Was she in danger?
Ronan reached through their tether, his frustration mounting as he was greeted by a dark void of sensation that left him shaken. First things first, he needed to find Naya. Then Chelle. And then he was getting the hell out of this town. He only hoped that that it wasn’t too late for all of them.
Ronan stepped out on the porch without a clue as to where he should start. For a town the size of a cracker, he was surprised how tough it was to find his way around. Beyond the town proper lay acres of rain forests. To the other side, the ocean. The Pacific Coast Highway sliced it all in half, a beautiful tourist stop on the drive to SoCal. He supposed it was beautiful in the light of day. Green, lush, quaint. The perfect contrast to the blue waters of the Pacific in the distance. In the dark of night, however, Ronan was reminded that monsters lurked in the shadows. Demons intent on creating havoc. A cold, dark, evil presence that stole the cheer from this small town and turned it into something corrupt. Had Chelle had anything to do with that?
The presence of someone lurking in the shadows at the edge of Naya’s property put Ronan on high alert. He kept his demeanor relaxed as he continued to stroll down the driveway as though unaware. Steps, barely audible despite the graveled driveway, overcame him and Ronan darted to his left, grabbing his assailant’s arm as he tossed her body to the ground in front of him.
“Where is she, you son of a bitch?”
Ronan pursed his lips as he regarded one very enraged witch. Luz’s chest heaved with her breath and her eyes sparked with a vengeful fire. Damn it, he’d hoped that Naya would be with her cousin. The fact that she wasn’t caused the cold lump of dread in his gut to grow. “I thought she’d be with you.” Ronan reined in his anger, though what he wanted to do was break the nearest available object. Where in the hell is she?
“Well, she’s not.” Luz pushed up from the ground and dusted herself off. “I’ve been trying to track her down for over an hour. Paul said that she never showed up at the house and she promised me—”
“Never showed up? She left here before sundown to turn herself in.”
“So she lied?”
“No.” Ronan would have smelled the deception had she lied. “Something happened to her. I can’t feel her through our tether.”
Luz pursed her lips and gave him some serious side eye. “That’s just creepy, vamp boy. But I’m inclined to agree with you. Naya is no fan of tribal structure, but when it comes to protecting those she cares about, she does what has to be done.”
“Then Paul’s lying.” A growl vibrated in Ronan’s chest. He was going to get that bastard in a corner and the male was going to answer for his unreasonable mandates and harsh treatment of Ronan’s mate.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him,” Luz remarked. She looked around as though trying to decide her next move. “I could see him lying to an outsider like you.” She gave him an apprising look. “But why lie to me?”
Exactly.
Ronan took off down the driveway, his mind spinning with myriad scenarios. Naya wasn’t dead—he would have recognized their tether being cut—but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in a shitload of trouble.
“Hey, bloodsucker!” Luz gave a sharp whistle and Ronan spun around. “Are you seriously going to hoof it twelve miles into town when we can drive?”
Ronan could have covered twelve miles on foot faster than they could drive. But with a force of Bororo warriors presumably out hunting him, perhaps stealth would be the better choice.
“This way.” Luz headed back the way she’d come around the back of the house. An older-model Toyota 4Runner was parked several yards down the road.
“Trying to sneak up on me?” Ronan quirked a brow as he climbed in.
“Just wanted the element of surprise on my side in case you were slurping my cousin dry.”
“I know my current state is volatile, but I would never hurt her.”
“Yeah, I know,” Luz said as though disappointed. “Sort of a bummer I won’t get a chance to test my hand-to-hand combat skills with a vamp. Anyway, I suspected she wasn’t here when I pulled up.”
“Why’s that?”
“I think she’s unconscious,” Luz said. “If she were awake, I’d be able to hear her.”
“The magic?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah. I can hear hers from really far away. She’s überpowerful.” His mate was indeed powerful. “Even if she were asleep, I still think I’d hear it, but it would be faint. So she’s either down for the count or she’s…”