“To your mother and sister.”
“Where?”
When he didn’t answer, only continued walking, Vivienne gripped his arm and pulled him to a stop. He cut his eyes down to her hand and a scowl touched his lips but after seconds, he replied, “VIP lounge.”
Vivienne released him, and he shook his hand, as if shaking off her hold.
“This had better not be a—”
“The grand wizard is waiting for you.”
He’d cut her off from saying that it had better not be a setup, because Vivienne was in no mood for games. Her mother and sister were being held by a mad witch who craved power, and she was a druid who’d just found out that becoming enraged released powers that wreaked enough havoc to be called cataclysmic. If Maximilian Cronin thought that he was going to set her up, he had another think coming. Quite literally.
***
“Get away from me.”
Cassie felt helpless, because essentially…she was. Her powers were gone due to the chains securing her, making it impossible for her to get away from Alexander Petraeus. He could easily kill her, and she couldn’t even put up a semblance of a fight.
“You do not understand, Cassandre,” he began slowly, reaching out a hand as if to touch her. She flinched backward, wishing the chair behind her would give out so that she could escape. As if sensing her disgust, he withdrew his hand and took a step back.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see him. He only reminded her that this was all her fault. “Go away. Haven’t you done enough already?”
He didn’t answer, and after minutes of hearing the white noise of the jet’s engine, Cassie opened her eyes, thinking she’d dreamed him, or imagined him. She hadn’t, because he was still there. The only difference was that now he was perched on the edge of a seat, watching her.
“Why are you still here?”
“Because I want you to understand—”
“Understand what, Alexander? That you made me trust you, then betrayed me? That everything you’ve told me is a lie? God, how gullible you must have thought me, how stupid and ignorant and naïve.”
“I don’t think you are any of those things. You’re beautiful woman with a large, kind heart, a love of nature—”
“WHY ARE YOU HERE? You’re going to get everything you wanted. The druids will be resurrected. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
He didn’t deny it. “Yes.”
“Go away, Alexander.”
“I will allow nothing to happen to you.”
“I don’t believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”
“That is understandable.”
Cassie closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, intent on yelling at him for being the biggest ass she’d yet encountered, he was gone.
***
Once more, Conall tried his mental connection with Vivienne, and once more, he found her silent. She’d put up a mental block he couldn’t get through unless he wanted to hurt her. A curse left his lips.
After leaving Cronin’s covenant, and driving at break-neck speed back to Cedar Creek, he’d learned two things. His mate had not been kidnapped as no witch had been scented on the grounds, and Vivienne and Rafael had ridden off together to an airport. Sloan had tracked their scents to LaGuardia, and Conall followed. He had many questions, like why Vivienne would leave to go to Cronin without contacting Conall or why she went with Rafael, knowing what she knew of the were, but he was more concerned with locating her first.
Scanning the crowded airport, he closed his eyes and tried to pinpoint her scent. It was hard, especially around so many humans, with their random mixes of musk, perfumes, and other odors, and because it seemed like Vivienne’s scent was all over the airport. It was almost as if someone was purposely trying to throw them off, and Conall suspected that was exactly as it was.
“Through the double doors?” Raoul asked, his nostrils flaring as if he, too, was picking up on the same location. Their original group had grown in size and split into two upon arriving at the airport. Conall, Raoul, and about seven other weres had headed to Departures while Sloan and the rest had swarmed to Arrivals.
Nodding, Conall began a brisk walk in that direction. He heard Raoul’s voice, and knew he was alerting Sloan. Even though running would get them there much quicker, no one would do so. It was after all, the airport, and with the recent increase in security, the fact that Conall was on edge and not particularly fond of humans…. It would be better for all parties if they kept their pace to brisk walks.
Vivienne’s scent only grew stronger as they followed the unseen trail, which led them to two security officers, who took a look at them and shifted their hands to their guns. Conall was so pissed, he wasn’t in the mood to play nice with two frightened officers. If they wanted to reach for guns, so could he.