Grim Echoes

Chapter 65 - Will

Will got onto the road. Thankfully Maeve had left the keys in the SUV when she'd left it. Ander twisted in his seat again to check on her, to see if she'd woken up yet. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That'd not gone the way he'd hoped. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and smiled when the propane tanks exploded. Not as satisfying as it would've been if they'd been close to see the damage or if any bloodbags got caught in the shrapnel. He gritted his teeth.

You need to track the abomination. She still lives. The guttural voice in his head demanded.

Every part of him wanted to turn the SUV around and track Thana down until he found her. Didn't matter, she was more powerful cause the sun had set. Wanted her in pieces. Turning kids into monsters, like her former mate, bitch needed to die. His fingers locked around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Couldn't go back now, was fucking stupid.

Why hadn't Ander talked him down? He'd always calmed him when he was like this. Ander knew once he got the scent of something how hard it was to stop. He turned to his cousin. His face was blank, but his lip trembled. Fuck, he was losing it right now? Will moved his eyes back to the road. Normally after killing monsters, even if the mission went sideways, he'd feel better. He felt worse. Twisted bitch had converted kids. Their blood was on his hands now. He blinked to clear the images out of his head. At least for now. Will accepted they'd find him over and over for the rest of his days, no matter how much he drank, and it was that bitch's fault.

Find her and end her.

Shut the fuck up! He yelled in his mind.

His hand twitched when he reached for his flask, had to turn the volume down in his head. Couldn't deal with the internal dickalog right now. How was Maeve not controlled by Thana? Thana could've overrun his or Ander's mind, she'd chosen not to, just to fuck with them but she'd actually tried to force her will on Maeve. His eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror. Maeve was still out in the back seat. His stomach bottomed out again.

When they'd got caught by the bloodsuckers because that bitch Thana knew it was them, it was ok. Wasn't ideal but they still had things under control, could've taken the hive. They had a turncoat on their side. But Maeve got mind-fucked out of the SUV, because Mort, that prick, got in her head. Her showing up, exactly what he didn't want to happen. Changed everything. Needed to ask her how Mort got into her head when Thana couldn't. Glad Mort burned with the rest of 'em. He gripped the steering wheel and stared ahead.

"Will we need to pack when we reach the motel?" Ander asked in a distant voice.

"No. She's on the run. Her hive's dead. She's vulnerable." Thana would run until there were miles and miles between them and she could rebuild her hive, which took time. "Won't be the last we see of her. She's got more reason to hate us than she did Wyatt."

Wyatt may have destroyed her mate, but they took out her hive. Unless he wasn't getting it with bloodbags, mates could be replaced. They had all eternity. Hives, especially controlled hives, took years to create.

Destroy her. The voice barked at him.

Will clenched his jaw to not punch something.

"Yes," Ander sounded more like himself. "I know you mentioned calling Mason before but,"

"Yeah, that's pretty much off the table now." Will pulled one hand off the steering wheel and rubbed the back of his head. "The demons, could've been handled, but then the angel showed up and fuck me, now this. Thana's not gonna forget her or that she's with us," was like he'd been shot in the gut. No escape now.

"No Thana will not. So you accept that Maeve must travel with us?"

"Yes Ander, I fucking accept it. I'm not happy about it. It complicates shit it so many ways I can't even." Will stopped and wasn't sure how to finish. Wanted Maeve gone. She had to fucking go. Couldn't stand her being around. His eyes flicked to her sleeping figure. No. Didn't matter what he'd said to Ander the idea of her not being with them - No. She was his. He'd marked her, wouldn't let her go now.

She is ours, the deep growl reminded him.

Will ignored it and kept driving. Thankfully, Ander kept his mouth shut, and the rest of the ride was silent. When they arrived at the motel, Will carried Maeve and laid her on the bed so Ander could bandage her neck.

Will moved to the mini fridge and grabbed a beer. He wondered if Thana would be so pissed she wouldn't be able to help herself and attack them in the next five-six years. Her hive wouldn't be as strong, but revenge made most reckless. It'd only been thirteen of years since Wyatt killed her mate, a short time in vampire years. He and Ander had unknowingly sought her out. Maybe she hadn't planned on taking them on, but when they walked into her hive, couldn't just let them leave.