Wild and Free (The Three #3)(183)

I whipped around at the voice and saw him standing in the middle of the street.

A vampire. Handsome. Proud.

Evil.

Etienne.

“You know what we can do. You know what we will do. We showed you yesterday,” he went on. “This is why they will submit.”

Okay, maybe it was good that I’d learned a few karate chops.

But me, alone against a vampire? Those wouldn’t keep me alive very long.

So.

Again.

How did I get here and where was everybody?

I thought these thoughts.

But facing off against Etienne, I stood my ground, back straight, head held high, and I kept my eyes locked with his.

I was a member of The Three. I had mojo.

I just hoped I could figure out how to use it to help me.

Holding on to that hope deep in my heart, I said firmly, pleased as f*ck my voice came out steady, “We will prevail.”

Etienne shook his head. “Today, we destroy The Three and finalize our mission to assert our dominance over humanity.”

“Impossible,” I hissed.

“Your mate will come for you.”

If he could find me, wherever the hell I was, he would.

I didn’t confirm this.

Etienne didn’t need confirmation.

“He will sacrifice himself for you.”

I felt my insides freeze and it was agony.

The vampire smiled like he knew he caused me pain.

And liked it.

“As for you, you won’t have forever. You won’t even have tomorrow. You will only have a lifetime of mourning.” His head cocked to the side. “Don’t worry, it won’t last long. It’ll only be a human lifetime. But during that lifetime, you, Delilah, will be my personal slave.”

Then, in a blur, shapes formed behind him.

An army of vampires.

And lumbering up the rear, the vampires were backed by huge, hairless, scary-as-shit giants.

Slowly, even by human standards, they started moving toward me.

I lifted my hand, hoping like f*ck my blue light would come out.

Then I screamed, “No!”

*

Gregor

Gregor, Jian-Li, and those around them watched the interplay between Etienne and Delilah.

Somehow, they also heard it.

“I talked to Control,” the man with the headphones said. “They don’t understand how this is happening. But they say their satellites have been hacked and they can’t stop it.”

Gregor said nothing, because the instant Etienne announced that Abel would sacrifice himself for Delilah, Jian-Li ran from the room.

Gregor turned to one of The Council’s humans.

“Alert The Three. Contact Gastineau. Bring weapons to this room, as many as you can. Find out where the f*ck that is.” He pointed to the screens. “And bring me Josefa.” He leaned forward and finished on a roar, “Now!”

On a quick nod, the human female dashed out the door.

*

Abel

“Delilah, baby, wake up,” Abel called, hand to his mate’s hip, shaking hard.

She continued moaning and moving with agitation.

“Lilah, bao bei, wake the f*ck up.” He shook her harder.

“No!” she screamed, but she did it in her sleep.

And after she did it, she didn’t wake up.

“Goddammit,” he growled, rolling her to her back and looming over her before he curled his hand under her jaw. “Delilah, wake up.” He bent close, digging his fingers in as hard as he could without harming her as she stopped shifting and started writhing. “Wake up,” he repeated. When she didn’t, he barked, “Wake up!”

The door to the bedroom flew open and he looked over his shoulder to see Jian-Li rushing in.

“My Abel—” she began.

“They got her,” he cut her off. “I can’t get her out. I have to go in.”

She skidded to a halt by the bed. “But—”

“Go get Lucien,” Abel ordered.

“Abel, you don’t—”

“Go get him!” he bellowed, turned back to Delilah and concentrated solely on his mate. Let me in, he ordered. Let me in, Delilah. He dipped his face so close that his nose brushed hers. Fucking let me in!

With that, he collapsed on top of her, his chest to hers, his forehead sliding down her cheek, his eyes closed, for all appearances asleep.

Jian-Li hesitated not a second before she turned and rushed from the room.

*

In a Pub Somewhere in London

“What’s that?” the bartender asked, his eyes to the telly.

The football game was gone.

Instead, they had some bird standing in a street, facing a ton of tall men and women and…

He peered closer.

“What are those things?” he asked the screen.

Doing so, as well as when they heard the scream, the attention of a couple of blokes sitting at the bar went to the TV.

*

Delilah

At my scream, no blue light.

Shit.

I started backing up as they kept advancing.

Okay, this was not good.

I kept backing up as they kept coming and Etienne started talking to me.

“No mate?” he smirked. “Why doesn’t he come for you, Delilah?” He threw out a hand. “Perhaps he understands one human is just like the next. He can easily find another. He can find hundreds, thousands, and enjoy them after you’re gone.”