I was his Alpha and he was asking for my acceptance, even if he wasn’t asking for my permission.
“Danny, my Alpha instinct is to keep you here and protect you until we come up with a plan, but my heart understands. Nothing would keep me from going after Rourke. I’m not sure you’re going to find her, but you have my blessing to try. We’ll be right behind you as fast as we possibly can.”
He drew me into a quick embrace. “You being my Alpha feels right,” he whispered in my ear, “and as we move forward, you have my fealty, as well as Naomi’s. I won’t make another troth to your father now, so you’re stuck with me, for better or worse.”
I pulled back. “I appreciate that, Danny. Our bond is strong and I’m thankful to have you behind me. I’ll let my father know. I don’t think there will be an issue.”
“I’m taking a boat.” He moved to the closest one. “I’ll head back to where we went into the priestess’s lands the first time. I hope like hell she will let me in. If anything, I will try to delay whatever she has planned by wreaking havoc where I can.”
“Promise me you’ll keep your wits about you, even if you see Naomi in pain. That’s the most important part.” I remembered clearly how I felt when I found Rourke in Selene’s cave. “I know you’re wily, but you need to keep your emotions in check for this. If you lose control, you’ll be vulnerable.”
“I will try my best.”
“Like I said, we’ll be right behind you. Play the sorceress’s game as long as you can.”
He gave me a two-finger salute as he pushed off from the trees. Without glancing back, he turned on the motor, maneuvered the boat around, and took off.
Once he was out of sight, I made my way to Rourke, who pulled me into his arms immediately and murmured, “You did the right thing. Nothing could’ve kept him here.”
“Then why does it feel like I just sacrificed him to the bokor?”
“He may prove just what we need to upset the apple cart over there. Your dad is getting making plans to move as we speak. We’ll be right behind him.”
We found the wolves deep in conversation. Someone had managed to pick up the fetish from the walkway, and it sat in the middle of the table. It was ugly and crudely made. I shuddered.
My father said, “So it turns out the goddamn sorceress can render us all unconscious. I hadn’t guessed that she was capable of that much power. That was my mistake. None of us have any recollection of the nights when she took the wolves, not even a trace.”
“I was knocked out too, but she woke me up,” I said as I pulled out a chair and sat. “She wanted me to know—she wants me in her lands. I just wish I knew why she chose Naomi and not another wolf. It doesn’t make sense. She wants wolves to control and humans to change into Made wolves, but why would she want a vampire? I don’t think she can turn Naomi into a wolf.”
“If this fetish is any indication”—Rourke gestured to Naomi’s likeness—“I think she’s telling us she plans to take Naomi’s power and transfer it into one of those for herself.” Rourke stood behind me, hands resting on my shoulders. “Naomi is now an incredibly powerful vampire, thanks to your blood. The priestess or the bokor wants that power.”
It made me sick to think about it. I addressed my father. “I let Danny go after her.”
My father crossed his arms. “That’s a tactical disadvantage and Daniel Walker knows better than to do something like that.”
“I did it because she’s his mate.”
I glanced over at Tyler as I said it. He ran a hand through his hair, so like our father, but he didn’t look at all surprised. “I knew she was his mate, but Danny wouldn’t talk about it. For a while I was pissed off for him. A vamp for a mate is a shitty draw if you ask me. But once I got to know Naomi, I realized they are actually great together. And damn if she isn’t as fierce and loyal as a wolf. It makes sense in a strange way. His guts must be in his throat. Even if you had made him stay, he would’ve found a way to slip out. That’s Danny.”
“Daniel will have a hard road ahead of him with a vampire for a mate,” my father said. “I don’t know her well, but they have my blessing.” That was all he had to say on the matter. Then he turned to me. “James and Marcy are on their way.”
“I want to leave shortly after they arrive,” I said. “Backing Danny up is our number one priority.”
“We go as soon as they get here, but if Marcy can brew the spells you were talking about, it would be in our benefit to let her do that.” My father leaned forward. “Now that we know the bokor is strong, there’s a good chance she can separate us if we poise an attack, and I don’t know how to prevent that from happening. If Marcy has a good idea, we’ll have to listen to her.”
Rourke addressed my father. “I have no idea how to kill a bokor, do you?”
“I might know a thing or two.” Nick’s voice carried ahead of him. I’d heard two boats come up to the landing, but I’d assumed it was some of my dad’s wolves escorting James and Marcy.
“Nick!” I yelled, jumping up to give him a hug. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“Jess,” he said, gripping me tightly, before letting go. His brown curls were tousled around his head and his amber eyes bright. It appeared like my father had raised the alarms and called in his wolves. “I think it’s safe to say I’m the one who’s happy to see you. When I heard you were here, I was ecstatic. A round-trip ticket to the Underworld is quite impressive.”