CELMUND: Elemental's MC (book 7)

by Alexi Ferreira

  The explosion throws me back against the wall, smashing my head. Pain explodes behind my eyes at the impact. I must have been knocked out for a few minutes, because when I come back to the present and open my eyes, I see that there is a gaping hole in the tiles of the roof where the explosion took place. My head snaps around to where Talia was, and I see that she’s half covered by a piece of plaster that fell from the roof. As I stumble towards her, I hear groaning, but at the moment, my concentration is centred on my woman. Placing my hands under the plaster, I pull it off her with such strength that it hits the wall a few metres away.

  “Talia.” Hunching down beside her, I part her hair that is covering her pale face. Her eyes are closed, but what worries me is her shallow breaths. “Talia, sweetheart,” I call, but she doesn’t budge, which makes me start to panic.

  As I’m about to turn her around, Draco mutters from a few feet away as he throws debris away from him. “Motherfucker,” he grunts as he sits up. I look back at Talia, and placing my hands on her shoulders, I gently turn her around. As soon as she’s on her back, I notice that her breathing has worsened.

  “Sweetheart,” I call, but she doesn’t awaken. “Bion!” I roar, not even knowing if he’s fine or not.

  “Let me see.” I didn’t even hear him approach. Moving to the other side, I let him squat next to her, only then noticing that he has a bleeding gash on his head and he’s holding his ribs. He bends over Talia and starts to examine her. “Damn, she’s got internal bleeding and at least one of her ribs is broken,” he states, making my panic rise.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I ask as I squeeze her hand, my heart racing with fear. I never used to be scared or fearful of anything until I met Talia. Now it seems like I’m in a constant state of worry over her.

  “We need to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible. I hope Striker is around. I’m going to need his help,” Bion says as he starts to stand. I can see the wince on his face and realise that he’s hurt worse than it looks.

  “Are you okay?” I ask as I gently lift her into my arms so that I can carry her to the infirmary.

  “I’ll survive,” he says as he looks around. I see that the others have come to help, but I don’t linger. My focus is on helping Talia. Hurrying towards the infirmary, I hear Tor swear when he walks into the destroyed room.

  “What the fuck? Are you guys trying to destroy the whole fucking club?” he roars. I continue on my way and soon am entering the infirmary.

  “Place her on the bed,” Bion states from behind me. I’m about to lay her down when she suddenly stops breathing.

  “Bion,” I roar. “Fuck, Bion . . . She’s not breathing.” I can feel my heart being ripped from my chest as I feel her still body.

  “Put her down . . . Fuck, Celmund, put her down.” I want to let her go so that Bion can help her, but I can’t let her go. Suddenly, I feel an arm around my neck, choking me, and Talia is being ripped from my arms.

  “Don’t make me knock you out, Brother.” I hear Striker’s voice as if from far away, but the anguish that I’m feeling doesn’t care about words. All it cares about is the empty feeling that has taken over my body. I start to fight. She needs to breathe. I have to make sure that she is breathing. I can’t lose her now. I have just found real meaning to my long existence. I can’t lose her now.

  “Fuck,” Striker roars. “Calm the fuck down or we can’t help her.” I feel other arms around me that start to pull me away. My fury intensifies. I will not be parted from her.

  “Shit, Brother, I don’t want to hurt you,” Bjarni grunts before blackness starts to overtake me. I fight to reach Talia, who now has Bion and Striker over her, but I soon lose that battle and pass out.

  TALIA 16

  My insides feel like they’re on fire, and when I try to move my numb arm, it’s pinned down. Struggling, I open first one eye and then hurriedly close it as the light blinds me. All I remember is the explosion and then nothing. Forcing my eyes open, this time I blink a few times as tears blind me because of the light. Turning my head, I see that my arm is numb because Celmund has his head on the bed next to my arm, and his hand is holding it close to him.

  I exhale in relief as I see him next to me. It is funny how we have known each other for such a short space of time but my first thought is about him. I feel a connection with this man that I have never felt with anyone in my life. I have always wanted someone to love me, to show me that I’m the most important person in the world to them. Someone I can talk to about everything and anything, who will listen and not judge me.

  I have wanted to feel cherished, to feel like I belong, like there is actually someone out there who will miss me if anything happens. I have never felt like I was important enough to anyone out there except my parents. I needed the comfort of love, of knowing that I have someone and that no matter what, that person had me.

  These last few days, I have felt more alive, happier than I have ever felt before. I have known a few men, but never have they completed me like this man next to me does. He makes me feel wanted, and that he will go to the ends of the earth for me.

  “Celmund.” My voice comes out in a whisper, and I wince at the pain of my dry throat. Instantly, his head snaps up, and I can see raw pain in his eyes. What happened that he looks so distraught? I see shadows of tiredness under his eyes. His hand lifts from mine, and he brings it up to my cheek to stroke.

  “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he murmurs with such raw emotion in his voice that I’m surprised at its intensity. “Are you in any pain?” My whole body hurts, but I’m not going to tell him that. It seems like I have given him enough of a fright as it is. Therefore, I shake my head in reply instead of talking, because it feels like my throat is raw.

  “I thought you were gone. I nearly lost my mind with worry about you. You will never do something like that again. Do you understand?” With those words, he leans down and places his head next to mine on the bed, his lips next to my cheek. I feel a gentle kiss as he just lies there, breathing me in, his warmth lulling me into a deep slumber.

  The next time I awaken, I can hear voices. Instead of opening my eyes straight away, I lie there relaxing until I hear Celmund say something, and then I start to pay attention and open my eyes. I see Draco, Brandr, and Celmund standing at the end of my bed, talking.

  “We need to find him before he finds any of the other women. Who knows, maybe he already has,” Brandr states. From where I’m lying, I can see his dishevelled appearance. All these days that I’ve been here, not once have I seen him like that.

  “We need you to try to find him. You’re better with technology than he ever was,” Draco states.

  “What do you think I’ve been trying to do ever since I found out it might be him? Did you find anything when you went to the location the signal was coming from?” Celmund asks, and I can hear frustration in his voice.

  “No, there was nothing except the stink of Keres. I really hate those fuckers,” Brandr mutters angrily.

  “Why would he fucking send us there if there was nothing?” Celmund asks.

  “Maybe he was trying to get you out to see if you had mated yet or not,” Draco suggests, and I can just see his face as he leans against one of the beds. Only then do I notice that there is someone in the bed. Turning my head slightly, I see that it’s Aria. I wonder how she’s doing. I hope that when we extracted the one and not the other device, there was no damage done to her.

  “I need to make sure whatever that son of a bitch has planned doesn’t happen. I still haven’t figured out why he wants to know when I’m mated. Could it be it’s just because of the other women?” Does Celmund think they are going to come after me? What the hell did I get myself into? I know I was in slight danger with my brother, but this is just ridiculous. Since I met the Elementals, bizarre things that I never thought possible have happened.

  The problem is that I can’t leave, not because of the whole Elementals can’t stay away from each other story, but b
ecause I don’t think I will ever want to be apart from Celmund. I don’t know if this pull that I feel towards him is spiritual, but it feels like my own soul craves him.

  “Striker and Bion did all the tests on Talia while she was out, and there are no devices in her body. Therefore, if they have something planned, it has to be something different,” Draco reveals, making me tense. What kind of tests did they do on me? I’m going to have to remember to ask Bion when I see him.

  “Fuck, I hate this fucking game he’s playing,” Celmund grunts.

  “At least our women are all now safe, and while your woman is here, he can’t get to her,” Brandr says. Just then, Bion walks towards the men.

  “I swear if you don’t put an end to her brother, I will, or Tor, because you know he has no patience, and that fucker is outside again, stretching it even thinner than it already is,” Bion states angrily. “I’m telling you there is more to his story than telling us that he’s worried about her. That asshole is in bed with the Keres.”

  “Did Burkhart and Caelius find anything when following him?” Celmund asks.

  “No, he comes here and then goes back to the shack that he is living in, and the next day, does it all over again. He hasn’t seen anyone or spoken to anyone since he started coming here,” Draco updates Celmund.

  “What about his drugs? Because there is no way he would be able to go without a fix for so long,” Bion asks.

  “Don’t know, but that’s all that has been happening,” Draco says with a frown.

  “Wait!” Celmund suddenly says. “Do you think that somehow they have planted a device in him and are waiting for him to see his sister so that they can blow it up?” My heart starts to race at that comment, and my stomach tightens in anguish at the thought that Jason could get blown away because of me.

  “Damn, that makes sense. Should we bring him in here to test him?” Bion asks, looking at Draco. I see a pensive look on Draco’s face before he shakes his head.

  “Bion, go with Burkhart and Caelius and test him where he’s living. Make sure you are not seen,” Draco commands. I expel the breath I was holding, and suddenly, all the men are looking at me. Did I breathe that loudly? I’m sure not.

  “Sweetheart, you’re awake,” Celmund says as he walks towards me. I see that Bion turns and leaves, Brandr walks towards Aria’s bed, and Draco stands up straight and approaches the end of the bed. “How you feeling?” Celmund asks as he leans forward and gently kisses my lips.

  “Fine,” I answer. “I heard what you guys were saying. What’s going to happen to Jason if he has the device?”

  “We will extract it like we did with the women, if you want,” Draco says before Celmund can reply. “It’s not your brother’s fault that he got mixed up in this war between the Keres and us.”

  “I know Jason is a problem because of his addiction, but he’s not a bad person when he’s clean. I don’t want anything to happen to him,” I state. I feel Celmund taking my hand in his big one and squeezing gently in comfort.

  “If we can help him, we will,” Draco promises.

  “Thank you.”

  “I wanted to thank you for helping with the other women. What you did was very brave,” Draco says as he smiles at me. Celmund is lucky that I love him, because with Draco’s looks, it would be difficult to resist him if I didn’t. Wait . . . I love him? It’s the first time I realize that these feelings I have for him are love. How did I fall in love with him so soon? I know that I’m obsessed with him and that I don’t want to be away from him, but love?

  “Umm, thank you,” I murmur, but my thoughts are still in the revelation of my love for Celmund and the probability of Jason being doomed. Draco nods and then leaves without saying anything else.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, he will be fine. We will help him if he has been affected,” Celmund says, trying to appease my worry.

  “I know you will,” I murmur. “What happened to me?” I move slightly, and pain runs through my body. Celmund’s eyes darken, and his hands fist at my question.

  “Part of the ceiling collapsed on you when the explosion happened. You had internal bleeding and your heart stopped when you first reached the infirmary.” At his growled words, I can see the thought of it still affects him.

  “Am I fine now?”

  “Yes, Bion says that you are mending well. Fuck, Talia, when I think of what happened, I don’t think I will be able to go through that again if your brother has the device,” he states.

  “If he has it, you know that I am going to have to help him. There is no way I will be able to live with myself knowing that I could help my brother and I didn’t.”

  “I know.”

  “Maybe if we have to do it, we could do it outside where there’s nothing to fall on us,” I quip playfully, trying to lighten his mood.

  “Yeah, we will do that.”

  “How is Aria?” I ask, trying to change the subject. Celmund looks over at where Brandr is sitting next to Aria’s bed, and shrugs.

  “She’s fine, but Bion and Striker think it best that she stays here and relaxes, as she’s still having seizures.” Just then, Brielle walks in. She starts to walk towards Aria, when she sees that I’m awake.

  “Hi, how are you feeling?” she quickly approaches me and places her hand over mine.

  “I’m fine,” I state, and realize that I am feeling better. I also feel a warmth flowing up the arm where Brielle is holding my hand, realizing that she’s healing me with her energy. “Thank you,” I say, and she smiles at me.

  “Celmund, maybe give Talia some water? I’m sure she’s thirsty,” Brielle suggests before she lets go of my hand and leans down to kiss my cheek. “You will be out of here in no time.” She stands and moves towards Aria’s bed. I look over at Celmund and see him pouring water into a glass for me, making me smile. This man who is so dangerous-looking can be so gentle and caring. I was so lucky to have found him in my life. Now I must just make sure that the Keres don’t kill either of us, and I know just how to do it.

  CELMUND 17

  Being locked up inside the club is starting to drive me crazy. It’s been a week since the explosion, and we still haven’t been able to move on anything. Bion tested Jason. We were right, and he has explosives within his body. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to help him, because Bion counted at least five devices. If they are rigged up the same way as Aria’s, we won’t have a chance in getting them out without at least one of them exploding.

  I look over at where Talia is sleeping peacefully on our bed. She’s been asking me about Jason, but until I know for sure that we can’t help him, I don’t want to say anything. We have been looking at the possibility of extracting all of them at the same time, but Jason has some that were placed at the back and some in front. It will be difficult for Talia to extract them together, as she won’t be able to see them.

  It’s clear that Talia is the target. The thought fills me with rage when I think of anything more happening to her because of me. Bjarni and Wulf have gone back home with their families. Ceric, Nova, and Caelius will leave today. Brandr will be taking his family tomorrow with Bion and Brielle in case Aria gets another seizure. She’s been good for the last two days, but they’re not sure if she’s free of them yet.

  Draco, Cassius, Burkhart, and I will stay behind for now. I look down at my laptop and grunt. I have been following a web of leads that are driving me crazy. No matter how much I search, I can’t find any leads. How the fuck is he hiding his movements? He’s good, but everyone makes mistakes. There must be something that I’m not seeing.

  There is a knock at the door. Looking down at Talia, I see that the knock hasn’t awoken her. Placing my laptop down on the bed, I stand and go open the door. Draco and Cassius are standing on the other side. Stepping out, I close the door. “What’s up?”

  “Tor tells me that Vercin has been spotted. Those cameras you have all over the city check for face recognition. He will lead us to who we’re looking for,” Draco stat
es, his hands low on his hips as he stands before me. Draco is starting to lose his patience, and it’s never a good thing if Draco loses his shit, because it will take a few of us to hold him back.

  After so many centuries, his powers have grown to extraordinary heights that I believe not even we know. He is the strongest Elemental I know. No other has lasted as long as him without a mate without turning Keres. I know that he fights the darkness every day, but his willpower to do what is right and not give up is tremendous. There was a stage that I was giving up on life, on ever finding my mate, but Draco stood by me and brought me back. Yes, it was with tough love, but he taught me to be strong.

  Ever since Wulf met Jasmine, the fight with the Keres has been constant. Throughout the centuries, we have been at war with the Keres, but never have they had a hold on us like they did this time with our women. We also know that they somehow know how to find the Elementals’ mates, so it has become dire that we destroy all of them before they kill our mates, causing us to be lost too.

  Draco has been holding on by a thread. I believe the only thing driving him is the responsibility and love he has for all of us. Draco has a deep family core. Anyone or anything messes with the club or any of the brothers, he takes it personally. This whole plot of the Keres messing with our women has taken its toll on him.

  “Fuck, I hope you’re right, because I’m tired of this shit. I can’t find anything. The more I look, the more confused I get,” I confess. “I will start looking for Vercin now. Maybe I should also listen to what the feds are up to, because if what we found out is true, they might be in contact with Vercin.” We found out that the FBI branch here was under the influence of the Keres. Since then, I have hacked their system and phones. There are quite a few interesting things that I have picked up from listening in on their calls, but nothing to do with the Keres.