stepped over the heavy door. “We
don’t have much time!” he yelled as alarms blared all around them. “Let’s get
what we came for and go. Roman, you and the others erase the memories of those
you encounter.”

Christian didn’t wait for an answer. He grabbed the first human
he found hiding under a desk and dragged him forward. “You work here?”

The frightened male nodded. “Y-yes…don’t hurt me. I’m just a
civilian.”

“I don’t care what you are. You’re going to help me if you
want to keep breathing,” Christian growled.

“What do I have to do?” The guy scrambled to his feet.

“I need an address for someone who works here. Can you do
that for me? Your answer better be yes.” He grinned wide, showing his sharp
fangs.

“Oh shit, address, phone number, whatever you want.” He took
a seat at the desk.

“Her name is Emma Hayes.”

“All right, uh, let me think.” The man reached for the
keyboard with shaking hands.

Christian leaned forward next to the guy’s ear. “I advise
you not to think too long if you want to live, because you see my friend over
there?” Christian pointed to Marcus.

“I see him.” He nodded nervously.

“He wouldn’t hesitate making you his next meal,” he snarled.
“Hurry up before I decide not to play nice anymore. And no tricks.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll pull it up. I’m going to lose my job for
this but that’s probably better than my life,” he muttered, tapping the keys. A
picture of Emma appeared on the screen. Below it, in big, bold red letters, was
the word DECEASED.

“You killed her off?” Christian glanced at Marcus.

“We had to make sure no one would come looking for her.”
Marcus shrugged.

Smart thinking.
“Bring up the address now!” he
ordered.

The man’s fingers raced over the keyboard until a map of
London filled the screen. It contained two small dots, one of which marked
Emma’s Brentwood flat. Christian was surprised to note the other was on the
Network grounds.

“Here!” He pointed at the second dot. “Where is this?”

With a few taps, the map zoomed to a close-up of the
location. “It’s one of our safe houses. Must’ve been her temporary quarters on the
compound. That’s all the info we have, dude, honest! Now will you let me go?”

“Roman, scrub his memory,” Marcus said.

“Scrub my memory—what the hell does that mean?” The man
cowered.

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt,” Roman replied, seizing the
guy.

“Meet me at her location.” Christian didn’t have time to
wait and traced to the address. He rushed to the front door and kicked it in.

“Emma!” He smelled blood.
She’s here.
He raced up the
stairs and found her in a bedroom, unconscious. He gently lifted her in his
arms and her head rolled to the side. “Damn it, why didn’t you wait for me?”

“Christian.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sssorry.”

“Ssshh…don’t speak.” He’d be angry at her later, when she
was better. Right now, all he cared about was keeping her alive.

“Get her back to the compound. We’ll clean her up here. Go!”
Marcus ordered as he entered the room.

Christian nodded and disappeared with Emma in his arms.

“Strip the bed, grab that laptop, her clothes. I want no
trace that she’s been here.”

“Yes, Master.” Roman nodded.

Marcus retrieved his cellphone from his pocket and called
Lena to let her know Christian was on his way, then closed the phone. He walked
around the room, pointing to things he wanted them to take. Inside the closet,
he uncovered a cache of weapons and hi-tech gadgets. He shook his head as he
started removing items to take back to the estate.

“Take this stuff and go. I’ll follow shortly.” Marcus
pointed to the computer equipment and guns.

Roman and several of the guards gathered everything and disappeared.

“Cleaning up the mess?” A voice snarled from behind him.

Marcus turned to meet Dorian’s angry glare. “We take care of
our own.”

“Your interference is unwise, Marcus Alterus. My quarrel is
not with you but it soon will be if the girl is not handed over immediately.”

“She’s not mine to give you. I’m sorry.” Marcus crossed his
arms over his massive chest.

“You dare challenge me?” Dorian took a step forward. “It’s a
battle you’ll lose.”

“I’m simply stating what is beyond my ability to grant you.
That’s all.”

“Don’t be a fool, Marcus. You don’t want a war with me.”

“No, I don’t.” Marcus pressed his lips together. He
didn’t
want a war, but knew that backing down would be a sign of weakness and a big
mistake. “But I can’t grant your request either and that’s final.”

Dorian lunged for him but he traced out of his reach.

“You’ll regret crossing me,” Dorian spat.

“Emma’s not a piece of property.”

“Then prepare your men, because I’m coming for her.” He
disappeared.

Marcus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Fighting
Dorian wouldn’t be easy.

Roman materialized. “I sensed you were in trouble. Dorian…he
was here?”

“Yes, he’s gone now. But not for long. He’s declared war on
the Order. We need to call in the Hunters, with the exception of those who are
dealing with the Rogue situation in New York City.”

“Master, Dorian is not without weakness. I served with his
battalion in Greece, remember.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to face him?” Marcus asked.

“Yes. My men and I are your best shot at defeating him.”

“I appreciate the restraint you’ve shown over the centuries.
And your loyalty to the Order has been unwavering.”

“No need to thank us. We should go.”

Marcus nodded and they disappeared, leaving no evidence
behind for humans to find.

* * * * *

Christian materialized just outside the front gates with
Emma in his arms. “Let me pass,” he growled at the Sentinel on guard. The large
male stepped aside and opened the gate for him without resistance. Lena came
out of the house and met Christian at the bottom of the steps.

“I heard about your mate, Marcus called a few minutes ago.
Quickly, let’s get her inside. Seal the entrance. No one is allowed inside the
compound,” she called to the guards nearest the doors. More appeared near the
gates dressed in black fatigues as Christian entered the house. He wasn’t sure
what was going down, but something was brewing. He followed Lena upstairs into
one of the bedrooms. Panic and fear like he’d never experienced before coursed
through his veins.
What if she dies?

“She’s bleeding…” He looked at the pristine cover.

“Don’t worry about it. Lay her there and see if you can get her
to feed. It will help her heal faster.” Lena’s voice came out rushed and full
of worry.

“I know.” He bit into his wrist and held it over Emma’s
mouth while Lena massaged her throat, forcing her to swallow. “Come on, Em,
drink!” he snarled.

Emma weakly latched on to his wrist but didn’t drink enough
to kick-start the healing process.

“She looks so pale and her pulse is sluggish and weak. How
do I get her to take more?” Christian didn’t know what else to do. He felt so
helpless. Emma pushed his wrist away and moaned. “Emma, please! You have to
drink.”

“Christian, turn her over and let me take a look at that
wound.”

“Okay.” He gently turned her on her side and pushed up her
shirt to expose her skin.

“It isn’t healing. Maybe the bullet is still imbedded in her
flesh and it’s preventing the wound from repairing. If that’s the case, she won’t
heal unless we dig it out of her.”

“What kind of bullet…a wooden one?”

“It’s possible.”

“She’s already in enough pain and you want to cause her more
on a hunch?” He didn’t see anything but an ugly gash.

“She’ll die if I’m right. I’ll be back.” Lena disappeared
and returned a few minutes later with an instrument that looked like pliers,
but thinner.

“If you’re going to do this, make it quick.” The idea of
causing Emma further suffering had him biting back a growl.