“What do you want with me?” she asked with more bravado than she felt.
The blond gripped her chin painfully, forcing her to look at him. “I want you to use your mindlink to contact Stephan and bring him here.”
“Who is Stephan?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, girl. Playing dumb makes me angry and things get very unpleasant when I get angry.”
With a slight nod from the blond, the man dressed in black stepped forward. In a movement too quick for Kat to register, he raised his arm and brought the back of his hand down against her cheek causing her head to whip to the side. As she righted her head, she could feel the sting of the hit and taste the blood on her lips. The pain brought awareness that she had been hit. In her shock, she didn’t take the time to examine that it had happened in an instant, so fast she hadn’t seen it coming.
“Contact Stephan,” the blond repeated through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know who you are talking about. You have to believe me. I don’t know any Stephan.” Kat pleaded for him to see reason, searched his eyes.
“Trace,” he said, nodding once toward the big guy.
He reared back, this time slow enough for Kat to register what was to come. Kat winced and struggled against the strong hands around her arms to no avail. Trace stepped forward and hit Kat in her nose, breaking it. As blood tricked down over her lips, he mumbled, “That’s for breaking my nose, bitch.”
The males’ nostrils flared when the coppery perfume of her blood permeated the air. A distinct buzz of excitement filled the room as the men reacted to her injury. Her fear rose to a new level, blocking a little of the pain.
Kat looked over at the blond, tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t know any Stephan,” she repeated, her voice small with trepidation.
The man in charge smiled an evil grin and nodded again.
“As you wish, Gage.” This time Trace’s fist landed in her stomach causing a whoosh of air to escape her lungs and she doubled over as much as the goon holding her would allow.
“Since this is going to get messy,” Gage motioned with a wave of his hand toward a spot of blood on the bedroom carpet, “perhaps we should move into the bathroom.”
“That would make for easy clean up,” agreed the brute holding her.
Katrina struggled against her captors, but they shuffled her into the master bath easily. The man holding her released her and she lost her bearings. A painful crunch sounded when the cold, unforgiving tile bit into her knees. Gage reached down and fisted a handful of her hair, drew her head back, forced her to look up at him.
“Contact Stephan, call him to you. Tell him you are in trouble, and he must come now.”
Kat gulped for air—the smoke from the stable and the hit to her solar plexus, a one-two punch that made breathing difficult.
“I told…you. I…don’t know…who you are…talking about,” Katrina stammered between painful breaths.
“I’m talking about your vampire boyfriend,” Gage spit out.
“Vampire?” Kat whispered. “There’s no such thing.”
Gage’s rage contorted his face. He nodded again to Trace who delivered another blow.
A steady turn-taking sequence took place—Gage asked a question, Trace delivered the pain. And time came to a crawl. She thought she heard somewhere that when the human body was injured, the mind shut off and the person went unconscious. She had even heard of people mentally going “somewhere else” when being tortured, but for Kat, such a blessed fate would not be.
Aware of every blow, cut, and break, she longed to slip into unconsciousness. When it didn’t come, she began to long instead for death, anything that would allow her to escape the pain her kidnappers inflicted.
During the few moments when the men were not hurting her, she hoped she was having a horrible nightmare that she would wake from sooner rather than later. Her hopes died as each short break was followed by more demands and suffering. She watched through the slits in her swollen eyes as her captors smiled while they inflected their pain.
This can’t go on forever, thought Kat as she longed for the respite that never came.
Chapter 37
When Michael entered the weapons room, he realized all the other Alphas had already arrived. No doubt they materialized there while he’d been instructed to drive his rented SUV. Stephan said something about wanting to use his car to rescue the woman. Whatever. All Michael knew was that the extra time it took to drive over to the penthouse meant he would be the last one to have his pick of weapons.
He glanced around the room, noting his fellow Alphas arming themselves. They were all adorned in clothing similar to what he wore, a black turtle neck tucked into black cargo pants, and heavy dark combat boots. And those with long hair tied it back in a thong.
They each chose weapons to place on their bodies. Most of the ammo and weapons were coated in titanium, the only metal deadly to vampires. Nicholai favored the titanium knives, while Vladimir preferred nine millimeters, but also took a dagger. Demetri grabbed a titanium-coated sword and slung it over his back after grabbing a .45 which he tucked into his waistband. Alex chambered a titanium round in his semi auto, then grabbed a switchblade to strap on his calf.
Marcus slung the crossbow over his shoulder and turned, eyes locking with Michael’s. He watched Michael choose his weapons for the evening.
In the time it took for the Alphas to arrive and choose their weapons, Stephan devised a basic plan to get Katrina back. With his fellow warriors standing around him, he briefed them.
“When we get to the compound, we’ll take out the perimeter guards first. Then we’ll break into two teams, one going in the front, the other going in through the back of Lucio’s place. Once inside…”
Michael’s thoughts drifted off as Stephan spoke. He began putting everything together; Lucio’s house, his visit, how the girl he took to the ranch fit into Stephan’s life. What he had said to Gage played in his mind, and he realized that he was partially responsible for Katrina’s kidnapping.
A look of consternation crossed his face briefly, but he quickly steeled his features. If Stephan learned he’d spoken to Gage, Michael was sure the Alpha leader would blame this entire mess on him. In reality, the fault for the woman’s kidnapping lay with Stephan. Had Stephan bothered to tell him more information before sending him to deposit Kat at the ranch, he would not have said anything to Gage. Yes, Stephan is the one responsible for this mess, Michael thought as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Having discussed the rough attack plan, the Alphas all loaded into the Michael’s SUV. Though it claimed to have seating for eight, it was a tight squeeze for the seven large males. “Maybe we should take two vehicles,” Michael suggested.
“No,” Stephan said. “We need time together to finesse our attack strategy.”
Michael cranked down on the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. He had always thought he should be the leader of the Alphas. He didn’t need Stephan dictating to him. He turned the key, wishing once, just once, Stephan would take one of his suggestions.
Demetri spoke first as they got underway. “Do you know for sure where Kat is?”
“I believe with every fiber of my being that she is with Gage. But I can find her through my blood,” Stephan answered.
When Michael glanced over at Marcus from the driver’s seat and raised a questioning brow, Marcus explained, “Kat has drunk from Stephan a couple of times, so he can sense her presence through his blood. He can find her anywhere now.”
Michael nodded his understanding.
****
Stephan glanced around the vehicle at his fellow Alphas with pride. He trusted them, cared for them like family. Confident they would have his back as he would have theirs, he listened while Nicholai reminded them that the humans might still be in the house since the hunt had never taken place. Alex and Nicholai agreed that they would look for the humans while the other Alphas took out the remaining guards, leaving Marcus and
Stephan to find and free Katrina.
The closer they got to Gage’s house, the stronger Stephan could feel Kat’s presence. It bolstered his confidence that they would find her once they got into the house. He only hoped they would get there in time.
They parked a half a mile away from Lucio’s home and silently ran the short distance to the property. Once at the compound, they found three guards walking the perimeter. They waited, lying prone on the ground, as the guards walked the predictable pattern around the house. When only one guard was visible, Marcus rose to one knee and fired his bow, sending a titanium arrow through the heart of the guard, killing him instantly. The fletching quivered as he fell to the ground. Michael ran over and pulled the dead male back to where the Alphas waited so the other guards would not see the body on their next sweep of the area.
When the second guard rounded the corner of the house, Marcus once again set his crossbow and sent an arrow flying. It too found its mark and the second guard dropped to the ground. This time Nicholai ran up to dispose of the body. Just as he reached the body, footsteps sounded. Apparently the third guard had realized something was amiss and was coming their way at a full run.
Nicholai slid a large knife out of his front pocket and crouched down low against the side of the house. When the guard rounded the corner, the Alpha stood, bringing the blade of the knife up under the third male’s chin. He pushed it through the roof of the guard’s mouth, lodging it in his brain. With a quick pull of his hand he dislodged the knife, grabbed the male’s hair with his empty hand, and used the sharp blade to slice off the male’s head.
The guard’s body dropped to its knees before flopping over onto the hard ground. Sightless eyes stared in the general direction of the hidden Alphas from the head held in Nicholai’s hand. Nicholai looked calmly down at the two bodies lying on the ground.
With perfunctory ease, Nicholai wiped the blade of the knife off on the back of one of the bodies before tucking it back in his pocket. The severed head still in one hand, Nicholai grabbed a body under each arm as if they were footballs and trotted over to rejoin his fellow Alphas.
“I’ll do a quick perimeter check,” offered Michael.
Before Stephan could agree, the Alpha jumped up and hunched toward the house. Finding the way clear, he motioned for the others to join him along the side of the house. Stephan silently motioned for Nicholai, Alexander, and Michael to move around to the back of the house then pointed to himself, Marcus, Demetri, and Vlad and motioned around the front. Next he counted on his fingers. One. Two. Three. The Alphas separated into two groups rounding their perspective corners in perfect synchronicity.
****
Nicholai tried the back door and finding it locked, gave it a hard shove with his shoulder, bursting through. He stumbled into the kitchen with Alexander close on his heels. Michael however, hung back in the shadows, as if he didn’t want to join the melee inside.
“I’ll stay out here,” he whispered to Alexander and Nicholai. “Cover the back.”
Nicholai opened his mouth to protest Michael’s offer when they suddenly heard a commotion from the front of the house. He glanced in the direction of the noise then looked back to find Michael gone.
The next second, all hell broke loose. Gage’s men scurried from every orifice of the house like ants protecting their nest. Alex and Nicholai pulled their weapons and used them with the speed and grace that only their breed could do.
The first man to enter the kitchen approached Nicholai as he stepped further into the room. With a knife in each hand, Nicholai slashed him quickly across both his stomach and neck simultaneously, causing a spray of blood to arc out coating not only himself, but the guard who approached him from behind. Nicholai spun, taking advantage of the momentary blindness the guard suffered from the blood spraying into his eyes. He brought his knife in one swift motion, up in a diagonal slice, splaying the guard open from waist to heart. He then drove the second knife into the male’s exposed heart, causing instant death. The guard dropped to the floor, dead.
Wiping the blood from his face, his gaze found Alex busy with his own attacker. With a guard bearing down, Alexander had time to draw his weapon, but his attacker grasped the gun as well as the hand that held it and pointed the semi auto toward the ceiling. The two men struggled in a test of strength for control of the weapon. Alex brought his free hand over his attacker’s, their arms waved back and forth as each struggled for dominance.
Time slowed for Nicholai as he watched the blond Alpha gradually begin to take the upper hand in the conflict. Alex brought the gun down to the guard’s chest and fired one titanium bullet clean through his heart, dropping his attacker instantly.
The bullet exited the body, taking a trail of blood splatter with it as it hit the next guard in line. The bullet lodged in the second male’s stomach. The second attacker slumped forward, one arm wrapping around his waist, and Alex paused briefly to catch his breath.
The guard saw his advantage in the break, and grasped it like a lion clutching its prey. Heedless of his own pain, the male lunged toward Alex, taking him to the floor, the gun spinning away from them.
Arms and legs slipped in blood as the two males wrestled on the tile floor. Alex came to rest on top of the guard straddling his injured stomach. Squeezing his muscular thighs, he bore down on the bullet wound causing the guard to bellow in pain and writhe beneath him.
Nicholai picked up the gun. “Alex, here.” He tossed the gun toward his friend. In one smooth motion, Alex caught the gun and fired a round into the guard’s brain, ending the struggle.
“Let’s go find the humans.” Nicholai pulled Alex to his feet.
Brushing off his pants and shirt, the blond Alpha nodded his agreement to Nikko’s suggestion.
“The only place I have not seen in this house is behind that door,” he informed Alex, motioning to the white door to their left. “Let’s try there first.”
****
Demetri bounded first through the front door with Marcus and Stephan quick to follow. Bringing up the rear, Vladimir entered with guns drawn just as three guards came running toward them from the living room.
“Go. You three go,” barked Demetri. “I’ll hold these guys off. Find your female, Stephan.”
Following Stephan and Vladimir up the stairs, Marcus hesitated and looked back over his shoulder. “Are you sure, Demetri?”
Demetri tsked. “Since when have three puny males ever been a challenge for me? Go!”
He rounded on the three burly guards surrounding him at the base of the stairs, removed his sword from its sheath and held it tightly in both hands. Bracing in a fighter’s stance, Demetri swung his long sword at the first of the three guards. The male easily jumped back out of the way. As his sword continued its arch, the other two guards followed suit, each one in turn jumping back away from the blade’s reach.
Demetri advanced, continuing to swing, trying to push the guards away from the stairs so his fellow warriors could ascend. He needed to keep their attention squarely on him so he swung his sword in long fluid arches, the blade seeking flesh. As Demetri advanced forward, one of the guards circled around behind him and lunged.
Chapter 38
Stephan, Marcus, and Vlad flew up the stairs at a furious pace. Stephan followed the draw of his blood, every cell seemed to pulsate the closer he got to Kat. He knew instinctually where she was and followed the internal vibration leading him.
As Stephan turned to head down the hall to the right, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He scanned quickly down the hallway to the left, and realized what was there.
“Down!” Vladimir yelled to Marcus and Stephan who immediately followed the order, diving onto the floor as a hail of bullets rained over their heads, peppering the walls, grating the paneling. Vlad jumped up, his eyes taking in the nuances of the hallway before him. Realizing he needed his hands free, he tucked his guns in his pockets and threw himself at the guard, tackling him down the hall, giving Mar
cus and Stephan a chance to rise.
As they began to run down the hallway, Trace and Alvero burst out from a doorway, with fists balled.
“Go,” yelled Marcus to him. “I’ve got these guys. Go get Kat.”
Marcus’ eyes shifted from Stephan to the guard still standing in the hall. With Alvero advancing on his position he quickly raised his crossbow, and shot his last arrow toward the male. The guard pivoted on the ball of one foot, gracefully avoiding the deadly object. Marcus threw down his bow and turned sideways into a fighting stance with his fists in front of him, ready for the fight to come.
Stephan put on a burst of speed. As he ran forward, he stuck out his arm and clotheslined Trace in the throat, taking him to the floor. He barely registered the whump sound that escaped from Trace’s mouth as the air was knocked from his lungs before Stephan turned and disappeared into the opening from which the two guards had just emerged.
****
As the guard launched at Demetri from behind, he shifted the hold on his sword and quickly thrust it behind him blindly. He felt the draw on the sword when it sliced through the male. A gurgling sound told him his sword found its mark. He felt the resistance when he withdrew the blade out of the body. The male behind him went down onto his knees, grasping his wound with both hands. Demetri knew it was not a killing blow, but it would at least take the male out of the fight for a few minutes.
He turned his attention to the two guards in front of him. The large Alpha circled around, bringing his back to the front door, thereby assuring that neither of the two guards standing could approach from behind. One of the guards dove forward, grabbing Demetri around the waist, sending him careening back into the door. He raised his sword up above his head and brought the hilt down against the back of the male’s head. A crunch sounded when the sword broke through the skull. The Alpha watched the guard collapse to the floor in an unconscious heap.
Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) Page 25