Fated Redemption [Kindred of Arkadia 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (20 page)

feel it through their bond. Thirty minutes later he looked at his watch.

“Abby, we better get going. Rhys will think we’ve forgotten him.” Moe flagged down Ma and put their

order in. The diner door opened and Rebecca stood there. Her eyes darted around the diner. Panic filled her

eyes. She looked from person to person and finally to Aleks.

“Please tell me you have him!” she cried. Aleks was up and moving in an instant.

“Becca, where is Aidhan?” he asked. His hands shook when they came away from her head bloody.

“I don’t know! I parked in my spot in front of the diner. I opened my door and dropped my keys.

When I stood back up someone hit me from behind. Where is he!” Rebecca wailed. Connor jumped the

counter and he and Duncan took off out the door. Maddox was beside Rebecca with gauze examining her

head.

Abby pushed tables out of her way to get to Rebecca’s side. Maddox had Rebecca follow his finger.

Abby could see that Aleks was torn between staying with his injured mate or joining the hunt for his son.

“Find my nephew,” Abby said. Aleks looked down at Abby and nodded. He kissed the top of Rebecca’s

head.

“I will find him.” He turned and ran out.

“I’d prefer to take her to the clinic,” Maddox said.

“Not without my baby. I’m staying here.” Rebecca adamantly refused to move. Sighing, Maddox

wrapped her head.

Gabriel, Liam and Bran were on their phones ordering wolves, lions and vampires to scour the town.

“He could be anywhere!” Rebecca sobbed. Her knees gave out and Abby and Maddox easily supported

her. They helped her to the chair next to Moe who wrapped an arm around Rebecca.

“We’ll find him, Rebecca,” Moe said soothingly. He was itching to get out there and find the son of a

bitch that took Aidhan. He was not only their next Arkadion, but he had somehow become their beacon of

light, a promised future of smiles and laughter. Looking around he knew that everyone in the diner felt the

same, until his eyes landed on Salsiby. The smaller man’s eyes shifted around the diner nervously.

Rebecca felt him tense and followed his line of sight to the weaselly-looking man. Without saying a

word she stood. Ma and Pa were so busy helping to organize search efforts they didn’t see the look in her

eyes. Now Moe understood what Abby had meant when she had retold the story about the swim team.

Right now Rebecca had baby psycho eyes.

Abby, seeing Rebecca’s face, put him between her and Rebecca and anyone who could stop them. She

followed her best friend as she walked to the lawyer. Rebecca reached into her purse and pulled out her

gun. Without even stopping, she used her fisted gun as brass knuckles and she punched Salsiby as hard as

she could.

His howl of pain silenced the diner. Seconds later Rebecca had her gun barrel to his forehead.

“Where is my baby?” she whispered coldly. There was no hysteria now. She was one pissed-off mother

doing whatever it took to find her baby. When Bran moved to intercede Moe placed himself directly in the

wolf Alpha’s path and shook his head. Surprisingly Maddox made no effort to intervene. In fact he stood

beside Moe blocking Bran and Liam from getting to Rebecca.

“I helped deliver that baby. If that bastard knows anything he better start talking, because even if her

shot doesn’t kill him, I’m not treating him.” Maddox’s eyes were teal. Here was the tiger, not the doctor, and

the tiger was protecting Rebecca’s cub.

“I don’t know!” Salsiby yelled, grabbing his nose, staring up in fear at the gun. Even though she was

human it was as if even Rebecca could smell the lie. She pressed harder. Everyone could see the indention

she was creating in his forehead by pressing so hard.

“I will give you until the count of three to tell me where my baby is and then I will kill you,” Rebecca

explained.

“You can’t the council…”

“The council can kiss my ass. I want my baby!” Rebecca screamed.

“You might not want to provoke the woman who is holding the gun to your head,” Abby said casually.

Moe could feel it through their bond that no matter what happened, Abby would stay by Rebecca’s side,

even if it meant banishment.

“One.”

“I don’t know!”

“Two.”

“Please, I don’t know anything!” he screamed. Rebecca tilted her head to the side and pulled back the

hammer cocking the gun. Behind them the happy tinkling of the diner door’s bells seemed out of place.

“Moe,” was the pain-filled whisper that had everyone turning their eyes from Salsiby to the door. Moe

felt ice flood his veins. Peyton stood leaning against the doorway, blood dripping down the side of his face.

He had left the bar. He left the bar!

“Peyton, what happened? Where is Rhys?” Moe moved faster than he could ever remember moving to

get to the smaller man’s side.

“Gone. I heard something in the bar area so I paused my game. Someone came up behind me and

knocked me out. When I woke up I went upstairs to find Rhys because I was scared, but he’s not there.”

Peyton swayed. Maddox pushed Moe out of the way and began examining Peyton.

“That abomination has the Arkadion heir. I told you! I told you didn’t I? He has a taste for blood now

after mating. He has drunk straight from the source, he can’t be trusted now. He’ll kill us all!” Salsiby yelled

dramatically. Abby decked him without even turning her eyes from Peyton effectively quieting the man.

“Rhys is gone,” Abby whispered, her terror-stricken eyes met Moe’s. He closed the distance between

them and pulled her in his arms.

“We’ll find them. We’ll bring them home.” Moe kissed Abby and they both helped Rebecca to a chair.

Peyton’s arrival and knocked the fight out of the tiny woman.

“I’m going to help in the search.” He was about to head out the door when Connor, Duncan and Aleks

came back in.

“Fresh snow covered the tracks, it’s a wet snow, the scent is gone too,” Connor said quietly.

Rebecca began to wail. Aleks walked over and dropped to his knees in front of her. She wrapped her

arms around his neck.

“Bran, Liam. Widen the search. Check the woods,” Pa said, holding Ma close.

“He’s innocent, I know he is,” Abby whispered as Moe rocked her back and forth.

“Fate. Please. If you’re listening, if my baby is with Rhys, please help Rhys to save him,” Rebecca

sobbed.

Moe prayed right along with her.

“That monster has probably already drained him dry,” Salsiby muttered.

This time it was Aleks who punched the small man, and from the sound his fist made, it would be a

while before he got back up again.

* * * *

Rhys opened his eyes. Or he thought he did. All he saw was darkness. He blinked slowly and his eyes

adjusted to what little light there was. He was in a room. A cold room. He could smell earth. He went to sit

up and groaned. His back was killing him. He reached around and felt for a wound. Whatever it was had

healed but he knew it had been bad. He had been stabbed deeply. He could tell since his clothes were sticky

and drenched in a lot of his blood. He felt hunger begin to gnaw at him. He had used what precious little

blood he had to heal. He needed to feed. He looked around and slowly was able to make out tall shapes,

like bookcases. There was only one small window high up on one wall. Moonlight streamed in through the

dirty panes. He took a deep breath. He smelled something familiar. A second later he heard a tiny cry, his

eyes widened. Lying in the center of the moonlight on the floor was baby Aidhan. He crawled over to the

child. Hands shaking, he made sure he wasn’t hurt. He saw no marks on the baby, but Aidhan’s little hands

were like ice. He went to scoop him up but hesitated. The hunger made itself known again. Shaking, he

backed away.

“No,” he whispered. He would not feed from an infant. The addiction, compounded by severe blood

loss, turned his hands into claws as his fangs cut through his gums.

“No.” Still, Aidhan whimpered and cried. How long could the baby survive in this cold? Hours?

Minutes? Rhys’s mouth watered and he swallowed again and again. He was so hungry. Maybe just a tiny

sip?

“No! No! No!” Ragged scream after ragged scream filled his throat. In the background he heard

Aidhan’s cries. The poor thing was scared to death.

And he should be. He’s trapped with a monster.

“I’m not a monster. I’m not. I won’t hurt this baby, even if it kills me,” Rhys whispered. He dragged

himself over to Aidhan and gently picked him up and held him close. In the moonlight he could see

Aidhan’s face. The tiny child calmed down the instant he was picked up. He looked up at Rhys, blinking his

purple eyes.

“Okay, kiddo, it’s just you and me.” Rhys stood and bounced Aidhan in his arms. He had to move

slowly since he was weak from blood loss. But after a while he had checked the entire room. Of course

their captors had not left any way out. The door at the top of the stairs was locked, even throwing his

weight against it, it wouldn’t budge. Whoever had taken them wanted him trapped so he would feed on the

baby. He slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor.

“We just have to wait for your momma. I bet she is with Moe and your Aunt Abby right now figuring

out what happened. You’ll see. We just have to wait.” Rhys tucked the baby close against his body.

Out of nowhere a sense of motherly love filled him. The pain and hunger from the addiction was gone.

He felt a peace like he had never known before. In that instant he knew that no matter what he would do

whatever it took to get them out of here alive.

Fate had plans for them both.

* * * *

Around her, Rebecca heard voices. They planned search patterns and perimeter checks, but she didn’t

care. All she wanted was her baby. Aleks was standing with Bran and Liam coordinating efforts. Abby and

Moe could feel that Rhys was awake, but could not pinpoint where their mate was.

“He won’t hurt your baby,” a melodic voice said. Rebecca turned her head. It was as if each movement

was in slow motion. Gabriel kneeled beside her.

“I want my baby, Gabriel. Please find my baby,” she whispered. She saw the pain and helplessness flare

in his eyes.

“I swear I will find the ones who took our children.” He took both her hands in his. She had forgotten.

Rhys was like a son to Gabriel, he was the only other person besides Aleks who could possibly understand

her pain. She just nodded. The whole world was muted. It was as if she was wrapped in soft cotton. All her

senses were dull.

“Is she okay?” she heard Gabriel ask.

“She’s in shock, but I dare not move her to the clinic. Another bout of hysterics could shut her down,”

she heard Doc say. She nodded, agreeing with him. She would probably lose her mind if she left the diner

without her son. They moved away from her.

“
My dear. My dear. Oh don’t you look a fright
,” a soft voice said. Rebecca tried hard to focus on the

figure before her.

“Someone took my baby.” Even to herself her own voice sounded so far away.

“
Poor dear
.” The nearly transparent figure clucked her tongue.

“Who is she talking to?” she heard Abby ask.

“Better get Doc.” She watched Moe walk toward Doc.

“
That pretty young man has him, dear
.”

“Who?” Rebecca asked.

“Who, what Rebecca?” Abby asked, her face looking concerned.

“
That pretty young man you showed me on your little box. They are in my basement.
”

Rebecca felt the world suddenly come rushing back into focus. Smells returned and sounds slammed

back into her.

“Oh my god! I know where he is!” she yelled. Everyone in the diner was staring at her like she was

crazy but she didn’t care, she had to get to her baby!

“Thank you, Ms. Whittaker!” Rebecca jumped up, heading to the door. Abby caught her arm.

“Where are they?”

“Ms. Whittaker says Rhys and Aidhan are in her basement!” There was a rush of movement and

Rebecca and Abby left the diner at a run, Aleks and Moe and Gabriel right behind them.

* * * *

They were almost to the house when Abby heard it. The voice of an angel. Note after note blended

together and lifted to the heavens. She and Rebecca stopped and listened. They tried the door only to find it

locked. Moe came up behind them and, not even stopping, pulled the door from the hinges and threw it

aside. Abby was impressed, that was an extremely heavy door that her mate had thrown like a Frisbee.

They followed the sound of the song to the kitchen. This time Aleks leaned back and with one kick

destroyed the door. Abby followed Rebecca into the darkness to the ones their hearts were desperate to

hold. Behind them light flooded the room as everyone gathered together with their flashlights and lanterns.

Rhys, hearing the door kick in, had stood. He was drenched in blood and so was Aidhan.

“I told you! He has killed the Arkadion!” Somehow Salsiby had joined them in the basement. Before