Logan looked down at his black box. “This way.” He pointed down a far hallway and started into a jog, following that green blip on the screen.
Ivar tried to stay calm, memories assailing him. Of him leaving Quade in hell, not once but twice. Of rolling with Promise on the bed, of making her laugh. He hadn’t told her. Not once had he told her how he felt. Knowing he was going off mission and probably not returning for eons was no excuse. He should’ve saved Quade, and he should’ve let Promise know she was loved.
His boots echoed dully on the dusty old wooden floors, his chest heating until he swore fire filled his breast. Panic clutched his hands into fists. Where was his mate?
They reached the end of a hallway and turned down another one, this one with damaged blue lockers lining the way, some having fallen into the middle. He jumped over two, following Logan, a growl rising up from his soul. Where were they?
Logan paused in front of a series of classrooms, swinging the black box around.
The sound of a helicopter lifting pierced the sunny day outside.
Ivar’s head jerked. What if Promise was in the helicopter? His legs shook with the need to run and find out, but what if she was here? He opened his mouth to say something to Logan, and the nearest door exploded open. The force lifted him off the floor and threw him high against the far wall. His head impacted on the cement wall, and he dropped fast, landing on his knees.
Logan landed next to him, shoving backward and drawing his gun.
Smoke filled the hallway. A burning torch burst out of the smoke followed by a second one, swinging for his face.
He ducked and rolled, coming up and grabbing the wooden handle. Promise came with it, kicking and punching, holding fast. “What are you doing?” he snapped.
She blinked up at him. “Ivar?” Her hold on the torch loosened. He claimed it, noting the damn thing was actually a broom with the bristles on fire.
He pulled her close, breathing in her scent.
Logan stood with Mercy, who had a similar broom. He looked toward the smoking classroom.
Promise leaned over and coughed, her body shaking.
Ivar pushed her behind him. “What’s in there?”
“Nothing,” she wheezed. “We found cleaning supplies and made a bomb.”
Admiration and pride swelled through his fear for her. “You made a bomb?” The back of his head was still bleeding from smashing into the wall. It was a hell of a bomb.
“Yes.” She straightened up and grabbed his arm. “Mercy was shot with a blaster. She’s unable to teleport.”
That explained that. Ivar looked over at Logan, who had his arm wrapped around his mate. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” Logan growled, throwing the still burning broom back into the classroom.
“I don’t think so.” A Kurjan soldier, gun held on them, dashed out of the farthest classroom with Niall on his heels.
Everything in Ivar went silent. He positioned Promise more squarely behind him. He could teleport, but the bullet might hit them first. If it impacted anywhere except his torso, could it go through him and into Promise?
Two Cyst soldiers dropped from the ceiling, breaking tiles that rained down. Promise yelped and ducked against Ivar’s back to avoid the sharp pieces.
Logan cut him a look.
With a short nod, Ivar focused, trying to banish the weakness in his limbs.
Then he charged.
* * * *
Ivar went for one Cyst while Logan focused on the other, trying to end this quickly. Niall moved out of the way, to the side, where Promise started smacking him with the burning broom. Mercy ducked for hers, grabbed the handle, and followed suit. The Fae king was unsuccessfully trying to shield his face from the fire.
Ivar kicked the Cyst soldier beneath the jaw and threw him back several feet. The soldier grabbed a knife from the back of his waist and advanced. Shit. It was a blade made specifically to kill one of the Seven by striking right above their fused shield. Ivar circled, waiting for the attack, wanting to get Promise to safety. The fight behind him raged on, hard and fast, with Logan beating the other Cyst around the head and neck.
Another Kurjan soldier ran from the far hallway, firing green lasers as he moved. Several hit Logan in the legs, and he dropped with a shout of pain.
Mercy leaped for him, trying to cover the wounds with her hands.
“Teleport, damn it, Logan,” Ivar yelled, driving his knife up into the head of the Cyst nearest him. The guy fell back, hit the wall, and went down for now. Promise was too far away for the demon to grab her. “Get your mate out of here since she can’t teleport. Find a doctor. I’ve got this.”
The Kurjan soldier aimed and hit Logan right in the throat with a bullet. The demon’s eyes widened, and he grabbed his larynx. Mercy screamed and pressed her hand over his, but blood welled through her fingers. He closed his eyes, and tingles popped in the air around him. Then they both disappeared.
God, hopefully Logan had enough strength to get them to the Realm medical building.
Ivar stole the gun from the guy he’d just dropped and turned, already firing at the Kurjan who’d shot Logan. The Kurjan stopped cold, bullet holes in his forehead and cheeks. He dropped forward, hit the wooden floor, and stopped moving. His legs flopped twice.
Pain blasted into Ivar’s head from a full-on punch aimed by the remaining Cyst soldier. The power flung him into the row of lockers, which immediately crashed to the ground at the impact.
Promise screamed.
Her voice centered him. He backflipped off the damaged metal and landed on the Cyst soldier’s back, where he dug his fingers in as hard as he could, seeking the larynx. Blood coated his hand, burning him to the bone.
Niall yanked the broom from Promise and threw it over his head, lunging for her. He grabbed her by the neck and took her down. She slapped and fought him, but he started to strangle her.
Ivar roared, and his fangs dropped. Holding his prey tight, he struck, ripping half of the Cyst’s neck out with one strong pull. The Cyst soldier dropped to his knees and then fell forward, out cold. Ivar landed on his feet and jumped for Niall, tackling him off Promise and rolling him down the hall.
They both rose to their feet, panting and bleeding.
Promise coughed and struggled to stand, coming up on Ivar’s side. “Let’s get out of here.”
Niall smiled, his teeth bloody. “How was your trip to hell?”
“A little warm,” Ivar said, taking a step toward the Fae king who’d nearly caused his destruction. “But I did see my brother, so there was that.”
Niall held up both hands. “I’m not armed, and I can’t teleport.” He motioned his head toward Promise. “You should take her out of here before more Kurjans come. They really want her brain.”
Ivar’s rage settled hard and cold in his gut. The Fae king didn’t have a weapon, and this wasn’t a fair fight. But if Ivar let him live, he’d gain his ability to teleport again, and then what? “Are you the only Fae working with the Kurjans?” he asked, advancing another step.
Niall sighed. “Yes.” He wiped blood off his chin. “Most of my people aren’t interested in politics.” He motioned them away. “You really should go.”
Ivar smiled and enjoyed the way the color drained out of Niall’s face. “I don’t think so.”
Niall hesitated, his blue and brown eyes moving to Promise and back. “You wouldn’t hurt an unarmed man in front of your mate, would you? It’s not like I’m a threat.”
“But you could be.” In one smooth motion, Ivar punched through the ex-king’s chest and pulled out his heart. He squeezed the muscle into nothingness as the body dropped to the ground. Then he threw the heart toward the lockers and smoothly walked to the downed Cyst and removed the knife from his neck. The only way to kill Niall was decapitation. “Promise? You’re gonna want to look the other way,
baby.”
Chapter Forty-One
Promise starting throwing up the minute Ivar grabbed her to teleport. Blood covered his face and neck, and she tried to turn away, but then they were traveling through space and time. Everything stopped, including her. Light came first, and then he released her. She bent over and vomited all over the grass near the lake.
Rain splashed down, cooling her heated cheeks. Her body lurched, and she emptied the rest of her stomach.
Ivar moved down the beach and bent to wash off his bloody hands. Then he turned toward her, his chest still bloody. The fierce blueness of his eyes cut through the gray storm, making him look like that ancient Viking she knew him to be. Deadly and primal. “You okay now?”
She heaved a couple of times, clutching her stomach. “Yes.” Walking around the mess on the sand, she crouched and washed her hands in the chilly water before splashing her mouth and face with lake water. The rain pinged off the lake, bouncing up at her. “Was that necessary?”
“Yes.” He grasped her arm and gently helped her to stand. “I’m sorry you had to see it.”
She hadn’t watched. The second he’d moved toward Niall with the knife, she’d heeded his words and turned away. But the bleak sound of cartilage and bone separating would always be with her, no matter how long she lived. While she understood Ivar’s reasoning, she just couldn’t look at him right now. “I need to brush my teeth.” She turned to the back entrance of the demon headquarters building.
Zane Kyllwood opened the doors and strode outside, rubbing a cut along his neck. Had he been at the fight? She hadn’t seen him. He nodded at Ivar. “Logan is in the medical building healing his neck. I already radioed that you’re safe.” A bruise above his left eye made him look even more dangerous than usual. “Dayne?”
Ivar shook his head. “Didn’t see him.”
Zane’s lips tightened. “A helicopter made it out. The bastard was probably on it. What about Niall?”
“Dead,” Ivar confirmed. “Head and all.”
Zane’s gaze flicked to Promise and then back to Ivar. “Thank you. He would’ve been a threat to the demon nation forever, especially since he’s been here at headquarters.”
“I’m aware.” Ivar took Promise’s hand and began walking toward the door. “Promise needs a quick shower and then has math to do so I can get back to Quade as soon as possible. Hopefully tomorrow since the earth is still in the correct position. His world has deteriorated horribly, and I don’t think he has much time left. This is my last chance to bring him home.” He helped her inside, and she blinked rain out of her eyes.
Promise stayed silent, her mind oddly quiet. Then she asked, “Do you have the results from the instruments I had Ivar bring back this time?”
“The results are still downloading, but I can tell you already that Quade’s world is heading toward Ulric’s. We can’t stop it,” Zane said.
Oh, equations were running in the background of her mind, and maybe even a way to get around the magnet problem, but right now, all she wanted was a hot shower and a toothbrush. She stumbled along with Ivar until he finally just picked her up without so much as a hitch in his stride.
They reached their suite, and he carried her into the bathroom, setting her down gently. She moved to the sink and brushed her teeth, feeling better already. Then she looked down at the blood now covering her shirt and swayed.
“Whoa.” Settling her against him with one arm, Ivar reached into the vast natural-rock shower and flipped on the water. “Let’s get you warm, sweetheart. I think you might be going into shock.” He gently removed her clothing and then his own, carrying her inside and shutting the glass door to let the steam surround them.
She let the warm water wash over her hair and stepped back from him.
His eyes darkened. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
Everything inside her, from her head to her heart, knew he’d never hurt her. “I’m not scared of you,” she whispered. “I know why you ended the threat of Niall. Intellectually, I understand. But it was just overwhelming.” She shivered at the natural violence that Ivar so easily employed.
Ivar engaged another set of showerheads closer to him and washed all the blood off. The red pooled around the drain and then disappeared. “I know.” His impressive back and rock-hard butt made her mouth water. He planted one hand on the wall and lowered his head, letting the water slide over the impressive shield that covered his entire back.
Maybe it was the shock or the multiple jumps, but she could feel his pain. His guilt. What drove him. She walked across the smooth stones and placed her hand on his lower waist. “You need to let go of the guilt,” she said quietly.
He turned, his eyes nearly black in the steam. His naked body was a study in male perfection. “I don’t feel guilty about killing Niall.”
“I know.” She stepped into him, going on her instincts for the first time in her life. He accepted all of her—even the parts she’d never liked. Her imagination versus her rational brain—he wanted them both. Her belly cushioned his already hardening penis. She smoothed the wet hair away from his face, noting the darker strands through the blond. “You’re so driven to save Quade. It wasn’t your fault that you escaped and he stayed. You have to stop carrying that with you.” At some point, it’d destroy him. She wanted to prevent that with a determination that heated every cell in her body.
He looked at the shower door and then back at her.
She reached up and palmed his whiskered jaw. “It wasn’t your fault. Forgive yourself before you risk your life again.”
He stared at her, his lids half-lowered. “Promise, I do, don’t wanna, ah…” He shook his head, and her hand slipped down. He looked at her shoulder. “Don’t, can’t talk about that.”
Her heart hurt for him. Completely. “I know. But when you can, I’m here to help.” They were mated. He needed to know that. Why the urgency caught her now, she’d figure out later.
He gave a slight nod.
She stepped closer and leaned up to kiss him. His eyebrows rose, and he watched her. “Promise?”
“You saved me.” A part of her she hadn’t explored before sang at the thought. That he’d risked his life, forcing his way through the enemy to fight for her. To bring her home safely. He definitely planned to return to Quade, to fiery danger, but right now, they had this. Sometimes a moment was all there was. “You came for me.”
“I’ll always come for you.” He gripped her jaw and swooped in to kiss her, taking over as she’d known he would. “When I found out you were taken, I nearly lost my mind. I love you, Promise. It’s real and it’s only for you.” He kissed her deeper, pressing her against the slick tiles.
“I accept all of you, Ivar.” She kissed him back, running her hands down the hard planes of his breathtaking chest. He loved her? She had feelings she couldn’t identify. How was it possible they were just chemicals and the biological imperative to find the strongest mate for protection? It had to be more. He’d taught her that emotion and intelligence could make her smarter. Stronger. “Ivar,” she murmured.
He clamped his hands on her butt and lifted her. Then his mouth took hers, and she kissed him back, giving him everything she couldn’t figure out how to put into words.
* * * *
Ivar held Promise aloft, pressed against the shower wall, needing her more than he’d needed anything in his long life. After having almost lost her, he was on fire. His blood, his soul, both pumping to the wild beat of near madness. There was only right here and now, only sensation, only this voracious hunger, one only she could satisfy.
She moaned his name, digging her nails into his shoulders, her thighs like a steel trap on either side of her hips. The one trap he never wanted to escape from. He slowly pressed inside her. Her eyes widened, and he tilted her to take more of him. “Ivar.”
He licked her lips, kissing, going deep. “Yo
u need to know. My loyalty is absolute.” He pumped harder, watching her full breasts jiggle in response. Her dusky nipples were a treat he could feast on for his entire life. “When I give my heart, it’s once only, and it’s for you.” He had to make sure she understood.
“Ivar, I love you,” she breathed, looking more than a little surprised as the words came out of her mouth.
He wanted to shout and laugh and kiss her some more. But he had to be sure she truly understood. “You’re everything to me, sweetheart.” The feel of her around him, of her taking all of him, was pure fucking bliss that nearly took his head off. His fingers dug into her rear, and he tried to slow down, but her internal muscles clamped down hard on him.
Desperation ripped through him, throwing him into a frenzied lust.
She cried out and held him harder, her thighs trembling on his hips.
He powered into her, plunging again and again, going deeper than even he would’ve thought possible. Closer. He wanted to be closer, to be a part of her, to never leave. No matter what it took, he’d come back to her. His fangs dropped.
Her eyes widened, and she slowly turned her head, revealing her delicate neck. It was a moment of absolute trust. She’d seen him rip out the neck of the enemy, and yet, she exposed herself to him. Willingly.
He grazed his sharp fangs beneath her ear and down her neck, enjoying the way her curvy body shuddered against his. She was vulnerable and trusting, and she gave him everything he could’ve ever wanted. Slowly, he pressed the twin blades into her skin, marking her yet again.
She tensed and cried out, an orgasm taking her with a power beyond them both. He pounded harder, his fangs inside her, finishing in a white-hot explosion that left him gasping and for the first time in his life feeling like he had a place. Just for him.
For once, he felt whole.
He licked her wound closed, and she mumbled something, her head back on the wall, her eyes closed. Satisfaction filled him at the sight of his mark on her delicate flesh.
The rain beat outside, cocooning them together for this brief moment.
Alpha's Promise Page 29