“We need to hurry. That scumbag, Cyrus, told the bastards exactly where to find Emery. Seems like he’s been watching her for a while now,” Briar told them as soon as they exited their vehicles.
“Where’s Miracle?” Knox demanded, stalking past her and heading for the house, his hand on Emery’s back as he brought her with him.
“I’m right here.” Emery raised her head and gasped when she saw that Knox’s sweet, little sister was strapping, too.
“Dammit, Miracle, you need to get into the safe room. Now!”
“Not going to happen,” Miracle said, turning on her heel and going back into the house.
“I can’t keep an eye on you out there, sis. I won’t be able to keep you safe.”
Miracle turned around abruptly, her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing, as she growled fiercely, “I do not need you to protect me, Knox Channing! You worry about your mate, not me. I can handle myself.”
“While that may have been true in the past, things have changed,” Noah said gently, as he stepped around Knox to make his way toward Miracle. “You’ve been through so much, Miracle. You might freeze up out there. If we are focused on you, it could get someone else hurt.”
“If you expect me to stand down when my sister is being threatened, you better think again,” Miracle snarled, her clear blue eyes sparkling, shining bright as sapphires. “No one is taking Emery from us. I don’t give a damn who they are! Now, stop wasting your time trying to change my mind, and gear up! They are going to be here anytime, and we need to be ready.”
“Gear up?” Emery whispered, shock filling her at the difference in the woman who stood in front of her. Gone, was the meek and mild Miracle she knew. In her place, stood a fierce warrior who was ready to stand against an army for her. “Sister?” Emery swallowed hard, fighting tears at the thought of Miracle claiming her as a sister.
Miracle’s face softened slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile. “You are one of us, Emery. Family. And Channings protect our own.”
“Yes, they do,” Knox agreed gruffly. Letting go of her, he walked over to Miracle and lifted a hand, gently caressing her face. “Fine. You can be a part of this, Miracle, but you need to be vigilant. We cannot afford to lose you again.”
Miracle nodded, leaning into his touch, before turning to walk away.
“Does she know how to use those guns?” Emery whispered, watching Miracle walk into a room at the end of the hall.
“I trained her myself,” Briar said quietly, looping an arm through Emery’s. “I don’t ever want her to feel helpless like she did before.”
As Knox’s brothers all followed him down the hall after Miracle, Emery looked at Briar. “And you? Where did you learn to shoot a gun?”
Briar smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were hard as steel as she replied, “My father taught all of us how to handle a weapon when we were growing up. He raised us to always try to combat confrontation with words first. If that doesn’t work, we will do whatever it takes to protect our family.”
“I hate bringing a war to your door.”
“Emery,” Knox interrupted, walking toward them, a wicked looking gun in his hand, “do you know how to use one of these?”
Emery nodded, slowly reaching out and taking the weapon from him. “Just point and shoot.”
“Emery…”
“My father took me hunting with him a few times. We used a rifle, but this can’t be much different.”
She listened intently while her mate explained the 9mm handgun to her. The others returned as he was securing it at her waist, and she grasped his hand tightly when he was done, looking at them all. “You don’t know what this means to me,” she whispered. “My father was the only one who ever really cared about me. My mother and my brothers, they’ve never wanted anything to do with me. I didn’t know what it was like to have a family, a real family, until I met you. I just want you to know that I love all of you very much, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.”
“We love you, too,” Brayden said, reaching out to tug on her hair lightly. “Now, let’s go make sure you never have to worry about your brothers, or that piece of shit alpha, again.”
Moisture filled her eyes, but Emery refused to let the tears fall. They were standing strong for her, and she would do the same. “Yes, let’s go.”
Twenty-One
Knox stood tall beside his mate, waiting for the convoy of vehicles that had just turned down the driveway to reach him. Briar stood next to him, Noah beside her, and Brayden was on the other side of Emery. Nolan and Miracle were hidden, one in the hayloft, and one on the roof of the house, their rifles pointed in the direction of the trucks. The sun was just going down, but the flood lights were on. He wanted to make sure he could look the bastard of an alpha in the eye when he gutted him for threatening his bunny.
“Were you really going to start all the fun without us?”
A slow grin crossed his face, but Knox’s gaze didn’t waiver from the scene in front of him. “Nice to have you here, Aurora.”
He was aware of her walking out of the woods behind the barn, and she was not alone. She’d brought her coven, just as she’d said she would.
“I didn’t want you to have all the fun,” she murmured, as she came to a stop by Noah. “Hey fur ball. Miss me?”
A deep growl rumbled in Noah’s throat, but he didn’t respond. Their mating was not going to be an easy one, if it happened at all. It was hard to fight a mate bond, but with the way Noah felt about witches, Knox knew he would deny it for as long as possible.
The first SUV came to a stop in front of them, as more witches emerged from the trees and fanned out around them. Knox didn’t really give a damn how Noah felt about the women, he was glad to have them on their side.
“That’s Samson,” Emery said quietly, as the driver’s side door opened, and a tall, muscular man appeared. Three more men stepped out. “The one on the left is Dryden, Samson’s head enforcer. The other two are my brothers, Frederick and Hamilton.”
Knox watched as the other three vehicles stopped. Four men and a woman emerged from the second one, three men from the third one, and four men from the last one.
“This isn’t all of them,” Aurora said, making a motion behind her with a hand that sent four of the witches back into the woods. “They brought backup. Coyotes.”
Noah swore softly. “How many?”
“I’m not sure,” Aurora admitted. “I just know they are there.”
Knox nodded, his eyes on Samson. “Your witches have a way of checking back in once they find out?”
“Yes.”
“Knox,” Emery interjected, and he could hear the worry in her voice, “that’s Meadow. Why would he bring her to something like this?”
“Because he knows that she helped you escape,” Aurora said softly. “He is going to make an example of her.”
“Like hell, he is,” Briar snapped.
“Agreed,” Knox muttered.
Samson stepped forward, coming to a stop a few feet in front of Knox and Emery, a cruel grin pasted on his face. “Hello, Princess. Time to come home.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Emery replied, not moving.
“Your mate is waiting,” her brother said, motioning to where Alpha Ramsey stood next to Frederick and Hamilton, a frightened Meadow by his side.
“That asshat is not my mate.”
“Not yet, but he will be soon.”
“Emery is mine,” Knox growled. “We have already completed the mate bond. If you take one step closer to her, you and all of your men will die.”
“You promised her to me!” Alpha Ramsey snarled, dark anger flowing from him as he grabbed Meadow by her hair and threw her roughly to the ground in front of him. “This is your fault, daughter!”
Knox expected the young woman to cower in front of the asshole, or to try to run from him, but she did neither. Slowly, she rose to her feet, squared her shoulde
rs, and said, “It’s over, Father. Emery has made her choice. You can’t break a mate bond once it’s in place.”
“You little bitch!” Curling his hand into a fist, the alpha swung, connecting with Meadow’s jaw, dropping her back to the ground. “Kill her!”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Knox said calmly, a cold grin on his face as he stared at Ramsey’s enforcer who had pulled his gun from its holster. “My brother has a bead on you right now. If you even point that gun at her, you’re a dead man.”
“Do it!” Ramsey snarled.
“Did I forget to mention that my sister has her gun pointed directly at your head, Alpha?” Knox didn’t wait for a response. “Meadow, come to us. You are safe.” When she hesitated, he promised, “We have you covered. There is nothing he can do to you.”
Slowly, she stumbled to her feet, taking a tentative step in his direction. Suddenly, a loud crack filled the air, and Ramsey’s enforcer fell to the ground, his gun at his side. Knox raised an eyebrow, his gaze on Ramsey. “I warned you what would happen if your puppet raised his gun. You are on my property, Alpha Ramsey, in a territory that doesn’t belong to you. I suggest you vacate the premises, without your daughter, if you want to live.”
“We aren’t alone,” Samson snarled, taking a step in their direction.
“Neither are we,” Knox promised, satisfaction filling him when low growls sounded around him, and wolves began to appear, slinking in from the woods, surrounding all of them. A large black wolf with white on his muzzle came to a stop beside him, and Knox nodded, recognizing Nathan. “Did I mention this isn’t your territory? Tristan Wolfe is the alpha here. This is his son, Nathan, and these are his wolves. Looks like you forgot to check in when you arrived. They really hate that.”
“Fuck you!”
“Meadow, come here. I promise, we will protect you.”
Knox watched as a spark of hope flared in the young woman’s eyes, and she didn’t look back as she ran to him, slipping behind his back as if to hide from her father. “Thank you.”
“Meadow, get your ass back over here,” Ramsey growled, taking a step toward them. A shot rang out, kicking up dirt at the alpha’s feet. He jumped back quickly, glaring at them.
“I warned you,” Knox said calmly, his eyes on Samson now. “That was just a warning shot. The next one will go through your head.”
“Fuck this shit,” Ramsey snarled, motioning to his SUV. “You’re on your own, Samson. Your sister isn’t worth it.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Knox knew something was up. There was no way Ramsey had come all of the way to Blue Creek for Emery, just to turn tail and run. “He’s bluffing,” he warned the others, just as the man dropped to the ground and one of his enforcers pulled a gun, aiming at Noah and pulling the trigger.
Twenty-Two
Emery’s eyes flew to Noah in horror, expecting the bullet to hit him, but it never happened. It seemed to bounce off an invisible shield, falling harmlessly to the ground.
“Witches!” Samson spat, a gun appearing in his hand.
“Damn right!” Aurora hollered, and Emery watched in shock when her friend held up her hand and a ball of flames began to form. “Let me show you what happens when you fuck with my friend,” she spat, before letting it fly. It hit the enforcer who shot at Noah, engulfing him in flames.
All hell broke loose after that. Gunfire filled the air, and Emery raised her own weapon, feeling the kick of the gun in her hand when the bullet left the chamber.
“Get in the barn!” Knox snarled, taking her arm and pushing her away from him. “Get Meadow out of here!”
“My people found the coyotes!” Aurora yelled, another ball of flames leaving her hand. “They took out as many as they could, but the rest will be here anytime.”
No sooner did the words leave her lips, then several coyotes flooded from the trees. The wolves turned to face them, waiting until they were only a few feet away, before attacking.
It was a sight to see, but there was no way in hell Emery was sticking around to watch the outcome. She was a bunny, for fucks sake! She wouldn’t stand a chance with all of those teeth and claws. Grabbing Meadow’s arm, she yelled, “Let’s go! We need to get you somewhere safe!”
She and Meadow had just about reached the barn door when two coyotes slunk over to block the entrance. They growled, their fangs dripping with saliva, as they crouched low. Emery raised her gun, intent on protecting Meadow, when a loud roar split the air. Sidetracked for a moment, she almost missed it when the coyote sprang at her. Pulling the trigger, she cried out when the bullet hit its target, dropping him to the ground. Before she could point the weapon at the other coyote, a large blur rushed past her, swiping at the downed coyote on the way, sending it flying into the side of the barn. The other one tried to retreat, but the massive beast in front of her was having none of that. He sank his huge claws deep into his prey, tearing it apart, piece-by-piece, not stopping until there was nothing left. When it was finished, he turned to look at her, letting out another loud roar, but Emery wasn’t afraid.
Rushing forward, she hugged him quickly before leaning back to smack a smooch on his snout. “Thank you, my love! Now, go help the others! I’m going up with Miracle.”
With one last look at her, he left, barreling back into the fight.
“Oh, my God,” Meadow cried, her shocked gaze on the vicious fighting going on around them. “Why is this happening, Princess? Why?”
“Let’s go!” Grabbing her arm again, Emery urged her into the barn and up a ladder in the back. She found Miracle on her belly up in the hayloft, by the partially open door, methodically pulling the trigger as she picked off bad guys. “Miracle, this is horrible. It needs to stop!”
“Don’t worry,” she said, as she pulled the trigger again. “It will all be over soon.”
“So much death and destruction because of me,” Emery cried, tears now streaming down her face. “I have to end this.”
“No, the death and destruction is because your brothers are fucking idiots,” Miracle snarled, the rifle kicking in her hands again. “None of this is on you, Emery.”
“If I had just left, this wouldn’t be happening right now.”
“If you had left, I would have tracked you down myself,” Miracle replied, repositioning the gun and firing again. “We are your family, Emery. We love you, and we need you here with us. Knox needs you.”
Emery nodded, stiffening when there was a sound at the back of the loft. Turning, she shoved Meadow behind her, raising her gun.
“You wouldn’t shoot your own brother, would you, Princess?” Samson asked, closing the distance between them. “We’re family.”
“Did you not just hear what I said, douchebag?” Miracle asked, swinging around, her rifle in her hands. “Emery is our family now.”
“Never,” Samson growled, his revolver trained on Miracle. “I’m taking her home with me. She’s going to mate with Alpha Ramsey, and I’m getting my fucking money I was promised.”
“Dream on.”
Before Miracle could fire, there was a muffled shot, and a large red stain appeared in the middle of Samson’s chest. His eyes widened in shock, as he looked down, dropping his gun.
“That’s where you are wrong, asshole. Princess is staying right here, where she is happy and loved. Something she never got at home. You aren’t going to hurt her anymore.”
Emery’s eyes widened, and she took a step forward. “Dryden?”
Dryden didn’t respond as he put a bullet in between Samson’s eyes. Her brother slowly collapsed to the floor, staring lifelessly at the ceiling.
When Dryden finally raised his gaze to meet hers, Emery whispered, “Thank you.”
“I failed you before, Princess. I knew Ramsey was a prick, but I thought I needed to follow your brother like I did your father. Be loyal to him, and do as he commanded. I was wrong. I will never be able to make up for that.”
“You just did,” Emery said, aware that M
iracle was once again looking out the door to the hayloft. It was a lot quieter now, the gunfire fading into the background. The snarls and growls were lessening, and hope began to fill her. “Is it over?”
Miracle turned back, a small grin on her face. “Yes, I think it is.”
Emery crossed the floor to look out, tears filling her eyes at all of the carnage below. So many hurt, and several dead, all because of her.
“You have to stop thinking like that,” Miracle said softly, rising to stand beside her, slipping an arm around her waist to hold her close. “None of this is your fault. The blame falls solely on your brothers.”
“And Lela,” Dryden added, derision in his voice. “That woman is not without blame.”
“I just don’t understand what I did to make them hate me so much,” Emery whispered. “Why would they want to sell me off like that?”
“I can answer that,” Dryden told her, “but right now, I think we better get down there and help the wounded.”
“Yes! Of course!”
Upset with herself for not immediately going to check on the others, Emery left the hayloft, clearing the stairs quickly, and running for the door.
“Princess! Dammit, Princess, wait! I need to make sure it’s safe first.”
Several growls filled the air when Dryden’s hand circled around the upper part of her arm, and the huge barn seemed awful small when they were suddenly surrounded by three large bears, their teeth bared as they stared at Dryden.
“Stop!” Emery demanded, stomping her foot to get their attention. “Stop, you guys! He isn’t going to hurt me. He saved my life.” When the growling continued, she snapped, “He just put a bullet in Samson’s head to protect me. Do you really think he is going to hurt me now?”
The growling slowly subsided, and then there was a soft, shimmering light around the largest bear as he began to shift. Soon, Knox was standing in front of her, in all his naked glory, his eyes on Dryden. “Thank you for saving my mate’s life.”
Dryden bowed his head low, tilting it to the side in deference to Knox, “I am only sorry I didn’t do anything sooner.”
Sassy Ever After_His Bunny Kicks Sass Page 9
