CHAPTER 67
The three partners did not waste time on the dancing and began to actively probe, and act like hunters with their prey. They had been hunting for weeks, considering all the leads, all the rumors, all minor clues regarding their prey’s whereabouts. And now, for the first time, between their guises, a gulf yawned, yes, they were near, very near.
For Ema had given them the Ultimatum, "FIND AMELIA OR DON'T COME BACK AGAIN"
When they were out of the main drinking area, where the nightclubs and bars were located, Lucas allowed himself a small satisfied smile. Ema would be pleased. After weeks of failure, they were certain that they would get what precisely they had been looking for.
Astor followed the smell to a small, independent, bookshop sandwiched in between a thrift store and a vegan café. Over the door was a sign that said; ‘Bookmark Haven’ in delicately chipped gold paint. Indeed, the bookstore was closed and all the windows in it were blind, but Lucas was sure the people were still alive in the building.
He whispered to those around him and said, “ She is here. ” “I can smell her, ”
Mara was a thin, dark woman with cropped hair and a smirking mouth, and she rubbed her hands together. “Finally. I was starting to think this little bitch had vanished into thin air. ”
Dex, who was somewhat more restless and the youngest of the entire three following their decisions, approached the door, immediately extending his hand to grasp the lock. But something hit me like a bolt of lightning and I sprang to my feet ‘Come on let’s get her and go, Ema’s waiting’.
He was not expecting Lucas’s reaction: His hand flew to clutch Dex’s wrist so tightly that it seemed it might break. “No,” he hissed. “We watch. We make sure. We relay. Those are our instructions. ”
Mute anger and a touch of fear flickered wildly in the man Dex’s eyes as he pulled his hand back with an abrupt movement. “Fine,” he grumbled. “But why don’t we just kidnap her now? It could be over in a blink of an eye. ”
“Because,” said Lucas angrily, “this girl wants to handle it herself, Ema…We are simply here to locate the girl not to compete…”
Mara and Dex both agreed uncomfortably. No one would dare argue with Lucas when he got that serious, they all knew better than that. More importantly, they did not want to defy Ema’s direct instructions, although all of them did not seem impressed that they had stopped just for him.
The three quickly disappeared, their supernatural nature enabling them not to be seen by anyone. The two spent hours observing the activities within the bookstore, observing the minutest detail.
Over the buildings of this massive metropolis, pink and golden colors of the first morning light, and she was there. Amelia came from the back of the store, she had her hair tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing an apron around her waist. Vivian went around the shop preparing for the business of the day, without any inkling that a man was following her every movement, with the intention of sexual conquest in his mind.
But being the calm collected person he is Lucas could only afford himself a small moment of grudging admiration. For the girl to avoid them for as long as she did, she has been careful. She had been very wise in her decision to disappear, blending herself in the crowd of a large metropolis, accepting a type of work that would never capture anyone’s interest. Were it not for the fact that they possess better senses and do not get tired, they would not have a clue as to where she was.
“Enough,” Lucas said quietly as the first customers of the day began to trickle into the store, and he found there and then that friendship counts more than the grades one has, for lack of the latter had been some times the cause of the belittling of the former. “We have gotten what we looked for, now it’s time to brief my team. ”
Taking one last glimpse at their poor target, the rogues faded into the background and disappeared into thin air.
The trip back was filled with a silent anticipation of the further fight back to Ema’s stronghold. From the feeling that Lucas got, both Mara and Dex seemed eager, their wolves eager to be let off the leash after being restrained for weeks. He congratulated them but at the same time was very cautious. Ema was not a woman whom you could just go and confront with carelessness even if you were coming with good news.
When they got closer to the old factory that had become Ema’s stronghold according to her stories, Lucas experienced the tingle of magic again. Ema’s wards were powerful to make sure no unauthorized persons could get in, or get Ema’s attention when friendly spirits stepped into the room.
Two of the guards that Ema had brought with her personally escorted them; two massive werewolves that looked like they hadn’t seen a battlefield but always slept with one eye open. Lucas glanced at them as they walked by, quizzing the reaction of the guards, going wide, who likely felt the smell of the city on their shoulders.
Separately, the inside of the complex did not resemble in any way the decayed structure of the buildings seen from the outside. Thus, Ema had invested great amounts of time and money to design this apartment as a truly opulent home for her and similarly occasional admirers. Soft red carpets silenced their footfalls as they walked to the quarters Ema set aside for her use only; other rogues that they met looked at them cautiously, their jealousy evident in their expressions.
In front of the door to the room, through which Ema led him, Lucas only imagined, took a big breath to relax. He could hear Mara and Dex twisting and turning behind him and equally anxious to bring out their information. Another look at the two ladies and then the dominant knock on the door came from Lucas while cautioning them to let him handle the interaction from then on.
“Come in,” was an equally smooth voice of Ema rising from within the room.
The three entered a room which in no way could be called a bedroom, but rather a royal hall or a throne room. Blinds covered the walls and the warmth of elaborated unicolored fabrics with werewolf motives of the fights and unions. On the other end sat Ema on what can only be described as a throne-like chair.
She was as hot as she was dangerous her hair black her skin tight and glowing in a dress that left most of her back and arms exposed and wore a deep red dress. Beautiful cat-like amber eyes glittered at them as they came near, the sultry smile on her face said it all.
“Lucas,” she said very smoothly, “I trust you have some good news for me; I find I have rather had my fill of bad.
Kneeling in front of her he placed his head on her belly close to her womb as if asking for her forgiveness. Mara and Dex did the same and he saw that despite their obedience they looked quite uncomfortable.
“My lady,” Lucas started and despite the churning feeling inside him, his voice was even, “We have located her. ”
Ema moved closer and she seemed to be genuinely interested in everything He was saying. “Go on. ”
“Amelia is in Seattle,” Lucas said
“Currently, the lady in question works as an employee for Bookmark Haven, a bookstore. ”
Ema let out a low, pleased chuckle at this line. “Excellent,” she murmured. “I always knew you would not let me down, Lucas,” she whispered bitterly and her eyes briefly darted to Mara and Dex who looked embarrassed under her scornful look.
“Sit,” Ema said, indicating the large throne beside her, “And spill. ”
Lucas then spent the next hour recounting all the aspects of the case that he and the other officers had gathered: her physical build, how the woman called Amelia was behaving, the interior design and the location of the bookstore where she performed the act, as well as the surrounding vicinity. Ema just nodded and listened, from time to time interrupting with questions or more specific details.
After Lucas’s report was done, the whole room went silent as if dense air had filled the whole room. The torpidity of Ema’s gaze told Maggie a lot; for a moment her expression was far away, as if she were considering the implications.
“My lady,” Dex finally exclaimed taking no more of the teasing and an opportunity in the form of Miss Scarlet suddenly jumping out of the car, “why didn’t you let us take her? We could have brought her here and put an end to this game. ”
Lucas straightened and inwardly groaned at Dex’s rash action. But to his surprise, Ema merely laughed, a sweet sound like that of tinkling glass which made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
“Oh, Dex, darling, do you think that it would be so easy? Amelia is not just any girl and she is not just a werewolf or Vampire either,” the queen said with a nasty smile, “The girl is a catch and such a delicate creature deserves a special approach. ”
Ema got up from her throne then and came toward them; her movements mimicked water – smooth and fluid. “Anyway,” she went on to say, her finger slowly drawing a line across his jaws that were just a shade darker than her nails, “where is the fun in this hasty and crude snatch and grab? No, no, no…I have something a whole lot more fun in mind. ”
