Page 85 of Bound by Vengeance
CHAPTER 37
It was almost midnight by the time Nathanfelt secure enough to leave the temporary stronghold for a coupleof hours. Ronan had called a dozen trainees in to help stand guardwith the hunters. Some of the elders protested this action, butwhen their protests resulted in a tie between them, Rolandintervened and cast the deciding vote for the vampires to help.
Nathan didn’t think he’d ever seen theelders as irate as they were at Roland, but he would have vetoedthem if they had voted against the vampire’s aid anyway. Roland’svote had saved him from taking the brunt of their displeasureagain.
“I’m going to get Vicky,” Nathan said whenhe gathered with Ronan, Kadence, Declan, Logan, and Asher in therestaurant again.
“Who is Vicky?” Logan asked.
With everything that happened, he’dforgotten Logan didn’t know about Vicky or Jordan, and Jordan wouldhave to be dealt with soon. He’d planned to do it at the oldstronghold, but he realized he couldn’t; Jordan would be a publictrial.
It was time to make it clear that hewouldn’t tolerate any more discordance between the hunters. It wassink or swim time, and he wouldnotbe brought down byhunters who weren’t willing to at least doggy paddle.
“You saw her once, briefly, when we met withRonan here before. She’s one of the twins who was standing in thehall,” Nathan told Logan.
Logan frowned at him. “Why are you going toget her?”
“She’s been helping me try to find a lead onJoseph, and I need to make sure she’s safe. I have a lot to fillyou in on.”
“Did you call her?” Kadence asked.
“She’s not picking up,” Nathan replied.“I’ll go to her hotel.”
“She’s probably not there,” Declan said.
“Whynot?” Nathan demanded,unable to keep the fear from his voice.
“After our meeting earlier, Ronan calledBrian to let him know you and Vicky were working together. Brianlater called me to say he and Abby were cutting their visit shortand coming back. Ronan gave Vicky permission to return to whateverthe two of you were doing with one of her family members. I’d betmoney that’s what she’s doing now.”
Nathan’s mouth went dry as a sense offoreboding slid down his spine. Judging by the events of this day,he and Kadence were in far more danger than Vicky, but he couldn’tshake his growing worry for her. “I have to find her.”
Before anyone could say anything, theelders, minus Roland, opened the doors on the other side of theroom and entered.
“Here comes the guillotine,” Asher murmuredas the elders approached.
“Nathan,” Ida greeted and stopped ten feetaway from them. Though she wasn’t the oldest hunter, Ida often tookthe lead in things. She purposely snubbed Kadence while some of theothers, including Elfry, waved a greeting to her.
“Ida,” Nathan said tiredly.
“We’re going to hold the engagement ceremonytomorrow, during the Mayday celebration,” Ida stated.
“No,” he said.
“It will be more simple….” Ida’s voicetrailed off; she blinked as Nathan’s response sank in. “Did you sayno?”
“I did. There’s too much going on right now.The engagement ceremony can andwillwait.”
Ida threw back her shoulders as the rest ofthe elders exchanged glances. “And that is exactly why itwillhappen!” Ida declared. “It will be more simple thannormal, but our people need a distraction. The joy of upcomingmarriage nuptials will provide that for them.”
“No,” Nathan said again. “The ceremony willnothappen tomorrow.”
Ida gawked at him while over her shoulderthe rest of the elders looked as if he’d dropped a bomb on them.Unwilling to hear any further protests from them, Nathan turned andwalked away.
He could overrule them on any of thedecisions they made, but the elders had been revered for centuries.They’d earned the right to be respected through years of sacrificefor their people, and while he saw their point about giving thehunters something to look forward to, the engagement ceremony wouldnothappen.
• • •
Following the twisting path of the sewers,Nathan’s heart hammered as he tried to catch Vicky’s scentsomewhere in the labyrinth of tunnels. Asher and Logan followed himas he led them deeper into the maze.
