by Cynthia Eden
Howls. Growls. A gunshot blasted, and her eyes flew open. A giant white wolf was in the middle of the smoke and the flames and he’d just taken down one of the agents in black. As she watched, the wolf leapt at another agent, going for his throat. There were screams and yells as the agents tried to figure out where the hell the beast had come from—
Wind blew against her body. The fast whip of wind that she now knew signaled wings. Wings batting at the air. Her stare snapped back to Luke, but he hadn’t shifted. He was holding her, cradling her in his arms, and his body was still that of a man.
Leo appeared behind him. “You owe me for this.” He locked one arm around Luke and lifted him into the air. Since Luke was holding Mina, she rose, too. Leo hoisted them with one hand, as if their weight were nothing to him.
Below her, the wolf was still attacking, dodging bullets. Fighting fiercely.
“Get the hell out of there, Rayce!” Luke roared.
The wolf stilled, only for an instant, then he turned and disappeared into the smoke.
They were getting away. Alive. Safe…able to come back and fight another day. They were going to make it.
“Mina!”
Garrick was in the middle of the smoke, glaring up at her. “Come back to me…now!”
He had something in his hand—the gun? No…the remote.
“Come back…now.”
The pain blinded her that time. She could feel the slice in her neck, but it was worse, as if something were burrowing beneath her skin.
“Come back or die!” His thundering threats were following her.
Mina closed her eyes. Closing your eyes doesn’t make the bad things disappear. No, she knew that truth. She also knew she wouldn’t try to get Luke to take her back down. If she did, if they went back, he’d suffer, too. Their grand rescue mission had gone to shit.
So she let the pain sweep over her. She tightened her hold on Luke. And she knew that…whatever happened…
It was her choice. And her choice…it was Luke.
Chapter Fifteen
They landed on the island—or rather, Leo dropped Luke on the dock. Luke held tight to Mina. She’d been so silent, so still, during that flight. The flight itself had only taken a short time—his brother had used his enhanced speed to get them out of there once that soon-to-be-dead jerk Garrick had begun screaming his threats.
“We’re safe,” Luke told Mina.
She didn’t stir in his arms. Her body was slumped against his.
He looked up, glaring at Leo. “You will pay.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “What? Are you serious? I just saved your ass—and her sweet ass, too.” He waved his hand and clothes appeared on Luke’s body. “And I hate talking to you when you’re naked. It’s like looking into one really twisted-ass mirror.”
A growl rumbled from Luke’s throat. Did his brother think he was a fool? “Don’t you think I don’t know what they did? What you gave to them? There’s only one weapon that could have cut through my wings that way. Only one item that could have made me bleed.” A near-fatal attack. “Did you think you weren’t strong enough to end me yourself? So you started working with the humans? Was that your fucking plan all along? To get them to do your dirty work?” He’d wanted to find the head of the snake at Garrick’s government agency. Luke was very much afraid he might be facing that snake right then.
Leo took a step back. “That’s not…it didn’t happen that way—”
“I am going to end you.” He made that promise easily. “And I don’t care what hell that brings.” But his gaze darted down to Mina. Why hadn’t she stirred?
“No, I guess you don’t care. That’s your problem, brother. You never care. You don’t care about the destruction you leave in your wake. You don’t care about the lives you wreck. You don’t even care about the woman in your arms! Not really. She’s just another possession to you, nothing more.”
Mina was everything to him. And she wasn’t moving.
Come back or die! That fool Garrick had screamed those words at her. Luke had thought the human was threatening to shoot her. His brother had obviously thought the same thing because that had been the moment that Leo flew faster, rushing them out of that area.
But now…
Carefully, Luke lowered Mina to the dock. Her dark hair spread behind her. There were dry tear tracks on her cheeks. Just the sight of them made his heart ache. “Mina?” His fingers slid over her, moving carefully and then…pausing as he stared at the emerald on her throat.
“Are you even listening to me?” Leo blasted him. “Selfish bastard! You would destroy the delicate balance on this world because you think I betrayed you. You won’t listen to reason, even though I truly did just save your sorry ass—”
“Mina didn’t speak to me.” He remembered that now. He’d woken in the smoke and fire and Mina had been there, but she’d been pointing up in the air, obviously trying to get him to fly away. As if he would have left without her.
His fingers slid around the emerald. There was something about it that nagged at him.
“She didn’t speak to me, either.” Leo edged closer.
Luke’s fingers slid against the collar on her neck. “Someone put this on her.” He couldn’t get his fingers beneath it. When he touched the strange fabric, it actually seemed to tighten around her skin. “Mina?” He needed her to open her eyes. Those too bright eyes that had always seemed to bewitch him.
But she didn’t stir.
“That…emerald looks familiar to me,” Leo muttered.
Luke’s gaze focused on the emerald. It was familiar to him, too. But where had he seen it…When? And…
Oh, the fuck, no. “Mina!” he roared her name.
Her gaze flew open. For just an instant, she stared at him, happiness flashing in her eyes and then—then she started clawing at the collar, trying to pry it off her neck even as her face went first red, then purple.
“She’s choking!” Now Leo sounded worried. “Get that thing off her!”
Garrick did this to her. “It’s not an emerald.” It had been so very long since he’d seen a creature like that one. And it was a creature. A very distant cousin to the scarabs that had been so popular in Egypt with a long ago queen.
Leo let out a low hiss. “Not those buggers. Hate them. They’re made from—”
“Dark magic,” Luke finished as he curled his fingers around the creature’s back. Yes, the Ori was a dark beast, and that was why he could pull it away from Mina’s delicate neck. Normally, once an Ori latched onto its prey, it never let go, not even after death. But when he touched the emerald green back, the beast shivered. The Ori’s body trembled and Luke pulled it back. As he did, he saw the long needle that the Ori had discharged into Mina’s neck—a stinger, really, and he heard Leo muttering in disgust behind him.
By the time he’d pulled the Ori off Mina, the needle was easily three inches long. And it had been embedded in her throat. Oh, Mina, sweetheart, I am so sorry. The sting of an Ori was a hundred times worse than the bite of a snake. The beast was small, but so very vicious, one of Luke’s creations from a long time ago.
Several life-times ago. But he’d never, never meant for it to be used against someone like Mina.
When the needle finally slid free of Mina’s neck, the collar that had been wrapped so tightly around her throat snapped. The collar was a new invention—he was sure Garrick’s team had come up with that contraption so that it fitted into the Ori’s body.
“Get rid of that thing,” Leo snapped at him.
Luke crushed the Ori to dust in his hand.
Then he looked back at Mina’s face. Her eyes were on him. He realized they’d been on him the whole time he’d been moving that Ori out of her. How had Garrick gotten hold of that thing? “You’re going to be all right,” Luke assured her. “It’s gone now. It can’t hurt you anymore.”
Her lips moved.
But he heard no sound. “Mina?”
Again, her lips moved, but no s
ound emerged and as his heart seemed to constrict in his chest, Luke realized just what had been done to his beautiful Mina.
Garrick had learned how to steal her voice.
His gaze flew to his brother, then back to Mina. Did she know? Did she realize? Did she—
Mina smiled at him. That beautiful, warm smile. Then, very slowly, he saw her lips form the words. It’s okay.
No, no, it wasn’t okay. Mina was hurt. She’d lost her voice. She’d—
Leo grabbed him, hauling Luke to his feet. “She traded her voice for you.”
Luke shook his head. No, no, Mina hadn’t—
“That jerk—the one she called Garrick—he had some kind of device in his hand—must have been a remote for the collar.”
Luke’s head was pounding.
“I didn’t realize what it was at the time, but now it all makes sense! She could have taken it from him, but instead, she took his gun because she was trying to buy time for you.”
Luke’s hands flew to lock around his brother’s shoulders. “You were there…watching?” Just watching and not helping Mina? His rage turned even darker.
“I’d never seen you fall! I thought you were going to leap up at any moment and attack!” Leo yelled back. “But you didn’t. When I realized that…I got both of you out of there.”
Just not before Mina’s voice had been taken.
Mina. Beautiful Mina. She had—
She was on her feet. Shoving between him and Leo. She stood there, her hair tangled around her shoulders, a line of blood dripping from her throat. One of her hands was on his chest, one on his brother’s. And, again, her lips moved slowly.
Worth it.
“No, I’m not.” He wanted to fall to his knees right then and there. He was the Lord of the Dark. He could control all beasts of the dark—that was how he had removed the Ori. “But I’ll fix this, you’ll see.” He put his hand on her throat and focused all of the dark energy within him. He ruled the dark. That meant he could heal the dark creatures who’d been hurt. He’d brought others back from the brink of death, mending their bodies and their minds. He would give Mina back her voice. He would fix her. He would.
But her blood kept dripping down through his fingers. His hands were glowing, power bursting through him. He even felt the stretch of his wings behind him.
Yet her wound didn’t heal.
“I told you,” Leo spoke softly. “She isn’t one of yours. Maybe you can finally see that now.”
Mina was just staring at Luke, a faint line between her delicate brows.
Luke’s gaze jerked toward his brother. “Heal her.”
Leo hesitated. “If I do, then she will be mine, you know that, right?”
Mina frowned at them. Then she stared at Leo and shook her head. Immediately, her gaze returned to Luke. It almost hurt to look into her eyes. There is no almost about it. This woman has gotten to me. And I will do anything for her.
Anything…even lose her.
Leo’s voice was flat as he warned, “If I do this, the traits that were dormant in her will be pushed out by the healing. She will leave you.”
Mina grabbed Luke’s hand. Again, she shook her head.
She wanted to stay with him. He could see that. Even though Leo could give her back her voice, she was still…Choosing me. What have I done? He swallowed, shoving down the lump in his throat. “There’s a story, love,” he told her, his words tender, “I think it may be one you heard before.”
The line between her eyes deepened just a bit.
“There was once this beautiful mermaid who fell in love with a man she saw while swimming one morning. She wanted to be with him so she traded her voice for days with him.”
Her lips parted.
“It was a foolish trade,” Luke said, hating the growing rasp of his words. “Because that man wasn’t worth it. He was not worth any of her pain. He carried too many sins on his back. He would never be worthy of her.” No matter what he fucking did. Luke put his forehead against hers, knowing this was it. The end.
For them.
For him.
“You won’t lose anything for me,” Luke vowed. “I won’t let you.” Then he moved fast, turning her in his arms. She was struggling and he hated it because she should never know fear or pain. “Heal her,” he said to his brother. “Now.”
Leo reached for her throat. His fingertips just touched her and a cascade of light seemed to explode. The light swallowed Mina’s body, surrounding her, enveloping her. Luke felt the warmth slide over his skin.
And when the light faded…
Leo was gone.
Mina stood before him, her body trembling. His hands were still wrapped around her shoulders, holding her far too tightly. Carefully, he turned her back to face him.
“What in the hell was that?” Mina demanded.
Not hell, not even close.
He yanked her close, holding her in a hug that was no doubt crushing her, but Mina’s beautiful voice was back. She was safe.
Her hand shoved against him. “Don’t ever pull that crap with me again!” Mina snapped at him. “And I don’t know what you and your weirdo twin were talking about, but I don’t belong to anyone but myself! I’m not yours and I’m not his! So forget that freak train right now.”
He loved her voice. Loved her passion. Her fire.
I love her. That knowledge was there, pushing up deep inside of him. He wasn’t supposed to love. Everyone thought he couldn’t love. And certainly, not love someone like Mina. Someone who was good and pure of heart. Someone straight from the light. But he stood before her, and the truth was undeniable. He looked into her bright eyes and he knew that he would do anything she wanted. Face any fight. Battle any foe. Give up all of his power…
For her.
His hand curled around her delicate jaw. He pressed his lips to hers. Need burst within him. The wild, fierce desire he only felt for her. He knew their time was limited. His brother was gone, but Leo would be back. And Mina would vanish.
I need her once more.
Not just once. He wanted her a thousand more times. A million. He wanted her forever, but the devil didn’t get a happy ending. That had never been in the cards for him.
She would be happy.
She would also be far away from him.
“There it is,” Mina murmured against his mouth. “That’s what I missed. That’s how I know it’s you.”
He didn’t know what that meant, Luke just understood that the woman in his arms was the most important person in his world, and he was about to lose her. He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to his home. The home that had always felt more like a prison until she’d arrived.
He kissed her as they walked up the stairs inside. Her body was soft and warm, ever so perfect. When he touched her, he felt good.
They reached the landing. His head lifted and he just fucking feasted his eyes on her for a moment. He wanted to remember her, needed to remember her. Because he’d be living for centuries without her.
“Why do you look so sad?” Mina asked him.
He knew her voice would haunt him. The voice that had first enraptured him. Then bewitched him.
“Because I want you too much,” he said.
She smiled at him. “There isn’t such a thing. You can never want me too much.”
She didn’t understand. He would have to tell her, but…after. After he had one last time with Mina. After he felt her body against his. After he touched the only heaven he’d ever found—with her.
But her smile slipped. “Wh-what about Rayce?”
“He made it out.” He’d seen the wolf flee.
Her eyes seemed to darken. “They took Julian away. And Eli—he was hurt so badly.” She pushed against his arms and he put her down on her feet. Her body had gone tight with tension. “We have to get them back.”
“I will.” He was far from done with Garrick McAdams and his agency. “Don’t worry, Mina. I don’t lose those who are mine.”
/> “There’s that word again. You and your brother sure like to throw it around a lot.”
He’d thought she was his. No, he’d hoped. And he’d ignored every sign to the contrary. “I swear, I will get them out.”
“We should go back now,” Mina argued. “We need to get there—”
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “We left the place in chaos. They will have called in every bit of back-up that they had. Dawn is here, and the time to attack isn’t now. I will hit them at night, and I won’t leave without my men.” At night, when my strength is always greatest.
“We will attack,” Mina said, giving a hard nod. “You and I. Look, okay, I get that the last big rescue plan didn’t go over so well.”
No, it hadn’t. Because he’d underestimated his prey. He hadn’t realized that the humans had been given extra help in their battle.
Someone gave them Ori. And…someone had given them the bullets they’d used to rip through his wings. Normal bullets would never be able to pierce him. His brother had denied the betrayal, but…“You told me that they kept other paranormals.”
Mina nodded.
Those paranormals had given up his secrets. The dark paranormals had turned on their leader.
But was it possible that Leo’s brethren had also fallen captive?
It would explain a lot. If Leo had spoken truthfully and truly not betrayed Luke, then maybe he’d been involved because he was trying to help his own kind, too. Maybe…
“You have that look again,” Mina whispered. “Like you’re sad.” Her fingers pressed against his cheek. “I don’t want you to be sad, Luke. Not ever.”
Soon, he’d lose the only reason he ever had to be happy. “I’m going to make love to you, Mina.”
She flashed him the smile that made his heart ache. “I was rather hoping you would. Especially after that ever-so-sexy way you carried me up the stairs.”
He blinked at her and the ache he felt turned warm. Mina did that. Still surprised him. Still enthralled him. He would never quite figure out the way her mind worked.
But he would mourn her loss forever.
I’ve only known her for days. How did this happen? How?
“I don’t understand the power that you and your brother have.”