Her face flushed. "Oh, um, sure. I guess it's all right." Magnus placed his palm flat on her belly.
His eyes lifted with confusion. "The babe is vampire."
Cassie gasped. The strength of her fear filled the room. She shook her head. "No, he's like his father. He's a shifter."
"Get your hand off her." Jax growled.
Magnus scowled at Jax, but he did as ordered. "Please forgive me for my impetuousness. Have my healer check you to confirm that all is well. It's is the least I can do for my insult."
Moments later, the healer stepped into the room as if called. "Lord, you are in need of me."
"Take our new guests to the medic wing. Have them checked and offer aid if needed. They have all been through a trying ordeal." He glanced at Olivia and winked. "And get this child some cookies, stat. I believe she is in serious need of a treat."
Olivia tugged at Jax's pants. "What's a cookie?"
Everyone's gaze flashed with fury at the child's sad question.
"Those scientists are going to pay if it's the last thing I do," Winter said. Each male nodded in agreement.
The healer led Jax, Cassie, and Olivia out of the room.
Winter couldn't ignore the distress in Magnus's eyes as he watched the trio leave. "What's up, Magnus? I know that look. Something's wrong."
"The babe the human is carrying is not merely a shifter. I sense vampire power and something else as well. Something unnatural, something forced."
"What?" asked Tristan.
"I'm not sure what. It felt divine." He glanced at Tristan. "What the hell are they doing in that place that held you prisoner?"
"It's one of the worst mad science experiments come to life," said Tristan. He was quiet a moment. "I have to go back and soon. There were others there. I'm sure of it. They can't be abandoned. We have to move fast. The bastards might have already started moving them."
"You won't be going alone, Alpha. I offer my men and myself. I already called my contact with the SBI to find out more about this so-called lab."
"Why bother with that bunch of bureaucratic misfits?" Tristan mumbled. Supernatural Bureau of Investigation, or SBI, was the human government's way of controlling supernaturals. In other words, they threw red tape in his kind's way at every turn.
Winter stepped forward. "I've memorized our escape route as well as adjoining hallways. I also mapped out the building plans when we were outside. I have a feeling I know where the others might have been held."
"You're not going back there." Tristan blocked her path.
"I have to agree with him, sweetie," her father added.
She noticed the others glance at the ceiling, as if they knew what the next few minutes held in store. Aric tugged his bottom lip with his teeth. An action he did every time his nerves got the best of him.
"I'm going and there is nothing and no one that will tell me differently. There might be other shifters there that need me. They might not be receptive to you even though you're rescuing them. They've probably been through hell and won't trust easy."
"Winter has a point." Aric gave her a reassuring nod. "We have no idea what these prisoners have been through or what we'll find. They'll trust her. Besides…" He glanced at her with pride. "She's more than ready. I trained her myself."
She beamed at the praise given by one of the most respected guards in the field.
Isaac and Samuel nodded, each taking a spot beside her. "She is more than skilled," they said in unison.
Magnus looked at Winter. He glanced at her father and then at Tristan before locking his gaze back with hers. He sighed. "This is what you trained for, Winter. You have my support."
Tristan snarled. The guards responded, then halted when Magnus put up his hand.
"Are you really considering letting her go back there? She was scheduled to be gang-raped for fuck's sake, by two shifters pumped full of breeding drugs. What if we were all captured? What if they just got her and escaped with her?" He froze as if something occurred to him. "Wait…what do mean that's what she was trained for?" His gaze traveled the room before stopping on her. "What the hell did he mean, Win? You've been here working with that animal linguist expert. Haven't you?"
She lifted her head high. "That is part of my work, yes."
"I hear a 'but' coming." Tristan stared at her.
"But"—she glanced at her father and then back at Tristan—"I'm also a top-level guard."
"What!" Tristan and her father shouted at the same time.
She grinned, tapped her feet together, and saluted them both. "Guard Level One Leery at your service."
***
Tristan's heart sank into his gut. He could have lost her so many times over the years in so many different ways. Guards risked their lives on a daily basis, a level one was the most dangerous of all. They were the first to run into the burning building, so to speak, and more often than not, the ones that never walked out.
"Did you know about this?" Tristan pinned her father with a glare.
He growled. "Of course not. Do you really think I'd allow my daughter to do something so dangerous?"
"Did you just say that you'd never allow me?" Winter snapped. Dash ignored her. The fellow guards standing beside her took an uneasy step back.
Dash jabbed his finger into Magnus's chest. "You were supposed to protect her. Goddess help me, a damn guard. Level one, no less."
"This is my life. Not yours." She pointed at her father. "And certainly not yours." She glared at Tristan.
Tristan closed the space between them in a flash. He cupped her face. The males around him growled but didn't interfere. "You're wrong. It's not just your life, Win." He leaned his forehead against hers. Every protective instinct within him was demanding he drag her from this room and take her somewhere safe. She tried to pull away. He refused to release her. "I'd die if I lost you."
"Being a guard is who I am," she whispered. "I'm not giving it up for anything or anyone."
"You're killing me with this. Just the thought of someone hurting you—"
She pried herself from his grip. "I'm good at what I do, Tristan." She glanced between Samuel, Isaac, and finally landed on Aric. "I was trained by the best."
"Even the best die," Dash shouted.
Even the thought of her death made his wolf snarl.
Aric stepped forward. "She is one of the finest recruits I have ever trained. We wouldn't have accepted her had we felt she didn't have what it took."
The phone rang. Magnus answered. The vampire appeared relieved by the distraction. So, did Winter. Although, he couldn't say he blamed her. The tension weighing down the room nearly choked him.
He still couldn't believe it. She was a damn guard.
With the secret out, she didn't seem to hold back the lessons of her training. Like the fellow guards beside her, she stood with her hands joined and placed against her lower back. Her gaze locked on her vampire commander ready to take out all threats.
"Yes, I understand. Call me when we have the go-ahead." Magnus hung up. His face etched with disappointment. "That was my contact in the SBI. They want us to hold off on infiltration for at least a few hours. They need council go-ahead."
Tristan growled. "Of course, they do."
Chapter 15
Six of Magnus's guards and another dozen human agents mobilized on the docks awaiting the final order to advance on the island. Thankfully, the weather system that was headed straight for them had moved out to sea, keeping the temperature at a steady thirty-seven degrees and the sky clear.
Tristan tried to keep Winter from joining the mission, but she refused to listen to reason from either her father or him. She had marched out of the room only to appear ready for battle with the other men in her unit an hour later.
Fear had carved a deep valley down the center of his chest when she took her spot beside her fellow guards. He wanted to support her, but he couldn't get rid of the severe panic or protectiveness ingrained in him for his mate.
With
a heavy sigh, Tristan watched Winter on the other end of the platform, amazed at how much she had changed. Gone was the outspoken, yet unsure teen who used to follow him like a shadow. She had a strong confidence about her, which she didn't have before. A sexy maturity that drew him in and made him want to learn more about the woman she'd become.
His wolf found her a worthy mate for an alpha. Powerful, tough, a warrior able to hold her own against anything his pack might throw at her.
She shined in her navy-blue jumpsuit, the same uniform worn by the other guards present. In Tristan's smaller district, the guards were more casual. Only trainees wore a uniform. Magnus ran a tighter ship, apparently. He made all his guards wear the standard blues while on duty.
To his dismay, she may have worn the same uniform, but it didn't fit the same. Her outfit clung to her womanly curves, showing off every sexy dip and crest. He wasn't the only male to notice either. He caught several of the human officers checking her out when they thought she wasn't looking. The observation tested his usual rock-solid control.
She continued to ignore the leers assaulting her from the other men. Around her waist, Winter wore the standard utility belt that held her pistols and a long serrated-silver knife. She laughed at something her fellow guard uttered in her ear. The larger man then patted her head as one would a cute toddler, but she didn't look offended by his jest, in fact, the fierce determination on her face and the confidence in her posture never wavered. Instead, she just rolled her eyes, shook her head, and flashed a grin.
For the second time, she pulled out her weapon and checked it, before holstering the pistol. She stretched her neck. He had to admit, she hid it well. On the outside she appeared, calm and professional, but Tristan sensed her excitement building for battle.
"Tristan." Magnus stepped beside him. His eerie silver vampire eyes traveled toward Winter. "I know what you're thinking, Alpha."
"You don't know shit. It's not your mate ready to bust into hell fully prepared to die."
Magnus sighed. "You're right. Maybe, I don't know what you're feeling. But, I do know that I'm allowing a treasured friend to risk her life. Someone I consider family." He glanced at her again. "She may not be my mate, but she is like a daughter to me. All of the guards under Aric's command are my family. They'll give their lives for one another." He nodded toward Aric. "The witch beside her would cut off his limbs to keep her standing."
"Not the right way to improve my mood."
Magnus chuckled. "I tell you this so you understand. I would never willing let her go into any situation I feel she was unqualified for. She's one of the strongest guards I have."
"She was captured once before, Magnus. Taken with ease."
"We all have a weakness. The bastard used it. This wasn't random. He had studied her. Knew about her skills in the field and inborn. This was personal to her kidnapper."
Tristan got the feeling the vamp was hiding something. "What do you know?"
"I scanned her memories."
"What." Tristan growled. For a vampire to be able to scan a person’s mind, he would’ve had to feed off him. "And how the hell were you able to get into my mate's head, Magnus? How many times did you sink your damn fangs into her?"
Was he inside her body too? Did this vampire fuck his female?
Her blood flowed in his veins. Magnus tasted her. The truth like gas to a flame ignited his fury. His wolf snarled, needing to destroy the threat to his claim. Blinded by jealousy, his clawed-hand shot out. His fingers tightened around Magnus's throat.
Magnus's fangs flashed at the sudden attack.
"I have taken from all my guards. It's for their protection. I only scanned her thoughts to see if I could find anything to help catch this prick. Get your claws off me."
Tristan's hand didn't loosen. He didn't want to hear the reasons why. Red fury clouded his mind. All he saw were images of the vampire at his mate's throat, sharing an intimacy only he should have shared with Winter.
Lost in his anger, he didn't see Magnus move. The vampire slammed his fist up and then punched into Tristan's chest. The impact sent Tristan flying back. He struck the ground hard on his spine, shook off the hit, leaped up, and sprinted toward Magnus again.
Moving faster than any vampire Tristan had ever seen, Magnus grabbed him, spun him around, and held him in a headlock. "I'm getting sick of you and your damn jealousy, Alpha. Yes, I took her blood and it wasn't the first time. You have no claim on her. Remember that the next time your wolf gets pissy." Magnus thrust him away.
"You think that all you want, but she's mine. If you or any of your damn men touch her, I'll slam a damn stake in your hearts."
Winter ran over. "What the hell is going on over here?"
"The wolf doesn't like that we shared blood."
Tristan froze. His head turned slowly and then his eyes locked on her. "You drank from him too. You bonded with him?"
Her gaze fell to the ground. She sighed. "Yes, but it's not what you think."
His gaze remained on her for several moments longer before he turned away. He glared at Magnus. "You share blood with all your guards too. I bet not."
Without another word, he marched toward the group of boats waiting. All eyes on hand followed his retreat.
***
Tristan's pain hit her with the veraciousness of a wrecking ball. Her blood exchange with Magnus had hurt him deeply. Not just the man, but the wolf as well. She held back the bitter tears that threatened to flood her eyes. She was a guard, damn it. Guards don't cry.
The other pack alpha, Niles, hurried over. "Is everyone okay over here?" He eyed Tristan's retreating form.
Winter nodded. "Tristan just learned about…" She sighed. "He learned about Magnus and my blood exchange."
"Shit, I can understand his fury." Niles shook his head.
Magnus frowned. "It is standard procedure."
Niles lifted a brow. He stepped closer. "You are my friend, but if I learned you took my female’s blood and fed her your own, I'd rip out your heart and shove it down your throat." He frowned. "You've been around shifters for a long time, my friend. You know we don't share and you know how serious we are about our mates. If you ask me, for a wolf battling mating heat, he's showed tremendous strength and control." He glanced at Winter. "You can sense where his mind is at, Winter. His wolf is struggling. Be easy on him."
Aric jogged up to them. "We ready over here?"
"Yeah," Tristan said as he rejoined them. He pushed past Winter and Magnus. "I need to destroy something."
"Tristan. Let's talk about this." Winter reached for him, but he dodged her touch. Instead, he continued marching without sparing her a second glance. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. She needed to explain damn it. Like it or not, he was going to listen. "You don't understand the circumstance," she insisted.
He spun, yanking his biceps from her grip. "Oh, I understand perfectly. You accuse me of betraying you all those years ago, when it's you who lacks loyalty. I guess you finally got your revenge, Win. Congratulations, the pain is excruciating."
"No, I—"
He turned his back on her and stomped away.
Magnus stepped beside her. He cupped her shoulder. "Give the wolf time. He'll come around."
She nodded even though she wasn't so sure.
Winter followed her unit.
Winter leaned on the railing of the boat and looked out over the icy sound. Tristan hadn't spoken to her since learning about her blood exchange with Magnus. She didn't blame him for his assumptions. All supernatural beings knew the main reason vampires shared their blood. To mate. But there was also another reason. To save a life. She fell under the latter.
Magnus had taken her blood at the guard initiation ceremony as tradition demanded. Just as each one of Magnus's inducted men had done. All she offered were a few measly coppery drops to seal her commitment to the guards. Nothing more. She had no idea, several months later, she'd take a silver bullet to the heart for one of her comrades. The wound
usually lethal. Magnus didn't hesitate. He had fed her his life-saving essence, pulling her back from certain death.
The mere thought of the night made her shiver.
There was nothing sexy or intimate about being covered in gore on a muddy suburban street, sucking on the wrist of a man you think of like a second father. Trust me.
If only Tristan would put aside his foolish pride and let her explain what happened, he'd see reason. But how the hell can I clarify anything when the stubborn wolf won't even look at me, yet alone talk to me?
A slight bump to her hip made her turn. She found Aric staring at her with concern in his dark gaze.
"Hey, you okay?"
She smiled up at Aric, flashing her best forced smile. "I'm good."
He grunted. "He doesn't know the truth. You know…about you and Magnus. When he does, I think he'll feel like a real asshole." His sudden glare landed on Tristan. "He's not good enough for you anyway." She frowned. She didn't like to hear someone put Tristan down.
"I think it's the other way around," she grumbled.
Aric shook his head. "I overheard the little argument over there. I think the entire ship did. We all know who the idiot is, Winter, and it's not you."
Winter pulled her gape off Tristan when a powerful wave of anger and pain struck her. "I feel sick." She rested her hand on her stomach. His turmoil made her stomach twist into a painful knot. "He's hurting so bad, Aric." Her eyes returned to the waving water. "I don't like being the one to cause it."
"Even though he's caused you far more agony, sweetheart. Don't forget, I was there all those years ago when you cried your eyes to sleep for months on end."
"That's not what I'm about though, Aric, and you know it. I wouldn't purposely hurt him. I don't care what he did to me." She sighed when Aric lifted a brow. "Well, I care, but I wouldn't have bonded with someone to intentionally hurt him."
"And that is why he doesn't deserve you." He smiled at her and tapped her shoulder with his fist. "You need to put this out of your head right now. We have no clue what we're in store for on that island. You need your head clear."
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