He could smell vampires, the bitter, metallic scent of blood, and the sweetness of flesh, and knew that they had only moments until they were overrun.
“I don’t know if you can afford not to,” Cael pointed out. “What happens if I don’t take her? You die, she dies.”
“How? How will you take her?” Alatar demanded. “How did you even get there?”
“Biological advantage,” Cael replied. “I have wings.” In a flash of light that caused them to recoil, he unfurled a set of white feathered wings, stretching them out so that the feathers flared and rolling his shoulders as if having them restrained caused a muscle ache. A feather floated free during his stretch, and Alatar caught it. Raiden saw the warlock tuck it into his pocket. “Time is up,” Cael said. “Vampires are coming.”
“Take her,” Raiden made the decision. He lifted her, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear before placing her into Cael’s arms.
“Good choice,” Cael grinned, and leapt into the air, his wings striking heavily as he rose. Their hair lifted and undergrowth blew against their ankles as they lifted their faces to the sky, tracking him as he passed through the tree canopy.
Within moments he was a spec of white in the dark sky, and then gone to sight.
“Raiden,” Wade said urgently.
Raiden stripped out of his tracksuit pants. “Will you be alright, Alatar?” He asked.
“Yeah, fine.” The warlock sprinkled salt in a circle around him, and uttered a word, disappearing from sight. “Run, Raiden,” his voice came from where he had stood.
Raiden shifted. As he ran through the trees, following the scent of his father, sister and Will, he heard a yell behind him, the sound of frustrated anger. Lucian, he thought, hopefully losing track of Lia.
He hoped Cael spoke the truth, and that he would take Lia somewhere and to someone who could save her and keep her safe from the vampire.
There was a creek just beyond the glade of trees, running knee deep on the werewolves, and they followed it to the fence line, through the arch of a drain, their breath and footfalls echoing off the metal lined interior, until it spilled them outside of the property.
The vampires would not be able to track them with the water disrupting the scent trail. They paused to shake themselves dry before running through the undergrowth just out of sight of the road. After half an hour, a convoy of dark coloured 4WDs passed by, carrying with them the bittersweet scent of vampire, and another half an hour after that, Alatar’s dented sedan screeched down the road.
The werewolves continued until they entered suburbia, slinking through the tidy front gardens, freezing in the shadows to avoid being seen by humans returning home, until they reached one of the pack’s safe houses.
Wade shifted and entered the door code, the moonlight catching on his skin, showing old scars across his back and buttocks, testimony to past battles won.
In the front bedroom, Tara, Will, Wade and Raiden shifted back into human form. Wade threw them tracksuits from the walk-in-robe. Oversized and black they were a staple of all safe houses, to clothe shifters in need.
Raiden ran his hand through his hair, before gripping it and groaning. “F-k,” he said between his teeth. “F-k. I feel like shit. Like half of me is missing. What have I done?”
“You did the right thing, son,” Wade said firmly, embracing him. Raiden hugged him back tightly seeking comfort. “There wasn’t much other choice. Whatever that man was, he was better than Lucian for Lia.”
“Was he an angel?” Tara wondered. “Like from Alatar’s story?”
“I am more inclined to believe him a devil,” Raiden replied grimly. “How am I meant to get her back now?”
“A problem for tomorrow,” Wad said firmly. “Tonight, we get back to the pack, and find out what the vampire situation is.” He went to the land line and ordered a taxi before dialing Diedre’s number to apprise her of their location and safety.
Raiden sat on the bed, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion and despair. Tara dropped down beside him and leaned her shoulder against his side in silent support and empathy.
Will leaned against the door frame. “I am sorry, Rai.”
“Better than you being dead though, Rai,” Tara replied. “Whilst you are both alive, there is always hope.”
Raiden sighed heavily and leaned back into her, turning his face into her hair, breathing in, seeking comfort in the scent of pack. “Thanks T. I feel like I have failed her. What am I going to do now?”
“Lia has a grimoire.” She said suddenly.
“Yes, in a hidden room in her house.”
“Didn’t you say that there was something about angels in there. Maybe it will give us a clue where the winged man took Lia.”
“I can’t read it,” Raiden replied but he was thoughtful. “Alatar might be able to, however. It is an idea at least,” he put his arm around her and squeezed her against his side, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Thanks, sis.”
“Your mother has Elior,” Wade said returning. “Apparently he has sought asylum with the pack.”
“That has to be a first, a vampire seeking asylum with wolves,” Raiden arched his eyebrows. “Mother granted it?”
“Conditionally. The fact remains that Elior is better than other options. Come, let’s wait out front for the taxi.” He saw them out to the front lawn and locked the door behind them. “There is something else.”
“What?” Raiden grimaced. “That wasn’t said in a good way, dad.”
“No. It is… problematic on a few levels. According to Elior, Lucian is stronger and quicker than he should be, and believes that it is because of Lia’s blood. Lucian is desperate to retrieve her.”
“Shit.” Raiden did not care what Lia’s blood did or did not do for vampires, once he retrieved her from Cael, he would make sure no vampire ever got close enough to taste it ever again, but the fact that Lucian had more reason than his desire for Lia to continue to search for her was an issue. The vampire would no give up. He was going to have to die.
Not that, Raiden added to himself, the vampire had a long life ahead of him anyway. He had seen the marks Lucian had left on Lia’s body. As soon as Raiden was fully healed, the vampire was going to die, painfully.
“Pretty much,” Wade agreed. “He could be just mad. Vampires can go a bit nuts after a few centuries but…” He hesitated. “Lia is a bit of a mystery, isn’t she? Tara tells me that Alatar couldn’t trace Lia’s lineage, and then there’s that winged man. What if she isn’t just a witch, Raiden?”
“She doesn’t have wings,” Raiden replied with certainty. “I am sure I would have noticed that.”
“I don’t know, the other man had his hidden,” Wade looked down the road. “Ah, there’s the taxi.”
“I need to talk to Alatar again,” Raiden decided under his breath, as Wade opened the front passenger door and spoke with the driver. “And get him to look at that grimoire.”
“Tomorrow,” Wade replied across the taxi roof. “Tonight, the pack needs us.”