Vane snorted as he glanced at Nick. "It's a sad day when cattle can smell it and you can't."
Stefan started to attack, but the steely look on Vane's face set the older man back. Stefan was leader because of his age and experience. Vane was subordinate only because he had yet to challenge him. Should Vane ever choose to challenge Stefan for supremacy, there was no doubt who would win.
"Later," Stefan said to Ash before he led the bulk of the Strati away.
Vane and Fang stayed behind.
"Use the number if you need us, Ash," Vane said.
Ash nodded.
They joined the rest of their pack and mounted the motorcycles they had parked on the street behind them.
Ash didn't move until they were gone from his sight.
"Now that's a scary bunch of folks, ain't it?"
"No, Nick," Ash said slowly. "They're not folks. They're animals. They might walk in human form for a short time, but at the end of the day, they are all wolves."
His cell phone rang.
Ash answered it. It was Talon, his voice filled with pain and rage.
"I need your help, T-Rex. I'm at Club Runningwolf's. They took Sunshine."
"Who took Sunshine?"
"The Celtic god, Camulus. As soon as the sun sets I'm going after him."
Talon was furious. He'd been calling for Ceara and she had yet to respond. He'd tried to spirit-walk and couldn't.
His unleashed emotions were restricting his powers and he had to get hold of them so that he could think straight.
But it was impossible.
He had to find Sunshine.
She was out there alone with no one to protect her. And if anything happened to her, he was going to find some way to make Camulus pay-god or no god, no one was ever going to hurt her again.
He paced the area inside the back door of Runningwolf's like a caged lion. Anger boiled through his veins. It was pungent and tangible. He wanted to rip something apart with his hands. Shred something with his fangs.
The darkest part of the Dark-Hunter was unleashed and, for the first time, he understood some of what Zarek felt.
It was a rage so raw, so powerful, that it controlled him completely.
He slammed his hand against the brick wall beside the door.
"I will get her back!" he growled.
His ravaged body throbbing and bleeding, he had no intention of going back upstairs to Sunshine's loft even though his injuries hurt so much that he felt the overwhelming need to sleep.
He was not going to lie down and tend his wounds.
He would stay awake if it killed him again.
Over and over in his mind, he kept seeing Nynia die in his arms, only now it was Sunshine's face he saw. Her sweet, Southern voice he heard calling out to him.
As soon as the sun set, he was heading out to find Sunshine and bring her home. No matter what it cost him.