Blood Mates

by K. Grey

  ‘Rhage! It’s him…’ she told him. ‘The scar faced bastard. He’s here!’

  ‘I’m coming, Ava!’

  Sloane stood there keeping Ava behind him and his sword at his side. Sloane waited and watched. Then slowly he watched the tall immortal step into view and behind him was four half breeds, but Sloane was focused on the immortal. It was impossible! Sloane was stunned. It couldn’t be possible.

  “Hello Sloane….”

  “How the hell are you alive?” Sloane hissed… his rage was boiling to the surface. He clenched the hilt of his sword tighter and pressed Ava further against the wall. “I gutted you….. I watched you die!”

  Scar face laughed. “Ahhhh… you were too focused on getting to Isabella that you didn’t finish me off, little brother….all these years I have been alive and well…waiting for the right time to let you know….”

  Sloane growled and lifted his sword. He felt the rage within him threatening to consume him. Ava felt his body shake in anger. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Sloane…..” she whispered.

  “This time you will die trying to protect a female that isn’t even yours, little brother. And you will lose her again.”

  “I’ll take your head this time, Dantarius…” Sloane growled. “You never deserved to live.”

  Rhage never thought anyone could be worse at driving than Talon until now. Lucien was behind the wheel and he had the SUV flying around everything and Rhage didn’t care. Rhage was going to driving, but he couldn’t concentrate. He was focused on his connection to Ava. Most of the brothers had stayed behind to destroy the half breeds and the others were heading toward the house.

  “Who the fuck is Dantarius?” Rhage demanded and Lucien snapped his eyes from the road to Rhage.

  “What?”

  “Ava just said Sloane called the bastard Dantarius and Sloane is fighting him and several half breeds.”

  “FUCK!” Lucien stomped the gas even more. “We gotta get there now!”

  “WHO. THE. FUCK. IS. HE?” Rhage growled.

  “Sloane’s brother. The bastard was supposed to be dead!”

  “FASTER, LUCIEN!” Rhage roared. “She isn’t answering me! I can barely feel her! She isn’t answering me!” Rhage slammed his fist into the dash cracking it in half. “GET ME THERE NOW, LUCIEN!”

  Lucien flew into the driveway. They had seen the smoke and smelled before they got there and when the house came into view they saw half breeds all over their house. Smoke was surrounding the west side of the house. They didn’t see any of the brothers outside fighting as the half breeds roamed around like they owned the place. Lucien didn’t ease the SUV into the yard. He plowed down several half breeds in his way as they headed for the garage. They knew Sloane, Ava, and who else were pinned down in there.

  Talon hung half out the window swinging his sword taking as many down as he could. He wasn’t the only one. Darius hung out the other side. Lucien drove over any dumb fucker that got in his way. They managed to get in the garage, but not down to the lower levels. They flew out of the SUV swinging swords at the half breeds that were all around them. Rhage wasn’t stopping… he was cutting through any of them in front of him and Lucien was right behind him. It only took them a few minutes to make their way down the curved tunnel which was too fucking long for Rhage.

  When they cleared the distance and the tunnel opened to the massive garage they were stunned to find each one of the brothers that had been left behind to guard the house and Ava were all pinned to the concrete wall by a sword in the gut. Their blood was pooling on the ground at their feet. Each one of them looked half dead.

  “Holy shit…”

  “Fuck!”

  They rushed forward. Lucien and Rhage ran to Sloane who looked dead and was nearly severed in half by his own sword. It looked as if he had tried to force his body downwards to get free.

  “Sloane?” Lucien demanded. “Can you hear me?” Lucien looked at Rhage when Sloane didn’t answer. “Hold him I’m gonna pull it out… DARIUS! GO GRAB SOME BLOOD!”

  “I’m on it!” Darius took off running.

  Rhage braced Sloane and Lucien jerked the sword free. Sloane’s body fell forward and Rhage lowered him to the ground…

  “Sloane!” Rhage cupped his friend’s head. “Ava! Where’s Ava?”

  Sloane opened his eyes. They were blood red and he hissed. Lucien quickly framed Sloane’s face and growled.

  “SLOANE! FOCUS! CONTROL IT! IT’S US! LOOK AT ME! IT’S LUCIEN!”

  Despite the feral state he was in he whispered. “Lucien….” His eyes closed and a second later they opened again and the blood from his eyes was gone. He blinked at Rhage.

  “Dantarius drugged her…. I couldn’t get her away from him….” he closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. “I failed protecting her. It’s my fault. I failed.”

  Rhage took the bag of blood Darius held out to him. He held in front of Sloane’s mouth. Sloane shook his head. “Drink it!” Rhage growled. “You need to heal so you can tell me how to kill him!”

  Sloane looked at Rhage. “I deserve to die for failing her…”

  “She wouldn’t say so… Ava cares about you. Now drink dammit! We are wasting time!” when Sloane opened his mouth to argue Rhage slammed the bag onto Sloane’s incisors. Rhage was so furious he was shaking. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to find Talon squatting next to him.

  “We’ll find her and we’ll kill em…” All Rhage could do was nod. He didn’t blame Sloane. He should’ve been here protecting her not Sloane. She was HIS mate. He would get her back and he would kill anyone who got in his way. Rhage moved away from Sloane and toward one of the cars parked nearby. His head fell back and he roared into the air before slamming his fists into the metal hood over and over again. When the metal crumbled he reached down and ripped it off slinging it across the garage. Talon took a step in his direction, but Lucien stopped him. “Don’t, Talon. He needs to let it out so he can focus. Give him a few minutes. Better the car than us. He won’t know the difference right now with his anger.”

  Rhage slammed his fists into the metal of the car over and over again until he knew he had broken every bone in his hands. He let his head fall back and he roared again. This time screaming her name. He leaned on the car’s crumbled ceiling letting his head fall forward. He smelled the blood when the bag was laid beside him. It smelled foul. Ever since he had taken blood from Ava he hadn’t wanted or could stand the smell of bagged blood.

  “Drink it…” Lucien told him. “You need to heal your hands so you can focus on getting to Ava…”

  Rhage’s head snapped up and he hissed at Lucien. “She isn’t answering me. Her heart is slow.”

  “I know… and only you can reach her. She might be unconscious, but you can reach her through your connection which is strong as hell, BUT YOU NEED TO CONTROL IT!” Lucien told him. “You can only do that when you calm down.” Lucien lifted the bag. “Now drink the damn thing… we are wasting time.”

  Rhage rammed the bag onto his incisors. He gagged for a few seconds forcing it into his system by squeezing it. Lucien nodded slowly.

  “Now calm down and focus. The boys are getting things together and the others are on their way. Only you can reach her, Rhage…. She is waiting for you.”

  Rhage nodded and closed his eyes. He would find her…

  Rhage was on his second bag of blood when he managed to calm himself down enough to block everything else out around him. He knew the other brothers had arrived and were destroying every half breed in sight. Lucien had everything else under control… he was focusing only on Ava.

  ‘Ava…. Ava…. Baby…. I need you to answer me.’ He repeated over and over again. ‘I know you can hear me! Answer me!” he could hear her heart beating. It was slow and yet steady. He could feel her. Stronger than before which was good.

  “Anything?” Rhage opened his eyes and found Lucien looking at him. Rhag
e shook his head. “Then get angry with her.”

  “What?” Rhage snapped.

  “Get mad with her. Yell at her. Whatever it takes to break through the drugs they have her under. MAKE her answer you.”

  Rhage nodded. He didn’t give a damn now. He would do it. “GODDAMMIT! AVA, FUCKING ANSWER ME NOW!’ he screamed in his head. “YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME NOW!’ then he heard a whimper. It was slight and faint, but he heard it…. ‘AVA! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?’

  ‘Rhage…..’ she was so faint, but he could hear her. ‘Why are you yelling at me?’ she sounded drunk. ‘You’re so angry…..’

  Rhage nearly collapsed at the sound of her voice. He actually reached out to grab Lucien for support. His head lowered and he found the tears. He had never been so relived in his life.

  ‘Ava… baby……’

  ‘Mmmmm…..mmmmm….’ she was drifting off.

  ‘AVA!’

  ‘I’m sleepy, Rhage…’

  “NO! Don’t go back to sleep! I need you to wake up! Stay with me, Ava! I need you to stay awake.’

  ‘I’m sooo sleepy….’

  ‘NO! You need to fight it! You’ve been drugged, Ava. I need you to fight it. Open your eyes and tell me where you are so I can come get you!’ Rhage looked at Lucien who looked as relived as he felt.

  “Keep talking to her.” Lucien handed him another bag of blood. “The stronger you are the stronger your connection and the more resilient she will be. Let’s head out. You should be able to feel her.” Rhage nodded heading for the nearest SUV.

  ‘Ava, stay awake for me baby…I’m coming.’

  ‘Ok…’

  Ava wanted to sleep, ,but Rhage kept yelling at her to stay awake. Every time she would slip he would yell and he was so loud in her head he was giving her a head ache. Rhage was demanding she open her eyes even though she didn’t want to. She forced her eyes open a little… she managed to get them open and had to blink several times before she could focus on anything and keep them open. She tried to lift her hand and realized she was strapped down on a hospital gurney.

  “I didn’t think you would stay out long….”

  Ava lifted her head barely to see the bastard, but she couldn’t. Her head quickly fell back down. She knew that voice! The bastard who had tried to kill Sloane! Dantarius! Sloane’s brother. Everything came back to her quickly. The attack in the house and the garage. The others being hurt and Sloane! Oh! Sloane being squired to the wall by a sword before the bastard stabbed her in the neck with a syringe.

  “You bastard!” Ava hissed. She heard his chuckle and then heard him move toward her. Within seconds he leaned over her. His blonde hair fell around her face as he stared at her. His scarred face was even more hideous the closer he was.

  “You’re strong for a human and a female on top of that. You surprise me.”

  “Fuck you… you stupid prick!” Ava spat as much as she could in his face. She watched his eyes narrow as he wiped the spit from his cheek.

  “If you weren’t so valuable I’d enjoy cutting you up myself.”

  “They’ll kill you… Rhage will kill you…”

  He chuckled. “Little one, the legion doesn’t scare me.” He straighten up and pressed a button on the bed to move it so she could sit up. When she could she saw she was in some kind of office. Her arms were strapped outwards and there was an IV in her arm. “They won’t win this war…. And the days for the king are numbered. A new day is coming and your legion and my little brother are on the wrong side of it.”

  “You are fucked up in the head… you sound like a jealous little boy…” Ava chuckled. “What’s a matter is you will never be the man Lucien or Sloane is. No matter how hard you try!” He turned and hissed at her. His fangs were long and dripping. She had hit a nerve.

  “Careful, little human or I will kill you before they can bleed you dry…they need your blood not your body and I can make your death a long painful one…”

  “If my blood was all you needed I’d already be dead.” She looked around. “Where am I?”

  “You won’t be here long. The legion is already looking for you. By the time they do find you it will be too late so it doesn’t matter.” Ava pulled on her arms, but they didn’t budge. He stood there watching her as if he was amused by it. “You are stronger than the others.”

  Ava’s eyes snapped to him. “You mean the other women from the basement? Where are they? You were the one who was coming for me. Oh! Sorry I ruined that for you…”

  Dantarius actually chuckled. “Yeah well I got my prize back didn’t I? They weren’t as strong as you…”

  “You killed them!” Ava struggled against the binds again. She wanted to kill him herself for that alone.

  “There are always causalities in war, little one…, but you…you are the key. A blood mated human…your blood line was quite surprising and I think it plays a part in it too…”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You mean to tell me the great scholar Darius hasn’t found the link in your past yet? Nor has Lucien? The great king writes down everything…” he shook his head. “No wonder they will never win. They aren’t prepared.”

  Before he said anything else the door opened and Ava watched a man walk in. she recognized him from the council. It wasn’t Vincent though. It was Bram. Lucien had been wrong! “I thought she would be unconscious. You didn’t give her enough.” He snapped.

  “I gave her enough to kill her, but she is stronger now. I could give her more, but it won’t keep her out for long.” Dantarius shrugged. “She is mated now. And to a strong son of a bitch… you should know that.”

  “There are things you should be doing besides drooling over her.” Bram snapped. Dantarius hissed at him before leaving. Bram turned to her. “It would have been so much easier if you hadn’t mated…”

  “Why? Lucien trusted you!”

  Bram looked at her. “If I were you I’d be more concerned for myself and not Lucien.”

  “And Rhage? I thought you were friends with his father… he said he has known you his entire life. You were always good to him as a boy. You are betraying him too!”

  “That I do regret…., but it can’t be helped.” Bram moved toward the bed. “I wished you had mated to any other immortal, but Rhage. This would be so much easier.”

  Ava looked up at him. “Rhage is going to kill you….he is going to tear you a part piece by piece then he is going to make you cry like a girl before he rips your head off with his bare hands. I’m going to make a bracelet with your fangs.”

  Bram chuckled. “You are very colorful, my dear…. Rhage has no idea. I will be there for him to comfort him in his loss….”

  Ava lifted her head and whispered. “He knows….I told him. He told me to tell you, you WILL never be able to hide from him. He IS GOING TO KILL YOU…” she nodded. “And I know it is going to hurt…. He told me.”

  “You’re not turned! You can’t have that connection. I would have known if you two could transfer….”

  “Looks like YOU didn’t do your homework…..”

  Bram reached out and grabbed her chin in his hand painfully. His eyes narrowed hatefully. Her eyes watered from it. He was squeezing slowly. “Then he will feel you die…. I’ve heard that is the most painful thing for a mate. He can’t do anything, but feel her pain.”

  “Why me? What’s so fucking special about MY blood?” Ava demanded. Rhage was telling her to stall. He was close. He needed a little more time. “There were others too…”

  “Yes…” he nodded. “And there will be more like you. It seems the lines have progressed to more than we ever suspected, but you… your line is exceptionally special.”

  “What are you babbling about? I was abandoned as a baby.”

  “True…, but your blood doesn’t lie. That’s why I was sending Dantarius after you. The half breeds were hunting the marked ones through the blood banks. You donated blood several tim
es through your college blood drives. That’s how I found you. You might not know who your mother was, but I traced your blood signature….”

  “And….”

  “You didn’t have an immortal father, but your blood lines trace all the way back to the royal family….. Your blood has the same signature as Lissette’s.”

  “Lucien’s sister….”

  “That’s right… somehow her offspring endured the attack and over the years her blood signature survived and now blood mates have become human. A new generation… and with your blood… the only one so far I can trace back and that makes it the strongest. With it I can control future turnings.”

  “You’re a sick bastard….” His hand slapping her face echoed in the room.

  Lucien stared at Rhage in stunned disbelief as Rhage repeated what Ava told him. They were sitting in the SUV getting ready to attack the house in front of them. Rhage knew she was in there. He could feel her.

  “She is a part of my sister…. So many generations later…” Lucien whispered. Rhage nodded.

  “That shit isn’t important now…. She’s drifting in and out, Lucien. I can’t get her to focus… she keeps muttering…I need to get to her NOW!”

  Lucien nodded. “We go in…the only thing that matters is getting to ava----“before he could finish the door opened and Rhage was gone. He had disappeared right in front of them. “Fuck!”

  “Yeah… I don’t think he is going to worry about a plan, Lucien…” Talon told him. They exited the SUV and made their way toward the iron fence that surrounded the house. Before Lucien could motion for them to attack, the heads of the two guards at the gate went flying through the air. The gates opened without anyone being seen.

  “I wish I had that defense…” Talon muttered running forward.

  “You need to hurry up…” Dantarius told him.

  “Don’t rush me!” Bram hissed. “We can’t afford to make a mistake. We need every drop of blood we can get out of her.”

  “And---“before Dantarius could say anything a series of alarms began to blare around them and the lights went out. “I think your time is up….”