by Bec McMaster
A thousand thoughts sprang to mind. A thousand words she didn't think she could say right now. Instead, Mia lifted onto her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'll hold you to that promise," she told him. "You and I.... It's the worst time in the world to start anything, but I think we've already passed that point. I want you back, and I want you unharmed. Got it?"
His warm palm caressed her jaw, and his breath whispered over her lips as he turned and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Got it."
Then he was gone, vanishing into the night as if he owned it.
Mia settled in to wait.
The climb gave new meaning to the word “brutal.”
Adam's shoulders ached as he finally cleared the ledge just below the first barred window. The past few days were starting to catch up to him, and he'd need to get some rest tonight. Even a warg had limits.
Pressing his back against the wall, he scanned the streets below. Nothing moved. He couldn't see Mia, but he knew where she was. And if he couldn't see her, then neither could anyone else.
Scenting the air, he eased his way along the narrow ledge. The rough walls scraped his skin through his shirt, but there was nothing to hold on to here. Two more steps until he reached the first window.... Adam reached for the bars, his shirt flapping in the warm desert night breeze.
Made it. His fingers curled around the bars and he hauled himself closer, taking a good look down. The distance to the ground blurred. He looked up sharply. Heights were one of the few things that made his balls tighten.
He'd caught just enough of Sage's natural odor at the arena that he thought he'd be able to track her. Hunting like this played up his other senses, ones he'd denied for far too long. For the past nine years he'd fought too hard to smother all of his otherworldly instincts. Now he needed them, and it was strange to admit that.
The warg inside stretched, intrigued, as he loosened the reins of control he strapped it down with.
Come on, he snarled at it. Find me the girl.
The warg lived for pure instinct alone. Blood, flesh, hunger, need. He'd never tried to steer that instinct before, and it felt like wrestling with himself. Sweat dripped down his forehead as heat filled his eyes. Every shadow around him suddenly grew clearer, and he could feel his vision growing stronger. Scents exploded to life around him as his body made minute changes. His muscles quivered as he stood on the edge of total transformation. His body wanted to push further, to complete its monstrous act, but he needed his brain to be in control. Not the warg.
It was harder than he'd expected to hold himself there. If he could just bloody operate like this, it might almost be worth it.
With the partial change he could experience the world better, his senses coming to life like a barren desert after the rains, but with that came the rest of it. The heat in his mouth. His teeth threatening to burst through his gums. He'd seen others lost to the monster within, hunting beneath the moon. It terrified him so much that he couldn't force it now. It was either lock it down tight, or let it take over, and he couldn't do that.
Adam slumped back against the wall. The warg receded. His vision faded again. Still better than human, but nowhere near what it could be.
Fine. He'd do this with his own instincts. The ones that made him the man he was.
Scent filtered through the open window behind the bars. He didn't think it was the right cell. Someone slept on the narrow bed in there, but the musky fragrance of a man made him withdraw. The last thing he needed was someone crying out in surprise.
He moved on, placing foot over foot on the narrow ledge. Nothing to hold on to up here, not until he reached the next window. Wind whispered through his clothes, reminding him of just how open this position left him.
Cold sweat poured off him. He snatched for one of the bars at the next window.
"Hello?" someone whispered fearfully. "Who's there?"
Scent shifted past him. Pure and clean. "Sage?" he breathed.
A pale face swam into view. Sage peered at him hesitantly, then glanced over her shoulder. "Who are you?" she whispered, crossing swiftly to the window. Recognition dawned. "You're the man who was with Mia, Ellie, and Jake." Her eyes narrowed. "I've seen you before. In Mia's bar. You're her McClain."
Her McClain?
He'd heard Mia mention a sister, but he'd spent most of his time in Salvation Creek sleeping off a hangover. He'd never noticed a redhead there, and probably wouldn't have presumed the pair of them were related. Mia had kept him well away from her private life. "She talked about me?"
"A regular pain in her ass was how she put it," Sage whispered.
That sounded more like it.
Sage's wariness vanished however, and she gave him a disconcertingly thorough stare, as if there'd been more to it than that.
"I'm a bounty hunter working for your sister." The room behind her was bare; a metal bed with a lumpy mattress and a single blanket. Water basin on the floor and a refuse bucket in the corner. Nothing much else. Clearly Vex valued those she took as slaves more than the rest of the reivers did, but there were limits. "Can you talk?"
"Quietly." She gripped the bars. "Is Jake there?"
"No. Just me. Mia's keeping watch."
Sage released an unsteady breath, her knuckles paling around the bars. Those big green eyes suddenly glistened. "You have to get them out of here. It's not safe. If Vex realizes who they are, and why they're here—"
"Hey." He curled his hand around hers. "Look at me."
Sage did. The blind faith in her expression nearly undid him.
"I won't let anything happen to them. But if you think that I can convince the pair of them to turn around, then you don't know them very well."
Sage laughed under her breath, a fierce, sucked-in little sound that told him how close to breaking she was. It died swiftly. "You don't know what Vex is like. If she finds them here...."
"She's not going to. I promise. You just need to keep quiet, and try not to look at the others too often. We told Vex we're here to buy slaves. We just need a little time to work out how to get you out. Can you hold on until then?"
It was clear she didn't entirely believe him, but some of the life was starting to come back into her eyes, now that she knew she wasn't alone. "Yeah. I'll be alright."
"Are you okay? Nobody's hurt you, have they?"
Sage shook her head. "Just bruises." She hesitated. "Some of the reivers got a little touchy and they talked about doing things... but it's... it's okay. I'm okay. Rykker didn't want them touching us."
"What about the other girls? And the Hannaway kid?"
"Thea's in the cell next door. They brought her in after me, but I could hear her voice. I don't know what happened to the others," Sage admitted.
Which made his job just that little bit more difficult. Two parties to rescue, instead of just one larger one. Jake could look for the others in the morning when he made his rounds of the slave markets. At least there was one more confirmed safe in Vex's stronghold.
"We're going to get you out," he promised. "All of you."
"You can't. This place is locked up tighter than a prison. There's got to be at least two hundred reivers in the town. Possibly more."
"We'll deal with that," he replied. "Can you describe the interior of Vex's stronghold to me? We saw her courtyard and her throne room, but I need to know a little about the layout inside. And what her security detail is like."
Sage paused.
"There's no detail too small," he prompted. "I just need to know what the situation is like inside."
That got her talking and once she started, it seemed to calm her. The place was exactly as he'd suspected. Vex's private quarters; Zarina's chambers below; and cells for the private slaves Vex had plans for. Sage had seen at least five guards slinking around—dangerous-looking men who resembled Rykker more than they did the other reivers—but she didn't think Vex was overly concerned with security.
"I don't think she believes anyone would attack her,"
Sage murmured. "She laughs sometimes, and calls the reivers wild dogs. Makes them cower and kiss her boots, and they do."
A serious mistake to underestimate them like that. Unless Vex knew she had some other sort of hold on them?
"Tell me about Zarina."
"Zarina?" Sage squinted through the bars at him. "I don't know much about her. She hasn't said a word to any of us girls."
It still bothered him. "Is she friendly with her mother? Any of the other reivers?"
Thought raced in Sage's eyes, but she ultimately shrugged. "I don't really know. She seems quiet and... just there, I suppose. Watching everything."
Which was the same impression he'd had.
"I'd better go before someone sees me." His voice softened. "Both Mia and Jake wanted me to let you know how much they love you."
A shaky breath escaped her. "I love them too. Make sure they know that. And that they're fools to even attempt this."
"You don't know how lucky you are to have people like that who are there for you."
Sage smiled sadly. "I do know. It doesn't mean I'm not going to kick their asses for doing something so stupid."
In that moment she sounded so much like Mia that he saw the resemblance. "Be prepared for anything. It might take us a day or two, but we might need you ready to move at a second's warning."
"Got it. I'll get word to Thea somehow. Thank you... for looking after Mia. She needs someone like you."
His heart fell in his chest, but he managed a smile. "It's not like that."
"Isn't it?" Sage arched a brow. "I saw the pair of you at the arena. I've never seen my sister look so... trusting... with a man. She's never let anyone in. Guarded like a bank, that's my Mia, but I know there's a heart of gold under there." Sage paused. "Just as long as you know that too?"
"I know it."
Sage patted his knuckles. "You'd better go. They do rounds every hour or so."
Adam looked around. Light beams soared into the velvety sky nearby, as though someone was having fun with the flare lights. "Look out for yourself. We'll spring you both as soon as we get a chance."
McClain materialized out of the shadows. Instantly Mia straightened.
"How is she?" she demanded. "Is she okay? Is she hurt?"
"Bruises," he replied, his gaze still raking the streets. "Not much else. She's scared, but she was more concerned with you being here. She's afraid Vex will get her hands on you. Promises to kick your ass once she gets out of there. Both you and Jake."
That alone gave her reassurance where nothing else would have. A choked cry caught in her throat and she launched herself at McClain, burying her face in his shirt. Strong arms caught her tight, until she could feel the thump of his heart against her chest and smell his soap. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the scent of him. Sage was safe. She hadn't let herself think too much about what exactly might be happening to her baby sister in the past few days. "Thank you for everything."
"We're not finished yet." McClain cleared his throat. His hand soothed her braided hair, the calluses catching. "You all good?"
It was becoming far too easy to find refuge in these arms. "Yeah. You give the world's best hugs, do you know that?"
Their fingers laced as they stepped apart. Just a simple thing really, but her chest tightened. McClain looked down, as though he didn't know what to do about the gesture. "Yeah. Eden gave me plenty of practice."
His sister. Mia squeezed his fingers at the way his voice softened. There were wounds there, and she could empathize. "We'd better—"
Footsteps suddenly echoed on the concrete outside the stronghold. Mia's eyes widened, and McClain tilted his head to listen, his entire body going still.
"Move," he rasped, shoving at her. "It's a couple of reivers."
Mia raked the area, but there was nowhere to go. Any move they made would only draw attention. She grabbed his wrist, and dragged him back into the shadows.
"Mia! We need—"
Grabbing a handful of his hair, she dragged his face down to hers and met his mouth with hers.
McClain stiffened against her, and Mia kissed him for all she was worth. Adrenaline slammed through her veins and her hearing pricked up as she listened to those footsteps come closer. Come on, damn you. She could feel the moment McClain realized what she was doing. All of the reluctance slid out of him, and he opened his mouth, capturing hers with a renewed intensity. One step toward her, then he hauled her against the wall of his chest.
Suddenly it wasn't just pretense. Mia's tongue darted against his own, teasing, coaxing him in. And where she led, McClain followed.
She could feel all of that delicious tension lock the muscles in his arms, as she rubbed them.
Her back hit the wall, the ridged tin digging into her butt and shoulders. She tore her mouth free, enough to whisper in his ear, "Haul me up."
Those large hands caught her behind the thighs, and McClain obliged. Mia's hips nestled around his as he used his body to grind her against the wall. She gasped. Vex wasn't wrong. That was one hell of a weapon in his jeans.
Her fingertips grazed the short buzz of his hair, and she bit his lip as she kissed him back. She didn't want to stop. Ever. Maybe this was pretend, maybe it was just an act to fool the reivers, but it felt real.
And worse, it ignited the need in her blood.
She didn't think she could keep her hands off him after this.
"Give her one for me!" one of the reivers shouted.
Mia broke the kiss long enough to shoot the guards a fierce glare and the finger. "Fuck off, you bastards. Can't you see we're getting busy here?"
One of them chuckled and grabbed his crotch at her, but the other two barely shot her a look as they continued on their path. She'd seen how the female reivers behaved at the War Games.
Her heartbeat still kicked like a mule in her chest as the reiver guards vanished. She could feel McClain silently watching her, his own breath coming short and excited. Mia looked up, one hand on his chest. For a second she forgot everything: the danger they were in, the reivers around them.... Suddenly, all she could see was him.
And she could feel him still.
That hard erection pressing exactly where she wanted it. The wetness of her panties. They stood frozen, staring at each other. Mia made a little sound, her hips rolling faintly. The seam of his jeans rode over her clit.
McClain's fingers brushed against the sensitive skin above her hips. He shuddered. "Mia. Stop. I can't think while you're doing that."
Precisely the point.
McClain stepped away, her legs sliding down his as he helped her to stand. If she could. She felt shaky all over. Nipples hard. Exhausted, but riding the edge of something she didn't think she could let go of so easily. Every inch of her body felt alive.
"You nearly gave me a damned heart attack," he murmured.
"I don't think that's all I gave you." Jesus. Was that her voice?
Their gazes clashed. Something smoky and hot danced through his green eyes, turning them almost gray. Feral intensity lit his features as he honed in on the press of her hard nipples through her shirt. The fingers on his left hand curled into a fist.
"This isn't done yet."
"It's done," he growled.
Arguments chased through her mind, but suddenly she could hear reiver voices echoing in the streets. Curse them.
"Time to get back to the rooms." McClain's voice held the faint note of regret.
"Great idea," she replied, but she didn't add anything more.
She'd made her decision.
She was tired of running.
Seventeen
THEY SPOKE NOT a word on the swift return to their rooms. Jake's snores echoed in the narrow hallway, and Mia slipped through the door, into the heat of the room.
Outside it was growing cold, the desert night laced with chill. In here, the shutters contained the heat, and thin bands of light were all that crept through. They slashed across the bed, drawing her attention to it.
> As if she wasn't still alight from that moment in the alley.
Behind her, McClain closed the door quietly. She felt like that moment stole all of the oxygen in the room. Every movement he made was small and concise. Thoughtful. Careful. He couldn't have dragged out the moment any longer if he'd tried.
Well. There was more than one way to skin a cat. Mia dragged the bandolier from her shoulder, discarding it on the floor.
McClain's shoulders stiffened. Warily, he turned, his gaze lighting on the discarded leather. Then he looked up.
And suddenly the room was far too small.
"We're not doing that again," he told her.
"Doing what?" she taunted, tugging at the snap on her belt. It rustled as she dragged it through the belt loops on her jeans. McClain's hungry eyes watched every movement. "I wasn't planning anything." Mia tossed the belt aside. "I was just intending to get into bed."
Reaching up, she pulled the tie free from her hair. Silky black curls tumbled over her shoulders, and she brushed her hands beneath them, trying to cool the back of her neck.
"Yeah, right. You've got that look in your eye."
"What look is that?" She took a step back toward the bed and eased onto it. Her fingers went to her boots, but she watched him the entire time.
McClain bared his teeth at her. He paced. "The look that says 'trouble.' I know what you're thinking is going to happen. It's not."
Who was he trying to fool? Mia tossed one boot aside, then the next. Groaning at the feel of freedom from her narrow boots, she lay back on the bed with her arms spread behind her. "For a man who protests so much, you didn't seem to be averse to kissing me."
Mia rolled her head to watch him.
"We didn't have a choice. And that was your idea, not mine." Fanning himself, he headed for the corner and the small electric fan there—more for something to do, she thought, than for any desire for a breeze. It buzzed to life with a groan, streamers of paper fluttering off it.
The sluggish breeze cooled her damp skin, but not by much.
