Be mine.
I push away the words, even as they bounce around in my head.
"Yet, you care about me," she insists. "Enough to track me down and to be upset that I danced half naked in the bar. Enough not to want to share me with anyone else."
The thought of her up on that bar counter, every male in that place ripping her clothes off with their eyes...it sends a dense pulse of rage through me.
The truck speeds up, ploughing through the sea breeze that continues to whip against the big vehicle.
"I was sent to get you for a Council meeting. I was only doing my duty," I insist.
She laughs, the sound harsh. "Right! So, it was duty that made you carry me out of there, dump me in your car, and drive away from the other males in there."
I'm not aware of growling, not until I hear the guttural sound. I bang the dashboard with my fist so hard it cracks.
"I'd rather take a chance and risk being hurt than not try at all. I am not a coward like you," she says.
Coward.
The fine hairs on the back of my neck rise, and my instincts scream a warning just before a vehicle leaps out from the beach.
I slam on the brakes a second before the massive truck lands right in the front of us on the road.
3
Kris
Silence.
A smattering of raindrops patters on the windshield. And beyond that, the smoke rises from the truck's rubber track.
I drop the shield to my psychic mind, reaching out to the beings in the truck with my senses, to find minds honed for combat. They're here to kill me. They'll hurt her. My eyes fly open. I must protect Tara at all cost.
"What is it?" she asks.
Before I can respond, the door to the cab of the truck snaps open.
Out jumps a male so massive that the ground trembles when his feet hit the ground. The vibrations reach all the way to the SUV. His cut off T-shirt shows off biceps twice the size of my head. And his thighs, the size of small tree trunks, are clad in black leather. His dark blond hair flows back from his face and down to his shoulders, glittering in the sunlight.
But that's not what catches my attention.
It's the face with familiar square features.
"Noah!" I exclaim.
"He's—"
"An immortal. A very pissed-off Ascendant who's fucking dangerous," I snap. "Get out of here. Leave."
"No way am I letting you take him on alone," she shoots back, eyes flashing hellfire. She's all dazzling passion and courage and heat. So impulsive. A memory long lost loosens inside and rolls free, another girl with fire in her eyes who could never resist a dare.
All thought goes out of my head as three other males pile out of the back of the truck. All of them are ripped, tattooed, and have long flowing hair.
The stench of ozone and something sweet like rotting fruit hits us, carried by the wind.
"Vampires," I snarl. "Noah's teamed up with vampires. Likely mercenaries from their looks."
A child's laughter floats toward us. From the bank opposite where the truck had come from, a female and her son ride up the slope of the beach on a tandem bike. The woman brakes to a halt. Thick dark brown hair whips around her shoulders. Her eyes widen as she looks from us to Noah. Then she spots the males striding toward us.
The female leans forward, beginning to pedal at the same time as I lean out of the window and yell, "Ride the hell out of here! That way." I jerk my thumb toward the way we came.
She begins to cover ground, pedaling hard. As she rides past us, Noah springs into a run after her, followed by his team.
Next to me Tara swears. "She'll never make it out of here in time." Reaching behind her, she pulls out a sword, its blade slim enough to be concealed in the holster she wears down the center of her back. Then she opens the door and jumps down from the vehicle.
What the—? It's my turn to swear.
The thought of her hurt sends a jolt of fear through me. White static fills my head, forcing all other thought from it, everything except this cold focus that insists I go after her and keep her safe.
A growl rumbles up, and I don't realize I’m moving, not until I draw up to her and insert myself between her and Noah.
My shoulders hide her from him as my attention is focused on the lethal male.
She's right behind me, her breath brushing against my back. My muscles bunch in response.
"Who are you?" she addresses Noah, leaning around me. "Are you not aware that the Council is actively working to bring peace within the species in the city?"
The big male growls in response and spits on the ground. "Yeah, one big happy family. But it's not them, it's you I seek, Krishna."
All my muscles lock, and a heavy weight slams into my chest.
She shoots a glance at me. "Krishna?"
Her voice is low, but Noah hears it.
"You haven't told your girlfriend who you are? Or why you returned to this city? Naughty, naughty, Krishna." His lips twist.
Fear twists my gut, but I push it aside. When I speak, my voice is calm. "What do you want, Noah?"
"Revenge for what you did to me and my mate," he snaps. "Brahma, that old seer, my own father, told her if she mated with me it would break apart the Ascendants."
"Brahma, the founding father of this city?" Tara asks in a low voice.
I nod, a quick jerk of my head, before moving to block her from Noah's sight again. I don't want to draw Noah's attention to her.
"My mate came to you for help, Kris." His fists clench at his side. "You. She trusted you more than a brother. More than me. And you couldn't tell her that Brahma was wrong? If you had, she'd still be alive!"
The anger in him reaches out to me.
"You know I couldn't lie to her," I say, voice low. What I’m going to tell him is only going to worsen his pain. And yet I can't hold it back from him. "She came to me asking for the truth; I couldn't betray her."
"Ah! Of course. Your principles. More important than her life. For that, I'll never forgive you. I'll make you pay. I plan to take from you the things, the people, that mean more to you than life."
Terror slams into me.
"I have nothing." My voice sounds desperate even to my own ears.
"Ah, but you do. I need you to harness the power of your sword. Use it to help me control this city."
"Go fuck yourself, Noah," I snap, voice harsh. Even as I say it, I know I’ve made a mistake. I provoked him.
"Oh, I intend to brother. Except it's her I’ll fuck."
My senses scream a warning; but before I can react, Noah moves with the speed of the immortal he is. Or perhaps fear for her makes me falter. There’s a slight breeze, and Noah's flashed past me to stop behind her. Flinging his arm around her throat, he holds her captive.
Fear explodes through me. Visceral. The kind I’ve tasted only once before…when Fia threw herself into the Arabian Sea. I’d jumped in after her and swam down to its murky depths to look for her. I never found her, not even her body. I was too late.
Not this time.
4
Tara
Gripping my arm, Noah squeezes it. Pain shoots through me, and I yell out. The sword drops from fingers gone numb.
Ahead of me, Kris tenses, his big body vibrating with pent up anger. And fear. He's afraid, so afraid for me. He'll never let Noah harm me.
"Let. Her. Go," he snarls, fingers curled into fists at his side.
I’m a trained fighter and part of the team of Guardians who protect the city, the one Kris now leads; but Noah is lethal. One false step and he'll break my neck.
All this time, Noah's monstrous pals are headed toward us.
My heart slams against my rib cage. My knees go weak, and I know any moment now I’m going to collapse from the pain.
Only one way out.
Without letting myself think, before the pain overwhelms me, I slam my foot clad in those vicious heels onto Noah's foot.
He howls in pain, and his grip weakens
...just enough for me to pull away, but not before his fist connects with my side and I'm flung aside.
I arc through the air, the ground racing up to hit me as I fall headfirst. Damn, this is going to hurt.
Only…I’m caught. Held close to a wide male chest, I get a fleeting sensation of hard muscles, curved ridges. The scent of peppery woodsmoke and pine surrounds me just for an instant. The devil saved me. He places me aside, his grip rough.
Ahead, Noah bares his teeth and breaks into a run. A scream of rage is torn away from him by the sea breeze, and then he throws himself at my immortal.
Kris swerves at the last second.
Noah stumbles and keeps going. His body hits the ground with a thud that breaks open cracks in the road.
In a near impossible move, the devil flips around. He moves so fast blue sparks sear the air; and for a second, his dark skin is bathed in a blue light. Then he's on Noah, thighs gripping the bigger man's back. His arms squeeze around the other immortal's throat, trying to render him unconscious. With a growl, Noah pushes my immortal off. Throwing him onto his back, Noah pins him down.
Meanwhile the other vampires are closing in.
Jumping onto the beach where my sword was flung, I grab it and leap onto the road to face them.
The scent of ozone and sweet fruit surrounding me is so strong it almost gags me. I slash out with my sword, drawing it across the neck of the closest one, managing to tear through his neck enough for it to hang on by just a few tendons. Blood bubbles out, splashing over me. My gut twists, but I bite down the sickness. Kicking out, I catch the second creature in the balls and hear a very satisfying crunch. The vampire howls, grabbing his crotch. Before he can recover, I raise my sword toward his neck, only to have the third vampire kick my arm.
Pain explodes, red hammering in my brain, and the blade falls. Screaming, I sink to my knees, cradling my injured arm.
One of the vampires draws closer, baring his teeth. Fangs drop on either side as he licks his lips. "I’m going to suck from you, to drink of your essence until there's nothing left."
Gasping, my hand feeling like it’s on fire, I look past him to where Kris is still struggling with Noah.
Noah manages to get a hand free and slams his fist into Kris's side.
Kris doesn't give way. He knees Noah in the groin.
They grip each other's necks, each trying to squeeze the breath out of the other.
This is it; it's all over. I’m going to die. The need to close my eyes wars with my desire to stay strong. Stay fearless. My mother's voice echoes in my ears, almost drowned out by the panic that sends my thoughts scattering through my head.
As if from a distance, I see the vampire reach for me. Next, a roar strikes through the air.
A blur of golden-brown, a massive body, leaps from the side, slamming into the vampire. They both go flying to the side. Loud growls, the sound of flesh tearing, and the heavy scent of copper fill the air. The lion tosses the torn-off head of the vampire onto the beach and then looks up, blood and flesh dripping from his jaw.
I stare, not sure what I'm seeing.
Stepping off the dead vampire, the beast walks across the road to where I’m still kneeling.
I lift my head back. And further back. The beast is twice the height of a normal lion.
A lion shifter.
He slinks toward me, movements graceful. A growl rumbles up his throat as it approaches. The scent of fur hangs heavy in the air. I force myself to meet his glowing eyes, amber eyes that glint at me.
I'm not afraid. Not. Afraid.
My heart slams against my rib cage. The blood thuds at my temples, making a mockery of my efforts to stay strong.
A few feet from me, the lion stops. Lowering his head, he eyes me with front paws stretched out, muscles flexing. He’s preparing to jump. I’m his next victim.
5
Tara
The emotions tear through me. Fear. Helplessness. All so familiar.
For every time a faceless man had pushed himself into my mother, with every groan torn from her, I wanted to tell her to run away from this city that made her pay her dues so I could live.
"Run. Now!"
The devil’s voice cracks through the noise in my head. A part of me recognizes the roughness, the rage that licks the edge of the words.
I want to obey.
Instead, I face down the shifter that glares at me, meeting its narrowed eyes. Its strong tail flicks from side to side, and it opens its jaws wide and roars.
My heart shudders, and I want to shrink back into myself.
Then as the skies darken, Kris appears. If I thought the animal was lethal, I was mistaken.
My devil is more dangerous. His sheer dominance presses down on me, making it difficult to breathe. He's a true Alpha male. And. So. Very. Protective. He'd never hurt me. He'll kill himself before he'd let anything happen to me.
Like an avenging demon, he throws himself in front of me. His massive shoulders block out the beast.
Then the lion leaps.
Too late. Too late. My mind chatters with fear, nails digging into Kris's back. The lion is going to kill us both.
But the shifter sails right over our heads. I swivel in time to see him take down the last vampire.
Like the others, this one too is massive, but the lion shifter dwarfs him. The sickening sound of bones breaking is followed by another roar as the lion grips the vampire’s neck, tearing his head off. A massive paw shoves aside the severed head so it rolls away. After leaping off the body, the lion shakes its bloodied mane, spraying blood and bits of flesh.
Noah turns his gaze on us. His eyes appear dead in their sockets, all emotion burned away. This immortal is a walking, violent, merciless death. Almost as tall as the lion in height, he stands, hands on his hips. "I won't stop until I hunt you down. Until I have my revenge." He peels back his lips.
The lion raises his head and roars. Before he’s even completed the sound, Noah moves. With a last look at Kris, he backflips off the road and onto the beach.
The lion's muscles shake with tension, preparing to leap in pursuit.
"Noah is mine," the devil calls out.
He's staked his claim on his victim, like he's now branding me. With his big body behind me, he’s so close that his heat surrounds me, calling out to me to step closer. To burn myself, to burn away this distance he insists on keeping between us.
The lion huffs a breath and stays there for a second, still undecided, before straightening and tossing its head. Golden eyes glittering, he pads over to us and stops a few feet away. Another growl rumbles up, softer.
The devil stays where he is; his power is a dominant force that thrums between him and the shifter.
The lion tosses his mane, a sign he acknowledges my immortal's superior strength. With a regal tilt of his head, the lion walks past and continues across the road. Stepping over the vampire he'd decapitated earlier, in a delicate move that belies its weight, the animal heads to the beach.
"Wait," I call out. "Who are you?"
The lion flings a haughty look over his shoulder; and after a short growl, he leaps off the road and lopes up the beach.
The tension leaches out of me. My knees tremble, and I sag back, only to come up against a hard wall of muscle. The devil never gives me an inch, will never back down. Now he grips me around my waist and turns me around, his hold so crushing that pain slashes down my side.
"They are safe," I gasp. "The female and her son got away."
His reply is just a swear word bitten off. "You put yourself at risk." His voice is casual, but his stance is anything but.
Why is he so angry?
"You went against all rules of combat and jumped into the fight alone without waiting for backup."
"Did seeing me in danger scare you?" I goad. "Show you that you have feelings for me after all?"
How far can I push my devil before he cracks?
Storm clouds boil in those light blue eyes. Swooping down,
he catches my lower lip between his teeth.
I want him to kiss me hard, to punish me. There is no gentleness between us, no tenderness. Nothing beyond basic sexual need. Yes, that's it. That's what I want. I don't want—don't need—a mate, I lie to myself.
The devil growls deep in his throat. He doesn't disappoint. I'm convinced he's reading my mind when his fingers grip my waist. He pulls me up, holding me off the ground so I’m forced to wrap my legs around his waist. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth and drinks from me, draining all thoughts from my mind until I don't care who he is, or who I am.
Until I become a creature just like him, letting my need for him take over.
I push myself into him, grinding myself against the hard planes of his chest, against the warm wetness that bleeds through his T-shirt.
He's bleeding.
So am I. Desire leaks from my eyes, my fingertips, from my very core.
He grips my hips and slams me even closer, just for a second. Then I'm free.
He sets me on my feet so suddenly that I wobble.
"What you did was wrong. You were careless, and it could have gotten you killed." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He's already regretting the emotion he let slip. His lust, it's all I want. But the devil will withhold even that from me.
"I'm sorry." I see the intent in his eyes. I know he's going to take revenge, for the devil's been forced to acknowledge my existence.
He knows I want him. He's going to use my desire against me.
He doesn't disappoint.
"I’m taking you off my team," he says, voice final.
It whips through me, drawing every bit of breath from my lungs.
"What? No!" I choke out in horror.
A gust of wind blows my hair across my face, and I shove it aside. Biting my lower lip, which threatens to tremble, I raise my chin.
"I was clear when I accepted you. One strike and you're out. In a fight, you need to slip up but once and you put the rest of your team at risk."
Claimed: Paranormal Romance (Immortals, Vampires and Shifters) (Many Lives Book 4) Page 2