Elyse’s heart hammered as she realized her life was in the hands of these strangers, who were all vampires. Yes, they’d been kind to her, forgiven her for things she may not have been able to forgive another for, and they were Saxon’s family, but Logan meant more to them than she did.
Chapter Forty-Four
Saxon was beginning to think they might cross into Canada and never find anything other than these rooms when a dim glow at the end of the tunnel caught his attention.
“Turn off the lights,” he whispered.
Lucien clicked off his flashlight, and the others followed suit. Without the lights on, the glow at the end was brighter as they cautiously approached it. Saxon’s blood pumped faster with every step he took, and adrenaline coursed through his body. He wanted this over with, these things dead, and Elyse in his arms as he shut out the memories of death.
Slowing his step before they made it to the end of the tunnel, he cautiously poked his head out to see what lay ahead, and his jaw almost dropped. Metal wiring encased sickly, yellow lights on the walls of the dome-shaped room.
The room was large enough to accommodate a few hundred Savages, and a couple of dozen, ten-foot-long tables filled the center of it. At least a hundred glasses and dozens of decanters sat on the tables. Most of the glasses had a red liquid inside, and judging by the smell and look, it was blood.
On the far side of the room, a dais with a single table on it sat above the room. The black chair on the dais was more like a king’s throne with its ornate carvings and high, winged back. A golden goblet sat before the chair.
“It looks like we interrupted lunch,” Ronan said.
“So where are the feasters?” Declan inquired.
Four other tunnels branched off from the dome, but there was no movement in the shadows. He understood why Elyse could only find that entrance; it was the closest one to her father. There was no telling where these other tunnels went or how far they stretched.
Glancing behind him, he saw nothing but those who’d entered with them. While some of the Savages might be able to go out in the day and reenter the tunnel to come up behind them, most couldn’t tolerate the sun’s rays to do so. The only other corridor they’d encountered was now blocked off, but still, he worried the Savages might pin them in here.
“Could there be secret pathways that would allow them to enter behind us?” he asked.
“Who knows,” Killean said.
“Keep a look out behind us!” Ronan commanded, and feet shuffled as the fighters readjusted themselves.
“It’s like an ant colony,” Lucien said as he surveyed the tunnels and dome with disgust.
“Killer ants,” Asher said.
“No,” Saxon said as he realized exactly what it was. “It’s a society. It’s their society.”
Silence followed his statement as his words sank in. The Savages who’d always mostly stuck to themselves or traveled in small groups were now forming societies and having social gatherings. For centuries they mainly functioned as independent entities, but now they were grouping together and doing lunch.
“What the fuck is going on?” Lucien inquired.
But no one had an answer for him.
“I say we blow this place up and get out of here,” Lucien said.
They couldn’t divide their group to go down those tunnels; they would leave themselves open to slaughter if they did. If what they’d been through already was any indication, they probably wouldn’t kill many, if any, Savages if they threw bombs into the tunnels and left.
But if they continued down these tunnels, they would almost certainly be walking to their deaths. There was no way they could avoid becoming pinned into the corridors the Savages knew better than them. And with the way these bastards worked, the Savages wouldn’t kill them; they would turn them into monsters too.
Would he go after Elyse if they turned him? It was a good possibility as he’d still desire his mate if he were a monster. He would not allow that to happen. He would never let these things take him alive.
Ronan turned to Elijah and waved him over. “Is there anyone else here who can use these explosives?”
“No,” Elijah said. “But I have more grenades, and anyone can use those if they’re careful with them.”
“We’ll need those. How many do you have?”
“Eleven.”
Ronan glanced at the tunnels again before returning his attention to Elijah. “Give me seven of them.”
Elijah knelt and, opening his briefcase, started pulling grenades out. Saxon kept his eyes on the shadows of the tunnel as he waited for something to rush out at them. Had the bombs scared them off and the Savages were all fleeing? Or were they regrouping and plotting?
“Do you have enough explosives to blow off more doors if necessary?” Ronan asked Elijah.
“Enough for one more,” he replied.
“That will have to do. Saxon, Declan, Lucien, and Killean, take these.”
Ronan handed one to the others and two to him. The two bombs were small in his hands, but he didn’t doubt they could tear him apart if they went off.
Ronan turned to Nathan. “Take all the others above. Once there, split up and try to follow these tunnels the best you can from aboveground. I’m hoping when these explosions go off, you’ll be able to locate the other exits. You may not be able to get inside, but hopefully, they’ll come out.”
Nathan grinned at him. “And what the sun and bombs don’t kill, we will. Do you plan to stay down here?”
“Someone has to set these things off,” Ronan said and lifted the grenade in his hand. “If those exit doors open, drop the remaining grenades into them.”
“We will.” Nathan clapped Ronan on the shoulder. “Stay safe.”
“You too, and when this is over, we’re going to train a few more in the use of explosives.”
“Agreed,” Nathan said.
Elijah closed his briefcase and rose. “Should I show you how to use the grenades?”
“Yes,” Ronan said.
They gathered close as Elijah gave them a crash course on the weapons. Saxon held the grenades like they were eggs as Elijah stepped away. When the hunter finished speaking, Saxon detected the first shuffle of sound in one of the tunnels.
“Go,” Ronan commanded Nathan. “And go fast.”
Nathan didn’t look back as he ran through the group clustered within. After he passed, the others all turned to follow him out of the tunnel until they vanished into the shadows. Saxon listened to the sound of their fading footsteps as, within the other shafts, red and white-blue eyes appeared in the darkness.
“Hold off until I give the command,” Ronan said. “Give the others a chance to get out of here before throwing these things. Saxon take the tunnel to the left, Killean the one after that, then Lucien and Declan. Throw whatever you’re holding down them and get your asses back here.” He held the grenade in his hand up. “This last one is for this room. We’ll burn this place to the ground.”
* * *
“He has to feed,” Kadence said as Logan lunged at the SUV.
“He does,” Saber agreed. “I’ll handle it.”
“How?” Kadence demanded.
Saber moved so fast Elyse didn’t register that he hit Logan until his head snapped to the side and he crumpled like his bones were torn from his body. Kadence and Simone gawked at Logan’s limp form before turning scathing glares on Saber, who shrugged.
“Now he’ll sleep for a few more hours.” Saber turned and knocked on the window even though she was staring at him. “Get out. I have to go.”
Elyse fumbled with the lock before shoving the door open and stepping out. “Take him over to one of the other cabins, Duncan. Tie him up and put three guards on him. I’ll be back with some food soon.”
Elyse tried not to picture what that food was, but it was too late, and all she could imagine was a group of women lining up like cattle for the slaughter. Saber didn’t look at them as he climbed into the SUV, closed
the door, and started the vehicle. Dirt crunched under the tires as Saber turned around in the drive.
When Duncan bent and lifted Logan, Elyse edged away from them. She’d seen Logan go down like a ton of bricks, but she didn’t trust the unconscious vamp to stay that way. She’d seen how fast Saxon healed.
“It’s okay,” Kadence said as she rested her hand on Elyse’s arm. “We won’t let him near you, and there are plenty of guards here to keep him under control. We weren’t prepared for him to wake so soon, but we’re ready for him now.”
“Come on,” Simone said. “Let’s get you back inside.”
Elyse allowed them to lead her up the walkway and into the cabin. She tried not to reveal how rattled she was, but her legs trembled with every step.
“Will I be like that when I change?” she whispered, appalled at the possibility.
“No,” Kadence said as she opened the door. “Before you change, Saxon will feed enough to supply blood for you afterward. We don’t have that for Logan.”
“That was part of the reason they went in today,” Elyse said. “So they could be here when Logan woke.”
She glanced over her shoulder as Duncan carried Logan into another cabin. The mindless, hungry look in his eyes would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Chapter Forty-Five
Saxon’s eyes flickered to the throne chair as the shuffling in the tunnels increased. All the tables circled the chair and dais. Whoever sat on the throne believed himself to be the ruler, if not the king of these Savages, and they followed him just as the vampires followed Ronan. That was if it was a him, maybe a woman ruled over these monsters.
No matter the sex of the ruler, they did rule here, and if they could keep a group of Savages underground and in control, they had to be powerful.
Saxon edged away from the others and toward the tunnel he was assigned to destroy as red eyes materialized in the shadows. The rats were here, and they’d come to play. Saxon smiled grimly as he tucked one of the grenades into his pocket and removed a crossbow. When the first Savage rushed out of the shadows, he fired the bolt into its chest and watched as it was lifted off its feet and flung back.
“Now!” Ronan shouted.
Saxon pulled the pin from his grenade and, lowering his shoulder, charged through the rush of Savages pouring out of the tunnel. He was only ten feet from the shaft when he planted his feet and threw the grenade into it. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out the other bomb and let it fly as a Savage hit him in the chest.
Knocked off his feet, Saxon hit the ground with a thump. To evade the hands clawing at him, he rolled to the side as the first explosion rocked the cavern. Flames burst out of the tunnel Killean was assigned, but he didn’t see his friend.
The ground rocked beneath him as bits of debris rained down from above. Shit!
Saxon scrabbled for purchase on the floor and regained his feet when a Savage leapt onto his back. Before he could reach for it, a concussive boom lifted him off his feet and flung him onto a table.
The air rushed out of his brutalized lungs as two of his ribs cracked and he skidded over the surface to topple off the other side. When he hit the ground, he realized the Savage was still cleaving to him and shrieking as flames devoured its body.
Saxon seized one of its hands and pulled it over his shoulder before flinging it away. Screams rebounded off the walls, and he didn’t know if they were from the Savages or his friends as smoke clogged the air and burned his eyes.
He was just getting his bearings when another explosion rocked the cavern, followed by another and another.
Fissures raced up the side of the dome and spread across the ceiling. The falling fragments mixed with the smoke until the air was gray and heavy with it. Saxon leapt onto another table as chunks of concrete broke away and rained down from the ceiling.
When a boulder of concrete crashed beside him, it shattered the table and caused it to give out. His feet skidded out from under him, and he fell on top of the boulder. Saxon grunted as he placed a hand against his brutalized ribs and propelled himself back to his feet. He couldn’t stay down; the rubble of the collapsing dome would bury him if he didn’t keep moving.
The smoke was so thick he could barely see the remaining tunnel as he raced for it. He darted to the side before skidding to a stop to avoid the concrete falling and shattering around him. The cacophony of screams and crashing wreckage battered his eardrums as the stench of burning flesh, blood, and explosives choked the air.
When a Savage leapt out of the smoke at him, Saxon tore out its throat. The Savage’s hands clawed at its missing windpipe as it fell back before vanishing into the smoke. Through the cloud, Declan emerged; the blood and debris coating him turned him a strange combination of gray and red as he used one of his swords to slice through a Savage while another smashed into his side.
Saxon lost sight of the tunnel as he ran at Declan and the Savage. Declan hit the ground, and the Savage clawed its way over the top of him. Saxon seized the Savage’s hair and ripped it backward. He tore the creature off his friend and drove his stake into its chest before tossing it aside. He held his hand out to Declan who clasped it and allowed Saxon to pull him to his feet.
A thunderous crash rocked the cavern, and Saxon turned to discover a giant mass had fallen from the ceiling to crush the dais.
The whole place was about to come down.
“This way!” Declan shouted and jerked on his arm.
Saxon sprinted behind him as thuds and crashes resonated around them, and the ground quaked like an earthquake was occurring. Shards of debris bounced off his shoulders, calves, and the backs of his boots as the cacophony of the collapsing dome drowned out all other noise.
A chunk of concrete hit his calf and knocked him to his knees. He shoved aside the pile of rubble on him as Declan clutched his forearm and pulled him to his feet. Another boulder hit him in the shoulder, and he gritted his teeth against a shout of frustration.
Then, through the haze, Ronan and Killean emerged. They stood near the entrance of the tunnel, fighting back the Savages trying to flee. Where was Lucien?
“Hurry!” Ronan bellowed when he spotted them.
They were almost to him when a massive piece of the ceiling broke free and smashed to the ground in front of the tunnel. Saxon skidded to a halt and threw up his hands to protect his face as the dust and rock bursting out of the chunk sprayed outward to pelt his flesh. The debris sliced his skin until rivulets of blood ran free.
When the smoke cleared, he lowered his hands to gaze at the mound blocking their way. From above, dirt poured onto the concrete as the earth reclaimed the land stolen from it. Saxon turned away from the wreckage to search the cavern.
He couldn’t think about the fact Ronan was standing where the roof collapsed or Elyse waiting for him to return; if he did, he might lose his mind.
Spinning away, he frantically searched for some way out of this mess, but all he saw was a crumbling world and smoke. Still, there had to be something they could do. He promised Elyse he’d return, and he planned to keep that promise.
“This way!” he shouted at Declan and pointed toward the other tunnels.
The tunnels had probably collapsed where their grenades went off inside them, but they might be able to shelter in what remained of them. Sprinting toward the tunnels, he hoped he hadn’t gotten turned around and was now going in the opposite direction; if he had, they were as good as dead.
They were almost to where he believed the tunnels were when Lucien staggered out of the cloud. The dust covering him had turned him gray except for where blood spilled from an ugly gash on his temple to coat the side of his face and his clothes.
Lucien swayed and almost went down, but Saxon caught him before he hit the ground. Wrapping his arm around his waist, Saxon braced Lucien against his side while he ran forward. A growing rumble alerted him the whole thing was about to come down. Saxon lunged forward and rolled as the dome collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Saxon rested his back against the concrete as he tried to blink away the heavy layer of debris coating his lashes. Lifting his hands, he attempted to wipe it away, but it did little good as every part of him was caked with dust. Every breath felt like someone was jabbing him with a needle as he inhaled the polluted air, and his broken ribs protested the movement.
The trickle of dirt raining down from somewhere on his left alerted him the earth was still reclaiming the dome, but he couldn’t see anything.
“Declan?” he asked.
“Here,” Declan muttered, and something scraped as he shifted.
“Where are we?”
“I think we made it to one of the tunnels.”
“I have a light,” Lucien said.
He shifted against Saxon’s side, and then the dim beam of a flashlight turned on. It did little to pierce the haze clogging the air, but it revealed a wall of debris only feet away from him. The trickle of dirt was coming from the top of the mound, and then, it stopped, effectively sealing them off from what was once the dome.
Lucien swung the light in the other direction, but it only revealed a few feet in front of them. Saxon placed his hand against the wall and groaned when he shoved himself to his feet. Elyse’s blood had made him stronger, but every one of his battered muscles and broken bones protested the movement.
He held his hand out to Lucien. “Can I see the light?”
Lucien gave it to him, and Saxon made his way down the tunnel to where the center of it collapsed from the grenade. An arm and leg poked out from under the wreckage, but he was certain there were plenty more dead under there.
Grasping some of the rocks, Saxon pulled himself onto the pile. Stones kicked out from under his hands and feet as he climbed to the top. The rubble didn’t go all the way to the top of the tunnel, and a couple of feet of space separated the ceiling and mound.
Bound by Passion: The Alliance Series, Book 4 Page 25