“He had it coming.” The security guard stepped out of the shadows, lifting his gaze enough for me to catch his familiar black eyes and devilish smile.
Relief instantly flooded through me. I should have known Cap wouldn’t have sent me in here alone.
Ghost rooted around until he found the keys, then began to unlock the shackles still holding the shifter male in his wheelchair.
“What the hell are you?” the shifter asked, his eyes less feral but every bit as wary.
“That’s Bones,” Ghost said cheerfully. “Be nice to her. She can heal you with her touch or crisp your bits, depending on her mood.”
I snorted, then winced when my side burned. It was just a flesh wound, so I wasn’t worried about it. If I hadn’t expended so much energy on Dietz, it would be knitting itself together already.
Ghost flashed a glance at the growing red spot. “Reap’s gonna be pissed you went and got yourself shot.”
“Not if nobody tells him.”
The door behind me snicked and swung open, revealing a grinning Boomer and my scowling mate.
“Oops,” Ghost said, looking anything but repentant. “Did I fail to mention my comm. set was on?”
Chapter Nineteen
Alyx
“You ready for us, Bones?” Cap looked back at me through the video sat. link.
I nodded.
Dex and I had the mobile unit all set, well-stocked, and ready to go. Our job was covering the perimeter, making sure the others could get in and do what they needed to do without interference or surprises. Dex monitored everything, and between the two of us, we had the team’s six. If there were any injuries—and there always were with testosterone-fueled alpha types—my close proximity meant I could begin treatment right away while we were en route to our nearest base.
After the mishap with Dietz, Reid and I had had some very intense discussions about my place on the team. It amazed me how absolutely primitive predatory males could be. We would be working on that, but in the meantime, this was the perfect compromise. Even if I wasn’t in the heart of the action, I was still active and involved. While they were doing their thing, I got to do mine.
I had to admit, I liked smoking the bad guys with a concentrated energy zap.
Bear had inked out the “in training” on my tanks and tee-shirts, and I was officially now a full-fledged BAMF member of the team.
“What’ve we got?”
“Nothing serious,” Cap answered, but I knew better.
Our ideas of what constituted “serious” often differed. It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, I would handle it. These were my guys, and I had their backs.
No sooner had I thought that than they were loading up and we were on our way.
They all looked a little worse for wear, but only Bear and Hawkeye needed immediate attention. I gave it to them.
Before long, we arrived back at our nearest home base. Here was where the real healing would begin. The soothing neutral shades, plethora of live plants, and soft lighting didn’t look like a typical triage room, but it was perfect for my purposes. Comfortable, reclining massage chairs and adjustable beds, each with its own side table and mounted entertainment center kept the guys content while I did my thing. The attached deck boasted a therapeutic spa, and the weight room had been upgraded to include state of the art rehab equipment.
“I think he’s good,” Reid growled a couple hours later as I made another pass down the skin along Bear’s back. The patches that had been charred carcass were now a much-healthier shade of pink. The smoothing out would be the final phase.
“Not yet,” I said. The burns had been deep; severe enough to required several layers of healing.
“He’s enjoying it a little too much.”
Hawkeye, who was propped up in the next chair while his bones continued to knit together, laughed. “Your mate has magical hands, Reap. Totally worth a six-story leap.”
When Reid growled again, I shot him a surprised look.
“Six stories? You jumped six stories?”
He shrugged. “Someone had to get that beam off him,” he said, tilting his head toward Bear. “Everyone else was busy.”
I was once again struck by the lengths these men would go to for each other. They liked to think they were these unaffected badasses, but the truth was, they wouldn’t hesitate to put their lives on the line for each other. Now that included me, too.
I finished with Bear, satisfied that I had repaired the worst of the damage, then allowed Reid to pull my fatigued body into his lap. Healing preternaturals took a lot out of me, though I was getting better at optimizing my energy and using it wisely.
His warmth soaked into my back and the bottoms of my legs as I leaned back into him. I could feel his hard length beneath me, too, and my tired body stirred. I knew exactly how we would be spending the rest of the night, and I couldn’t wait.
“So, it’s done?” I asked, letting my eyes drift half-shut.
“For now,” Cap said.
The data we had obtained from Dietz’s computer system had provided enough information for Dex to track down a third underground facility. We hoped it was the last, but only Roger knew for certain, and he still wasn’t up to talking.
“Good.” I yawned and snuggled into Reid.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was spooned against Reid’s naked body. His arm served as my pillow of choice, and his big hand possessively spanned my abdomen and held me close. Judging by the fresh, clean masculine scent that filled my nose, he had managed to take a shower and undress us both without waking me.
And he didn’t think he was romantic!
A soft growl tickled my ear, and then he was lifting my upper leg and sliding smoothly into me.
“About time,” he breathed.
I chuckled softly, pushing back until he was seated as deeply as he could go. It didn’t take long before we were both sighing in bliss.
I wasn’t disappointed. I had needed that connection as much as he had. Besides, I knew there was a lot more where that came from. My shifter had impressive recovery time and incredible stamina.
“I love you,” I whispered softly.
“I love you, too, baby,” he said, then proceeded to prove me right several times.
Epilogue
Nowaskannock – 6 months later
Reid
I leaned against the doorframe, looking at the way the moonlight kissed my mate’s naked body. I would have to wake her up soon. Cap had just called. We needed to gear up for our next mission.
We came back here every couple of weeks when we could. It gave Alyx a chance to visit with Grace and check up on “her kids” as she called them. After that whole thing with Chamberlain, she had been working on the side with some of the scientists to develop better treatment options.
I’m happy to report that Dylan was now in remission. We’ve already made plans to take him and a couple of the other kids on a weekend camping trip this fall.
Me, well, I liked to think I had become a better mate. I still didn’t want her in harm’s way, but this was the life we led. Concerns that having Alyx and keeping my job were mutually exclusive had been laid to rest.
Alyx really was the perfect woman for me. She was one hundred percent supportive and had become an invaluable member of the team in her own right. Even the guys accepted her. Sometimes, I thought they hurt themselves just so she could heal them. Sometimes, I helped them with that.
She shifted slightly. I was amazed at how such a small woman could manage to take up so much space on my king-sized bed. She was on her stomach, legs spread wide, arms splayed at her side. I knew the moment my body hit the mattress, she would instinctively gravitate toward me. It was one of many things I had learned and loved about my mate.
I had also discovered that she had a mischievous streak. She took great delight in finding new and creative ways to torment me, and I loved every one. Like, just this morning, when I had been doing a video cha
t with Cap and the guys, she had crawled under the desk and took me in her mouth. I’d had to spank her for that one. Oddly enough, it hadn’t seemed to be that much of a deterrent.
Or yesterday, when I had gone for my car keys and had found a note informing me I would have to “track and capture” her if I wanted them back. It took me nearly an hour—Ghost had been teaching her well—but I completed my mission successfully. We never had made it into town, but it had been a small price to pay for spending the remainder of the afternoon making love to my mate after finding her naked and willing in the guest room closet, filled with soft pillows on the floor and flickering flameless candles on all the shelves.
Things had changed so much since the last time I had come here, seeking a temporary respite. I had been in bad shape then, both mentally and physically, but Alyx had changed all that. I couldn’t even imagine my life without her anymore. Every day brought some new challenge that only embedded her more in my soul, though I didn’t understand how that was even possible.
There was not a part of me that I hadn’t fully surrendered; every cell in my body was devoted to loving and protecting her until my dying breath which, given that my beautiful mate was a gifted and powerful healer with some shifter DNA of her own, would be a very, very long time from now.
I crossed the thick carpet silently and stood beside the bed, smiling as she sensed my presence and reached out for me in her sleep. To be wanted like this was more than I had ever dreamed of.
I slipped into bed and was immediately rewarded with the silky feel of her soft flesh against mine. I pressed a gentle kiss to her neck, right on my mating mark, and without opening her eyes, she opened her body for me. I found the perfect cradle of her hips and embedded myself deep with a single, slow stroke as she wrapped her arms and legs around me. This was her preferred wake-up call, and I was only too glad to oblige.
Soon enough, I would have to share her attention. For now, she was all mine, and we weren’t going anywhere.
Thanks for reading Reid and Alyx’s story
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Want to read more about the paranormal BAMF team?
Craving more on Cap, Ghost, Bear, Boomer, Psych, Dex, and Bear? Want them to find their mates and have their worlds turned upside down? Drop me an email at [email protected] or hit me up on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AbbieZandersRomance/ and let me know.
In the meantime, you might like to check out my Mythic series. Here’s an excerpt from book one, Faerie Godmother...
The three vamps, close friends despite the great disparity in their ages, crowded around the monitors in Vlane’s private office.
“There! Look. Who is that?” Armand pointed at the screen directed toward the entranceway. A small female dressed in flowing white silk and jewels stepped into the foyer, looking around as though lost. Her head swiveled this way and that as she clutched her tiny bag and shifted her weight nervously from side to side. The creature nearly jumped a foot when Zarek, the vampire guard watching the door, suddenly appeared in full Gypsy regalia and requested her invitation.
Vlane went still as he felt something fire to life deep within his chest.
“Christ. How did I miss that?” Kristoff murmured.
“I do not know,” Armand mused. “But I cannot recall her, either.”
Three pairs of predatory eyes fixed upon the display as they switched from one camera to another to follow her progress. They watched intently as the delicate figure made her way further into the ballroom, drawing attention and receiving curious, polite nods of greeting by male and female guests alike. While her movements were inherently graceful, they also appeared to be hesitant and uncertain. She gravitated toward the outer edges of the ballroom, seeking the shadows.
It wasn’t enough to escape notice, however. Males in particular seemed inexplicably drawn to her. As one after another approached, she shook her head, presumably declining offers of drink and dance.
“It goes on like this for a while,” Armand said quietly. He fast-forwarded the images until the tape showed Vlane entering the ballroom, obviously searching for something — or someone. He ignored all attempts to garner his attention, striding purposefully along the edges of the room, his eyes fixed on the open French doors leading out to the balcony.
“Switch to the outside camera on the north side,” Vlane said, some vague recollection haunting the edges of his mind, just out of reach.
Armand did so, reaching over to tap the keys. The picture changed, showing the woman at the far end of the balcony. Her back was toward the ballroom, and the camera; her hands rested on the stone wall as she looked out into the perfectly manicured gardens. In the video, Vlane appeared and hesitated briefly before continuing across the polished stone until he stood directly behind her. The woman gave no indication she was aware of his presence, but that was not unusual. Vampires had the ability to move silently, a necessary skill to avoid frightening their prey.
They remained like that for several long moments. Then, Vlane stepped forward. The woman tensed visibly when he placed his hands on her shoulders, but made no move to flee. Moments later, Vlane swept the gently cascading tendrils of hair to the side, exposing the creamy, peach skin at the delicate curve of her neck. His arms went around her waist and his head lowered slowly, nuzzling as hers drifted to the side.
The silence was heavy as the vampires stared at the screen, transfixed. The woman’s body jerked as Vlane struck sure and true, sinking his fangs deep into her vein.
“Christ,” whispered Kristoff, tasting his own blood where his fangs had pierced his lip.
In the video, Vlane lifted his head, his face a study in pure, unbridled ecstasy.
And then, he collapsed.
The woman turned, her face still concealed by the mask she wore. Rivulets of dark ruby were clearly visible running the length of her neck and down the expanse of perfect skin, soaking into the shimmering pearlescent white of her bodice. She knelt down beside him and lay her head upon his chest as if listening before turning her attention to his face.
In an exceedingly tender gesture, she pushed the hair away from his brow and placed one hand over his head, the other over his heart. Her lips moved slightly before she released him. With furtive looks toward the ballroom, she backed up enough to pull him out of the pool of light streaming onto the patio. It was obviously a struggle; she was much smaller than the master vampire, but she was tenacious.
With his dark hair and clothing, Vlane melded into the shadows, but the woman’s gown reflected enough light to capture her movements. When Vlane was completely out of sight, she leaned down. It was impossible to see exactly what she was doing, but Vlane felt the burn of her kiss upon his lips in tactile remembrance.
And then, she was gone — nothing but a ghostly white blur across the gardens.
“Christ, Vlane,” Kristoff murmured. “How could you forget something like that? What did she do to you?”
Vlane couldn’t answer him, awash with palpable memories brought forth by the recorded digital images. He remembered the feel of her against him, warm and feminine. The scent of her perfect skin, and the taste of her exquisite blood; he had never had anyth
ing like it. It had been like drinking life itself, a potent cocktail of sunshine and hope and light, flowing over his tongue, down his throat, suffusing his entire body with a strange, tingling energy.
Here’s what readers are saying about Faerie Godmother:
“What I liked most about this story is how Ms. Zanders takes the paranormal genre and gives it her own spin. With all the vampire, were-shifters, etc out there, it’s easy to start and go “oh, another PNR story” but I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this new series.” ~ Amazon Reviewer Penny S.
“Abbie Zanders is one of my favorite authors and she has written a wonderful start to the Mythic Series. I like paranormal romances that don't take themselves too seriously (like Robyn Peterman's books) and this one fits the bill. It was a fun and quick read and has me wanting more without being caught up in a serial.” ~ Amazon Reviewer Janet
Look for Faerie Godmother and other books in my paranormal Mythic series, available now.
About the Author
Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...
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