Mated in Flames: An Australian Ranch Shifter Paranormal Romance (Burnt Skies Book 1)

by Jade Alters

  It all happened in a matter of seconds. I blink, trying to process what just happened. Dane was there, and now he’s not, taken away by a mysterious car.

  Then it hits me. Dane was just kidnapped right in front of me.

  “Fuck.”

  Warwick

  When I arrive home, I’m tired but overall happy with my purchases. Dane will definitely be pleased; the hay, food and tools I’ve brought home are of very high value, and they will be useful to the farm. It’ll definitely go a long way to soothing his ruffled feathers because I made him spend the entire day with Luciana.

  At the reminder of this, I feel a little bit of anxiety in my stomach. I knew I shouldn’t have pushed them together, but it’s important to me that my brother accepts Luciana. If things keep going the way they are, she’s going to be in my life for quite a long time. Dane needs to get used to seeing her. I trust her. He doesn’t have to trust her completely, but he does need to stop glaring every time her name comes up in conversation.

  I hope their day went well. Knowing my usual luck, Luciana and Dane are not forever estranged, which won’t make things easy.

  “I’m home?” I call out as I kick my front door closed. “Are you here Dane?”

  There’s no answer. I frown. That’s odd, I definitely would have expected him to be home by now.

  “Dane?” I call again.

  That’s when there’s a frantic, hard knock at my door. I know that isn’t Dane, but the sound of it makes my heart drop, because it means that something bad has definitely happened.

  I open the door and almost get a fist to the face before Luciana, the one desperately knocking, realizes it. I would have laughed if it wasn’t for the extreme distress on her face.

  “Warwick!” she says feverishly. “You’re home, finally!”

  “Yeah,” I say. “Is everything okay? Where’s Dane?”

  Had he gotten himself killed again? I don’t like the thought of him going through that again. Then a truly horrific thought occurs to. I made Dane stay and help Luciana with the poison. What if he accidentally touched it?

  “…then it just went speeding away,” Luciana says, stressed, and I yank my thoughts back on track. “I didn’t see any number plates or anything. By the time I got down the driveway, they were already gone! I don’t even have any idea which way they went.”

  Wait… a car?

  “What does a car have to do with Dane?” I ask.

  “For heaven’s sake, Warwick!” Luciana says, loud and frustrated, and there’s true fear on her face. “Now isn’t the time for you to only half listen! Dane has been kidnapped!”

  It feels like the rug has been pulled from beneath my feet.

  “Kidnapped?” I ask incredulously. “Tell me again; what happened?”

  “Dane left my place around mid-afternoon,” Luciana says, her shoulders slumping. “It was around four hours ago, now. He got all the way to the end of the driveway when this black car appears out of nowhere. They pulled him in and sped away. I got in my car and was prepared to go after them, but they were long gone by the time I left my property.”

  This isn’t good. I run a hand through my hair.

  “Did you see anyone in the car?” I ask sharply.

  “The windows were tinted,” Luciana says, shaking her head. “And I was too far away. But I did see the arm that pulled Dane in. Whoever it was, he was wearing a black coat and had some sort of odd wrist band.”

  My blood runs cold.

  “Could you see any inscriptions on it?” I ask hoarsely.

  “I’m sorry,” she sighs with a grimace. “No, I didn’t. The band was thick and the only reason I saw it was because the sun caught on it.”

  It’s not much to go on. But it’s far too much of a coincidence not to be true.

  Due to the fact that they deal with all manner of supernatural creatures, many of whom could and would tear them to shreds, Hunters and Supernaturals had learned to carry with them an array of protective materials. Of these, was a silver wrist band that was quite large and was covered by their coats. The band had tiny crosses etched into it, and it was supposed to be a last line of defence if they were caught by a vampire or a werewolf; all they would have to do is swing their arm up and they would have the beast either in their power or writhing in pain. Now if that Supernatural is a vampire or werewolf, well then that complicates things of course.

  That means one of those two groups has my brother. If the Hunters have him, Dane is already dead. But if the Supernaturals have him…

  I’m selfish enough to hope that he might be with them, if only because it means there’s a chance to save him. On the other hand, however, he wouldn’t be suffering if he was with a Hunter.

  “Either Hunters or the Supernaturals have him,” I say tired.

  I can’t believe this has happened. We’ve been so careful!

  Then I pause. No… we haven’t. Or, rather, I haven’t. I dragged Dane into that fight with the poachers and got him killed, which forced him to rejuvenate. I took Luciana to the hill and showed her my wings in the open. I took her flying.

  If either of them has found us, it’s likely my fault.

  “What do we do now?” Luciana asks. “Do you know where they could be?”

  “They wouldn’t have gone far,” I say. “It’s dangerous to transport a phoenix for any length of time. If Dane builds up enough heat, which we can do if we have around two hours of uninterrupted time, he could burn them all to a crisp in an inferno. But both the Hunters and the Supernaturals know this. The Hunters would have shot him the moment he was forced into the car, and they would just be transporting his body by now.”

  Luciana pales at this.

  “And the Supernaturals?” she asks, not sounding like she really wanted to know the answer.

  I grimace.

  “They would have travelled as far away as they could get and started the process to bring him under their control as soon as possible,” I say. I shake my head when she opens her mouth, anticipating her next question. “Don’t ask… I honestly don’t know what they do.”

  I look out the window. The fact that there hasn’t been a massive fire nearby is an indication, to me, that Dane has not been able to fight back.

  There’s a chance that I’ve already lost my brother.

  The thought horrifies and infuriates me in equal measure. If I had just listened to Dane and been a little less reckless…

  “I’m sorry,” Luciana says.

  I pause.

  “What for?” I ask, puzzled.

  “If it wasn’t for me, the two of you would probably be safe,” Luciana says with a sigh. “But, because the two of you tried to help me, and because you and I became close, now the two of you are in danger.”

  A different sort of horror overtakes me. I reach out and put my hands on her shoulders in a firm grip.

  “This is not your fault,” I say firmly. “Not at all. Our actions were our own. I was the one who wasn’t careful enough. I knew the risks and I ignored them. Don’t blame yourself for this.”

  Luciana grimaces, evidently not fully agreeing with me, but she nods.

  “What’s the plan, then?” she asks, straightening. “Did you guys ever speak about what to do if you were found?”

  “Honestly, most of our plans revolved around running as quickly as we could,” I confess. “The last thing either of us wanted to do was stick around.”

  “But did you ever talk about what to do if one of you was captured?” Luciana asks persistently.

  I close my eyes. I don’t want to say that we did, once, if only because I didn’t want to voice the conclusion we came to. But Luciana is looking at me expectantly, full of faith that there would be something we could do. She isn’t like us. She’s never had to live with the ongoing terror of being hunted down like animals just because she wasn’t human. She’s never had to make the hard decisions we have had to, or speak about what we would do in the terrible possibility that the Supernaturals or Hun
ters found us.

  She’s never had to leave someone behind out of fear of being next, and being powerless to stop it.

  “We did… once,” I finally say reluctantly. “We only had one solid plan.” I look her in the eyes. “Run.”

  Her eyes widen. I see the moment that she understands. If one of us was ever captured, there’s no sense in them getting both of us. If the Hunters have Dane, he’s already dead, and searching for him now is pointless. If the Supernaturals have him, then it’s even more dangerous to stick around, because Dane would become a weapon that would be used to either kill me or capture me as well.

  By the terms of our agreement, on that dark night so many years ago, I should already be gone. I shouldn’t be hesitating. By now, my car should be packed with essentials and I should already be on my way, heading somewhere that I can’t be found.

  But I can’t make my feet move to do what we agreed on.

  Dane is all I’ve had in this world. It’s just been him and me since that night the rest of our family was taken. We’ve done everything together. The idea of actually abandoning him in order to save myself makes me feel sick.

  Before Luciana, I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of going after Dane straight away; even if I was killed or captured, at least I would be with him and I wouldn’t be left alone. But now I do have Luciana.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I confess into the silence.

  “What do you want to do?” Luciana asks immediately.

  There’s really only one thing I want right now.

  “I want to get Dane back,” I say, my voice cracking slightly.

  She smiles.

  “Then let’s do it,” she says.

  Surprised, I look at her. There’s no judgement on her face. Her expression is open and understanding. And there’s determination to help me however she can.

  In that moment, I know that I love her.

  “Thanks,” I say, and my roiling emotions finally start to calm; I’m not alone in this.

  Luciana nods. “First, we need to figure out where they would have stopped. You know this area better than I would. Are there any old, empty houses around, or areas that no one goes to?”

  “A few,” I say, my mind spinning with possibilities. “They would have wanted to get out of Mundaring, at least, but there are a few places that I can think of on the outskirts that they might have gone to.”

  “We’ll go to them one at a time,” Luciana says, nodding to herself. “Can we stop at my place first? I want to grab my medical kit, just in case.”

  We both know that she won’t have much that would be of any use if Dane is either dead or under control, but I appreciate the thought all the same. I nod with a smile. I feel good about this, I decided as I stride decisively toward the front door. I’m going to get my brother back. I fling the door open.

  And come face to face with Dane.

  Warwick

  I have a split second to take in as much as I can about Dane. I certainly didn’t expect to see him here, but a small voice in the back of my mind reminds me that Dane has been gone for hours. It’s a relief to see that he’s alive, but I also know why he’s still alive.

  The Supernaturals.

  I take in his blank eyes and the way he’s standing, which is all wrong. This is not Dane. This is just a puppet. He isn’t in there.

  The surprise advantage of my sudden appearance evaporates and I jerk backwards as Dane lashes out with a talon, face terrifyingly blank. Luciana cries out in alarm behind me, but I don’t have time to look around as Dane steps inside.

  Then Luciana is at my side, tugging on my arm.

  “Out the back!” she says. “You can’t fight him in here, there’s not enough room!”

  She had understood what I had. I can see the horror in her eyes, which I know must be reflected on my own face. My mind races, trying to remember if I had ever heard of someone breaking the Supernaturals’ control, but I can’t. No one ever manages to get rescued. As such, they remain enslaved until their death.

  I feel sick. But I allow Luciana to pull me with her and we run, clattering through the house and forcing open the back door; Dane following us as we go. Bursting outside, shadows elongating on the ground as the sun begins to set, washing the world in a beautiful array of red and oranges, I’m momentarily taken aback by how normal everything seems. In the space of half an hour, my entire world had turned upside down, and it somehow feels wrong to realize that the rest of the world is simply carrying on as normal.

  “Come on, we can try and hide in the bush,” Luciana urges me. “We can figure out what to do next.”

  I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s pointless. If Dane is here, then the group of Supernaturals that captured him are here, too. Even now they would be hiding, and it’s difficult to ignore the possibility that I’m being corralled into a trap.

  But I don’t say anything. Luciana is already running, expecting me to follow her, so I run too. I can hear the animals snuffling in the barn, and the bizarre thought that no one would have fed them dinner yet enters my mind. If we get out of this alive, it will have to be the first thing I do.

  A gleam of metal catches my eye, and I turn my head enough to see a black car parked out on the street. I can’t tell if it’s empty or not, but the Supernaturals are here.

  “He’s catching up!” Luciana suddenly cries.

  I look behind us. Dane has always been the faster of the two of us, and it doesn’t surprise me with how quickly he’s gaining on us, especially since I have to be keeping an eye out on what’s around me, too. Dane loves running and the feeling of the wind whipping through his hair, but his expression is still completely devoid of anything, as though he’s a robot that’s simply been programmed to pursue.

  “Luciana, I don’t think we’re going to get away,” I say tersely.

  “Then what do we do?” she demands.

  I skid to a halt. She makes it several more steps before she realises that I’ve stopped, and turns with wide eyes.

  “I’ll have to fight,” I say. “It’s the only way. Keep an eye out; the Supernaturals are here, and they’ll be waiting to make their move.”

  She looks terrified. I don’t blame her. This is an unwelcome reminder of the dangers of my world, and I wonder what she’ll say about it if we come out the other end of it all in one piece. My heart sinks as I wonder if I’ll lose her; even for her, who was a doctor that was deployed in war torn countries, this might be too much.

  Dane stops too, a foot away, and stands, watching me. It makes me sick to see him, and to know that something was done to him in the few hours he was gone. Is he even still in there? Is it even possible to save him on the off chance that I’ll win?

  Or is this it? Is he gone for good?

  “Dane, I don’t want to fight you,” I call, searching his face for some sign, anything, that will tell me he’ll be okay. “Alright? We’re brothers, remember? We’ve been together for ages. You can’t want to do this.”

  There’s no reaction at all.

  “Dane, please,” I try again. “Can’t you hear me?”

  There! It was minimal, but his shoulders tensed ever so slightly for a second, so quick that I might have missed it if I wasn’t watching so closely. He’s there, somewhere. He can hear me. I can save him.

  I pull my shirt off and my wings flare out, free and golden in the waning evening sun. Fear no longer thrums through me. Instead, I’m determined. My little brother is still with me in some way. Even if it has never been done before, I will find some way to help him.

  “Warwick!” Luciana shouts.

  I glance to the side. Four people are making their slow way toward us, unconcerned because they believe they have me. There’s no point in hiding now. They’re here. They know what I am. Part of me burns to know how they figured us out, but the rest of me doesn’t want to hear that it was my fault.

  They seem relaxed, and I doubt they’re going to make a move, just now. They s
ent Dane in, first, to subdue me. Only when I’m down will they move in, to try and bring me under their control.

  I smile grimly and look away. I don’t plan on allowing that to happen. I’ll either win this fight, or I’ll die trying, I decide as I look at Dane’s unsheathed talons.

  I make the first move. I can feel my own talons shifting under my skin, my primary offense, but I shove them back. I will not use them on my brother. I have other ways to fight, after all. Dane might have been the fastest between us, but I’ve always been the strongest and the most interested in various martial arts. Dane on a good day isn’t able to keep up with me, and even less so now that he isn’t in his right mind.

  I know I’m right as Dane takes a swing at my approach, his moves sluggish and slow. It’s child’s play to duck under him and swerve around him. He turns sharply, kicking out with a clawed foot, and I leap over it, turning and hitting him full on with one of my wings and making him tumble to the ground.

  His body obviously remembers its lessons, however, because he drops into a proper roll and springs to his feet some distance away, obviously wary now. Perhaps the Supernaturals thought that I wouldn’t fight my own brother. But they have no idea what lengths I’ll go to in order to protect him.

  I glance at Luciana. She’s hovering at the edge of the field, looking frustrated as she clenches and unclenches her fists. She and I both know that there’s nothing she can do here. This is a fight among creatures, and she has no way of helping out, not without getting hurt. She’s human, and so much more fragile than either myself or Dane. We’ll survive, as long as we don’t get poisoned. She will not.

  It’s then that the thought hits me. It leaves me breathless for a moment as the magnitude of what I’m considering. I don’t know how to get through to Dane, but there’s one way I know that will purify him of all injuries and outside influences.

  Death.

  We were told, many years ago, that death for phoenixes was not always the end. It was a purification process, meant to wipe our bodies of all evil and return us to a state before we were harmed. Scars that had failed to heal, bruising, problems within our bodies… it was all wiped clean to start over again.