by Tigertalez
“Seamus, report,” Alphy said.
“Nix will be fine, but I still can’t hear or feel Maysa.”
“I’ve got Slate, Dultyn, and Kace with his team trying to track the scent trail, but it’s slow going. We don’t know how many more traps this guy set, so I have our team going extra slow. They’ve already found one other trap, but we expect more the deeper we go into the forest. You and I can follow when you’re ready.”
“Hell yeah I’m ready. It’s all just cleanup now, so Katie can finish up.” Seamus ran to wash his hands, then grabbing his medical duffle, he and Alphy took off together.
Seamus could sense the blood long before they even reached the tree line. It was Maysa’s, and it had Seamus’s eyes turning red and his claws extending with his fury.
“Keep it together, Sea. The traps may have been sprung, but we need to keep our eyes out for anything our guys may have missed.”
Seamus grunted his acknowledgement but didn’t pull back. Her blood called to him, and the one who caused it was soon to be dead because of it.
They caught up to the men who were trying to spring yet another trap. This was a hole in the ground with spikes sticking up on the bottom.
“This is one sick bastard,” Kace grumbled. “I can smell hemlock on the tips.”
Slate agreed. “The blood trail shows he went past all these traps. He knew we can follow and knew these would slow us down and possibly dwindle our numbers.”
Dultyn growled low, and his look was thunderous. A smile tugged at Seamus’s lips. Dultyn believed all females were special, but he had formed a bond with the precocious Abby.
“The zombie must be staying in that one run down shack that’s near that clearing about another three hundred meters from here,” Seamus guessed.
“Zombie?” asked Alphy.
Seamus gave him a look like it should be obvious. “Yes, walking dead man.”
Everyone gave an evil grin and agreed.
“Bring on the apocalypse.” Kace smiled widely and wiggled his brows.
Alphy gave out orders. “He more than likely put traps all around the house. Kace and Marley, I want you two to circle around east. Slate and Marek, you two west. Circle all the way around until you meet each other and then move in and wait until I signal you. Seamus, Dultyn, and I will continue straight on.”
The guys split up, and Seamus fought his inner turmoil as they moved forward, slowly. He wanted to just run to the shack, but he couldn’t help anyone if he himself became a victim of one of the hidden traps. Thanks to their heightened senses, they were able to spot them all, but only if they were paying attention.
Seamus could finally see the shack, but he didn’t let down his guard. Some of the traps were loud, and others silent, as they set them off. He could hear others being set off as the other teams made their way around. Just how many did this guy set?
“After we kill him, we’ll have to send teams out to try to spot any more that he might have set.” Alphy’s low quiet voice held anger and annoyance.
Dultyn looked up and around. “Just how many could he have made? Some of them, like the pit, would have taken some time.”
Alphy crouched and gave a calculating look. “There’s no telling, but I don’t want to take any chances. The fact that he had any at all near the farm shows me where our weaknesses are. We’ll grow stronger because of this.”
“I want him, Alphy,” Seamus whispered.
“I know you do. We all do. We just need to be careful. This isn’t someone sane, Sea, he’s sick, and we don’t know how much he knows about us. I think once he saw she had reached out to us, he used that time to create more traps.”
“And how he deliberately took a trail that had several traps set in it shows he thought of evening the field when he knew we were going to come after him,” Dultyn added.
Alphy nodded silently, and the two set their sights on the house. Seamus looked for possible traps or dangers around the shack. With all the traps placed around, he had to have more around the shack, but Seamus couldn’t spot any.
Alphy pointed to the shack and whispered roughly. “He rigged the shack’s roof to catch fire, but I can’t see where the trigger is. If we bust in there, it might be what triggers it.”
“How do you know?” Seamus couldn’t help but ask. He knew it was dumb to ask. Alphy had been in the military for years, and he didn’t spend that time at a desk. Alphy liked being out in the field the best. He had far more experience at these sorts of things, and a better nose.
“I can scent the sulfur, and I can see a few spots where it looks like he manipulated parts of the roof,” Alphy answered.
Dultyn growled. “Now what?” he asked. “Time is running out.”
Seamus was so tense, he felt like he would snap. He knew the blood that dripped all the way here was Maysa’s. She may be a shifter, but she could still bleed out.
“Most likely, he’s rigged traps on all the exits. Give me a second. I know time is ticking, but we don’t want to endanger them any more than we need to, and he still has Abby. That’s two hostages.”
Dultyn let another deep growl, but this one reverberated in the air around them. “I’ll focus on Abby.”
“Good. I’ll have the others focus on trying to disarm the other traps rigged to the shack. Sea…”
Seamus interrupted. “I’ll take out the zombie. I’m not sitting on the sidelines with this one, Alphy. I want to go to my mate, but I know I can trust you to help her until I burn off my bloodlust. It’s starting to take over, and I have to be the one to kill him. I need this, Alphy. This is my right.”
Alphy considered him for a moment then gave a stiff nod of his head. “We need a distraction so we can get time to look at and disarm those traps, if possible.”
Seamus placed his bag on the ground. “I can approach the front, get him talking. He’ll be completely intent on me.”
“That might work, if he doesn’t just outright shoot you first.” Alphy growled low but accepted the plan. As they approached, Alphy signaled with his hands where he wanted them to go, then catching the sight of the others, signaled them as well.
Seamus closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He didn’t want Scott to see what he was if he didn’t already know. He flexed his clawed hands, loosening them from the grip he had tensely held throughout the trek here, and willed his claws to recede. Once he was sure his eyes weren’t blood red, he opened them and let them roam over the perimeter before focusing on the door. He was careful with his footing as he approached the rundown old shack. Above the smell of blood, he could smell the rotting and decay, mold and mildew that permeated from this place.
“That’s close enough, freak!” A gruff and grating voice bellowed from inside the decaying structure. “I gotta shotty pointin’ at you an’ a pistol on the li’l girl. Any closer an’ I start pullin’ triggers.”
Seamus could hear Abby crying, and it enraged him. “Come out here and fight me, coward.” He let his words spit out but was careful to hide his fangs. A plan formed in his head at that moment. If he could get Scott to think he wasn’t a shifter, he might be able to convince him, if he wasn’t too much of a coward to come out and face him in a fight.
“An’ have ya go all furry on me? I ain’t stupid.”
Seamus huffed out a snort. Obviously he is. “I’m not a shifter, you asshole, I’m just mated to one. Come out here and fight me as is my right.”
Seamus didn’t let his eyes drift to Alphy or the others or he’d give them away, but he could sense their amusement and shock.
“Right? What right is that? You don’t have no rights. You’re a freak. Tell the others to back off, I booby-trapped the house.”
Seamus hid his internal cringe at the double negative and all around poor grammar. “I assure you, I’m not, and I can promise you if you come out to fight me, no one else will touch you. It will be just you and me. Man to man.”
“Your promises are shit. Animals don’t keep no promises.”
“Again, you idiot, I am not a shifter, and any promise I make, I keep, and I promise I’m not a shifter, and I promise no one else will touch you. It will be just you, and me, I promise,” Seamus growled out through his teeth.
“How do I know you ain’t lying?”
“First, you are the one with the guns, and second, I. Don’t. Lie.” Seamus really wished Scott could scent at that point. This was one of those times when he really appreciated the ability to scent lies.
“Everyone lies.” The man was belligerent.
Seamus chose his words carefully. He knew what he wanted to say, but didn’t want the guy to think he was incriminating himself as a shifter. “Shifters, and those who live in the shifter communities, don’t lie, because shifters can scent lies.”
“And if I kill ya in a fight?”
Seamus’s heart sped up a little as hope surged. “If you beat or kill me, no one will retaliate from your victory over me.” Seamus tried not to hold his breath. He was strongly hoping Scott wouldn’t catch on to his play on words. This human wasn’t going to win, and the others would kill him even if he did win, but it would be because of the many other infractions he’d committed that warranted his death. No matter what, this human was breathing his final breaths.
After a few moments, the door opened a crack, then slowly more. A slightly heavier, shorter man, easily less than six feet, stepped out. Greasy short dark hair topped his head and several weeks’ worth of unkempt reddish hair grew on his dirt and grime smudged face. There was blood smudged on one side, and Seamus knew without a doubt, it was Maysa’s. In each hand, he held a large bowie knife. One knife had brass knuckles on the handle, and the other was a tactical knife.
“What, no bone handles?” Seamus sneered. He wanted to be as belligerent as possible to increase the chances Scott would make a mistake, and he also wanted to keep his attentions on him, not on the others. He was relieved he got the guy out in the open, and he was ecstatic he was about to bathe in his blood.
Scott looked on edge as he shifted from foot to foot, eyeing him. “You promise you ain’t one of them shifter freaks?”
“I promise,” Seamus replied. He kept his eyes zeroed in on Scott’s.
Scott threw his tactical knife fast and with impressive accuracy. But with his vampire speed, Seamus saw it coming and twisted his upper body in time so that the knife didn’t plunge into his chest, but it grazed a long path across and down as it flew past, sinking into a stump behind him. It was sideways, set to enter a chest cavity without getting caught on ribs.
Seamus twisted back and ducked and rolled to the side as Scott slashed out with the other knife while he reached around and grabbed another knife, this one with a bone handle, from the back of his pants.
Not waiting around, Seamus ducked again and did a leg sweep. Scott’s legs swept up, but he rolled away and was back up on his feet with surprising speed. Seamus let Scott swipe and lunge at him and only fought back just enough to keep Scott’s attention until the others got the girls out of the shack.
“You can dodge me all day if ya like, but I’ma gonna kill ya eventually.” The man puffed out in his exertion.
As soon as Seamus saw, in his peripheral vision, Dultyn and Alphy speed out of the shack with forms curled in their arms, he focused more energy on Scott. Now it’s time to end this.
Seamus let his eyes turn blood red and his claws grow. The man stopped and gave him an accusatory look. “You said you ain’t a shifter!”
“I’m not a shifter. I’m a vampire.” Seamus hissed and bared his fangs. The stupid man paled and fought, but Seamus had a plan of death for him in mind. He positioned himself, and as soon as the frantic man opened himself up, Seamus grabbed one of the man’s hands and squeezed. He could hear the bones cracking and felt them crushing under his grip. Seamus used his claws on his other hand to slice deep through the man’s upper stomach as he plunged forward. Keeping his claws directed to continue to cut a path to his destination, Seamus pushed his hand up, grabbed a hold of his prize and ripped it from Scott’s body. Blood poured down his upheld hand that clutched the quivering heart of the now dead assailant. As he dropped the corpse at his feet in a growing pool of blood, he threw his head back and screamed in victory as he squeezed the heart in his hand, enjoying the feeling of the organ squishing through his fingers.
“Hey Tarzan, leave the corpse and come on,” Kace yelled out. “Alphy and Dultyn are running at full speed back to the house. Your mate is going to need you. She’s hurt bad.”
Seamus grabbed his bag as he ran swiftly behind Kace, with Marley behind him. They stayed to the path that was already cleared. Seamus pushed himself as fast as he could, ignoring the pain in his chest. He didn’t let his mind think on how much blood he had lost and that he couldn’t take any from his beloved. He just focused on getting to her.
Seamus began to get lightheaded and tripped. Kace yanked him up by his arm and pulled him through the forest. He winced at the pain but tried to push himself further, but with his strength failing and being pulled along, he couldn’t keep his footing. Kace stopped and slammed his shoulder into his stomach, bending him over his back, then wrapped an arm around his legs, turned and continued running through the forest with Seamus draped indignantly over his shoulder. His bag hit the ground, and Marley picked it up.
Seamus fought to breath as the air was being pounded out of his lungs with every jolt from Kace’s feet pounding into the ground in powerful and swift strides. He knew he’d lost a bit of blood, and even though he saw his blood drip down Kace’s back, he wasn’t worried about losing too much. He was a paranormal, so even though he needed blood to heal faster, he still had fast enough healing to aid him until he could get what he needed from his mate.
Light around them brightened as they broke through the tree line on the final stretch to the infirmary. With sharp pains shooting through his head from being held upside down, he didn’t argue for Kace to stop as it would slow them down. He’d suffer through the humiliation this time. It was for his beloved, and he had his victory against Scott. Yes, he had been human, but with the method he used to kill him, Seamus hoped he conveyed the message that he wasn’t just some mild-mannered medic, especially when it came to his beloved. Being a doctor who knew enough about anatomy and a vampire who wasn’t repulsed by blood made him a vamp not to mess with.
Kace took the stairs two at a time on his way up to the infirmary. As soon as they entered the room, Kace finally put him down. Seamus held his head to stop the spinning at the sudden change in posture before it was clear enough to rush to his mate’s side.
Maysa was placed on their bed in the hospital room. Marley dropped the bag by the bed and exited the room. Alphy didn’t stay either and left along with Kace. Katie had already gotten a line started, and at Katie’s instructions Reese was gathering and placing items they would need. He looked like he was on the brink of breaking down, but he also carried the look of determination.
After he washed his hands, Seamus worked with care on his beloved. He was grateful she was not conscious. Her one leg had stepped into a steel trap. It was broken and had to be reset, but with her shifter healing, it had already started to heal and he had to re-break it before setting it.
Her arm had serious damage as a spike had torn at some of her muscles, and her leg on the same side also had a spike, but it would be fine after some stitches.
It was dark outside when Seamus finished. His body was so weak that he shook as he moved around cleaning himself up. “Katie, do you have enough strength to make rounds to the other patients?”
“Sure. You get some rest. I’ll take Reese with me. C’mon Reese, grab that other bag in the kitchen, and double check it to make sure the tablet is in it and charged.”
Reese and Katie exited the room leaving Bronya and Nix the only others in the room. Seamus was sure to drink some water, and after he changed into some pajamas, he curled up next to his beloved. He didn’t remember his head ever hitting the pillo
w.
Chapter Eleven
Maysa’s whole body hurt, but so did her bladder, so she tried to bring herself to come around. She tried to think about where she was and what happened. Her memory rushed back, and she tensed.
“Shh, beloved, you’re safe now.” Seamus’s words slurred through the darkness. His hands rubbed her belly, but her body throbbed too much to relax and enjoy it too much. Before she could say anything, Seamus rolled out of bed and helped her to the bathroom. The process was slow and severely painful, but after they were tucked back into bed, she was about to ask how he knew but he answered before she could ask.
“I can sense your emotions and physical needs or pains if they are strong enough.”
Maysa let his answer sink in for a minute. “Seamus, what happened to the little girl and to Scott?”
“Scott is dead, and Abby is safe, as are you. I promise you, sweetheart, you have nothing to ever fear from Scott ever again. And I always keep my promises.”
The day went by fast. It was quiet, for the most part, and she used that time to rest. She couldn’t do much else as Seamus wouldn’t let her out of bed. The only two interruptions were when little Abby came up to thank her for helping her, and when her parents came up to tell her good-bye.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Maysa asked, shocked and a bit dismayed as she sat on her bed, looking up at her parents. “I hardly got to spend any time with you.”
“I know, dear. But you have a mate now, and we just don’t feel right staying here.” Her mother tried to sound like it was no big deal, but Maysa had been through so much that she wanted more time, so it was a big deal to her.
“You can’t go back to the Philippines.” Maysa tried to argue.
“We know that, and we’re not,” her father answered. “We are heading to your aunt’s, in California.”
“What about Becca? And what about the search for Allie and Quinn? You aren’t giving up on them, are you?”
Maysa’s mother, Judy, continued to try to reassure her. “Of course not, dear. Your alpha here says he’s continuing to search for them and anyone else that may be a victim to that monstrosity of a company, and we need to heal and start our lives over. The council here already approved new identities for us, and we’re going to head out today. I know it isn’t much of a notice, but there’s a job available for your father to apply for, a real good one, and we wanted to try and get it. And school will be starting soon, so we wanted to get Becca enrolled so hopefully she won’t fall too far behind.”