Arden's Mate (Armageddon Mates Book 4)

by Hazel Gower

  Arden was in charge of one group, with two military humans, six wolves, and Grayson. They now waited at one of the two entries Logan had made. Jamie’s group was going in behind him with their father’s group following. Their mother was with their dad, and several other shifter women who weren’t in the family way were there to help.

  Getting the all clear to go in the holes in the ground, Arden jumped down first in his human form. Logan had said he counted five different paranormals in this hole. Arden saw five women huddled in the corner. He had no time to deal with them, he needed to find his mate. Going to the door, he used his shifter strength to rip it open. Once he was out of the room he changed to half-form. Grayson came up beside him and did the same. They drew their iced swords and knives before they walked further.

  Arden went down the long dirt halls, opening doors and searching for Remy. It was odd that they’d only come across ten or so demons, which they had quickly disposed of. Minions and zombies were what guarded the halls. The sulphur smell of the demons overpowered the smell of his mate. After they’d opened the sixth door and found it empty, Arden started to get worried. He prayed that Kane, Logan, and the other groups found Remy.

  * * * *

  Remy had prepared the women as best as she could. As much as she wanted to bond with her sister and mother, she couldn’t, she had to get ready.

  The door burst open and three massive demons came in the room. “Come now.”

  The ugly gray pig-bat creatures called minions flew in and after the woman. Taking a calming breath, Remy let everything go. She burnt the minions who dropped to the ground in blazing heaps.

  The demons charged straight for her. She lit her body on fire and shot balls at them. Her mother followed her lead. She didn’t light her body up, but she stood in front of Nara and threw fireballs at the demons.

  Remy edged herself around the sides and toward the door. She watched as a knife flew in the air and went straight for the demon’s heart. Another demon was lifted off the ground. One of the three was still going for her hard. She reached the door and what she saw had her grinning—shifters fighting.

  “They’re here. Mum, get here now.” Remy made a wall of fire. Her mother grabbed Nara and they ran to her, using the cover of the fire. The other four women followed. Renee, the woman who was a witch, started chanting. Remy glanced over to see a bubble surrounding Nara and the other four women who weren’t fire elements.

  Once she was out of the room, Remy looked in both directions. “Which way to my brother?”

  Her mother nodded straight ahead and Remy sighed. She was hoping it was where the shifters were.

  Remy turned to the women. “You can go down left or right, either way as shifters are there. They will keep you safe. Me and Mum are going to get my brother. This way there are no shifters that I can see, so we won’t have their help.”

  “I’m going as I have a son I want to get also,” Helen said.

  “Me too,” said Rene.

  Debra sighed. “We can’t leave you. We will help,” she said, tugging on their hands.

  Remy nodded. “Let’s go.”

  She hadn’t gone far when she heard a bloodcurdling howl that sent shivers down her spin. Remy built the fire around her higher, but she knew what she would see if she turned. “Oh, crap. He sounds real pissed.”

  Her mother’s eyes rounded and Remy turned to see a very angry, half-crazed werewolf coming toward her. Arden was brutal as a demon came at him. He was quick as lightning as he stabbed the heart and snarled to the men behind him to behead the thing.

  Arden was coming straight for her. Remy looked around for an escape, then she gazed at him and knew she couldn’t avoid it. She went to him, bringing her body down to just a simmer.

  When he was within reach he grabbed her around the waist and placed her in a fireman’s hold over his shoulder. “You’re in big trouble,” he snarled.

  “Put me down, Arden. I have to find my brother.” She banged on his back.

  Arden ignored her and walked in the opposite direction of her family. “No, you will go up and out to safety.”

  “Please, Arden. I’ve found my family. Please.”

  Arden stopped and gently placed her on the ground. “Fine, but you are still in a huge amount of trouble.”

  She nodded and ran back down to where her mother and sister were. They had moved further down. Her mother tried to hold the fire wall to keep them safe, but she wasn’t as strong as Remy. She took her mother’s hand and built the fire wall again, although with Grayson, Arden, and six other shifters fighting they were doing really well not getting attacked.

  Remy yelled, telling the shifters that Debra, with the help of Greta, could send ice knives straight into the demons’ hearts, if the shifters could behead them. The further they got, the more demons they found. The other shifter teams were catching up to them and helping. Remy could tell the women weren’t going to last much longer. They were running out of adrenaline and strength.

  They reached a large area and her mother, Helen, and Rene ran ahead toward a room with double doors, but the shifters grabbed them when demons poured into the room. The shifters shoved the women behind them, pushing them back to Remy, and readied themselves for the demon onslaught.

  Remy looked up as minions swooped down at them. Making large balls of fire in her hands, she shot them at the minions, making sure when they hit she rose the fire to spread over them. She stood in the one spot, dodging the fighting shifters as she ebbed the fire almost out as the dead bodies of minions fell to the ground.

  Debra and Greta helped kill demons, and Rene kept the magical wall around the women who weren’t fire elements. Arden, Grayson, and a new puma shifter, Alistair, kept the demons away from Remy’s group of women.

  Remy watched everything, looking to see if there was any way for her to help. Arden was amazing. He made the fighting she’d seen him do with the military men look like child’s play. He was brutal and deadly. Arden climbed up the demons’ backs and chopped their heads off with speed and agility, jumping off, ready to fight more. The demons’ tails were sneaky, and Remy had been cut by several. She’d had to use her knives to cut them out of her skin.

  The women with her soon slumped against the dirt walls, and Remy fought her own exhaustion. She couldn’t keep the fire wall up to protect them from the demons, and Debra and Greta couldn’t keep helping out. The fire wall fell.

  Remy gazed around her and noticed that the room was now filled with shifters and military men, all fighting the horde of demons. Remy knew the door she needed to get to. She judged the distance, and the quickest way was through the fighting mass.

  Turning to her mother, she yelled, “I’m going to the room. You can stay or come.” Remy ran forward, sidestepping and avoiding as much as she could. Needing to focus on being careful, she didn’t bother looking back to see if anyone followed her.

  Arden charged after her, his roar loud and deafening. Remy picked up her pace before he tried to stop her. She became a human fireball. Pure determination drove her as she moved through the fighting mass. Her small height helped her as she dodged limbs.

  When she reached the double door she found six other pairs of hands there to help her push it open. In the large room were about eleven boys-men just like Bengie. They seemed shocked to see them, but three came out when they realized who was there.

  Remy’s mother seemed to regain strength as she ran for the third smallest of the boys. “My baby.”

  Whoa, that was a big baby. For six the boy easily looked more like a twelve year old. He came to her mother, who wrapped her arms around him and showered him with kisses.

  Remy couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her face as she watched the boys lap up the attention. She knew instantly that these boys were like Bengie. Nara went over and hugged their brother. Remy wanted to join the reunion that was going on, but fighting was still happening. She kept herself watchful. Arden, Grayson, and Alistair fought off any demons that came t
oward the doors. Soon Jamie, with a group of three, came over and helped.

  Feeling a little safer, she turned to see the eight boys without their mother staring longing at the others. Leaving her door post, she went over to them. “Hi. I’m Remy. Do you know if your mother is still here?”

  Three of the boys nodded, and the smallest of the group stepped forward. “I don’t know. I was bad and they told me they killed her.”

  “Would you know her if you saw her?”

  The boy nodded. “Yes. I stayed with her longer than the others because she fought them not to take me away. She moved the ground on them.”

  The boy’s mother was an earth element and a powerful one. “When this is done we will get out of here and you can check and see if she is among the women.” The boy nodded and Remy looked to the others. “You will get out of here. See daylight. Have fun. Have a family.”

  Remy could hear the fighting dying down behind her. She wanted to go to her own family, but she was exhausted and scared now that everything was coming to end. Would they leave her again? Did they want her to join their family?

  Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor. She’d never used her powers as much as she had today. Right now she would give anything to be home, wrapped in Arden’s arms as they watched a movie, or she read and he did paperwork.

  She could feel her body growing heavier and heavier. She was cold, and her eyelids wouldn’t stay up.

  Chapter 12

  Arden swore he was going to paddle Remy’s arse until she promised never to leave his sight again. The woman was a menace and would turn him old and gray well before his time. When he’d seen her coming out of a room, he and his wolf had cheered with joy. Then he saw her move toward danger instead of away from it, and he howled with anger and frustration. He’d hacked his way through the mounting demons and got to the group of women she’d gathered.

  He’d grabbed her and made his way to safety. But she’d fought him and told him to take her back to rescue her brother who she said was like Bengie. He’d been shocked, but he remembered what Faith had said to him about Remy and family.

  The fighting was over now, and Arden was eager to hold Remy and check to make sure she was all in one piece. He changed to wolf and shook himself to get as much blood and gunk off him as possible. Walking into the room that the women were in, he snarled as he saw Remy slumped on the floor. Going to her, he licked her face and worried as she only groaned and didn’t shove at him.

  Arden changed to human and gathered her into him arms and stood. “Remy, open those pretty eyes for me.” His worry turned into a terrified feeling when this time she didn’t respond at all. He tried again. “Pixie, I’m going to spank your arse when we get out of here. And if you do anything like this again, I’ll attach you to a ball and chain.”

  “Mmm, Arden.”

  He needed to get her to a doctor. He needed Kane. Remy wasn’t all right.

  He walked toward the exit, but a young woman—he narrowed his eyes, no, she could still be a girl—stood in front of him. Arden stepped to the side and she followed, getting in his path again. He did it several times, and each time she blocked him. The girl was fast.

  “Who the fuck are you?” he asked.

  The girl’s hand flew as she stared up at him with an angry face. Crap, he didn’t have time for this. Looking around, he spotted Grayson.

  “Grayson, came and get this girl out of my way before I move her myself and am not too nice about it. She’s in the way of me getting Remy the hell out of here.”

  Grayson grinned and slinked over to them. His arms came around the girl who still stood in front of him, blocking him as he tried to move, her hands flying about her. Grayson swore as soon as he touched her. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Arden watched as Grayson leaned down to her neck and took deep breaths in. “Holy shit. Mate. Mine.”

  The girl struggled in Grayson’s arms, her eyes wide, and she gave silent screams for help.

  Arden smiled at Grayson. “Let’s get our mates out of here. I want Kane to look them over. I know Dr. Jerome is here also.”

  Grayson nodded and gathered the girl to him so he could hold her better. Together, the two of them walked toward the exit. They didn’t get far before a woman who looked very familiar to Arden came charging after them, dragging a demon-boy and yelling, “Let them go. Put them down.”

  This time Arden wasn’t stopping for anyone. He picked up his pace and sniffed out the right path to freedom. When the light shone from up ahead he covered Remy’s eyes. “Grayson, cover her eyes. We don’t know how long some of them have been under here.”

  Grayson covered the girl’s eyes as they stepped out into the rising morning sun.

  Remy turned into his embrace, hiding her face from the sun. Arden walked straight to the medical tent. He wanted Remy checked out. The voice of the woman who was following them faded. The medical tent was busy. He could see his brother was even helping, dressed in blue scrubs.

  “Kane, it’s Remy,” Arden said.

  Kane looked up from the patient he was with and spoke to a woman in green who took over from him. Kane came over to Arden and guided him to a corner with four beds.

  “Grayson, lay the woman you have on one. Arden, put Remy here.” He pointed to a bed, and Arden placed Remy down. She clung to him and Kane chuckled. “If she can cling to you like that, she will be fine. I’ll look at her to make sure she hasn’t undone any of my magnificent work from months ago.”

  Arden sighed in relief and pried Remy’s fingers from him. “Pixie, let go. Kane needs to cheek you over.”

  “No. You smell good. My Arden,” she mumbled.

  “Yes, I’m yours, but Kane needs to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Mmm, no. Don’t go.” Her eyes fluttered and she grabbed for him.

  Kane stepped in his place and Arden held her hands. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Remy settled down and Kane checked her over.

  “She’s exhausted. She has several deep cuts, and if she wasn’t mated to you I’d have to stitch her up. But she’ll be fine. When we get her home, at some stage, I want to check the baby’s heart and look on the monitor, but right now she needs rest.”

  Arden felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He’d been so worried and scared that he’d lose Remy and this time he wouldn’t get her back. Arden hadn’t told her he loved her and she’d told him a number of times now. When he found out she had left he was terrified that he’d never get to tell her. He loved the little fool with all his heart. She loved with her whole heart. You never messed with anyone she loved or you’d regret it. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she voiced her opinion whether it was wanted or not. She was saucy, sassy, and his. He stroked her hair and let her rest.

  Kane went over to Grayson. “Who do we have here, Grayson?”

  “I don’t know. She won’t talk. She’s my mate though.”

  The girls hands flew about in the air and Kane smiled. “Hi, Nara. I’m Dr. Kane Wolfen.” Kane turned to Grayson. “She’s deaf. I can sign. I’m rusty, but I remember. Faith and Kirby will teach you if you ask. The place they work at has one child who’s deaf and another who’s hearing impaired.”

  Grayson nodded, but his eyes never left Nara. “Ask her why she was yelling at Arden.”

  Kane turned back to Nara and slowly moved his hands and fingers. The girl’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Then she signed back. Kane started laughing. He laughed so hard he held his stomach.

  Arden narrowed his eyes. What had gotten into Kane?

  Grayson was getting pissed and growled, “What are you laughing about, wolf?”

  Kane moved his hands and fingers quicker this time before he turned to face Grayson. “You’ll never guess who she is. I only hope for your sake she isn’t anything like her sister.”

  Now even Arden was intrigued to find out who Nara was. “For crying out loud, Kane, who is she?” he snapped.

  “She’s Remy’s little sister.�
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  You could have knocked Arden over with a feather right then. Remy had a sister, and a brother, he remembered her saying she had to save her brother. “I wonder how old she is,” he murmured to himself.

  Kane turned back to Nara and signed. “She says she’s nineteen. That she was caught with her mother and father when she was eleven.”

  Guilt flooded Arden. Remy’s family had been taken by demons eight years ago and his own family, who were protectors of the world, hadn’t come to their rescue. Arden was sure that if it wasn’t for Remy they would have never been found.

  He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “I’m sorry, my little pixie.”

  She smiled in her sleep, and he knew he’d do anything for her.

  Arden turned to Kane. “Remy said she has a brother and he’s a demon-boy like Bengie.” Arden wondered if Remy’s mother and father were alive. Maybe the woman who chased them yelling was their mother.

  Nara tapped on Kane’s arm to get his attention and then her hands flew. “She says that yes, the woman who chased you was her and Remy’s mother. Their father was killed when they were captured.”

  Arden was sure he hadn’t said what she’d answered out loud. What power did she have? Was she a fire element like Remy or something different?

  “She says she can read minds, but she can’t read Grayson’s. She’s only getting a word here or there from him.”

  Arden smiled at Nara. “Cats don’t have much in their brains to read,” he said out loud and thought as loud as he could.

  Nara gave a silent giggle.

  Grayson sent a snarl his way. “Watch it, wolf.”

  Jamie interrupted their banter as he came in with Remy’s mother who held a demon-boy’s hand. She rushed over to Nara and let go of the boy’s hand to sign. Nara signed back and pointed to each of them.

  The woman hugged Nara and in a choked voice whispered, “Thank you for saving us. Thank you.”