In the year before her escape Jenna had begun wandering the thick forest again, discovering where the natural paths and impasses were. It took her several months, but eventually she’d known the lay of the forest as well as when she’d been a child.
Eventually her bodyguards tired of following her on her long walks, leaving her to wander in peace, making notes and maps, traveling as close to the highway as possible without setting off the alarms that ringed the property line.
She’d given Bas every detail she’d engraved on her mind, and now as she looked at the men surrounding her, she prayed it was enough. These men, who owed her no allegiance whatsoever, were willing to risk their very lives to help get Rowan away from her father.
Nic pulled her into his arms. He needed her touch constantly, and she certainly had no complaints about that. With each touch he poured his strength into her, and she had the feeling that tonight she’d need that strength more than ever. She squeezed his waist to gather her courage before stepping into middle of the semi-circle the group had formed.
She looked each and every man in the eye as she turned to face them. A group of warriors, she thought. Her warriors; brave and honorable men standing before her ready to do battle.
“I don’t have the words to express my gratitude to each and every one of you. Thank you seems so inadequate. No matter what happens tonight, I am forever in your debt.” Jenna forced back her tears, even smiling a little as the big bad men in front of her squirmed in discomfort at her declaration.
Slow clapping filled the silence.
“Pretty speech, luv, but don’t fool yourself into thinking they’re doing this for you.
They only want the chance to string up dear old daddy.” Nic went rigid at her side, a growl rumbling in his chest. She poked at him sharply and swallowed the lump in her throat.
Abel, the giant blond Wolf turned to where Aidan leaned in the doorway from the offices, lounging negligently with his arms folded across his chest.
“Don’t be an asshole, Dragon,” he said mildly. Shaking his long blond dreadlocks back over his shoulders, he turned to address Jenna.
“We’re going to your father’s prison tonight to rescue your sister. Period.” The others nodded their agreement.
Kane, the dark Wolf who was Abel’s twin, flashed a chilling grin and added, “Of course, that doesn’t mean that if we see him we won’t kill him and consider it our hazard pay.”
Jenna forced back her tears again, and nodded.
The Wolves parted reluctantly as Aidan pushed away from the door frame and approached her. Kane and Abel stood at her back, a daunting, heated bulwark. Nic flanked her on the right, Bas took up a position at her left, presenting a united front that had the Dragon raising his eyebrows in amusement. Jenna was fairly certain she was the only one to notice the flash of hurt in those indigo eyes. She stepped away from her honor guard, shoving at Nic irritably when he tried to move along with her.
“Take this.” Aidan pressed a small, cold gun into her palm. “If I’m following you on this fool’s errand, I’m not letting you go in there unarmed. We don’t leave for another hour. That should give Nic enough time to show you how to shoot to kill.”
“If I hugged you now, you’d bite my head off, wouldn’t you?” Jenna asked, proud that she kept the tremor out of her voice.
Aidan gave her a fierce scowl and muttered, “I don’t suggest you try it,” and just like that the tension in the room was broken.
*
Nic stood, shaken, as Bas stepped forward to clasp Aidan’s forearm firmly.
“It’s about fucking time you came back to us,” the other Vampire muttered.
Nic stepped forward, taking his turn to welcome Aidan back.
“I think this was harder for you than I realized,” he told the Dragon softly. “You honor me.”
Without letting go, Aidan gave him a smile full of sharp teeth.
“I’m doing this for your woman, asshole, not for you. She deserves better than a judgmental prick like you.”
Nic pulled back to search the Dragon’s turbulent eyes.
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
Aidan shrugged. “Don’t bloody well know, mate. Maybe it’s because she isn’t like any human I’ve ever met. Maybe it’s because she didn’t throw me to the fucking wolves when I refused to bloody help.” The words “unlike you, my so-called friend,” remained unspoken.
Nic didn’t miss the slight, and while he knew he couldn’t have reacted any other way, he felt a moment of guilt at the pain he’d apparently caused his friend. Jenna had recognized something in Aidan that Nic had not. The Dragon carried a secret pain he’d never shared with Nic or Bas, but Jenna had picked up on it with one sweep of those compassionate eyes.
“Is this a fucking joke?” Chandra’s shrill voice pierced the room. “I heard rumors, but I knew they had to be false.” Nic frowned as the blonde Vampiress spewed her venom.
How the fuck had she found out about tonight’s mission? He shot a questioning look to Aidan who just shrugged, looking as baffled as Nic was.
The blonde woman shoved her way into the center of the circle, spinning around to look at each man as they glared back at her.
“You would risk your lives for a human female? One who has been in our world for less then a week? One whose father has murdered, kidnapped and tortured those like us?” Her lip curled up as her fangs slid down, her red-tipped nails formed claws at her sides.
She turned to Aidan, crossing her arms.
“I forbid you to help this human cow.”
Nic choked back snort at the look on Aidan’s face. The Dragon looked at Chandra as if she’d grown a second head. One that wasn’t pretty.
“What the fuck are you talking about, woman?”
Chandra propped a hand on her slim hip.
“Aidan, lover, don’t do this. Come home with me. I will keep you occupied while the rest of these fools get themselves killed.”
The Dragon started to laugh, bringing an ugly, mottled flush to Chandra’s face.
“Have you lost what little mind you once had?” he choked out. “Fuck, woman, you don’t have any claim on me. We screwed. That’s it. Now go away like a good little fuck toy.”
“You bastard,” she screeched, raking her nails down the side of Aidan’s neck.
“She’ll get you all killed. You fucking fools, go ahead die for your fragile little human.” Nic’s eyes caught fire. Chandra had been riding the edge of his patience for a long time, and by insulting his One, and doing it repeatedly, she’d toppled over onto the wrong side.
He stepped toward her, but Aidan beat him there. The Dragon shoved her hard, but she’d seen him coming and was ready for him, shoving back. Steadying herself, she pushed past the men, leaving as abruptly as she’d arrived.
Nic turned to Jenna, whose eyes were wide as she watched the blonde slam out of the club.
“Wow,” she murmured, beginning to laugh as she melted into his arms. She cast another look at Aidan, who was glaring back at her. “I guess I owe you another thank you,” she giggled at his smoldering look.
“Do not,” he retorted, stalking off toward his office.
Nic grinned down at his woman, stroking her cheek, savoring her soft scent. Placing his forehead to hers, his lips brushed hers.
“My little warrior woman,” he teased. “Come, then. We have less than an hour to get you comfortable with your weapon…”
* * * *
The drive to Stone’s compound was made in silence. Nic and Jenna sat, pressed close together in the middle seat of the van. He pulled her tighter against himself, trying to blot out the fear with the warm crush of her in his arms, the silk of her hair against his lips, the sweet scent of her skin. She nestled closer, burying her face in his neck, and Nic thought she might be doing the same thing.
Nic met Sebastian’s eyes over her bent head and sent him a speaking look. Jenna’s safety was their first and last priority. Bas nodded silently.
With Jenna’s blood coursing through his veins, he would be able to protect her almost as well as Nic could.
“Jenna,” his voice was gruff with suppressed emotion. She tilted her head up. Her hair slid over his jaw like silk as her whiskey brown eyes connected with his. “Stay behind me, Beloved, no matter what happens.”
“What if we can’t find her, Nico? What if we do all of this for nothing?”
“We will find her.” He left no room for doubt because he sensed his One needed his strength. “We will find her,” he repeated, “but not if I am too busy worrying about you to look.” Her brows drew in a little, but she didn’t argue. Nic hoped that was a good sign. “I need you to promise that you will stay behind me, that you will listen to and obey me,” he sent a narrow look to the Vampire sitting on Jenna’s other side and snickering quietly,
“and Sebastian while we are in there.”
He didn’t even try to keep the slight grin off his face as her nose crinkled up at the word obey. On her other side, Bas started to laugh outright.
“Wow,” she retorted tartly, “if I hadn’t already known you were straight out of the sixteenth century that would have totally given it away.” Nic rolled his eyes as laughter from the front seat of the vehicle joined Bas’s laughter along side of them. After a while, though, he turned serious eyes to her.
“I would not survive if something happened to you, Beloved. Promise me you will let us keep you safe.” He leaned down, punctuating his demand with a stinging nip to her lower lip.
She made a low sound, returning the caress with one of her own, and in spite of the tense situation, an arrow of heat shot straight to Nic’s balls.
“I promise,” she spoke softly against his lips, “but you have to promise me the same thing. I’d rather die with you than live without you, Nico.” He captured her hand, buried his face in her palm, darting his tongue out to sample the sweetness cupped there, buying time until his emotion-clogged voice would cooperate again. “Then we shall both have to be careful, Beloved. I intend to spend the next fifty or so years memorizing every inch of you, and the fifty years after that letting you memorize every inch of me, so we definitely have something to live for.” She kissed him again, a warm, damp brush of her lips over his, and laid her head back against his chest. His brave warrior woman. She was so gentle, so kind, but her inner strength called to Nic. Made him want to take her far away from this place. He wanted to hide her away somewhere and bury himself inside her welcoming body. Since that wasn’t an option, he settled for pressing her cheek closer to his chest, right over his heart.
They rode that way until Kane, the big Were who was driving, looked into the back seat. “We’re here,” he rumbled.
The doors whooshed open, but before Jenna could scoot out of the van, Nic cupped her face between his hands, pulling her into one last, desperate kiss. He needed to burn the taste of her, the feel of her, onto his lips. Into his soul. He kissed her slowly, with hot, languorous strokes of his tongue as if they had all the time in the world.
He finally pulled away when Bas maneuvered smoothly around them and dropped to the ground. “I love you, Jenna Stone,” he muttered roughly against her damp mouth. “I have loved you from our first dream, and the more I know you, the more I find to love.” He saw his reflection in her eyes, and marveled at how beautiful he was to her. “With every breath in my body,” he pledged, “for all of eternity, I will love you, my One.” Jenna gave him a fierce look, and reached up to cup his face, mirroring his hold on her. “And I love you, Nicolas Alero. And I intend to spend all of eternity proving it, so stop acting like we’re not coming back.”
Her words soothed something ragged in his chest, but didn’t quite still the gnawing in his gut. They’d infiltrated Stone’s fortress so easily. He had a very bad feeling that something was about to go very wrong.
*
Jenna let Bas help her out of the truck. He gave her a gentle squeeze and a reassuring smile as she stepped into the circle of very large, very scary men. She was terrified, but kept her face perfectly neutral, a talent she’d honed at her father’s knee. Her fear would only worry Nic and distract him, and they had a difficult enough task ahead of them without him being caught up in taking care of her.
Kane parked half a mile from the property, where the van was camouflaged by the thick trees and woods that bordered three sides of the Stone compound. Her father liked to keep his borders well defended.
Aidan, Bas and Nic were joined by the two Werewolves, Kane and Abel. The bothers were big as houses and looked meaner than any creature she’d ever seen, except maybe Aidan in a temper. She tried to be comforted by the fact that she was entering her father’s house surrounded by these feral male animals. She knew that, Blood Bonds aside, any one of them, maybe even Aidan, would storm to her defense at the first sign of trouble.
The heavy weight of the gun Aidan had pressed into her hand before they left tugged at her pocket, a reminder of yet another defense.
In this crowd of flaring testosterone, Bas was the undisputed leader. He appeared so elegant, so classy and cultured that it was a bit of a shock to see the Alpha male his smooth façade masked. His usually tranquil face was grim, and his eyes lacked their usual smile as he addressed the group.
“Shoot to kill, my friends. Stone’s people would just as soon kill you as capture you if you give them the chance. We’re using conventional weapons, guns are best. If you have to use your knife, you’re too damn close to them. Get in, get Rowan Stone, and get the fuck out.” It went without saying that if they found any of Stone’s “pets” they would be taking them along as well.
Jenna touched the gun in her pocket like a talisman. Nic had spent time showing her how to fire the weapon, coaching her on how to deal with the recoil. Take a breath, aim and squeeze as you breathe out, Jenna. Do not hesitate, not even for a second.
She shuddered in revulsion at the thought of taking another life, but these would be her father’s men, her father’s creations, stone cold killers, every one of them. These were the men who’d imprisoned her and beaten Rowan bloody on a regular basis, and they wouldn’t hesitate to kill her, so she couldn’t hesitate to shoot first. Like Bas said, shoot to kill.
Jenna closed her eyes tight, sending up a prayer that they would succeed tonight, that Rowan was alive and whole. Maybe they would even find Erin as well, and somehow bring her with them.
Someone was holding a radio, and there was a brief, muted crackle, then a deep voice said “Go.” Guns were drawn, and Aidan commented softly, “It’s time, boys and girl.”
Bas led the way, then Nic followed, gesturing her to fall in behind him. The Wolves ranged behind her, falling on either side. Aidan had her back, and as irrational as it was, she trusted him to be there.
With every step closer to the house, Jenna’s steps grew slower; her breath began to jerk in her chest. She’d vowed never to return to this hellhole, and nothing short of Rowan’s rescue would have made her break that vow. She choked back her dread, taking in the few lights on the grounds. All appeared quiet.
There was a basement window propped a scant inch open, and they all shimmied through it, weapons at the ready. Nic lifted Jenna to the floor, and she marveled at how silent and graceful these giant Night Creatures were. Their movements were a deadly beautiful ballet.
Chapter Ten
“Okay, our little walking map, where do we go from here?” Aidan’s voice was strained under his customary flippant tone, and Jenna knew he didn’t want to be here.
“There’s a set of stairs down this hallway on the left. There should be two guards there; one of them will have a complete set of keys to all the cells.” Bas nodded at Kane and Abel, and they slipped silently from the room. Moments later the Wolves carried two still bodies into the small concrete room and quickly relieved them of their weapons and the wallet of key cards clipped into one guard’s pocket. When they didn’t bother to bind or gag them, Jenna knew the guards wouldn’t be abusing any more Night
Creatures.
Bas led the way into the hall, Nic behind him. Jenna stayed to the rear as promised, letting Nic and Bas take the risk of walking point. The Wolves ranged behind her, a rear guard. Dryly, Jenna thought she was like a princess or a precious politician, surrounded by the Secret Service. They quickly reached Aidan, who had the double doors leading to the second level open. A wide staircase was lit by low lights in the ceiling. Guns at the ready, Aidan took the first step down.
Behind them came the distinctive snick of an opening door. A man in a white lab coat stood framed in the threshold.
“Jordan,” Jenna breathed, instinctively taking a protective step toward him. Dr.
Jordan Baker, her only ally, stood stock still with shock. His eyes met Jenna’s and a small smile lifted his lips. With a satisfied nod, he slipped back into the room he’d just exited.
“I’ll get him,” Bas muttered, but Jenna grabbed his arm.
“No, Bas, he’s a friend. Leave him be.”
“Pretty One, we have no friends here,” the Vampire told her somberly. “If I don’t stop him now, he’ll warn them.”
“He won’t, Bas. I’d bet my life on it.” Jenna realized that was exactly what she was doing, betting her life and the lives of every man with her. But, “He is as much a prisoner as I was.”
“Take care of him,” Nic said as he led Jenna forward, “one way or another.”
*
Bas backtracked to the room Jordan had disappeared into. He was surprised that it wasn’t locked. He was even more surprised to walk in and find the man sitting calmly behind a desk. A pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Bas tilted his head to the side as a shiver of something ran down his body. He shook it off. Ridiculous. It couldn’t be anything but his recently reawakened libido and the presence of a beautiful man.
“Stand up, Dr. Jordan. Let’s go.” He moved just enough to put the doorframe at his back, and kept at an angle to the room, preserving his line of sight to the hallway. The other man just looked at him.
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