Fated for Forever(59)

like a hot little twink, it will be a shame to kill you.” The man on the left lifted his hand and his fingernails

elongated into claws.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me. What is it about these goddamn bathrooms!” Ashby

exclaimed.

“I’m telling you, that bartender is hot.” A male voice was heard as the bathroom door was pushed open,

both vampires turned to the opening door. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction Ashby shifted to

his small fox form and ran between the legs of the shifter coming through the door. He heard shouts as the

two vampires knocked into the shifter in an effort to get to him.

Ashby ran out of the bathroom, he couldn’t head back to the dance floor as the two vampires blocked

his way. Instead he ran down the long hallway toward the kitchen. He knew help was coming, he just had to

stay alive long enough for the coven to find him. He shifted back to human form, opened the door to the

walk-in freezer and stepped inside. He just had to stay hidden until the coast was clear. Gabriel would be

looking for him any minute now.

Gabriel, I need you! Ashby thought desperately and began to shake in the cold. He shifted to fox in the

effort to stay warm.





* * * *



“Find Ashby! He is panicked and scared, search the club!” Gabriel shouted to the coven members and

they scattered.

“Excuse me. Prince Gabriel. This guy here and his buddy nearly knocked me over trying to chase after a

baby fox.” An extremely large shifter held up the unconscious form of a vampire.

“I don’t think they anticipated running into a mastodon, did you asshole.” The man shook the body by

the back of the neck like a doll.

“The fox?” Gabriel demanded.

“He ran down the hallway toward the back, this guy’s friend was behind him. I thought you would want

this one though.”

“Baptista, can you escort this gentleman and our sleeping friend downstairs,” Gabriel said, as he and

Mikhail moved past the shifter in a blur heading toward the back of the club.

They slowed down as each warrior started edging close to the opened storage-room door. Mikhail held

up his hand, indicating to Gabriel he would go first. Gabriel nodded. Mikhail turned and darted into the

large storage room. Gabriel quickly followed. Slowly they made their way along the left side of the room

next to the open shelves. Gabriel felt his patience running out. He had to find Ashby. He had to see him with

his own eyes and hold him in his arms to know that he was safe, this was taking too long. He tapped

Mikhail on the shoulder as the only warning before he walked blatantly out into the open under the single

light in the room.

“Ashby, are you in here?” he asked, hoping he sounded pitiful. Mikhail was going to throttle him for

deliberately putting his life in danger. They didn’t have a long wait. A single shot was heard before Gabriel

felt the slug graze his arm as he turned his body to avoid the fatal heart shot. He heard growls behind him,

then the distinct sound of bones breaking and a man’s scream. Mikhail dragged a struggling form into the

circle of light where Gabriel stood waiting.

“Why have you come after my mate?” Gabriel demanded, pulling the vampire’s chin up to face him.

“You should have backed off, we warned what would happen if you kept investigating.” The man

hissed.

“The first note was from them, the second one on vellum was from the stalker. Only you could be

wrapped up in this much shit at once.” Mikhail shook his head.

“I will not be intimidated and I will not back down. I will find every one of you and destroy this drug

ring, if it’s the last thing I do. You cemented your fate the second you came after my mate.” Gabriel felt his

teeth grind together as he stared down at the defiant attacker. He then looked up at Mikhail and smiled

frostily.

“And you say I never give you anything nice,” he said, before turning his back and walking out of the

room. He was down the hallway when he heard scream after scream, the last one ending in a gurgling

sound. Mikhail caught up to him by the time he reached the empty dance floor.

“Sir, the feral is downstairs in the dungeon,” Baptista said.

“Good. Is everyone searching?” Gabriel asked. Baptista nodded.

“I’m about to join Kurt and Lauri, we’re searching the surrounding property in case there were more

than two,” Baptista said and headed out the front.

Gabriel headed up the stairs two at a time to his office. Mikhail moved next to him at the wall of

monitors scanning each screen.

“We’ll find him. We’ll find Ashby then have fun with the feral.” Mikhail met Gabriel’s eyes and they