INTO THE FIRE (Forbidden Love)

by James, Danielle

  “Yeah, strong and pregnant,” Gage pointed out. His point hit Rebel like a knife in the chest.

  “You just point me in the right direction,” Gage continued. “I’ll go ahead and do some recon, see what’s doin where she is.”

  “No, you can’t go alone.”

  “Who said I was going alone?” Gage asked. “I planned on taking the faery with me.”

  As much as Rebel hated to admit it, it was a good idea. Someone should go ahead. Someone should let the others know what they were walking into. He had been feeling Leigh’s pull stronger and stronger with every minute that ticked by. It was a challenge for him to not act on it. Maybe he should.

  “Ok, but I’m going too.”

  “You gonna tell the others where we’re going?” Gage asked.

  “No,” Rebel replied. “If we do, we are only gonna make them worry and they’ll try to talk us out of it.” He scratched his neck and looked around the room. “No, it’s better that we just slip out. Now, get your faery.”

  Gage grabbed the keys to the Escalade and slipped out the private entrance of the estate unnoticed by the mob gathered out front. Since their little disagreement with Merrick, the fans and others had taken to camping out in front of the house. Thank God for the gates and the security. Someone had caught part of the fight on their camera phone from the beach and posted it on YouTube. Annnd of course it went viral. The whole freaking world was doing a big WTF. Of course the people camped out were mostly supporters of the guys. Some were holding a candlelight vigil for Antonio. Gage could even hear some of them crying quietly. Then there were the others. The protesters. They carried their signs saying things like ‘free the dragon’ and cross mating is wrong. “Save the dragons” was his favorite. Little did they know that was exactly what the crew was trying to do, thanks to a gag order issued by Detective Corbin. No one was talking to the media until they were ready.

  The sounds from the gathered crowd grew faint as Gage pulled off the dirt road and onto the highway. It would only be a short trip to get Serena. She was in the forest just a few miles from him. Faeries kept their homes hidden for the most part from human view, but damned if Gage didn’t know exactly where to go. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Just like he simply knew Serena would be there.

  A few miles down the road, he saw the dirt road he needed. It was well disguised from view by shrubs and weeds, but Gage knew it was there. He slowed to a safe speed and hung a right. The road was super skinny and the Escalade barely fit, but it was surprisingly smooth. To the human eye the forest seemed to swallow the road up, but that was not the case. It was a spell meant to hide their home. Gage kept driving right into the illusion and he watched as the trees seemed to open up for him as he approached.

  At the end of the road, Gage saw what looked like an old, beat up shack. But things were not what they seemed, he knew. He parked the truck and threw the door open. The dirt and rocks crunched under his boots as he got out and walked toward the door. They knew he was here anyway, having no doubt set off some kind of perimeter alarm. No need for stealth anyway. He wanted them to know. He raised his fist and knocked on the battered wooden door.

  And then he waited.

  And waited some more.

  Well, if those damned faeries thought he would just go away, they had another thing coming. He needed Serena and he wasn’t leaving without her. He and Rebel would need her spells to keep them under the radar while they spied on Merrick. They might need her healing abilities. He could think of any number of reasons to bring her along. Not one of them because he was secretly dying to see her again. Nope. Definitely not that.

  He beat on the door again to distract himself from his lie.

  After three more tries, the door finally opened. And there she was. Her red hair was pulled back into a tight French braid and she was wearing a white summer dress that flowed around her legs like liquid silk. Gage couldn’t help but stare. And his eyes weren’t the only part of his anatomy that took notice.

  He shook his head and found his voice. “We need you,” he choked out.

  “Of course you do,” she said. “I have great news. Mother has agreed to help. We will be sending our family to help you. We are just waiting on word from Angel.”

  “We need you, specifically, and we need you to come with us now,” Gage told her. Man, her eyes sparkled. “We are gonna go ahead of everyone else to do recon, and we need your specific skill set to help us.” He looked at his boots. Huh, there was dirt on them. Wonder where he got that… “Please,” he said under his breath.

  Serena laughed. And wouldn’t you know it sounded like heaven to Gage’s ears. “I see,” she chuckled. “Of course. Let me gather a few things and I’ll be right out. Come in, sit.”

  She opened the door further and stepped aside to allow room for Gage to pass. Two steps into the house and he was speechless. The inside of the shack was anything but shack-like. Of course, he knew it would be. But this was just… wow. The walls were stark white holding up the glass ceiling that must have been fifteen feet high. He had a perfect view of the sky. The furniture was sparse, but effective, and looked like it had been perfectly preserved from another time. He gently sat himself on the sofa. It was a cream color that also seemed to shift and change ever so slightly when he sat. He was afraid to sit back for fear he would somehow soil it or break it in some way.

  He sat there ramrod straight with his hands on his knees for what seemed like an eternity. His palms were sweaty and the back of his neck tingled like it would when you just know someone is watching you. The sitting room was completely quiet, and there were no sounds from the rest of the house to hear. A fae spell. Man that would great at home, not to hear all the men who had mates doing what mates do.

  Not that Gage wanted a mate. Hell no, look at all the trouble Rebel was in now. No, Gage preferred to be alone, to drink from whomever he wished, to be free to sleep with anyone he wanted.

  An unbidden image of Serena flashed in his mind. Naked, covered in a light sheen of sweat, breathing heavily. Immediately his cock punched against the zipper of his pants and Gage had to move to relieve some of the pressure.

  Just as quickly as the image appeared, he shoved it away. No way he was gonna hit that. Not with a fae. Now, if she were human or vampire or anything else… no no no think of something else.

  Instead he forced thoughts about what he was about to do to the front of his mind. He needed Rebel to lead them to Merrick’s hidey hole. Then he would do a good and thorough look about. There was gonna have to be a way in and they were gonna have to find Leigh. And God help that fucking dragon if even one hair on her pregnant head was injured.

  “Ready?” Serena’s voice rolled across his senses, derailing his train of thought. “Gage,” she said, “I said are you ready?” Damn her and that damned smile on her face.

  “Yeah.” He sat up and followed her to the door. He held it for her as she exited her home and then shut it behind himself. She didn’t wait for him to open the passenger door of the truck and why that irritated him was a mystery.

  “Is Rebel ready to go?” she asked as they made their way back to the estate.

  “Been ready for two days,” Gage replied. He kept his eyes on the road and made a conscious effort not to look at the woman sitting beside him.

  THIRTY FOUR

  Leigh watched the sun go down through the tiny window in her prison. Everything hurt. Her muscles were tired and ached, her head was pounding, her spine even hurt. Her mouth was dry and her throat felt like sandpaper. She knew this was all because she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in two full days. But what worried her the most was that her baby had stopped moving earlier in the day.

  It had wiggled a little bit, then, nothing. And nothing since. And that was a very bad thing. Just a little longer, she thought to herself. Rebel would come for her tonight. She could feel it. She could feel how close he was. He hadn’t tried to contact her, nor she to him, because this close surely Merrick wo
uld sense it. But he was there. She knew it deep in her tired bones.

  Rebel, Gage, and Serena all got out of the Escalade in tandem. They had driven for hours and finally ended up on the side of a mountain where Rebel felt they were close enough now that they should get out and walk. Thank God the windows were super dark tint so that they could make the drive during the afternoon hours. Rebel had actually thought that Merrick would have taken his woman much farther away. And it felt like she was worlds away when Rebel couldn’t go to her. In reality, he had only taken Leigh about four hundred miles. Still, it had seemed the drive would never end.

  When they first started out, Rebel wasn’t even sure he could find her. But once he concentrated on where to go, it was easy. It was like following a big flashing beacon that only Rebel could see. Not that he actually saw anything. It was more of a feeling. And the closer they got, the stronger the pull he felt.

  Now, he knew that if he reached out to her, she would hear him. But since he still didn’t know how much power Merrick had, the only course was to keep quiet. Surely she knew he was coming, and if she didn’t, she would.

  “I think it’s time for one of those spells you weave, Serena,” Gage said. “We need to be as invisible as possible.”

  Serena nodded and dropped to the ground on her knees. She opened her bag and took out a cloth. She spread the cloth on the ground and filled it with dirt and something neither of the men saw from her bag. She whispered something over the cloth, then rubbed her hands in it. Then she stood. She rubbed a little of the dirt on each of their foreheads.

  Gage tried not to look into her eyes. The way they glinted in even the smallest amount of light was mesmerizing. But he couldn’t help himself. He watched her every move as she slid her index finger across his brow. He pretended not to have a reaction to her touch. He pretended not to be disappointed when she moved on to Rebel.

  She repeated the motion on herself and then said, “We should be good now. No one will know we are here.”

  “What about cameras?” Rebel asked.

  “We are essentially invisible to everyone and everything but each other for now.”

  “When does this wear off?” Gage asked.

  “When the dirt is gone. Then we will have to put it back or else been seen,” she said. “Now, which way my friend?”

  “Humph,” Rebel said under his breath, but otherwise didn’t say another word. He simply started running with his vampire speed in the direction his heart was pulling him in. The others followed without incident.

  They ran for another hour before Rebel stopped suddenly. “We’re here,” he whispered. He searched the landscape for anything that would give away Merrick’s hideout, but he saw nothing.

  “There is nothing here man,” Gage said quietly. “Are you sure?”

  Rebel shot him a look that would have burned him where he stood if it had come from Leigh. “I’m positive,” he snapped back. “It’s here.”

  “Pull the shield from our eyes, let us see what they hide,” Serena chanted with her arms stretched wide.

  A fine mist rose up from the earth and swirled toward the sky. It took on the shape of a dome for just a moment and then disappeared completely. And there it was. Merrick’s home. It was built into the mountain and covered with moss and greenery. To anyone just passing by, it would not have stood out in the least. With the help of the fae who teamed up with Merrick, it was completely invisible.

  “Nicely done,” Gage complimented her.

  “I knew it was a good idea to bring you along,” Rebel said, crouching down to hide behind the brush. “Now let’s take a listen and see what happens.”

  They all crouched down to watch and listen, and hopefully, find out just what it was they were up against. The only light was that of the moon, which hung huge and full in the night sky. They didn’t have to wait long though before people started milling out of the house. When Rebel saw what was going on, his tight leash on his impulse to act snapped and he roared as he leapt out of the trees and shot like a bullet from a gun.

  “I am not going to mate with you, dickhead,” Leigh snapped at Merrick. He had finally come for her. He was untying her and planned to take her outside. She could have fought him off, even in her weaken state, but he had help. She didn’t know how many fae were there helping him, but there were several and they were all pulling on her.

  “Do not harm her,” Merrick commanded as they literally dragged her out into the main house. “I want her in the best shape possible to conceive my young.” He sneered at Leigh. “I will have you tonight, under the full moon. You will be my mate.”

  “I already have a mate, thank you very much. And what are you going to do? Rape me? How the fuck is that gonna make you favorite person? News flash moron, it ain’t.”

  “Wait,” Merrick commanded and the men dragging her stopped. He walked up to her and ran his finger over her cheek. “Look at you,” he said softly. “So pale and weak. You would rather die than drink the water I so graciously provided for you? Why? And your heart beat is soft and irregular. It almost….”

  Leigh knew what he heard. She could hear her own heart pounding away in her chest and still she could hear the baby’s. That is what Merrick heard.

  “There is something you haven’t told me,” Merrick accused her. “What, exactly, is that?”

  “What is what? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Have you been drinking the water meant for me? Are you fucking high?” Leigh shot back defiantly.

  “Oh this does change things,” he said. “You have been tainted in more ways than one by that filthy blood sucker. He has marked your body and now polluted it with his spawn!” His voice rose with every word and Leigh knew it was only a matter of time before he got to the point.

  “You fucking cunt! Whore! I can’t possibly mate with you now! You’ve ruined everything!”

  He slapped her across the face so hard she felt her teeth rattle. Her temperature rose to a dangerous level and the smell of sulfur grew thick in the air. Not just from her, from the both of them. Merrick was pissed. And so was Leigh. But she didn’t dare let her magic take over. Not unless she had no choice.

  “Take her outside,” Merrick commanded his lackeys. “Take her out and kill it. Cut it from her belly and make sure it never breathes.”

  “What if we kill her in the process?” one of the men asked.

  “Oh for the love of… Are you planning to cut off her head?” Merrick snapped, “No? Ok then, anything else you do to her will grow back. And make sure you clean up before coming back in; I don’t want blood in my house. Now I suggest you hurry before she decides to use her magic on you. And be sure you cut that thing’s head from its body.”

  Merrick turned his back on her and the fae man on her right began to chant. “Be still this one, fires burn cold, paralyze and do as told.”

  Instantly, Leigh’s body became heavy and limp. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t talk. And worst of all, she couldn’t fight as they dragged her outside.

  When Rebel saw the men dragging his mate, limp and weak, from the house, his control snapped. He shot toward them at top speed, not giving a shit if they knew he was there or not. One of the men was holding a knife and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what he planned to do with it. There was no time to wait for backup. He only hoped that Gage would call for it.

  As he approached, he pulled his Glock from the back of his pants and took aim. One shot was all it took to take down the fae with the knife. Of course, then everyone knew he was there and they were ready.

  One of the fae men produced a ball of light from out of nowhere and slung it at Rebel, who was completely visible now. Thank God his aim left something to be desired. It blew past Rebel’s head and singed the hair on the side of his face, it was so close. But Rebel didn’t even slow down.

  The men were now surrounding Leigh and chanting. He knew they were making some damn spell to keep him from his mate, but Rebel didn’t care. He barreled into the wall of
faeries and what had to be an invisible force field or something full speed. It wasn’t enough to knock them down, but it did stop their chant and break the barrier. He fell back on his ass and all the air whooshed from his lungs.

  But Rebel didn’t stop. He jumped back onto his feet with lightning speed and tried again. This time he had more success. Two of the men faltered and he was able to at least see Leigh’s face. She was weak and clearly terrified, but she was alive. He didn’t get a chance to say anything to her though. He was hit from behind with what felt like a fucking boulder. It crashed into his head and all he saw for several seconds was blinding white light.

  Then, someone knocked his legs out from under him. The faeries were on him like stink on shit so fast that Rebel didn’t even have a chance to defend himself. The biggest one came toward him with a really big fucking knife. It looked like something out of Hunter’s Digest. Rebel didn’t have to wonder what he planned to do with it, he already knew. As they pulled him to a standing position, Rebel’s eyes wondered to his mate. I’m sorry, he projected at her, I love you.

  THIRTY FIVE

  Well this just wasn’t going to do at all, Gage thought as he unholstered his guns and ran after Rebel. No fucking way in hell was he gonna lose another brother. He heard Serena yelling for him to stop, but there was no stopping it now. Rebel was a loose cannon and Gage had to be there on his six.

  He took out the first two faeries with a well place shot to the forehead. Then, on with the hand to hand. He fought like an old pro, but they had strength in numbers. It wasn’t long before Gage was also restrained and worried he wasn’t going to be going home this time.

  Serena watched as the vampires ran head long into yet another fight. She watched as the fae men overpowered them and she had never felt so helpless in her life. Serena had never been a fighter. Oh what she wouldn’t give to have her family by her side right now. She could plainly see the men who were on Merrick’s side. It was also plain to see that they did not care whether Leigh was already mated or not. They had set out to kill her baby.