Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(88)

"Liam," I said in surprise, not sure if I was dreaming or if the link had finally started working.

"Where are you?" he asked, his voice urgent.

I blinked, looking around the rocky beach I found myself on while hoping it was all real.

"I don't know." The skin over his skull drew tight. "There are trees around us."

Liam's head turned as if he was listening to something I couldn't hear. For a moment, I thought I heard voices and then the murmur faded.

"I need more information," he said. "Can you tell us anything?"

"Can't you track me? I thought that was what the mark is for." I fought despair. There wasn't a lot more to tell.

"I've been trying, but someone has been hiding you from us." Frustration was a live thing in his voice. "I don't know what's changed, but this is the first time I've gotten close to you. Even now the connection is tenuous."

Maybe because I got my hand free?

"I don't know where I am, but I can tell you who is responsible for my current circumstances," I said. If I didn't make it out of here, perhaps I could still make sure Theo paid for this. I'd prefer to live, but in the absence of that I would settle for vengeance from the grave.

"Good. Nathan said he never saw his attacker."

"He's alive?" I asked. I hadn't dare hope that Theo had been wrong about killing the enforcer.

"Barely. Whatever was used on him would have killed him if I hadn't felt him fading and been close."

I felt relief. Last thing I wanted was to have the enforcer's death on my head. "It’s Theo. He's the one who did this to us."

Liam looked shocked and vaguely disbelieving. "That's not possible. He's dead."

I shook my head already anticipating his denial. "No, Pierce is the one who is dead. I'm sure once the DNA results come back they’ll confirm that."

His brow furrowed. He looked like he was considering the ramifications of what I'd revealed.

"Liam, Caroline is here." The carefulness of my tone must have warned him because he focused on me with a guarded expression on his face. "The full moon is tonight."

Understanding dawned as well as fury.

"He's planning to use her wolf to kill me," I said, struggling to keep my voice even. Freaking out wouldn't help matters. I needed to remain calm if I had any hope of getting out of here alive.

"Something is blocking Brax's connection to her," Liam said. "He hasn't been able to get an idea of her location either."

"Lisa's here too," I said, not sure if that would help or not. At this point, I figured the more information they had the better. You never know when a single piece might come in handy.

"The woman Caroline attacked?" Liam sounded surprised.

"Apparently Theo and she are siblings." I bared my teeth in a feral smile. "She tried to help me get loose, but he knocked her unconscious."

Despite my best intentions, the beach landscape was wavering as fatigue set in. I didn't know how long I could remain here.

He stepped closer, his hands coming up to grasp my arm. There was some expression on his face, one I couldn't quite read that spoke of pain and fear and something else. Something I refused to see. I wasn't ready for such an emotion from him. If I'd ever be ready.

"You need to get away from her. I know she's your friend, but once the change is on her she won't recognize you." His words were intense and hushed as if he could impart his desperation through them alone. I nodded. I knew that. She'd told me as much. "Run. Run as fast as you can. Don't look back, and don't stop for anything. We're coming for you. Just hold on."

The word 'run' echoed in my head as I came alive with a gasp, the last of the sun's light fading from the sky. Damn it, that hadn't been wise—napping when I needed to be escaping. With one hand free, I was able to divest myself from the rest of my bonds in moments, using some of the increased strength being a vampire gave me.

I gained my feet just as the sun began sinking below the horizon, turning the world a golden orange as it went.

Caroline stirred, a groan announcing her return to consciousness.

"Caroline," I said, taking a step in her direction and stopping.

"Aileen." Caroline's words were groggy as she sat up, coming up short as the collar and silver chain jerked. "What's this?"

"Don't touch it," I warned, moments too late as her hands closed around the chain. She yelped and whined, letting go of the chain—her palms bright red and blistered.

Awareness returned to her eyes as she looked around with dawning horror. Her eyes flickered, the color of her wolf shining through for a moment before returning to Caroline's normal blue. She looked up at the sky, fear on her face.

"You need to kill me," she said, her voice a few decibels lower than it should be.

I shook my head in denial, then kept shaking it. There were many things I could do, many levels I could sink to in the interest of surviving. Some horrible, some necessary. That was not one of them. I could not kill my best friend—not even if it meant saving my own life.

"Aileen, please," she pleaded. "I'm not going to be able to stop myself."