Inarus looked at me quickly, as if he knew I was struggling. “Wards,” he said before taking off to join the battle going on in front of us.
Shit, I’d forgotten. My grip tightened on my daggers and I waded into the fight. Hannah had her hands full with two of the men. She dodged the spray of bullets they directed at her and swiped with a clawed paw at their faces and arms. I heard several bellows of pain but kept my gaze on the man in front of me. He was roughly my height, around five-foot-seven, and carried a revolver in one hand and an oversized mace in the other. Eyeing my daggers, he laughed and holstered his gun, gripping the mace with a two-handed hold. “This’ll be too easy,” he said, eyeing me up and down with a leer that made my skin crawl. Idiot.
I didn’t wait for him to reconsider his poor decision. I charged him, dodging his swing as the mace whistled past my head, and I plunged my dagger deep into his chest in an upward motion, angling the blade at his heart. I abandoned the blade inside of him, dancing out of his reach to watch him fall to his knees, his weapon forgotten as he clutched the hilt protruding out of his chest.
I surveyed the others. The two men Hannah had been fighting were on the ground, their bodies covered in a myriad of slashes. Blood dripped from their bodies, but I couldn’t see any one particular wound that would have caused a death blow. She was circling their bodies, her shoulders hunched as she eyed her prey, waiting to see if they’d get up. “Hannah,” I said, my voice firm. Her tufted ears rose at the sound of my voice and her eyes fixated on mine. “Be done with it,” I ground out.
Her ears flattened at the order but she heeded it anyway, springing forward to dig her fangs into the neck of one of the men. With a sickening sound, she ripped free a mouthful of flesh before roaring her triumph through the room.
I turned to find Inarus still fighting with the last remaining man. The two were punching and kicking one another is a flurry of fists, but it didn’t seem like either was making any headway. Gripping my one remaining dagger in my hand, I debated how to help when footsteps thundered down the staircase.
Shit, we’d forgotten about Randy. The man Inarus had been fighting with jerked his head towards the stairs, shouting out a warning. The distraction allowed Inarus the opening he needed, though. He punched the man square in the face, catching him in the nose and causing him to stagger back. Before he could do anything more than clutch at his nose, Inarus wrapped his arm around his neck in a sleeper hold and squeezed.
The man’s eyes bulged, blood pouring down his face, and he raked at Inarus’ arm with his hands. Hannah had launched herself at Randy, catching him off guard as he descended the steps and leaving me to watch as Inarus suffocated the life out of our enemy. Our eyes met, and I held his gaze as the man thrashed in his arms, giving him an anchor to hold on to. When the man’s movements slowed, the fight leaving him, Inarus held on for another moment longer before dropping him in a heap at his feet.
We both turned at the sound of a scream and a plea for mercy to find Randy on the ground, clutching his bleeding arm to his chest. I watched with detached interest as he scrambled away from Hannah, who licked the blood from her paws with relish. She was toying with him, and from the looks of it, she was enjoying herself.
“Please, please,” Randy sputtered. I stepped forward, catching his attention. “Please, don’t let it eat me,” he begged me. I ignored him and walked to the cage in the corner, testing the lock.
“Where’s the key?” I asked, my voice sounding hard even to my own ears.
He pointed to one of the others lying on the cold, hard ground. “Jerry had it,” he said, his hand shaking as he pointed.
Inarus crouched beside the man he’d indicated and searched his pockets, rolling him over to gain access to Jerry’s front pockets. Retrieving the key, Inarus tossed it to me. I unlocked the door, watching out of the corner of my eye as Hannah circled Randy, her head lowered and a growl building in her chest.
“P-p-please,” he begged. “I don’t want to die.” I stepped inside the cage and bent down beside the girl’s prone form. Brushing aside her dirt-matted hair, Marcella’s slumbering face greeted me.
“It’s her,” I said.
“Who?” Randy squeaked. “Her?” His eyes were frantic as he stared behind the bars. Inarus stepped inside, lifting her into his arms. Her head lolled to the side, and he clutched her tighter to his chest before stepping out of the man-made cell. My eyes roved over her still form. I took in the red and angry marks around her wrists and ankles and my blood began to boil.
“I didn’t know she belonged to no shifter,” he said, “I don’t want no trouble. I was just following orders.”
“Whose orders?” I yelled as I stared at the pathetic man in front of me. “Who gave you orders to kidnap an innocent little girl. On whose orders did you decide to beat her within an inch of her life?”
Hannah’s body coiled, waiting to strike.
“I—I—”
I jerked my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed James’ number.
“We have her,” I said into the phone.
“You were supposed—”
“I know. We couldn’t wait. We’ll meet you back at the Compound.”
“No, we’re less than five minutes away. Wait there.”
I hung up the phone and turned back to Randy.
“Whose orders?” It was a threat and Randy knew it. His eyes bulged out of his sockets, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face.
“Boss is s’posed to be here tonight to check on the girl.” Hannah growled and he raised his arms protectively in front of himself. “Aiden, his name is Aiden.”
“You said he was coming tonight. When?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t give a time.”
“But Aiden gave the order?” Inarus said, his tone chilling.
Randy’s eyes flashed with worry. “Aiden was put in charge, but the order came from higher up. I—” He was shaking his head. “I can’t. They’ll kill me.” Hannah lunged, her face inches from his as she let out a feral cat scream that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
“If you don’t tell us, I’ll let her kill you,” I told him.
Randy eyes were squeezed shut, his body visibly shaking. A door upstairs opened with a crack, and several pairs of footsteps thundered overhead. Hannah made a satisfied cat sound in her chest. The cavalry must have arrived.
That thought was confirmed when the basement door opened to reveal Robert, the Alpha for Clan Canidae. He was followed by Eva, the Alpha for Clan Feloidea, James, Brock, and then Declan.
My heart did a pathetic lurch when I saw him come into the room, but I kept my face expressionless and ignored my racing heart, mentally checking to make sure the wall I’d erected to block him out was still standing.
Declan did a swift scan of the area, taking in Marcella’s prone form in Inarus’ arms and Randy cowering on the floor beneath Hannah’s paws, before his eyes settled on me. The weight of his gaze unnerved me, but all he said was, “The girl’s heartbeat is too slow. We need to get her back to the Compound and get her medical attention.” Eva approached Inarus, her brown eyes filled with concern.
“I’ll take her from here,” she said.
Inarus turned his gaze to me. I nodded and he gently placed Marcella in Eva’s arms. The woman carried Marcella upstairs as though she weighed little more than a feather.
Brock stepped forward, as if to say something but James stopped him and gave a shake of his head. “Now isn’t the time.” Brock gritted his teeth before turning to follow Eva.
“The others are waiting outside. We should leave in case anyone else shows up. As of this moment, the Pack’s involvement is unknown. It’s best we keep it that way,” Robert said, his eyes looking at Randy. The poor fools had kidnapped a witch and protected their safe house against witches. Stupid. They should have taken precautions against more than just the witches. Viola and Aiden should have known better than this.
“What do we do about him?” I
asked. Declan nodded at Hannah, some unspoken communication passing between them. Before anyone could react, she opened her powerful jaws and ripped out Randy’s throat in one vicious bite, spitting out the flesh beside his now dead body.
“Harming children is an unforgivable offense.” Declan’s voice was hard. I turned away from the carnage and went to retrieve my blades, ripping one free from a dead man’s body and wiping the blood on my jeans before sheathing it at my hip. My eyes caught on a bulletin board on the far wall. I turned to look, making sure that no one was paying attention to me, and ripped a photograph from the board before shoving it in my pocket for later.
Robert and Hannah headed for the stairs, leaving James to follow reluctantly. He scowled at me in some unspoken question. I just shook my head. Declan waited until the others were gone, ignoring Inarus entirely. I shivered.
“Come on,” I said, indicating for Inarus to follow. He fell into step beside me, and just as I reached the stairs, Declan held me back.
“What’s wrong?” His voice was commanding, but his eyes were filled with confusion. “You’re blocking me out?” He tilted his head to the side. I pulled my arm out of his grasp and shook my head. I didn’t have anything to say to him. My boots hit the first step, Inarus one step above me.
Declan reached out again. His grip was firm on my forearm, and I could feel the heat of his touch through my jacket as though it were a brand on my skin.
“Let go,” I gritted out. I could already feel the mate bond pressing against the wall I’d built to keep him out. It was a pressure that bordered on pain.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on. What changed?” His eyes were hard, flecks of gold swirling in their depths. Had Brock not said anything to him? I figured he would have run straight to Declan after I left. Maybe he’d been trying to avoid his Alpha’s ire.
“Don’t touch her,” Inarus said, stepping down to stand beside me.
Declan looked from him to me. His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “So that’s it. You’re choosing him?” He bared his teeth. I could see the tiger staring back at me through the man’s eyes, and for a moment I was caught in his gaze.
“No.” I shook my head, breaking the contact. This had nothing to do with Inarus and everything to do with Declan. “I’m just not choosing you.” I wrenched my arm free and pounded up the steps. I wasn’t running; rather, I was leaving with haste.
It felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to the wall I’d erected. I knew Declan followed, but he didn’t say anything. Not until we were outside. Two Pack Hummers rolled out, taking Eva, Marcella, and Brock with them. I watched Hannah jump into the rear cab of one of the vehicles, her tail twitching as she settled herself before the driver closed the door and pulled out. James and Robert stood beside James’ 1970 Boss 302 Mustang. The car idled on the side of the road, waiting, I assumed, for Declan.
I walked swiftly across the street, heading for my car with Inarus in step beside me. Before I could even make sense of how he’d gotten there, Declan stood in front of me, effectively blocking my path. Damn shifter speed.
“This isn’t a game,” I said. The bricks were falling as I frantically tried to put the pieces back together in my mind. Being near Declan was taking its toll. I needed to get the hell out of here, now!
“Does it look like I’m playing? You’re my mate. Do you not understand what that means?” I saw James step forward as though he wanted to intervene, but Robert’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. I couldn’t look at him. Suspicion was a vicious bitch, and I couldn’t deal with another betrayal, not from him.
“We’re not having this conversation here,” I said. My body shook and I dug my nails into the palms of my hands. I knew this wasn’t the place. Declan was the Alpha and I was pissed as hell, but even I knew he couldn’t have it out with me in front of another Alpha. Robert was less than ten yards away, and he could hear every word we said. I glanced at him as he stood beside James’ car. His arms were folded across his chest as he stared out in the opposite direction, feigning disinterest.
The expression on Declan’s face, however, was almost laughable. If only it didn’t drive home the fact that he was a bastard. He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. He looked almost hurt. Like he didn’t understand why I wanted to get away from him. Another brick fell.
“You’re coming back to the Compound with me.” His tone broached no argument.
The longer I stood here, the more I could feel my resolve crumbling. He might have been standing there, silently looking me over for any type of sign or indication as to what was wrong, but through the bond he tried to batter through the wall I’d erected like a crazed animal. I could already feel his emotions leaking through. Confusion. Anger. Pain. The last had my breath hitching.
“Ari,” James called out. I lifted my chin but refused to look at him. I saw Robert turn out of the corner of my eye, watching the display with calculated interest now.
I moved forward. Declan sidestepped to match me. I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward again. Declan matched me once more. I clenched my jaw and shook my head. I needed to keep it together. I just had to make it to my car and leave. It was easy enough.
Declan’s eyes were granite hard, and I felt his determination through the bond. I looked at Inarus, his greyl-blue eyes filled with concern. He’d step in and help me if I asked him to, but I couldn’t. He was practically defenseless against a shifter without his telekinetic abilities, and Declan needed little excuse to tear him apart.
“Look, we can talk about this at the Compound. Just get in the car. I’ll drive you home.”
I rolled my eyes. Immature of me, sure, but I didn’t really care.
“You are coming home.”
“You’re not my keeper, Declan.”
“I’m your mate,” he growled.
“That’s debatable, and unless you plan on making a scene and dragging me back kicking and screaming, I’ll return when I’m good and ready.”
His eyes narrowed. The bastard was actually considering it.
“Don’t you dare.” I shifted my weight.
“You can’t burn me here.” He smiled and it was feral. Sonovabitch.
Declan leaned forward, crowding me. He cupped the side of my neck and nipped my nose in a way that I was tempted to call playful.
“You’re angry. I don’t know why, but we’ll sort it all out.” I glared at him and shook my head in a definite no. “Fine, you want to go? Go.” He pulled away, angry now. I didn’t bother waiting around.
“Ari,” James called again. I turned to him just as I reached my car door, my curiosity getting the better of me.
“Did you know?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself. His eyebrows furrowed. “Did. You. Know?” I repeated, the words harsh even to my own ears.
“What are you—?”
“We all knew,” Robert said. He stepped forward. His stance was casual, but his eyes held an edge. I released a harsh breath.
“Of course you did.” I slid into the driver’s seat of my Civic. As soon as Inarus slid in beside me, I put the vehicle into drive and didn’t look back.
I drove away from Declan, my chest constricting more and more the further I drove. The streets were dark, and snow fell heavily from the sky. I turned the heat up and placed my frozen fingers in front of the vent. Inarus was silent. There wasn’t much to say.
I stopped at an intersection, scrubbing my hands over my face.
“I—”
The car came out of nowhere. All of a sudden, bright lights blinded me and metal crunched. I felt my body lurch as my world was flipped upside down. Airbags deployed, slamming into my face and chest. My Civic rolled, screeching to a stop as metal slid across asphalt. My head swam and my ears were ringing. I blinked several times to clear my vision, but I couldn’t focus. I clawed with numb fingers at the seatbelt holding me, the blood rushing to my head. My chest was constricted. I couldn’t breathe.
I found the release and my body fell for
ward, slamming into the roof of the car beneath me. I smacked my head on the steering wheel with my fall. I lifted my fingers to my hairline. My fingers came away wet and sticky and red. I pushed myself up and took a gasping breath.
“Inarus?” My voice was a rasp. My hands shook and I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to get them to focus. When my vision finally cleared, I saw Inarus still strapped to his seat. His body was motionless, and blood dripped down the side of his face.
“Inarus?” I tried again, only this time louder. A bang outside had me turning to see a man dressed in black trying to kick in the driver side window. I jumped when he kicked it again. I heard him curse when the glass still didn’t break, and thanked my lucky stars that I had had the vehicle reinforced. The frame had been strengthened and lined with ballistic fibers. The standard glass had been replaced with bulletproof glass, and the doors had been bolstered with steel plates, a combination of ballistic nylon and Kevlar. Whoever was outside my door would have a hell of a time getting inside unless I chose to let them in. That sure as hell wasn’t happening.
I turned back to Inarus and lifted shaking fingers to his face. His breathing was shallow, and he had a wide gash across the side of his forehead. Blood dripped in a steady stream to puddle beside me. I tried to shake him awake, but his head continued to loll. I contemplated cutting him free of the seatbelt but thought better of it. I didn’t know what other injuries he’d sustained in the crash. So far, the worst that I could see was the gash along his jawline, and he likely suffered from a concussion. Judging by the pounding in my temples, so did I.
A thwack sounded again, and I turned to stare into the eyes of the man trying to kick in my window. Fucking Aiden. He was crouched down at eye level, his dark brown eyes hard as he pointed to the lock on the door. Fat chance, buddy.
I flipped him the bird and stuck my tongue out at him. His eyes narrowed. He stood again and gave my window another kick. He could do that all damn night. It wasn’t going to budge. I ripped the hem of my shirt and used it to stanch the blood coming from Inarus. He moaned and his eyelids fluttered.
Burned by Fire (Blood & Magic Book 3) Page 10
