by Becca Van
Garth took a step closer to her and sneered when she jumped. It seemed he took great pleasure in scaring her, and she felt like he was trying to direct her toward the spaceship. Panic assailed her. If they got her onto that spacecraft, would Barclay, Darby and Gilmore be able to follow her and find her? Shannon had no idea whether this was the one and only craft on the whole planet and didn’t want to take the chance of losing the men she loved.
“Get on the ship,” Kai demanded in a cold voice.
Shannon shook her head and edged away slowly, hoping if she didn’t make any sudden moves they would leave her alone. Fat chance of that, Shannon. They already told you they took you to use your body. Her thoughts swirled as panic threatened. Fuck! What am I going to do?
Garth drew her gaze as he moved toward her. He was so fucking huge there was no way she would be able to fight him off. He was nearly seven feet tall and had to weigh well over three hundred pounds. He was the biggest of the Saval brothers, but Tren and Kai were only a few inches smaller and no less muscular.
Keeping her eyes on him, she moved faster around the room, too scared to speak in case she incited his temper. Placing her hand on the rock wall behind her, she felt for the small opening to the tunnel she had seen when she first stepped into the cave. If she could just get to the other tunnel, she would turn and run like hell.
A sound on her right drew her attention. Kai was stalking her from the other side. Shit! Move, Shannon. She glanced at Garth and nearly squealed at how close he was. Still feeling behind her, she waited for him to pounce, but then her fingers touched…nothing.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, Shannon spun around and ducked low and took off. As soon as she was through the gap she was able to stand upright, and she ran as if her life depended on it, as it very well might. This tunnel wasn’t illuminated, which made the going tough, but she kept her fingers on the craggy wall and sprinted. Her breath rasped in and out from between dry lips and sounded loud even to her own ears.
“Stop!” Garth roared from behind her.
Yeah right. As if I’m going to make it easy for you to rape me.
Her heart was beating so hard and fast, it felt like a drum being hit inside her chest. Hearing feet pounding on the rock floor behind her, she reached down deep and spurred herself on, calling on every ounce of strength and speed. All of a sudden her fingers once again touched nothing and then neither did her feet.
Shannon screamed as she fell, air rushing past her body. In the darkness, the fall seemed to last forever, but then she came to an abrupt halt. Pain as she had never experienced it before slammed through her body, and her breath was pushed from her lungs. Her head cracked against rock, and agony exploded through her brain before she fell into the abyss once more.
* * * *
Darby reined in his horse at the base of the mountain and dismounted, Gilmore and Barclay at his side a moment later.
“Tren and his brothers didn’t even bother to hide their steeds. Do you think they are going to try for the spacecraft?”
“That would be my guess,” Barclay replied. “I don’t know how they think they’ll lift off Aeros. None of them know how to pilot.”
“Maybe they aren’t working alone.” Gilmore ran next to his brothers toward the entrance to the underground caverns.
“Who would they have talked into flying the spacecraft for them? All our warriors are loyal. We’ve only ever had problems with the Saval brothers.” Darby entered the tunnel to the caves ahead of his brothers. As he started the descent to the underground rooms, fear like he’d never known crashed into him and his legs trembled.
“Run!” Darby roared and took off at a sprint. He needed to get to Shannon. She was so scared that her terror was affecting his body. Only vaguely aware of his brothers’ pounding footsteps behind him, he put on a burst of speed and entered the large cave deep inside the mountain moments later. Without missing a step, he drew his sword and kept right on going.
Darby was just in time to see Tren entering the dark tunnel. Lights had never been placed to illuminate that tunnel because it was a natural formation, carved by thousands of years of water trickling through it. It led to a drop hundreds of feet below.
Darby followed Tren into the tunnel. Grabbing his illuminator—a thin sticklike object which had a powerful light inside—he held it high to watch for the Saval brothers. There was nowhere they could run to and hide. It didn’t make sense that they had entered this tunnel. All their warriors knew there was only one way to go. Down.
Tren’s running form came into view and stopped all of a sudden. An ear-piercing scream rent the air and Darby’s knees collapsed from beneath him as agony ripped through his body. Gilmore and Barclay roared from behind him, and then they were on their knees beside him. The excruciating pain which had knocked him from his feet faded away.
Darby rose to his feet as if in slow motion. His own breathing was loud in his ears. Tren hadn’t seemed to notice he was in the tunnel behind him. He crept up on the other man, and with a quick flick of his wrist and without a qualm, he slashed his sword and watched dispassionately as Tren fell to the ground. Alive one moment and dead the next.
Garth and Kai spun around, drawing their swords as they turned and slashed out at him. Darby blocked the simultaneous blows and used all of his strength to push them back. Gilmore stepped into the fray just as the two brothers raised their swords again.
The clang of metal striking metal and the stone walls of the tunnel echoed loudly. There wasn’t much room to move, but Darby wasn’t about to let these bastards win. He needed to end this quickly so they could get to Shannon.
Barclay slashed down as Garth thrust up and barely managed to block what would have been a killing strike. Bracing one hand on the rock wall, he bounced on the balls of his feet and parried a side assault. Garth’s sword slid along the curve of his, eliciting sparks as the metal connected, and then his foe’s sword went crashing into the side of the tunnel. That was enough to throw his nemesis off balance and give him the advantage he needed. With a fast arc of his arm he struck a killing blow. Garth’s lifeless form fell to the ground. He was just in time to see Gilmore deliver a death blow to Kai.
He and his brothers moved the bodies off to the side and then walked to the edge of the void.
The illuminator Darby held aloft wasn’t strong enough to light the hole, but from what he could see he would be able to climb down into the chasm if he was very careful. He clipped the light to his belt, turned, and began to climb down. He heard more voices and realized some of their warriors had tracked them.
“Darby, wait,” Barclay said before he had gotten too far. “We need to anchor you so you don’t fall.”
“I have to get to Shannon. She could still be alive.” The tears he was holding at bay were evident in his raspy tone.
“Yes, but we need to make sure you don’t fall, too. What if you land on Shannon? You could kill her.”
“I have rope.” Stefan handed over a long coiled rope to Barclay.
Darby climbed back up onto the edge of the ravine and tied it around his waist. Once he was secure, he didn’t waste any more time. He knew his brothers and the other warriors would keep him from falling. Once over the edge again, he hurried down the cliff face. Fifteen feet down he spied a ledge where Shannon lay sprawled on her side. One arm and one leg were bent at unnatural angles. Taking care not to dislodge any loose rocks, he finally stepped onto the small outcrop. There was barely any room for him to maneuver, so he was going to have to be careful. He didn’t want to stand on Shannon and injure her further.
Squatting down beside her, he felt for her pulse and watched her chest. He nearly sagged with relief when he found the steady beat of her heart.
“Barclay, we need to get Healer Marrick here fast. Shannon is alive but unconscious.” He felt carefully down her arms and legs, his fear growing as he assessed the extent of her injuries. “She has a broken arm and leg, and she may have a head injury. I don’t want to
move her until she has been healed. Make sure he uses the hover transport to get here. It will take long enough for them to get to him in the first place.”
“I’m coming down,” Barclay yelled back.
“No, there isn’t enough room for you, me, Shannon, and the healer. Just send one of the warriors and make sure he brings everything to fix our bond mate.”
“Do you think she has any internal injuries?” Gilmore asked.
“I don’t know. I’m not a healer,” Darby snarled back and bent to check Shannon’s head.
When he got to the back of her head he felt a very large lump, and his fingers were wet.
“Shannon is bleeding from the head.” Darby’s voice wobbled with fear.
“Just keep her as comfortable as possible, Darby,” Gilmore shouted. “And if she comes around, make sure she doesn’t roll off that ledge.”
Darby leaned back against the wall and waited. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. The wait was interminably long, but he kept his fingers on Shannon’s neck and watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took.
After what seemed like hours, more voices echoed in the tunnel, and then Healer Marrick was on his way down with another rope wrapped around his waist. Shifting carefully, Darby crouched near Shannon’s head, making room for the healer.
Finally Healer Marrick’s feet touched the rock ledge. He pulled his MediScanner from a bag he had slung over his shoulder and then ran it from head to toe over Shannon’s still form while Darby waited with bated breath for the diagnosis.
“Your bond mate will survive,” Healer Marrick stated. “She has multiple fractures of her arm and leg and a severe head injury. She may suffer a headache today and tomorrow, but after that she should be back to one hundred percent.”
The healer flicked a few buttons on his device and slowly ran it over Shannon’s broken arm. Darby had never been so grateful that their planet had that kind of technological advancement. The bones in her arm moved back into place and the bruising slowly faded. When the healer was satisfied her arm was mended, he worked on her leg. Darby could virtually see the bones mending beneath her delicate bruised flesh. Once again the MediScanner beeped.
“All right, now I will mend her head injury. I want you to hold her still.
Darby did as Healer Marrick said and gazed down at the love of his life. Guilt had him by the throat even as her battered body healed. Shannon would live. He just hoped she could forgive him for failing to protect her—and that he could forgive himself.
Chapter Thirteen
Shannon could hear voices. They seemed so far away. She wanted to open her eyes, but she was in so much pain. She let the darkness pull her back under. Drifting in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours, she fought waking fully. Every time she surfaced she suffered unimaginable agony. Tingling warmth crept over her arm and her skin felt like it was crawling. With a mental whimper she cringed from waking.
She knew there was only pain and fear waiting for her, so she pulled back into the abyss until finally gentle hands moved her. Someone was lifting her, and this time there was hardly any pain at all, just a dull ache in her skull. The voice drew her closer and closer to the surface. Warmth and love wrapped around her, just like the arms holding her.
“Shannon, open your eyes. You’re safe now. Come on, look at me, sweetheart.”
“Darby,” she sighed and inhaled his wonderful, familiar scent.
“Thank God,” Darby groaned and hugged her so tight she had trouble taking a deep breath. A plop of moisture landed on her face and then another and another.
Opening her eyes, she looked up into Darby’s green gaze and saw that he was crying. She lifted a hand and wiped the moisture from his face.
“I thought we had lost you, sweetie. I have never been so fucking scared in my life.”
Shannon wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his skin with her nose then looked up at him again. She frowned as she tried to remember. “I love you. Where am I? What happened?”
Memories slammed into her, and her whole body tensed. She whipped her head around, looking for the evil that had followed her.
“Tren…”
“Shh, sweetheart. You’re safe. They’ll never harm you again.”
“You killed them?”
“Yes, with help from Gilmore and Barclay. Are you in pain, Shannon?”
“Umm, I have a little headache, but other than that I feel fine.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Shannon.”
She turned toward the new voice and saw Healer Marrick standing close to the cliff wall. She finally took in her surroundings. It was dark except for the illumination coming from what looked like slim flashlights clipped to Darby’s and Healer Marrick’s waists.
“Oh. My. God,” Shannon whimpered and clung to Darby’s shoulders. “I fell off a cliff. I should be dead.”
“You were badly injured, Shannon,” Healer Marrick declared. “You had numerous breaks in your right arm and left leg. Also a very large lump on the back of your head and a large gash. I used the MediScanner on you and healed you. You should only suffer with a headache for a day or two.”
“I need to put you over my shoulder and climb back up to the top. I’ll keep you safe, Shannon. I promise I won’t drop you.”
Shannon kissed Darby on the lips and stroked his cheek with her palm as a tremble ripped through her body. “I trust you and I won’t move, but I have to close my eyes. I’m afraid of heights.”
“We’ll let Healer Marrick go first, and once he is up he can send the rope back down. I’ll tie it around your waist. There is no way I am chancing you being hurt again. You can hold on to my belt to anchor you. I don’t want you hitting your head again, Shannon.”
“Okay.”
She and Darby watched as Healer Marrick climbed back up the rock wall. His progress was slow at first, but then he was pulled up by the men above. The rope was thrown back down and Darby reluctantly lowered her to her feet, keeping her close to the stone crag.
“Don’t move, sweetie. Let me get you secured and then I’ll put you over my shoulder.”
Darby tied a knot at her waist and tested it three times before he was satisfied. He hugged her close and picked her up to stare into her eyes.
“I love you, Shannon.”
“I love you, too.”
“Okay. Here we go, sweetheart. Let me know if my shoulder hurts your stomach.”
Darby carefully shifted her over his shoulder so her belly was resting on his hard-packed muscles. “Hang on to my belt, sweetie.”
Shannon reached down and gripped the thick leather around his waist. She took a deep breath then she closed her eyes as she exhaled.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
“We’re coming up,” Darby yelled.
Although she was nervous, Shannon wasn’t frightened. She knew Darby would do everything to keep her safe and secure. His muscles rippled beneath her and she could feel his bicep bulging against her hip as he climbed up. She wondered why Gilmore and Barclay hadn’t just hauled her up by the rope, but then she remembered Darby worrying about her hitting her head again. Love and warmth entered her heart, and she relaxed totally, giving him her complete trust.
It wasn’t long before more hands gripped her, and then she was being lowered to her feet. Another pair of hands grasped her waist as she swayed, her equilibrium a little off after being upside down. She opened her eyes to see Barclay scrutinizing her intently.
“Shannon. Thank God. I thought you were dead.” Barclay pulled her into his embrace and lifted her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and clung to him.
Gilmore moved up behind her and pressed his front to her back. She could tell it was him from his unique sexy, manly scent. “I hope to never feel you in pain again, honey. It nearly killed me feeling what you went through. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Besides a bit of a headache, I’m fine. I could really use somet
hing to drink and eat though. I’m hungry.” Shannon tried to get down from Barclay, but he just tightened his grip.
“Stay right where you are, baby. We are getting out of here and I am going to carry you the whole way. There is no way in hell I’m chancing you falling in that dark tunnel.”
Barclay turned around and began walking. Shannon noticed three lumps just inside the tunnel off to the side. He placed his hand on her head and gently pushed her face to his shoulder. “Don’t look, Shannon.”
“Is that…”
“It is,” Darby growled from behind them. “They only got what they deserved after what they did to you, sweetie.”
Shannon settled into Barclay’s arms and silently agreed with Darby. She wasn’t a violent person and in fact would have only wanted the three Saval brothers to be incarcerated somewhere, but she couldn’t do anything about it now. They were already dead. By the time they entered the large cavern again, Shannon was yawning continuously and her eyelids were getting heavy. Barclay must have noticed.
“Close your eyes and sleep, baby. Your body is still healing, and you need to rest.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without a bed, but I will just rest my eyes.” Shannon slurred the last word.
She snuggled against Barclay, relishing being back in his arms, and didn’t even realize when she fell asleep.
* * * *
Shannon rolled over and bumped against a big, warm body. She stretched and groaned as her aching muscles protested. A warm hand landed on the skin of her back. Another hand rubbed her shoulder, and yet another caressed her lower leg.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Gilmore asked.
Turning her head, her eyes connected with his. He was lying next to her in her bed. She didn’t even remember arriving back at the dwelling.
“I’m a little sore. My arm and leg are aching.”