Jaxson froze, listening carefully. What the hell was going on? Not once had he heard anyone speak in the other dreams. Dreams… more like nightmares.
Please, take me from this Hell. From this crazy bastard. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I am so sorry. I miss my sister. My brother. I’m tired of living in fear of never getting out of here. I just want to go home.
He had the impression of lying on cold, hard cement. Terror gripped him, rushing through him as he lay shivering on the floor. A tear fell from his eye, but he somehow knew he wasn’t really the one who was crying. It was her.
Then, as quickly as she was there, she was gone. Jaxson kept his eyes closed for several minutes afterwards, trying to reconnect with her, wondering if he was going crazy. Was it just a dream, or was someone really there? Someone who needed help?
Sighing, Jaxson opened his eyes and slowly sat up, bunching the pillows up behind him so that he could rest against the headboard. He was used to the dreams. He’d been getting them for a few months now, but not like this. He had never actually heard anyone’s voice in them, had never felt anything the way he felt the hard ground against his body or the tears on his cheeks. Was it real? Was she? And if so, who the hell was she?
3
“He’s awake.”
“How long?”
“A couple of days now.”
“We are going to have to move her soon.”
“It’s too late.”
The hushed tones reached her, and Raven fought to break through the fogginess in her mind as she struggled to open her eyes. She’d never felt so exhausted. Her body was wearing down after all she’d been through since being captured. They wanted to know what kind of shifter she was, but she had no intention of letting them find out. No matter what they did to her over the past year, she had refused to shift, even knowing taking the form of her animal could be the one thing that saved her as it made her stronger. She was a dragon, fierce and proud, and above all else, loyal to her kind. She would not give them away. If it was Fate’s will, she would leave this life, but they would never find out what kind of shifter she was, or the amount of power she possessed…or would possess if they hadn’t kept her so weak and drugged up most of the time.
“What do you mean, it’s too late? No! I am getting her out of here!”
“Amber, you can’t save them all.”
“She’s my friend,” Amber whispered.
They were close to her now, and Raven could hear them clearly. They were talking about her. There were no other shifters down where they held her. There had been a male, a leopard, who never shifted into his human form. He’d been there for a few weeks, constantly prowling the confines of his cell. Anytime they took him out, they had to dart him or they couldn’t contain him. He’d ripped the throat out of one of the scientists just a couple of weeks ago, and Raven had watched in shock as the guards shot him twice, and then beat him, nearly killing him. When they left him in the cell, just two down from hers, Raven had tried to talk to him. Tried to give him the comfort Amber always gave her, but she couldn’t tell if it did any good. There was no response as he lay bleeding out on the ground. Two days later, when she came back from her latest torture session, he was gone. No, they were talking about her, and it wasn’t good.
“I know.”
“Please, we have to get her out of here. You said you would help me.”
There was silence, and then, “I want to help you, but sometimes you have to know when to cut your losses.”
“No…”
“He’s right,” Raven said huskily as they came closer to her, even though she was screaming inside.
“What?”
Raven struggled to her feet, and then moved slowly to the front of the small cell. Her hands came up to grip the bars tightly as she rested her forehead against them. Amber rushed over to her, covering her hands with her own. The woman’s eyes were wide with denial, wet with tears. When she would have spoken, Raven shook her head.
“You are such a sweet person, Amber,” she said softly. “Wanting to help all of us. I think you would save the entire world if you could. But he’s right. You can’t save us all.”
“No, Raven! You are my friend. I’m not going to let you die! I won’t!”
“Ah, shit.”
Raven’s gaze went to the man who appeared behind Amber, her eyes widening at the sheer power that radiated through him. Short, brown hair, brown eyes that seemed to be swirling with an emerald green. A dark and foreboding presence. He should have scared the hell out of her, but for some reason, he didn’t.
“Your name is Raven?” he asked quietly, closing the distance between them as he looked closely at her.
Swallowing hard, she nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Raking a hand through his hair, he growled, “Fuck.”
“What’s wrong?” Amber asked, her hands tightening on Raven’s, as if to protect her.
Sighing, the man lowered his head, squeezing the back of his neck. “We have a problem.”
“They are going to kill me soon,” Raven guessed, her body sagging against the bars in defeat. “It’s okay, I knew it was coming. I accept it.”
Raising his head, his intense gaze on hers, he said, “I can’t let that happen, dragoness. I promised your brother I would try to find you. Now that I have, I have an obligation to do what I can to save you.”
“My brother?” Raven gasped, her eyes widening as a small sliver of hope began to fill her. “You know Dax?” And then the other part of what he’d said sank in. “You know what I am.” It was a statement, not a question. He obviously knew. What if he told the General?
“I met Dax a couple of weeks ago,” he told her, a small grin tilting one corner of his mouth. “He’s very impressive. Took out a shit ton of the General’s soldiers, along with some coyotes who threatened his mate.”
“Dax has a mate?” Raven whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She had missed so much.
“He does,” the man said, moving closer to her. “A very sassy, pain in the ass mate, who is strong, loyal, and I am sure out there right now with him looking for you.”
“For me?”
“Sable is the one who asked me to find you,” he said, his grin widening. “Laying there in so much pain, covered in blood from all of the damn bullet wounds she’d gotten trying to sneak up on us at that coyote camp, but all she could think about was you.” Shaking his head, he said, “She is a mate your brother can be proud of.”
“Bullet wounds?” Raven growled, her claws beginning to lengthen for the first time in a year. Her fangs dropping, she demanded, “Who shot my brother’s mate?”
“Raven!” Amber gasped, snatching her hands back. “You have to stop!”
“No, let her get pissed. Get fired up, little dragoness. Let that rage in. Feed off it, but make sure to contain it. You are going to need it soon.”
“Soon?” Amber squeaked, her eyes widening as she stared transfixed at Raven.
“When I get word to her brother that she lives, it won’t be long before he and Sable show up. And they won’t be alone.”
“They won’t?” Raven asked, fighting the urge to fully shift. Where had the power come from? She’d been so weak for so long, but suddenly, she wanted to break the bars she held onto with her bare hands. Unfortunately, she knew she didn’t really have the strength to do that, let alone to take on the General’s men by herself, no matter how much she might want to.
“Your brother and sister have become a part of the White River Wolves pack,” he explained, his gaze leaving hers to track warily around the area they were standing in. “The alpha, Chase Montgomery, has claimed them as his own. His mate, Angel, is head of a mercenary team, RARE, who have been fighting against the General for over a year now. They will consider you theirs now, too, because of Dax and Rubi. They will all be coming for you, Raven.”
“Rubi?” Her sister. Her twin. She had missed her so much. The bond between them was something that could never
be broken, and she felt so lost, so empty without Rubi near.
“Yes,” the man said, chuckling softly. “I’ve never met her, but I hear she is a force to be reckoned with. A fierce warrior, just like your brother.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks as her claws and fangs receded, and she slowly collapsed on the hard floor. “They are coming for me?” she whispered, unsure whether or not to believe him. Her family. It had been so long since she’d seen them.
“Yes,” he said, kneeling down in front of her and reaching through the bars to place a hand gently on her shoulder. Raven shivered as she felt the small amount of power he pushed her way, meant to help calm and reassure her.
“Who are you?” she whispered, raising her eyes to meet his gaze. Where before it had been hard and unyielding, it was now warm and filled with compassion.
“I am Jinx,” he said quietly.
“That tells me nothing.”
His hand tightened briefly on her shoulder, and then he pulled away. “I am one of the General’s assassins.”
“Jinx, you are so much more than an assassin,” Amber said softly. “He is a savior, Raven. He’s helped so many who the General has wronged.”
“I kill for him.” Jinx growled.
“Because you have no choice.”
“There is always a choice,” he said, rising slowly to his feet.
“You are an honorable man, Jinx,” Amber said stubbornly.
“She’s right,” Raven agreed. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be helping me now.”
“I haven’t done anything, yet.”
“No, but you are going to.”
“Yes.” Turning to leave, he glanced back. “I will get word to Chase and Angel. The rest is up to them. Good luck, dragoness.”
Raven watched him go, before whispering, “I need all the luck I can get.”
4
Jaxson moved around restlessly in his sleep. Reaching for something. For her. Who was she? Was she real? He had a bad feeling that she was, and that she needed him, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t contact her. He had to wait for her to slip into his dreams. It had been two days since she last had, and he was in hell. She was important to him. Somehow. He felt it deep inside.
It was almost morning when she came to him. She slipped inside his mind, her pain nearly suffocating him. His wolf went crazy, wanting to get to her, but there was nothing he could do.
It hurts so much. Why do they keep doing this to me? I just want to sleep. I want it to all go away.
His heart ached for her. He wanted to hold her close, to protect her from whoever was hurting her.
My brother is coming for me. I have to hold on. Just a little while longer. He is coming.
Her brother?
I can’t let them see how much pain I’m in. And no matter what they do to me, I can’t allow my dragon to come out. It’s what they want. What he wants, but I won’t give them the satisfaction. I cannot let them know we exist.
Dragon?
Oh, the Fates, it hurts so bad! My skin is on fire. No, mustn’t let my fire show. Can’t let my claws free.
Pain sliced into his left leg, making it feel as if someone was literally scraping the skin from his body. Jaxson grunted, breaking out in a thin layer of sweat. It fucking hurt like a bitch. That’s when he realized that his woman was going through whatever they were doing to her right then. At that moment. His fangs punch through his gums, and he let out a loud howl of anger and anguish, his claws breaking free and digging into the mattress. They were hurting her, and there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do about it.
Make it stop! Please, make the pain go away. Someone, help me!
I’m here, he said, trying to give her comfort, even though he knew it wouldn’t be much. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even be able to hear him, but he had to do something. His claws dug deeper into the mattress as he tried again, I’m here, baby. I would take all of your pain from you if I could. Make it my own.
There was complete silence, and then a tentative, Who are you?
Holy shit. She’d heard him! Either that, or he was going fucking crazy. The sharp pain that slammed into him when something was stuck deep into the base of her spine had him snarling and cursing.
Oh! Why am I still here? Why must I go through this agony? Why can’t I move on into the next life?
Because you would leave me alone, sweet dragon, he whispered into her mind. I’m a selfish bastard. Now that I know you are out there, I refuse to let you go.
Who…who are you? she asked again, her words growing faint, as if she were being pulled away from him.
My name is Jaxson.
Jaxson. She was quiet for a moment, and then, They are finally done with me. I can’t stay awake. So tired.
As much as he didn’t want to lose their connection, he knew he didn’t have a choice. She was already fading way. Sleep, sweet dragon. I will be here when you reach for me again.
My brother is coming for me. He said so.
Who is your brother?
A great warrior among our kind, she whispered. He fights for our king. There was silence, and then, Who are you to me?
I am yours, as you are mine, he told her. Sleep, my sweet mate. I will find you.
The General will kill you.
Son of a bitch! Jaxson bit back another curse as he said, I’ve been chasing the General for over a year now, sweetheart. I am not afraid of him. I will find you.
When he felt her slip away, Jaxson’s eyes sprang open and he leaped from the bed, another loud howl tearing from his chest. The General had his mate, and he was absolutely certain that was who she was now. His. The General had just signed his own death warrant. That fucker was a dead man; he didn’t care who wanted him alive.
Grabbing a pair of jeans, Jaxson slid into them, then pulled a tee shirt on. Soon, he was lacing up his boots and strapping his Glock to his hip. After sliding a knife into a sheath in his right shitkicker, he grabbed his laptop, quickly shoving it into its bag, and stalked out of the bedroom to the front door. He had no idea where he was going or what he was doing, but he had to do something. His mate needed him, dammit.
Yanking open the door, he froze when he saw his team waiting outside. All of them.
“What?”
“We felt your pain,” Angel said, placing a hand on his arm.
For the first time in over fifty years, tears filled Jaxson’s eyes. “I have to find her, Angel. That fucker is hurting her. She’s fighting, but she’s so tired. She doesn’t want to live anymore.”
“Who?” Angel asked softly, although he was sure she already knew.
“My mate.”
“Who’s hurting her?”
Jaxson turned to see Rubi standing outside her apartment door just one down from his on the opposite side of the hall, alongside her brother Dax and his mate, Sable. That’s when he realized the entire hallway was full, and more people were coming.
“You were so loud, you woke the building, man,” Trace said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Jaxson ignored him, slowly walking down the hall to stand in front of Rubi and Dax. “The General,” he said, as something his mate had said sank in. Somehow, he knew he was looking at his mate’s siblings. “She’s a dragon, like you. She said her brother is a warrior for your king, and he is coming for her.”
Rubi gasped, her hand going to her mouth, and a low growl began to build in Dax’s throat. “The General has my sister, Raven. If it is her, she’s right, I am coming for her.”
An answering growl started deep in his own chest, and Jaxson snarled, “I’m going to tear that motherfucker apart with my bare hands. He’s going to wish he’d died when Chase got to him, because what I’m going to do will be so much worse.”
Dax stared at him for a moment, then held up a fist, baring his large fangs. Jaxson bumped the fist with his own, “Let’s find her.”
5
Jinx leaned up against the wall in the General’s room, deceptively casual. He’d b
een called into a meeting with the bastard and his bitch of a daughter, Ebony, and was already wanting to turn and walk out. They were so much alike, he had no idea how Amber was related to them. That girl was everything they weren’t: nice, sweet, genuine. She’d definitely gotten screwed in the family department.
“We have a traitor.” The General’s voice was low, scratchy from going for so long without using it. It was beginning to grate on Jinx’s nerves.
No shit, Jinx thought, his face a blank mask as he stared at the man who had just barely managed to escape death not too long ago. Instead, it looked like he was about to order the death of someone else. Life was fucked up.
“First of all, I was told Jerome Livingston was sent to act in my place while I was…” He paused. “Otherwise occupied.”
Jinx raised an eyebrow, but chose to keep quiet. Yeah, the bastard had been occupied. In a fucking coma, put there by the alpha of the White River Wolves.
“Yes, Father,” Ebony replied from where she stood near his bed. “Jerome was here.”
“And?”
“And now he’s gone,” she said, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder.
“Daughter, do you know where he is?”
“Sure. He’s dead.”
“How?”
“I put a bullet in him.”
The General sighed, shaking his head. “Why would you do that, Ebony?”
“Because, you weren’t able to do it yourself,” she said with a shrug. When he just continued to stare at her, she bristled. “The guy was an ass. He was here to take over your business, General. He didn’t just want to run it while you were out of commission at the time, he wanted you dead; and he had a plan to make that happen. So, I killed him before he could get to you.”
The General nodded slowly, turning his attention to Jinx. “And what were you doing while my daughter was eliminating Livingston?”
“Getting rid of the body.”
When the General glanced over at Ebony, she confirmed it. “It was a joint effort. The guy was scum.”
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