“The new couple has arrived.” The female with the nose piercing cheered. Everyone turned around and stared at them. Even Nikolai and Andros joined in the celebration. The big brute winked while Andros waved a drooping slice of pizza. Gunnar gave the thumbs up sign. Nadia shook her head and nudged him with her hip.
They walked into the throng of people, accepting their congratulations and shaking hands. As Gunnar gave a high five to a male he didn’t even know, the females surrounded Nadia, hugging her and giggling.
When Nadia turned to face him, the fear on her brow had him going still. On high alert, he took a step to go to her. She shook her head, bit into her lip and curled her fingers into fists. Shivering, she exhaled roughly.
It was then that Tory slipped to her side and warned, “Oh, no, you stay right there, Gunnar Nakani.”
He couldn’t stop himself and took another step. “Tory, what the fuck?”
But, then he stopped dead in his tracks. Tory held a syringe to Nadia’s throat. Deep crimson fluid filled the injection. The sharp tip pushed into her flesh. Dread washed through Gunnar. Then rage. A deadly growl rumbled in his throat. His fangs lowered and his features twisted, the painful transformation freed the inner predator within his DNA. He was more animal now than man. Unchained, the beast roared with indignation.
“It’s Nikolai’s blood. If you don’t leave and finish the bargain, I’m injecting this in her bloodstream. You know what’ll happen.” Tory’s voice raised to a maniacal pitch.
Nadia would die a horrible death. And he’d follow right on her heels. Gunnar tilted his head. Glared a warning. But fear curdled in his gut. “The bargain, hmmm?” He scratched his chin, looking up at the stone ceiling.
“Yes, we’re to hold Nadia until you bring back Aleksi’s cold, dead body.”
“That’s my lord to you, human scum.” The deadly calm and regal voice came from behind them. Gunnar let the tension bleed from his spine as he cocked his head over his shoulder and looked at the contingent of kraliyet strength waiting behind them. The Komutani stood in front, wicked calm and radiating a murderous vibe. Tray stood to his left, arms loose at his side as if he was waiting in line at the cinema. Mikhail took the position to Aleksi’s left and he’d let the inner beast loose, fangs lengthened, eyes flashing and yet, he still had that playboy grin on his face.
Mikhail smirked. “Not a good idea to piss his royal powerfulness off.” He hooked a thumb toward Aleksi. “He likes his body alive and kicking.”
“Soyle, arkadaş.” Aleksi’s upper lip stretched and lifted showing deadly fangs.
“I hate when he tells me to shut up.” Mikhail scowled and tapped his thumb to the dimple in his chin.
Aleksi narrowed his eyes and pointed at Tory. “I suggest you remove that from Nadia’s person and step away. All of you, if you get down on your knees and don’t resist arrest, you’ll be taken unscathed to be questioned.”
Tory didn’t budge. No one moved. Gunnar wanted to rush to his female’s side and shove Tory out of the way, but he met Tray’s unwavering stare and waited.
Time stilled. The only sound came from the stereo, some one-hit wonder crooning out of the speakers.
“No fucking way,” Nikolai shouted as Andros pulled the gun from his pocket. “Kill the bastard, Komars. Every single one of them.”
Then, all hell broke loose.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Gunnar braced for an attack, as several faction males broke off from the main group and charged. They shouted obscenities, bellowing shrill hate-filled threats.
Gunnar rushed out of the way, as the kraliyet sentinels formed rank, moving into position in front of their leader. Some drew weapons, others stood on alert, ready to employ their preternatural talents. The first few males reached them and the fight was on. Males clashed, fists flew and the scent of blood filled the air. The first rebel died on a gurgle and the sentinel who’d daggered him simply turned on his heel and grabbed the nearest male, starting another fight.
Izak moved close to Aleksi, a shiny, serrated dagger in one hand. “Come on, you assholes. Try to get through me!” he taunted, wiggling his fingers to call them to him.
As several males approached the Komutani, their self-preservation kicked in and they slowed down, moving into attack position. Gunnar watched Aleksi narrow his eyes and draw in a long breath. His fangs gleamed white and sharp. His eyes lit up, an iridescent glow around the pupil. Fury mottled the flesh across his cheeks. Gunnar hardly worried for him. He could hold his own in this mess.
“Gunnar,” Nadia yelped, and Gunnar’s focus tore from his leader back to his female. She twisted in Tory’s hold, kicking her foot out at the nearest male.
Tory yanked Nadia’s hair and dragged her backward. The human held the syringe in a tight fist, jabbing it further into Nadia’s jugular. “Shut the fuck up or I plunge this into your vein and watch you thrash around as it kills you.”
A group of faction males hemmed them in on all sides. Gunnar’s pulse raced, his vision turned red and murderous rage suppressed all other thoughts. Nadia quit struggling. She let the human bitch lead her further from Gunnar as a way to preserve her life. One glance into her eyes, though, and he saw the fight there. She wouldn’t go meekly.
Neither would he.
Jogging around a hulking male grappling with the sentinel, Demayan, Gunnar slipped around a pillar, taking cover. He opened his palm and drew the electricity to him. The lights zapped, sizzled. Several popped shattering bits of glass and casting the chamber into an eerie dim glow. The voltage swirled in his hand and he concentrated, pulling from his newly enhanced powers hoping to infuse the arcing ball with more strength. It buzzed, white hot, coiling in blue strands dancing across his flesh. He assessed the males surrounding his mate, protecting Tory from attack. Nikolai shouted a command and a large contingent of males followed. They pulled out weapons, some cocked their guns and others held blades at the ready.
The left flank shielding Tory had the smallest male but that didn’t mean anything. He could have the strongest híbe power. Shit, Gunnar had to get to his female before Tory did something to her. He couldn’t lose her, not now, not after they’d just been mated.
“I’ve got your back,” Tray rushed to Gunnar’s side, fangs lowered and aggression darkening his eyes. “Let’s get your female.”
Gunnar nodded sharply. “Striped shirt?”
Tray stared at the males encircling Tory as he too assessed the best course of attack.
A bright flash and rumbling boom had him ducking as a gunshot rang out, echoing all around the cavernous room. On instinct, Gunnar flinched, ready to throw himself in front of his boss.
Tray held up his hand and shook his head. “Not today, kardes.” He pointed at the advancing faction led by Nikolai heading straight for the Komutani. “I’m the least of their worries. They want Aleksi.”
“They want all of you dead.” Gunnar scowled. Long held loyalty to Traian had his gut twisting. His mate came first. Always. Though, he didn’t want Tray to end up a casualty, either.
“I’ve got a score to settle.” Tray looked over at Gunnar, sincerity in his green eyes. “That bitch tried to blow up my valet.”
Gunnar arched an eyebrow. “Valets are replaceable.”
Tray shook his head, blond strands whipping around his shoulders. “Not this one.” Emotion laced each of his words. “And now, he’s got a ball-n-chain.”
Gunnar took in a deep breath. “Yes, he does.”
“He’s going to be no good for me until his female’s out of danger.”
“Nope.” Anxiety destroyed Gunnar’s composure. He needed her safe, in his arms, away from this nightmare.
“Then, let’s go get her for him.” Tray leaned into his front foot, prepared to rush into the fray. “Ready?”
His boss didn’t need to ask twice. Gunnar launched from the spot and hauled ass, barreling his way through the two males blocking him from Tory. Shoving them out of his path with his elbow, he picked up
his pace. A muffled grunt and cry followed but he didn’t give two shits what happened to them, Tray had his back.
Adrenaline kicked up in his veins, swamping his cells and merging with his heightened senses. Tuning out the sounds around him, he filtered through the pungent dust and pheromone-laced sweat, searching for Nadia’s unique perfume. Springtime flowers and sweet honey tickled his nose. It was mixed with rancid tones marking her terror. He resisted his animalistic response needing to stay focused. Tracking Nadia to the far side of the platform, he cut to the right and followed the scent. He rounded the corner and found them on the backside of the stairwell.
“Stop!” Tory shouted, yanking Nadia around like a ragdoll. “One more step and I do it.”
Gunnar froze mid-step. Tray did too. They stood a few yards from Tory and Nadia. Two males hovered close. The one with the striped shirt brought his hands up, fists clenched. His transformation twisted boyish features, changing them into something monstrous and evil. Beside him, Andros waved his gun, parted his lips and growled. His fangs lengthened fully while his nostrils flared.
“Oh lookie, my ex-blood bag.” Tray waved his hand in a mock greeting.
“Traian, having trouble getting it up still?” Tory made a kissing sound and licked her lips in a seductive sweep.
Tray scratched his cheek and tapped his toe impatiently. “Nah, just needed a real lady. Not some washed up wanna be.”
“I hate you.” Tory seethed, twisting her hand in Nadia’s hair eliciting a yelp. Gunnar flinched at Nadia’s pained cry.
“Likewise.” Tray pressed a hand to his hip and pointed at Andros. “Hate him, too.”
“I get to kill that Komar asshole.” Andros demanded, aiming the gun at Tray. “He’s mine.”
Beside Gunnar, Tray laughed. “This’ll be fun.” He cracked his knuckles and crooked his finger beckoning Andros. “Guess he likes pain.”
“He tried to.” Gunnar swallowed hard. The sting of bile crept up his throat as he remembered the terror on Nadia’s face as she recalled what Andros had planned to do to her. “Hurt Nadia,” Gunnar managed to say.
Tray’s eyelids lowered. He ducked his chin. His entire body stilled, primed to attack. The scent of hostility tainted the air around them it reeked of astringent burning Gunnar’s nose. Tray’s aristocratic façade slipped away and in its place was a vicious warrior. A predator. “Then, I’m gonna make it stick this time.”
The Council hadn’t sanctioned Andros’ execution when he’d been taken into custody the last time. Gunnar saw the determination in Tray’s icy cold gaze. Andros would die tonight.
“Get your mate.” In a flash, Tray launched off the ground and landed beside Andros. He caught the male’s throat and hauled him off the ground tossing him like a sack of potatoes clear across the railroad tracks. His body landed with a loud thump but Tray didn’t stop his advance, he kicked Andros and the male went flying into a pillar.
“Isn’t that totally like Tray, abandoning you for something else?” Tory crooned. “Just like me. He dumped me for that half-breed nobody. I was trying to kill her, you know. But you ruined everything.” She tugged on Nadia’s hair, twisting her fist cruelly.
Nadia’s scream speared Gunnar right in the gut. He fought the compulsion to rush over to her, wrenching her free from the woman. He still had the other male to contend with before he could do anything to Tory. Spooking the bitch could propel her into a frenzy and that needle came way too close to Nadia’s jugular vein for Gunnar to take any chances.
“I told you not to get attached. He’s a fucking prince in our world. He’d never be allowed to keep you for anything but your vein.” Gunnar scoffed, but he kept his eye fixed on Nadia, watching as she lifted on her tiptoes to take the strain off her hair. She moved in close, putting an inch between the syringe and her flesh. Gunnar made himself breathe in and count to ten to calm his thoughts and plan the best attack.
“I gave him everything he asked for. My veins and my body. For what?” She stamped her foot jerking Nadia with the motion. “He treated me like a piece of meat. Threw me away like trash.”
From the corner of his eye, Gunnar watched the other male get closer. He withdrew a titanium knife and held it against his thigh, attempting to conceal his purpose. Gunnar tested the helix of energy cupped in his palm. It sizzled across his skin. He turned inward, bringing his híbe to the fore. He’d get one chance to use it.
The male took another step. Gunnar leaned into his heel, poised to ram the ball of electricity straight at the male.
“Think they care about you?” Tory marched forward dragging Nadia with her. “They don’t.” She jerked her fist and Nadia stumbled. “They don’t care about her, either.” She shook the syringe dramatically.
The moment the needle left her skin, Nadia struggled to break free. She grabbed Tory’s hand attempting to get the syringe. Tory flung her arm from Nadia’s prying fingers and the injection went flying. It landed a yard away. Gunnar’s lungs seized as the woman let go of Nadia’s hair and rammed a fist into her cheek. Enraged, he roared and sprung toward them, gunning for Tory but he didn’t make it. The pinch of pain at his side forced him to whirl away from the attacker.
Piece of shit grinned in triumph. Gunnar squared his hips and stared at the male. “A mere scratch.”
“I got more where that came from.” He lifted the blade and Gunnar saw his own blood dripping from the tip. The pain in his side throbbed but he ignored it.
“Try it again and I promise you won’t live to see if you managed a direct hit.” Gunnar tipped his chin down, biting into his lower lip, concentrating. He watched the other male, seeing the moment the attacker’s muscles clenched as he rocked from one foot to the other. Betraying the calm poise, the male’s arm twitched and a knee bent. Then he pounced, hand raised high ready to slash at Gunnar.
Wait! The urge to pummel the male hammered in Gunnar’s head like a gong peeling a warning. Timing the contact right, he waited for the exact moment he could release the electricity swirling in his hand.
The male continued running full out, the blade high in a slashing position. He’d left himself open, vital organs exposed and Gunnar aimed for the most important one—the heart. Sucking in a breath, he imbued as much of his power as he could into the sphere. In a flash, he shoved the sizzling current of energy at the male, not stopping until his palm collided with that striped shirt and hit the harsh jut of ribs.
With a heave, the male brought the sharp end of the weapon down in a desperate sweep but Gunnar parried the blow and spun around, hauling the attackers arm behind him. The blade dropped to the ground with a clank. Gunnar leaned close and with a low rumble in his chest he mocked, “Wait for it.”
“Wha—” The male didn’t finish the question. His body seized, quivering and shaking as spittle trailed down the side of his mouth. Eyes rolling back in his head, the spasms turned to convulsions and with eyelids fluttering, he opened his mouth to scream. But the voltage sparked crackling across his torso and on a sputtering gasp, he went still. His heart stopped beating a second later.
Gunnar dropped the male on the ground, rolled his shoulders and turned to face the bitch. The sight before him increased the sickening dread welling in his gut. Nadia slapped Tory’s face, kicking and scratching but the woman had grabbed the long train of Nadia’s gown and yanked, dragging his mate off balance. She stumbled and pulled away, trying to put distance between them but it didn’t work. Tory latched onto the lacy shoulder strap, fingernails cruelly drawing blood.
“Let go of her.” Gunnar warned, deadly calm, yet hostility, pumped through his veins. He took a step, another. He’d kill this human for hurting his mate. All he could think about was inflicting pain, squeezing the air from her, tearing her heart out while it still beat. Grinding his molars, he glared his hatred.
“You think you’re so smart.” Tory’s voice cracked. Her fingers flexed on Nadia’s shoulder before she twisted the sleeve tighter.
Nadia kicked out, jerking to t
he side trying to break contact. “Let me go.”
Tory made little clicking noises and tracked her free hand down the side of Nadia’s face. “Do you know what a valet is, little nurse?” She didn’t let Nadia reply, instead, she cackled and wrinkled her nose. “He shines shoes. You mated a shoe shiner. And, you can’t do anything about it.” She threw her head back and laughed hysterically.
Nadia twisted and fought, grabbing Tory’s wrist, trying to pull free. Gunnar wanted to rush over there and pull them apart. He just needed the right moment to make sure he didn’t harm his mate. It killed him to hold back but he couldn’t risk her safety.
“I don’t care what he does. He loves me. That’s all I need.” Nadia cocked her head and bit Tory’s hand.
The woman screamed, and Gunnar launched from his spot, aiming right for the bitch. She turned, fist cocked and backhanded Nadia. Off balance, Nadia stumbled and couldn’t protect herself when Tory shoved her into the wall. His mate’s forehead slammed into the brick and rebounded with a jerk. She didn’t even cry out as she slid to the ground, silent and unmoving.
“No!” Gunnar shouted. He landed in front of Tory and had his hand around her throat, squeezing and shaking. “Nadia,” he called while gritting his teeth and crushing Tory’s airway, but his mate didn’t answer.
Crazy eyes watered as Tory focused on him. “Bastard,” she mouthed as spit coated her lips. “You,” she gasped, but no air came out. “Should’ve died,” she croaked, digging her nails into his thumbs trying to pull them away.
Gunnar scowled, utter ferocity toppling any restraint he might’ve felt for this human. He wanted her dead. “You’re going to,” he spat in a flat tone.
“Gunnar.” Hoarse and weak, Nadia called him. He diverted his attention from the human and glanced over at his mate. She’d pushed to sit against the brick wall, teeth chattering and hair a chaotic mess around her shoulder. With a split lip and bruised cheek, she crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. She held out her hand in a silent plea to come to her.
Mated in Treason Page 33