by Ava Mason
“Thanks.”
He just grunted.
Hunter was in our ear. “I’m about three minutes out. Easton, where are you?”
“I’ve just turned the corner. I can see about ten men out here. They have a tank set up. I’m taking out the ones I can.”
“Shit.” Hunter’s voice was deep. He was definitely pissed now. “Who the hell sent the freaking army out?”
Christian spoke. “Easton, get back.”
The first guard suddenly stood up like a motherfucking champion, facing the wall of men and bullets. He looked through a long scope and pressed the trigger. The room shook from the weapon’s noise and a burst of light flew across the room. About twenty feet across, it erupted into a large ball of fire. It landed on the group of men who were too slow to get out of its way. It quickly spread across them in a blaze. I stared, open mouthed as bodies turned to ash.
Christian and Avery, along with the museum guards, took advantage of the distraction. They shot at any remaining guards. There was another boom as a tank barreled into the museum, taking out a section of the wall. The first guard took another shot with his fire-breathing weapon.
I held my breath as it landed on its target. Fire spread quickly but the tank rolled forward, undeterred. Bursts of light came from the tank, taking out the first guard next to me. He fell forward, the desk catching him, and his blood pooled on the desk.
Shit. We weren’t going to make it against a freaking tank. Everyone was shooting at each other. My mind churned, trying to figure out how to get out of this.
Suddenly, I had a thought.
“Hunter, the museum has a wall of windows. Where the artifact was. Meet us there.”
Easton answered me. “I know where that is. I have two more out here, then I’ll meet you there.”
Hunter answered. “On my way.”
I could hear men converging on us from all sides. They were going to be here soon. I closed my eyes, focusing on my power. It pulsed and throbbed, flowing and ebbing through my body. “Guys, get ready to run towards that room.”
Christian and Avery both nodded, then tugged on the other guards.
I stood up, with a sudden burst of energy I pushed my power towards the tank. A blue ball of energy slammed the tank, throwing it towards the back wall.
Suddenly, a group of soldiers rushed into the room from the other side. Avery grabbed the torchlight and shot towards them. They scrambled out of the way and we made our break.
We sped through the halls and fur erupted on the back of my neck and hands. A tingle moved over my whole body. My wolf felt the need to protect me. But I didn’t want the guards to know who I was. Christian was leading the way, just one step ahead of Avery and me. Thank heavens Avery pushed me to run in Hawaii. I hadn’t stopped since I came here so I wasn’t out of breath as we sprinted through the rooms. The other two guards weren’t that far behind us.
Suddenly shots boomed out and I heard one of the guards cry out. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. I couldn’t bear to see someone else die because of our mission. Christian glanced behind me then grabbed my hand and yanked me forward so that I was leading.
Everything around me disappeared from my vision. All the beautiful artwork that was probably being destroyed by flying bullets. The walls, the doorway. The only thing I focused on was the trinkle of moonlight I could see up ahead.
We burst into the room and headed towards the wall of windows. Another group of men poured in from the other side. We were completely surrounded.
The only way out was the wall of glass.
Suddenly a man appeared in the windows. He was different than the rest. He wasn’t wearing the same uniform. He also wasn’t holding on to a rifle. He raised his glock, aiming right for me.
Wings burst from Avery’s back, pushing him in front of me. Christian tackled me from behind, shoving me towards the floor. I fell, skidding across the floor.
I turned towards Avery, he was leaning over. I screamed as fear slammed into my body. Instant rage poured over me. I scrambled to my feet, furious, and ran towards the man. A window panel was shot out. He swiveled his gun, aiming for me again.
I shot my blue magic towards him. Glass erupted, cascading to the floor with a tinkling roar as my magic broke through it. It slammed into his body, throwing him back. At the perfect moment, the Range Rover sped into view and slammed into him, propelling him across the street.
He landed with a thud, and blood drained from his mouth. Easton ran up, his eyes on the man on the ground.
I turned around and Christian was hauling Avery towards the car. The last guard lay on the ground, dead.
Hunter rolled down the window. “Get in the car!”
His words woke me, and I ran through the broken windows. I jumped into the street, passing Avery and Christian. I opened their door. Christian threw Avery inside, and then he grabbed my vest and shoved me in. Easton climbed in the passenger seat; he looked ready to punch someone. Hunter shot forward and down the street while Christian scrambled inside and slammed the door shut. Bullets pinged off our car as we sped down the street.
My senses immediately tuned to every sound in the car, listening for a sign of life from Avery. His breath wheezed in and out.
Thank God. He was alive.
He leaned against the seat in front of him, his hand gripping it tight, blocking my view of his face. I shook his shoulder. “Are you okay?” I couldn’t stop the way my heart was pounding in my chest, or the image in my mind of Avery doubling over.
He didn’t answer and all eyes, except Hunter’s, were on him. I ripped the case off Avery’s chest and his backpack, then shoved them to the floor. “Avery.” I pushed him back so I could see him better. He groaned, grabbing onto his chest.
“Move your hand,” I demanded. I pushed it away, ripped off the Velcro to his bulletproof vest, then yanked it over his head. I moved my hands down his shirt; it was drenched in moisture. Fear gripped my chest and I pulled his shirt up, scared that I would see blood.
“He’s okay.” I sighed in relief. His chest was slick from sweat but he didn’t even have a bruise. Both Easton and Hunter breathed out heavily.
Christian wrapped his hand around my arm and I turned to him. Gripping the front of my vest, he drug me to him and kissed me roughly. I grabbed his shoulders, clinging to him tight and feeling more alive than I’d ever felt before. Then he pulled away. “Are you okay?” His face was white and he kissed me again. “I thought he was going to shoot you in the head.”
I nodded. “I’m okay.”
“Shit.” Hunter breathed out his relief and Easton gave me a dark look. Except for Easton, the tension in the car lowered as we flew down the street. Hunter looked in the rearview mirror and I turned to look behind us; no one was following.
“Give me your phones.” Easton’s voice came out a growl and he held out his hand. I slipped mine out of my pocket to hand over to him. He began taking out the batteries and sim cards. I slid back again and turned to Avery.
“Shit, Avery. I thought… I thought for a second when you leaned over…” I couldn’t finish my sentence, remembering the fear that shot through my body when I thought he’d been shot.
He turned to me, his eyes burning into mine. His hands slid up my side and he pulled on my waist. I climbed into his lap, straddling him, staring back. His eyes were dark, intense, and trying to tell me something.
His hands went to the Velcro straps of my vest and loosened it. When it was off, he pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug.
I sucked in a breath, surprised by his openness.
I breathed him in, his warmth, his arms around me. His heartbeat that was pounding in my ears. The way his fingers were trembling as they pulled through my hair. The real Avery.
Not the one hidden behind walls of stone to keep people from breaking his heart.
In that moment, that touch, open, vulnerable and giving, I knew the real him.
We sat like that for the wh
ole car ride, me cradled in his lap and happy that he was alive. Him holding me like he was at the edge of a precipice and afraid to jump into the darkness.
6
When we pulled up, Avery hesitantly let me go and I slid back into my seat. He touched my cheek softly and then looked away. We were on a gravel driveway and the car slid to a stop. I peered through the window, taking in the dark and silent forest surrounding us.
Christian opened the door and I stepped out behind him, taking a moment to stretch my hands high over my head. I glanced nervously behind me and then turned towards the safe house. In the darkness, my wolf eyes took in the ramshackle cabin. The moonlight featured the hole in the bottom corner of the door.
I blinked my eyes. It was slightly leaning to the side.
It doesn’t look like something from a horror movie. It doesn’t look like something from a horror movie.
I took a deep breath, repeating the lie as I watched the guys walk to the back of the SUV.
“Grab my stuff, will you?” Avery’s wall was back up, and the only other noise from him were his footsteps on the gavel.
I reached back in the SUV and grabbed the mask and strapped it on my back, then grabbed Avery’s and my backpack. The guys took the rest of their equipment out of the trunk: a long black canvas bag that held our rifles, a couple of cases of bottled water, and another canvas bag with canned food and disposable phones.
Christian held his hand out to me and as I took it, he led me to the house. The door creaked as we entered and a mouse scurried through the room. I yelped as it dashed across the floor and disappeared through a hole in the wall. Hunter gave me a tired smile. “You’re the baddest wolf this side of the continent and you’re afraid of a mouse?”
I grinned. “That one had fangs, I swear.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Next time, I’ll spear him with a toothpick.”
I swiped my arm at him, hitting him softly, and looked around. The cabin was one room, filled with three old mattresses on the floor. On the far side, there was a small kitchen with a narrow table, a sink and a gas stove. All of us in the cabin together made it seem very cramped. But, I honestly didn’t give a shit how small it felt or how scary it looked because I was with my guys and we were all safe. I’d happily sleep on a concrete block at this point.
Hunter opened the bag and pulled out a disposable phone. Christian began taking cans out of the bag and I rushed to help him. We piled them up on the counter. There was a small desk next to a window, holding four old and yellowing tv screens. Easton turned them on, checking to see if the video feeds covering the woods were still working. He unpacked his computer and opened it, sitting in the folding chair. His face held a scowl, like he was pissed off at something.
Avery sunk to one of the mattresses and leaned his head against the wall. He closed his eyes, his face a blank mask. I thought about going to him, I wanted to hold him again, to know that he was really real and alive and breathing. But I held off, deciding that he needed some space.
Nobody said anything, but Easton, Hunter, and Christian kept glancing at me. Done with the cans, I looked around the room, looking for a safe spot to put the mask. Their eyes followed me as I put the case on the kitchen table. I knew we were all thinking the same thing. That guy wasn’t with the army. He was sent there specifically to kill me.
I had to face the facts. Someone was seriously trying to kill me and one of these days, they weren’t going to miss. Our mission just got more complicated. Somehow they knew we were there. They wanted the artifact and they wanted me dead. And, they had access to some serious killing machines to accomplish their goals.
“Is there a bathroom?” I needed a second to just think without their eyes on me. Christian pointed towards the corner and I noticed the door. Except for Avery, all eyes stayed with me as I strode across the room, jumping over the mattresses. When I reached it, Christian started taking off his uniform. “I’m going outside. I’ll fly up, check the roads and the woods.”
Hunter nodded. Easton stood up, looking at Christian. “Check camera four, the one at the entrance to the driveway. Something’s blocking it. Looks like a branch.”
Christian nodded and, butt-naked, strode out the front door.
I watched him go, then opened the door to the bathroom cautiously, my eyes scanning the floor for any more animals. Once I was sure there was nothing furry scurrying across the floor, I stepped inside. The sink was a pale yellow color and had a rust ring around the drain. I grasped the handle to the cold water; it was rough against my hand. I held it there for a minute, trying to steady my shaking hand. Then I turned the handle.
The pipes made a shooting, spraying noise and it took a second before brown water spurt into the sink.
I heard Easton moving the table; it scraped as he pushed it across the wooden floor. Then Hunter spoke. “I need to speak to Liam.” The room was silent, then he spoke again. “Yes.” Another pause. “We’re safe. We’ll be waiting for his call.”
Once the water was clear, I cupped my hands under it. It was cold and the shock of it felt good against my skin. I splashed my face and ran my hands through my hair, looking in the mirror. It was a dull silver and spotted in the corner with age and neglect. I tried to relax, but adrenaline burned through my veins. It hummed like a song, vibrating and pulsing through me.
We were in so much fucking trouble. How were we going to keep safe and help Aria at the same time? I had a target on me; we were going to have to figure out who was trying to kill me now. There was no way around it.
“Screw it.” Easton’s dark voice from across the room made me shiver. His steps were heavy as he tromped towards the bathroom and then he appeared behind me, his face determined. He stepped into the room, crowding me in, and slammed the door behind me.
I swiveled around to face him and he pushed me back and up against the wall. Then his lips were on mine, his hands all over me. “I couldn’t reach you in time.” His lips moved to my throat. “I saw him aiming the gun and I fucking knew he was here for you.” Leaning lower, he bit my shoulder. “Thank God for Avery.”
His hands went to my shirt. He whipped it off and dropped it to the floor. My heart hammered, imagining him ramming into me. I grabbed his pants and fumbled open the button, needing to feel him in my hands. He groaned as I took his throbbing dick, stroking it up and down. My whole body responded, lighting my senses on fire.
His expression was dark and he growled as his thumbs pressed against my collar, digging into my skin. “I need to be inside you, now.”
He yanked my pants off and guided his dick inside me, pinning me under him. Then he pounded into me, hitting me against the wall as his dick filled me. Our pubic bones smashed against each other as he slammed his hips roughly, and I gripped his shoulders to push him in deeper.
I felt so alive, so aroused. I needed him to fuck me with everything he had. I groaned, not caring that the rest of the guys could probably hear us. But he slapped his hand over my lips and I scraped my teeth against his palm.
He stared into my eyes, his dick thick and firm inside me. “Be a quiet little wolf and I’ll eat your pussy.”
I stared back at him, eyes wide and my breath quickening at the thought.
“You want me to eat your cunt, don’t you?”
I nodded and slipped my tongue out to touch his hand. He bit his lips, trying to keep his own growl in. “Just give me a minute first.”
I nodded and, keeping his hand over my mouth, he slammed into me again. He closed his eyes, shifting his hips to bury into me deeper. I gripped his ass, wrapping one of my legs around him, loving the way he felt inside me. Fuck, fuck, he felt so good. His hand slipped off my mouth to grip my hips as his thrusts turned harsher.
Then he suddenly stopped and pulled out of me. He turned me around to face the wall and smacked his hand against my ass. I inhaled a breath as electricity shot up into my cunt.
“You’re so fucking naughty. Fucking me with the rest of the guys only a thin wa
ll between us.”
He smacked my ass again. “You like that don’t you?”
I nodded, holding in my moan. He took a step back and rubbed the spot where he’d hit. “Get on the sink.”
Knees, trembling, I scrambled to the sink. He thrust my knees apart and I leaned back on both my hands, waiting with trembling anticipation for his touch. His tongue, wet and rough, moved up my inner thigh as his hands pressed my knees even further apart. I panted, wanting, needing more. He bit my pussy lip and I jerked forward. He clasped his hand on my stomach, holding me still as his teeth roughly worked higher to my clit, scraping across it roughly.
I bit down on my response, as he lapped me with his tongue. My mouth fell open as prickling sensations shot through my body. I gasped in air, trying to contain the groan that wanted to slip from my mouth.
“That’s it. Keep quiet.”
“More.” I whispered. “I need more, Easton.”
His fingers entered me and I ground against his face roughly, my orgasm building rapidly.
“That’s right, my good little wolf. Take what you need from me.”
He moved his fingers in and out, his tongue lapped at my pussy and all I could do was just feel as my orgasm shot through me. It was sharp and pulled at my stomach, causing small spasms to rock through my body.
The second I relaxed, he yanked me off the sink and slammed me against the wall, pounding into me again.
“Fuck. I need to fuck you,” was all he could say as he filled me up, his hands grabbing mine to hold them over my head. His thrusts grew more frantic and I ground my hips against him. Then he grunted, emptying himself into me.
I cursed, loving the way his cum slipped in between my legs, claiming me possessively. I loved the feel of his rough hands on me. The way his fingers turned from controlling to gentle as they moved down my arms to my side. I leaned forward to nip at his lips, biting them softly and a shudder ran through his body. He grinned, meeting my eyes.
“Fuck, babe.”
