Pure Claim

by Marie Johnston

“He gave you a detailed layout of everything around the prison, though?”

  “At least we have that. I’ve found a weak point where we can make our entry.” She hesitated.

  “Is there a catch?”

  “Depends if you like tight places.” The words left Alex’s mouth before she caught her unintentional innuendo. Not that it would’ve changed what she had said. Heat flared in his gaze and his lust spiked a notch. Since there was no time to act on any of their desires, she continued. “Ductwork.”

  “Seriously?” He sounded even less thrilled than she felt.

  “Cameras and highly specified access are on every entrance. The combo of the two makes it too difficult in the time we have. There’s a ton of ductwork and it’s sizable, so I think we can get through it.”

  “Where do we enter?”

  Alex pointed up to the grate lodged high in the wall. She had already removed the front panel, so all they needed to do was crawl up inside.

  “Beauty before age,” she said sweetly, and leaped up.

  *****

  The only benefit of crawling through narrow ducts behind his mate should’ve been getting to watch her ass slither ahead of him. But with the lack of light, and their bodies incased in black, not even that show was on display. All he could do was scoot along and keep his gear from scraping on the surface and making noise.

  After at least fifteen uncomfortable minutes, she finally came to a stop.

  We’re at the main grate into the cellblock. I’ll remove the cover and identify any surveillance.

  Even his ears could barely pick up her work on the grate. Less than a minute later, the cover was off, and she was searching their surroundings.

  I can see only two cameras. This grate lies at the end of a dual row of cells.

  How many?

  Five on each side, less than half filled.

  Rhys could only scent shifters through the opening. Three shifters to rescue. Not bad.

  If they can walk. Let me go in first. I can disable the cameras. Doubt they get watched that closely.

  Alex rolled out of the grate and hung down out of the opening, not jumping to the floor. When Rhys scooted forward so he could look out, he saw why. She was swinging her body to gain enough momentum to reach the camera angled to view the cells on his right. He watched as she swung up, twisted in the air, and tapped a button on the side. As she started to fall, she flashed.

  He looked across the row of small, narrow cells lining each side of the room to the camera kitty-corner on the far wall. Completely impressed with his mate’s skill, he watched her reappear in the air right next to the far camera and tap another button before falling the rest of the way to the floor. She landed in a silent crouch and peered up at him.

  I couldn’t do any more than shut them off, so we might not have much time.

  Rhys rolled out and landed lightly on his feet. The shifters in the cells eased toward the bars. They had scented Rhys and probably caught Alex’s movement.

  “Let’s make it quick,” Alex said in a low voice. “Who are you, and why are you here?”

  On Rhys’ right, a dark-haired female peered out of the bars in her cell. Straight across from her in consecutive cells, were two male shifters—one who appeared older than Rhys and one younger. Rhys’ anger spiked. The only reason the males were in the cells directly across from the female was probably to violate her privacy. There was nothing she could do that would remain hidden from the two across from her.

  “I’m Sylva.” The female’s voice was shaky. Rhys recognized her from Mastiff’s dreams. She had been under the male’s fists more than once.

  “Don’t answer them,” the older male cut in. “We don’t know who they are or what they want.”

  “We can help you.” Rhys stepped forward so they could inspect him.

  “Guardian.” The sneer on the younger male’s face told Rhys a lot.

  “Chill dude.” Alex moved forward also. “This male pissed the council off, so he’s on Guardian hiatus. Now answer me.” Her voice left no room for argument.

  But argue, the young male did. “Or what?”

  Alex’s ice-cold green eyes landed on the young male, causing him to shrink back.

  “I-I killed my mate.” The young female stammered, afraid for the male arguing with Alex.

  “Sylva!” The younger male looked frantic for Sylva.

  “Did he deserve it?” Alex’s bluntness and the shifter’s shock at her question made Rhys’ lips almost twitch into a smile.

  Sylva’s eyes fell to the floor. “No, of course not.”

  “That sounded like what the council wants to hear. I’m guessing he did deserve it.”

  Sylva nodded, her limp black hair swinging slightly with the motion, and she finally raised her gaze to meet Alex’s. “He coerced me into a mating ceremony by bribing my father. I could’ve forgiven him for that, but not for the way he treated me.”

  It was a story Rhys had heard time and again during his years as a Guardian. Older unmated shifter afraid of going feral forces a mating. It rarely ended well, for either mate.

  Alex and Rhys turned their attention to the males. They were in separate cells, but it was easy to see that the two males were related.

  “Clock’s ticking boys.” Alex’s foot tapped, her fingers were hooked over her tactical belt.

  The older male spoke first. He tipped his head toward the cell next to him. “This is my son, Damon. I’m William.”

  “I won’t be calling you anything as I get the fuck out of here because you two are taking too long.” Alex paused to assess the mutinous look on Damon’s face.

  Rhys decided to prod things along. By his furtive glances, William was waiting on his son, but Damon didn’t plan on saying a word.

  “Either one of you have a vampire mate who suddenly got killed or disappeared?”

  Damon’s head snapped up. “How did you—” He realized he was going to confess something and snapped his mouth shut.

  “We are being detained until we tell the council where Damon’s girlfriend is,” William filled in.

  “So she’s still alive?”

  Damon’s jaw clenched.

  William wrapped his hands around the bars. “Damon was on the phone with Lily when he heard her getting attacked. He rushed over there, calling me on the way. I was the only one that knew about them.”

  “I thought Dad turned me in.” The tone of his voice sounded like he regretted doubting his father’s innocence.

  “Damon has plenty of friends who could’ve noticed he kept running off to see a female he never brought around them. It would’ve been easy for them to smell vampire on him.”

  “This Lily was attacked, but she’s still alive?” Alex’s sharp eyes pinned Damon again.

  Damon got a faraway look in his eyes. “I think so. She was bleeding so much. I got there just in time. Two shifters were after her, Guardians, and I distracted them. I almost didn’t make it, but Dad showed up.”

  “We helped her flash away,” William clarified. “She wouldn’t have made it far, but it was enough that they couldn’t sense her. Now we’re here.”

  “Do you know what pack the Guardians were with?” Rhys asked.

  “They’re here, the council’s pack.” Damon’s look was dark. “The big one who keeps trying to beat me until I lead them to her, and another guy. I haven’t had a trial, or a hearing of any kind. No one knows we’re here, and we’ve been here for months.”

  He exchanged a look with Alex, who bobbed her head slightly. “Listen up, bitches. I’m gonna flash y’all out of here, but I’m starting with Damon. You, my boy, get to be our witness against the council.”

  William shifted. “So this has happened to others? Wait. You can flash?”

  Alex pointed to herself with both thumbs. “Hybrid. We gotta go.”

  She reached out for Damon’s hand, who snatched his back. “I’m not helping you find Lily.”

  “No, you’re going to help me take the fucking c
ouncil down.”

  Rhys jumped in with an explanation after realizing the male had been incarcerated for a while and didn’t realize what was going on in the world. “The vampires are involved in a civil war. Their people found out what they’ve been doing. Seems both councils had the same idea when it came to vampire and shifter matings.”

  “Kill them?” William didn’t sound surprised, not after what his son experienced.

  “What about me?” The soft voice asked behind them.

  “Sylva, would we forget about you?” Alex shot her a dazzling smile. “You’ll have to be flashed after these two, though. The witnesses take priority.”

  Can you flash that many times, with passengers?

  Dunno. Looks like we’re going to find out. Alex held her hand out at Damon and waggled her fingers.

  Damon gave it a dubious look before grabbing on.

  “By the way, after we arrive, you’ll feel like you just chugged a six-pack and jumped on a rollercoaster.”

  It wasn’t until the two disappeared that Rhys realized he didn’t think to ask where she planned on taking them.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alex arrived at the safe house where Malcolm and Harrison were waiting. It was a cabin deep in the woods that could be used for boat fishing in the summer and ice fishing in the winter.

  She still held Damon’s hand. She had to or he’d have spiraled into the wall. When he doubled over, she finally let go so he could prop himself up on his knees as he tried to regain his equilibrium.

  “We’re here, ladies,” she called, knowing the twins were somewhere nearby. They kept this room unoccupied for the sole purpose of her flashing into it.

  Harrison bust through the door, scowling. He was armed and his gun was raised, but he lowered it after he assessed the situation.

  Malcolm, identical to Harrison with his shaggy chestnut-brown hair and golden eyes, came striding in behind him. “You’re so obnoxious, Alex.”

  His grin made her grin back. Harrison kept scowling. She liked the twins. Her history with them wasn’t as peppered with altercations as the rest of the Guardians in Rhys’ pack.

  “You two are my boys, you know that?”

  Malcolm’s dimple had to be the reason why so many females threw themselves at him. He couldn’t hold a candle to Rhys in her opinion, but she could see his appeal.

  “You say that to all the twin Guardians you come across.”

  “So far, I have.” She looked down to where Damon was bent over, hands on his knees, heaving. “This is our primary witness. There’s one more and another prisoner, then Rhys.”

  She flashed back to the prison. Rhys stood in the same spot and Sylva’s violet eyes were wide with what she was seeing.

  “Good?” Alex asked Rhys.

  “So far, but I think they’re coming.”

  She held out her hand to William, who didn’t hesitate to grab onto it.

  Flashing back to the cabin, she went through the same process with him. She strongly suspected he would’ve hurled if he’d eaten anything in the last few hours.

  Malcolm was pacifying an apprehensive Damon, so she caught Harrison’s eye. “This is witness number two, Damon’s dad.”

  The male nodded, ever the somber twin. Alex suspected he had deep-seated issues of some sort. Don’t we all.

  Fatigue had begun settling in, she took a deep breath and flashed. Back in the prison, she jumped to the side, damn near getting rammed into by Rhys entangled with a guard.

  Shit, they’d been discovered. Another large shifter was fighting to get into the room but an unconscious Guardian blocked the door. Rhys had been busy while she was gone.

  Take Sylva to wherever you go, then flash back into the closet, Rhys grunted into her mind.

  Alex spun to hold her hand out to Sylva, only to find the female cowering back in her cell, gazing on in fear at the Guardian who Rhys was busy with. How the hell did the timid little female kill her mate?

  Letting out a frustrated breath, Alex flashed into the cell and grabbed Sylva. The girl squeaked, barely able to finish the sound before they appeared at the cabin.

  The young female dropped to her knees and Alex almost joined her. Her heart was racing, like she’d run all day and eaten nothing. Could she even get back to Rhys?

  Alex didn’t have time to waste, but she needed a few seconds before she flashed again. She looked at Sylva.

  “You didn’t kill him did you? You’re covering for someone.”

  Sylva’s eyes widened, but Alex didn’t miss the steel that lined her gaze. Ah, she was covering for someone who helped her kill her mate.

  “No big,” Alex reassured her. “There’s two Guardians here to protect you. Don’t let them scare you. They’re complete dicks, but straight-up honorable.”

  Confusion defined Sylva’s frown with Alex’s statement, until Harrison came into the room, then alarm crossed her features. Alex didn’t have time to reassure her anymore.

  “I’m going to get Rhys,” she announced as she rose to stand. The slight sway when she fully straightened wasn’t unexpected.

  Harrison’s gaze narrowed on her. “Are you okay?”

  The male usually let his brother do the talking. It wasn’t in Alex’s favor that she looked like shit enough for him to inquire about her.

  “Totes.” Alex flashed to the closet, feeling more than a little lethargic. Like she could eat a big steak, with a pound of bacon chaser, and sleep all night.

  Her vision was swimming, so she took a deep breath. Only then did she hear metallic thumping. She furrowed her brows and listened closer. Then it dawned on her. She and Rhys had been so quiet going through the ductwork, but the sounds she was hearing now was that of a large body thunking around in it.

  Or more than one large body.

  She jumped up and pulled herself into the duct. Rhys, are you trying to get back to the closet?

  Yes. Even mentally, he sounded out of breath. They must be trying to follow him.

  I’ll make my way toward you. All we need to do is grab hands.

  ’Kay.

  She heard more thumps and grunts. Whoever was behind Rhys was getting Rhys’ boot plastered all over his face.

  Army-crawling her way through the duct, sweat trickled down her brow. Maybe it was the enclosed space. Or maybe it was because she never flashed so many times in a row, so quickly, as she had the last few minutes. Hopefully it was a space issue. She still had a two-hundred and fifty pound male to flash away.

  Alex was moving faster than Rhys. They were almost within touching distance.

  Grab my hand. She reached one arm out as far as she could, they were only feet away from each other.

  Don’t flash until I tell you. The fucker keeps grabbing my legs to drag me backward.

  His strong hand enveloped her forearm. Relief poured through her. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the cabin, waiting for Rhys’ signal.

  He jerked as he kicked his leg back to shake the shifter off. Scooting back, Alex tried to give Rhys more room to move ahead so he wasn’t so easy to grab again.

  “Mother. Fucker.” Rhys gritted out the words before a mighty clang shook the whole duct. It was followed by another, then another, as Rhys repeatedly slammed his boot back.

  Now!

  Immediately, her senses were flooded with fresh air. What the…

  Opening her eyes, she saw patches of dirt with new green life poking through. Son of a bitch.

  Rhys still held onto her arm, but groaned and rolled over on his back. “Is this the meeting spot?”

  She rolled to her back also. Above her were branches with budding leaves and blue sky. “Sure isn’t.”

  He surprised her by chuckling. “Glad I was your last passenger, then.”

  She smiled and they both lay in silence. It was nice. Peaceful. Alex had many peaceful experiences in the past six months, but it was better with Rhys.

  It would sure be nice to stay with him.

  “Any idea where we’re
at?”

  “Maybe somewhere between the council’s headquarters and the family lake cabin the twins were meeting us at. I’d say a forty-mile difference and we’re… in the middle?”

  “I know where the cabin’s at.” Rhys finally released her arm to sit up. “Malcolm told me about it when they first joined my pack.”

  Alex followed suit, sitting up. She let her senses roam. They were in the wilderness. Vast wilderness. West Creek and Freemont were surrounded by woods, but were still large metropolitan areas. The two cities were ideal for shifters because they could take a short day trip and run in the woods, then return and blend in with humans.

  The council’s headquarters was farther north, where there were more trees than buildings in any given town. Lakes dotted the countryside, and only a few highways connected the small logging and fishing towns.

  “I guess we start walking.” Alex jumped up and stretched, only to feel the burn of Rhys’ gaze upon her.

  He stood slowly, moving like a predator, and her heart rate increased a notch. “I remember the last time we were alone in the woods.”

  She passed him a seductive smile. “Do you want me to reenact that scene again?”

  He glided close to her, his gaze intense. “Oh yes, but not now.” Rhys lifted his hand to her mouth, his thumb stroking her lower lip. “The next time I’m in you, it won’t be here, but,” he trailed his hand down her neck, stroking her breasts on his way down, where he cupped her sex, “here.”

  Oh yeah, she wanted that, too.

  “First,” he wrapped the same arm around her waist, “we need to get to a town and figure out where we’re at.”

  “I could try to flash again.”

  He brought his other arm around her so she was in his embrace. “Not until you rest up, get some sleep.”

  “Sleep?” Her tone was coy.

  A slow smile spread across the lips she couldn’t quit staring at. “Sleep. After we get…reacquainted, you need sleep.”

  *****

  Rhys had never been in such a hurry to get somewhere so quickly. He and Alex ran through the trees, the terrain not as rugged as he was used to around West Creek. Both of them sensed civilization nearby and ran toward it, twice having to circle around good-sized lakes. The trip would’ve been much faster as wolves, but they had nothing to carry their clothing and gear in. On two legs, the trip was enjoyable, even though hunger gnawed at him. Alex looked worn, but it didn’t slow her stride at all. After months of confinement, even with the recovering he’d had to do after his sessions with Mastiff, the run invigorated him.