“That’s beside the point, Kallum. Something is wrong. Don’t ask me what it is because I couldn’t tell you. I just know that something is wrong in connection with Liliana and not one person here knows where the fuck she is! Forgive me for being a bit pissed about that but the last time I looked, weren’t we all supposed to be protecting her and making sure nothing happened to her?”
Kallum frowned and looked at Liam. Mac’s concern was starting to ratchet up his own. “I’m sorry to ask but could you check…?” He left the rest unsaid, knowing what it would cost his friend and wishing he didn’t have to ask.
Liam gazed at him intently for a moment and then nodded. He slowly released his tight control on his mental shields and reached out for Lily. Because of his enhanced empathy he was able to track his friend despite her muting her bonds right down. He sighed with relief when he found her.
He smiled. “She’s just taking a walk. Her mental tone is good.”
Mac was alert, watching him with a fixed stare. “Can you tell which direction she headed in?” His feet were already heading out of the living room.
“Due East, I think, though she’s a bit of a distance aw…” Liam suddenly stiffened and groaned deeply, anguish crossing his face. “Lily!”
Mac’s heart thundered in his chest as he spun round. The expression on Liam’s face gave him the chills. A second later he felt a wave of pain roll through his mate bond. “Lily!”
Everyone stiffened in the room though it was Mac, Liam and Kal whose faces suddenly beaded with sweat as they felt Lily’s pain down their bonds. A moment later that pain was gone, cut off ruthlessly.
“What the fuck..?” Karn ground out already moving out of the room, pushing passed a semi-stunned Mac. “Due East!” he roared at the top of his lungs, Praetorians and wolves appearing from nowhere as he ran outside.
Mac streaked passed him, Liam and Kallum hot on his heals as they vanished into the trees in the direction Lily had taken. Mac knew he was no match for the speed of the Vârcolac but Lily was out there and in danger. Nothing would prevent him from getting to her.
He ran as if all the shades from hell were behind him, memories of the past in his head spurring him on. No way in hell would he lose what he loved again. No one was ever going to take Lily from him. He would never survive it.
“Lily!” he yelled as he ran, able to make out Kal and Liam ahead of him. It crossed his mind that he shouldn’t be able to see them. Their speed far exceeded his and yet he was only a few steps behind. His terror at losing Lily was making him run faster through the trees than he’d ever run in his life.
The trio dodged in and out of the trees, avoiding branches by a whisker as they raced towards the last known place Lily had been.
‘Please be all right, Lily,” Mac whispered to his mate. “I’ll do anything, be anything you want as long as you keep yourself safe!” The memories of his past were nothing compared to the fear in his heart. The thought of losing Lily… he just couldn’t go there. She had to be safe! Anything else was just unthinkable.
Mac burst into the clearing a few steps behind the Vârcolac and stopped just short of barrelling into Liam’s broad back. Both males were staring down at the forest floor and he had to walk around them to see what they were looking at. His heart banged hard in his chest as he looked down expecting to see the worst.
His puzzled eyes turned to the other men. “I don’t understand.”
“Lily was sick,” Kal answered pointing at the evidence. “She hasn’t been sick since she was a child.”
Mac’s heart plummeted again and fear seeped through his bones. Lily was ill? He hadn’t thought the Vârcolac could get sick. Immediately he thought of the poison threat and his fear increased. Was she out there somewhere, alone and hurt? His black gaze scanned the area frantically looking for some sign of his mate.
“I can’t feel her any more, Kal.” Liam’s frightened words cut through Mac’s panic and he turned his head to look at them again.
“She is not dead!” He yelled his denial at them, refusing to even countenance the possibility.
Kallum shook his head slowly, letting his eyes travel up the mountain range. “No, she isn’t,” he agreed. “It feels like it did when she vanished to join the Praetorians. She’s alive, I know she is, but she’s sick and hurting somewhere.”
Liam shifted to wolf form and streaked quickly around the area before returning and changing back. “There’s no sign of any scents other than Lily’s. Whatever is wrong with her isn’t due to a third party hurting her. Though what would make her sick I have no idea.”
“Mom, Dad, Lily’s sick and has taken off,” Kallum sent to his parents. “She vomited in the forest and hasn’t returned to the Compound. We don’t scent anyone in the area apart from Lily.”
“Rafe’s just been to the house furious. She’s masked all her bonds again. Whatever’s wrong with Lily has upset her to the point of not thinking clearly. I’ve tried contacting her as has your mother but we’re not getting through,” Andrei responded, concern clearly in his tone as well as a touch of irritation that his daughter was being so foolhardy again.
Kallum spoke the words out loud for the benefit of Mac who couldn’t hear the telepathic communication.
“Why would she vomit?” he asked. “We usually follow our vampire heritage in that respect with the exception of that one time Lily ate something when she was younger. It doesn’t make sense.”
“It would in one circumstance,” Loretta said, entering the conversation. “Remember when I fell pregnant with her, Andrei? It happened so quickly and neither of us knew it was possible. Lily could be pregnant.”
The colour drained out of Mac’s face as Kallum relayed Loretta’s words. It couldn’t be possible! He hadn’t touched Lily apart from their mating night and that had only been a couple of days ago. She couldn’t be pregnant. She just couldn’t!
“Kallum, I want you to relay this word for word to Mac for me. Don’t ask any questions.”Andrei’s tone held a core of steel to it.
“Mac, I don’t give a fuck about the past or how you feel. You will go out there and find my baby and bring her home safely. Come back with anything less and I swear I will rip you from limb to limb.”