OhmyGod, screamed Kate’s brain. It never dawned on her until hearing it spoken aloud. They would fight to save her life. This small army was here to protect her from Gray. If they didn’t succeed, she would die. Her own mortality stared her in the face and it did nothing for Kate’s tense and sore muscles or the rollercoaster screeching down the track doing a corkscrew inside her stomach.
Her eyes were lost in the now empty mug when Ethan made his way to her side. One small nod to the man sitting to her right and the stool was vacated. The respect he showed Ethan surprised her. That Ethan ruled over them still hadn’t sunk in nor anything else that had happened in the past several days. Where had normalcy gone? Well, she might as well get used to the bizarre because it was now her life. The normal long gone and buried.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked cautiously.
“Good,” said Kate, lying.
He raised one dark brown brow. “Really?”
“No.” A nervous laugh escaped. “Who are all these people? I’ve never seen so many weapons. Are they necessary?” Stupid of her to ask since Monica had taken it upon herself to explain all she needed to know.
Ethan’s expression darkened. “I’ll do anything to see you safe and Gray dead. So will the rest of my fighters. I’m not taking any chances after last night.” He closed his eyes, and a growl resonated from deep inside his chest. “I could have lost you. So yes, they are necessary.”
Kate’s eyes watered against her wishes. She did not want to appear weak in front of all these warriors. “I’m not thrilled knowing someone wants to kill me, and my days are numbered.”
Ethan slammed his fist down on the granite, startling her and drawing several eyes their way. “They’re not numbered. Now, Monica, how about coffee and something to eat? Heavy on the steak, I’m famished.” His attention back on her, his lips curved into a wide smile. “You hungry?”
“A little.” Once again she lied.
Monica brought over two plates filled to the brim with food and preened at Ethan. “How’s this?”
Kate’s jaw dropped at the look Monica gave him. Obviously she didn’t feel the need to hide her feelings. Was it a warning to her? Like she could fight this woman…werewolf…over Ethan’s affections?
“Thanks. You outdid yourself. It can’t be easy feeding this crew,” said Ethan as he shoveled in food.
“No, but I had help. The lovely human, Deanna, helped me earlier. She said she needed to keep busy, or she’d lose her mind.” Monica placed her hand on Ethan’s cheek. “Don’t do anything foolish where Gray’s concerned.”
He touched her hand briefly then pushed it away. “I would never do anything stupid when Gray’s involved.”
Kate, ignoring the jealously gnawing at her gut, asked, “Where’s Deanna now?” as Monica left them to see to someone else’s food needs.
Ethan paused to swallow. “Lucas is taking care of her.”
“Okay.” Something else nagged her mind. “Who is Monica?” Kate wished she could suck the words back into her mouth the moment they escaped. So much for ignoring her jealousy.
Ethan glanced her way, his face guarded. “Don’t worry. We were over long before it began. Monica’s having a hard time adjusting to the fact she’ll never be my mate. Eat. You look pale.”
Damn it all to hell. He didn’t need Monica’s crap right now, and Kate did not need the additional stress. In several hours they would be in the middle of an all-out bloody war. He had contacted Gray, pretending to make a deal. He would give them Kate in exchange for a peace treaty. The meeting would take place in an empty warehouse in a rundown section of Boston currently occupied by addicts, drunks, and homeless people. Ethan sent several of his men ahead to evacuate those still in the building. He would not be responsible for the death of any innocent bystanders, regardless of their lot in life.
Two glitches in the plan nagged at his brain. He needed to tell Kate, and he needed to make her his, in every sense of the word. With his right hand, he rubbed his aching heart at the thought of endangering her life. The plan scared the fucking shit out of him. He couldn’t lose her now—they were made for one another—made to be mates for life.
Turning sideways on the stool, Ethan took her warm, soft hands in his. He stared into her eyes, forcing out the words that stuck like super-glue in his throat. “We need to talk.” He laid his plans on the table and hoped she understood and trusted him with her life. Because that was what it would be—her life.
Chapter Eleven
The sun set on the horizon in deep shades of red, orange, and violet. The stormy colors in the sky matched Ethan’s mood. When the vivid hues left, dusk descended upon them like a shroud. Kate and Ethan circled the block that housed the warehouse in the Hummer along with Roseland, a large warrior of a woman, Colin and Lucas. The rest of the fighters, including Pierre and Chaz, hid in every doorway, alley, and vacant building within sight of the warehouse. No sign of Gray or his scumbag followers. Yet.
Ethan knew no one in the vehicle was fooled. The enemy lurked somewhere close by. The smell of rotten deceit tainted the air. Ethan had given his orders back at command central. “Kill as many of the assholes as you can, but Gray belongs to me.”
The Hummer pulled down a side alley and came to an abrupt stop. Kate’s hand gripped the door handle, but Ethan stopped her. “Wait.” He engulfed her in his arms and kissed her. The thought this might be their last contact, their last kiss, twisted his stomach in silent agony. The kiss began gently then panic seized his body and he devoured her. It took all the willpower he possessed to ignore his brain and body and break the contact.
“Don’t worry.” He cleared his throat. “I know what I’m doing. We’ll be back in this vehicle before you know it.” Damn his voice vibrated.
Kate’s lips curved up into something resembling a smile while her eyes radiated fear. Ethan’s heart stilled in his chest as they exited the SUV. He hoped like hell it wouldn’t be the last time he held her in his arms and tasted her succulent mouth.
Keeping Kate safe was his number one concern. Even with Ethan’s powers, strength, and expertise in warfare, Gray’s abilities surpassed his. Gray also didn’t fight with honor. What eased Ethan somewhat was that if he fell, Colin would see her safe. Get control of your mind and erase those morbid thoughts.
Before they left the alley, three tall men dressed in black leather duster jackets strolled toward them. Ethan recognized them instantly. The vamps came to help. His muscles relaxed a notch. He nodded his head in silent greeting. Then one by one he clasped his right hand with theirs and tapped right shoulder to right shoulder as a sign of friendship and respect.
“Surprised to see you but glad for the added support. Constantine is very generous for sending his top warriors.” Ethan placed his hand over his heart and nodded his head once. “Roberto, Anthony, Franco, gracie.”
The dark-haired vampire in the middle grinned. “Hell, it’s been quiet lately. Gray and his fuck-heads give us vamps a bad name, getting us blamed for most of his pack’s murders. There is no love lost between us. We’re itching for action.”
“You came to the right alley.” Ethan paused to glance around. “I’ll ask one thing of you. Kill whoever you want, but Gray is mine.”
All three vampires nodded in understanding.
The warehouse appeared deserted when they entered, but they all knew better. A flick of an eye later, Gray stepped out of a dark doorway flanked by six of his followers. Ethan wasn’t fooled, he sensed more fighters nearby.
“I see you brought my prize with you,” Gray snarled.
“You bastard,” Kate yelled as she stepped forward. Ethan curled his hand around her elbow to restrain her. Her struggle to get free proved useless. “I hope you rot in hell.”
Crazy laughter resonated inside the large room and it echoed off the walls. “If I rot in hell, darling, I’ll make sure you’re right beside me. Ethan, can’t you control your disrespectful human?”
Ethan casually shrugge
d one shoulder. “Apparently not, that’s why I’m willing to give her to you. Shape-shifters are beneath her. She treats us like animals. Of course, she really does not understand how animalistic we can be.” He flashed his teeth in Kate’s direction, complete with one-inch fangs dripping with thick saliva, and growled at her.
There was no pretending to be terrified on Kate’s part. Her entire body convulsed with it. It wasn’t just seeing Gray. Ethan’s fangs…well, they were…words escaped her.
“Before I hand her over,” began Ethan, “do I have your word to a six-month treaty between our clans? We won’t hunt you and you won’t hunt or harm any humans.”
I’m only worth six months, is Ethan serious?
Gray stepped forward, leaning his head toward Ethan and staring at Kate before looking away. Bile shot up and escaped into her mouth, overwhelming her. She gagged as she forced it back down her throat.
“You have my word. Six months of peace. You don’t kill what’s mine, and I won’t kill the fucking humans you deem so precious. But once six months is over, I will have my revenge for Travis’ death. You are forewarned.”
Placing his large hand between her shoulder blades, Ethan shoved Kate, none too gently, forward. “Take the miserable bitch.”
Oh my God, Kate’s voice screamed inside her head. Until then, she really didn’t think Ethan would turn her over to Gray.
Roseland stepped up behind her and whispered in Kate’s ear. “Don’t you worry your pretty head now? Ethan takes care of his own.” She placed her hand on Kate’s back and shoved her hard, sending her sprawling to her hands and knees. “Hurry up bitch and disappear. We have more pressing things to do than waste time with you.”
Kate squinted up into Gray’s hateful eyes and viewed her own demise. He wrapped his fist in her long hair and dragged her out of the room, up the steep, dark stairs. She half fell, half walked up them, fighting the urge to cry out in agony. She cringed at the excruciating pain that radiated from her scalp and tried to ignore the persistent throb of her shins as they banged stair after stair. Inside her mind she screamed Ethan’s name repeatedly.
A high, shrill scream escaped her lips as she tripped over something and landed next to a wet puddle. The strong stench of urine assaulted her senses.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Gray growled.
Again, he fisted her hair as they continued on until she perceived the creaking of a door opening. Although she couldn’t see anything in the hellish blackness, she knew a gruesome battle was about to begin.
Gray dragged her to a corner. “Stay here, unless you want to die today,” he spat, then added, “for some crazy reason Ethan has decided to fight for you. Stupid mother-fucker.”
Kate hovered in the cement corner as damp coldness seeped into her skin and she wondered how Gray knew Ethan would fight for her. Had he sensed the other members of Ethan’s clan in the building? Had he smelled them? Most likely both.
In her little frozen corner, her body jerked over and over as sounds assaulted her from all angles. Shadows flashed around her. The clank of steel against steel sent icy talons creeping up her spine. It seemed to go on forever.
From somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she recalled werewolves had better eyesight in the dark than in the light. Therefore, she imagined vampires could see in the dark, as well. “Shit,” she mumbled. “Vampires?” Regardless of how much they could see, she couldn’t see a bloody thing. “Bad choice of words Kate,” she scolded herself.
Not being one to stay put for long periods of time—especially when a war, fought on her behalf, surrounded her, although that was a first—Kate crawled using her hands as feelers on the rough concrete.
“What the…?” Her hand landed in something wet, warm, and sticky. Lifting it up to her nose, the pungent, metallic odor had her heaving on the ground. She dragged the sleeve of her shirt across her mouth and tried not to think how disgusting that was. Kate moved forward again, only to find something solid. Her pulse roared and her mind exploded. A body lay before her. “Oh, my God,” she cried out as tears pooled in her eyes. “Ethan!” she screamed, “Ethan, where are you?”
Chapter Twelve
A hand shot out of the darkness and curled around her wrist. Instinct made her jerk away as another scream bubbled up out of her mouth.
“Shh, it’s Colin, I’m getting you out of here.” He scooped her up into his arms as though she were a child and ran through the black air. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest as she sobbed. It seemed like an eternity until the fresh outside air assaulted her nostrils. Finally, she could breathe again without the stench of blood and death. Colin didn’t put her down until they reached the Hummer. He plopped her down in the shotgun seat, ran around the front of the vehicle, and hopped in. He gunned it out of the alley and drove down the dark streets in silence.
“Where… where’s Ethan?” Kate worked hard to stop her teeth from chattering.
“He’s coming.”
“Where are we going?”
“Stop asking questions and let me drive,” he snapped.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared out the window at the starless sky. Several times Colin spoke on his cell phone. He talked in a language she didn’t understand. Her brain hurt from overload and her heart beat appeared non-existent. A bad feeling settled deeply into the pit of her stomach. Why hadn’t Ethan come for her? What caused Colin’s upset and secretive mood? What was he hiding from her? Something awful had happened. Every fiber of her being screamed out in anguish.
Two hours later Colin took the same exit off the Mass Pike they had taken to Ethan’s the night before. He turned the Hummer down a long dirt road. Kate sat up and took notice. None of the surrounding sights looked familiar.
“Where are we?” she demanded as a sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
“Just keep your mouth shut and I’ll think about sparing your life.” Dark soulless eyes stared through her and he grinned. “At least until I kill Ethan. Then, who knows,” he shrugged, “I might just keep you for myself.”
Black spots swirled before her eyes, and she tried blinking them away to no avail. “Why are you doing this? You’re his friend. He trusts you.” Ghostly laughter spewed out of his mouth, and she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the foreboding chill.
“We were friends, even like brothers. But, hey, I now have the opportunity to take over Gray’s band of rebels. I’ve been fighting my bloodlust, human bloodlust, for some time now.” He ran his eyes up and down her body and settled on the vein pulsing in her neck. No matter how much she hugged herself her body trembled. “With Gray dead and Ethan soon to follow, I’ll move in on both clans and soon nothing or no one will be able to stop the carnage to befall the city of Boston. Soon all of New England will know who I am and bow down to my rule.”
Kate was convinced he’d come unhinged. Or maybe not. Maybe as a werewolf he could not help himself. The thought didn’t calm Kate’s nerves. After all, she was part wolf as well. Would she someday lust for human blood? Never, her mind screamed. She would never be like him. They stopped beside a small cabin surrounded by dense woods.
“Where are we?” During the past several minutes she’d decided if she intended to live through this ordeal she needed to be strong. No more crying or giving in to her emotions. Colin opened the passenger door and grabbed her forearm, causing her to wince as he pulled her toward the cabin.
“This is my private retreat. Don’t get your hopes up. Nobody knows about it.” Well, that was not good. She would not let it bother her because she needed to keep a calm head. Panicking would not help her or Ethan. What she needed to do was get Colin to open up about his plan. Maybe if she… “I can sense your mind plotting against me. Forget it. You will never escape.”
She swallowed and took a deep breath for courage then hit him with her most seductive look. “Maybe I don’t want to escape.” She never saw it coming, only heard the crack and felt the stin
g as he backhanded her, sending her crashing down onto the dirt ground. Damn, but her cheek throbbed and her vision blurred. “Was that really necessary?” Finally, her anger replaced her fright, and she was madder than hell.
“Shut the fuck up. Gray was right, you are a pain in the ass.” Time seemed suspended as she found herself tied to a hard, wooden chair. The more she struggled to get her hands free the more the zip ties cut into her wrists and burned. Her ankles were just as tight. And then it hit her. Mind-walker. Didn’t Ethan talk mind to mind to her at the restaurant? Maybe if she…she glanced at Colin, who stood watching out the large picture window, hands behind his back, feet planted wide, ignoring her. Good. It gave her the time to concentrate and send her message to Ethan.
“Where the hell are they?” Ethan paced from one end of his large great room to the other. “They should be here.” He turned to several of his most trusted men. “You don’t think Gray’s followers have them?” Non-committed grunts answered him. The burning pit in his stomach intensified. She was in danger. Every nerve in his body tensed with the knowledge.
“After you killed Gray, his men scattered like cockroaches caught in a spot light,” Chaz said, joining him in his pacing.
“I know. I just can’t wrap my mind around where she could be. Where Colin could be.” And then he heard it, Kate’s voice in his head.
Colin has me at some cabin in the woods. It’s somewhere near yours. We took the Mass Pike and got off the same exit. He means to kill you.
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