by Julia Mills
“Well, I’m so glad to know it’s normal and I’m not losing my mind,” she chuckled as she began to unwrap herself from his body. He stopped her struggles by effortlessly lifting her off his lap. He stood and kissed her forehead. “No, mo chroi, you are not losing your mind, you are sharing mine,” he chuckled.
She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, “Is there anything in there that would embarrass me Mr. O’Brien?”
“Nothing embarrassing Miss Kensington, just a preview of things to come.” He picked her up and swung her around in a circle before setting her safely back on the ground.
“Aidan, I’m too heavy for you to be picking up all the time,” she chuckled and squealed at the same time.
He spun her around to face him and bent until they were once again nose to nose, “You are not heavy. I do not ever want to hear those words come out of your mouth again and I will pick you up any time I like, mate.” His kissed her lips, spun her again, and whisked them over to where the others were waiting. He was going to keep her as close as possible; she was all that really mattered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The others were discussing the best way to approach the warehouse. It sounded to Grace like they were splitting in to groups so they could cover all four sides, while only a few were actually going into the building to inspect the premises. Aidan cleared his throat, “There’s been a change in plans,” he began, looking from one person to another, catching the eyes of each of his brethren. “Grace is going in with us.”
“No fucking way, ‘A’,” Rayne immediately objected. “Kyndel will kick my ass if anything happens to her! What the hell are you thinking? She is your mate and you are leading her into the danger instead of keeping her out of it?”
Aidan tensed and Grace saw the muscles flex in his arms as he clenched his fists. He took a step towards Rayne and stopped. The tension was a living being between them, “You are right, Commander,” he growled through gritted teeth. “She is my mate and I will protect her with every fiber of my being. This is important to her and therefore important to me. She needs to see the premises and look for the evidence to identify and secure a conviction against the man we all believe is behind the human side of this operation. So if she says there is no way around her presence on this inspection, then I believe her. You would do well to not concern yourself with the decisions my mate and I make together.”
He took another step towards Rayne at the same time that Rayne advanced towards him. The tension rose to an uncomfortable level as two of the most formidable men she had ever seen stood toe to toe in an old fashioned staring contest. The pictures she had seen in old texts of two warriors preparing for the battle came to mind, minus the armor and swords. She had no idea how long they stood there, but her muscles were so tense she was beginning to cramp, when Lance walked slowly towards the two giants. He placed a hand on each man’s shoulder, “Ok guys, we all know you are both bad asses and that you both want what is best for our Hellcat here,” he winked over his shoulder in Grace’s direction. He squeezed Rayne’s shoulder, “Commander, she is his mate. What would you do if someone told you how to act with Spitfire?”
Then he squeezed Aidan’s shoulder, “’A’, we all know you’ll do everything possible to keep your mate safe.” Grace had moved closer to the men while Lance was speaking so she could see all three of their faces. Just when she was about to reach out to touch Aidan, she noticed the single dimple in Lance’s chin begin winking at her and saw a twinkle in his eyes, “Now you boys just kiss and make up so we can go kick the bad guys ass, ok?”
She watched as the tension drained from both men. They shook their heads and started to laugh. Rayne reached across and slapped Aidan on the same shoulder Lance had been squeezing a second before. “Sorry, ‘A’. You’re right. It’s between you and your mate.” Then the serious look from before returned. “Just keep her close.”
“I shouldn’t have stepped up to you…” he looked towards Grace and she closed the distance, grabbing his hand in the process. “I know you were only doing what you thought was right. She is my world. I will protect her with my life. Count on it.” He squeezed her hand to emphasize his point.
Rayne smiled the first genuine smile Grace had seen that hadn’t been pointed at her best friend. She could see in that moment how Kyndel had fallen in love with the big lug so quickly. Then she looked at Aidan and her heart skipped a beat. Before her thoughts could get away from her, Lance chimed in again, “See there. You girls can play nice.”
“Shut the hell up, Lance!” everyone yelled in unison.
She had no idea how she had gotten mixed up with the crazy band of extraordinary people, but she was damn glad she had.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She started to rethink the whole being thankful thing when Aidan, Rayne, and Max made the executive decision that she should ride on Aidan’s back as they made their way through the woods to the warehouse. She had not really believed them when they said there would be no way she could keep up, but as the trees appeared as little more than a blur of brown and green and she held on with all her might to keep from being thrown from his back, she definitely became a believer. She also had her suspicions confirmed. Max, his sister, and the others that seemed to go everywhere with them, were definitely more than merely human. They kept pace with Aidan and his brethren effortlessly. The Dragon Guard, which she now understood included Aidan, Rayne, Royce, Aaron, Lance, and Devon, had decided to form a kind of circle around she and Aidan, with Lance at her right, Aaron at her left, Royce, the biggest damn man she had ever seen, behind them and the very quiet one, Devon, in front of Aidan. Rayne led the way as she was sure he had done for all the years these men had been a unit. She still had a hard time fathoming that these men were all over a hundred years old and changed into dragons at will. Something that old just did not look that sexy.
She noticed Max and his crew spread out, and at times, it seemed they moved even faster than Aidan and his brothers. They were doing the ‘sniff the air’ thing again, and a lot more frequently. She really had to remember to ask Aidan what they were. Her curiosity was definitely getting the best of her.
She laid her head on Aidan’s shoulder to eliminate some of the wind beating against her cheeks. She breathed in that wonderful scent that was so uniquely Aidan and smiled. She let the scent fill her and felt a calm that should not have been possible based on the fact that they were rushing towards a place that had been designed to house kidnapped women. If it was just ‘The Auctioneer’ they were dealing with, she was certain she would have a better idea of what the plan concerning the victims was. All the information she and her colleagues had collected to date indicated some kind of human trafficking, but now that they were pretty sure the criminal and his thugs were working with the wizards, she had absolutely no clue what was going on. She only hoped that together with all these extraordinary people, especially the one carrying her, they could figure it out and stop them before it was too late. All she needed was his identity and then they would put him away for life. She settled in for the rest of the ride, thinking of all the ways they could keep any other girls from being abducted.
Rayne lifted his fist to signal everyone in their party to stop. It was the same signal she had seen soldiers use in all those military movies her father used to watch. They all gathered behind what appeared to be a maintenance shed on the farthest corner of the property. “All right, you all know the plan. I don’t have to remind you that it’s very important that we get in and get out as quickly as possible. Get all the evidence you can to help Grace with her case against the humans.” Rayne looked at Max and his entire crew, and she saw sheer determination written all over his face, “Get me everything I need to end the wizards and catch the fucking traitor.”
A single nod was all that followed as Rayne looked each person in their little raiding party in the eye. Grace saw the depth of dedication and loyalty on each person’s face. She had never experienced anything like it. These people ha
d such an incredible sense of honor and dedication to their cause that she had previously thought impossible that she was humbled to be part of the group. She was surrounded by kindred spirits for the first time in her life. Lost in thought, she jumped as Aidan placed his lips to her ear, “Are you ready, mo ghra? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
She turned on him with fire in her eyes, “I am not changing my mind, Aidan. This is something I have to do.”
Aidan threw his hands up in defeat, “You win. But if anything happens to you I’m going to paddle that incredibly delectable ass of yours until you can’t sit down for a week.” To emphasize his point, he slapped her behind as she spun around. Grace stumbled a little at the impact, but refused to acknowledge the effect his touch had on her.
“And if anything happens to you, mo chroi,” she decided to let him know how much he was coming to mean to her in his own language, “I’ll be sure to return the favor,” she whispered. Aidan’s chuckle let her know that he heard every word.
“She really is a hellcat, ‘A’,” she heard Lance remark, and just knew he had that shit eating grin on his face.
“That she is. That she is,” was all she heard before Rayne gave the word to take their positions.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Andrew felt like such an idiot and it was a feeling he absolutely despised. That fucking wizard leader had led him on a wild goose chase and now he was sitting in the middle of nowhere waiting for the very same asshole to show up. He understood the need for secrecy and subterfuge but this was absolutely fucking ridiculous. Driving around for the better part of the day with no end in sight had him ready to spit fire. That arrogant jerk had told him ten miles out of town and then the text messages that followed had woven him all over the countryside. Had the wizard leader picked up on his origins? He knew the black magic he had absorbed from the wizards was wearing very thin but had believed that his true identity as one of the elite Dragon Guard was still hidden. Hiding his different colored eyes had become a priority early on, so he wore contact lens or dark glasses whenever he was out in public. He had no clue if any of these half-wits would recognize the one blue and one amber colored eye as those of the special one but he wasn’t taking any chances. After all he had done to ensure his vengeance, he was sure that his special birthright was blown to hell. It served all those sanctimonious assholes right for leaving him for dead and he would watch every single one of them bleed out at his feet for what they had put him through. But first he had to get this fucking wizard leader to take him to the place where the ritual was to be held.
The last text message he had gotten had directed him to a beat up old tract home that appeared to be inhabited by the homeless. He refused to get out of his car until he knew what was going on. He had sent back a message asking why their original plans had changed. The only response he received was, ‘The timeline has been accelerated.” Damn cryptic bullshit was driving him crazy. These idiots acted like they were straight out of a gangster movie from the ‘50s. He had to laugh. He had lived through the ‘50s and Hollywood damn sure prettied up the truth. These lazy bastards would have never been able to handle any of the real criminals he had known back in that time, but right now he needed those same lazy bastards and the black magic they would create with their ritual, to continue on his rampage of revenge. He would sit here and bide his time, no matter how bad it ruffled his feathers and bruised his ego.
As he sat there stewing, he wondered again about the ritual. The wizard leader would not give any clues as to what they were about to do. He had scoured every text he could get his hands on, but could not find any mention of a ritual that would yield as much power as the wizard leader was promising. He could not help but wonder if this would be the final act that completely destroyed his soul. He would like to believe that it didn’t matter. That all that mattered were his plans; but it really did. No matter how much he hated all of the people he had once held most dear, he could not shake almost a hundred years of teachings. Deep down, in that one little spot that remained truly dragon, he knew that what he was planning to do was wrong. There had even been times in the wee hours of the morning when he could feel his dragon trying to come back to life; but just when the spark of dragon magic was about to take hold, he had squashed it under the ever growing load of hate that drove him every day. He shook his head. No more weakness. He would help the wizards complete this ritual. Restore the black magic he had lost and then he would complete his plans.
As Andrew relaxed with the thoughts of death and revenge on his mind, he heard several vehicles approaching; at least five from the sound of it. He looked in his rearview mirror and his suspicions were confirmed. Five black SUVs were parking on both sides of the street. He wondered if these assholes could be anymore clichéd. The passenger side door of the one closest to him opened and he recognized the man as the wizard leader’s right hand man. Joe or John or whatever the hell his name was, approached, and Andrew pressed the button to let the window roll down. “What the hell is going on?” Andrew questioned, working hard to control his temper.
“Just tying up some loose ends. The timeline has been accelerated and Master Eaton had to make sure you weren’t followed,” the wizard leader’s minion answered. Andrew was sure Master Eaton’s right hand man had just fucked up royally. The wizard leader had gone to great pains to make sure he did not know his name. When Andrew had asked, the wizard leader had said his name was ‘of no importance’. Since then, Andrew had learned the power that names held over a black magic practitioner, and was sure Master Eaton would be very upset to learn that he now had that information. He smiled and filed it away for future use, not alerting the asshole standing at his car door of his mistake.
“Is this the place or are we here for a picnic?” Andrew could not keep the sarcasm from his voice.
“You will follow us to the ritual site. Please keep up, Master does not want any delays.” Master Eaton’s lackey did an about face and headed back to the SUV he had exited a few minutes before.
“Fucking melodramatic assholes,” Andrew whispered to himself as he raised the window and secured his seatbelt. He damn sure hoped this ritual worked; then he would be rid of this bunch of fuck ups once and for all.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They were all in place and ready to move forward when the first sounds of trucks approaching alerted everyone to an incoming change in plans. She, Aidan, Rayne, and Lance were all poised and ready to enter the back of the building. It was their job to get to the offices on the top level and get everything they could out of the filing cabinets. Her adrenaline was pumping. She was ready to get in and get out then her spidey senses went crazy and she felt Aidan tense at her side. Almost immediately the buzzing in her head started. Rayne was standing still as a statue at her other side, deep in conversation through mind speak from the looks of it. She just stared, waiting to see what was going on, as the butterflies in her tummy threw a party.
“He’s talking to Aaron. He, Max and Juan Carlos are at the front of the building with a clear view of the highway. It appears that four large trucks are turning onto the access road and headed our way,” Aidan whispered.
She thought about what she had seen on the blueprints. She knew those trucks had to be headed for the tunnels. “Aidan, there are young girls in those trucks. I just know it.”
He nodded, “Let me see if Royce can see anything from where he is,” and the buzz in her head became more intense.
Her spidey senses were ringing so loudly she felt like everyone around her could hear them. The closer the trucks got, the louder her intuition yelled at her that something very terrible was about to happen.
“Shit! Royce said the trucks are moving directly towards the warehouse and they are heavily armed.” Aidan looked at Rayne, “All humans in the trucks, no sign of wizards, hunters, or the traitor.” He answered out loud she was sure, for her benefit.
She watched as Aidan once again debated with himself and she noted his discomfort.
Second guessing his decisions was apparently very new to him. She chuckled to herself, thinking it was something she could teach him a lot about. As she studied the man she cared for more than she wanted to admit, she also saw guilt, but for all she was worth, she could not figure out why someone like Aidan would feel guilty. She also noticed that they all kept referring to a traitor. Just another question she would have to get answered when all this mess was behind them.
“Devon says there are five SUVs approaching from the other direction, filled with wizards.” Rayne paused as a murderous look crossed his face, “There is a car following the SUVs.” He stared directly into Aidan’s eyes, “It’s the traitor.” There it was again, the mention of this traitor, and he was definitely someone Rayne had a serious beef with.
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the buzzing started in Grace’s head again. It was louder and angrier than before, more like an angry hive of bees than the usual static from a radio. The look on her mate’s face said it all; he also had a score to settle with the person they kept calling ‘the traitor’. She grabbed his hand and began rubbing circles with her thumb in an effort to calm him. Between the buzzing in her head, the waves of pure aggression pouring off of Aidan, and her spidey senses ringing loud and clear, she felt lucky she was still able to stand.
She jumped as Lance laid his hand on her shoulder, “How you doing, Hellcat?” He used the hand on her shoulder to pull her back from Aidan. He looked in her direction as her hand slipped from his and she moved farther away. His eyes flashed to Lance and she felt the buzz die out. The boys had been talking about her. Damn him! What was happening that he could talk to Lance and not her? She and Aidan were definitely going to talk about this when everything calmed down. He had no right to keep things from her. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she was thinking when he smiled at her. Not the toe-curling sensual smile she had already experienced, but one of pure love and adoration. She knew in her heart that that one simple smile was meant to comfort her, but at this moment, she couldn’t decide if she should kiss him silly or kick him in the shin. She held his eyes for another second, trying to convey her annoyance. His simple reassuring smile grew and he mouthed, I love you. Her mouth dropped open and most of the air left her lungs. He loves me? Oh my God. He just said he loves me. Lance used her moment of shock and his enhanced abilities to get her back to the edge of the woods.
