“But he’s running scared,” Zach countered. “I followed the bastard for hours before I ultimately lost his trail. For all we know, he may still be running.” He shook his head. “He might have talked shit to you in Times Square, but you shook him, Seth. You caught him by surprise.”
Aidan grunted. “You caught me by surprise, too. I thought that was you by my side, helping me rescue Dana and the others. Having Jared take your place was a stroke of genius.”
Voices of agreement circulated the table.
Dana looked to Chris. “How are the gifted ones we rescued?”
“Pissed,” he answered. “They want payback but know they can’t get it without revealing their gifts to the public. And after what they just went through, they know that wouldn’t be wise.”
Dana nodded. “It would just make them targets again.”
“Exactly. We’re doing everything we can to help them resume their normal lives, smoothing things over with their employers and the like. We’re also providing any who need it with free medical care as well as sessions with therapists on the network’s payroll, if they desire it.”
“Thank you,” she said, thinking of Rick, Phil, and Grant.
Chris smiled. “Don’t worry. We’re taking good care of them.”
Seth cleared his throat. “Now tell them the bad news.”
Quiet descended.
Lisette frowned. “What?”
“Tell them the bad news, Chris,” Seth repeated.
All eyes went to Chris.
Setting his fork down, Chris sighed and drew a hand down his face. “Just once, I would like to come to this house and not be the bearer of bad news.” He leaned back in his chair. “After the dust settled at network headquarters and we counted heads, we realized that we didn’t recover all of the missing gifted ones.”
Aidan took Dana’s hand. “Are you saying we left some behind?” he asked, his voice and face expressing the same dismay Dana felt.
Chris shook his head. “No. We got all of them that were housed at the military installation, but fifteen of the missing gifted ones weren’t there. Scott Henderson’s team found three dead this morning in Texas.”
“Male or female?” Seth asked softly.
Chris hesitated. “All female.”
Aidan swore. “What about the other dozen? Do you think they met the same fate?”
“We don’t know,” Chris admitted, “but believe that’s likely the case. I’ve got everyone looking for them. Alena and Scott do, too. I’ll update you with any progress we make.”
Heavy silence.
“You won this battle, Seth,” Zach said. “You may think you didn’t, but you did.”
Lisette nodded. “Dozens of gifted ones are alive today, thanks to you.”
Zach took her hand and continued. “Gershom’s been working behind the scenes all this time, but you brought him out in the open. You scared him. You made him bleed. Until now, Gershom thought himself too clever for us. He thought he was untouchable. Invincible. But I got a good look at him while I was chasing him and he stopped long enough to throw more victims my way. You, David, and Aidan cut that fucker up.”
He said it with such satisfaction that even Seth cracked a smile. “At least there’s that.”
Chuckles lightened the mood.
Roland folded his arms across his chest. “Zach’s right,” he drawled. “We’re making progress. This time we cut him up. Next time we’ll bury him.”
Hearty agreements from all.
Chris tucked into his meal again.
Conversation resumed, flowing around the table more freely now.
Aidan nudged Dana. “You’re not eating,” he said aloud. “Are you nervous?”
“A little,” she admitted, the butterflies in her belly resuming their flight.
Heather leaned forward to peer around Aidan. “What are you nervous about?”
Sheldon motioned to the immortals sitting around the table with a forkful of chicken. “These guys don’t make you nervous, do they?”
Tracy gave her a sympathetic smile. “Too much testosterone in the room?”
Dana laughed. “No. Aidan is going to transform me tonight.”
Exclamations of joy filled the air.
Ethan and Bastien clapped Aidan on the back.
Melanie gave Dana a hug. “Welcome to the family!”
“Thank you.”
Sarah motioned to Dana’s plate. “You’re smart not to eat. Anything you down now is going to come right back up.”
Dana grimaced. “That sucks.”
“It really does,” Sarah agreed with a laugh. “But if Aidan is anything like Roland and the rest of the married immortals present, he’ll spend the next three or four days pampering the hell out of you.”
Looking up at Aidan, Dana raised her brows.
“Your wish is my command,” he professed.
“Really?” She eyed him speculatively. Aidan had suggested that he transform her while they made love so the pleasure would dampen the pain of his bite. Sounds kinky, she’d said. But I’ll go with it. And she could think of quite a few commands she’d like to issue as soon as they got naked. “Could my wish be your command before you transform me?”
He winked. “Absolutely.”
Grinning, she squeezed his hand. “Then I’m not feeling so nervous.”
Raising their hands to his lips, he kissed her knuckles.
The tableware abruptly jerked and clinked.
Startled, Dana glanced at the table. Her tea splashed and danced as her glass began to tip. Hastily reaching out, she steadied it.
Aidan and several others did the same.
Dishes began to jump and rattle as the table began to vibrate.
All conversation stopped as hands grabbed silverware that migrated toward the edges.
Confusion and uneasiness filtered through Dana.
What was happening? The ground beneath her feet wasn’t shaking. Just the table.
“Seth?” Ami said, her soft voice full of concern.
All eyes went to their leader.
Seth’s head was bowed. His eyes glowed a vibrant gold. Arms straight, he gripped the sides of the table so tightly his knuckles shone white. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw as he drew long jagged breaths in and out through his nose as though battling… what? Pain? Illness?
David leapt to his feet and sped down the table in a blur. Resting a hand on Seth’s back, he leaned in close. “What is it?”
Zach rose on Seth’s other side.
Seth shook his head, then seemed to reel with dizziness.
The table lurched violently.
Zach hastily gripped Seth’s arm and shoulder to steady him.
“Seth?” Ami repeated, resting a hand on his where it clutched the table in front of her.
He closed his eyes. “The gifted ones,” he gritted, slowly gaining his feet, his arms supporting his weight more than his legs.
Dana saw Aidan and several other immortals surreptitiously grip the edges of the table to hold it steady.
“The ones that are still missing?” David asked softly.
Seth nodded. “They aren’t dead.”
Zach shared a glance with David. “Are you sure?”
“They aren’t dead,” Seth repeated. “They’re transforming.”
Shock rippled through the room.
David swore, his eyes flashing bright amber. “All of them?”
“Yes?”
“Where?”
Seth shook his head, again nearly losing his balance. “I don’t know. Gershom is blocking me or otherwise shielding them. I can’t lock in on them.”
Zach glanced at Lisette.
Nodding, she stood and rested a hand on his arm.
As soon as Seth straightened and staggered back from the table, he, David, Zach, and Lisette vanished.