by Mina Carter
He’s not going to kill you.
Oh, shit.
What? But there was no need to ask. He was suddenly aware the vampire was working his way free.
I think he’s moving toward me. Joseph felt her heart was racing. Her mind was processing her options quickly. I feel it. He’s closer. Joseph, I can’t see anything. Please. Help me see him.
Feeling her desperation was like nothing he’d ever known. Joseph knew the second the vampire grabbed her shoulders with bone-crushing force. He gave her all that he had. Fight! My strength, my power, my speed belongs to you! My vision is yours. It was a decree, a command that was impossible for her body to defy. Use all that I have, Mia! Fight! Joseph couldn’t believe he was commanding her to fight. Male demons never allowed their women to fight. There was no place for a woman in battle, no reason for it. But there was now.
She needed to fight for a few minutes, or she would die.
* * *
She felt surge after surge of Joseph’s power, his strength slamming into her, filling her. It was unlike anything she’d ever known. Suddenly she could see, and her knife from out of nowhere manifested in her hand. She immediately attacked the vampire. She knew the rules. Attack! Attack! Attack! Never stop attacking. She slashed him with the knife again and again. His blood burned her hands, and immediately rain started to fall, rinsing it from her flesh.
Knowledge flooded her mind. Normally she relied on her instincts, but Joseph’s knowledge was incredible. She realized several more vampires were waiting for Joseph, eager to attack him. They believed that with their numbers they could easily kill him. Obviously, they didn’t know her mate.
Her mate? She froze. He was her mate. She instantly, not realizing what she was doing, closed her mind from Joseph to keep him from hearing her thoughts.
Jeremy seemed to know the moment she was relying solely on her own power and strength. He lashed out at her, his claws raking at her flesh.
Mia felt Joseph reaching for her, desperately attempting to repair the link. The instant he regained it, she heard his cry of outrage and knew he felt the sharp pain of claws in her flesh. She knew she needed to fight to survive, but she couldn’t. Her mind was in a strange fog. Her arms and legs felt too heavy to move.
No! Do not stop! Fight, Mia. Fight! It was a command.
Mia shook her head. Joseph? I can’t. I can’t move. I can’t see. She was in serious trouble. The vampire was too strong. Too fast. And there were many more waiting to ambush Joseph. They were both going to die, and it was her fault.
They can’t kill me. It’s a trick. Merge with me again. Fully. Open your mind to me. No barriers.
She did as he said. He was right. She could see again.
Just then, a doglike creature moved out from behind the car where she’d seen the shadow disappear earlier. Its fur was matted and filthy. It smelled worse than rotten chicken. Joseph immediately took charge. One second it was snarling and snapping its jaws at her, and then the next a bolt of lightning came from above and struck it dead.
She ignored the pain of the deep gouges in her arms by pushing it as far from her conscious mind as possible as she attacked the vampire. She knew her arm was slashed wide open and she was losing too much blood. But she also knew that Joseph was with her, guiding her, aiding her with his amazing strength and power. Mia lunged for Jeremy and managed to bury the knife deep in his side before she pulled it out.
Turning, stumbling, he screamed his outrage as his tainted blood flowed from his body. “You bitch!”
She didn’t hesitate. She thrust the knife into his back. Jeremy turned around, grabbed her, and threw her towards the building. Then he was thrown back by an unseen surge of power.
Joseph caught Mia just before she hit the wall. “You never break a link with me when you’re in danger.” He gently set her on her feet and bent down to rest his forehead against hers. “Never again, Mia.” He straightened to his full height and gave her a stern look. “You remain merged with me no matter what.”
Mia blinked up at Joseph. She wasn’t the type of woman to be so overcome with emotions that she was reduced to tears, but at that moment she wanted to collapse in his arms and cry. She wanted to thank him. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her. However, if she did those things, he’d either freak out and think she was dying, or go around for the next week being insufferably smug. Actually, he’d probably manage to do both. So instead, she just asked him, “What took you so long?”
“I stopped for a cup of coffee.” He wrapped his hand around her arm and sent a burst of healing energy into it to close the deepest wound and stop the bleeding. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.” He placed his hand on her cheek and sent healing energy into her flesh to close that deep gash as well. “Just stay behind me.” He turned away from her to face the seemingly unconscious vampire sprawled out on his back.
“Yeah. Sure thing. I’ll be the perfect little damsel in distress. I’ll stand back here and stare at your ass while you fight the vampire that tried to kill me.” Rolling her eyes, Mia moved forward to take her place at Joseph’s side, making sure they each had room to fight. “Stop stalling. You know I don’t plan on allowing you to have all the fun. Let’s kick some nasty, bloodsucker ass.” She refused to be anything but the warrior she was. “Unless you’re too afraid and would rather hide behind me.”
“Hmm … I suppose watching you from behind does offer an extremely pleasant view.” He smacked her butt. “Forget it. I will do the ass kicking tonight.” She lifted her chin and smiled rebelliously. “Interfere, and I’ll do things to you that’ll cause you to scream my name and beg for more.” Joseph’s voice was a low, seductive growl that caused Mia’s stomach to flutter and blood to heat.
She blushed but managed to smile and wink at him before she shifted her gaze to his groin. “Why would I beg for … oh. Oops. Poor li’l guy. Your equipment is a tad bit inadequate.” Frowning, she looked up at him. “What a terrible tragedy. I was hoping to try it out sometime in the very distant, ‘I’ve been stranded on a sub-zero, snow-covered mountain for years and there is no other man to warm me up’ future.”
“Be careful what you hope for,” he growled, lust burning in his eyes. “It can very easily be arranged.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” His lips lifted in that slow, sexy smile that always caused her heart to race and blood to burn. Okay. He would dare to do it. It was time to change the subject. “Since he’s starting to wake up, don’t you think we should get to doing something about the vampire?”
* * *
Joseph knew Mia would never just stand back and allow him to take care of the vampire, but he had a plan. The moment Jeremy got to his feet, Joseph moved too fast for her to even think of keeping up with him. Another vampire moved in front of Jeremy, allowing Jeremy to escape. Joseph killed the newcomer instantly, crushing its skull, but then suddenly he realized his mistake. Another, more powerful vampire was close by. Too close.
Joseph’s gaze collided with Mia’s. “Stay next to me.” Feeling a threat from behind, he turned away from her to scan the area and search for the vampire as he sent a call out to any other of his kind that might be near. He didn’t have time to make sure anyone received it before he was forced to face his worst nightmare.
“Joseph, watch out!” Mia leapt into action and slammed into the vampire that was charging at him from behind.
Joseph turned just in time to see her land flat on her back and the vampire pounce on her. Before his next breath, he yanked the vampire off her and made quick work of destroying it by ripping its head from its shoulders.
The dragon’s rage took over. There was no time to think, for more vampires had appeared, surrounding them. And Mia was dying at his feet. Joseph stood over her and raised his hands to the heavens to summon the most violent forces of nature. Normally, he would never pull so much power to him with her so near—it was simply too dangerous. But in that moment it didn’t matter. He felt her life slipping further and further away. He
had to end the fight now.
Gusts of wind coming from every direction blasted the vampires back as torrential rain instantly flooded the street. Countless streaks of blinding lightning crisscrossed the sky in a violent frenzy. The intensity and power of the lightning burned the vampires’ eyes and flesh seconds before they were all incinerated by simultaneous direct hits.
~ Nine ~
ALREADY ASSESSING HER injuries, Joseph stared down at Mia, his body trembling. “No.” She was absolutely still … so tiny … and fragile, and so … broken.
Many of her bones were crushed beyond any hope of repair. Her flesh was as pale as ash. Her lips were blue. She was dead. And he was falling apart. He couldn’t detect a single sign of life in her. “No! No! No!”
He stared down at her, hoping to see the slightest movement of her chest rising and falling. But it didn’t. “Mia.” She wasn’t breathing. Her heart wasn’t beating. “Please, Mia.”
Mia opened her eyes and gasped one last breath.
Despair slammed into him. Grief like no other gripped his heart, causing it to physically ache. “Mia.” He, one of the most powerful immortal warriors, dropped to his knees in defeat. “No!”
He wouldn’t be defeated. He reached for her spirit and held on tight, refusing to allow it to move to the next realm. She wasn’t leaving him. “Come back to me, Mia.”
His entire world was gone. Without her, there was nothing, no reason for him to continue on. He bent down over her to search deeper for any sign of life. But there were none. Rage filled him. This was his fault. He should’ve protected her.
Moving slowly, he gently pulled her hair away from her face. He knew she could move on to an existence of peace. He knew she could travel to a place where she would never again feel pain. He should’ve been strong enough to let her go, but he wasn’t. He ached to pick her up off the cold, wet pavement and cradle her, but too many of her bones were crushed.
Body trembling and tears streaming down his face, he bent his head and kissed her lips gently. “This cannot be how it ends. You cannot leave me, Mia. Not like this. Not ever. I could never get through a single moment without you.”
She wasn’t his mate, and as a male demon he possessed the right to use the power of resurrection only to save his mate. Bringing her back would be considered one of the greatest offences against the laws of his kind. His soul would be condemned. But it didn’t matter.
She mattered. Nothing else mattered. “Forgive me, angel,” he whispered to her spirit. “I didn’t protect you. But I cannot let you go away from me. Don’t be afraid. If I can’t bring you back to me I will come to you.”
Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands over her chest. “This is going to hurt like hell, Mia.” He commanded the most violent power of the universe to come to him. Currents of electricity came from every direction and charged the atmosphere. Raw power grew all around them, and then it centered inside him. “Come back to me, Mia!” He sent a burst of electrical currents through her heart and her body. The response was instant, and it was violent.
Mia’s body convulsed. Gasping, choking on the air she needed to survive, her eyes flew open and focused on his. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t say anything.
“Just breathe. Slow and easy. You’re safe. I’m here.”
A few seconds passed. She struggled to steady her breathing. “Joseph.” She lifted her hand and placed it on the side of his face. “Why did you do it?” He felt her need to get up, to help him, to fight by his side.
“Stay still.” She tried to sit up, but he gently held her down. Many of her bones were broken and shattered, and he was afraid he would hurt her. “I could never … oh, Mia. You can never leave me.”
* * *
Mia was in tremendous pain. Though it was hard to focus her thoughts, her mind was deeply merged with his. She knew he was holding the brunt of the pain, but being so deeply merged with him she was seeing deeper into his mind than ever before.
She struggled to keep her eyes open and focused on his face, fighting to maintain consciousness. When his spirit had merged with her spirit to hold onto her and bring her back from death, she’d seen his resolve to save her by taking the poison. She needed to know that he was okay. “Why did you take the poison?” She held her hand over the blood seeping from a wound on his cheek.
“I’m in love with you.”
It wasn’t just the poison she’d learned about. She’d also discovered that Joseph believed she belong to Eli. He believed he didn’t have any right to claim her, but he would never give her up. “Why don’t you believe we belong together?” How could he believe she belonged to another man?
“You’re confused. There’s no other woman for me. I’ve no doubt we belong to each other,” he stated with conviction in his voice.
She tried to get up again, but she couldn’t move. “How … oh, shit.” It hurt to talk, but she needed to know if he was okay. She took a few breaths. “How bad are you hurt?”
“Damn it, Mia. It doesn’t matter. Just stay still.”
“Why did you do it?”
“I already told you. I’m in love with you, Mia. Don’t try to talk. You have a few broken ribs.”
She felt the heat of his healing energy flowing through her body. She knew it was too late. She was dying. “It matters to me. I love you, Joseph.” Her hand fell from his face. She tried to lift it again, but the pain was too much. “You matter to me.”
* * *
“Don’t be upset. I am fine. The poison can’t hurt me like it is hurting you. By taking it I will be able to learn more about it. I will have a better chance of healing you. It’s a complicated mixture, but my body is already working out a cure. If this works I will be able to restore your wolf. If it doesn’t we die together.” His gaze jumped to hers. “And none of this is your fault.”
Many powerful emotions slammed into him at once. Terrible anger and hatred. And a love so amazing it had no limits to its depths. He knew she shared the same love for him. “I promise you do not need to worry about me right now. I’m okay, Mia.”
It was a lie. He was far from okay. He was in a terrible place. It was a dangerous place for his kind to linger. Hatred for the vampire that had hurt her and self-hatred because he hadn’t protected her could cause him to spiral out of control. It could cause him to become more beast than man. The dragon within him was already enraged, fighting the poison. It was roaring deep inside him, clawing at his soul, demanding more bloodshed and destruction. It would never be satisfied if Joseph allowed it to have its way. He would become a living force of death and destruction.
A shadow moved overhead. Joseph didn’t turn to look—he knew it was Haden Drake. When Mia’s gaze shifted to the sky, he whispered, “It’s only Haden. He has come to help us.”
She returned her gaze to his. He was deeply merged with her and knew she believed she was dying. She knew her death would cause him pain though they’d been aware all along she would soon die from the cancer. She reached up again to wipe the frown from his face. Forgive me, Joseph.
He forced himself to smile for her. Listen to me. You will not die. And you’ve done nothing to be sorry for. You are a true warrior, Mia. Do not tell me you think a warrior can’t be injured in battle. You’re injured, but you will live. Trust me to take care of you. He was pouring all his power into her, mending her bones and injured organs as he sustained her life and fought to restrain the fury building in him.
Haden approached from behind. “What happened?”
“She was attacked.” Focusing on Mia, Joseph kept his back to Haden. “Stay awake, Mia. You can’t fall asleep yet.”
“You brought her back.”
Anger at the thought Haden might lecture him on breaking demons’ laws rose up in Joseph. Then it occurred to him Haden might want to reverse his healing of Mia, and something far more ugly and violent flooded his emotions. “Stay the fuck away from her!”
“You know better.” Haden didn’t wait for Joseph
’s response. He was already on his knees with his hand on Mia’s shoulder, aiding Joseph by pouring his healing power into Mia. “I would not condemn you for doing what I would’ve done. Besides, Caylee would kick my ass if I objected to you doing all you can to save Mia.” He paused. “I’ve learned to pick my battles with Caylee. And a battle over her friendship with Mia is one I would never even dream of engaging in.”
Joseph nodded. He knew Haden would never do anything to harm a woman. Joseph was actually shocked by his sudden outburst toward Haden. “I’ve lost track. Do you know how many vampires are still out here?”
“You took out quite a few, but there are many more. They’re gathering, preparing for another attack.” Haden took a deep breath through his nostrils. “What is that?” He frowned. “Wait. You’ve been poisoned.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter.” Joseph still didn’t bother to look at Haden. “She put herself between me and a fucking vampire.”
“You know it’s her way, Joseph. She’s lycan. Just as it is your way to break just about every law our elders have set in place.”
“We are at war. Following our laws would be a fatal error. Our enemies will never follow the laws. And it isn’t cancer. The religious group that tried to cleanse her kind had her when she was a child.”
“Oh, that explains things. Lately I’ve heard rumors they are still practicing their cleansing rituals. That’s what’s inside you. It’s trying to separate you from your dragon.” Haden shrugged it off. “It’s impossible. You’re too old, too strong.”
“We should’ve tested it long ago when we knew it was being used.”
“No one volunteered. We didn’t know the consequences.”
“Pain. A lot of fucking pain. And she was only a child when it started. They butchered her. I don’t know how she survived it.”
