The Dark Series and its characters are the property of Christine Feehan. I'm glad that these characters have gotten a positive response from you guys, and I'm even happier to be writing about them.

Dark Birth

Prologue

"Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver."

- Sophocles

Hector

1400, Carpathian Mountains

Day turned into night. A full moon bathed the countryside with a luminous light that paralleled the sun.

But everyone was uneasy. Human and Carpathian alike, eager and scared all at the same time. The Turks were vicious warriors, slaying men, women, and children without prejudice to age or gender. Without pity to age or gender.

Something had to be done.

Hector Lacuna came upon his father quickly, waiting patiently for the ancient warrior to finish conversing with another ancient. The moment the other Carpathian male departed, he stepped closer. "I want to fight, Isa."

Alcyone Lacuna didn't start at his only son's unexpected arrival. He calmly turned to face him. "You will not, Hector."

Fury and frustration snapped through Hector like a whip. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. But, he kept his voice calm. "I'm a child no more, Isa. I will fight at your side. At the side of our Prince!"

Alcyone tried very hard not to sigh. He calmly swept his long black hair into a ponytail before he approached Hector. "True, you are not a child any longer, Hector. But, you are not a warrior, either."

"I—"

"Hector," Alcyone interrupted sternly. Dark hazel eyes stared into his son's lighter hazel. They were now the same height, but Alcyone knew how to exercise his natural authority. "You are fifty years old, though your body shows a man half that age. You are a skilled fighter, but you are not ready for a task as daunting as this. We are not fighting vampires or slayers. We are fighting an entire army. We are coming to the aid of the human villagers, who have been so accommodating to us all these years. This will be no simple battle, my son. Many, many people are going to die on both sides. We will need all the help we can get, but I forbid you to join in battle when I know you are not ready."

"Isa." Hector allowed himself to calm down. He could see and sense Alcyone's very blatant concern over this situation. His father was always such a calm person, and for him to be worried at such a critical time was unnerving. "I want to help."

"You will help me greatly, Hector, by watching your mother and sister and keeping civilians away from the fighting."

Hector snorted in disgust and frustration. His head bent, and his dark hair fell around his face. "That's women's work."

"Then think of it this way," Alcyone offered. "I leave your sister in your care. Be her bodyguard in this very important time. Guard her with your life, Hector, as all females are so important to us."

Such a designation did sit better with Hector. But he couldn't articulate why Alcyone's words had a sting to them. "…All right, Isa," he said finally, raising his head to look at his father.

"Don't misconstrue me," Alcyone said, sensing his son's feelings immediately. He put a hand on Hector's shoulder. "I may speak highly of Fatima, but I hold you very preciously as well. You are my son, Hector, my only son. You have honor and strength, and though you are brash you are in control. You've never done anything to disgrace me. I have seen the behaviors of many of our youths your age, and it can be deplorable, and they aren't even close to turning into vampires! I am so proud you are my son."

The gratitude to such praise took Hector's breath away, and he almost felt tears sting his eyes. But his pride came to him just as quickly, and the tears were gone. "Thank you, Isa. I don't like it, but if you would rather I guard my sister instead of fighting, I will take this task to heart. Nothing will happen to Fatima so long as I'm alive."

Alcyone found his smile then, and patted Hector's shoulder firmly. "I know I can trust you."

"Emä, where is Fatima?" Hector asked as he stepped through threshold of the house. "It's nearly time to go to ground."

Jacynta Lacuna looked up at her son's arrival and smiled. "She's on the back porch, Hector."

Hector looked at his mother closely, and saw that her smile was trembling. "Are you all right, Emä?"

"Of course I am," Jacynta said, though she now dropped her smile. "Never you mind over me, Hector."

Hector couldn't keep up pretenses, either. Tension had mounted to frightening proportions all throughout the night. Information gathered by the Carpathians themselves said the Turks were supposed to attack the area late in the night. Dawn was approaching, though, and they'd seen no signs of the enemy. It was unnerving to everyone involved, especially since the information had been extracted from the minds of those closest to the army generals.

But it was even more unnerving that they hadn't found these generals at all.

Hector tried not to think about it as he walked onto the back porch. His eyes rested upon the little body curled on the top porch step, facing the dark horizon. "Fatima?"

His little sister shifted slightly, but didn't turn around. Despite his worry, he managed a small smile and ruffled her short black hair as he took a seat next to her. "Don't worry, Fatima. Isa has faith in the Prince and we will surely get through this."

Fatima was still just a child. Unlike Hector, she looked every bit her age at six years old. For Jacynta to have produced a female child, in conjunction with the Prince's lifemate Sarantha giving birth to Noelle, when so many of their babies were mysteriously dying or coming out as male, Fatima was seen as a blessing.

And, even with her young age she had an incredible sense of awareness. "Hector?" she said quietly.

"What is it?" he slid an arm around her tiny shoulders. She sounded so scared and uncertain that he naturally wanted to comfort her.

"Will they really kill Olivia?"

Hector stiffened. He wasn't expecting this question at all. "I…don't think so, csitri. She is a woman, after all."

"But didn't the Prince send Doromene after her?"

"I…" Hector trailed off grimly. He found it odd that Fatima worried over such an insignificant matter in the face of their very apparent threat, but he excused her lack of foresight for her age.

However, it wasn't surprising that Fatima worried for Olivia. Olivia Shasarazade was of a respected lineage, but unfortunately caused quite a stir of trouble with her recklessness. Doromene Vercera's son Chiwen had come forth to claim she was his lifemate. A claim that Olivia vehemently denied, but one the warriors and even the Prince were bound to force upon her.

So she left without a word. And Chiwen couldn't find her at all. And apparently his grief at losing her was so extreme that he walked into the dawn. And though Prince Vlad wanted her found for questioning, he assigned Chiwen's own father as in charge of her investigation. Was there any doubt what Doromene would do when he found Olivia?

"Don't worry about Olivia," he reassured her, mostly because he didn't want to think about it. Olivia was always such a nice girl, and Fatima was fond of her. But he knew that the Carpathian woman stood little chance against a father grieving for his only son…his only child. "I believe she will be okay. But never mind about that, we must think of ourselves now."

Fatima gave Hector a sideways glance. "Are we in trouble?"

"We might be," he said. "But don't worry. We're strong people, Fatima. They can't hurt us the same way they hurt humans."

"But we can't go out during the day."

"No, we can't. But it'll take more than a couple of vicious soldiers to stop us. We're helping the people of the area because these soldiers are hurting them. We can't allow this to continue more."

Fear filled her dark hazel eyes. "Will you fight too?"

"No, csitri." He stroked a hand over her cheek, her face dwarfed in his large hand. "No, my duty is to protect you."

"Protect me? But I'm not hurt."

"No, you're not. And I intend to keep it this way."

The fear started to ebb from her young eyes, and she even managed to smile. "I trust you, Hector. I know you'll protect me from them."

Hector smiled in return and pulled her into his arms. It was a struggle to remain brave when everything was so uncertain. "I'm here, Fatima. You'll need to go to ground with me tonight, and I know you haven't done that before. But it's the only way I can truly protect you."

"It's all right. I'm not afraid." Her hands burrowed into his shirt. "Can I say goodnight to Emä?"

"Of course." He let her go, and watched her run into the house for a brief moment before he stood up and followed her.

Jacynta pulled Fatima into her lap and rocked her gently, singing soothingly to her. "I'm taking her to ground with me, Emä. Would you like to go to ground with us?"

Jacynta shook her head, though her eyes glistened as she looked up at Hector. "My place is where it's always been; at your isa's side. I will go to ground with him."

"But—"

"Do not worry over us, Hector. Concentrate on yourself, on Fatima, and keep safe. We'll get through this. I know we will."

"Yes…" even as the word came out, Hector couldn't ignore the tight feeling in his chest. He wanted to be optimistic about this. They were Carpathians; stronger than the strongest human. But they weren't invincible. They bled just like humans, died just like humans. Anything could happen when the attack came.

"HELP, HELP! I NEED HELP!"

"GET ME OUT!"

"IT HURTS!"

Hector's eyes snapped open. One hand flew up to cover an ear, but that didn't stop the screaming. A quick check of his senses told him that it was high noon.

Their weakest hour.

"HELP ME! OH, PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Air returned to his lungs, but he was still in the ground. All around him, people were screaming in their resting places and even above ground.

Above ground…oh dear GOD!

Hector panicked and clutched for Fatima. But the little girl was still fast asleep on top of him, oblivious to the chaos.

Then he heard it. The ominous sound of a shovel piercing dirt. He understood fully the reasoning for the screaming around him. They were being dug out!

The sound was now as overpowering as the screams. He could hear them, above them on the surface, digging into every track of land, trying to get to them. By the horrified and agonizing screams resonating in his head, he knew that many Carpathians had been found, and were being bodily dragged out, into the unforgiving sun.

The sound of digging suddenly became distinctive right over their resting place. He clung to Fatima tightly and concentrated. He tried to block out the shoveling, the screaming, and melded their two bodies into the dirt. They began to sink lower, away from the offending shovels and from the monsters who would do this to them. Deeper and deeper he guided Fatima and himself to the diamond cave that rested not too far below. Soft murmuring flooded over his concentration, and he was aware that other Carpathians were doing the same thing. But not too many of them.

They found the cave and Hector guided them to the cavern floor. They weren't too far away from the mouth of the cave, which unfortunately led straight out near their village. He adjusted Fatima into a sitting position and gently shook her. "Fatima! Sisar, I need you to wake up!"

Fatima's eyes flew open. "Brot—" her eyes widened with horror, and he knew she was now aware of the screaming. "W-What? What's going on?"

"Shh, don't cry," he soothed her with assurances he didn't even feel. "We're all right. They came for us, but we escaped them csitri."

Tears welled up in her eyes anyways and she looked up and down the cave. Though others were descending towards them, at the moment they were alone. "Isa and Emä…where are they?"

"They're coming," Hector said, though chills were wreaking his system. He was suddenly taken off-guard by a gnawing emptiness that gripped his heart. Fear lanced through him and it was with great difficulty that he remained calm exteriorly. "So is everyone else. But I'll need you to stay here for me."

"Don't leave me all alone!" she wailed, grabbing his arm.

"No, no, I'm not leaving you. I'm just going up to the house very quickly. Isa is coming, but I'll make sure he is." He stroked her cheek with an unsteady hand. "I'll be back in five minutes. Don't you move from this spot, you hear me?"

Tears had spilled onto her cheeks and he took the time to wipe them away. But, she nodded as she sniffled a little. "Okay. I'll stay right here, Hector. Get Isa and Emä quickly, okay?"

Hector smiled. "I will, Fatima." He kissed her on the forehead and ascended back up through the ceiling, through the dirt. The screaming hadn't ceased at all; it only seemed to increase more and more. He resurfaced in his family's cellar. He could smell burning wood, and realized that his family home, one Alcyone had built himself, was on fire.

It was daylight. He could die in an instant when the sun touched him. But he was afraid. Fear guided him as he raced up the cellar stairs and into the main portion of the house. He had to find his parents. He had to do something.

He took three steps into the main area before he saw Jacynta.

He stopped dead in his tracks, despite the burning walls, burning ceiling, and gaped in horror. Jacynta, his mother, his wonderfully sweet and soft-spoken mother…she was dead. She lay sprawled on her back in the middle of the floor, her blood everywhere. A massive wooden stake was sticking out of her chest. Her eyes, her mouth were open wide, frozen in pain and horror.

Hector dropped to his knees beside her, reaching for her. Only then did he hear a soft, keeling wail. Only then did he see Alcyone. His father was alive, though he looked seriously injured. He was kneeling on the floor, clutching his head and rocking back at forth. The wailing was coming from him.

Hector's throat dried in an instant, knowing that his father had lost his lifemate…and the consequences that lay with them. "Isa—"

"No…" this word came from Alcyone in between the wailing. "No, no, no, no…Please no…"

"I-Isa," Hector sputtered, crawling over to him. The heat of the flames consuming their house was overpowering him. Alcyone didn't even seem to notice. "Isa, please—"

Alcyone's head shot up and he looked at Hector with wide eyes. "Why are you here, Hector? Get away from here as quickly as possible!"

"The cave is safe for now," Hector said pleadingly. He reached for his father. "Isa, hurry and come with me! We—"

"No." Alcyone shook his head furiously. "Jacynta is lost to me; her soul left before I could save her. I-I-I cannot—you need to leave, Hector."

"Isa," Hector said, feeling tears sting his eyes. "What will you—"

"LEAVE!" Alcyone roared. Hector jumped back suddenly. His father's dark eyes were flashing with red. "The butchers who slaughtered your emä are coming back! I will murder all of them! But I do not have much time!"

"Isa…" Hector was horrified. The darkness was closing in on Alcyone quickly, and without Jacynta there to sustain him, not even Hector could keep him at bay. "Isa…"

"A few more moments and I won't be able to differentiate between friend and foe!" Alcyone hissed. The red held there for a moment, before his eyes darkened once more. "I will KILL you Hector if you do not leave! Now GO! Take Fatima away from here!"

Hector remembered his young sister, and that gave him the incentive to leave. He wanted to say something to his father, though. He wanted to hug him, or clasp his arm in a warrior's salute.

But words were failing him. The life he knew was crumbling all around him. "I-Isa…I love you!" It was the best he could do for Alcyone.

Alcyone jerked out a nod. "I know, Hector. Now go! Now!" he shoved at Hector, just as the both of them heard a crowd outside the burning house.

Hector knew what Alcyone would do. He was on the verge of turning, and was accepting his death. But he was going to take as many as these monsters with him as possible. Hector didn't look back as he ran back to the cellar, and Alcyone turned to face his death.

Hector closed his eyes, and tried to close his mind. But he couldn't escape the carnage going on around him. He couldn't escape the power of the emptiness inside of his heart…emptiness instilled in him with the death of his mother.

He reached the cave, and found the cavern filled with a scatter of Carpathians. Several of them were young hunters, but he saw some children. He went over to the spot he'd left Fatima, trying not to think about Alcyone. "Fatima—"

His voice died, and his heart gave a lurch. Fatima wasn't there.

"Fatima?" he shouted, looking up and down the length of the cave, at the grief-stricken faces. He couldn't see his little sister anywhere. "FATIMA!"

He ran through the cavern, searching through little cubby holes, behind rocks, in the small groups of children. But Fatima wasn't with them. She didn't seem to be anywhere inside the cave! "Fatima! Fatima, where are you? Please, come out!"

He'd told her to stay put. Why would she suddenly leave? Unless…

Panic overtook him. He grabbed the nearest child and hoisted them up by their collar. "Where is Fatima? Have you seen her?"

"I-I don't know!" It was a boy with golden eyes and golden hair. Hector knew him to be one of the Savage twins, but such a thing didn't matter to him at the moment. "T-There's so many people coming and going down here!"

Hector dropped the boy unceremoniously on the ground and continued his search. "Fatima! Answer me!"

"Wait!" a female ran up to him, her eyes filled with fright. "Fatima…do you mean the little girl who was over there?" she pointed to the wall Hector had left her at.

"Where did she go?" he demanded, but fear was consuming him.

"There was a woman…Carpathian, maybe. She grabbed all of the children who'd first arrived down here and fled the cave! She'd said it wasn't safe in here, but it's not safe outside either!"

Outside…Fatima was outside, in the sun! Children could last in the sun longer than adults, but she was out there, without protection…and it was Hector who'd left her like that.

He turned towards the mouth of the cave and ran. He didn't care that the noon sun would kill him. All that mattered was Fatima, and that she lived. He'd failed…but he would save her.

But fate wasn't kind to Hector. Right at the entrance of the cave a shadow fell over him, and a warrior blocked his path. "Stop."

"My sister is out there!" he shouted, trying to bypass the warrior. But the other male stopped him effortlessly. "I must help her!"

"You won't help her rushing off to your death. Death tolls as it is are tremendous." Several people started wailing at these words, but the warrior continued, his dark eyes on Hector. "Nobody will pass through, no matter what the reason. I won't allow it."

Hector was beyond reasoning. The emptiness inside of him was threatening to consume him—Alcyone must have surely died. He had to do something! "Try and stop me!"

He tried once more to run around the warrior. A hand grabbed his forearm and a fist connected with the back of his head. He briefly saw stars before the world turned black.

Night had fallen by the time Hector opened his eyes and was awake again. His body was sore all over. As he slowly sat up, he was aware of one thing; grief.

Horribly, hysterical crying echoed into the cavern and up and down the countryside, inside of his head. He was alone in the cave. The warrior who'd knocked him unconscious was gone. He slowly rose to his feet, fear and…loss eating away at him. Oh, the loss…grief, it made him nauseas. What had happened?

Hector rose up through the soil to reach his house. He came upon his cellar in broken, burnt splinters. He had to dig himself out of the mess that was his father's house. He found Jacynta's body again, but now in addition to the stake in her heart the flames had burned her corpse. She was barely recognizable, but Hector knew it was her.

He had no strength for tears. He carefully gathered Jacynta into his arms and pulled her free from the wreckage of the house. That was when he saw Alcyone. His father's body was unrecognizable, but he knew it was him. It was charred and riddled with broken weaponry. But…all around him there was a massive pile of dead bodies. Dead human bodies. He'd done what he'd sought to do; take as many of these bastards with him as he could.

He laid Jacynta down beside her lifemate—Hector would bury them together later. He looked out over his village, and tears stun his eyes. Nothing was left standing. Every house, every building…they were all burnt to the ground. His insides twisted up at the scatter of Carpathians either huddled on the ground weeping uncontrollably, or wandering around aimlessly in the midst of this horrible massacre.

"The Prince is DEAD!" someone shrieked.

"We are lost! This is the end!" another wailed.

"Makeeda! I cannot sense my lifemate!" it was a warrior, and he was looking around with such fright that others shied away from him. "Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?"

A knot of panic formed in Hector. He count barely two dozen survivors, and most of them were young boys. Was that all that was left? Was everyone else dead?

"Fatima." The name breathed out of him like a gasp. He climbed to his feet and stumbled into the town square. Charred, bloodied bodies were strewn everywhere. Men, women, children…everyone was killed indiscriminately, and very violently. The fear began to spread in him, and he picked up the pace. "Fatima…Fatima…" he didn't have the strength to shout.

That was when he saw it; a makeshift scaffold on the outskirts of town. "No."

Hector ran towards this horrible thing. Several bodies were hung from it, all various sizes. Even children had been hung from it. As he got closer he smelled that horrible stench of burnt flesh; oh, these souls had suffered the worst. They'd been hung from their necks and set on fire. As if that weren't enough, stakes had been shoved into their chests. What was the human mind that could conjure such horrible things?

But…he was close. He knew many of these burnt faces. And…

"Fatima."

She was there. This sweet six-year-old child, and her tiny body had been strung up in this line. Reflexively, Hector grabbed at her body and ripped the cord hanging from her neck, and pulled the stake out that was bigger than her chest. He hugged her to him, as if trying to will her to breathe. He slowly sank to the ground, crushing Fatima against him, trying and failing to remain calm.

No…no…please, no…

Fatima wasn't breathing. Her soul had already left, and her beautiful face, her beautiful smile, and her eyes…they had no life.

"Nothing will happen to Fatima so long as I'm alive."

But Hector lived…and Fatima didn't. He abandoned her, broke his promise, and now…She had no life. She was dead…she was dead.

Hector began screaming all of a sudden, and he clung to Fatima's body for dear life. He buried his face into her dark hair, what was left of it, and wailed with raw grief. The pain was so great…it was too much. Alcyone was dead, Jacynta was dead…Fatima was dead. He had nothing.

He had NOTHING.

Blood tears were spilling free, dropping into Fatima's hair, and Hector clung to her tighter as he wailed louder. But his cries were lost amidst the overflowing of grief and hopelessness that consumed everyone around him.

That consumed their entire race.

Present Day

Hector was nervous. He was void of emotions, but he remembered anxiety all too well. And now…now he felt it as strongly as the darkness continually calling to him.

There were a dozen unclaimed males in the room, each of them looking as anxious as he. They all had very good reason to be anxious…now if only Tariq would come.

There was a 'swoosh' of air, and the ancient Tariq Asenguard materialized in the room. His bright blue eyes met each warrior present, though none of them could see the color. "I have them."

He had an armful of cassette tapes, and a piece of paper in his hand. He slapped the paper onto the table as the tapes spilled out beside them. All of the warriors surged forward to see the names on the list, but Tariq spoke up. "Hold on. This will take a great deal of time, and it is unrealistic for all of us to simply sit here and listen to every single tape." He held up one for example. "Most of these are 'interrogation' tapes, and so there's likelihood that the victim on the tape is dead."

"I don't care," one of the males snapped. "I'll go without feeding if I must, but I will listen to every single tape you brought us!"

"It is still unlikely that any of your lifemates are on this tape or on this list," Tariq reminded them. "It will be difficult, but don't get your hopes up."

One of the men, Mathaias, snatched up the list and his two brothers, Lojos and Tomas, crowded around him. Hector wanted to see the list too, but something felt odd in him. His eyes were on the cassette tape Tariq held up. The moment the ancient had picked it up, it held Hector's attention.

"May I see that?" he asked, holding out a hand to Tariq.

Tariq handed over the tape and Hector looked at it. The title was simple, and the date was marked for eight years ago: 'McCormick 2: Bianca, M.'

Bianca. It was a beautiful name, and yet nothing was invoked in Hector at the sight of the name. Yet…something. Something was stirring deep inside him for some reason. "Tariq," he said aloud. "Can we listen to this tape first?"

"Of course," Tariq said, taking the tape back. He read the date and frowned. "Hector, this is clearly an interrogation tape, and nearly a decade old. This poor woman is probably dead."

"I still want to listen to it," Hector said firmly.

Tariq sighed heavily, but nodded. "Everyone, quiet. We're going to listen to this tape first."

Hector had thought he'd been prepared for anything. But the sheer brutality a human being could commit stunned him. Particularly since the victim was a woman. It was an interrogation in the most animalistic sense. The woman, Bianca, screamed more than spoke, and oftentimes the men who tortured her laughed at her.

He was sickened. But something in him prevented him from plugging his ears.

"I think this is enough," Tariq said, after Bianca let loose another scream. "I think we can assume this woman is no longer alive."

"Wait," Hector said, raising a hand. "Please, wait a moment."

"You want to listen to this?" Andre demanded, turning hard eyes upon Hector.

"Please…" Bianca's pain-filled pleading voice resonated through the room. "My baby…don't…"

"Baby?" Mathaias roared. "These butchers tortured a woman with child?"

"Turn it off!" Tomas yelled. "I don't want to hear any more!"

"Just wait!" Hector yelled, though he didn't know what compelled him to listen to this garbage. "Wait a little while more!"

"No!" Tariq snapped. "I will not listen to these monsters murder a pregnant woman! You might take some perverse pleasure in this, Hector, but the rest of us won't!"

Horror gripped Hector and he slowly sat back down. Was that it? Was he compelled to listen out of enjoyment? Was he turning vampire? No…no, he hated this! He hated to hear this woman in pain, knowing her unborn child was being killed as well!

But…something was driving him. He had to finish this!

"She's here!" a new voice announced.

"Well, well, Bianca." This man led the interrogation. Hector found he hated this man more than anything. "You will not help us, even to save your baby. Maybe Penny will give us the answers we need?"

A chill shook Hector. Penny? It was a very simple name, and yet fear consumed him. The thought of these men torturing Bianca's daughter horrified him as much as the tape itself.

"Penny knows nothing!" Bianca shrieked, though her voice was raw and choked, as though with her own blood. "Please, just leave her alone! She's only eightee—PENNY! PENNY, GET AWAY FROM HERE! RUN!"

"Tariq, turn this off!" Andre snapped, jumping to his feet. "If you won't, I will!"

Bianca screamed her daughter's name a few more times, and Hector felt bile rise higher in his throat at the unmistakable sound of stabbing.

Then…everything changed. Andre's finger was right over the 'stop' button when gunshots ripped through the tape. Men screamed, Bianca screamed, but the guns were much louder. Everyone stood, watching the tape in horror, now everyone morbidly curious as to what might happen.

"…I'll kill her!" the leader suddenly yelled. "I'll kill your mother, Penny! Drop the gun if you want her to live!"

"Penny…Penny…" Bianca's voice sounded so horrible. There was little doubt the poor woman was on the verge of death.

"I told you to drop the gun, you stupid bitch!" the man yelled. Hector realized his cohorts were all dead; and the gunshots had been a gunfight between these butchers and Penny, who was trying to save her mother's life. "I'll blow a hole through her head! It'll be your fault! DROP THE GUN!"

"Penny…run…"

"I'll give you to the count of three and then I'll blow this bitch to hell! One!"

There was a long pause. "Two!"

Suddenly, there was a new voice. And it shook Hector to his core. "I won't miss."

"Thr—"

BANG!

There were several thuds, but no more gunshots. Then, there was a single thud. "MOM! Mama! Hang on, I'm com—"

The tape ran out. Hector blinked several times, and raised a hand to his chest. Three words, just three simple words. Something…no. His world was still in gray.

But…something. For a brief moment, a yellow light flashed over the gray with those three words. With that young, scared voice that struggled to sound so brave. That one girl…

Hector surged forward, brushing past Tariq and ripping the tape from the player. He reread the title. The poor woman's name was Bianca McCormick. The girl who saved her was called Penny.

Penny McCormick.

Was she alive? She killed a room full of men to save her pregnant mother. Oh, she was so brave! But this tape…it was eight years old. How could her mother and she possibly evade the Morrison Center this whole time? And the baby…was he or she okay? Did they survive the torture?

"…Hector," Tariq said shortly.

Hector spun around. "Where is she?"

The other males stared blankly at him. Tariq merely shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. She's an American, that's for certain. According to the logs, that tape was recorded in Eastport, Maine. But—"

"I'll start there, then." he shoved the tape into his pocket and started for the door.

"Hector, wait a moment." Tariq grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"

"She's alive. She has to be." Hector looked at him. "I know she's alive."

"Who is alive?" Tariq snapped. "Bianca McCormick was thirty-nine at the time they recorded this tape! You heard what they did to her! The chances she lived through it are incredibly slim!"

"Maybe," Hector said tersely. "But Penny is alive."

"Penny?" Tomas lifted the list and looked at it. "Yes, she's listed right here. The whole McCormick family is listed here. Both Bianca and her husband, Landen, are listed as deceased. Penny's status as listed as unknown, and…" he squinted at the list. "Grace?"

"Grace?" Hector asked.

"There's someone named Grace listed with the family, status also unknown."

"…The baby?" Hector wondered aloud. He shook his head. "No. No baby could survive that…"

"Hector," Tariq said quietly. "Is this Penny your lifemate?"

"…I don't know," he admitted. "My colors are not restored to me by her voice. But…I felt something."

"She was only eighteen at the time of that recording," someone else said. "If she's alive now, she's twenty-six. Maybe she was too young then?"

"Eighteen is too young?" another asked. "What do you call Skyler? She invoked Dimitri's colors at sixteen."

"Skyler was abused her whole life though, and that ages a person," another said. "Perhaps this Penny reached sexual maturity a little late?"

"Maybe she isn't his lifemate at all!" another snapped. "Maybe he's faking it!"

"I'm NOT faking it!" Hector roared, waving the tape in his fist. "I felt something when I heard her voice! It isn't a whole lot, but I'm not letting this opportunity slip away! I will find her if I have to search the entire United States for her!"

Silence filled the room. Tariq slowly lifted his hand from Hector's arm. "All right, then. If there is something between this woman and you, I will gladly assist you in finding her." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his checkbook. "This is your first time going to the United States, correct? Fifty-thousand dollars should be enough for now."

"Fifty-thousand American dollars?" Hector asked incredulously.

Tariq smiled thinly. "You'll need a good cover. An expensive car, clothes, and the like. And if Penny is still on the East Coast, well…it's quite expensive to live in New England these days." He calmly signed the check and handed it over. "Cash it at this bank only and call me when you come in contact with her. Since this is the Morrison Center we're dealing with, you might need considerable help."

Hector took the check. "Thank you, Tariq. I will remember this kindness."

"Just confirm whether or not Penny McCormick is your lifemate," Tariq said. "That will prove that this system works for us."