Part 3
When Ethan arrived at the hunters' headquarters he realised instantly something was wrong. The others were sat around, slumped and miserable. "What happened?" His eyes moved over the group, almost alarmed.
Finally Rashel Jordan, the once infamous vampire hunter known as The Cat stood up and faced him. "Susanna's missing."
Ethan just stared at her, the words "Susanna" and "missing" taking a few seconds to register into his mind. "What'd you mean, missing?" he asked slowly, sitting on the edge of a desk.
Jez Redfern, the Wild Power herself, just shrugged helplessly. "We're not really sure. No one's seen her in three or four days."
"Have you been with her?" Rashel asked.
Ethan shook his head. All the hunters in the group knew he and Susanna were a hot item, it was no big deal. But even he'd noticed she'd been absent from the group, almost ashamed to talk to him.
"No."
Jez hopped off her seat and began pacing. "We don't know if she'd dead, been kidnapped, run away or *what*?"
"Did you two have a fight or something?" The tone of John Quinn was slightly harsh.
All the males in the group were both ex-top Night World vampires, and their egos did not match. Arguments and confrontations and distrust were common between them.
Ethan glared. "*No*. Nothing's happened between Susanna and me. Where's Tiegra?"
Tiegra Keller was a shapeshifter, Susanna's best friend. If Susanna was going to tell anybody anything, Tiegra would be the one she told.
Rashel frowned. "Tiegra's not exactly taking this well."
Ethan didn't say anything. The fact that he and Susanna were lovers was no secret. The fact that Susanna and Tiegra were lovers *was*. It wasn't something he minded, but he had promised to keep his mouth shut about.
"So what's the plan?" Monica Sanchez asked, pacing with Jez.
"Well so far we don't have a clue," Morgead Blackthorn said sourly.
Everyone seemed to be looking to Ethan for answers. He didn't have anything for them. The facts were still a shock to him. Susanna was one of the best hunters he had ever known, ranking in the same league as Rashel and Jez. He knew there was a reward on her head amongst the Night Worlders.
The thought of one of them holding her hostage against her will, maybe even hurting her, torturing her...filled him with a violent rage and anger.
"We'll get her back," he said with blunt determination.
There were nods of agreement amongst the group.
"How?" Monica asked.
No one knew.
* * *
.
When Ethan arrived at the hunters' headquarters he realised instantly something was wrong. The others were sat around, slumped and miserable. "What happened?" His eyes moved over the group, almost alarmed.
Finally Rashel Jordan, the once infamous vampire hunter known as The Cat stood up and faced him. "Susanna's missing."
Ethan just stared at her, the words "Susanna" and "missing" taking a few seconds to register into his mind. "What'd you mean, missing?" he asked slowly, sitting on the edge of a desk.
Jez Redfern, the Wild Power herself, just shrugged helplessly. "We're not really sure. No one's seen her in three or four days."
"Have you been with her?" Rashel asked.
Ethan shook his head. All the hunters in the group knew he and Susanna were a hot item, it was no big deal. But even he'd noticed she'd been absent from the group, almost ashamed to talk to him.
"No."
Jez hopped off her seat and began pacing. "We don't know if she'd dead, been kidnapped, run away or *what*?"
"Did you two have a fight or something?" The tone of John Quinn was slightly harsh.
All the males in the group were both ex-top Night World vampires, and their egos did not match. Arguments and confrontations and distrust were common between them.
Ethan glared. "*No*. Nothing's happened between Susanna and me. Where's Tiegra?"
Tiegra Keller was a shapeshifter, Susanna's best friend. If Susanna was going to tell anybody anything, Tiegra would be the one she told.
Rashel frowned. "Tiegra's not exactly taking this well."
Ethan didn't say anything. The fact that he and Susanna were lovers was no secret. The fact that Susanna and Tiegra were lovers *was*. It wasn't something he minded, but he had promised to keep his mouth shut about.
"So what's the plan?" Monica Sanchez asked, pacing with Jez.
"Well so far we don't have a clue," Morgead Blackthorn said sourly.
Everyone seemed to be looking to Ethan for answers. He didn't have anything for them. The facts were still a shock to him. Susanna was one of the best hunters he had ever known, ranking in the same league as Rashel and Jez. He knew there was a reward on her head amongst the Night Worlders.
The thought of one of them holding her hostage against her will, maybe even hurting her, torturing her...filled him with a violent rage and anger.
"We'll get her back," he said with blunt determination.
There were nods of agreement amongst the group.
"How?" Monica asked.
No one knew.
* * *
.
