A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

had the girl been living in captivity? “No one’s ever
said that to me before.”
    “Is it wicked of me to feel happy that you’re
here? I don’t want to be alone.”
    I gave Angel’s hand a squeeze. “No, it’s
not. And once rescue arrives, we’ll take you with us.”
    Angel lowered her gaze, but she couldn’t hide
the scowl crossing her features. “No, you won’t. I’d die if I ever left. I’d rather
stay here because the Shadows aren’t what everyone makes them out to be. They’re
kind and generous and our queen’s—” She broke off. I regarded her for a
moment, searching for signs that betrayed she was lying. I didn’t find any.
    We finished our breakfast in silence, then got
up to leave for what Angel called the meeting while a tall guy started to clean
our table. My heart pounded in my chest as we walked past another open space
with hooded people cowered on the naked ground, murmuring the strange chants I’d
heard the night before.
    “Make sure you bow when you enter, and don’t
lift your gaze unless the elders tell you so.” Angel continued her nervous
chatter as she grabbed me in a hug and knocked on a door. Taking a deep breath,
she opened the door and stepped to the side to let me through.

Chapter 17

 
    Aidan

 
    The alpha dog bore his canines into my
flesh, ripping through clothes and skin like knives. I bit down on the pain and
pushed myself up from my cowering position, then kicked at the aggressive
hound, knowing that if the alpha fled it’d unsettle the others. Under normal
circumstances, they’d be no match for me, but the hounds were crazed by the
scent of blood and my strength was weakened to the point where it’d take me
weeks to recover. This was one fight I didn’t want to have.
    The snarls continued as I kicked the alpha
again, this time in the gut, sending the whimpering hound flying against the
wall. The others barked but kept their distance, unsure whether to attack or
not. I snarled and made a dash for the warehouses, the muscles in my legs
burning. With the dogs on my trail, I reached the first depot and snapped the
lock off, then entered and pulled the door shut behind me. For a moment I felt
so weak I considered feeding from the hounds, but animal blood would make me
sick for days. I wasn’t that desperate just yet.
    Wood pallets, boxes and dusty crates lined the
walls. Computer screens whirred in the office to my right. In a few strides, I reached
the far side and kicked the locked door open. An old-fashioned PC screen
covered half of the small desk. Buried beneath invoices and orders I found a
phone and dialed the mansion’s landline number. It rang a few times before
Clare answered.
    “Where’s Amber?” I roared.
    “Aidan?” Clare sounded surprised. “I
thought you were—”
    I cut her off. “Get Amber now!”
    “Sure. She’s upstairs. Wait a second.”
Clare put down the receiver.
    The dogs outside calmed down, probably forgetting
about me. I knew I had to venture out eventually to find a sleeping place for
the day since I was too weak to teleport, but there were still a few hours
until sunrise. First, I’d make sure my mate was safe, guarded by the two
immortals I trusted the most, and then I’d start thinking about my own
wellbeing.
    I heard static on the line. A moment later,
Clare was back on. “Aidan, are you still there?” She sounded agitated,
frightened even. I knew instantly Amber was gone.
    “Where is she?” I clenched my jaw, teeth gnashing.
    “I’ve no idea. She was upstairs half an
hour ago. I—” Clare’s voice broke.
    “I told you to watch her.” Anger rose
inside me. For a moment I saw Amber’s injured body wandering aimlessly in the semi-darkness
of the otherworld, searching for what we all wanted. Once there, she’d never
find her way back. My blood raced through my veins, the wish to smash something
grew stronger than my self-control.
    Muffled voices echoed in the background
before Kieran said, “Where are you?”
    My head throbbed with rage that threatened
to choke me. I had to tamp it down for my mate’s sake. I blinked, pushing my
anger aside. The Shadows wouldn’t act in haste. Amber needed preparation and training
before she could fully use her new ability. I gathered I still had at least a
few days. But since I was forced to sleep during daylight, time wasn’t my
friend right now.
    Cradling the phone between my shoulder and
ear, I flicked through the papers until I found an invoice with an