Page 49 of Blood Moon Bound

I spun to John. “Why did you bring me here? We need to leave, quickly.”

He stared at me, then smiled. It wasn’t warm, and sent shards of ice down my spine. I grabbed for the door and tried to open it. But it was locked.

The gates opened.

“No, please. Take me away from here. Please.” I grabbed his arm, but he shoved me off.

The front door opened and my stepfather walked out as we drove in.

Oh god.

I was going to die.

* * *

Constantine

I’d led them away from Delphine for three weeks. Taking them on a wild-goose chase while I picked them off one at a time. Douglas’s assassins were relentless and skilled, but not more than me.

I’d managed to keep it from Delphine, but Douglas wanted me dead and his daughter back. I knew who he really was, and he was terrified I’d find a way to expose him. But mostly, he wanted the money and status he was promised, and Delphine was the best way for him to get both.

The attacks and attempted break-ins at my home had been increasing, but I’d had a handle on it, until the night before I left—four assassins had gotten onto the grounds, one of them into the fucking house. I’d killed three of them and tortured the fourth. He hadn’t known who was paying for his services, everything had been kept anonymous, but there would be more coming, and they’d keep coming until I was dead.

I’d done the only thing I could, I’d led the danger away from my mate. I knew Delphine’s stepfather was behind this, but until I had proof, she wasn’t safe with me there.

I’d asked Veera, a warrior who had fought in the fae wars beside us, to play the role of Delphine and she’d agreed. She was similar enough that if she kept her head dipped, like my mate often had when she first came to me, they wouldn’t know the difference. We’d put on a little show at the house before we left, to convince them it was Delphine, and I’d been right; they’d followed. There’d been no more attacks or attempted break-ins since we left.

My brothers, Morgan, the rest of my security, had taken turns watching over my home and Delphine after I left, in case things hadn’t gone the way I suspected they would or if Douglas figured something was up and sent men back to the house.

Still, leaving Delphine had been the hardest thing I’d ever done. It was the only thing I could think of to keep her safe, though. I’d wanted to tell her why, but I wasn’t sure how she’d react. Douglas was her family, like she’d said, he’d raised her, provided for her. She felt loyalty towards him, loved him like a father. If she knew the truth, she might try and leave me again. She might run and put herself in even more danger.

The end goal was her stepfather’s death, at my hand. I didn’t know yet how deep her loyalties or affection went where I was concerned, and I wasn’t willing to test it yet and possibly lose her.

I knew my own feelings, though.

I would kill, maim, decimate anything or anyone that tried to harm her. My little mate had crawled so deep into my heart that I couldn’t remember my life without her. I was in love with her. An emotion that had seemed an impossibility until Delphine moved into my home and waged war on the useless organ in my chest, chipping away at my defenses until they crumbled at her feet. Which was why I’d had to leave without telling her goodbye, and I’d kept our calls brief.

One word from her and I wouldn’t have been able to leave her, one request for me to return and I’d be heading back to her in a heartbeat.

Veera held up two fingers and pointed to the shadows at the edge of the castle ruins.

I nodded. I’d seen them as well. We split up, and a short time later, both assassins were dead.

Veera wiped the blood from her chin. “They’re relentless. These last few haven’t been as skilled, but still, assassins don’t come cheap.”

They did not. “Someone has to be helping him. Douglas has money, but he’s been careless with it over the years.” Sure that whoever his daughter mated would top up his bank accounts, he hadn’t seen the need to be careful. “Someone else has to be footing the bill.”

“He’s found another mate for your Delphine,” she said.

That’s exactly what he’d done. Anticipating my death, he’d sold her to the highest bidder. A female like Delphine would get a high price. Among males like Douglas there was a market for young, beautiful females, females from prominent families, widows with no mate or no protection, used as breeding stock for a much-needed heir, and of course, females like Samara, who they thought no one would miss.

Veera looked down at the dead vampires at our feet. “Douglas is getting desperate.”

He was. But we finally had what we needed to force the court’s hand and sign an execution order. Tomorrow we journeyed home.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I quickly checked it. Morgan. He was only to call in an emergency. “What is it? Is Delphine okay?”

There was a beat of silence. “She’s gone, Constantine.”