Dracula's Groom

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: Missing Person

Dracula

Only a couple of hours till daylight and I was feeling anxious to get back to Nathan. But with a newborn vampire by my side learning how to feed for the first time, I realized that Nik took to it rather well. Not a single drop was spilt as he let go of the body and turned to face me.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"I feel...incredible. Powerful. Like I can take on the whole world and nobody can stop me."

I smirked. "Trust me that will pass in time."

"Teach me something else."

"Not right now. Daylight is nearly upon us and I need to get us some place dark."

From the moment I took that first step out of the alley. I had a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. It grew worse with every step that I took across the street as Nik looked around the city in awe. His eyes missed nothing, his hearing sensitive and his mouth twitched as he licked the remainder of blood from his bottom lip. Something wasn't right. I feared the worst.

I returned to the hotel ten minutes later to find the door to our room slightly ajar. The scent of Nathan lingered amongst the threshold as I stepped inside and found a food-cart parked next to the bed. I sniffed the air once more as I caught another scent. It was human but there was something else indeed.

A piece of white cloth lingered on the floor as I picked it up and wrinkled my nose in disgust. Nik appeared from behind as he glanced around the room.

"I take it this was your room," he said.

"For a time being, yes. But it wasn't just my room. I was sharing it with something else."

"A friend?"

"My mate."

"Oh," was all he could say. "So what's the problem?"

"I don't know. You're the detective. You tell me."

"Well, so far, nothing seems to be out of place. I don't see any forced entry nor signs of a struggle."

"Then what do you call this?"

I handed the white cloth over to him as he touched to the rim of his nose. "Smells like Chloroform."

"What's that?"

"It's what's used to render somebody unconscious."

Anger coiled through my body at the thought of someone coming in here and hurting Nathan. I had to find him. But how? A quick search of the room proved to show nothing out of the ordinary. But when I reached the edge of the door, I felt a shift in energy that registered out of fear, tension. I closed my eyes and could almost picture the events that unfolded here. When it was over I stepped back out into the hall and caught a faint scent that wasn't Nathan's but someone else.

I followed the scent down the back stairs to a parking lot meant for employees. There weren't too many cars in the vicinity but the one that held Nathan was gone. I wanted to yell out of anger, go on a rampage, and hunt down the bastard's that took him from me. Nik appeared with weird contraption in his hand as he returned it to his pocket.

"Alright, we might have something here," he said calmly."

"What is it?"

"I called in a favor and from the looks of the security footage. We may have a glimpse of the license plate."

"Well, what the fuck are you doing standing around here for? Go get it!"

"Relax."

My jaw clenched tight as I took a deep breath. A chirp that sounded like a bird appeared out of nowhere as Nik retrieved the oddly looking contraption and stared at the screen. He then showed it to me as my eyes attempted to make sense of the godawful image. It was too dark to make out much of anything. But the last few digits on the car were eligible along with the brand symbol on the car.

"I think we got him," Nik said after a moment.

"We better." I sighed.

He clamped a hand on my shoulder before making the call. Within minutes we were able to locate the last known location of the vehicle. Nearly two hours outside of town in the remote mountain region of the Carpathian Mountains. I knew the area well. Last time I was there was when I was still human. I concentrated my strength and power as I prepared my body for flight.

"Thank you for everything, Nik. You may rest now."

"What? I'm coming with you, right?"

"No. This is something I must do for myself. I can't worry about you and Nathan at the same time."

"Nathan? The suspect who I interrogated barely a week ago is your mate."

I nodded. "Barricade yourself someplace where it's light tight. I'll find you tomorrow night."

"Okay."

Once my body was relaxed, I stared up at the night sky and transformed into a million bats. I flew like a madman over the city and countryside until the terrain became rocky and covered in foothills of mineral waters and snow. A section of trees provided the perfect cover as I touched down safely and returned to my normal self. The forest and surrounding area came to life as I walked down a dark path.

It was only a mile into the hike that I heard what sounded like chatter. As I reached the edge of the tree line, a mansion appeared like a mirage. Men dressed in black suits patrolled its grounds as they carried weapons and walked with purpose. They were human, the lot of them. Easy to dispatch with enough carnage to rain down blood like a fine shower. My thirst for vengeance returned as I stepped out into the night.

One of the guards noticed me and approached with his weapon drawn. "Halt! This area is off limits. Please leave."

I smirked. My fangs lengthen as I reach for my sword. "I only wish to take back what is mine."

"CODE BLACK! I repeat we have a CODE BLACK!"

I roared as I readied to strike on the advancing team. "Time to die."

Screams filled the air as the ground became soaked with blood. I relished in the art of war. Consumed with the thrill of fighting. My inhuman strength and agility knew no bounds as I unleashed hell and drank the blood of those who dared to cross me. When it was over, I barely broke a sweat. I stood in the middle of a dozen dead bodies as their blood covered my hands and the length of my sword.

I rounded up the front steps and all but kicked in the front door as it snapped off its hinges. More men flooded the foyer and grand staircase as I gestured at them to come get me.

"Is that all you got?" I asked. "Cause you should've brought more."

With a flick of my wrist, I sent the sword flying through the air like a boomerang as it cut off the heads of the first few in line. Even their comrades-in-arms started to think twice as their bodies showed signs of retreating.

"Enough!" said a female voice. "Stand down. I'll take it from here."

I turned my head to see a woman approaching from behind as the men in suits back downed and left the room. I bared my fangs and readied my sword.

"Where's Nathan?"

"He's none of your concern vampire."

"Bullshit. Now tell me where he is before I snap your head off like a twig."

"I propose a contest. If you win, I'll tell you where Nathan is. But if I win, I get to kill you."

"So be it. Let's finish this, witch."

Author's Note: Boy, do I have another late night update for you! LOL. Hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter from Nathan's POV. Should be fun. :)) Also, I am working on THIRST and the next chapter for Winter's Bite. So please continue to be patient as I try my hardest to short this out and get them ready for you all. Anyways, I'm off to bed. Night, night. Love you all!! And as always remember to VOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW for more future updates. Xoxo