Page 77 of Twice Bitten

Beckett surely wasn’t methodical enough to do such a thing. He was a creature driven by instinct and need. He saw, he wanted, he took.

I tried calling the house again to no avail. Cursing under my breath, I pulled off the shoulder and back into traffic, grinding the pedal to the floor. I was only twenty minutes away, but it felt like I was driving through quicksand.

Worry for Edmund urged me to drive faster. I knew he’d be fine. He was attached to the house, and as long as the house remained undamaged, the house spirit would surely be fine too. But if Beckett was there, if he was inside my house…

I shuddered. Sleep might be a long time coming if Beckett was there when I got home. Or maybe I’d be sleeping forever if things went sideways.

I pressed harder on the gas pedal.

TWENTY-THREE

A familiar SUV was parked by the curb when I pulled into my driveway. Ignoring Leo for now, I flew out of the car and ran up the steps, faltering when I noticed the door wide open.

“Edmund!” I shouted.

No response.

I stopped at the threshold and peered inside.

“No one is here now.”

I screeched and spun around, my hand clutching at my heart. “You scared the hell out of me!”

Leo stood a couple of feet away, the cool amusement he usually wore on his face concealed under a mask of concern. “I arrived too late to stop him. He was gone by the time I arrived.”

My brow furrowed. “And how did you know something was happening?”

Leo ignored my question. “I’ll walk with you inside just in case he’s left anything behind.”

As we stepped inside, Leo went ahead of me. “Who’s Edmund?”

“My parrot.”

Leo snorted. “Sure it is. There’s no parrot here and there never has been.” He tapped the side of his nose. “Vamps can sense how many beating hearts are in the area—supernatural, human, or animal.”

“None of your business then,” I grumbled.

The hallway seemed relatively unscathed, but Leo halted abruptly when we made it to the living room.

“I think you should step outside,” he said quietly.

“No.” I stepped around him. A sound of genuine pain pushed from my lips. All my furniture had been cut open with what looked to be a large, serrated blade. Foam and feathers were scattered everywhere. My coffee table lay collapsed on the ground, cracked in multiple pieces. The stained-glass lamp I’d thrifted lay on its side, the shade broken in several places.

A puddle of liquid had ruined part of my original wooden floors. Leo crouched near and sniffed, a look of horror on his face before he rose and went straight to the kitchen.

He came back carrying a roll of paper towels.

“Do I want to know?” I asked quietly, my voice subdued.

Leo shook his head once in a sharp motion. I passed by him soundlessly, my emotions numb. The kitchen was much of the same, most of the dishes shattered on the ground. My fridge lay on its side, all the food dripping and spilled on the counters and floors.

I drew in a shuddering breath. A hand came to rest on my shoulder. “Come,” said a quiet voice. “Allow me to take this burden from you.”

I glanced up at the Prime. His eyes were filled with empathy. There was no trace of satisfaction or anything other than concern in his face. Tears filled my eyes.

I shook my head. “No,” I croaked. “Beckett violated my space. My home. I need to see what else he did.”

A piece of blue paper stuck out of the pile of mail I’dorganized on the table earlier this week caught my eye. I looked away before Leo or Alric spotted it and stepped aside. “I’ll be right back.”