William stood guard in front of the massive stone fireplace with his gun pointed at a young woman. Dominic knew in an instant this was Savannah. She sat on the couch, with her feet tucked underneath her, and looked as though she didn’t have a friend in the world, except for the dog, which was curled up contentedly in her lap. Based on the way William looked at her, she certainly didn’t have one in him.
“Good to see you still in one piece,” William said without taking his sharp gaze off Savannah.
“You too.” Dominic flicked his glowing eyes to Savannah. “You have some explaining to do.” She shrunk further into the couch when she set eyes on Dominic. He turned to Tatiana as she shut the door. “How’s Courtney? I can sense Steven with her upstairs.”
“She’s the same as she was before. I set them up in the guest room.”
Tatiana moved into the room and sat on the arm of the sofa. Wearing yoga pants and a tank top, she was more beautiful than ever. Although her face was weary and reflected the stress of the past twenty-four hours, she radiated pure light, and all he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and bathe in it.
“What happened, Dominic?”
“Moravian, and the Purists he brought with him to the exchange, are all dead. He didn’t have Matt. Never did. He agreed to the meeting to get her back.” Dominic moved around the couch and leveled a serious glare at Savannah, who wept quietly. “Your father was under the impression that you and Courtney were abducted by us, and he thought you were the one we wanted to trade.”
“Tears for your father?” William murmured. “How touching.”
“He was a bastard,” Savannah said through her tears, “but he was still my father.”
Dominic nodded. He understood the conflicting emotions the girl felt because he had the same experience regarding the loss of his sister. She’d betrayed their people and allowed her hatred to rule her, but in the end, she was still his sister.
“But the note?” Tatiana said with confusion. She looked at Savannah. “Kerry found your energy signature on Matt’s note and in the cabin.”
“I know.” Savannah swiped at her eyes but looked down at her hands as she spoke. “I’d been hiding on the property in my clan form, using my psychic abilities to mask my energy signature. I saw Eric and Matt outside your cabin.” She took a shuddering breath and looked at Tatiana. “He followed Matt inside, and it looked like they were arguing. Then Eric put him in a headlock and broke Matt’s neck. I read the fake note he left on the porch but got back to the mountains before anyone saw me. That’s why my energy pattern was on it.”
“Why the hell would he kill Matt?” Dominic murmured. “That kid couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Maybe he got wind of what Eric was up to?” William’s eyes narrowed.
“Possibly.” Dominic rested his hands on his hips, and that hinky feeling crawled up his back again. He turned his attention to Savannah. “Was Eric involved with your father?”
“No.” Savannah shook her head and clung to the puppy like her life depended on it.
“What the fuck is his deal?” Dominic said tersely. “If Eric’s not a Purist then what the hell is he doing?”
“Why wouldn’t you come to us sooner?” Tatiana asked, her voice wracked with grief for the loss of her friend. She folded her arms over her breasts, hugging herself. Dominic closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She leaned into him for support but looked at Savannah. “When you saw him hurt Matt, why wouldn’t you tell us?”
“I was scared,” Savannah whispered. “I—I didn’t think you’d believe me. It would be my word against his. As far as all of you are concerned, I was some nasty Purist, and he was a Guardian.”
“But why even hide?” Dominic asked. “You brought Courtney back. Why wouldn’t you ask for amnesty from the prince?”
“Does it matter?” She sniffled and flicked her teary eyes to William. “I wanted Courtney and the baby to be alright. I didn’t want that child born anywhere near my father or the others. Although after the last couple of days, I don’t think there’s anyone left.”
“That may well be the case,” Dominic said. “However, Eric is still out there. He’s already tried to kill Malcolm and Zachary.”
“Are they okay?” Savannah asked.
“Yes.” Dominic nodded. “They’re on the mend, but it will be awhile before they’re up and running.”
“He’s going to find us eventually,” William murmured. “If he’s not in bed with the Purists, I can’t imagine why on earth he’s trying to kill everyone. Regardless of how baffling it is, that clearly seems to be his mission in life. I do hope I have the pleasure of killing him.”
“Not if I get him first,” Dominic said evenly.
“Will you at least let me watch?” William quipped.
The room hummed with silence for a beat or two.
“He’s going to find us no matter where we go.” Dominic’s voice was edged with anger. “I’ve known Eric a long time, and he won’t stop until he’s finished the job he’s set out to do. Richard and Dante will be here before sundown. I’ve kept my mind open to the two of them, so they’ll be able to follow the path.”
“How much time do you think we have?” William asked.
“Eric will wait until nightfall to try something. That should give us at least a day to prepare. Maybe two.”
“How can you be so sure he’ll find us that quickly?” Tatiana asked. “He can’t use visualization to come here. He hasn’t been here before, and he’s not imprinted on any of us.”
“He can still drive, Doc.” Dominic smirked and kissed the top of her head. “Besides, he knows Steven wouldn’t bring Courtney to the vampire stronghold. The next logical place to hide would be at the home of a woman who had no plan to be part of our world.”
“Right,” Tatiana said through a wry laugh. “Well, like my aunt Rosie always says… while you make plans, God laughs.”
Dominic and Tatiana left William downstairs with Savannah as they checked in on Steven and Courtney. Unfortunately, she was still unconscious, and he continued to be the immovable force at her side. Dominic wanted to scout the property and get a better bead on their surroundings, but Tatiana wouldn’t hear of it.
“Oh no, you don’t.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway to her bedroom. “You need to rest—at least for a little while.”
“Normally, I’d argue with you, but I don’t think I have enough energy left.”
Dominic followed her into the bedroom. It was a bright, clean space, mostly white with accents of aqua blue, and it reminded him of the beach. His body felt heavy and cumbersome. He couldn’t remember the last time he had any sleep. In that moment, the weight of everything that had transpired hung over Dominic like a lead blanket. Eric’s betrayal. Daniella’s sacrifice.
Yet through it all, there was one thing that remained constant and kept him from feeling lost. Tatiana. His love for her held him, kept him grounded, and stopped him from tumbling over the edge into the abyss of revenge. Before Tatiana, he would have allowed bitterness and anger to take over and consume him. Now, the only thing that consumed him was his love for her and the driving need to protect her.
The king-size bed looked ridiculously inviting. Tatiana sidled up behind him and slid her warm hands beneath his T-shirt. Her fingers grazed up his back, and he lifted his arms as she pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside.
Dominic grasped her hands and held them to his belly, closing his eyes as he allowed himself a moment to simply feel her. Tatiana’s silky, soft fingers linked with his, her warm lips grazing his back. The heat from her gorgeous body as it pressed against him made him stir, but before he could do anything, she nudged him toward the bed.