"Seven minutes. They'd be here now, but Zion wanted Rajak to use his teleporting abilities to support Viktor's hunt, so the team hunting you is arriving by truck."
Shit. With Rajak on their team, the team assigned to Viktor would be moving fast.
"You made any progress on Viktor?" Xander asked, swinging his axe loosely from his fingers. "The hunt's heading toward his place."
"He's not there." Ajax looked at his watch, set the timer for six and a half minutes. Not much time. But it was all he was going to get. He walked over to the man who'd just blown up his house and tried to murder the woman he liked kissing. Ajax grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him upright. The guy was sheet white and bleeding out badly. He'd be dead within minutes, but Ajax still wanted to sink his blade into him for shooting at Madison.
Pete's eyes flickered open, and he gasped a wheezy breath. "Is Madison okay?"
"I'm fine, no thanks to you." She started to walk toward them. "Pete, what's going on?"
"Stop." Ajax didn't want her near Pete.
She ignored him and marched right up to them. Ajax moved his body between her and Pete. She didn't push past him, and he could feel the trembling of her body, saw the betrayal in her eyes as she looked at Pete. "You tried to kill me. Why? Who are you?"
Pete shook his head once, a weak gesture that Ajax knew was all he had the strength to do. "I didn't mean to shoot you. I tried to eliminate Ajax so you wouldn't need to. Broke the rules to save you. Madison don't kill him. Don't do that to yourself..." He coughed, his lungs sounding spotty and full. "You don't deserve that burden."
"Whose rules?" Ajax asked, aware of Xander circling the cabin, and he knew Xander was tracking the approach of the hunters while he was listening to the conversation. Ajax didn't have time for this interrogation, but he couldn't afford to pass up a chance for answers. Pete wouldn't be around for round two.
"I was hired to watch you. To fuck with you and make sure you did what he wanted. I've done a lot of shit for him, but you got to me." Pete was looking only at Madison. "I couldn't do it. It's you they want. Not your sister. It's always been you."
Ajax felt Madison shift beside him. "Who?" she demanded. "Who wants me?"
"Charles. That's all I know him by." Pete coughed again. "Don't let them win. Don't let them use your sister to get to you. She's dead anyway. Just disappear, Madison." He closed his eyes. "I can help you vanish," he whispered. "Go to my house. In my desk. Money. Take it. It's yours."
Ajax locked his fingers around Madison's wrist. "She's not going to your house."
Madison spoke at the same time, moving closer to Ajax. "How can I trust you, Pete?"
"I'm dying. I have nothing to lie about anymore." Pete shook his head. "You can't beat them on your own. Even Viktor—" He coughed, a thick sound of impending death.
Ajax went rigid at the mention of Viktor's name, and Xander spun around to face them. "Tell me about Viktor," Ajax ordered.
"He's a test...some kind of test..." Pete's gaze swiveled toward Ajax. "None of you can win. Take her and go."
Ajax's fist tightened in Pete's shirt, letting him see his willingness to do whatever it took to get answers. "Tell me where Viktor is and who has him."
"I don't know." Pete's eyes flickered shut, then opened again. "I saw what they did to the sister. I couldn't let them get Madison, too."
Ajax swore and looked at Xander. What the fuck's going on?
Xander shook his head once.
"Keep Madison safe," Pete mumbled, his voice getting weaker. "They'll use her to get to you. To all of the Order. But you...most important...you and Viktor..."
"Who's after us?"
Pete shook his head, his eyes falling shut again. "Don't have names," he whispered. "In Madison's room. Find Viktor—" He slumped over, unconscious. "Fuck!" Ajax looked over at Xander. "We need Kerrick. He needs to heal this guy."
"He's assigned to your hunt. He'll be here in three." Xander's gaze flicked to Pete. "I don't know if Kerrick can heal him, though. He's been useless since his sheva was killed."
"Make him try." Ajax caught Madison's chin with his hand, forcing her horrified gaze away from the dying mortal. "What room was he talking about? Madison's room, he said. "
She tore her gaze from Pete and looked at Ajax. He realized she was looking at him differently than before. There was open honesty in her gaze, a desperation, a plea for his help. "My bedroom, maybe? I guess at my house? I don't know." She looked at Pete again. "He's going to die, isn't he?"
Ajax tightened his grip on her, demanding her attention. "Where's your house?"
She dragged her gaze off Pete. "I can take you there—"
"Two and a half minutes," Xander said.
Ajax noticed that Madison's offer had been for a personal escort instead of simply telling him where her house was. "What's going on? What's the deal with your sister?"
There was indecision in her eyes, and fear, and he sensed she was afraid to trust him with the complete truth.
He gripped her shoulders and forced her to face him, holding her tightly, letting him see the hardness of his face. "I'm all you've got, now. The truth is your only chance. Tell me everything."
She swallowed, and acknowledgement flickered in her eyes. "The man who kidnapped Ashley was a Calydon. He had a dagger for a weapon." Her voice caught, then she recovered and continued. "The police believe she's the one murdering Calydons. I know that Illusionists are known for being able to kill Calydons, but I know she isn't doing it. Her Illusions have been there, but it's not her. She's not doing the killing."
Ajax looked at Xander, who was watching Madison intently.
"I knew she was being forced into it, and I hired Pete to find her." She looked over at Pete, who was barely breathing. "But he dropped out two days ago. He wouldn't tell me the truth about why. I didn't know whether to trust him."
"Look at me." Ajax set his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at him and not the man dying on the floor behind him. "Tell me what you do know."
She fixed her silver eyes on him. "I can help you. I can tell you if someone's working an Illusion on you. I can be your guide while we find Ashley and the Calydon who has her. Pete said they're all connected, including Viktor. If we find the Calydon who took Ashley, we'll find Viktor, too—"
"Is Ashley your full sister by blood?" Xander interrupted.
Madison looked at him. "Yes. Why?"
"Blood bond her," Xander said to Ajax.
Blood bond her. A primal dark need surged inside Ajax at the suggestion.
He was suddenly consumed with the idea of having her blood coursing through his veins, of his essence tracking through her body. To bind them so tightly that he could find her anytime he wanted, be inside her mind, feel her desire for him as if it was his own. His fingers tightened on her face, fear flickered in her eyes, then she grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away, snapping him back to reality.
He wrenched himself away from her. "No. There will be no blood exchange."
But Xander wasn't finished. "Since she and Ashley are blood-related, binding yourself to Madison's blood might give you enough of a connection to Ashley that you could get some sort of lead on her."
"No."
"Why not? It's our only lead, and it's not like the blood bond is a big deal, unless she was your sheva—" Xander stopped mid-sentence. "Is she your sheva? Is that why you were about to nail her when you had a key witness dying on your floor?"
Ajax blinked at the question. Madison his mate? The one woman destined to be his ultimate destruction, unless she was killed before they could bond? "Shit. No. Can't be. I'd know."
"Sheva?" Madison looked back and forth between them. "What's that?"
"Illusions," Ajax said. "She's an Illusionist. She worked me over to get me to want her—"
"I did not!" She glared at him, but she looked guilty. "I swear I didn't use an Illusion on you—"
Ajax's watch alarm went off. "Thirty seconds."
Madison clamped her mouth shut, looking warily around the cabin. Then she made a noise of distress and ran over to the bed, scooping a black phone off the floor. She shoved it into her pocket, shooting a furtive look at him, as if the phone were some dark secret she had to hide from him.
"If you're sure she's not your sheva, you have to do the blood bond on the chance it'll work." Xander said. "Viktor won't last long out there—"
"I know he's short on time." Ajax cut him off, unsettled by the need still pulsing through him to blood bond her.
He could practically hear her blood rushing through her body, calling out to him. There was no reason the suggestion should be affecting him like that, and he didn't trust it. He wasn't doing it until he figured out what was going on and why, no matter how badly his body was aching to slam itself deep inside her and bond her to him on every level.
He ran his hand over the brand on his forearm, forcing himself to focus, to override the physical needs trying to control him. "We don't even know if Ashley's connected to him. It's not a risk worth taking until we know what's going on."
Xander glanced out the window, his fingers flexing as if he could sense the hunt nearing. "I see your point about the blood bond, but—"
"I'm going to Madison's house. Pete said something about her room, and that's where I'm going to start." He looked at Madison. "Let's go."
Xander stepped between them. "Wait for the Order."
Ajax snorted. "So they can kill me? No."
"Go back to Zion, give your report and get this shit straightened out. We need them off your case and on Viktor's, and that won't happen until you talk to Zion."
"Zion could have trusted you, and he didn't. If I let you take me back, and he throws me in those chains in his basement, then Viktor's got no chance." Ajax shoved past Xander, strode across the room and flipped the bed over, revealing a solid wood floor. He passed his hands over the knotted pine until he found the right location, then shoved hard against it until one of the knots popped up. Using the knot as a handle, he braced himself and wrenched up several floorboards and the half-ton steel door they hid.
"You'll condemn both of you if you take off," Xander warned, but he didn't move to stop Ajax.
Ajax held out his hand. "Madison."
She hurried over, then peered down into the pitch-black pit. She hesitated, which he respected. It would be asinine for her to jump down there with him.
Except they were both desperate.
"If you want me to help you find your sister, we need to go now."
She glanced at him, bit her lips, then nodded. "Let's go." With no further hesitation, she took his outstretched hand.
He pulled her to him. "We need to move faster than you can run. I need to carry you." Heat pulsed through him at the idea of holding her against him, and he shook it off. This was about Viktor now.
"Okay."
"Okay." He picked her up and pulled her against his chest, her body sliding over his like a carnal temptation. "Hold tight," he ordered, his voice gruffer than he'd intended.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, the heat of her female core pressed tight against his stomach, her breath warm against his throat. He slid his hand beneath her ass, anchoring her right where he wanted her. He raised a brow. "Ready?"
She nodded once. A slight tremor rippled through her body, but her eyes reflected no fear.
"Then let's do it." He crouched, reaching under the floor to grab a hidden handle. Holding tight, he dropped easily through the opening, hanging freely.
Xander grabbed the trapdoor, holding it open. "Don't do this."
He met Xander's gaze. "I have to."
For a moment, neither warrior spoke, then Xander swore. "I'll do what I can to back you, but I won't walk away from my Order oath."
"I know."
"Find him, Ajax."
"I will."
Xander nodded, pulled his hand back, and let the trap door slam shut on them.
Ajax knew he was on his own now.
The darkness was instant and impenetrable, but without the oppressiveness of what the grenade had given off. Madison gripped him tighter, her legs squeezing around his hips as she pressed her head to his shoulder.
"Hang on." He let go of her, reached to the side and felt for the steel door he'd installed, sliding it over the opening in total silence. There was the faintest click as it locked, but it was enough to expose them if the Order had already arrived.
He waited, dangling in silence for a moment, to see if someone was coming after them.
But there was no noise from above.
Yet.
He wrapped his arm around Madison again, adjusting her position so her weight was balanced correctly. "Silence," he whispered in her ear. "I'm going to let us drop now. I'll control the fall, so don't fight it."
She nodded, but before he could release them, he heard the sound of boots directly over his head, voices of the warriors he'd been teamed up with for hundreds of years. Warriors who knew how he fought, even if he'd never trusted them with the existence of his escape tunnels.
There was no way to completely muffle the impact from a twenty-foot drop. The Order would hear them.
But each moment they hung there, the other hunt was closing in on Viktor. Shit. He didn't want to kill his team if he didn't have to. But if they tried to stop him...
They'd have to run for it.
Alone, he could make it.
With Madison, it would be a hell of a lot tougher.
For a split second, he considered leaving her behind so he could move faster, but then she let out a sigh, her breath whispering across his skin like a lover's caress, and he knew he had no choice.
She was coming with him, and if the trip to her house revealed nothing, he'd try to find Ashley by blood bonding with Madison. Yeah, the connection between Ashley and Viktor was still circumstantial, but it was his only lead, and he was going to follow it until he found Viktor or determined it was a dead end.
And in truth, he needed Madison to tell him if he was being worked over, to tell him if he could trust his instincts. Hell, in his house, before the grenade had hit, he'd been walking to the front door to check out why the forest had gone quiet. He hadn't had the slightest warning that Pete was about to attack from the other side. He'd totally missed it.
That was twice now his battle instincts had failed him. Without them, he was vulnerable. Which meant he needed her.
He was keeping her, no matter how much trouble she brought him.
There was no other option.
But he knew he was in trouble even before he let go and let them drop.
Chapter Sixteen
They hit the ground hard, but Ajax absorbed the landing, protecting Madison from the impact. He was on his feet in an instant, and Madison slid down his body, finding her footing on the rocky bottom. "Ajax—"
He touched his index finger to her lips, and she stopped.
They stood in silence, listening.
There was silence in his cabin. No voices. No footsteps.
Ajax waited, certain they were doing the same thing on their end. Trying to place the sound they'd heard when Ajax and Madison had landed. Waiting for Ajax to make a mistake that would tell them where he was.
Madison pressed against him, and he could feel her body trembling slightly. He locked his arm around her for reassurance, but didn't dare move or speak.
There was a sudden thump above their head, and Ajax knew they were testing the floor. Not sure yet, but checking things out. He had no doubt Xander was huddled over Pete with Kerrick, disassociating himself from the hunt so he didn't give anything away.
The respite would last only so long.
He had to take the chance of moving.
Ajax tapped his index finger over Madison's lips to tell her to keep quiet. She nodded.
Quietly, he turned his back on her and crouched in front of her, pulling her hands around his neck. In perfect understanding, she leaned into him and wrapp
ed her legs around his waist. He stood up, adjusted her legs and checked her grip, viscerally aware of her breasts flattened against his back, of her thighs tight around his hips.
Ajax. Come to my cabin on the mountain. I need to speak with you.
He was startled by the sound of Zion's voice in his mind. They'd all blood bonded with their leader when they'd joined the Order, but Zion always blocked the connections, not wanting any of the Order to have access to his mind. It was the first time he'd ever heard Zion in his mind, but he jumped on the opportunity. Call off the hunt for Viktor.
You must trust my judgment.
Ajax ground his jaw in frustration. Like I trusted you with Enzo? No chance. Call off the Hunt.
I can't do that. I need you here. Now.
The floor over Ajax's head creaked, and he knew someone was right above them. Madison lifted her head, and he knew she was watching the trap door. No. I'm staying in the field until I find Viktor.
There was a rumble of frustration from Zion that made Ajax tense.
Zion hid his emotions well. Ajax had never sensed a single emotion from Zion. What could be strong enough to break Zion's rigid self-control? A ripple of unease prickled across the back of Ajax's neck, forcing him to make an offer he'd never thought he'd make to an organization he didn't trust. If you need me that badly, I'm in. Change the hunt that's after Viktor to a rescue mission, and I'm yours. Anything you need.
No. This is bigger than you or Viktor. It's about the Order—
Then I'm out. Ajax broke off contact as Zion's anger hit him, a force so powerful it felt like he'd been clubbed in the head. He knew Zion was going to step up the hunt for him, and hell only knew what threat was building that was making Zion get edgy.
Stakes were rising fast, and he didn't even know what direction the enemy was coming from, especially without his instincts. But he knew that teaming up with the organization that had ordered the death of his uncle and of Viktor without giving them a chance was a mistake. He was not sacrificing for the good of the Order. Never. Again.
Darkness Awakened Page 10
