Jackie and Thane came into the room after him.
“How did she leave?”
“Sir, the guard said none of the other guards let her through the perimeter. That it would be impossible for her to get through.”
Lyonis ran back downstairs and finished searching the rooms. Last, he stopped in the kitchen. A frown came over him as he looked at the open cabinets and a pot lying on the floor.
“What happened in here?”
The guard who had run to tell him the news stepped forward. “Sir, Rachel Harbrow stopped by. The ladies chatted for at least an hour. When another hour passed and I didn’t hear anything, I knocked on the door but no one answered. So I came in and searched the place but found it empty.”
“There was a struggle,” Thane said, inspecting the kitchen.
Lyonis nodded and the words were out of his mouth before he could think about it. “Call Tyrian en Kulev and get the sisters out here.”
“But, Alpha, I’m sure we can figure this out without any help from more Atal Warriors,” Jackie said.
Lyonis saw black. He stood; hands fisted tightly at his sides and in a cold, controlled voice said, “Don’t question me again. The demon took her and Rachel, too. Unless you know how to get her back then shut up and do what I say.”
Jackie bowed her head respectfully. “Of course, Alpha. You’re right. My pride bested me again.” She turned from the room.
“Where are they!” he screamed. Everyone around him recoiled.
“I called them right away, Alpha. They said they’d be here right away. I don’t know what’s taking so long,” Jackie said.
Lyonis paced back and forth in his living room. Guards stood all around him but wisely didn’t ask him to calm down or sit. They knew he’d tear off their heads with such nonsense.
It had been almost a whole hour and they still hadn’t showed up. Each second that ticked by made him feel like he was slowly feeling Willow slip through his fingers.
A guard rushed into the house. “Sir, they’re here!”
Lyonis was outside in the blink of an eye. Tyrian, Chloe, Lily, Telal, and a guard walked towards him.
“What the hell took you so long?” he roared. His pack knew the intensity of his anger and flinched at his voice.
Chloe gave a disgusted glace at the demon Telal. “Ask him.”
Telal merely shrugged and Lyonis saw red. He had the demon on his back, his hands on his throat in the next second. His hands transformed, forming sharp taloned claws that dug into the demon’s neck.
“I’ll kill you,” Lyonis spit out.
The demon didn’t flinch. “Then do it. Otherwise get the hell off me, shapeshifter.”
Lily stepped forward with a fierce scowl on her face. She planted her hands on her hips and glared down at Telal. “You don’t have to be such a bastard. His pregnant mate has just been stolen by the demon and he has no way to get to her. You’d be freaked out too.”
“I’d have to care about her first.”
Lyonis’ fist slammed into the demon face. The demon cocked his head to the side to spit out blood. Still, his face was impassive, uncaring.
“If you want my help get off of me now. Or I’ll make you get off,” he said softly.
Lyonis was forcefully tugged off the demon by his guards and he let them because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get off him on his own.
Telal flashed to a stand. “Why was I called here?” He sounded bored. Lyonis shook against the arms holding him. He knew he wasn’t mad at the demon—much—but that he wanted an outlet to release energy on. Still that didn’t stop him from lunging again at the demon.
The blue-haired demon looked at him as if he was no greater a threat than a fly.
“What happened to our sister,” Chloe asked, her hand clenched in Tyrian’s.
“She gone,” Lyonis said, then restated what had happened in the house with Rachel.
“The demon took them both?” Chloe said.
Telal scoffed. “Dura is a jaheera demon that thrives off fear and death. Its powers are magnificent when at full strength. Even now I doubt she’d taken Rachel. The shapeshifter is useless, unless she was being controlled.”
“Controlled?” Chloe said.
“Yes, I’m sure the other members of your little pack that have gone missing are gone right now. Go ahead, check,” Telal said with that same straight face.
Lily marched up to him and slapped him across the face. He slowly turned his head to look at her and a small spark of anger, or something, was there.
“Don’t ever hit me, lilit.” His words were deathly quiet, controlled.
“Then don’t pull this nonchalant attitude with me. This is my sister you’re talking about.”
He shrugged.
Thane had already taken off into the pack to find out about Stephanie. He came back a few minutes later, a grim look on his face.
“Stephanie’s parents say she left the house to go to a friend’s house, but none of the guards have seen her all night.”
“See, she’s been using them all along. It’s a smart way to infiltrate the enemy really,” Telal said.
Lyonis made another lunge for the demon, but stopped when Lily stretched up on her toes, grabbed the demon’s golden-skinned face in her small hands, and planted a big kiss on him.
She pulled away before he could push her off. The demon looked...stunned.
“I told you not to touch me.”
“You said not to hit you. Say another smart-ass comment while my sister’s in danger and I’ll keep planting them on you. One horrible kiss at a time, got me?” The hard edge to her voice belied the teasing words. The demon twitched but didn’t say anything.
“How do I get to her?” While she’s still alive, he added silently. He could sense her, feel her, as all mates could do. He could feel the strength of her soul still beating, but for how long?
All eyes trained on Telal.
He crossed his arms across his big chest. “I can teleport to the deepest level of the rift.”
Lyonis shook off the arms holding him. “Take me now.”
“But,” Telal interjected, “I can only take one other person with me at a time and you won’t be able to kill the demon.”
“Yes he can!” Lily said. “She was stolen from the house so the potion and dagger should still be here. He can take that down there and use it.”
Telal rounded on her. “A mere dag and vanishing spell will not kill Dura.”
Lily cocked her head to the side. “Yes. It. Will. The dagger was enchanted and blessed by a good friend of mine.”
Telal tossed back his head and laughed.
“You may have heard of her, Rosa El Blanco.”
His laughter died, his expression almost becoming angry. “You know Rosa the White?”
“We’re besties,” she whispered fiercely.
Telal looked as if he didn’t believe her but then he just shrugged. “If the white witch has truly enspelled the weapon then you may serve to deal damage to the demon. Though I doubt it can kill it; perhaps just hurt it.”
“Take me there now,” he said to Telal.
Turning, Lyonis ordered Jackie to grab the dagger and spell. She returned with it a minute later. He saw the worry and hesitation in her eyes. She was worried about her Alpha. But he could issue no comforting words to her now.
Lyonis took the dagger from her and instantly felt the power in it. It was heavy but not from its mass; the spell held a positive, wavering energy around it like an aura. He clenched it in his hand then stepped towards the demon.