by Tigris Eden
* * * *
Jesminda shifted in her seat as Draven continued to hold her hand. Faith was snuggled in her father’s arm, loving every minute of it. Seeing the two of them together brought tears to her eyes. He’d tried to convey to her, things were going to be alright. Telling her didn’t make her feel better. She’d been down that road a million times before with Marcus’s promises. Things never got better between them. And it wasn’t going to be okay with Draven either. It just wasn’t going to work. How could it?
The music died out and she thought about Dietrich’s selections. Funny thing about men, her grandmother told her the only way to see a man for what he really was, was to listen to the man’s music. He went from hardcore rap down to something soft and gentle. The brother had problems. Lots, but it wasn’t her job to try and figure out the mystery that was Dietrich Johnson. The man was hot; a woman would have to be blind, dead, or just plain stupid not to recognize him for what he was. Dietrich was raw, sensual power. It vibrated off him in waves, floating its way across the room to make its presence known. The Shadow Unit members were all edible. Any woman would be crazy not to want them.
Jesminda inwardly groaned. She was surrounded by hot men! Dumb ass that she was for the moment, she didn’t want Draven. Couldn’t get past the abuse she’d endured. How could she? He was holding her hand and rubbing his thumb absently over her pulse on her wrist. From now on, fucked up and out of luck, was going to be her new mantra where Draven was concerned. His face didn’t give away the slightest piece of information. His other hand absently rubbed their daughter’s back. Faith was eating up his attention.
“Again this is not your fucking captain speaking,” Dietrich’s voice boomed over the speakers. “We’ve already gone into our descent. Children and pussies need to stay on board as we have company. Weapons are stashed under the seat and in the fucking overhead compartments. Man up and grab some shit, we’re about to have a bumpy landing. Be ready to shake the spot.”
What. The. Fuck. Did. That. Mean! Draven’s fingers tightened on hers and he leaned over to whisper.
“Stay on the plane with Faith.”
“Angel,” Draven said. “Get over in your mom’s lap.”
Faith didn’t complain. She squeezed her father tightly around the neck and whispered something in his ear, making him smile. She climbed over into Jes’s lap and put her arms around her waist.
“What did she say?” Jes asked.
“Later, baby later. Gotta go now.”
Draven looked over at Royce and nodded. It could only mean one thing. Royce was about to put her baby to sleep again. She couldn’t get mad at that, because when she and Marcus had some of their roughest fights she tried to keep the ugliness away from Faith. She didn’t want her daughter tainted with all the shit going on between them, and she didn’t want her daughter tainted now.
Faith’s head lolled to the side, she had just enough energy to get comfortable in Jes’s lap and fall into a peaceful sleep. She looked up at Royce and mouthed, thank you.
“You’re welcome.” Royce said on a faint whisper as he reached underneath his seat and grabbed the weapon there. Dietrich had fully stocked the plane with every arsenal a man would need, and then some. Right down to swords. Swords?
“Remember to sever the spinal cords, and remove the heads if at all possible.” Solon said.
Should she look out the window? She couldn’t see anything. Hear anything. There wasn’t anything out there but darkness. Somehow, Dietrich knew they had company. There was no point in seeing what was out there. She already knew.
“How the fuck did they find us?” Draven asked as he drew a weapon from the overhead compartment. It was some sort of sword thick and heavy. A sword-wielding werewolf?
“No, clue.” Solon answered.
She watched as they got ready to exit the plane. Even Bells was geared up and ready for battle. The plane skidded on the asphalt. It jumped once as it touched the ground and then teetered on its wheels as it tried to come to an abrupt stop. Jes held on to Faith tighter and closed her eyes. She should be helping. She wasn’t one to hide and do nothing. Fucking zombies. Very valid point. She wouldn’t be much use to them anyway. She didn’t know how to wield a sword, or shoot a gun. That would be changing as soon as this entire debacle was over.
The deep sigh of her daughter reminded her of just why she was going to stay on the plane. Her daughter needed her now more than ever. Marcus sent the zombies after her and she knew it was to collect Faith. That shit was not going down no matter what.
She reached under her seat and felt for a weapon, she wasn’t taking any chances with her or her daughter’s life. Her fingers hit the nose of a gun. She didn’t know what kind it was, only that she saw the little latch that would release the safety. She carefully unlatched it and put it in the seat next to her and Faith. She wanted to be ready, for anything. Heaven help her and the person who entered the jet, and wasn’t on her team. She’d pop one off and ask questions later. Hopefully, her aim was good enough to cause some lasting damage.
Dietrich opened the door to the cockpit and strolled out to meet with the others. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled at her. It was an evil smile mixed with arousal. He was aroused by this? It must be the battle; Jesminda thought to herself, it couldn’t be her.
“Aah, I see we have a pussy on board.” Dietrich licked his lips. “Pussy is only good for two things, eating and fucking.” Dietrich laughed and kicked open the door, jumping out and into the night. The rest of them followed and she watched them leave. She gently placed Faith in the chair across from her and walked towards the exit of the plane. She needed to see what they were up against.
Holy shit! There were dozens of them surrounding Draven and the others. Bells had already taken her Phoenix form and begun whipping long strands of her hair into the fray of death walkers. The long strands of her emblazed hair wrapped around neck after neck severing each one. She gave a quick twist of her head and the strands would return. Draven and the others were doing just as well if not better. Royce fought the entire time with a smile on his face. Blow after blow, zombies were falling. There was so many of them she’d lost count.
She was so distracted she didn’t see the hand that grabbed onto her ankle and jerked her from the plane. Pain exploded as her head hit the ground. Blackness was pulling her under, but she could see the dark figure jump inside the plane. He was heading towards Faith! Her ankle hurt. Her body was sending signals back and forth to one another. Assessing the damage and calculating her next move. She could do it! Message received, her ankle was most likely bruised from the fall. A death walker grabbed her by both feet and started to pull her away from the plane, away from her daughter. No one was on the plane to protect Faith. What if that man had taken her already? Shit shit shit shit! Her side started to hurt as the thing dragged her roughly across the ground. She was not about to be a victim. Not ever again! She wasn’t a fucking pussy, she was Faith’s mom, and she was a fierce protector of her child. Her ankle hurt like hell! She kicked out of the death walkers hold and clipped it on the calf to bring it down. Solon said to sever the spinal cords or remove their heads. Well that’s just what she was going to fucking do. The thing didn’t collapse gracefully like in the movies; instead, it stumbled a few times and then righted itself. She did a series of kick to bring it down to its knees. Then she scooted back until she was at a good enough distance to stand, so it wouldn’t fall on top of her as it came down to the ground. She quickly tried to pull herself up but fell again. Damn, her ankle wasn’t making this any easier! She was going to have to crawl. As asinine as the whole ordeal was, with her crawling and the death walker trailing after her on hands and knees like a B-Movie was just too much for her.
She bumped into a pair of shit kickers. Someone grunted above her and then continued fighting. If she had to guess, it was Dietrich. Mean ass prick! He’d called her a pussy; well she’d show him what a pussy was. But before she could do anything Draven was the
ir yelling at her and picking her up in his arms.
“What the fuck are you doing outside the plane? Huh? Tell me why I had to look over to see my woman lying on the ground about to be pummeled?” Draven yelled. He was running with her in his arms for the plane. She couldn’t see a thing. Everything was going too fast, but it looked like they were winning. From the corner of her eye, she saw a huge Lincoln Navigator with dark tinted windows. She knew it was Marcus and she gasped as the car drove off.
“Fucking get to the plane!” She screamed.
Draven took the stairs three at a time. Oh dear God it was too late! They were too late! Her heart dropped out of her chest. Her entire world was crashing down around her like shattered glass. Where her daughter should have been sleeping, was one of Marcus’s goons sitting in her place. He had a cigar in his gloved hand and a gun trained on her and Draven.
* * * *
“Ah, it is so nice to see you again Mistress. Meister is in anguish without you, believe me Gnädige Frau.” Oh dear God! It was Hedrick, one of her ex’s henchmen. He was known for his love of torture. He motioned with his gun for both her and Draven to get further inside the plane. Her chest hurt, she felt death constricting her heart in a vice grip. The bastard had taken her child, their child. Revulsion spun its web around her; wove its way into her heart and festered. She would kill him slowly. Sever his Achilles tendon so he couldn’t run. Feed him to anyone animal enough to eat him strip by strip until his flesh was shorn from his bones. Draven stood beside her, stone silent. No words left him as he pushed her to the side. The veins in his neck were bulged, nostrils flared rhythmical with each breath. Jes took a few paces back and off to the side. Was he was fighting the change? Did Hedrick know Draven was a werewolf? The question would be answered sooner rather than later. She felt the burn at her hip sear in pain as he let out a fierce roar. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, as she felt Draven’s power blast her with a swift burst of heat. The feeling, powerful enough she felt shoved by its energy.
If the look of shock was anything to go by, she would say Hedrick had no clue Draven was a werewolf. Maybe he did know and realized how stupid he was for signing up for death detail. The expression, bugged out eyes, applied to Hedrick in all manners. He was trying to scramble back in his seat, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. The silent scream on his lips had Jes cracking a smile. Dumb ass you’re as good as dead. How could he not know? Well, with the exception of Bells, all the men were fighting in their human forms. Strange, usually Marcus was a lot smarter when gathering Intel on people he intended to hurt, maim, or kill. This was a first. Marcus must not have factored in all the variables in this particular order he’d given to Hedrick, or maybe he did.
With quick hands, Jesminda turned and held the chest of a now furry Draven. His dark fur felt silky smooth to the touch on his chest, less thick. He stared down at her with glowing gold green eyes. She stared right back. Hedrick knew the location of their daughter. She needed it. Draven stilled at her touch, which gave her cause for some comfort. At least he wouldn’t attack outright. She needed to know what Marcus had up his sleeve. She knew him. He wasn’t sloppy. Marcus calculated every move he made. He did his homework like a good little thug. What was the catch, leaving Hedrick here in the place of Faith? Was Marcus hoping Draven struck him?
There was a noise at the front of the plane and she looked past Draven to Royce who’d come up the stairs. Royce rushed towards them but Draven turned and snarled. The wolf barely had the room to move he was so huge. Royce held his hands out in front he stopped short.
“Not trying to hurt you or your lady man.” Royce looked over at Hedrick who was still sitting in the chair un-moving. “He’s drugged. Marcus wants him to attack. Don’t do it man. The fucker is bait.”
“How,” Jesminda bit out through gritted teeth.
Royce stood there for a moment eyeing Hedrick, whose breath she could hear behind her. He was breathing at a rapid pace. There was a foul odor in the cabin. Did he fucking piss himself? Gross.
“How,” Jesminda screamed. Panic clawed its way down her back. The wolf wasn’t moving but for how long?
“He’s been injected with Silver nitrate, not a high enough dose to kill him out right but enough it’s contaminated his blood. If Draven were to strike, it would take a miracle to cure him. Damn, you didn’t tell us that Marcus knew about the Unit Jesminda. That would have been information we would have wanted to know firsthand.” Royce’s frustration wasn’t making her feel any better.
“Like, I knew. He’s obviously knows about your team. The plan was to get away without being caught, protect my daughter, and start over again.” Jesminda blew out a breath. “Not this shit, I am going through now, running from Zombies, my daughter taken, and having an overgrown behemoth of a man try to tell me I’m his mate. I want off the fucking coaster of pyschotron!”
Royce looked over at Hedrick and grinned.
“Dude, fucking pissed your pants, that’s classic.” What was Royce doing now?
“What are you doing?”
“I gotta post this on Facebook. Hold up.”
Royce snapped a pic with his camera phone and began typing on the screen. Was he fucking for real? Her daughter was missing, there was Hedrick with a gun, and a big ass werewolf she was still holding back with her hand. A werewolf that offered no arguments.
He licked her arm. Warmth and the rasp of his tongue smoothed down her arm. Gross! She smacked Draven’s head away with her hand and stepped back turning to pin Hedrick with a glare. Fucking Facebook photo time was over!
“Start talking Hedrick, or I’m going to let Royce have at you, and he’s not a werewolf.” Hedrick sneered at her as if she couldn’t make him talk. Draven’s wolf stayed close to her back growling and making licking noises with his chops.
“It would be my supreme honor, my lady to make him talk; shall I make him drink my blood?” Royce asked with a raise of his brow. That was wrong on all fronts and something she did not have time to stick around and see. They could be running out of time.
She suppressed a shiver; she remembered his blood, the taste of warm nectar coating her throat in a lover’s caress. What would it do to Hedrick? “Is it going to have the same effect on him as it did on me?”
Royce faked being hurt. “Hell to the no! It will have the opposite, as he is male. He will writhe, but not in ecstasy or sheer bliss, due to my sexual prowess. No, he will writhe in agony, and it will make him talk.”
Royce looked at her and winked. He was enjoying this way too much for her taste. She needed to find out where Marcus was taking Faith and that was all there was too it.
“Royce, be serious, please.” Jes took a step towards Hedrick.
“You heard him, you want to writhe in agony, or just tell us where my daughter Faith is being taken.”
Hendricks face twisted into a slimy grin.
“Why miss, I don’t know where they are going to take the little one. I do know Marcus plans on letting Enri have her. You know how Enri is, doesn’t care what age a wee little one is. He will take her just the same.”
Jes lashed out in a fit of rage, she didn’t see anything but a haze of anger so thick she zeroed in on Hedrick. Her hand shot forth and clipped him in the jaw. His head snapped back and through the haze, she could hear Royce cheering her on in the background. She launched herself in the air to rain Hell on him, but Royce was holding her back. She wanted to scream, and wail, and beat the ever-loving shit out this man.
“Let me have the fucker! I will show him pain!” She screamed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she needed to remain calm, but the thought of her daughter with Enri, that malicious bastard sent her into a fit of utter rage. With swift movements, Royce was in front of Hedrick and had the other man off his feet and up against the wall by his neck. Royce stood there as the other man struggled for breath, not saying a word. Royce tilted his head to the side as if listening.
Royce looked over his shoulder at her. What
she saw froze her in a moment of fear. An animal so dark and feral, she took a step back into the wolf’s personal space. Royce was not a man at all. He was something else.
“Your daughter is on her way to a cottage where, Marcus is holding the other vampires. He intends to bleed her out for her half breed blood.” There was a distinctive snap and then Hedrick was falling on the floor at an odd slump.
The others were still out fighting off the horde of death walkers, as Jesminda took off after Royce and Draven’s wolf. She didn’t know where they were going and her fucking ankle was still tweaked. But as long as Royce knew the location of the house, they’d get to Faith in time, before Marcus drained her.
“Jes, stay here with Draven, he’s not going to change form until we’re able to track down Marcus. Once we get Faith back, I will instruct Bells to take her to Draven’s mother’s house where she will be safe.”
Everything would have to be okay. She needed it to be. They just had to get Faith back, no matter what. Jes didn’t want to stay with the wolf she wanted to be out there with them searching for Faith. In the end she got her way, Draven had taken off in the direction of the vehicle. He didn’t wait for instructions, he just fled. Dietrich and the others killed the remaining death walkers and Royce looked pissed.
“Well, now you get to come along.”
He pointed at the others and told them to follow.
Chapter 17
Draven in his beast form was a primal. He saw everything in shades of red, orange, purple, blue, and yellow. His lack of human vision didn’t downgrade his ability. No, instead it heightened his sense of sight. The thermal light did what it was meant to do and that was tracking heat signatures. Add a touch of werewolf and what did you get? A wolf who could not only track thermal light as it tried to escape him, but could also track past signatures that were left behind. They would be faint, but he would still be able to detect them.
