He shrugs. "Why is this Shadow Mage thing so special?"
"If she's the one who can control the Cursed Realm..." I shake my head, forcing myself not to imagine the sheer terror that possibility brings. "Shit would get real. Nightmare real. Hell on earth, real."
Ren licks his lips, then looks back up at the cliff. He narrows his gaze. "What are you saying, Apollo? You know I don't care if it's dangerous. She's my mate." He ends the sentence staring at me, deep into my soul, because he knows I know how it feels. The same calling inside me, the same desperate plead to go after her. He feels it too.
I step closer. "What I'm saying is that it won't be pretty. Cassandra's fate, whatever it is, is dangerous, and it might bring you more pain than you expect."
Ren's brows relax, his shoulders drooping. He studies my face for a moment, then the smallest of smiles tugs on his lips. "Does it matter? She's worth all the chaos."
His words resonate deep within me, straight to my dragon's core, igniting its fire. My heart pumps adrenaline through my veins, and I feel like fucking shifting and flying all the way back, roaring into the skies, letting everyone know she's my mate and I'm coming after her no matter what.
I nod gravely at Ren, then smile back. A sort of connection seems to tug between us now. A bond I haven't felt before. "Then we're in this together," I tell him, and he nods, his face growing serious in expectation for instructions. "Here's what we can do. I’ll find a trail back town to grab the car. With that, I'll drive back home and do my part, go after clues and news, keep an eye out. You change into your wolf and follow Donatello's trail." I raise a forefinger in warning as he steps back, readying to shift. "Be careful. The two of us had problems fighting them, and we were saved by Cassandra. You won't survive if they catch you."
Ren bobs his head in understanding. "You can leave it to me. They must have gone to some headquarters or something, right? I'll follow them there."
"Only if you don't have to enter Hiram." That's where Donatello lives, and I bet the others too. Ren wouldn't be able to get in without a vampire's approval, and sneaking in would be too dangerous. He does look like the type who would do anything to Cassandra, including putting his life on the line when it's not even needed.
His brows lower. "Why not? I can get into Hiram. My wolf can be sneaky."
"No matter how sneaky you think your wolf is, it won't be sneaky enough to avoid a city-worth of vampires wanting to suck you dry. Remember, once you're across the border, you're free game. Follow them for a couple of days, let’s see if they take us to the Collector. Then you meet me back at my clan lands." His scowl deepens and he's almost sulking now. Unfortunately, we don't have the time for this argument. I tilt my head to the way the river flows. "Come on. Let's follow the river back and see if it takes us anywhere."
Ren shoots another glance up at the cliffs. I don't see anyone. The vampires must have seen the disastrous meeting with the Collector and bailed off to tell their daddy what happened. Rage simmers in my stomach, turning the acid to lava. The mere memory of Donatello trying to attack Cassandra makes me nauseous.
The Pup releases a sigh as we start to walk, our wet clothes clinging close and dripping onto the stones. "I can't believe Donatello really did this."
"Better believe it, Pup. He isn't safe to be around Cassandra. But first, we save her. Then we think of vengeance."
Ren shoots me a surprised look as if that wasn't on his mind. It's on mine, anyway. Not going to let that betrayal slide. While developing plans for Donatello's belated torture in my head, I lead the way into a trail up the side of the cliff. Ren and I separate, and the Pup is hopeful as he shits into his animal. I wait by the shadows of the trees, but the town has hidden away, knowing of what was to come. It's simple to reach the car, and I release a sigh of relief when the engine turns on. Not even the soggy way the seat feels underneath me dampens the mood.
With my jaw clenched, I drive back to clan lands and abandon the car amid the trees. No one will find it here. Finally, I let my dragon take over. With so much happening, the meeting of my mate, being hunted down, Cass being kidnapped, I haven't had the chance to really connect with him. To feel his fire warming me from the inside out, to stretch my wings and take to the skies.
Tonight, that's what I do. I watch my scales glinting under the moonlight and I roar into the heavens, watching fire burn the cool air in front of me. I flap my wings, hard beats against the night sky, and I make my way to the shadiest part of the biggest supernatural town this side of the States. If there is someplace I can catch news about the Collector's auction, it's there.
And I'll fucking give anything to find my mate. They better not touch a hair on her pretty head.
CHAPTER 2
CASSANDRA
The woman dragging me is strong as shit, but she won't take me without a fight. And I do fight. Every. Single. Step.
"Fuck," she hisses when I connect my hard skull to her chin. A grin spreads across my face. I've always been told I was hard-headed, and I knew this would come to be a good thing. The grin doesn't last long, though. Her elbow connects so perfectly with my ribs, the precise spot I fell on when Donatello dropped me, that I'd be surprised she wasn't watching us. As if watching me blow out all the air in my lungs isn't enough, she kicks me hard on the back of the knees, and I do my best not to drop face-first while she holds both of my hands behind my back.
"Ouch, you bitch!" I steel my spine and even when I collapse on my knees, I keep my chin up. "You're in a bad mood, aren't you? Not getting enough dick these days?"
This is something I would never, ever say on my usual days. I mean, girls can be mean and be in sour moods and that can be unrelated to sex. Besides, having dick doesn't mean you're happy with said dick. But I've been dragged away from my mates into a dark, cold tunnel, then out of it, nausea taking over as I'm forced to walk with my hands behind my back. Donatello betrayed me, I was kidnapped, and life is not looking up.
I am in a bad mood, and it's not even for lack of a good fuck. I had one of those, and it was amazing.
TheCollector— whose name I will, from now on, use as a low insult — leads the way with his overcoat swishing behind his back like we're window shopping together. It almost doesn't feel like I have a knife to my throat, but that's a filthy lie.
"What's your plan now?" I spit his way, having a hard time getting to my feet without using my arms. The harder I try not to look pathetic, the worse it gets. "Keep me in a tiny cage? Throw me some scraps or food, or maybe I'll have a ration every day in a tin plate, just like in prison."
The irony isn't lost on me. Everything we went through was so I could escape prison. And here I am, about to get into another sort of cell, as unmotivated as I was in the beginning. Worse; whatever rules prisons have, this one looks like it ignores them completely.
After we crossed that weird swirling purple portal, a long, dark corridor waited for us. I was too busy trying not to lose my teeth, so I didn't give two shits about the decoration in the dim light. Once we take a turn and a huge hall opens in front of me, it's impossible not to stop and stare. My jaw hangs, and I won't even pretend I'm not awestruck.
The Collector whirls around to face me. A smile lights up his face, and he opens his arms, motioning for the surrounding halls. "Welcome! Welcome to my beautiful Menagerie!"