Chapter 4: Looking For Her
1563 Words
-Ronan-
The vampires took her, they said, I mused. That meant some highborn definitely had her stored away somewhere. I couldn’t believe some lowborn would somehow be told of her whereabouts. That knowledge didn’t circulate in their circles. It had to be a highborn, and I would figure out who, so I could snap their neck for not delivering her to me directly.
Luckily, I knew who to go to. I didn’t just have close friends in the wolves’ world, but also in the vampires’, and I bet Derrick had to know, even if he wasn’t involved. However, I would deal with Colum and the other alphas later. In that moment, I needed to know what the hell was going on and if there really was a hybrid female out there.
As a hybrid, I could travel around during the day, but the sun stung quite badly in my eyes, and my skin prickled a little where my clothes didn’t cover. I didn’t let it bother me much as I walked to Derrick’s house.
It was a lowborn servant who opened the door, and she made sure to step back as far as she could to avoid the sunlight. I didn’t wait for her to invite me in. I simply walked inside, allowing her to close the door.
“Where is he?” I inquired.
“In his bedroom, my King,” she informed.
I knew where that was. I walked up to the highest floor. The windows here were all made from glass, where the UV rays couldn’t penetrate, so there was no longer any reason to hide underground. Yet I wasn’t polite and didn’t knock. Derrick must have heard me anyway because he was standing by one of the windows covered by long dark curtains, a drink in each hand.
“What do I owe the visit?” he asked.
“Cut the crap,” I stated and walked over to him, taking the drink and downing it in one go before placing it on a small coffee table nearby.
He merely smiled a little at me, continuing the act he had practiced for years and years. He was the youngest vampire ever to have been made head of its council. Hybrids once had their own council as well, but one day there were so few of us we didn’t need one.
“I hope you will be a little more specific,” he stated.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
His smile turned smugger. He knew what I was speaking of. Of course, he did. He couldn’t be the Head of The Vampire Council and not know.
“Who?” he countered.
“Don’t play with me right now! First, I learned today the councils have been keeping secrets from me, then I figured out that apparently a hybrid female might actually exist, and then I learned that not just one of my closest friends, but two of them knew about her. Care to explain yourself?” I interrogated.
“Well, I never liked Colum,” he admitted and took a seat by the huge seating area in his room.
I followed him and sat down in front of him on another couch. Derrick was only wearing a pair of pants, clearly having to hurry out of bed, but even now he looked as put together as always.
“Don’t play with me. Not now. Not when I am close to ripping heads from necks...” I growled lowly.
He seemed to understand I wasn’t in the mood to joke.
“We were just keeping her safe,” he defended.
“Really? From the wolves?”
“They weren’t treating her properly,” he justified.
I narrowed my eyes, my instincts not liking to hear this. Even if I hadn’t met her, I was already becoming protective of her.
“Then I sure hope you are!” I growled.
However, he didn’t seem so sure. It felt as if he was holding something back.
“She likes to run,” he revealed. “We have had to... keep her in check.”
I certainly didn’t like hearing this!
“Where is she?” I demanded, the ground shaking beneath our feet from the power in my voice.
“In a safe place,” he replied.
“Derrick!”
He sighed. “You know I don’t trust the wolves. I wanted to make sure you were actually introduced to her.”
“You really think they didn’t want that?” I challenged.
We both knew everyone wanted me to meet her. There was no doubt about that. It all came down to who wanted the glory of introducing us, and I couldn’t believe both Colum and Derrick had fallen that deeply into this social climbing bullshit.
“Tell me it wasn’t your idea to take her away!” I said, my voice strained.
“I supported it,” he admitted.
I sighed and shook my head.
“I will beat the living s**t out of you and Colum!” I told him harshly. “Now tell me where the f**k she is!”
“Not here.”
“You don’t f*****g say!” I growled. “Where?”
“The old jail. Your family’s old estate,” he informed.
“You put her in that f*****g dungeon!” I yelled, rising from my seat.
My family once had a house that was turned into a jail, but we had stopped using it after times started to change, and we needed to build a much more secure one, while still keeping it out of sight from humans. It was made in town, but it looked like a normal mansion on the outside with excellent security on the inside.
“Is she alone there?” I demanded.
“We got people watching her,” he informed me.
“Watching her? Not taking care of her?” I was so f*****g pissed. Could he not see he was walking on thin ice here? Everyone was!
“Listen—"
“Listen? You want me to f*****g listen right now? You are all driving me insane!” I yelled.
I ran a hand through my short light brown hair, not sure what to think right now. It felt like my world was being flipped upside down today, and the worst part was I still didn’t know if this hybrid really existed, and it was just... it was getting to me.
I really wanted to see her…
Everything in me needed to see her, and not because I wanted her as my second mate or queen. It was the hybrid instinct. I needed to make sure she was safe, now more than ever, because we were most likely the only ones left.
No, I thought. We were the only ones. We had to be. No more hidden hybrids, I was certain of it. This world had already been combed for them, but then how did she stay hidden? I had so many questions, which was why I needed to talk to her.
“I am going to see her,” I said firmly.
“Of course,” Derrick agreed, not even trying to stop me. “But just, hold on, before you go...”
“What now?” I snapped.
He stood up, holding up his free hand, showing he wasn’t here to fight me. Yet I was close to punching him, so he had better choose his words carefully.
“She is a bit of a wild one,” he warned.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“She can seem a bit hostile.”
“You don’t f*****g say when you have her locked up!” I retorted, my frustration mounting.
He shook his head.
“She already bit a chunk of someone’s arm off,” he disclosed.
So maybe she was a bit wild, but again, not such a surprise, considering she had been taken away against her will.
“She knows why we took her,” he continued.
“And?” I prompted.
“And she seems to hate you.”
“What?” I asked, taken aback.
I had never met the woman, and now I was learning she hated me.
“How do you know this?” I inquired.
“Well, she said some not very nice things about you, as she thought we were transporting her to you,” he explained.
I sighed, shaking my head.
“I would be careful,” he added. “Don’t let her out of her chains just yet.”
“You chained her up?” I exclaimed, disbelief coloring my voice.
Derrick looked a little guilty, but he ended up replying with a shrug. I continued to shake my head.
“When I have made sure she is all right, you and Colum will be punished for this! Everyone who was a part of this will!” I vowed, my anger simmering.
I turned around to leave, but then Derrick called out to me, “You know there is a chance she might be your mate.”
I slowly looked over my shoulder.
“Just be prepared when you go see her.”
“There is only one for me,” I said, my voice heavy with emotion, as I looked at the door. “And she is gone.”
- Writer
