Kiernan nodded and shook Ronan’s hand. “Appreciate it.”
Havoc had been holding Analise. He gently lifted her chin so she’d look at him. “I’m going to help find this fucker. You stay here. Where Brandt goes, you go. If everybody disperses, let my parents know where you are. If you call to me, I may not hear you for a while, I’ll be hunting.”
“Make him hurt,” Analise said through her tears, a soft growl in her voice.
“I promise,” Havoc said.
Havoc kissed Analise quickly, nodded at Brandt, then walked out of the back door with Kiernan and Shawn right behind him.
Bam arrived, running as quickly as he could, a battle cry to stop your heart accompanying his every step. He charged into the living room, crying, growling, snarling. He quickly took in the situation and realized that Emmalyn was beneath the blankets. He reached for one after the other to try to get to her.
“Stop! She’s freezing cold. We’re trying to warm her up!” Brandt yelled.
“I’m gonna heal her!” Bam bellowed, ignoring the warning snarl from Barron still beneath the blankets with Emmalyn.
Somewhere in Barron’s psyche he realized Bam was there and started trying to shove aside the blanket covering their heads. Brandt reached out and lifted the blanket to reveal Emmalyn’s hair and the frozen blood stuck to the back of it and her still blue-tinged lips and eyelids.
“I don’t feel a heartbeat,” Barron rasped out, his eyes begging Bam for help.
Bam fell to his knees, still crying, and placed his hands on Emmalyn’s head. Just as he closed his eyes and his healer Bear started feeling for Emmalyn’s Bear, Everly arrived. She’d driven over instead of running in a panic as Bam had done, and left her car running and the door open when she jumped out to get into the house as quickly as she could. She slammed a hand over her mouth to keep her cries from being voiced when she saw Emmalyn’s unconscious head lolling on Barron’s shoulder and Bam trying to heal her. She watched her husband trying to save their daughter, and just barely noticed their other daughter, Analise, when she wrapped her arms around her.
Bane, Janie and Daisy showed up, and Daisy didn’t hesitate to quickly kneel beside her Uncle Bam and add her healing powers to his.
Kaid and Delilah joined them shortly after, as did Daniel, Avaleigh and Angelle.
Delilah slowly approached Barron, and sat down beside him. “We’re here,” she said softly. “What can I do to help?”
Barron looked at his mother. “I don’t know. I can’t feel her heart beat.”
Delilah looked lovingly at the girl she’d watched grow up and become her son’s world. She called to her Dragon to listen for any minute sound at all. Any trace of respiration. Finally she opened her eyes. “She’s inside there. My Dragon can feel her.”
“Are you sure?” Barron asked.
“I’m sure. Do you want me to examine her?”
“No, I want to get her warm,” Barron said.
“Okay. We’re right here with you. Do what you need to.”
“Where’s Remi?” Daniel asked.
“Hunting,” Brandt growled. “Havoc, Kiernan, and Shawn are helping. Ronan is with Kiernan’s family.”
Daniel glanced around the room. He, Kaid, and Bane were the only others there. They knew Maverik and Valerie were withHarley, and Bam wasn’t going to be able to do a thing to protect anyone if necessary. “You want us hunting, or here?”
“Here. Unless we hear Remi and Havoc need help,” Brandt said.
“Not likely,” Kaid said.
“Truth,” Bane agreed. “We’ll stay here for whatever you need.”
Daniel noticed there was wood in the fireplace, dusty, and probably left over from winter, but wood nonetheless, and walked over to it. He moved the screen aside and opened the flue, then gently blew his Dragon’s fire onto the logs. They crackled and burst into flames.
Bam opened his eyes and briefly searched for Everly. “Delilah’s right. She’s in there.”
Everybody seemed to release the collective breath they’d been holding.
Analise and Everly began crying again, while Avaleigh and Angelle both stood near them and did their best to comfort them.
