Page 22 of Hitched to the Vampire King
“So you noticed immediately when he went missing,” I concluded.
She nodded, then quickly knuckled away a tear before it fell. “It was the same as all the others. No sign of fighting. Abandoned car. And no contact.”
“Nash is taking them when they’re out in public then. Obviously at night.” I paused and reflected on everything I’d seen at the warehouse. I’d checked all the rooms. Avery had been the only other werewolf present. Meaning something I didn’t want to say out loud.
“He’s dead,” Avery said in a hard voice, as though sensing my thoughts. “Nash made sure to pass that info along to me. In great detail. He confessedeverything. Because?—”
“He didn’t think you’d ever leave that cage.”
She jerked a nod.
“How did Nash get his hands on you?”
She shivered, then raked a hand down her face. “I spent months tracking that asshole. I memorized his scent—it was in Joey’s car. I didn’t care if I had to go door to door to find him. Then one night, there Nash was, standing in the middle of the street, watching me. I chased him, but he led me right into a trap. Next thing I know, I woke up in one of those cages.”
Meaning he knew she’d been tracking him. Curious. “And when was that?”
“About a week ago,” she said.
“You’d been in the cage that long?”
Another nod.
“Okay.” I studied her lean body, noting gratefully that she didn’t seem too injured. Werewolves healed quickly, but with poor nutrition and lack of care, our healing abilities slowed. “Looks like we got to you before he could do any permanent damage.”
“He had his fun,” she bit out. “Every night he came to my cage. And every night, he sated himself.”
Oh, I didn’t love the sound of that.
“Did he…?” I paused, not sure how to ask this question. “Did he force himself on you?”
A cold laugh slipped past her lips. “No. I don’t think he’s into werewolves. Not in that way, anyway. I made sure to remain in wolf form as much as possible.”
Yes, I was familiar with that tactic.
“He likes to inflict pain, but I don’t think his needs are sexual.”
Well, that was a small relief. “You said he came to your cage every night. What about last night?”
“He was there with me for a few hours. He left about an hour before you appeared.”
“And was he part of the group chasing us?” I asked.
“No,” she said, anger deepening her voice. “If he had been…”
Yeah, we wouldn’t have been able to control her.
“Meaning, he either isn’t allied with Adrian, or he wasn’t present at the warehouse for our escape.”
Avery considered my words, then gave a slow nod. “I suppose either is possible.” She turned her pleading eyes toward me once more. “Will you help me with this, please? You’re a vampire slayer. This is your wheelhouse. And not to lay the guilt on too thick, but I was there the day we helped Lucy rescue Sam from your other half-sister, Olivia. My pack came all the way to Mississippi to help you guys.”
Oof.
“And you want our help now too, right? That’s what you said earlier this morning when we were running through the bayou. You want us to provide you and Gabriel shelter?”
Oh, for crying out loud. Really, what answer could I give other than yes? I hated that I had no other choice, that this really screwed with my and Gabriel’s plans regarding Adrian, but I couldn’t abandon her. Not when this psycho was abducting, torturing, and killing other werewolves. I wasn’t a part of the New Orleans Pack, but that didn’t mean I could turn my back on them.
I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my tangled hair. “Yeah, I’ll help you, but I need to be straight with you. I have my own problems, as you’ve probably guessed. Adrian and Elias are at the top of that list.” Not to mention the corrupt council waiting for us back in Jackson. “I will help you as much as I can, but I need to prioritize.”
