by Helen Scott
Cracking my knuckles, I wondered if I should call on one of my own brothers for aid. Two of us in any situation was plenty and we shared amusements, for they were few and far between for us now.
Pondering the option, I meandered through the house, knowing its floor plan as though I’d built it myself. Then, finding the door, I opened it.
The scent of piss, shit, blood, and vomit assailed me, but underneath?
I frowned, and aloud when ordinarily I spoke telepathically, I whispered, “Drake? Jasper? Alexander? You need to come here.” When they grunted at me, displeased at being disturbed, I ground out, “Now.”
Chapter Four
Marcella
Watching the blood drain from Gid’s arms was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. The urge to save him was so strong that Keir and Cade had to almost sit on me to stop me from trying to staunch the bleeding.
Darius was feeding Gideon first, which was good, since his blood was tied with mine for being the strongest of the bunch. It was a challenge not only to watch Gid bleed, but to not lunge at Darius for the powerful bouquet that he was putting into the air. Everything about the situation was testing me, pushing me to the limits of my control, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand it.
My mate’s blood was like a siren’s song, calling to the very depths of my being, demanding that not only did I feed from him, but that I fed him as well, due to the amount of blood he was losing. My Vampire was thrashing inside me and making it hard to control myself and my powers. I did the only thing I could to redirect my powers; I started calling to my creatures.
The first to appear was the hellcat, which was the only one the guys had seen. The beast seemed to swirl to life in the shadows of one of the cacti around the edge of the property and came stalking toward me, curious as to whether I was in trouble. It was the most realistic I’d ever seen it, even in comparison to when we were at the bank. Its fur glinted in the bright sun, as though it was completely solid, and not something conjured from my imagination. Each time, it grew more tangible. Less of an illusion, less shadow and more real.
“Maker, Marcella!” Raven yelled, as he saw the cat approaching.
“I’ve got to do something with my power, or my Vampire is going to use it against you,” I ground the words out, as my body continued to struggle against Keir and Cade’s forms.
It was like I wasn’t even in control of myself. No matter how much I knew this needed to happen, that nothing bad would come to pass with a member of the Cavalry in charge, my Vampire was slowly trying to take over my body, and I knew if Darius and Gid were still bleeding when that happened then she would rain hell down on Earth, no matter if it was against her other mates.
My biological parents went against everything I knew about how mates should treat one another, and I couldn’t help but wonder if that somehow influenced my Vampire’s reaction to this situation. Mates didn’t harm one another. I knew that intellectually, but seeing one of my mates bleeding out was pushing my Vampire to the edge. I was in ‘protect and kill’ mode, and though I’d been in a state of perpetual fear since the bank robbery, now was a thousand times worse.
I truly feared for my mates. Not just those who were infirm, but those who were strong.
In time to the ebb and flow of my emotions, the hellcat paced forward, scenting the air as it did so. It knew I wasn’t in danger, so it almost seemed calm and curious as to why I had summoned it. The thing really did have a personality of its own that was completely unrelated to me. It always had, but never this much.
Once it curled up on the ground and settled down to watch what was going on, I summoned another creature. This one was a cross between a black bear and a wolverine. It was a little smaller than a black bear, but bigger than a wolverine, although its jaw and ears resembled the latter rather than the former. A large white patch decorated its chest, which just made it look somewhat see through since it was made of shadow and all. It had a lighter snout and round ears that seemed to be set too far apart on its head.
“What in the actual...” Keir muttered as he saw the bear-like creature lumbering toward us.
“Meet Sammy,” I wheezed out, as my body once again lunged against two of my mates, desperate to get to the ones that were injured.
“Sammy hardly seems like an appropriate name for an Asian black bear,” Darius chuckled.
His voice sounded weak, and I knew that he needed to pass the job of feeding Gid to me. I had honestly been surprised when he’d suggested that he go first. “He needs to stop. Let me take over,” I whispered to Cade and Keir.
“I am fine for another twenty minutes yet,” my pursang mate assured from the other side of our little group. I hadn’t intended for him to hear me, knowing that the only way I would be able to take over from him was if I physically forced him to back off.
That he was willing to do this for Gideon made my heart beat faster in my chest.
My pursang mate was noble in ways I’d yet to behold, and my gratitude for him was another step toward us binding ourselves together forever. Not just because I was thankful, but because he was the kind of male who could and would put himself on the line for my other mate, a male he should resent.
Anger bled into my words, but it was followed by concern. “He is not fine. I can feel the weakness in him, and if you let him feed Gid for another twenty minutes, then we’ll be struggling to keep Darius alive as well,” I gritted out. That made them all pause and take me more seriously.
“She’s exaggerating. Who would know how long I can last better, my mate or myself?”
A growl that bordered on a scream erupted from me as I tried not to take what he said as a personal insult, which apparently triggered the summoning of another creature. This time a large bird seemed to take off from just under the cactus on the left side of the property. Its wingspan was well over six feet, and as it flew overhead, it blocked the sun for a moment too long before settling down with the others.
I would swear there was a joke in there somewhere. A bear, a hellcat, and a harpy eagle all walked into a bar…
Before I could get even more distracted by where the fuck the eagle had come from, and whether or not I wanted to throttle my pursang mate for taking such risks, I demanded, “And which of us isn’t trying to prove that he’s macho and can take care of everything on his own?” My voice dripped with sarcasm, as though we didn’t all know the answer.
Almost immediately Cade and Keir let me up, and I bolted toward Darius. My Vampire surged to the surface when I reached him, and the world seemed to fade to black, gray, and white as I dropped down to a crouch in front of him.
I was positioned on the other side of Gideon, and if I had to, I was prepared to wrench his wrist from Gideon’s mouth.
“Let him go,” I ordered quietly, my voice laced with warning as he looked up at me, his eyes bleeding to silver.
“I’m fine,” he all but growled at me.
“No, you’re not. Listen to how slow your heart is beating. If you don’t move in the next minute, then I’ll move you myself.” There wasn’t so much as a sound behind me, but more like a lack thereof.
I could tell that each of the guys had gone still as they waited to see how the showdown between us ended. The trouble was, I knew exactly how weak he’d let himself become. Even with my blowing off steam by pulling my creatures to life from the small amounts of shadow that were around us in the Nevada sun, I was strong enough at this point to completely overpower him if I wanted to.
Darius went still in a way that only a pursang could, nothing about his body moved. His chest didn’t lift as he breathed, his eyes didn’t blink or move, each muscle was stilled except for his heart, which I was acutely aware of through our bond.
It felt like the minute was lasting forever, but when he twisted his wrist from Gideon’s jaw, I let loose a deep exhalation loaded with relief. The blood that was flowing from my druid was still black, but it was starting to be laced with red, which made my heart
soar with hope. Gid’s head lifted off the sand slightly as he tried to reach the source of blood that had moved away.
Without wasting another second, I bit into my own wrist and placed it in front of his mouth. When his own teeth sank into my flesh, I released a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if he had just laid there limply against my wrist, especially since my blood was what he was supposed to crave over all others.
I could feel him pulling at the wound, the gentle tugs making my heart sing with the knowledge that he was trying to pull himself out of this dirty high, as Rhys had called it. My eyes skimmed over my other guys, even Barclay, who was still in his wolf form, taking in the mixture of worry and relief that they were displaying in reaction to my own.
A moment later, they were drawn to my shadow creatures, who were starting to get antsy. Being called to existence but not having anything to do was common for them, but I knew they didn’t like it. Something inside me knew that they were meant to be called into existence for battle, to fight on my behalf. But the eagle, though not entirely new, rarely popped out. She wasn’t named, unlike the other two, and her presence set the bear and the hellcat on edge.
When I saw Rhys walking out onto the patio of the house before wading into the shrubbery to join us, I wanted to hurl questions at him. The man radiated an ancient power like nothing I’d ever experienced before, one that made Darius’s aura seem almost youthful, and it made me want to find out everything I could from him. I saw his eyes go round as he noticed my shadow creatures, but other than that he displayed no reaction, in fact, I was surprised I’d seen any at all.
Once he was close enough, he asked, “Which one of you has fed her the most?” His tone was one that brokered no discussion, just a simple answer.
Surprisingly, Raven moved forward. I didn’t know they kept track. I certainly couldn’t have answered the question. All I knew was that I tried to spend my time equally among them, hoping that I wasn’t playing favorites or leaving anyone out as I had accidentally done with Gid before.
“Go and feed her. Rotate off until Gideon’s blood is clean. The more he feeds from Marcella and Darius, the faster his recovery will be, and since it looks like Darius has tried to play hero yet again, it will have to be Marcella for the time being,” Rhys commanded, waving his hand half in dismissal, half in a direction toward me.
As soon as Raven was close to me, I could scent his blood just under his skin. I hadn’t realized how quickly Gideon had been drinking, or how much he had already consumed. I felt him settle down around me, drawing me into an almost protective embrace, and when his wrist appeared in front of my face, I didn’t hesitate to bite down. He let out a roar of satisfaction, and I sensed his erection as well as scented his need in the air.
The tang of Rav’s blood danced on my tongue like a fine wine, revealing different notes the longer I drank until I felt like I was lightheaded with pleasure. I wasn’t the only one either. I could feel Rav behind me, not only his hard-on, but his breath which was coming fast, and his chest which was heaving against my back as he fed me.
“Cade, you’re up,” a voice said, although I was so lost in the pleasure of my mate’s blood that I was almost unable to hear it.
I knew when Cade’s wrist appeared in front of me because the smell of his blood was heavy in the air. He had already opened his wrist for me. I dropped Rav’s and felt him move away before Cade slid into place while I drank. It felt like the height of luxury and pleasure were trying to become one, and though I tried to keep my thoughts on Gideon and checking on him, I couldn’t deny the noticeably dirty direction my thoughts had taken.
The sand around us had turned black and gooey with the drying blood leaking from Gideon, but it was the way the color had changed that made me excited. The red streaks were slowly increasing in size, and the black was looking more and more diluted. It gave his blood an almost purple tinge, which made me think of royalty and brought a smile to my face. These men were more than just my knights in shining armor; they were my princes, my kings.
A gasp sounded below me, and I looked down to find Gideon’s baby blue eyes shining up at me. Confusion and wonder swirled within each orb as he took in the scene around him, but even as he began to absorb the minutiae of his environment, he continued to pull down huge gulps of blood from me as though he was a man starving. I wanted nothing more at that moment than to satiate his hunger, his need.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Rhys murmured.
I turned to look at him and was surprised to find two other men standing with him, neither of whom I recognized. The only thing I knew was that as my guys picked up on the change in the situation, the tension in the air increased to the point that it felt like it was going to choke me.
“Let me introduce you,” Rhys said, as he looked directly at me.
Raven
Before the brotherhood, before Eastbrook, I’d been a brother.
I’d had a family.
Kin.
Then the secrets had torn unions apart, wrecking them forevermore, shredding the love between man and wife as though it had never existed.
But before any of that, I’d known what it was to have to defend someone smaller, younger than me.
I had no memories of Jezebel beyond her third year. That was when my powers had manifested, and the truth had scored my parents’ marriage like acid.
She’d been so small, so… pudgy. All soft, blushing cheeks, rounded face, starfish fingers that were always covered in something, a substance that was usually questionable. I’d known what it was to protect, to be the elder, stronger brother.
Now?
The feelings I felt for Marcella were anything but fraternal, but I was older than her, stronger in ways she’d only ever be able to equal when she reached her full potential. But currently? Her powers were developing in ways not even Darius seemed comfortable with, but when three Ancients came strolling down the garden path, my instincts roared to red alert.
I pushed her behind me. Cade and I shielded her in an open-ended triangle. Shoving her behind us stirred Gideon, whose blue eyes were open but still dazed, and the pupils were pinpricks that spoke of a ravenous hunger that had yet to be sated.
“There is no need to fear,” Rhys stated softly, his eyes flickering from Barclay to the creatures Marcella had summoned. “These are my brothers. Alexander,” he specified, pointing to a tall red-headed male who… No. I shook my head. I was seeing things. “And Jasper.” The latter male had hair as dark as my own, but mine had a blue-black gleam whereas his was onyx, pure and unrelieved black.
They were all tall, strong, and sure. They radiated confidence. More than that, their very power emanated from them.
Darius, still shaky on his feet, stepped toward the trio. “I didn’t realize you were calling others in, Rhys.”
Because Darius hadn’t acted aggressively, seemed to know these males, I felt my hackles drop.
“He needs to feed,” Rhys informed us calmly, ignoring Darius’s statement. “You mustn’t break the connection.”
I was surprised Marcella had allowed herself to be herded if I was being honest, and that, at his words, she didn’t push between us. I slipped into her mind and found that—
My jaw firmed as anxiety filled me at her lack of responsiveness. “She’s weak. We’re not sustaining her.”
Rhys grunted. “Honestly, why can younglings never follow rules?” To Darius, he questioned, “Can you sustain him while she strengthens? Feed from me if you must.”
Darius froze. “You would give me blood?”
Rhys bared his teeth. “Consider it a boon.”
“I’ll expect to have a hefty repayment fee then,” Darius grumbled, but he strode over to the ancient being who had his arm held out like a fast food worker would hold a burger through the drive-thru window.
Darius fell on the forearm as though it were a hunk of sizzling bacon and he’d been forced to go vegan for a month. The scent of the Ancient’s blood fill
ed the air, making my own beast twitch in response. Between us, propped up, Marcella ceased pulling from Cade, and turned at the delicious essence.
My Vampire growled at her, and she jerked her attention from Darius to me. Her eyes were big and round, her irises dazed from loss of blood—just how much was Gideon slurping down, for Maker’s sake?
Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough. He was starting to move and his head was turning from side to side, like a babe at his mother’s teat whose milk had dried up.
Rhys sighed. “That should be enough to nourish you, Darius.”
I watched as the pursang raised his head, but there was a hesitation that told me he wanted to stay exactly where he was, feeding on a nectar that… Hmm, I’d have to ask what tasted better. Marcella’s blood or Rhys’s. Mostly just to piss the pursang off, but fuck it, why not?
Reaching up, I rubbed the back of Marcella’s head, stroking her hair as I tugged her back toward Cade’s open vein. Blood dribbled down, staining his shirt, and she licked it up before swirling her tongue around the wound.
I shivered at that, and wasn’t surprised when Cade released a husky moan that said, loud and clear, he was turned on.
As Darius dropped to his knees to feed Gideon, whose blood was finally running a pure red, the black-haired male stepped over to the beasts that were watching in silent vigil over the proceedings.
Barclay yipped at him, making the hellcat stir, and our shifter began to growl when Jasper didn’t falter, just carried on toward whatever the hell Marcella had created. Were they shadows? Illusions? They looked so real, as real as Barclay.
“Barclay, leave him,” Darius ordered, but he didn’t look happy about Jasper’s interest.
I’d seen the Enforcer at the council’s table. I’d seen him wield as much power as any president with the boredom of a Grand Master beating a noob at chess.
