by Kim Schubert
The guard scanned our wristbands before nodding his bald Asian head and letting us pass. The double doors parted and I was greeted by the smell of oil and wood. I twirled, taking in the glittering silver and the empty pop of guns being tested.
Logan looked at me with a smirk. “We’re going to need a bigger bag.”
…
Six hours, an impressive stash of new toys, and one terrible lunch later we were loading up all our goodies into the limo.
“I can’t believe you purchased a cross bow,” Sage commented.
“It’s actually really practical, and the draw back on that beauty was so smooth. Not to mention the duel firing action.”
She looked at me with a raised brow. I went on, “You ever try taking down any Indian demigod? You have to hit the heart with blessed rosewood. Such a pain.”
“So, think you will gain some of Logan’s immortality?” she asked, closing the trunk.
I shrugged. “Whose to say I’m not already immortal?”
She looked at me, interested. “Are you? Have you experienced anything to indicate you are?”
“Yeah. I’m still alive,” I answered evasively.
She laughed, trying really hard with me. “You are so funny!” Turning to the Compass beta, she signaled she was ready. “See you later!” she called chipperly.
“Later,” I grunted. I had quite a few questions for Logan regarding her.
I turned from her, ready to call Tommy and relay the success of my purchases.
Apparently, both items on my to do list would have to wait. I exhaled and walked to Logan’s side as he faced off against a small nest of vampires.
Logan snarled as I approached.
“Hey, darling. You guys interested in dying today?” I asked, cracking my neck.
Mark, Jerry, Logan, Hudson, Ali and Grant were all primed for action. While the vamps outnumbered us two to one, I had no doubt we’d hold our own.
I stood next to Logan, opening my jacket to showcase my very pretty guns. The vampires were wired, tense and coiled for action. I was about to ask what the holdup was when the lights went out.
“Wonderful,” I groaned. The shifters and vampires would have perfect sight. I was affected by the lack of light, and Ali and Grant might be as well.
“Protect the Mate,” Alec growled.
“Protect Ali and Grant, too!” I added hopefully. They were shoved into me.
A cell phone flashed on.
“Turn it off!” Logan bellowed.
Ali shut it off quickly. “This sucks,” she grumbled.
“Agreed, I’d love to kick some vampire ass,” I lamented.
Claws dug into my shoulders and with a grunt I was airborne. Not being able to see the ground rushing at me was disorienting at best.
“Olie!” Grant yelled.
I hit on my hip, letting out a yelp of pain as the cold concrete tried to crack my bones.
I rolled to my knees, deciding to stay low instead of being mobile.
“Light, Ali!” I cried out. It ended in an oomph as I took a hit to my chin.
My head snapped back, pain lacing through my jaw. I flew, landing flat on my back, my skull bouncing on the concrete.
“Ow,” I groaned, sucking down air and rolling to my non-injured hip.
Light trickled to my left and I rolled the opposite way quickly, avoiding a boot aimed for my head.
“Get back here, whore,” hissed the vampire. Pulling my legs under me, I drew my guns. In one fluid motion, I stood and put two bullets into each heart.
“Asshole,” I groaned. “Who kicked me?!” I demanded, turning, my guns still outstretched.
A mouth at my ear whispered, “I did,” before clamping down on my neck. I’ll admit I screamed. I dropped my guns, my hands scrambling for the dagger at the small of my back. The asshole wrenched my arm behind me.
I stopped my attempt to pull myself off of his fangs, reversing my momentum into him. Caught off guard, he stumbled a step back, the grip on my arm loosening.
My arm freed, I pulled my blade, spinning and driving the recently sharpened point into his chest before drawing it down to cut across both hearts.
He sputtered, fear flashing in his eyes before he turned to dust.
Keeping my center of gravity low, I spun toward the light, seeing the phone on the ground as Ali grabbed a vampire, her hair flying wildly around her. Words left her lips and the bloodsucker collapsed into dust.
I really need to learn that trick.
I surveyed the area, finding only piles of dust to irritate my sinuses. Standing, I watched Logan rip the head off the last vampire, his eyes wild when they landed on me. His breathing was harsh as he stalked to me, his eyes roving over my body, examining my injuries. He cradled my head and I winced, pulling away.
“Disagreement with the concrete,” I conceded.
He crushed me to his chest, his breathing slowly evening out. I probed the mate bond, opening the connection. His relief flooded me; his fear at seeing the vampire throw me had almost sent him into pure beast. I smiled, nuzzling closer to him. He loved that there wasn’t any doubt of his commitment, but whether it was from the mate mark or from him I wasn’t sure.
Chapter 8
Finally loaded into the limo, I settled against Logan before asking, “Alright Ali, you gotta fill me on how that works.”
She smiled at me wearily. “It’s a pretty light show, but it drains.”
“She also has to have the offending party stay still and make eye contact while she is saying the incantation,” Grant added.
Ali nodded, her head lolling. I patted her knee. “Good job guys, get some rest.”
“Rest?” Hudson asked from my other side. “I’m starving.”
I smiled, “Me, too.”
“Just drop us off at the hotel, we’ll get room service,” Grant whispered, stroking Ali’s hair.
Logan nodded, relaying the change to the driver.
My head dipped swiftly and I caught myself blinking rapidly.
Logan’s fingers reached down to rest against the back of my neck, rubbing small circles.
“Please tell me we are getting pizza,” I groaned, checking if my neck had stopped bleeding.
“Just rest. I’ll wake you when we get there,” he whispered.
…
Logan shook me gently. “Food, Olivia.”
“FoodI’mup,” I slurred, pushing off his chest to fall off the seat.
“We might need to monitor her for a concussion,” Mark said thoughtfully. “I’ll check if Jerry has a potion for it.”
I nodded, rubbing sleep from my eyes before lumbering out of the limo. We didn’t have to wait for a table, and someone had apparently had the good sense to call ahead and order. Appetizers were coming out as we sat down. I snagged a piece of garlic bread, stuffing my face in bliss.
“I don’t like Sage,” I confessed as I swallowed my bread.
Logan raised his head, giving me a curious look.
Hudson and Alec chuckled. Hudson probed, “Are you certain it doesn’t have anything to do with her being female?”
It was my turn to tilt my head. “No, she was just asking lots of questions today.”
“And no one is allowed to ask you questions?” Hudson asked.
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you getting at?”
I trusted my instincts, they kept me alive. Too bad they hadn’t warned me what would happen with Logan. They thought the worst situation would be sleeping with him, ha. Now I was bound to him forever.
Alec cleared his throat, drawing my intent, domineering gaze away from Hudson. “What Hudson is trying to say is that you probably don’t like her because she is an alpha female around Logan.”
I tipped my head to the side. “So your rationale is that I don’t like her because she’s too close to my mate?” I asked, my irritation spiking.
I let it seep out into both of them. They fidgeted uneasily. Fun, I could now influence shifters without touching them.
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“Listen and listen fucking well. My survival instincts have kept me alive. I do not like the questions Sage was asking me. If she suddenly grew a pair of useless balls and a dick, I’d have the same motherfucking opinion. You will not dismiss me because you think I’m jealous.” I spat the last word, my irritation moving up to full-fledged pissed the fuck off.
“If I wasn’t mated to Logan and I said that I didn’t trust Sage, would you have treated it differently?” I asked.
The entire table squirmed and I could feel Logan riding our bond hard, wanting to shut me down. Good luck, motherfucker. This bitch wasn’t about to be shut up.
Alec and Hudson didn’t have an answer. Jerry came to their rescue.
“It is an interesting thought. Since you don’t in fact have an animal riding you and influencing you with its own instincts, are you in fact behaving similar to the shifters?” Jerry thought out loud.
Hudson grunted, not meeting my gaze directly as he opened his mouth. “I wonder how you would feel knowing Logan and Sage slept together?”
He looked at me then and rage filled my chest, irrational rage.
“Now that, fucker, makes me jealous. Congrats.” I slammed myself way from the table, blocking Logan from my head as well.
I stormed out the back door, leaning heavily against the brick wall, trying to get my emotions in check. As previously discovered, my control had to be perfect, otherwise I risked influencing the other shifters around me. I hadn’t tested how far my reach went, however. I shook my head, it didn’t matter.
It also didn’t matter that Logan and Sage had fucked. I turned, slamming my fist against the brick wall, scraping my knuckles. Then why was it riding me so hard? I had fucked plenty of people. I didn’t see Logan getting up in arms.
“That is a sweet smell,” a voice in the shadows whispered.
I turned, having a momentary panic when four vampires stepped out.
The front one smiled, his fangs prominently on display.
“Olivia, Head Executioner for The Eastern Supernatural Council and Mate to the Alpha of the US, you are a prize, indeed.” He drew out the last word and I thought about using my bond to call for help.
Instead I smiled, flexing my hands at my side.
“You going to stand there all day talking, pretty boy, or we going to throw down?”
He laughed, his shoulder length hair shifting around his high and defined cheekbones. “No, my dear girl, I would not throw away the lives of my clan knowing the odds are not in my favor.”
I scowled, “Well that sucks.” I crossed my arms over my stomach. “What do you want?”
“A private audience.”
I waved my hand around. “Doesn’t get more private than this.”
He nodded. “I suppose you are correct.”
He took a step forward, extending his hand. “My name is Raphael.”
I extended my hand with the bloody knuckles, okay so I was testing his control and looking for a reason to dust him. Instead, he turned our hands, kissing away the blood and healing the flesh with his saliva.
“Thanks,” I grunted, my anger diffusing.
He nodded, almost giving me a small bow. “We would like to seek an alliance.”
I’m pretty sure my face gave away my shock and disbelief. “Why? I’m not currently a favorite of the vampires.”
Raphael nodded, searching my face, debating about how much he could trust me, no doubt. Whatever he found there had him looking away, shaking his head.
“The djinn was only the beginning. You are targeted and I believe you will come out the victor. I do not agree with what is happening in the Clans. It has made me and mine vulnerable.”
“I can’t offer you protection. Clan law overrides my Council when it comes to vampires.”
He nodded. “We understand that. It is a delicate line we walk, but know that when the dividing lines are drawn, we are on your side.”
It was my turn to search his face. What I saw there worried me. I took a step forward unconsciously.
“You are betting your life on this,” I whispered, moving on to search the other grim faces in the alley way.
They all bore the look of those who have accepted their thread ending soon.
“We have made our peace with history repeating itself,” Raphael said stoically.
“I don’t want your deaths on my conscious.”
Fuck, I might have been willing to kill them just moments earlier, but that was before all the cryptic shit.
“What is repeating itself?” I asked.
“For that you would do well to look at my history.”
“As in the ninja turtles?” I asked.
He laughed, his face softening. “Thank you, Olivia, it has been some time since I have found humor in anything. No, the archangel.”
I nodded, “I’ll look into it.”
He peered at me and I could tell he wanted to say more, but instead he just smiled.
“Be safe, all of you. Just stay alive.” I liked these guys, which seriously, after the last bout of shit with vampires, that was saying something.
“You as well,” Raphael whispered.
The back door slamming open had me jumping as Logan jumped down the concrete stairs to stand in front of me.
“What is going on?” he asked, not turning to look at me, instead inhaling the air where the vampires had just been.
“Nothing,” I replied, moving to go back into the restaurant. I was still hungry.
Logan spun and caught my forearm. “Do not lie to me,” he hissed.
I pulled out of his grasp. “I don’t know what’s going on, Logan! All I know is that four vampires just pledged themselves to my side. What the fuck is my side? And who am I going against?” My voice hitched up and I clamped down hard on my emotions.
“It was a foolish risk to come out here by yourself and not call for help.”
I took a step closer to him. “I have been taking care of myself long before you came into the picture. I am not weak. You would do well to remember that.”
“You are angry about Sage,” he stated.
I growled, “That is the least of our worries, and no, I haven’t figured out how I feel about that.”
Our anger rode our conversation hard. I let the mate bond flare into its full glory just so he could feel how fucking annoyed I was at being treated differently.
The back door flung open again. “The food has arrived,” Hudson announced, the door closing behind him. “I wanted to apologize, Olivia.”
“Never apologize for speaking the truth, Hudson,” I told him, moving up the stairs quickly, offering forgiveness to no one, haunted by Raphael’s words.
As I sat back down at the table, Jerry leaned closer to me. “Are you okay?”
I picked up my phone, opening the browser as Tommy had taught me. “Fine.”
I typed in “Raphael angel” and clicked on the first link, skimming the contents quickly. The angel Raphael was considered a healing source in human legend, defeating demons and protecting the small bands of humans he was traveling with.
I chewed the inside of my lip, thinking. Human history was steeped in encounters with the Supernatural. So let’s say that Raphael really was—
Logan hit the mate bond hard.
I sighed. Relenting and opening the connection back up, I quickly summarized our conversation.
You think he is the angel Raphael mentioned in various religious documents? Logan asked me.
I have no reason to doubt him.
What do you think he meant by history repeating itself? Logan questioned.
I rubbed my forehead, a heavy feeling settling on my chest.
Selena used to talk about the days of old when vampires, shifters and everything else treated humans and weaker supes like cattle. That was her goal, to bring about the downfall of humanity and the rise of her leadership as Queen, with her perfect and powerful soldiers. Sadness laced my words and Logan took my hand.
You were
her solider?
Yes. My answer was clipped, even in my mind.
Shaking my head, I continued, I know it’s a jump but let’s call Raphael a protector of humans. If history is repeating itself, then he would resume that title.
Logan leaned back, crossing his arms over his massive chest, straining the fabric of his sleeves. God that was hot.
He smiled; apparently that thought had made it through as well. I smiled back, my irritation and anger receding.
I’d like that not to be true, or perhaps him to be overdramatic. I nodded and he squeezed my hand. But I trust your instincts and if you find him genuine and believable, then I do as well.
Thank you. It felt good to be respected and validated.
“Anyone else think we are missing something?” Mark asked around a piece of pizza.
“Who ate all my cheese pizza?!” I demanded.
They all gave me sly smiles.
…
Lugging all our packages, we headed up to our rooms. The elevator was crowded and my feet hurt.
“Is there anything else for tonight?” I asked, dragging myself down the hallway to Logan’s room.
“No, the tech conference was scheduled for the entire day,” Jerry answered.
“Wonderful. I need to check on Ali,” I groaned.
“I’ve been texting with Grant. She’s sleeping peacefully,” Mark informed me.
I grunted, my hip twinging and my feet dragging.
Logan opened the door to his room and I dropped my bags, face planting into the soft pillows.
…
I woke up after only a few hours of rest, rolling onto my back, careful not to displace Logan. He was snoring, lying on his back. Scooting into a sitting position, I checked my phone, finding it was far too early to expect Logan or anyone else to be up.
I rubbed my eyes, wishing I could sleep more. I looked over at Logan, debating waking him up. Was this what every night was going to be? How was he going to handle it when I was gone for weeks at a time? Shit, how was I going to handle it? My chest tightened at the thought of being separated from him.
I exhaled loudly. This shit complicated everything.
I toyed with my phone, deciding I wasn’t going to bother Kass, who was hopefully sleeping, but I was going to see her first thing when we got back. I needed some perspective.