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“Touché,” he said. “So what’s your plan?”

“The bond?” I asked.

“Oh, that.” Xander grunted. “Right.”

“I’m hoping I can call him somehow through that. That’s a thing, right?” I was making all this up as I went.

“It is for wolves,” Xander said. “I can feel your emotions. If you were in danger, I’d sense it. I could follow the feeling to find you.”

“Let’s hope there’s a way to make it work for demons,” I said as I settled into the pine needles.

It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sit, but at least the trees and the darkness would keep us hidden. It wouldn’t fully protect us from supernatural forces, but it would give us an edge.

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Xander said. “You do whatever you need to do.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I had no idea what I was doing or if it would even work. All I knew was that I was certain that I’d felt Elias before. It was almost as if he’d called out to me. What if I could do the same for him?

The thought of him walking into an attack made my stomach twist in fear. He didn’t know the vampires and hunters were after me. It was possible they’d been sent after him too. I wasn’t sure if his status as an enforcer was going to keep him out of this.

For a moment, I considered that maybe he was working with the vampires. I quickly pushed that thought aside. He’d earned my trust. If he wanted the stone, he could have taken it from me.

After another deep breath, I worked to clear my mind. My multiple failed attempts at establishing a meditation habit had at least taught me something. While I wasn’t an expert, I understood the concept.

I focused on Elias, picturing his dark eyes and strong shoulders. I imagined he was here with me, his arms pulling me in for an embrace. I could almost smell his clean, masculine scent.

Elias? Can you hear me? We need you. Please, Elias. Please hear me. We’re not at the safe house. There’s vampires. We went to the mortuary. Please come.

I thought the message over and over, imagining that I was sending out a broadcast right to Elias’s mind.

After a few minutes, my concentration broke and I lost the thread. My awareness returned to the present and I shivered from cold. I opened my eyes and listened for any signs of approaching traffic or footsteps.

Nothing.

With a sigh, I stood, then brushed the pine needles from my pants. Xander was standing a few feet away from the tree, his posture tense. Even from the back, he looked hyper aware of his surroundings.

“Anything?” he asked without turning around.

“Not so far,” I said. “How about you?”

“All quiet.”

“Well, that’s the first good news I’ve heard all day,” I said. My stomach growled so loudly that Xander turned to look at me.

“You need food,” he said.

“We did skip lunch. And dinner.”

“Anything close by?” he asked.

“None that would be open now.” Now that I was thinking about food, the ache in my stomach wasn’t going anywhere. “There’s usually a taco truck on Federal about ten minutes from here.”

“Let’s go,” Xander said. “We can come back here after.”

I looked around the back yard, as if Elias was going to materialize from out of thin air. Which, of course, was insane.

I hated leaving so soon after arriving in case Elias was on his way, but we did need to eat. “Okay.”

Elias, if you can hear me, meet us at the mortuary. We’ll be back soon.


Tags: Alexis Calder Royal Mates Fantasy