"When can you talk to her?" Tessa asked as she pulled out her cell.
"Can you get her home on Saturday? I think we should do it as soon as possible. Tell her to call you if she has any trouble. I'll go get her sooner if necessary."
Tessa nodded in acknowledgment and placed the call, but it went straight to voice mail. She made another call to Danielle's roommate and was informed that Danielle hadn't returned to her dorm. Tessa's hands shook when she disconnected the call and laid her phone on the table.
"She should have been there no later than four o'clock yesterday afternoon." Tessa downed the martini the waiter had just set in front of her and asked for another. "I shouldn't have let her go."
Brandi Vaughn was visiting her grandparents with her brother, J. R., when a disturbing call came in. Several young vampires had gone missing over the last few weeks, and one of them had been found dead of complete consumption. Brandi listened intently from the dining room while her grandparents spoke with other members of the council over the speakerphone in the study.
"We can't let this happen again, Lloyd. We need to find these kids and their captor," the speaker argued.
"We don't know that this situation has anything to do with what happened in the past, Alexander," Grandpa replied, sounding agitated.
"Adele, will you please reason with him? This cannot be a coincidence," a female voice said. "The Davis boy was gifted, and so was one of the other missing youths. The fact that he was found completely drained should be a clear sign."
"I realize this is a sensitive subject for your family, but we can't let this situation get out of hand. I'm going to go examine the body to see if I can get a scent. I wish you would come with me," Alexander pleaded.
Brandi stepped into the kitchen, holding her stomach as if she would be sick. She was a friend of Shane Davis's at school and knew he had been missing. To hear of his death made her heartsick. He had the extrasensory ability of being able to sense the gifts of other vampires. He didn't like it, because when babies were born, their parents would call his parents to have him come see the newborn. They just couldn't wait until they were older to see if their child was gifted.
After gathering herself and calling Samantha to inform her of Shane's tragic death, she went to see if she could ascertain anything else from the meeting. But it was over, and Grandpa was already heading out the door with her father.
Brandi entered the study, where her grandma still sat at the desk in deep concentration. "What's wrong, Gran? Can I help you with anything? Grandpa looked upset."
"Don't worry about anything, sweetling. Everything is fine. Grandpa had some business to attend."
"Does it have to do with the missing kids? I know two of them. I would be glad to help search." Brandi was digging. She knew she wouldn't get far with her grandmother but tried anyway.
"I do think there is something you can do to help. I don't want you or your sister going anywhere alone until we find the missing children. You girls need to watch each other's backs and keep your eyes open for danger. Don't be surprised if your father gives you a curfew until this is all straightened out. I know you're too old for a curfew, but he has good reason to worry, and it's in your best interest to obey your father's wishes." Adele turned and raised one eyebrow at Brandi. "Did you overhear our conversation?"
Brandi couldn't hold back the tears. She nodded as her lower lip trembled. "Shane was my friend. We went to school together, and I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt such a nice guy." Gran stood and came to put her arms around Brandi. It was a little weird because she'd never been the comforting sort, but Brandi was glad for the affection and support.
"I'm sure you and your siblings will be safe, given none of you has an extra ability, but I still want you to stick together for the time being."
Brandi didn't understand her statement until the phone rang again. Her father called to inform Gran of the recovery of another child. Melinda Prince was the other kid Brandi and her sister knew that was missing. She had been found drugged but still alive on her parents' lawn. Doc Stevens was on the way to examine her and assess her injuries. Her dad was hopeful they'd be able to get some information from the girl once she was well enough to speak to them.
Suddenly things made a little more sense to Brandi. Melinda was an athlete, but she didn't have an extrasensory ability. Shane, on the other hand, had a special touch. Melinda came home, but Shane didn't make it back alive. Someone was hunting for gifted young vampires. Brandi was going to be sick. She sat down heavily on the leather sofa and shut her eyes as her stomach churned. Everyone was at risk whether they were gifted or not, and the thought of how many friends she could lose was horrifying.
Chase paced nervously up and down the hall leading to the closed door of his bedroom. Doc Stevens had come back to examine Danielle again. He'd been there earlier to have a look at her but had to leave for an emergency once he was sure she was stable. Chase sat bedside and watched for any movement the whole time Doc was gone. It'd been four hours since he laid her in his bed, and she hadn't moved a muscle. Chase stared at her beautiful face and all that gorgeous, mahogany hair spilling over his pillows. Her peaches-and-cream skin, so soft and pale against the slate gray of his satin sheets, made his fingers itch to touch her. He could imagine her there every night for the rest of his existence. She looked like she belonged there with him. It took all of his willpower to keep his hands to himself. He decided that he wanted her to remember the next time they touched that way, so he wasn't about to crawl in bed with her. It was a good thing Doc came back when he did, because Chase's resolve had begun to thin.
Kayden watched from the sofa down the hall while Chase wore a hole in the carpet. "Dude, you look like you're waiting for that chick to have your baby or something. What's the deal with you?"
"Shut up or leave, Kayden." Chase glared at him.
"I'm not leaving you here like this, man. You look like you might need me to fetch you something sweet to feed on. How long has it been, anyway? You aren't gonna be any good to sleeping beauty in there if you go under."
Kayden had a point. It was very early on Monday morning, and Chase hadn't fed since Friday night. He felt weak, and confusion was setting in. "Fine. I need to feed, but I'm not leaving. Maybe you can get one of the regular girls to come over." Crickets could have filled the silence that followed his request.
"Wait a minute. Did you just agree to feed in your house? I can call a couple girls over?" Kayden was clearly astonished.
Chase didn't respond, except to nod in defeat. Bringing girls home was a big no-no for Chase. This was his private space, not to be invaded or tainted by outsiders. His home was his temple.
Extracting his cell from his jacket, Kayden quickly had two girls on the way.
Changing the subject, Chase asked, "How did it go with Samantha earlier?"
"She was pissed I wouldn't tell her who you were carrying in with you. I acted like I didn't know and was just the driver. She went off on a tear about how I'm a bad influence on you, and in the future, things will be different. Until her phone rang. Whoever was on the line had her upset, and she left before finishing her tirade. Dude, does she think you guys are gonna be together, like bonded together? That'd really suck for both of us."
Doc came out, looking annoyed, before Chase could answer. "I need to know the exact circumstances that led you to this girl and how she got so polluted and bruised. I believe she has a few broken ribs, and her back looks as though she's been kicked or beaten. I've taken a blood sample to run some tests, but I'm sure she has been drugged. You can smell it, but it's nothing I'm familiar with. There was another girl found earlier tonight in the same condition. Actually, the other girl was in better condition because she wasn't beaten, just drugged." Doc slumped into a chair at the dining table, pinched the bridge of his nose, and continued. "I may need to move her to my office for X-rays and observation. She isn't healing as quickly as she should, and her breathing is too shallow for my liking. When I get these results, I'll return to check on her again. Now, one of you needs to fill me in."
Anger seeped through Chase's blood while Doc explained the extent of his Lovely's injuries. Chase relayed the story of finding Danielle at the club and all the details Vince had given him. Doc Stevens listened to him incredulously until the story was finished.
"So she reached out to you telepathically in her condition? Asked for help, and when you responded, she ‘showed' you where she was? Astonishing! What is the child's name? I'm sure her parents will be looking for her."