OnsetofDanger

by Aubrey Ross

  “How many captives are there?” Brandon asked.

  “Twenty-three, so we’ll have to flash them out in shifts. Eloise will help keep the captives calm and organized. Questions?” No one spoke up so Bronik said, “Then Alpha team, you’re with Alexi. Bravo, follow me.”

  Taking Eloise by the hand, Bronik flashed to the prison, outside the surveillance hub. The hunters followed his signal with effortless skill. They materialized in formation, back-to-back. Once they were certain the hallway was secure, two hunters headed down the corridor, looking for the rotation guards.

  Bronik pushed open the door to the hub and rushed inside, followed immediately by the other two hunters. He yanked the guards away from the control console, making sure they didn’t trigger an alarm. The guard on his right twisted out of his chair, baring his fangs as he landed on his feet facing Bronik. The other guard darted toward the door. Knowing the hunters would catch the runaway, Bronik kept his attention focused on the first guard. Bronik used a sharp uppercut to muddle the first guard’s thinking then forced him against the opposite wall.

  Hisses and growls erupted behind him, indicating a similar fight. Still, he kept his attention focused on his quarry. The guard lunged for him, claws fully extended, so Bronik propelled him back with a blast of energy. The guard hit the wall hard. His eyes glazed then rolled back in his head and he collapsed onto the floor at Bronik’s feet.

  The hunters had subdued the other guard and taken him out into the corridor. Bronik dragged his guard into the hallway as well.

  A clatter and then a loud grunt drew his attention farther down the hall. Eloise faced off with one of the rotation guards. She kicked and jabbed with hypnotic grace, obviously in control of the conflict. It never even occurred to Bronik that she might need assistance. This was obviously her natural element.

  She jump-kicked the guard in the gut and he sank to his knees, arms crossed over his abused abdomen. He muttered a curse and tried to maneuver his feet beneath him.

  “Stay down,” she advised, warning clear in her sharp tone.

  He raised his hands, face red as he said, “Yes, mistress.”

  She picked up the guard’s gun and tucked it into the back of her jeans.

  Pride unfurled within Bronik as he watched her. Strong, intelligent and beautiful—what more could he ask for in a mate?

  Alexi and his team had taken over the lab with similar ease. The scientists walked down the corridor with their hands locked behind their heads. Bronik and Eloise checked everyone for weapons, phones and radios and then locked the guards in one cell and the scientists in another.

  Eloise took a deep breath and wiped her hands on her jeans as they turned their attention toward the captives. She stepped up to the first cell as someone in the control hub triggered the lock remotely. She opened the door and looked at the captive who was standing against the far wall. Her face was pale, eyes huge and haunted.

  “It’s okay. We’re here to take you home. My name is Eloise.”

  “Where are the… You have control of the entire ward?”

  “Yes. The staff is locked in a cell. It’s perfectly safe.”

  With obvious reluctance, the Rom captive inched her way forward. Eloise moved out of the way and let her look up and down the corridor before she stepped out of the cell.

  “This is Jerome,” she motioned toward the waiting hunter. “He’ll take you home. Inatta and Caitlyn are waiting for you.”

  Jerome held out his hand.

  Eloise waited until the captive placed her hand on his before she moved to the next cell. By the time she reached the third cell, the captives were lined up at the doorways, staring out into the corridor. The process went much faster once the captives realized what was going on.

  A muffled cry snapped Eloise’s attention toward a cell on the other side of the central hallway. Bronik rushed to her side as she moved toward the sound. She glanced inside and fury burst within her, spreading through her composure like wildfire.

  Shirtless and disheveled, Jackson was shielding himself with one of the captives. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and the other hand grasped her throat. This was a different captive than he’d been seducing when they saw him earlier. The realization sent a fresh rush of anger through Eloise. The useless bastard!

  Bronik signaled whoever was running the controls and the lock released. Eloise yanked the door open and moved into the threshold. “Let her go,” she said emphatically.

  “Not gonna happen. Move out of my way and I might let her live.” His smug tone grated on her nerves and she clenched then unclenched her fists.

  Bronik knocked Jackson back with a violent mental shove but Jackson dragged the captive with him. “Let her go now and I might let you live.”

  Jackson sneered and his fingernails bit into the captive’s throat. She cried out and yanked on his wrist with both hands but Jackson didn’t seem to notice. Rivulets of blood trailed down her throat and tears seeped from the corners of her eyes. Fear polluted the air, the stench thick and cloying in the confined space.

  “Her life for mine,” Jackson stressed. “Even exchange. I leave her in the parking lot or she dies now. Your choice.”

  “We accept.” Eloise felt Bronik’s confusion but she kept her gaze fixed on Jackson.

  “Then back the hell up.”

  She took a step back and Bronik did the same. The hostage made a distressed yelp and begged for help with her gaze. Eloise couldn’t soothe her without alerting Jackson to her plan.

  Be ready. She meticulously shielded the thought as she pushed it into Bronik’s mind.

  Jackson walked his hostage forward, his anxious gaze shifting between Bronik and Eloise. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Eloise raised her hands, backing up as Jackson moved forward. Hostility pulsed all around them. The Strigo hunters formed a loose perimeter, giving her and Bronik plenty of room. She studied the angle of Jackson’s fingers, waiting for his attention to drift.

  I’ll lunge toward him. You grab the girl. She sent the suggestion to Bronik without shifting her gaze from Jackson.

  Got it.

  She stomped her foot as she threw herself toward Jackson. His head snapped toward her and Bronik snatched the hostage out of his grasp. The girl cried out as Jackson’s fingernails sliced across her neck, but the wounds were shallow thanks to Bronik’s lightning-fast jerk on Jackson’s forearm.

  Channeling her anger into icy focus, Eloise flew at Jackson. Her momentum propelled him backward until he slammed against the wall. He grasped her hair with both hands, jerking violently as she bit into his shoulder. She ignored the pain and pressure on her scalp as she transformed her fingernails into razor-sharp claws. With one ruthless thrust, she drove her hand in under his ribcage and effortlessly found his heart. His scream became a muffled gurgle as she closed her fist and ended his life. She released his shoulder and watched the crimson sparks flicker out in his eyes.

  “Say hi to Tara,” she whispered then withdrew her hand.

  For a moment Jackson’s body remained upright, motionless except for the blood oozing from the gaping wound in his abdomen. Then the knees buckled and the body crumpled into a lifeless heap.

  Eloise wiped her mouth on her sleeve, feeling oddly numb. Her anger had burned itself out, yet Jackson deserved no pity or regret. He’d spent the majority of his life preying on those weaker than himself.

  “I’ll take care of the rest,” Alexi said, his gaze warm and respectful. “You two have done enough.”

  “Are all the captives out?” Bronik asked as he slipped his arm around Eloise’s shoulders and pulled her against his side.

  “I think so.” Alexi looked up and down the corridor before he added, “We’ll sweep the entire building before I head to Las Vegas. Jerome and Brandon are coming back to oversee the transportation of the staff.”

  “Where are you taking them?” Eloise asked.

  “That’s up to Inatta. She has agreed to full disclosure as far as the
research goes, but the crimes were committed against Rom strain.”

  “What about Garrett?” Eloise asked.

  Alexi scrubbed his hand over his jaw, clearly frustrated. “Hopefully we’ll find security footage or one of the captives who interacted with Garrett directly. I doubt the staff will cooperate. Unless we can find something concrete to link him to the project, we might have to be satisfied with taking out Jackson and Tara. Recovering the captives was our top priority.”

  Eloise shook her head, dissatisfied with the outcome. “I know he oversaw the project but I can’t prove it.”

  Alexi squeezed her upper arm and smiled. “I’ll see what I can find. As I said, you’ve done enough, no, more than enough. Both Rom and Strigo strains are grateful.”

  Eloise tried to return his smile but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. She just felt tired and empty.

  “We’ll get out of your way,” Bronik said then turned her to face her. “Let’s get you home and into a shower.”

  She didn’t object. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. She’d killed Jackson. She’d crushed his beating heart without hesitation or regret. Well, maybe a little regret.

  The staggering rush of teleportation eclipsed her troubled thoughts, but as soon as they materialized in Bronik’s bathroom the conflict resumed. She’d been in battles before, shot weapons at the enemy and fought hand-to-hand. This had been different, more personal and troubling.

  “You okay?” Bronik asked as he pulled her blood-splattered shirt off over her head.

  “I was afraid he’d turn to mist.” Needing something to do with her hands, she tugged off her boots. “There was no way I was letting him escape.”

  “No one is questioning your actions. The bastard deserved to die.”

  A hard shudder passed through her and she hesitated. “He deserved punishment but…”

  He framed her face with his hands and captured her gaze. “He had no regard for anyone. He used humans for his own enjoyment and manipulated the emotions of other hosts. He used a helpless woman as a shield and would have killed her without blinking an eye if you hadn’t intervened. He deserved to die.”

  Her lips trembled and she raised her hands to his chest, needing the comfort of his strong heartbeat. “I don’t want to become Tara. I saw her kill without pause over and over. I never want to take a life without feeling the loss.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “You are not Tara. The fact that you’re bothered by what you just did is proof that you are nothing like her.” He pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, slow kiss. “You were wonderful tonight.”

  The praise sent warmth radiating through her body and loosened the knot in her belly. “It felt pretty good to be useful again.”

  “You were more than useful, you were amazing.”

  They undressed and took a shower together. He washed her hair, helping her relax and shed the last of the battle taint. She stood within the circle of his strong arms, savoring the security of their love. Warm water ran over their bodies and she snuggled against his chest.

  Dizziness swept over Eloise and she clung to Bronik’s back. She tried to pull away, to let him know she felt strange. The vertigo gave way to darkness and she felt the presence again, the cautious, gentle person who had contacted her before.

  What’s your name? Eloise pushed the thought toward her visitor, hoping she’d understand. Thank you for helping me. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.

  Then you found them? Relief washed over Eloise then a sad sort of resignation. Are they okay? I was afraid you’d be too late.

  They’re safe and they’ll recover. Thanks to you. Will you please tell me your name?

  A long pause followed and then Eloise heard, Caresse. I have to go now or he’ll know what I’m doing.

  Wait, Caresse. Who is “he”? Where are you? Is there anything I can do to help you?

  If he realizes what I’ve done he’ll kill me. But I’m not sure I care. He’s so different now. Everything has changed. Nothing is as it should be. I hate it here on Earth.

  Where are you? Please, let me help you.

  Eloise came out of the trance with a gasp, disoriented and shaky. She was cradled in Bronik’s arms. He sat on the bed and they were each wrapped in a large towel.

  “She did it again,” Eloise whispered. “The woman who sent me the image of the prison just pushed into my mind.”

  “Are you all right?” He brushed her wet hair back from her face and searched her eyes. “What did she want?”

  “She just wanted to know if the captives were all right. Her name is Caresse.”

  “Caresse.” He eased her off his lap and stood, adjusting the towel around his hips. “I need to tell Alexi.” His expression stilled and she felt the faint vibration of telepathic communication.

  “You know who she is?” she asked when his gaze returned to hers. “She said she hated it here on Earth. I think she’s from your planet.”

  “Caresse is Desmond’s mate.”

  “But why would a Levari host help us rescue the Rom captives?”

  “I have no idea but we need to find out.” He took a deep breath and ran both hands through his wet hair.

  “Caresse said ‘he’ would kill her if he realized what she was doing. She must have meant Desmond. She also said that he was different now, that nothing was the way it was supposed to be. Does any of that make sense to you?”

  Bronik nodded. “Desmond is an illegitimate cousin of Alexi and mine. Alexi’s father, the high king, tried to purge Desmond of his Strigo symbionts and it nearly killed Desmond. He endured years of captivity and medical procedures that were more like torture.”

  “That’s horrible.” Eloise crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. “Why was… Didn’t you say Desmond was on the ship with you and Alexi? Why was he allowed to come to Earth?”

  “Alexi felt guilty about the way Desmond had been treated by his family, so he offered to bring Desmond and Caresse to Earth so they could build a life for themselves free from prejudice and conflict. They both seemed excited and grateful until the night Desmond led the mutiny.”

  She scooted to the edge of the bed, sensing his agitation but not sure how to soothe him. “How does a mutiny fit in to Desmond’s plans to start over? The two don’t seem to mesh.”

  “We’d never seen anything like it. Desmond and the other Levari hosts were being controlled by their symbionts. It was obvious that they were fighting against it, but we all lost out in the end.”

  The pain in his gaze broke her heart. She’d heard about the crash, knew most of the crew had been lost. Still, it didn’t seem quite real to her. She stood and moved closer, unsure if he’d welcome her touch. “That’s what caused the crash? You were trying to avert the mutiny?”

  “We were fighting for control of the ship.” He pulled her into his arms and she pressed against him. “Alexi did everything imaginable to prevent the crash, but the Levari sabotaged him at every turn.”

  “That’s all horrible,” she eased back and looked into his eyes, “but why would it motivate Caresse to help us and how did she end up at odds with Desmond?”

  “I’m not sure, but we seem to have discovered our next mission.”

  Eloise sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Can’t we have one night without crisis or looming danger? This was supposed to be a triumph.”

  “You’re right.” He took a deep breath and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “We can’t let your mysterious visitor ruin what we accomplished tonight. We deserve a celebration.”

  “Then how shall we celebrate?”

  He reached down and unwrapped her towel. “Naked and on that bed.”

  She tugged his towel loose and tossed it aside. “Best idea you’ve had all night.”

  About Aubrey Ross

  When my parents realized I had an aptitude for storytelling—okay, even at an early age I was a consummate liar—they encouraged me to find
constructive ways to put all that “creativity” to use. I wrote my first novel when I was in junior high school. It was a typical teenage girl’s fantasy about being kidnapped by a sexy rock star, finding out he was really a misunderstood millionaire’s son, and living happily ever after with the reformed rebel. Check out A Taste of Twilight if you’re curious to see what became of the story.

  Now I spend my days, and many of my nights, trying to keep up with the characters springing to life within my mind. I find creative ways of avoiding errands and housework because I can’t drag myself away from the dramas unfolding in my latest story. And every day I thank God I was able to quit my day job and actively pursue my dream! (I also write paranormal romances for Ellora’s Cave as Cyndi Friberg. They are still smoking hot, just less adventurous than Aubrey’s books.)

  Aubrey welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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  We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email the author directly or you can email us at Services@ellorascave.com (when contacting Services, be sure to state the book title and author).

  Also by Aubrey Ross

  Crimson Awakening

  Crimson Carousel 1: A Taste of Twilight

  Crimson Carousel 2: A Taste of Midnight

  Crimson Carousel 3: A Taste of Oblivion

  Crimson Carousel 4: A Taste of Dawn

  Crimson Prey

  Crimson Thrall

  Dream Warriors

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy IV anthology

  Enemy Embrace 1: Rebel

  Enemy Embrace 2: Toymaker

  Enemy Embrace 3: Replicant

  Enemy Embrace 4: Mystic

  Enemy Embrace 5: Madam

  Enslaved Hearts 1: Captives

  Enslaved Hearts 2: Pleasures