Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Gambit

~Alec~

The Alley Behind Revive, Forty-Three Minutes Prior

"How do we know it was her?"

I held in a growl at the query.

Talib repeated for a third time, "If it were another human, we'd have a scent."

"It was her," Jane said curtly, ending the debate so I would not get involved. Her lips pursed as she reluctantly refrained from using her gift to keep the peace, attempting to support my, in her words, 'inane attempt to create solidarity with our lessers.'

Maliq's words aligned with the task I assigned my team, speaking up and contributing his unique perspective to nullify my biases. Doubting my confidence in the sound of my mate's voice – of her scream, pushed the generous boundary. He needed to take a hint.

Thankfully, he shifted to a proportional topic. "Who attacked you?"

"I don't know who the fuckers were," Demetri fumed, lividity oozing from his vulgar words like boiling tar. Naturally, I instantly tasked him with tracking Saffiya. He, and his gift, functioned as my safety net for this mission. If all else failed and Saffiya's scent was truly lost, Demetri's talent stood as the most reliable. Until now, he huffed and puffed without results in a rare internal conflict. His inadequacy tugged on my patience, one of the reasons I physically distanced myself from the group. "Mine retreated almost instantly."

"Same here," Percy snarled, her feet skidding across the concrete as she and Felix rejoined the others, standing several paces behind me. I picked up on the distinct click of a lighter being opened and snapped shut before it whistled through the air and was pocketed by the owner. Demetri, likely.

"They're taken care of," Felix dismissed gruffly. "Any luck locating Saffiya?"

A momentary pause suggested they were waiting for me to comment.

Demetri stepped into the dead air, theorizing from experience, "This vampire – Silvertongue, must be responsible. It can't be a coincidence."

Saffiya did not believe in coincidence.

Truthfully, their debriefing proved of far greater use than the dread steering my thoughts. Bastian's fear emphasized the priority of returning Saffiya to the jetplane without interference, a fact I promptly conveyed to our guards. I had no choice but to release her hand in the club, to block the strategic advances of inconspicuous vampires. Rationally, I knew this. Nevertheless, I let her go, and someone else latched on.

I cursed my restless thoughts and attempted to ignore their chatter, crouching down to pick up the gold jewelry, seemingly carelessly discarded in the alley alongside trash, used needles, and even a small silver knife glinting in the natural light of day.

Demetri was right. Silvertongue never expected me to accept his deal. So, he had a plan B.

I anticipated the ambush, but I did not prepare for their success.

My thumb brushed the gold Volturi crest resting flat in my palm. The chain was fastened around my mate's neck less than two hours prior and now dangled uselessly between my fingers. A rumble of frustration bubbled in my gut, threatening to escape through my teeth. Every instinct in my body urged me to search for my mate. It would be irrational without any idea where to look, but the temptation suffocated me.

I forced it down before crossing the alley to join the others, presenting my discovery.

"She was here." I swallowed again, hiding the tremulous breath that longed to burst forth with more emotion than I could afford to acknowledge. My struggle to remain present thwarted itself, my mind already teetering with cataclysmic pressure as my mate's life rested in the enemy's hands.