Chapter 38: The Search for Peter

WILLOW

Once Lira has drawn enough blood from Saoirse, we make our way back to the caves. Saoirse is anxious, her mind consumed with the fate of her friends. Andrei is there to greet us, pulling me into his arms and planting a warm kiss on my lips before turning his attention to Saoirse.

“We’ve put the new turns into a deep sleep,” he explains. “I’ve got some master vampires coming to help with their training. In the meantime, Lira, Eros, and I will be working on providing a blood supply to keep them fed until their blood lust is under control.

“We’ve only got twenty survivors.” He pulls me closer, his voice heavy with sorrow. “The pack has helped us bury the bodies we found scattered around. Most were too decomposed to identify, but I think I recognize the couple you saw. I plan to bury them together.”

His eyes are filled with a deep sadness. He feels the weight of the loss, even though none of this is his fault.

Saoirse’s voice is barely above a whisper when she asks, “Is it safe to go inside? I need to find my friends.”

Andrei assures her it is safe, explaining that the new turns are contained in the side cave where her cage had been.

I reach out and take her hand. “We’ll go with you. Don’t be scared. Andrei can control them. He’s their king. They’ll stay asleep for him,” I reassure her.

She nods, and the three of us venture into the caves. The air is damp and cold, and Andrei lights a torch to guide us deeper into the cave.

We enter the chamber where Saoirse’s cage had once hung. Now, about twenty bodies lay on the floor. They look dead, but I know they aren’t.

Saoirse moves among them, stopping at a young man with ginger hair. Tears stream down her face as she kneels beside him, gently touching his face. “It’s Peter,” she says, her voice choked with emotion. “But I don’t see Margo.”

She looks up at Andrei, her eyes pleading. “If you wake him, could you control him? I need to talk to him. We were working on something important, something that might concern all of you.”

Andrei looks puzzled but agrees to wake Peter. “Wake up, but don’t move. Only speak,” he commands.

Peter’s eyes flutter open, but he remains still. His gaze moves around the room until it lands on Saoirse. Her cheeks are wet with tears.

“Hello, my friend,” she whispers. “I’m glad you survived. But I don’t think Margo did.” Her voice breaks, and more tears fall.

“Peter, you’ll be here for a while. Andrei and Willow will help you learn to survive this. I need to get back to the Isle of Man and continue what we started. I need your help. I know you were working on more than you told me, but I need your research. Especially now that…now that you’ve been turned. Can you help me?”

Peter blinks, his eyes turning brown as they stare up at her. A tear falls from her cheek and lands on his face, and he smiles. “At my apartment. Under my bed, there’s a false floor. I hid the research there.

“I also have about five thumb drives with the banking information we found, and more information about the Guardians. It’s all there. Will you stay on the Isle of Man? Will you continue to work for the bank?” His voice is raspy.

Saoirse shakes her head. “No. I have a journey to embark on. I’ll go where the leads take me.” She brushes her hand over his forehead. “I’m sorry about Margo. I know you had feelings for her.”

Peter nods. “Find them, Saoirse. Stop them. They’re evil, not good.” His eyes close again, and he drifts back to sleep.

Saoirse leans in close to his ear and whispers, “Find me when you have control. I’ll need you.” She kisses his cheek and stands up.

As they leave the cave, Andrei stops Saoirse. “What’s your connection to the Guardians?” he asks, his tone sharp.

Saoirse looks up at him, surprised. “Personally, I have nothing to do with them. But a few months ago, Peter and I stumbled upon a group called the Guardians while we were working on some computer issues.

“They were stealing money from several accounts to fund some kind of cult. We started digging deeper and traced the money to a bank they were using to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’re both pretty good at hacking, so we were able to get into their system and make copies of everything we found.

“Then, two days before our vacation, their site shut down. I think they might have discovered our trace. We left immediately, so I don’t know for sure. But I’ll find out when I get home. From what we gathered, this is a hunter group.

“They hunt and kill supernaturals, but they do it by stealing the money of everyday people. That’s how they fund themselves. We noticed that they’ve become more and more greedy over the years, and from the info we have, they’ve been killing humans as well as supernaturals.”

I turn to Andrei. “Do you know about them?”

He nods. “It’s been years since I heard of them, but yes. We used to call them vampire hunters. They’re fanatics, and they’re dangerous. But if they have funding and a large following, this could be bad. Especially if they’re now hunting humans as well.”

Saoirse nods. “They have a large following. I’ve traced banking transactions in several countries. Once I get the information from Peter’s apartment, I’m heading to Rome, then wherever the trail leads me.”

“First, let’s get you back to the Royal Pack so you can rest and recover. My parents will want to hear your story. In the meantime, I’ll have Demitri work on your DNA while Lira stays here with Andrei,” I say.

I take Saoirse’s arm, and the three of us head back to the pack just as my brother’s helicopter takes off.