“Can’t wait to kill me a Jutak.”
The words were all Arak needed to aim. The shot veered wide. The Marenian tossed his horned head and roared just feet away. Too close for another blast. Arak dropped Kyele’s laser as he pushed off his good leg and leaped across the space, claws out. A muffled curse followed when Arak’s weight slammed into the body. It was like hitting a hover car full on as they both went down. The Marenian struggled beneath Arak’s claws and landed a lucky punch. The blow rammed into Arak’s ribs and fire licked up his torso when they cracked.
Support beams and girders groaned around him. Grunting, Arak rolled to the side, his hand managing to grasp one of the Marenian’s flailing arms. Another wild punch swept the space between them but this one Arak caught and deflected. He tried to pin the arm down only to have the man buck hard enough for Arak’s grip to slip as pain seared up his side from the damaged ribs.
His opponent took advantage with a vicious head butt. Arak’s nose crunched and his eyes watered. Liquid sprayed his face and the metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. The edge of a horn scraped his temple. The Marenian used Arak’s momentary dizziness to spring to his feet and run. Weakness and blood loss had Arak falling back. His rear hit the floor followed by his back as he bounced on the scuffed wood.
Kyele came up behind the fleeing Marenian and lunged. Blood spurted from the slaver’s mouth as Kyele rammed his knife in the bulky mid-section. The slaver roared loudly, back arched as his harsh features froze in shock before going slack in death. Gasping, Arak rolled to the side and braced his arms on the floor. Kyele shoved the body away, letting it hit the ground with a thud. The remaining Marenian jumped to his feet and charged forward. Kyele never wavered, maintaining his protective stance between Arak and the threat.
“Kyele!”
Fuck! What was he doing? Arak never finished the thought as Kyele misted away into a dark mass of smoke. The whirlwind swept the room in a swirling ball of energy and surrounded the slaver within a powerful funnel.
High pitched shrieks filled the air. In an effort to preserve his sensitive hearing, Arak cupped his palms over his ears to block out the Marenian’s screams and the explosive sounds of destruction tearing apart the room. When the maelstrom settled, the cloud reformed into the solid shape of his teammate, who tossed the now dead Marenian to the floor. The body was an unrecognizable mass of broken bones, shredded skin and gore. Even Arak’s stout stomach heaved.
Kyele wasted no time on explanations and hurried over. Arak blinked away grit and dust from his eyes and allowed his friend to bear more of his weight as he was yanked to his feet.
“Don’t panic,” Kyele cautioned right before he bent at the waist and lifted Arak into his arms.
The change in position put pressure on Arak’s injuries and his entire leg seized with pain. Kyele moved quickly.
“Fuuuuck!!” Arak shouted but Kyele ignored him and ran, carrying him back up to the second level of the warehouse.
Explosions continued to rain stone, debris and parts of the building on them.
Kyele’s speed increased, leaving Arak little choice but to hold on to his friend’s shoulder with a tight grip. Fire crackled around them and edged along the floor in a zig zag trail as it devoured everything in its path with an insatiable appetite. Behind them one entire wall gave way to flames that crawled toward the ceiling in a maddening race. Before Arak could warn Kyele, everything around him misted away as smoke and clouds filled his vision, obscuring anything else.
Moments later, Kyele settled him back on his feet. Arak shoved his hair back from his face. They were in the room where he’d discovered the two women earlier. Kyele waited until Arak could stand, using the wall as his support then rushed toward one of the windows. Kyele punched a leather-covered fist through the pane until it cracked. Again and again he hammered until the glass gave way and he’d cleared the window.
“Extraction needed, Jaron,” Kyele ordered.
Arak listened and waited for their team leader’s response. Eyes open but strained, it required all of his concentration to keep from sinking into a puddle on the floor. Only the thought of embarrassing himself in front of Kyele kept him upright. The man would never let him hear the end of it.
“I don’t have any eyes on you. The place is lit like a star filled night. Where are you both?” came Jaron’s solid response.
“Upper floor, east side room. Count off third window over.” Kyele peered out the window, eyes scanning for hidden dangers.
There was no telling if the Marenians were the only two or if more had managed to sneak up on them.
“Sensors are going off all over the place. Not sure how long before company joins us. Faruk and I will make our way over in the transport and drop a line. Are you both able to climb?”
Arak gritted his teeth at the question; some dark-hearted god had it out for him.
Kyele sent a smirk his way and answered, “We can climb. That’s what cats do, right Arak?”
Arak gave him a humorless smile and flashed his fangs for added threat.
“Give us five,” Jaron requested.
“Affirmative.” Kyele tapped his ear piece and stayed by the window, studying the exterior.
Arak huffed out a breath and slouched against the half-destroyed wall to ease some of the pressure on his leg. “Out of curiosity, on a scale of one to ten…exactly how powerful are you?”
Kyele slanted him an annoyed glance. “Nine.”
Arak grinned and swiped at a stream of blood running from his damaged nose. The blue liquid stained his fingers. “Somehow I thought you’d say ten.”
Kyele grunted. “If I ramped up to a ten, cat, it means you need to get far, far away from me.” He shrugged. “For everyone’s safety and to keep Torkel from being mad at me for accidentally killing friends and teammates, I try to contain myself to nine.”
“Huh.” Well never let it be said the scary fuck wasn’t honest. Arak shifted his focus to getting out. “What’s the plan?” Because there was the strong possibility he might not have the strength to rappel a cable up to the shuttle.
Kyele’s green eyes glittered as he arched a dark brow. “We blow this suck hole.”
Arak laughed out loud and had to press a hand to his side to ease the pain of what he definitely confirmed as broken ribs. “What about the females? Did they get out before the explosives went off?”
Arak didn’t like the dark frown turned in his direction.
“What females? I only helped the four Vesuvis who raced out downstairs. Pointed them in the direction to go and Jaron confirmed he’d picked them up.”
Arak cursed under his breath. Worry for the females crowded out thoughts of pain. “We have to make sure they got out. Two human females. Sex slaves.”
“Lindsey?”
Arak shook his head, rising to his feet. “No, but from Earth.”
Kyele groaned. “Faye will kill us if she finds out we lost two Earth women.”
Exactly. Faye was their unit leader’s Chosen from Earth and the love of his life.
Another blast went off and the building rocked. “We have to find them, Kyele.”
He gave his friend credit. Kyele didn’t hesitate. “On it. Stay here and wait for Jaron.”
Arak remembered the glare the woman with the laser had tossed over her shoulder. He cursed. No way Kyele got to have all the fun. Arak reached for the laser at his hip. “I lost your weapon. I’m coming with you.”
Kyele smiled. A smile that caused Arak to shiver and not from pain this time. “I’ve got my knife.” Then he vanished in a cloud of smoke.
“Torkel really should have a share day about everyone’s skill set,” Arak muttered and was almost down the hall when a section of the wall beside him blew and slammed into his back.
Chapter 3
Sylvie and Joni faced the debris-covered door. Their way out and the only exit from hell was blocked by stone, a large chunk of ceiling and a huge ten-foot beam. Joni threw her hands in the air a
nd let out a shaky chuckle.
“Perfect, Sylvie. Perfect.”
The hint of a sob escaped the brave woman. Sylvie straightened and braced her shoulders. “It’s perfect for us, Joni.”
The woman looked at her as if she was crazy. Dirt smudged most of her face. “Have you finally snapped, Sylvie?”
Sylvie grinned as a surge of adrenaline poured through her veins. She held up her stolen laser blaster. “It’s perfect because nothing’s been easy for us thus far, Joni. Why start now?”
Her friend cocked her head to the side and a length of matted hair fell into her eyes. The smile slow in coming nearly blinded. “Have I mentioned how much you rock, Sylvie?”
Sylvie placed a hand on her hip and pretended to admire her ragged nails. “Not in the last five minutes.”
Joni snickered then giggled. The giggles turned into all out laughter. “Shit, if we don’t die, promise me that when we’re settled we go to the first bar these aliens have and get drunk.”
“Done,” Sylvie agreed. “Now let’s go. That Jutak guy said he had friends around. We just need to get out of here.”
Joni nodded and came over to her side. A large cloud of smoke billowed around the ceiling. Sylvie coughed and edged away from the flames eating up one half of the building.
“Up?” Joni asked, red streaks marring the whites of her eyes.
They studied the stairs they’d used to come down. Half of the railing had been torn from the wall. Several treads were missing or had holes in them. None of that was as bad as the fire snapping down the middle and hissing every few seconds.
“Ideas?” Joni held her stolen knives waist high.
“All or nothing,” Sylvie muttered. “There’s another staircase on the other side.”
They changed direction and headed toward the back of the building. Coming upon the destroyed bodies caught both of them off guard.
“Holy!” Sylvie froze and her stomach heaved at what was left of the two Marenians lying in the center of the floor.
Joni whistled low. “Your man is wicked hot if he did this.”
Sylvie glanced over her shoulder and gaped. “What?”
Joni smirked. “I saw you looking at him and I definitely caught him checking out your ass.”
Sylvie flushed, not knowing what to say to that but managed to grumble, “He’s not my man. Come on, we need to get out of here before the rest of this place falls on our heads.”
Another boom interrupted as if to add emphasis to her statement. The stairs on this side weren’t much better. Broken slats from the railing hung over the sides. Lack of flames made it their best option. Sylvie gripped the laser with both hands and aimed it straight ahead. This was their only way out. She turned to Joni. “Hurry.”
They raced up the stairs together.
“Where to?” Joni asked, huffing and panting.
“Back to the room where they held us. We can climb out the window and try to make our way down from there.”
Joni rolled her eyes. “I hate that room. I hated it before and I didn’t think it possible but I hate it more now.”
Blood rushing, Sylvie pumped her knees harder only to come to an abrupt halt when they reached the top. One entire section of the wall had collapsed. The boots caught her eyes first. Fallen debris covered the prone figure. Sylvie edged closer.
“Get away from him,” Joni whispered harshly but Sylvie had already dropped to her knees.
She placed the laser at her side and pushed at white chunks of plaster, wood bits and a steel plank of some sort. “It’s him, Joni. The Jutak guy.”
Heart pounding, Sylvie desperately shoveled her hands until she had him clear of the mess. She couldn’t explain the panic at seeing him felled. His groan had her exhaling in relief. Joni came closer but far enough away he couldn’t reach out and grab her feet.
“We have to help him.” Compelled to touch, Sylvie brushed at the dark hair on his forehead. His warm skin left her fingers tingling. Blue stains speckled his face as if he’d been in a paint fight with someone. Her gaze drifted over him, noting the same blue on his leg beneath torn pants. A large gash leaked more blue fluid. Blood? “He’s injured. We have to help him.”
“Shit, Sylvie. Okay. Okay.” Joni chucked the knives to the floor and knelt beside her. “On three.”
Sylvie nodded and slid her arms under his broad shoulders. Joni grasped his other side.
“One, two, three!”
The both pulled at the same time until they had him in a sitting position. His weight slumped against Sylvie, bringing her breasts into full contact with his chest. Her nipples perked but she only had a moment to chastise herself. The man stiffened and growled low and long. Joni squeaked, jerked back and let him go. Sylvie hung on with grim determination. Blue eyes snapped open, spitting fire in her direction.
“Run,” he snarled.
“Not without you,” she returned, defiance giving her the strength to resist in the face of sharp fangs.
He planted a hand on the floor. Under his breath, she thought he muttered, “Earth females.”
Sylvie tightened her hold and pushed with her legs at the same time he leaped to his feet with animal grace. He wobbled for a second and regained his balance instantly. “Come on, foolish woman.”
Leaning on her shoulder, he directed Sylvie and Joni back into their former prison. Sylvie shivered as soon as she crossed the threshold of the dreaded room and turned away from the Marenian guard they’d killed.
“Kyele, report.”
Sylvie glanced up, wondering who he spoke with and noticed the black disc inserted in his ear and the small wire looped around the lobe of the pointed tip. Pointed? Right, alien. Sylvie shook her head as they made their way to a shattered window. The low hum of an engine revving came from outside and a shaft of white light flared. A silver shuttle hovered in the night sky.
Sylvie tried to jerk back but the man tightened his arm over her shoulder. “Easy. It’s my team leader.”
Joni stayed in one corner of the room, back to the wall. She had her stolen knives in her hands once more. “How do we know we can trust him, Sylvie?”
She spared Joni a glance. “Uh…because he’s trying to get out of here, too.”
Joni’s mouth flapped as if she couldn’t find the words then gave a sharp nod. “Right.”
The muscles of the man she held up flexed. Sylvie looked closer at his face and noted the strain he tried to hide. “Are you okay?”
He smiled down at her and this time the sight of his sharp fangs didn’t frighten her. A bubble of warmth fluttered in her belly and Sylvie fought the ridiculous urge to smile back.
“Fine. Sylvie.” When he said her name in his accented voice, she wanted to slide to the floor like melted butter.
The door behind them slammed open and hit the wall with a loud bang. A large man flew into the room on a current of cold air. Wind whipped around them rustling anything not nailed down. Pebbles dotted her flesh and Sylvie inched slightly in front of the weakened man in her arms.
As soon as the newcomer came to a halt in the center of the room, a knife whizzed by the side of his head and drilled into the wall. He shifted with a slight tilt of his chin and green eyes blazed toward the person who posed the threat. A nasty scar curved from his left cheek, down to his collarbone. Danger pulsed on the currents around him. A whistling breeze picked up in the room and drummed at her ears. Another knife hurled through the air.
Sylvie turned. “Joni!”
Joni stood legs spread, arms up and fists at the ready.
The man kept his gaze on her friend and raised a single hand, fingers spread. The hilts of the knives imbedded in the wall quivered then flew backward and smacked into his palm, blades up. “I like knives,” he drawled.
“Oh, shit,” Joni cursed, inching back along the wall.
“Kyele, stop. We don’t have time for games,” the man in her arms snapped.
Games? Insane laughter threatened to escape but Sylvie refused to gi
ve in for fear she wouldn’t stop.
“Jaron, we have extra cargo. Two females from Earth.”
The light outside beamed brighter and flashed twice.
“Communications are partly down, Arak,” the one named Kyele said. “They can hear us but we can’t hear them. Marenians are blocking the signal in some way. Couldn’t get you either to let you know I was heading back.”
Arak. Sylvie studied the bold features of the man next to her. It fit. Short and to the point. Muscles tensed as he limped toward the window and dragged her with him. A long cable dangled from the shuttle hovering outside. Glass crinkled beneath her feet and stung in tiny pricks as fragments cut her bare skin. Sylvie ignored the pain as she’d done in the past.
Arak’s actions became hurried as he eased his arm from Sylvie. “I’ll take this one up, Kyele and you grab the other.”
Arak reached through the opening and snagged the swinging, black rope to drag it inside. His fingers expertly worked the belts and harness. When he turned toward Sylvie, he dropped to one knee on a groan. Hands gentle, he twisted a thick loop over each of her legs and notched it at her waist. Sylvie blushed at how close he came to her thighs and the brush of those gloved hands on her sensitive flesh.
He rose, towering over her slight frame. The pad of his thumb brushed over her bottom lip, outlining the tender skin. “Hold on to me, Sylvie. I’m going to take you to our shuttle. You’ll be safe.”
Sylvie took in the belts, metal hooks and bits dangling about her waist. Some of it looked familiar from her indoor rock climbing days although way more complex. Still.
“We’re climbing out there?” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder at the silver craft waiting for them.
Arak nodded.
Sylvie checked with Joni. “We’re doing this?”
Joni nibbled on her lip, glanced at Kyele then back to Sylvie. “Can’t be worse. I hope.”
The man’s scar twitched as he approached Joni. He cupped her friends face in his palm. Joni flinched but the man moved in closer until his legs brushed hers. “I promise you will be safe with us.”
He held up his other hand and offered Joni the Marenian knives. Her fingers trembled as she accepted the blades.
Arak's Love: A World Beyond Book 2 Page 3
