“I awarded him with additional power years ago, and Lenox then developed the gift to ‘jump’ from one place to another in a blink,” Antonio added. “It is not quite teleporting, because he cannot travel further than a kilometre each time.”
“But it means that any time we get close to him, he’s going to blink his arse somewhere else,” said Sam. “I don’t think he’ll try to leave the island, though. Not until he’s killed the two people he holds responsible for Brook’s death—which won’t happen.”
I felt my brow furrow. “Who’s the other?”
“Ivan,” replied Jared. “He partnered with Brook during the mission.”
“Where is Ivan?” I asked.
“He was at his bed-buddy’s home, which is what saved his life,” said Jared. “Lenox went looking for him this evening and tore his apartment up. Luckily we got to Ivan first and hid him. Lenox won’t stop looking for him, though.”
Antonio let out a sigh loaded with sorrow. “This is why I am always glad to see vampires Bind. None of the vampires who have emotionally broken like this had a mate.”
I felt my brows raise. “Huh. I didn’t know that.”
“I do not believe vampires are built to be alone,” Antonio went on. “We still have some human needs. We are also susceptible to the same emotional struggles. Death, loss, constant killing—all those things put a strain on us, especially legion members, as such things are a big part of their lives. Immortality itself adds to that strain.
“There are some who remain detached from others to spare themselves the pain that comes with loss. I suppose they believe this will be what saves them in the long-run. It never does. For the soul, it is best to grab what pieces of happiness you can.”
I’d have to agree with that. And what was the point in living forever if you had no one to share your life with anyway? Being alone certainly hadn’t helped Lenox or any of the other vampires who had broken in the past.
“Lenox will probably come for Quinlan again,” I hedged.
The mercury tint to Sam’s irises—something she hadn’t developed until she mysteriously became a hybrid—flared brightly. “The guards will end the wanker if he does.”
“Will you be asking Maya to track him while in her jaguar form?” I asked.
“Your squad as a whole will be searching for him,” replied Sam. “Many squads will be sent out. Our best tracker is Sebastian. But, as you know, he’s currently accompanying Ryder on his trip.”
A relatively new vampire, Ryder had been forced to stay at The Hollow for a long period of time while he got a grip on his bloodlust—something which had taken longer than usual, because he’d used his notable gift many times to aid the Grand High Pair, and that had repeatedly caused his control to waver. As he now had a firm hold on his bloodlust and no longer needed to be confined, he’d been allowed to enjoy a round-the-world trip while also learning tracking skills from Sebastian.
“I don’t want to call Sebastian home unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Sam went on. “There are plenty of people on this island. Lenox is one man. We’ll find him. But it’ll be a case of all hands on deck, because there’s a lot of ground to cover both inside and outside the gates of The Hollow. We need Lenox caught, and we need it to happen bloody yesterday.”
Later that night, my squad and I followed Sam as we traipsed through the rainforest in search of Lenox. Jared was leading Max’s squad and stayed reasonably close, exchanging the occasional frustrated look with Sam. We’d been out here for hours and had spotted no sign of our prey. But then, it wasn’t exactly difficult to stay hidden out here. There was plenty of plant life to conceal you, plenty of trees to climb, and plenty of potent scents to cover your own—animal musk, wet earth, rotten fruit, swampy water, floral scents.
There was also a whole cacophony of noise to override any sounds you might make. Crickets chirped. Wings fluttered. Insects buzzed. Monkeys howled. Waterfalls roared.
The rainforest truly was magnificent. Ropy vines looped around thick trunks. Bamboo trees stood tall and proud. A beautiful canopy of leaves hung over us.
The wildlife tended to go still and quiet when we approached, recognising us for the predators we were. But I still managed to glimpse a few hiding in the trees.
Alora, who had the ability to talk to animals, had recruited some birds and larger predators to help us search for Lenox. But the rainforest was so expansive that it was no easy feat.
Still, we kept searching, making as little noise as possible. It wasn’t always easy, given that the ground was littered with dead leaves, half-eaten rotten fruit, and dry plant pods. Then there were the pools of muddy water that lay here and there.