Kissed by Krista Street

Chapter 5

~ WYATT ~

The portal key dropped Nicholas and me off in a hallway. Only the corridors between the five gigantic libraries could be accessed if clearance had been preapproved to bypass the protective wards.

The underground libraries sat nestled under the city of Sofia. Humans that inhabited the streets above had no idea what lay beneath their feet.

“This way.” Nicholas didn’t waste any time. He whizzed toward the Sacramentum Library, one of the five humongous libraries that were protected in these ancient walls.

Around us, large columns rose, soaring thirty feet above. At their tips waited smooth stone. None of the gargoyles slept upon them, which meant it was still daytime here on earth.

Thank the Gods.

I didn’t say anything as I followed Nicholas. Time was of the essence since the seer was on her way to Shrouding Estate to see if she could detect anything about Avery’s whereabouts.

If she couldn’t find my mate, the only clue we would have lay here, in this underground monolith, and from the previous abduction cases I’d dealt with I knew the longer Avery went unfound, the more likely it was that she wouldn’t be alive when we located her. If we did.

My stomach seized, and everything inside me went cold.

No, I couldn’t think that way. I would find her.

We reached the doors to the Sacramentum Library, and Nicholas pushed his way through them.

Inside, several gargoyles were working with other gargoyle representatives and their clients. A few lifted their heads. Those that did sucked in a breath when we passed.

Their reaction wasn’t surprising. I was wearing my SF suit, which usually got a double-take, but I imagined Nicholas’s appearance was what really caused the stir. The vamp’s clothes were dirty and bloody. Not to mention, his hair was a mess. That was probably a first in centuries for the vampire.

Considering the man normally looked like a men’s fashion magazine model, I begrudgingly realized he hadn’t once complained about his soiled clothes.

“Master Godric!” Nicholas called when we neared the large stacks of ancient documents.

The gargoyle startled. He’d been standing by one of the stacks, perusing a shelf. A long cobalt-blue robe hung from his shoulders. He swiveled around toward us, the scroll in his hand forgotten. “Yes, Mr. Fitzpatrick?”

We came to a halt in front of him.

“I need the scroll that spoke about Lord Godasara’s favorite dwelling.” Nicholas put his hands on his hips. “Do you remember the one I’m talking about? We need it now. He’s abducted Avery Meyers, and it’s possible he’s taken her there. Do know where that scroll is?”

The gargoyle’s black eyes widened before he dipped his head. “I believe I do. I shall retrieve it immediately.”

I stood behind Nicholas, my heart thrumming wildly as the gargoyle scurried away. Waiting. I was waiting again. It made me feel so goddamned helpless.

An image formed in my mind. It was of those warlocks surrounding Avery, hurting her, using her. I growled, the sound nearly turning into a whine as my wolf once again threatened to break free.

Nicholas gave me a sympathetic look.

“What do you think they’re doing to her?” I asked. “Do you think we’re too late?”

The questions slipped out before I could stop them. I knew better than to think this way. I knew better than to let my head get trapped in the game of what if’s, but she was my mate. She wasn’t a normal protectee. As hard as I was trying to, it was impossible to detach myself completely from the emotions ripping through me.

“She hasn’t been gone that long.” Nicholas’s features softened. “She’s strong, Wyatt. Don’t forget that. You underestimate her. She’ll fight.”

I snapped my head back. “I don’t underestimate her.”

“Yes, you do.” He sighed when a warning growl cut from my throat. “I’m not saying this to anger you, but it’s the truth. I know you wolves are always so protective of your women, but most of them are not damsels in distress. It would serve your kind well to remember that.”

Shock rippled through me, and I had the nearly uncontrollable reaction to punch the vamp in the face. “Is that what you think of us?”

Nicholas clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the tall bookshelf in front of us. His cool act didn’t fool me, though. The tips of his fingers were twitching. “It’s not what I think of you, it’s merely an observation. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to protect your mate, but when those protective instincts become smothering, that’s when it’s a problem.”

“Smothering?” I forced my hands on my hips ’cause now I was really close to punching him. “Is this coming from you or Avery?”

It suddenly struck me that she and Nicholas had been in the Whimsical Room for several hours. Just the two of them. And considering the scene I’d walked in on had only just commenced, that meant they’d had several hours to talk to one another before the aphrodisiac had kicked in.

What exactly had they spoken about?

Nicholas kept his attention on the scrolls, fingering a few at times. “My comments aren’t coming from Avery. Not really. Although she did voice resentment about being in that room.”

I stopped breathing, feeling as if I’d been kicked in the gut. Were those the last feelings my mate had toward me? Anger and resentment?

Gods, how could I live with myself—

“But I’ve seen similar scenarios play out over the years,” Nicholas continued, none the wiser to how close I was to clawing my hair out. He eyed me, his blue eyes as bright as crystals. “I’ve lived more centuries than you, Wyatt. You’re not the first male wolf to act irrationally around his mate. And you’re certainly not the first wolf whose possessive nature ended in a detrimental downfall.”

My eyes narrowed, my anger at myself lobbying back to him. “I didn’t realize I asked for your opinion on my character.”

“You didn’t, but you also attacked me this afternoon when I had done nothing wrong. Yes, I fed from your mate, and for that I am truly sorry, but I was not in control of my senses when it occurred. Believe it or not, until Avery and I had drunk that poisoned beverage, I’d made an effort to stay away from her. I’d even declined her offers to sit on the bed beside her.”

“She invited you to the bed?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not sexually. She merely felt bad that I was sitting on the floor.”

“You stayed on the floor?”

“I did. Believe it or not, I meant you no disrespect, commander. I still don’t, and for once in your damned life, it would be nice if you recognized that.”

His venomous tone left me speechless.

He cleared his throat, his gaze flicking back to the scrolls. “Just like I never intentionally hurt your sister.”

My breath sucked in, but he continued.

“I’m not your enemy, Wyatt. The sooner you realize that, the better off we’ll all be. I’m here to work with you, not against you. Yes, I’m a vampire. Yes, I would love nothing more than to fuck your mate—” He held up his hand when a growl tore from my throat. “But I won’t do that. Would I have done that a few months ago when I first met her? Yes, I would have. In fact, I tried to, but that was before you had claimed her. She was still ripe for the picking then, and she responded to me most deliciously—”

“If you’re trying to repair things between us, you have a really funny way of doing it.” I advanced toward him.

He held his ground but raised a hand again. “I’m merely speaking the truth, commander. You’ve unfairly targeted me for years following that complete debacle regarding your sister. I’ve put up with it, only because I knew your intentions came from a good place—you wanted to protect Lassa, just as I know you also want to protect Avery. But again, I am not your enemy. I didn’t deserve how you treated me in the Whimsical Room, even if you were acting on instinct. I didn’t deserve that beating, and quite frankly, I’m sick and tired of being your scapegoat.”

He smoothed back his hair, his fingers catching in the strands still slicked with dried blood.

I kept my hands on my hips as I mulled over his words. I still didn’t know what to think of everything he’d said, but I didn’t get a chance to ponder it further because Master Godric hobbled toward us from a deeper place in the library.

“I’ve found the document you seek.” He held up the scroll in his clawed hand. “Let me show you.”

The gargoyle hurried over to one of the many tables dotting the areas between stacks.

I shot Nicholas another glance, still reeling from the tongue-lashing he’d given me. My wolf growled. Of course, he had focused on Nicholas’s crude comments about my mate, but my human side focused on the rest.

The part that said I’d used him as a scapegoat, and it was time I stopped.

It was possible the vampire had a point, but I didn’t have time to think about that now.

Nicholas and I flanked the gargoyle as he rolled out the scroll. My tablet buzzed in my pocket just as his clawed finger trailed down the parchment to an area with a picture of mountains, rocks, and trees.

I pulled out my tablet, a message from Wes appearing as the gargoyle said, “It says here that Lord Godasara spent most of his time in the Elixias Mountains near the end of his life. Those mountains held intricate cave systems. Some say the elf lord conducted hundreds of rituals there, spilling the blood of humans and fairies alike to feed his dark magic.”

My insides squeezed. My mate could have been taken to a remote location in the fae lands where human sacrifices had been made.

I finally read the message from Wes.

The seer has arrived at Shrouding Estate. They’re taking her to where Avery was abducted. Hopefully she’ll see where your mate is.

Mate. Wes had called Avery my mate.

A lump formed in my throat, making it hard to swallow. In a gruff voice, I said, “The seer’s at Shrouding Estate. I need to go back. Do you have maps of the cave system?”

Godric dipped his head. “We do, but I cannot guarantee how accurate they are.”

“Send what you have to the SF’s database immediately. Time is of the essence.”

“Of course. I’ll retrieve them now.”

After the gargoyle departed, I rounded on Nicholas. “Where exactly are the Elixias Mountains?”

“They’re three days travel from Bavar’s estate, in the far north. It will be cold this time of year, and that area is nearly uninhabitable.”

“Sounds like the perfect place to make sacrifices for dark magic.”

Nicholas inclined his head. “Indeed.”

“It also sounds like the perfect place to take a woman you’ve abducted. If nobody lives there, nobody will be a witness to anything.”

Icy shards grew in Nicholas’s eyes. “And if it’s where they conducted rituals previously, it does beg the question—”

He let his words hang, and it felt as if the wind got knocked out of me.

Because he was right.

If that was where the elf lord had resided thousands of years ago in order to conduct sacrifices to strengthen his dark magic, then one couldn’t help but wonder if that was what he intended to do with my mate.

I slipped my tablet back into my pocket, my hands shaking as alpha magic rolled through me. “We need to go. We’ve already wasted too much time here. If that’s where he’s keeping my mate, we don’t have a moment to spare.”