Dark Hunger

"Shot at?" Elize repeated. Her heart faltered and anguish scattered her mind. "Owen?" she squeaked. "How?" She felt as if her lungs burned and every wisp of breath whooshed out of her body. 

Ever since her brother and his wife had misbehaved with her at their father's funeral, she had stopped thinking about them. She had shoved them both at the back of her mind because they only brought bad memories. But what Daryn said right now brought all the love she felt for her only brother, only blood relative left on this earth. She took in a ragged breath as she looked at Caleb, not knowing what to do. Her knees felt wobbly. 

Caleb rushed to Elize's side and held her shoulders tightly. "Lizzy," he said in a soft voice, holding her steadily. He sat on the sofa and made her sit in his lap. She was so numb with shock that he cupped his palms on her cheeks. "Look at me," he said as his heart raced with unease. "Please, baby." 

Elize took her wandering gaze to Caleb. Her lips quivered and she didn't know what to say to him. 

"Do you want to go and see him?" asked Caleb. 

She managed to nod and realized that her cheeks were wet with tears. 

Caleb looked at Daryn and said, "Where is Owen admitted? Do you have any idea?" 

"I have sent Neal to Yorkshire. He will be finding the details." 

"But how did you come to know?" asked Caleb as Daryn sat on the nearest chair. 

"I received a call from Nessa. She was crying and said that Owen was shot yesterday night by ruffians. He was walking back home with groceries when they attacked him. They looted his grocery and watch and when he resisted, they shot him," said Daryn as he clasped his fingers and looked at Elize for reactions. He didn't want to tell it to Elize because he was afraid that she would not be able to take it well, but then what was the point of hiding such an important information. 

Caleb had asked Daryn to take care of Owen and Nessa after they had threatened Elize and tried to extort money from them. He knew that Neal had done a good job and that Owen and Nessa were suffering his wrath, but this— this was really sad. He wanted to ask so many questions but the one that came out was, "How did he get your number?" 

Daryn shrugged. "Beats me. But Nessa was asking for money because the doctors have operated on him but she doesn't have funds to fund the operation." 

"Did you help them?" asked Caleb as Elize watched Daryn with hope. 

"Yes, I have asked Neal to take care of all the expenses and also give them extra money." 

"Oh, thank god!" Elize said as she sagged with relief. Then she gazed at Caleb. "I would like to visit my brother." 

"Sure baby!" he replied. "But let Neal find out where he is right now." 

"That won't be needed. I will go straight home. I am sure a neighbor would know about the incident. In our community, such incidents don't go unnoticed." 

Caleb gave a worried look to Daryn and his eyes went back to Elize. "Lizzy, why don't we let Neal find out about it and then go." 

"No!" Elize retorted. "I want to meet him like now. Please." 

When she made a face like that, his heart sank. "Of course, Lizzy. Whatever you want. When do you want to go?" 

"As soon as possible." She jumped from his lap and started going to her bedchamber. "I am packing for me and I will leave now." Her nervousness had no bounds. 

Caleb's heart thudded. How could he leave his mate unprotected once again in that place? "Wait, I am also coming with you. So, pack for me too." 

Elize stopped as her mind jolted. "But Caleb, you have work here." She couldn't believe that even Caleb would go. She wasn't expecting it. Owen had been really nasty with him. 

"No, my love," he replied. "I won't leave you alone and so I am coming with you." 

Elize blinked away the tears that stung her eyes. He was such a gentleman that for once she thought that he deserved more than her. Maybe in two lifetimes also she won't be able to give him all his love back. She gave him a smile and then rushed back to her bedchamber. 

By the time Elize came back, dressed in jeans and a black sweater and black boots, Daryn and Caleb were already waiting for her outside in the garden. She hauled the strap of her satchel up her shoulder and strode out. When she looked at Caleb, she jerked her head back. "Is that how you will come?" He was still wearing his tunic, breeches and the cape with royal insignia. 

He pursed his lips forgetting all about it. He snapped his fingers and he was dressed in black leather pants and shirt with a long trench coat. They all stepped in the portal created by Daryn. 

When they stepped out, Daryn mind linked with Neal to feel where he was as Caleb and Elize walked to her home. It was dark in the night and they had stepped out of the portal in a side alley. The snow was falling in soft flurries. The street that led to their home was dark except the night lamps that were burning dimly. Snow crunched beneath their feet as they traipsed to the home. Suddenly, Neal's voice came to Daryn's mind. 

'I have got the address of the hospital where Owen is, and now I am going there," Neal said. 

'Good, keep us updated," Daryn replied and walked behind Caleb and Elize. 

--- 

"Neal contacted the hospital already," said Nessa on the phone to Laurel. 

Laurel was standing near the hospital. Her job was to create an illusion of Owen on a bed when Neal came. She had identified an injured patient and all she had to do was make him look like Owen. 

Edyrm was also standing next to her. In case Neal didn't believe in what was going on, he would kill the werewolf. His hand went to his dagger beneath his coat. 

"He is willing to pay all the money to the hospital!" she whined. "That is ridiculous." 

"Has he called you yet?" asked Laurel. 

"No! If he called, I would have asked him to give the money to me!" Nessa said thinking in her mind how thick Laurel was. 

"Then why don't you call him before he pays the hospital bills. That would blow our cover immediately, because I don't know how to manipulate the hospital records. For fuck's sake they are all digital!" Laurel didn't know how to use her magic with computers. She was afraid that if she did that, she might end up blowing the computers and that would raise doubts. 

"I don't know his number!" Nessa said, pulling her hair. Laurel was a moron. No wonder Caleb never liked her.

"Nessa, how do you know he called the hospital?" 

"The accountant from there informed me." 

"Then call the accountant to get his number." 

Nessa pursed her lips at her foolishness.. "Okay."