Heya all!

This chapter is dedicated to Gaister for being my 1600th fan! Thank you all for making that possible.

Now enjoy the chapter and please remember to vote if you like my work.

Love,

Robin

'Where is she!' I growled out at the vampire in front of me. He was one of Seratin's men and a damn good spy and because of that I'd allowed him to drive Amelia home from school. I'd have felt much better if it had been Jaden or Seratin himself but they were both busy trying to locate Mattis.

The man bend his head and brushed his knuckles against his forehead. 'Forgive me my Lord, I arrived just as you send her out. They must have taken her right from the parking lot in school.'

None of the guards had seen her leave the building or leave with anyone. But then they'd all been watching for threats from outside of the school, no one had been paying attention to my Mate.

I cursed out loud in my native language, it was my own fault for thinking it was safe enough to let her walk out alone! With all the threats directed at her and Jake... I should have been watching her like a hawk! In fact I shouldn't have allowed her to come back to school for this last week.

I'd been selfish in wanting to keep her close when I did feel obligated to go and say goodbye to the students. So it was all my fault that she'd been taken now.

Seratin stood behind the vampire and nodded, 'We're doing the best we can my Lord. All my men located in this area are making sweeps and trying to track her by scent. I've even got the Crone working on it with a detection spell. It was good of you to work with her to reinforce the Witch community in this town.'

'You are absolutely sure you cannot contact her mentally?' Jaden asked carefully. He absently patted the vampire on his back as he send him out of the room, his way of reassuring the man that he wasn't going to be punished.

'Of course I am!' I gritted out. Yet I still scrambled around in my mind trying to find hers and the connection between us. There was absolutely nothing though and that was very frightening, our bond had gotten exponentially stronger since the marking... But now there was nothing.

Missy behind me piped up, 'Of course he can't! They are blocking us from tracing her in any way. That's why I'm sure not even Elliot's grandma can find her. I've tried several times as well but I keep coming up blank.'

I knew she was right and I'd known that was the case from the start but it was still a relief that the absence of the bond didn't mean she was dead. Or that they'd somehow completely severed it.

Sammuel strode into the room with a grim look on his face. 'Everyone close by has arrived and Elliot is working on teleporting the most skilled fighters we can relocate here. We can strike at full force in less than half an hour.'

The Viking pulled his blade from his scabbard and nodded at us as he swung it around a few times, as if flexing, preparing himself for battle. 'If you wish to pull out even more men we can do so and be ready in an hour, I have a feeling Thornten has found an unlikely ally.'

'Jessica...' I nodded, 'Amelia must be back at the Taylor house where that Siren pulls the strings. I knew I should have left her for dead with those vampires before.'

It was the only logical explanation. Jessica knew about me and Amelia and Sirens were notorious for their ambition and manipulation. They needed to sleep with a different partner regularly or they'd die, it was their form of food if you will. A different kind of vampire because they sucked out a man's energy during coitus.

This Jessica was a very ambitious one indeed and she had a daughter that she could use to do all her dirty work. Eliza must have somehow tricked Amelia in to coming with her, or maybe she'd managed to drag her out of school.

I'd assumed the girl was harmless, since she'd toned down her powers in school and dressed properly now. She'd even stuttered out a vague apology to me after class today, declaring that she had seen the light and didn't want to come between Amelia and me.

It must have been some sort of a diversion, and it had worked too! But bloody hell she'd appeared so sincere and since the mating with Amelia I'd been so much more sensitive to the moods and feelings of other people...

'Seratin, have your men scope out the place, we need to move as soon as possible,' I hadn't even finished my sentence before the dark man fluidly started moving. He was out the door the second I finished with a determined look on his face.

Another realization dawned on me: 'I want to bet that bloody wolf is involved too. Jaden send someone to account for all the Were's in the area.'

Jaden nodded and all but ran out the door only to return a minute later with a nod, signaling me that he'd done as I said.

I couldn't stand still as I anxiously paced across the room, my fingers brushing over my own set of swords on the desk. I'd teleported them to me as soon as I heard the news that Amelia had gone missing. My hands itched to face the enemy, to carve a path through everyone responsible for this.

My unnatural heart was beating furiously now, pumping borrowed blood through my system at a much faster pace than usual. It made it even harder for me to control my anger, to keep my mind focused on the best way to find Amelia and get her back in one piece, unharmed.

'It's not unlikely that Jessica or Thornten will try to contact you soon Nate,' Lysander spoke up for the first time from his place beside the door. The dragon had been completely still as a statue, with smoldering black eyes and clenched fists.

It was why I knew I could trust him, why I knew he was a good person underneath all the swagger and bluster. The arrogant words and the disdain towards humans in general, it was all an act even he didn't see through himself.

Right now the boy was so furious that he had trouble containing his own anger. Only the thick layers of self-control imposed on him by himself and his family were keeping him in check now.

'They just did,' Missy said as she nodded towards the door.

At that moment it opened to admit another of my Taoiseach Dílseachta, a woman by the name of Anaya. 'Message came through, they got her Nate and Thornten demands you resign your position as Regis and hand the territory over to his son.'

I growled in frustration, 'He's never going to let me live... This is bullshit. Any confirmation on where he is right now and how many fighter's he's got with him?'

It was useless to do but still I reached out again mentally for Amelia, hoping in vain that I'd manage to get through to her somehow. I was rewarded by a dull aching at the back of my head, that definitely meant someone was blocking our bond. Whoever it was, was damn powerful too.

'Seratin will report back to you any minute now Nate,' Jaden spoke, reaching out to clasp my shoulder tightly and squeeze hard enough for a human to bruise. 'But my gut tells my you're right and she's there... From what we know Thornten can't have that many with him.'

I knew that, 'But you never know who else he's managed to get on his side. You know what people are like. Always looking for a way to improve their own position.'

'There's more my Lord,' Anaya said in her brusque no nonsense voice. 'They delivered the message in the form of Mattis...' For a moment there her breath faltered, it was barely noticeable but my senses easily honed in on the little sign of weakness, emotion.

'He's alive?' I asked and I felt a pang of surprise at the sound of my own voice. I sounded incredibly cold and uncaring, in fact I really felt a bit that way. It all didn't matter as long as Amelia was alive and unharmed.

She nodded slowly, 'Barely my Lord. He needs healing but Rayan is already on it... There's a lot of glass in his wounds that needs to be removed first.'

It was good to hear that one of the more capable healers amongst my employee's and subjects was taking care of the injured guard. Good to know that he was here to take care of the injured after the battle that was soon to ensue.

'Spit it out Anaya, you still haven't told me everything,' I told the woman, unable at the moment to sugarcoat my voice. To make myself sound nice and decent.

But she took it in stride and nodded, 'They demand you hand them Hayden my Lord. Hayden's life in exchange for Amelia's.'

A hushed silence fell across the room the instant her words left her mouth. Then all at once various male voices around me cursed in various languages, even Sam let loose a stream of colorful words.

It didn't surprise me though.

'That means their father is involved too,' I told my trusted Generals. 'The Demon has been unable to reach Hayden since he's been under my roof and is getting desperate. I suspect he has the ability to steal powers from others if he's allowed the chance... And he's been trying to create a Demon offspring that holds a certain power that could be incredibly destructive should he obtain it.'

'And Hayden has it,' nodded Sammuel in a guttural growl. 'The dirty bastard thinks to kill the boy and take it for himself.'

'Get in more fighter's, I don't care where you get them from as long as they're loyal.' The order left my mouth in a growl as I whirled to face Lysander, he was young but a mastermind at arranging any kind of logistics. Sammuel could do it but he'd be more effective here with me. The Jotun was good at calming my anger, a little.

He straightened immediately and touched his fist to his heart and then his forehead in a salute all of my Taoiseach Dílseachta had started to use. 'You can count on me,' he spoke and I sensed he was grateful to be given a job. The man couldn't stand waiting here for news any more than I could.

I saw Anaya cast a look over her shoulder at the door and I knew she too needed to be in action, I sensed she wanted to check up on the injured guard Mattis. Were they friends possibly?

'Go Ann, as long as you're ready for battle in a moment's notice I think it's alright if you check up on Mattis now. If he needs it I'll come to heal him,' I said and finally the rough edges had almost disappeared from my voice and I sounded more like my usual self.

Anaya didn't say a word as she darted out the door, her long hair whirling behind her and her leather clothes rippling as she moved. There were blades and knives strapped to her in practically every place possible but instead of looking ridiculous and heavy she made it look deadly and dangerous.

Anaya was the best knife thrower I knew off and she was bloody scary when pissed off and despite her clear disability she was more dangerous than most Angels I knew. Having been born without wings she had learned to be tougher than nails.

Because I too needed to be doing something I manifested my armor on the desk besides my weapons and started manually strapping the leather on. Around me I noted that Sammuel manifested his own set of armor straight on his body and that Missy and Jake were both getting their own armor and weapons ready.

Surprisingly so was Deidre with a very determined look on her face that only softened every time Jake looked at her. It was I suppose a relief to see that they had made up and forgiven each other for whatever had happened in the past.

Amelia had told me some of it but I knew she didn't want to share too much because it was private and painful. Mostly for Deidre she'd said.

I didn't hold back another angry growl as I saw images of Amelia hurt or dead dance before my eyes. We would save her, get her back in one piece unharmed, no matter the cost I vowed to myself.

All too soon I'd tied close the last lace on my arm braces, heavy boiled leather decorated with ancient Celtic symbol's no human understood the meaning off now a day's. Shin guards in similar fashion protected my legs over the silky supple leather pants.

I wore no shirt or chest guard as was common among the Celtic warriors of old, instead preferring the unfettered freedom of movement. My vampire skin infused with my own power could hold off any human weapon anyway. It was only Demon and Dragon fire that I needed worry about or possibly the claws of a Were... Not that Devon or his pups would get within touching distance.

The only thing that covered my chest now were the leather straps that held my swords, belted to my back. Easy to draw and sheath whenever I wanted, just like the dagger strapped to my hip and the set of knives I carried in a holster around my left thigh.

Missy appeared with a bowl of blue dye and a bowl of ocher dye beside me and smiled gently, 'For luck Nate.'

I nodded and allowed her to draw patterns of protection spells across my chest and back and arms in true Celtic warrior fashion. It was just like old times... When I would go out to fight another battle to keep my family safe. Only this time I had a horde of friends at my back.

Even Sammuel had allowed Missy to draw patterns across his breastplate and arms although he looked a little uncomfortable about it. I didn't see Deidre anywhere now but as we all made our way down to the lawn I spotted her right away.

Dressed in leather's herself and painted in Celtic spells she was putting the dye on each of the warriors standing on the lawn with a focused look on her face. Missy hurried to join her in the work and if I hadn't been so furious and anxious to get going I would have laughed.

All the men and women out there were seasoned warriors but they all allowed the two women to paint them blue and yellow. Several giving me frowns as if to say they didn't really appreciate the sentiment, but since I had donned the paints they each felt unable to decline.

Lysander's face in particular was priceless as Missy started her work of finger paint on his bare chest and back. While Jaden, now in panther form, was purring in contentment while Deidre ran paint across his black fur, creating beautiful blue and ocher swirls.

Seratin materialized from the dark beside me all of a sudden and nodded, 'She's there, place is swarming with wolves but they're mostly pups. There's an evil inside the house though and Thornten's men are patrolling the premises.'

The black man swept his eyes across the lawn to look at all the warriors gathered and nodded: 'We will manage. I see that there's more arriving every minute, good.'

'Let's move out!' I ordered.

~*~

After what seemed like hours had passed I finally heard footsteps coming down the stairs to the hole they'd locked me up in. I knew it couldn't have actually been hours because my stomach hadn't warned me for dinner yet but it felt like eternity.

It was cold and damp and even though it seemed like I'd found the connection between my mind and that of Tlanextic he had not responded. Nor had I noticed anything from Nathaniel... Where they really unable to find me? What was going on?

The sliding of bars against the door indicated that someone was opening the door and I backed away from it and turned my back to the wall. Making sure I could face whoever was coming in and that they couldn't surprise me.

The door swung open with a squeaking noise because the hinges were a little rusted and then Jessica strutted into the room wearing high heels and a swishing silky dress that made her look drop dead gorgeous. And drop dead you would if you let her sink her claws into you....

'Her she is Raïm,' she said huskily, clearly putting up her best seductive act towards the man that followed her into the room.

He was of average height but that was all that was average about him I noted as I took in his appearance. No older than thirty at the most I knew that looks could be deceiving and instead relied on the feeling of age that rolled off him.

He was old, at least twice as old as Nathaniel, of that I was sure...

His skin was pale and unblemished and flowed over a powerful physique, build for war and combat. As indicated by the dark clothes he wore only relieved by the flash of steel, a long thin blade at his side and heavy buckles on his boots.

Hair as white as snow fell sleekly across his forehead and over his ears but it was his eyes that got me the moment they turned to me and focused on my face.

A red so intense that it seemed his eyes were consumed in flames stared at me with such disdain and disgust that I stumbled back until I could feel the wall at my back. Thin lips quirked up just a little at my obvious shock and fear.

'Yes. Leave us Siren,' he spoke and my skin prickled as goose bumps broke out all over my body. I knew that voice!

Jessica hid her disappointment well and started out of the basement, daring to run a manicured hand over the Demon's chest in passing. He didn't hide the fact that he stared appreciatively at her backside as she made her way up the stairs.

Turning to me he smirked and stepped closer till I felt him crowd in on my personal space, my heart thumping erratically in my throat.

'She'll be dead before all this is over but it would be a shame not to have a little taste before that happens don't you think?' he said to me as he lifted one pale hand to my face.

I turned my head sideways to avoid him but he reacted with a growl, then suddenly his hand was around my throat and he lifted me off my feet. Gasping for breath I clutched at the fingers digging into my skin and crushing my windpipe.

'You've been out of my grasp for far too long little one,' he growled, squeezing his fingers a little before suddenly releasing me and stepping back. Wheezing and gasping I fell to the floor, my throat a burning agony as I labored to get enough oxygen into my lungs.

I glared up at him, 'What do you want of me?'

'Of you? Nothing! You're absolutely useless, but you'll serve to get me the boy. I'm sure your Mate will hand him over in a heartbeat to save you,' he said gleefully.

'Never!' I exclaimed, knowing in my heart and soul that Nathaniel would never even consider it. He considered Hayden as much part of his family now as I was, Nathaniel wouldn't even sacrifice Deidre now because she was Jake's Mate.

'Oh but he already did little Angel,' the Demon in front of me spoke. 'He already agreed to our terms, hurts doesn't it? To see how even your Mate can be corrupted.'

I was shaking my head in disbelief even though it hurt my bruised throat, 'No, you are wrong! It's not true...'

'It's a pity you've been promised to the pup... Or I'd have had some more fun with you my daughter,' he spoke. Bending down he ran the nails of his hand across the bare skin of my throat, across the mark and I shivered in disgust, I knew better now than to pull away.

'Now I'm not supposed to damage you beyond repair...' he rolled his eyes as if he thought that was utterly ridiculous. 'At least you've done me proud by resisting coming here on your own accord,' another semi affectionate stroke of his hands across my skin.

I tensed completely and pulled my legs close to my chest, shame and guilt washing over me for my own stupidity. I had resisted but not hard enough, they'd still managed to get me into the car, without making a single sound of alarm.

He laughed a mirthless kind of sound and those flaming red eyes flared up brighter, I had a distinct feeling of heat on my face as he leaned in. Like a raging inferno heating up the room and my skin.