Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1)

by Stephanie West

  "Thank you for letting me know. It goes without saying he'll get whatever he needs to heal."

  Tara nodded then went back into the operating room.

  Viper said a prayer of thanks. Ophidian was like a brother. To lose him would be a hard blow to handle.

  Adder pushed through the waiting room doors with a grim scowl contorting his face. He was followed by Viper's mother, wringing her hands, and Acris who looked like she'd faint at any moment.

  "Ophidian will be fine." Viper relayed the good news. "The knife grazed one of his hearts but they stopped the bleeding."

  "Filius, the riot was a smokescreen. When Acris arrived at your pod, she found that someone had taken Hope."

  Viper didn't hear anything after that. He didn't feel the drink fall from his hand or hear the roar of rage that ripped from his throat. Viper's vision turned red, and all sanity fled his body. Viper wanted to race to their temporary home to search for Hope, but he also wanted to go gut everyone from the mob they had incarcerated.

  He should have stayed with Hope or had someone he trusted guard her when the protesters had breached the colony perimeter. Viper knew they had a traitor in their midst. Why hadn't he guarded her more carefully?

  Viper's hand flexed painfully as he stared at the depression in the wall. He didn't even recall striking out.

  Adder placed a hand on Viper's shoulder attempting to comfort him.

  Viper growled and almost snapped at his father. Hope had been abducted, there was no solace to be had till she was found, and the assholes that stole her cold and in the ground.

  "Save it for when we find the perpetrators, filius."

  Adder understood Viper's aggression wasn't directed at him. At any other time Viper's outburst would've earned censure, but not today, not now.

  "You've been following Wyvern, yes?" Adder asked.

  "Yes, but that Purist bastard has covered his ass well. I still haven't uncovered who he's working with here." Viper wanted to bang his head on the spot in the wall his fist created a moment ago.

  "We know he's behind this. The rest of the groups are nothing but loosely organized rebel-rousers." Adder practically thundered.

  "All of our intel says that Wyvern reached the city yesterday, but I don't believe he's foolish enough to position himself too close to wherever they took Hope."

  Viper needed to calm down and think, Hope depended on it. He considered sending troops out to search the city, but that would only drive the Purist group holding Hope deeper undercover. Maybe if they watched who left camp, they could catch the traitor and find Hope at the same time.

  "We need to lock the colony down tight. I need an account of all the mercenaries on site and I need someone I can trust monitoring security."

  "Where's your second, Canebrake?" Adder asked.

  Viper was still pissed at the male for being the one to suggest they tie Hope down for him. Although Canebrake had kept Hope from falling in the arboretum, he still rubbed Viper the wrong way with his arrogant attitudes.

  "He was at the riots when I saw him last." Viper replied. "He should be reviewing security footage now that all the rioters are detained. I still need to notify him he'll be taking over with the mercenaries since Ophidian's been injured."

  The four of them quickly left the hospital wing, heading towards security where they found Canebrake reviewing security vids.

  Canebrake jumped to his feet.

  "Adder Rex, Prognatus Viper, Regina." Canebrake bowed.

  "Pull up footage of my pod. Uxorem Hope has been abducted." Viper snarled ignoring formalities.

  "I have been reviewing footage. It doesn't show anything unusual besides the mob." Canebrake stated as he sat down and switched the on-screen image from the eastern perimeter of the colony to the display outside of Viper's pod. The recorder showed the image outside his dwelling, with the mercenaries currently investigating the entry for evidence.

  Canebrake backed the vid up to the point before the riot. Viper watched the image of himself dropping Hope off at their door then the screen went blank shortly after Hope went inside. The next scene they all saw was Acris approaching the pod to find the door open and Hope missing.

  Someone had tampered with their security feed, again. A thunderous growl reverberated up Viper's chest, the spiked clavum on his forearms bristling. It took everything in his power to keep from shredding the vid screen.

  "There's footage missing." Canebrake stated the obvious.

  "We noticed." Viper snarled. "The question is who and how?" His rumbled reply echoed off the walls making Canebrake cringe.

  "The recorder could've been tampered with, or the feed hacked..." Canebrake stumbled over his words seeing the level of Viper's rage.

  "I'm aware of the various ways the breach could have occurred." Viper cut Canebrake off, clenching his fist to keep from losing his patience with the male. "With Ophidian injured you will take point with the mercenaries. Go take roll and lock everyone down. Boaz will monitor the colony from here on out."

  "Yes Prognatus." The Canebrake shot up, bowed and quickly left the security room.

  "Boaz is a good choice. He can start picking apart how the feed was tampered with." Adder nodded in approval.

  "I will send Basilisk into the city. He's not military, but he's intelligent and loyal to our family. He can get close to the areas we suspect are Purist strongholds without being noticed." Viper told his father and mother.

  "I can go with my mate." Acris suggested bravely.

  "No you have been seen with Hope and would be recognized. I want you to stay with Hope's family. Notify me if anything is odd."

  "I will join her." Hyla announced surprising Viper. "Don't look so shocked. No one messes with my clan."

  "Thank you." Viper nodded grimly

  "You know what to watch for?" Adder brushed a hand over Hyla's shoulder.

  "I do. Unfortunately this isn't the first time someone's attempted to depose us." She growled.

  Viper watched the two females leave then tapped into the comm on his wrist reassigning one of the mercenaries to watch over his mother, Hope's family, and Acris, though he pitied anyone who went up against his mother.

  Boaz arrived and Viper apprised him of the situation.

  "Don't admit anyone to this room without Adder Rex or my authorization. No one besides Basilisk has permission to leave the colony and I mean NO ONE!"

  "What do you plan to do filius?" Adder asked.

  "I plan to visit the detained rioters and question them in agonizing detail." Viper snarled his teeth gnashing.

  Viper's chest rumbled as he imagined Hope huddled in fear, possibly injured. Till she was found, people would know what it felt like to tremble in abject horror. The depraved renegades would learn the true meaning of pain, and Viper would be their guide.

  "Then I will join you." Adder's expression was deadly serious.

  Hope

  Hope awoke to voices and nearly shot upright. She stopped herself as she recalled what had happened.

  "I've been kidnapped!"

  She wiggled her fingers and toes. Everything worked. She must've been out for a while.

  "I don't see how the female's such a threat. She's so small." Hope heard a male say.

  She'd been taken by people that thought she was a threat. That could only mean one thing, one of the Purist groups had her.

  A terrible thought came to mind. Hope recalled what Hyla said happened to unsuitable mates. Not that she thought Hyla was behind this. However a creepy cult hate group would have no problem killing her to make way for a potentially more suitable mate for Viper.

  "Maybe the Prognatus is a real cunny." Someone said with derision.

  Hope flexed her arms to find she wasn't chained. They hadn't even taken the dagger that hung at her neck. She felt the weight of the scabbard between her breasts.

  "You gave her too much venom Keelback."

  So that was the name of her abductor. Hope needed to remain calm and figure out how to
get out of this situation.

  "Our contact inside the colony did a good job. Who is it anyway?"

  "Keep your mouth shut. The female is awake can't you smell her fear? No doubt she's listening as we speak." The man called Keelback admonished his co-conspirator.

  She recognized Keelback's voice, he was the one who took her.

  "What does that matter? When Wyvern gets here, he'll take care of her."

  Wyvern, that was the name of that insane leader from the largest Purist faction. The way the Anguis man said 'take care of' confirmed Hope's worst fear.

  Hope's thoughts went to Viper. They had just gotten things settled between them and she was really looking forward to what the future held. Hope had finally admitted to herself that she was falling in love with Viper and he'd admitted as much to her. They were taking a leap of faith together. This couldn't be how things ended for them.

  There was no way she was going to let some racist assholes tear them apart!

  "I've got to get the fuck out of here." Hope reeled as sweat dripped down her forehead.

  Hope watched Keelback warily as he approached. She scrambled back on the sofa, her gaze darting to the other two men in the room.

  "You want some water?" The asshole asked.

  As bitter as the taste was in her mouth she refused with a shake of her head. It was probably drugged. If she ever hoped to get out of here she needed to stay alert. She needed to escape before the Purist leader arrived with any other racist assholes he might have with him.

  "We've seen the vid, so tell us how does a little thing like you dominate our Prognatus." The shorter one asked.

  "Great! Of course they saw that damn video." Hope groaned inwardly.

  "She's too scared to talk to you." Keelback, replied to the other male.

  Hope was afraid, but Viper would come for her. They thought Viper was weak. He'd show them who was weak!

  It sounded like the men wouldn't kill her before Wyvern arrived. If that was indeed their plan. She prayed an opportunity would present itself to escape or Viper would find her before she could find out.

  Hope had to use whatever advantages she had in her favor. But what did that amount to?

  Maybe their ignorance about humans could be used against them? They thought she was small, and that somehow equaled weak. Anguis women were physically larger and stronger than human women, but they were also more demure and biddable, especially with the men. Hyla seemed to be an exception and only when it came to her son. These men had never experienced a human woman scorned nor did they know the depths of her guile.

  "I can work with this." Hope silently thought as she studied her abductors.

  Hope needed to pull their strings to see what sway she might gain.

  "What's going on? Why do you hate me? I don't understand." Hope wailed letting the crocodile tears flow and her chin quiver. She was stressed and scared so they were easy to release.

  "See you frightened her now she's leaking." Keelback groaned.

  "Look we don't hate you personally." The other male tried to placate her but Hope just sobbed louder. "We just don't think it's right for our people to someday be ruled by a mixed breed."

  The man's excuse in response to her distress gave her hope that they might be moved in her favor. Hope sniffed and looked up at them with the biggest saddest puppy dog eyes she could muster.

  "It's not my fault you know how mating is." She blinked innocently.

  The Anguis couldn't really control who struck their fancy, so the men knew the mating urge was out of her control. If she could convince them she was an innocent woman, maybe they wouldn't harm her.

  "Why did you reject the Prognatus, but now there's to be a mating ceremony?" Keelback demanded.

  He was clearly the brains of the group. Hope had to answer carefully. They may scent her deception. How should she play this?

  "I didn't think he loved me." Hope wailed letting more tears slip down her cheek.

  "Do you mean amare?"

  "Of course she means amare, idiot. Females may accept a mating but they really want amare." Keelback stated.

  "I know that." The third male replied defensively.

  "It's because I'm human isn't it." Hope sobbed again using the very real fear she'd felt over the last few weeks to fuel her fit.

  "Look your people aren't that bad. Anyone of us here would be content to mate you. It's just as a leader of our people that's a different thing." One man stated and even Keelback nodded.

  Hope wondered if the three men knew how ludicrous they sounded. Then again maybe they were just attempting to mollify a distraught woman. Anguis males couldn't seem to handle female emotions.

  "Look at how timid she is. Wyvern is right. Our Prognatus is unsuitable if he let her dominate him." Keelback huffed.

  That pissed Hope off. She didn't owe them an excuse but hearing that made her mad.

  "I was so afraid after he marked me." Hope sobbed as she showed the large scar on her neck. "He's much too big for me. He did it so he wouldn't hurt me." Hope blinked.

  Hope couldn't believe she was talking about her sex life with these bastards. It wasn't necessarily a lie. Viper could break her if he wanted to.

  Keelback considered her shrewdly.

  "She is very petite. That would keep Prognatus Viper from crushing her." The short one stared openly at the ragged mark on her neck.

  The other man nodded in agreement.

  Idiots.

  "I need to go to the bathroom." Hope hiccuped as she whined.

  Hope really did have to go, but it would also be good to look around and get them comfortable with her moving.

  "Here I'll take you." The shorter Anguis male indicated.

  "Thank you." Hope looked up at him through shuttered lashes, attempting to pour on the damsel in distress charm.

  The shorter man then led her out of the main room and Hope saw the exit in the hall. She attempted not to look at it overtly as they passed. Through the window beside the door she could see it was getting dark outside. But more importantly Hope noticed the city street and park outside.

  Hope's heart leapt in her throat as a surge of excitement gripped her. She wasn't in some remote location. If she could get out she might find shelter or attempt to find help. The question was how to distract her abductors?

  The man thankfully let Hope do her business in peace rather than follow her into the bathroom. Hope sat on the commode her head in her hands.

  "Think Hope." She racked her brain, her stomach in knots. "How to get to that door?"

  There was no way she could attack the man. Even the short one outside the bathroom was taller and stronger than her. He would overpower her in an instant. Then they'd probably bite her again.

  "Oh god." Hope's stomach roiled.

  A thought came to her.

  Hope started sobbing loud enough she knew it traveled through the door. Between piteous moans she took two fingers and shoved them down her throat. With how worked up she was it took nothing at all for her to puke up the contents of her stomach. Hope didn't repress the wretched sounds of her gagging as she heaved into the toilet.

  "What is going on?" The shorter Anguis man knocked heavily on the door.

  Hope wailed and gagged some more. She laid down on the floor curling around the edge of the toilet clutching her stomach.

  The door burst open, and the man rushed in. He looked from Hope to the toilet then back at her.

  Hope let her head loll to the side as she choked and slobbered on herself.

  The man's eyes widened in horror.

  "Oh shit Keelback's not going to be happy about this."

  The man spun and rushed out of the room.

  That worked better than she'd hoped. Men could be such wussies when it came to illness.

  Hope scrambled off the floor and raced to the bathroom door. As his rapid footfalls sounded down the hall, she peeked around the corner and watched him enter the main room.

  Hope wasn't about to wait for an i
nvitation. They would be coming soon. She hurried for the exit as she heard the shorter male shout out that she was sick.

  Thank god they never expected her to attempt an escape, the door didn't require a finger scan to get out.

  Hope made it out into the street, just as she heard the men rushing into the hall. She quickly raced down the block then turned the first corner running as fast as her legs could carry her. Hope heard shouting, and it spurred her on faster, her heart thundering in her chest, her sandals pounding the pavement.

  She knew she couldn't out run them, so she took every turn that she came to, hoping they didn't lead to a dead end.

  Hope came to the end of an alley and thought she heard people. She ran towards the sound, turned another corner and saw a group milling about outside a restaurant. She glanced over her shoulder relieved she didn't see her abductors, till she recalled their ability to camouflage themselves and their intense sense of smell.

  Hope pulled her scarf over her head as she exited the side street. She calmly attempted to melt into the small crowd of people. For once she was glad the Anguis towered over her making it easier to get lost amongst them.

  She didn't have her portable comm-unit. Hope wondered if someone here would help her, but she didn't know who to trust. She couldn't just ask anyone. What if she happened upon another Purist sympathizer?

  Hope frantically looked around. She was in the same area they went shopping, but it was also where there'd been protesters. Maybe she could find her way to the shuttle station. Hope found herself on the other side of the group when she heard the commotion at the far side of the cafe. She'd been found.

  "No no no." Hope cried frantically.

  Hope recognized the shop at the corner with the colorful tented awning out front. It was the quaint storefront owned by the little old couple she'd bought Viper's necklace from. Unfortunately it was closed for business, the flap on the tent sealed.

  Hope turned to see her abductors pushing through the crowd, their heads turning every which way trying to locate her. She didn't have any better options. Hope hugged the building as she crept towards the shop. She reached the tent flap, crouched on the ground then crawled inside.