“IT’S BEEN A week, Maksim,” Blaze said unhappily, frowning at the door to the cabin on the Asenguard property. The house was more of a luxury guesthouse than a cabin, but it was made of logs, was two stories with a wraparound deck. “Emeline won’t talk to me about what happened. She barely says anything at all.”
Maksim reached for her hand, threaded his fingers through hers and drew her close, her front to his side, tucking her beneath his shoulder protectively. The moment Blaze woke each rising, before anything else, she checked her friend. The last thing she did before she went to sleep was reach out to her as well.
Blaze pressed her face against his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt. “I’m so worried about her. Emeline and the children. But it’s Emmy I don’t know how to reach.”
Maksim looked up at the closed door of the cabin. Emeline was safe on the Asenguard property. Tariq had a sweet setup. He’d been there long enough to establish himself. His safeguards were strong, and when Maksim had joined in his efforts there to fit into the world and the century they lived in, he had added his protection to Tariq’s property first and then, when he’d acquired the land bordering Tariq’s, his own. Together they bought and slowly renovated a nightclub.
“Tariq has provided a good counselor for the children. They were living on the streets and now they have a good home. Tariq’s boathouse is safe. I set up safeguards so the baby cannot possibly have an accident and fall into the lake. They understand that as long as they are on this property—or ours—we will protect them. Tariq is arranging for a teacher to educate them. They will have everything we can provide for them to be healthy and happy,” Maksim assured her.
He began walking her away from the cabin. She loved Emeline and he couldn’t reassure her that her Emmy was going to be all right. Only time would do that. Vadim could talk to her. Whisper to her. Try to draw her out into the open. None of them had the power to stop that. Eventually the master vampire would drive her mad if the Carpathians couldn’t figure out a way to stop him. They could protect the air around and above the compound, but they couldn’t stop a master vampire—one who had exchanged blood with his victim—from getting inside her head.
“I have no idea how to help her. I don’t know if it did more than take her blood because she won’t tell me.” Knowing they were doing their best, but even that might not be good enough, Blaze asked, “Honey, what should I do?”
“You have to keep doing what you are doing, draga mea, keep going to her every day. She does not want to leave her house, that is fine. Just keep insisting she see you every single day. Tariq and I will keep trying to remove Vadim’s blood from her system. We will take each day as it comes. That is all we can do for now.”
Blaze sighed softly. “I’m so grateful I have you, Maksim. Thank you for getting her back for me.”
“It was a team effort, Blaze. We had no idea Vadim and Sergey Malinov were anywhere close, let alone in our city. Their operation is enormous. It could take years to ferret them all out and destroy them. This will not happen overnight, and Emeline will not heal overnight, either. The children were traumatized. She was as well.”
“She knew what would happen to her and she still went into those tunnels,” Blaze whispered. Her fist tightened in his shirt. She pressed closer to his warm, hard body. “I couldn’t get out in time to stop them from taking her. Even being Carpathian, I couldn’t do it.”
“We prevented Vadim from taking her,” Maksim pointed out. “She is here in the compound. We have Danny, Amelia, Liv and little Bella. Val Zhestokly is in the ground being healed. So is Tomas. The ancients gather each rising and supply him with blood. Mataias is searching neighboring cities for signs of another lair. We’ve sent word to Andre to come here to help us. We will take care of her.”
“I didn’t get to her in time,” Blaze repeated.
“I think you did just fine, Blaze. We destroyed Reginald Coonan and all of the Hallahan brothers. You exposed all of us to a terrible threat, allowing us to do our jobs in the future. Emeline made her choice, and it was her choice. She has the respect and protection of half a dozen ancient hunters and hopefully more will come to aid us. She went into those tunnels to get those children out and she succeeded with your help. She took that chance and we got her out. At this point, Blaze, we have to call that a success.”
Blaze nuzzled his chest. He was right. The vampires were gone, but she knew they wouldn’t stay gone. All of them knew it. Vadim would be coming back at some point, when he determined he was strong enough to take on Emeline’s protection, or, hopefully, when he decided Emmy wasn’t worth his trouble and he moved on to a different plan.
“Tariq will have legal guardianship over the children in another few days. One of the Carpathian techs is making certain of that. No one will be able to dispute his claim. Danny and Amelia are very happy to stay within our protection. They know what is at stake,” Maksim said. “They are good kids and the girls have tested very high for psychic abilities. Vadim chose his victims carefully.”
“He was tracking hunters,” Blaze pointed out. “Warning other vampires to move out of an area if a hunter came into it. He’s very sophisticated and has really incorporated the use of technology into his plans.”
Maksim took a deep breath. “That was part of our downfall, Blaze. We studied the world around us, but we kept to ourselves. None of us believed that the vampires would be able to overcome their need for cruelty and selfishness in order to band together. Vadim recruits the very young. They do not want to wait for a lifemate. They see the ancients still do not have one and they want to take a shortcut. He exposed the weakness in our society and word has been sent to the prince. We need to correct our mistakes immediately.”
He wrapped his arms around Blaze and took them both into the air, back toward their home. I have need of you, sufletul meu, he whispered into her mind.
Intimate. Sexy. Hungry. Predatory even. She shivered. She loved that—the way he poured himself into her, filled her mind with him. Filled her heart with him. She wanted him deep in her body, connecting them.
Blaze turned her face up to his. Ready for him. Always ready for him. The future was a little dark, but she was a warrior and she would stand with him to protect Emeline and the children. He would always make her world bright no matter what was happening around them.
I love you, Maksim. Always know that. I love you.
His face went soft, his eyes warm. His mouth curved into a smile. I love you, Blaze. His voice was tender, and when his mouth took hers, she ignited for him. Because he was her world now. She was his everything.