“It doesn’t make any sense.” His voice was strained.
“Tell me!” She screeched like a mad woman. Anger, hurt, the worst fucking pain she had ever felt, was right beneath the surface consuming her. The emotion that churned with the most aggression was remorse. It hurt like a bitch on steroids.
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “Don’t fucking know.” More forcefully this time. “It can’t be any of the other species. It just can’t.”
“Who then? Why?” Tanya broke down, god awful sobs wracked her whole body to the point where she shook uncontrollably.
“He’s a tough bastard.” Griffin’s voice cracked. “Tough as nails.” She could hear the raw emotion in his words. Could hear his fear which sliced her open more decisively than a sharp knife ever could.
Just when she thought it wasn’t possible, hot, heavy tears tracked down her cheeks again. Tanya tried hard to hold onto his words, to somehow make them a reality. Problem was, she’d seen the chopper blown out of the sky with her own two eyes. Had heard the deafening crash and the twisting of metal. There was just no way. No way in hell. She clasped her skull, digging in with the tips of her fingers and wishing that the images would go away.
****
“The two of you”—breathing hard, Brant pointed to York and Scott—“head out that way. From the direction of the blast, the shooter would’ve had to have been in the north-west.” As they moved away, he added. “Careful, there may be a group of the fuckers.”
“Watch your own back.” York growled, fixing his ice, cold stare on him. “We don’t know who did this.”
Brant nodded. “There is only one species so yellow fucking bellied but don’t assume anything. Be sure and be prepared.” He clenched his jaw. “Make sure that you fucking kill them.”
York gave him a tight, humorless smile as he turned back. With a jerk of the head, the males moved away quickly and quietly.
Brant turned towards the billowing smoke. Ignoring his first reaction which was to take his time. Fuck if he wanted to see what was just over that ridge. Fuck if he was ready. He doubted he would ever be ready. Maybe Zane had survived though. It was the thought of the other male needing help which spurred him back into a sprint.
The chopper was surprisingly still in one piece. A metal carcass, just a shell of its old self but still there at least. The smoke was coming, predominantly, from some nearby trees which had caught alight in the crash.
The first thing he saw, was the mangled piece of meat that used to be the pilot. Fuck! The only way he recognized the crumpled, broken, bloody mess in the back as Zane, was because of the leathers he was wearing. Or at least what was left of them.
His heart stopped beating, yet the sound of his blood rushing through his veins drowned everything else out. Air refused to enter his lungs. How the hell was he going to tell Tanya? An unbearable ache resonated from his chest as the organ once again began to pound. The sound of rushing blood became unbearable.
The heap moaned. Barely audible. Just the slightest hint of movement.
“Zane!” He screamed, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around the male’s body. So slick with blood, it was difficult to maintain a grip. One of his ears was missing. Fucking gone. Half of his face had been burnt, including all the hair on his head but he was alive. At least for the moment.
Brant moved a short distance from the wreckage and he placed Zane on the ground. Lying him flat on his back, he could see that his chest was still rising and falling steadily. “Fuck that,” Zane choked out.
Unbe-fucking-lievable he could still talk.
“What?” A lame thing to say but Brant wasn’t sure he’d actually heard what he’d heard. Might have just been his head playing tricks on him. This type of situation would do that to a male.
“If you thought”—Zane grimaced, then groaned softly. His eyes remained squeezed shut—“that I would die and leave you Tanya… you were wrong.” Then he passed out.
Brant smiled, the smile turned into a chuckle and the chuckle into a laugh. Why the hell had he been so worried in the first place? He should’ve known the fucker wouldn’t die that easily. Something squeezed inside his chest. Fucked if it wasn’t his heart. He was just really thankful that Tanya wasn’t going to be left devastated. That’s all it was.
Instead of thinking on it further, Brant checked Zane over. First he needed to deal with the most glaring problem. What was left of Zane’s clothes was torn and burned. Thankfully it was made from leather and therefore the amount of bonding with his skin was minimal. He stripped the material away. The skin damage beneath the soft leather in the places where it had stayed intact was minimal.
Aside from the gashes, bruising, ugly burns and general trauma, Zane had sustained many breaks to his bones. His arm was at a wrong angle at the wrist. The males left leg was all over the place. It had bone sticking out in three places. Dammit! His right leg wasn’t much better. Brant worked hard to straighten out the bones as best he could, so that everything would heal up in the correct place and at the correct angle. Thank God Zane stayed asleep during the entire process, letting out a groan or a grunt every so often. The ear would grow back. His skin would regenerate. Zane was going to be okay.
Right now he didn’t want to move him though. It would be best to leave him right where he was for an hour or two. Give him a chance to heal enough. If Brant was completely honest, another reason was that he didn’t want Tanya to see her mate like this. It would be too stressful for her right now.
He was torn between wanting to go after the fuckers who did this and needing to stay to ensure Zane’s safety as well. Unfortunately, on this side of the ridge there was no cell phone signal, so he couldn’t phone Tanya to tell her that everything would be okay. Even if there was signal though, he wasn’t sure he would do that just yet. The need to protect his female almost had him throwing Zane over his shoulder and heading to the cabin. Lazarus and Griffin were there. Two of the best of his elite warriors. By now, the males would have Tanya barricaded in. Back against the wall shit.
“Fuck,” Zane croaked out. “I must have died and this is hell.” He pushed the words out rather than spoke them. Sounded like he was in a world of pain. “You must be the devil? Fuck if you look just like someone I know…ugly bastard.” He tried to laugh but ended up coughing hard, his chest rattled.
For a moment there, Brant was sure that the male was dying. “What can I do? Speak to me.” He leaned over Zane.
His partner eventually fell back, breathing heavily. “I didn’t know you cared so much.” Zane grinned, which quickly turned to a grimace.
“Fuck you!” Brant said through a grin of his own.
“Love you too, bro.” Zane grunted out the words.
Turning his wrist, Brant glanced at his watch, Tanya would be insane with worry by now. There was still no sign of the others. It wasn’t safe here. They really needed to get back.
“Give me five more minutes,” Zane said, reading his mind.
Brant removed a knife from a sheath at his ankle, he sliced his wrist. “Here, drink this.” He put his arm to Zane’s mouth. Thankfully, the male didn’t give him any shit about it, he opened his mouth and took what he needed.
Chapter 13
There was a loud bang at the door. Followed by a shout. “Let me in!”
Brant.
Oh God! There was a part of her that didn’t want to know and a much bigger part that needed to know. She tried to scramble up from behind the bed Griffin had used as a makeshift barricade.
The male in question put a hand on her arm, holding her back. Griffin shook his head. “Stay here,” he growled. “Stay down.”
Once he moved away, she stood up. She needed to see.
Please God.
Please.
It took a half a minute to move the furniture away from the door. Tables, chairs, the coffee table.
Hurry up.
Finally, finally, he pulled the door open. Her heart leapt when she saw Brant carryi
ng Zane. He was naked, bloody, a total mess but at this moment he had never looked more beautiful. Make that handsome… He wouldn’t be happy if he heard her call him beautiful.
He was alive.
She gasped, then shrieked and almost fell as she skirted the bed and ran in her haste to get to them.
“Miss me?” Zane could barely lift his head.
“Oh my god...yes.” She threw her arms around him, around them both.
Zane groaned. “Easy, sweetness. A little banged up here.”
“I thought you were dead. I thought you had left me. Don’t do that again.” Looking at him sternly, she put her hands on her hips and then burst into tears. “Don’t you ever do that again.” She threw her hands around them a second time.
“He’s getting a little heavy, Cenwein.” Brant said from between clenched teeth.
“Weakling,” Zane croaked.
“Heavy fuck,” Brant growled.
Tanya had to giggle through her tears, moving to let them pass. Her stomach felt tight and her back was sore. The stress of the last few hours was catching up to her.
“Take me to the shower.” Zane said, his face and body were crusted in dirt, sweat and more blood than she’d ever seen. It was crazy to think about how he had survived.
The dull ache in her lower back seemed to spike up her spinal column. Time to lie down. She maneuvered her way back around the bed and overturned furniture. Sighing as her back hit the soft mattress. Lazarus was still keeping watch outside so they had nothing to worry about. The shower sputtered to life. She could hear Zane grunting and groaning and Brant growling. They continued to give each other shit. Unbelievable.
“You missed a spot,” Zane said.
“You must’ve seriously hit your head if you think I’m going anywhere near your cock.”
Zane chuckled, the noise sounding more like a series of grunts. “I wish you could just admit that you really like this particular part of my anatomy. Like what I can do with it.”
“Fuck! You!”
Another chuckle. “At least admit that you enjoy watching me when I use it to fuck our mate.”
Brant let out a loud growl. “No.”
“Just admit it already.”
There was a loud sigh. “I love watching our mate. Love. It. Especially when she’s receiving pleasure.”
Right now she was loving her supersonic hearing. Loving that she was privy to this conversation.
“That you happen to be attached to the cock giving her the pleasure is of no importance.”
Zane made a snorting noise. “Yeah right.” There was a long pause. Just the sound of running water to fill the space. “So if any other male was balls deep inside of her, you wouldn’t mind?”
Brant snarled.
“Thought so. You fucking love me. Just admit it.”
A low growl was Brant’s only response.
“Love you too, bro. I owe you. You saved my life.” The words sounded a little choked. Oh God, they were having a moment. She clutched her hand to her chest because the pain there was more insistent than the ache in her lower back.
“You don’t owe me. It was nothing.”
“Bullshit! That chopper could’ve exploded at any time and you know it.”
Another long pause. “I know you would have done the same for me.” Brant’s normally deep voice was a little high pitched. They were definitely having a moment.
There was a knock at the front door and it pulled her away from the bathroom conversation.
“It’s York.”
Griffin looked down at her, he sucked in a breath getting ready to talk.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll stay down here.” She held up a hand to him, turning to face the other way. Trying to get comfortable. Failing dismally.
“I kept one of them alive,” York growled. “The fucker is out here. Send Brant.” There was a pause. “And Zane if he is up for it. I can’t believe he survived that crash…” He sounded incredulous. “We vampires are fucking awesome.”
“Who did it? I can only scent…” Griffin sounded confused. She could scent them too. The faint whiff of human. It was coming off of York’s clothing.
“Yeah...” York cut him off. “Insane isn’t it? A bunch of humans did this. The bozo outside isn’t talking.” York let out an evil chuckle that made goose bumps pop out all over her. “At least not yet anyway. The fucker will squawk like a birdy when Brant gets ahold of him.”
The door banged shut just as Brant arrived carrying Zane. “You seriously need to eat less.” He said between clenched teeth before depositing Zane next to her on the mattress.
This was it.
She heard Griffin relay the information to Brant. “I’ll be back.” He said as he left.
Knowing there was nothing she could do about what was going on outside, she turned on her side to face Zane. She should’ve apologized last night. Should not have acted as she did in the first place. No matter how fast her heart was racing, how freaking scared she was. There was no way she was backing out.
Lip firmly between her teeth, she carefully inched over to him and gasped. “You look like shit.” Black and freaking blue with gashes, scratches and burns covering most of his body.
“Good to see you too.” Zane kept his eyes on the ceiling.
“That came out wrong. It all did.” She swiped a hand over her face.
“Are you talking about my looking like shit? Or the part where you accused me of rutting with another female?” His eyes were still on the ceiling.
“Mainly that part,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m such an idiot. A complete and utter fool. I can’t believe I said those things.” When she started talking she couldn’t stop. Verbal freaking diarrhea was her middle name right now. “Should never have done it. You’ve never lied to me. Not once. I know you love me. That you find me attractive… God…” She huffed, looking down at herself. “Even now...looking like this.”
“Stop with the even now bullshit. It’s that kind of thinking that put these crazy ideas in your head in the first place.”
“Um… No…” Tanya squeezed her eyes shut. “Those ideas came from that crazy lore.”
“That’s where you are wrong, Tanya.” He turned to face her. His dark, amazing eyes completely on her. Zane grimaced as he lifted an arm so that he could cup her face in his warm hand. “If you had a little more faith in yourself… in me at the very least…you would never have let a lore like that get to you.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Name it.”
Zane made a growling noise. “You don’t have to do anything. I understand where those feelings stem from. I just wish you would let me kick ex-dickhead’s ass for him.”
Tanya had to giggle. “You would kill him.”
“And the problem is?” Zane smiled.
She shook her head. “He isn’t worth it. Not even one tiny bit.”
“It would make me feel better.” Zane looked completely serious and that’s when she realized that he meant it.
“No it wouldn’t.” She said, moving closer to him. “But I bet this would.” She slanted her lips across his. Warm, soft, so delicious. Keeping the kiss short and sweet, she pulled back. He was still hurting after his ordeal not five hours ago.
Tanya looked him over, just to make sure that everything continued to heal. “What the hell is that? Burned and all torn up and you still manage to get it up.” Tanya snorted while pointing at his hard member.
“The only bone in my body that I didn’t break.” Zane bobbed his eyebrows. “If it weren’t for your bed rest I’d be game right now, sweetness. Your scent is unbelievable. Fucking delicious.”
She shook her head. Tanya doubted he was in any position to be able to have sex right now but she humored him. “If it weren’t for the bed rest and this killer backache, I would let you.” It was beginning to worry her because the pain was coming and going. Just like…just like…labor…no way.
“Um…Griffin?”
“Yes, my lady.” He answered, from his position at the door.
“Did you manage to get ahold of Becky. Is she coming?” Tanya tried to keep the panic from her voice.
“No, my lady. York sent for reinforcements by vehicle, but a decision was made not to put the healers in danger. We don’t know what else these humans are planning.”
“Um…okay.”
“I will heal, Cenwein. I look ten times better than I did earlier. By tomorrow I will be back to normal. I may need a bone or two reset but that is nothing.” He tried to shrug but she could see how his eyes clouded in pain and his face pulled into a grimace.
Tanya plastered a smile on her face. “That’s a relief.” It was reassuring to hear that he was well and truly on the mend. Not that she had doubted it for a second. She could see the burns healing and the gashes slowly closing over. Internally, his bones would be knitting and any internal damage healing.
There was no way she was putting Becky at risk for nothing. Maybe she was wrong about being in labor. The pain was probably nothing. Just her body telling her to get some rest.
Chapter 14
Lazarus patrolled the perimeter of the cabin. The male stopped every so often to survey the horizon and to sniff the air. No one was getting past his keen senses. Definitely not a bunch of weak, fucking humans.
Just up ahead, one of the captured humans was on his knees, his hands clasped behind his neck. York and Scott stood on either side of him. The male didn’t look in the least bit afraid, he even smirked as Brant approached.
“I’ll be damned if it isn’t the other bloodsucker king.” He spat on the ground at Brant’s feet.
York kneed the human in his back, eliciting a loud groan for his efforts. The human’s face scrunched up in momentary pain.
“I thought you vamps were big and bad.” His eyes rolled in York’s direction. “Even a bitch could kick harder than that.”
York shook his head, he knew better than to retaliate.
Brant narrowed his eyes at the male on the ground. “I’m not going to mess around and waste my time with you. Who are you? Why did you shoot that helicopter down and who are your friends? Start fucking talking.” He kept his voice even. His facial expressions neutral.
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