by Multiple
I won't let you die, even if protecting you means my own demise.
A whisper of grass to her left indicated they'd be hit from that side first, and Ming braced herself, willing her own heartbeat to slow down so she could hear clearly over it. They were too close for her to speak to Jason, and a hundred worries filtered through her mind. She should have told him how to fight a Were. Wait a minute. She'd spoken to him telepathically when she was in wolf form. Maybe…
Can you hear me?
Jason's eyes widened and jerked to hers.
I'll take that as a yes. She added a silent thanks as relief engulfed her body.
His lips parted, and Ming quickly shook her head. Don't speak out loud! They're close enough to hear.
He nodded, a bare jerk of his dark head.
They're going to hit us from the left first. The blade you carry can hurt them, but because of the full moon approaching, they are strong. They're pumped up on adrenaline and won't go down easily. Go for the throat, heart and eyes, no matter which form they use to come at you. Don't let go of that knife, and don't cut me with it if I happen to shift!
He narrowed his green eyes as if offended she would suggest he'd do something so absurd, but nodded.
And if you find the opportunity to use it to your advantage, that little telekinesis trick of yours would come in pretty handy.
He lowered his eyes and looked ahead of him, avoiding her gaze, his throat working on a heavy swallow. He looked almost…ashamed? What was up with that? Ming decided to use one of the last spare seconds they had to ask him, but the idea quickly went south as she picked up on rustling to her right.
Aw, hell. This was so not good. The snap of a twig to her left added to her growing anxiety. She braced herself for attack and sent Jason one last warning.
I sense two on my left, you have one coming in from the right. Wait for him to reach the tree and attack. I got these bitches over here.
~~~
Jason sucked in a steadying breath and tightened his grip around the blade, stilling his body. He'd fought monsters before. Murderers, rapists and child abusers. They might have claws and big nasty teeth, but the beasts closing in on him now couldn't be worse than the animals he'd fought in prison. Or at least he told himself that to keep from screaming.
Suck it up, man. Ming's going against two on her own. You have to cut down this bastard and help her out!
A bush rustled to the right and back of him, indicating the Were's proximity. Ming said to wait for the beast to reach the tree, so he pressed his back more firmly against it, keeping himself out of view.
He risked a glance to the left and noticed Ming also tensed, her back ram-rod straight against the tree she hid behind. Ready to spring. Against two of them. Damn, he wished he was the one going against two and not her.
They've stilled, she said in his mind. They're going to spring from both sides at once. They smell us, but don't know exactly where we're hidden. Use the element of surprise! And please, Jason, focus on your own Were and quit looking at me!
He blinked and quickly jerked his head around, feeling like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The woman had eyes in the back of her head, or apparently she could sense him as well as her own kind. She was right though. He'd be no help to her if he got himself killed watching her instead of fighting off his attacker. Then she'd be alone against three of them.
Dead quiet fell over the area, not even the wind dared to blow against a leaf, and he felt it in his bones, the Weres were a heartbeat away from pouncing. The strangest sensation washed over him, the need to tell Ming he loved her. Words he would have never thought of on his own invaded his being, but he pushed the yearning aside. He wasn't going to tell her he loved her as if he'd never have the chance again.
No, he'd make damn sure he survived this fight if only to protect her in other battles. That's right, he told himself mentally, pumping himself up. You want a fight to the death, bastards? I got something for ya.
As though he'd heard the mental taunt, the Were crept out of the bushes, his feet crunching over the rocks scattered on the ground. Feet, not paws. If the Were had been in wolf form, Jason would have heard four distinctive steps instead of two. He could hear the others coming out on the other side of the small clearing and was thankful they'd all stepped out before the trees he and Ming were using for cover and not directly at their sides.
Another step taken by his Were, another couple by Ming's. Jason willed his heartbeat to slow to its normal rate and freed his mind of doubt. He only allowed one word to fill the space. Destroy.
He heard quick movement and glanced to where Ming was standing only to see a lone tree. She'd made her move and judging by the growls he heard a heartbeat later, was in full battle.
His Were's feet came down hard on the ground. The damned animal was running toward her!
Jason spun around the Oak and launched himself at the large, dark-haired man passing his tree. He caught the Were off-guard and sank the full length of the silver blade into the man’s back.
Jason spared a glance toward Ming as his assigned target let out a gut churning howl of pain and fell to his knees on the forest floor.
Three wolves fought with teeth and claws. Ming’s sleek black form avoided the advance of one of her brown opponents, and her teeth sank into the other's neck, ripping out a chunk of flesh, spraying blood on the ground.
Jason was hit with extreme pain in his chest and flew backward to land hard on his back. He'd taken his eyes off his Were a second too long. He refused to let the pain set in and quickly jumped to his feet to face the approaching Were who'd just kicked the hell out of him. The man was six feet plus of brawn and murderous intent. His eyes blazed red.
Jason braced his feet on the ground and tightened his hand around...oh, hell. The blade was in the Were's back! The same Were who’d just decided to come at him in a full run.
With only a second to avoid imminent death, Jason improvised and fell hard on his rump as the beast reached him. He grabbed a stick and quickly spun with his legs out, catching his large attacker behind the knees and dropping him to the ground. Determined to put the Were out of commission before he could recover from the unexpected fall, Jason covered him and sank the stick under the Were's ribcage, pushing upward at an angle to puncture its heart.
The Were bellowed in pain and grabbed Jason by the throat. “I'm not a vampire,” he growled as he rose from the ground, yanked out the stick, and dangled Jason like a rag doll, his feet two inches from the ground.
Jason stared into the beast's blood-red eyes and started to panic. Ming had said heart, throat and eyes. She'd also said to keep the damned blade!
Dammit, he needed to sink the silver blade into the Were's heart, not a stupid stick!
He couldn't see the blade so he focused on where it should be and tried to pull it to him with his mind. Nothing happened.
The Were held him tight, choking off his air supply, but the arm holding him trembled. The knife! Jason remembered Ming’s weakened state when she'd saved him from the trio of familiars, because of the silver bullet. The Were holding him wasn't at full strength…and he couldn't shift. Good news.
The bad news was that the snarling Were in question was opening his mouth wide to take a bite out of him, regardless of his human form.
“Oh, hell no! You're not getting this white meat, bitch!” Jason swung his leg out. His foot connected with the Were's groin and sent the beast to his knees, howling in pain once more. “Eyes, heart and throat, my ass. You wanna take a man down, always go for the balls.” He gave the sensitive area another good kick and yanked the blade out of the Were's back as he crumpled forward.
He was poised and ready when the Were recovered and lunged for him. Jason sliced the blade across its throat as it tried to shift shape in mid-air, killing it instantly.
“Okay, so throat works, too,” he admitted and started to turn toward Ming. Before he could complete the t
urn, a wolf jumped on his back, its massive jaws open to deliver a death bite.
Jason flipped it over his head, crying out as sharp claws ripped his shoulders to shreds, but didn't pause for a second. He'd learned the hard way to never give the beasts a second wind.
The moment the wolf's body hit the ground Jason stood over it. This time he sliced the throat and punctured the heart for good measure. He jerked backward in surprise as the wolf transformed into a large blond man. The man's lifeless blue eyes stared up at him, bringing back the bitter reminder of what he'd done to land in prison.
Soft clapping behind him snagged his attention and he turned to see a virtually unscratched Ming, hip propped against a large Birch, applauding him.
At her feet lay six dead men.
“You did all that yourself?” He nodded toward the scattered bodies, surprised and a little awed.
“What? These mutts?” Ming kicked one of the bodies with the toe of her boot and shrugged. “I thought you knew who I was, Jason.”
“And who is that?” he asked, stepping across the clearing to get closer to her devilish smile.
“The baddest bitch to ever howl at the moon.” She let out a throaty chuckle that stroked him better than a physical hand and pushed away from the tree. “Come on. Standing here in the moonlight covered in scratches and blood is turning me on, and we need to find a safe place to hide before I start licking your wounds.”
Jason trembled with anticipation at the thought, remembering what had happened the last time she'd put her tongue on his body and followed behind her.
They'd barely left the clearing when an enraged howl rent the air. They froze instantly, and the chill of ice crept up Jason's body.
“Is that who I'm afraid it is?”
“Rong,” Ming answered. “The pack leader has a bond with his pack, can feel the energy of each member. He knows we just killed eight of his men.”
She glanced back at Jason, her eyes wide. “The next Weres he sends after us won't be half as easy to kill.”
Chapter Seven
Jason glanced over at Ming's sleeping form, and a sigh of regret whispered past his lips.
He had to leave her.
The hawks had guided them to a small cave just as the sun kissed the sky. Once inside, Ming had healed his wounds, rolling her velvety-smooth tongue over his skin. The action revved him up more the second time than the first, and they went at it like bunnies in springtime. Again. They hadn't used any protection.
Again. He'd been too blitzed on desire to care. Again. It'd been awesome.
Then she'd started going on about how hot he was fighting the Weres, how badly he'd turned her on when he'd flipped the wolf over his head...and he'd felt more ashamed than he'd ever felt in his life. He'd taken out two Werewolves in the same amount of time she'd killed six. Now her brother would send more, this time stronger than the last.
She'd do better to escape them on her own.
He carefully pulled himself to a stand, making as little sound as possible. They'd slept most of the day and night would be upon them soon. If he left now, wandered around on his own, the Weres would probably find him in a few hours. While they focused on attacking him, Ming could make her escape. If they killed him…well, it wasn't like he was ever supposed to get out of prison anyway.
With one last glance at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life, Jason fought the urge to lie down next to her and stepped out of the cave.
“You're going to leave me here without so much as a 'Later, babe, thanks for the screw?'”
Jason closed his eyes, gritted his teeth then turned. Ming sat in the cave with her knees pulled to her chest, her soulful amber eyes glistening with disappointment.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“I thought you cared about me, or at the very least, respected me.”
He closed his eyes to hide the torture they surely showed as heat climbed his neck to enter his cheeks. He was ashamed enough already. He really didn't need another dose of guilt heaped on. “I respect you more than I've ever respected anyone. That's why I don't want to stay with you and add to the danger you're in.”
“And that danger is supposed to leave me when you're gone? Whether or not you're with me, I'm not going back to the pack to be a breeding whore!”
The vehemence in her tone caused his eyes to snap open. She stood with her hands tightly fisted at her hips. Her chest rose and fell with each angry breath. Jason’s attention was drawn to the perfect mounds barely hidden by the thin white cotton of her sports bra.
Beautiful, strong, courageous…everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. His chest constricted, air caught in his lungs. The thought of leaving her physically hurt, but allowing her to be captured and forced to become something she clearly despised would destroy him mind, body and soul. He had to leave and give her the chance to escape on her own.
“Jason, you are not going to sacrifice yourself for me!”
He stepped back, surprised by her accurate assessment. “Are you reading my mind now? Another Werewolf ability? If so, stay out of it!”
“No, I'm not and I don't have to read your mind, Jason. Your intentions are right there in your eyes. The guilt and shame I also see there is so strong I want to cry when I look at you.” She stepped closer until she stood at the mouth of the cave with him and touched her fingertips to his jaw. The gentle touch sent warmth to his battered soul. “What happened to make you doubt yourself so much?”
Embarrassed that she felt the need to console him like some wounded child, he jerked his head away and spun on his heel. “Forget me, Ming.” With that terse command, he walked away.
“How do you expect to leave here when you don't even know what realm you're in?”
He stopped. He really didn't expect he'd make it out of the woods alive, but he'd still like a fair shot. That certainly wouldn't be achieved without knowing where he was. “Where am I?”
“I won't have this discussion while talking to your back.”
He turned slowly, the act of leaving her harder every time he had to look into her slanted amber eyes, the shape and color so damn hypnotizingly beautiful. Forget teeth and claws. Those eyes were her real weapons, and they were shredding him to pieces. “Answer me now. Where am I?”
She glanced toward the ground and released a deep breath before raising her chin defiantly, new determination in her eyes. “I'll tell you what you need to know when you tell me what I need to know.”
“You don't need to know anything,” he bit out, irritation burning inside his chest. “What's happened in my past is done with and none of your concern.”
“Everything about you is my concern. Why else do you think I met you so many times on the astral plane? We were designed for each other.”
He shook his head, baffled. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, no.” She planted her hands on the soft curves of her hips. “You have some questions to answer first. What's going on inside your head? Why do you want to leave me here?”
“Why do you care? You want to be free of your brother! Let me draw them to me so you can escape!”
“Is that what I'm supposed to want? A future without you in it?”
“I'm in prison, Ming. I killed a man. There is no future with me.”
“You're not standing in prison now.” She stepped closer.
“But my body is, isn't it? Or was that a lie?”
She closed her eyes, let out a sigh, and licked her lips. “Yes and no. Your body is there and here. Both, at the same time.”
Jason blinked, waited for more, but she said nothing else. “How can I physically be in two places at once?”
She looked him square in the eye. “Was it your step-father you killed?”
“Tell me—”
“No. Answer me, talk to me, please.” Her eyes glistened with moisture, her voice strained with desperation. “Tell me what happened to make you this way.�
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“What way?” The words came out as a growl of anger, a roaring whoosh through his head.
“You act like, like you're unworthy–or you feel like you don't deserve happiness. Why?”
“I let my mother die!” The confession tore out of him, shame riding close on its coattails. “There! Happy now? I failed to protect the woman who gave me life! I left her alone with a horrible, abusive man, and I allowed him to kill her!”
“Jason—”
“No! You wanted the truth, you're going to get it! I left her in a lion's den!” Flashes of blood-streaked walls and clumps of his mother's chestnut hair in the carpet slammed into his mind, churning his stomach.
“I'd warned him to never hurt her again and you see how powerful my threat was? I hadn't been gone from home a few months before he beat her to death, and when I killed him, it didn't even matter. She was already gone so what was the point?” He glanced down, unable to look her in the eye while confessing the rest. “I couldn't kill the bastard while she was alive, when the act would have been noble, would have saved her. I waited until she was already gone and then acted, but not to save her. Not to save anybody! I killed him just to do it, just to purge my anger.”
He took a minute to swallow back the bile in his throat. “I was an animal, no better than him, and I got him when he was half passed out. I was too much of a coward to fight him when he was at full strength.”
~~~
Ming tore her gaze away, unable to look at Jason with his shoulders slumped, head hung in shame. Not without crying. How could he not realize how strong he was?
“Jason, I believe in you,” she said firmly after battling past her need to cry for him. “You've never been a coward.”
He let out the saddest, most hollow laugh she'd ever had the misery of hearing.
“You fought and killed two Werewolves with nothing but a silver knife.”
“In the time it took you to kill six,” he spat back, turning his head to hold her gaze. His normally light eyes were dark and hard, blazing like green fire.
