scalp. The miracle of it, the relief, shook him to his core. So much so, that he had to hold perfectly still or he’d start shaking like a child staring at a bucket of chocolate on Christmas morning.
“Oh, God.” Miri’s knees buckled. He caught her before she hit the floor, his reflexes slowed with the same realization that took the strength from her legs. The light fell unheeded to the floor. Glass shattered. “Our daughter’s at 256 Maple Lane.”
Her hands clawed up his chest and linked behind his neck as she shuddered. “Say it again.”
He knew just how she felt. He dropped to his knees, cradling her in his arms, breathing her scent, trying to absorb the enormity of what that address meant. “Two fifty-six Maple Lane.”
“Where is that?”
“I don’t know, but I know how we can find out.”
She followed his gaze through the door to the reception area. “The computer? But how will we keep them from knowing what we searched?”
“You know about computers?”
“Of course. Ian is adamant about all pack members keeping up with technology.”
Were he and his brothers the only ones who’d been distrustful of technology? Well, with the exception of Slade. Slade had been in lust with every technological progression before it’d even been born into reality. “Well, I don’t know how to keep them from knowing, but I know someone who does.”
“We can’t go back to my pack.”
The light pause that invited denial didn’t escape his notice. He wished he could give pack acceptance to her, but she’d lost that when she’d married him. Though it hadn’t been his choice, it didn’t change the end result. “No, we can’t, but we can go to the Circle J.”
Her hands lowered from his neck. “The McClarens are there.”
“They won’t hold to the code.”
“You don’t know weres. They won’t tolerate a werewolf with a vampire let alone a werewolf turned to something in between.”
“You don’t know the McClarens.”
She stepped back, some of the color draining from her face, leaving it pale with only the amber of her D’Nally eyes. “They’ll kill you.”
“I’m not arguing some will try, but their chances of success won’t be good.”
Miri bent and picked the light up off the floor, putting it on the table before squatting down and sweeping the shards with the side of her hand. “They’ll kill me.”
“They’ll never touch you.”
The scent of her fear covered his assurance. The taint of fresh blood alerted his senses. She’d cut herself. “Leave it, Miri.”
A thin trail of blood spread across the floor in a black smear, broader at the start, thinning as it reached the end of her sweep. Glass tinkled in protest as it lumped together. “We don’t want to leave any sign we were here.”
“Bloodying the floor is a hell of a sign.”
Only then did she seem to realize what she was doing. “Oh.” She scooped up the glass. Tiny fragments shimmered amid the glistening blood like stars in a night sky. To an ordinary human, they wouldn’t mean anything. To a Sanctuary hunter, they would be the key to the kingdom. She stood looking around. He pointed to the wastebasket. “Might as well dump it there.”
He picked up the gloves off the floor, grabbed the antiseptic cleaner off the counter, and sprayed the floor, cleaning it until he couldn’t detect a speck of blood. The whole time he worked, he could feel Miri watching him, feel a surfeit of emotion pouring off her. He just couldn’t tell what that emotion was. He straightened. Miri didn’t move, just stood there, her eyes shining, her hands clenched in fists in front of her. He grabbed another paper towel. “What?”
“Nothing.” Plastic rustled as she took the bag out of the trash container. When he turned, she was right behind him.
“It’s something.”
She bit her lip and then gave him the smile that haunted his dreams, the one that banished all barriers, that lit up her face with the radiance inside. “Two
“Oh, God.” Miri’s knees buckled. He caught her before she hit the floor, his reflexes slowed with the same realization that took the strength from her legs. The light fell unheeded to the floor. Glass shattered. “Our daughter’s at 256 Maple Lane.”
Her hands clawed up his chest and linked behind his neck as she shuddered. “Say it again.”
He knew just how she felt. He dropped to his knees, cradling her in his arms, breathing her scent, trying to absorb the enormity of what that address meant. “Two fifty-six Maple Lane.”
“Where is that?”
“I don’t know, but I know how we can find out.”
She followed his gaze through the door to the reception area. “The computer? But how will we keep them from knowing what we searched?”
“You know about computers?”
“Of course. Ian is adamant about all pack members keeping up with technology.”
Were he and his brothers the only ones who’d been distrustful of technology? Well, with the exception of Slade. Slade had been in lust with every technological progression before it’d even been born into reality. “Well, I don’t know how to keep them from knowing, but I know someone who does.”
“We can’t go back to my pack.”
The light pause that invited denial didn’t escape his notice. He wished he could give pack acceptance to her, but she’d lost that when she’d married him. Though it hadn’t been his choice, it didn’t change the end result. “No, we can’t, but we can go to the Circle J.”
Her hands lowered from his neck. “The McClarens are there.”
“They won’t hold to the code.”
“You don’t know weres. They won’t tolerate a werewolf with a vampire let alone a werewolf turned to something in between.”
“You don’t know the McClarens.”
She stepped back, some of the color draining from her face, leaving it pale with only the amber of her D’Nally eyes. “They’ll kill you.”
“I’m not arguing some will try, but their chances of success won’t be good.”
Miri bent and picked the light up off the floor, putting it on the table before squatting down and sweeping the shards with the side of her hand. “They’ll kill me.”
“They’ll never touch you.”
The scent of her fear covered his assurance. The taint of fresh blood alerted his senses. She’d cut herself. “Leave it, Miri.”
A thin trail of blood spread across the floor in a black smear, broader at the start, thinning as it reached the end of her sweep. Glass tinkled in protest as it lumped together. “We don’t want to leave any sign we were here.”
“Bloodying the floor is a hell of a sign.”
Only then did she seem to realize what she was doing. “Oh.” She scooped up the glass. Tiny fragments shimmered amid the glistening blood like stars in a night sky. To an ordinary human, they wouldn’t mean anything. To a Sanctuary hunter, they would be the key to the kingdom. She stood looking around. He pointed to the wastebasket. “Might as well dump it there.”
He picked up the gloves off the floor, grabbed the antiseptic cleaner off the counter, and sprayed the floor, cleaning it until he couldn’t detect a speck of blood. The whole time he worked, he could feel Miri watching him, feel a surfeit of emotion pouring off her. He just couldn’t tell what that emotion was. He straightened. Miri didn’t move, just stood there, her eyes shining, her hands clenched in fists in front of her. He grabbed another paper towel. “What?”
“Nothing.” Plastic rustled as she took the bag out of the trash container. When he turned, she was right behind him.
“It’s something.”
She bit her lip and then gave him the smile that haunted his dreams, the one that banished all barriers, that lit up her face with the radiance inside. “Two
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