Breathe Into Me

by Nikki Drost

  “I want to go with you, teach me how to be an Enforcer. We can fight side by side like father did with his brothers.”

  I shake my head at him. “No Landon, I don’t want this life for you. I don’t have a choice, but you do. I’m not putting you in danger. You will stay here where father can protect you. Find a female and start a family, be happy, brother. That is the life I want for you.”

  I had walked away from him and my father that day and never looked back. My father hadn’t agreed with my decision to go out on my own, but he did respect me for it. Unfortunately, my siblings refuse to listen to reason, especially my brother. No matter how dangerous I tell Landon it is to be around me, he just laughs it off then ends up spending a few days with me. I’ve only been with my sister a handful of times since she’s been born.

  Enforcers usually sever all ties with their families, that way they won’t become casualties in this never-ending war. Cass, Linc, and I are the only ones in the house who’ve had to do that. Micah and Jamie are all that is left of their family. Leaving my brother behind that first time had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I’ve been told my whole life I was special, but in truth, it is my brother who is the special one. My father always used to say that I had received my warrior blood from him while Landon had gotten empathy and humility from our mother. He wasn’t saying Landon was weak, he just doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He is my opposite in every way.

  My father must be going out of his mind. He was always protective of us, he knew what I would become one day, but Landon is the last piece of my mother that my dad has. If anything happens to Landon, it would kill my father. It would be like losing my mother all over again. I can’t let that happen to him, I just hope I’m not too late. I have to believe he’s still alive, but why hasn’t Terric tried to ransom him yet? If it’s not about money, than what could it be? Terric has to know my father will kill him the second he finds him. Dominick Stone is not a male you want to piss off. The man used to be a Knight Templar for fuck’s sake. My father is a legend within our species. Hell even vampires bow their heads to show respect when they meet him. Terric also must know I’ll be gunning for him, my powers aren’t well known, but he still knows I’m an Enforcer. I’ll never stop until I find him. What the hell is he up to?

  “Morning, Grace,” I mumble as I enter the kitchen with Andy in tow.

  “Good morning you two.”

  I go about fixing us some coffee as Andy sits at the island. I need caffeine more than I need my next breath. I’m exhausted, but with everything going on, I can’t seem to fall asleep.

  “You look tired, Adam, another late night?” Grace chuckles.

  I roll my eyes. Of course, the woman probably thinks we were up all night making love. She’d be right, but that’s not why I’m tired.

  “He hasn’t slept in two days,” Andy sighs.

  I know she’s concerned for me, the poor girl has tried everything to relax me, but nothing will help until I hear from my father. If I don’t hear from him soon I’m heading up to Maine. He won’t be able to ignore me when I’m kicking down his front door. I’m two seconds away from calling my uncle or sister, but Zach will probably ignore me like my father and I really don’t want to involve, Izzy.

  “Adam, sweetie, you need to sleep.”

  I nod my head as I pass Andy her coffee cup. I take my seat as the stress of the last three weeks washes over me. I don’t know how much more of this I can take before I snap. The song “Men in Black” blasts from Andy’s phone.

  “It’s Carlos.”

  Man, that female has a sense of humor. She quickly answers the call and heads outside. I don’t know why she bothers. It’s not as if we can’t hear her conversation anyways.

  “It’s about time that Agent called us and lets us know what’s going on.”

  I couldn’t agree more. I only hope Carlos has good news for us, we are going to need Lincoln’s help with all of this, especially when we go to Maine.

  “Is Jamie home yet?”

  I stare at Grace over my mug. “I didn’t know he went anywhere!” Where the hell could he have gone?

  “He left last night and hasn’t come home yet.”

  Fuck, he’s never stayed out all night. I start to dial his number when the front door opens.

  “James!” I yell. The man in question struts into the kitchen as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  “I love it when people scream my name, but it’s kind of fucking early don’t you think?”

  I ignore his sarcasm. “Where were you?”

  He avoids my question and gives me a once over. “Damn, you look like shit. Andy’s keeping you up late, huh?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed the shit has hit the fan around here. And the last thing I need is to worry about your sorry ass. Now where were you?”

  He pours himself a cup of java and takes a sip before answering me. “You do realize I’m older than you right? By like a hundred and thirty years. I don’t need to explain where I’ve been. Not to you or anyone else.” He grins as he takes another sip of coffee.

  “You’re such an asshole. Do you have any idea what I’m going through right now? I have one brother in jail another is missing and most likely dead and now you’re staying out all night doing god knows what. Tell me, don’t tell me, right now I’m too fucking exhausted to care, what’s one more brother to worry about, right?” I sigh loudly.

  “Jesus, kid, you haven’t slept at all have you?”

  I shake my head. “Could you sleep if Micah was missing?”

  Jamie runs his hand over his whiskered jaw. “Fuck no. I’d be going on a killing spree.” He sighs. “Fine I’ll tell you where I was, but only if you promise to get some fucking sleep.”

  I nod my head, but in truth, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

  “I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I was watching over the princess. She talked her way out of staying here and I didn’t want to leave her unprotected, so for the last two nights I’ve sat my ass outside her home and in the morning I follow her to work.”

  “Holy shit you do like her.” Hot damn, I fucking knew it.

  “Please, the female irritates the shit out of me, but she’s your mate’s best friend and she did try to help, Lincoln. Keeping her safe is the least that I can do.”

  I’m not buying it for a minute. “Whatever you say, but you can’t deny there is something between you two.” I’ve never seen anyone talk to Jamie like that, she held her own and I know he found that to be a huge turn on, how could he not?

  “Why can’t you get it through your thick skull that I’m not interested in her?” He growls.

  “I’ll make a deal with you. Touch her and if she’s not your mate I’ll never mention it again.” I’d bet my Camaro that they’re true mates.

  “You’re on, motherfucker.” We bump fists to solidify our deal.

  “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Adam, what are the chances that girl is meant for him? Although I think the two of them would make an adorable couple.” Grace pinches Jamie’s cheeks to emphasize her point.

  “God, not you to, and stop that, woman.” Jamie playfully slaps at Graces hands. “I’m many things, but adorable ain’t fucking one of them.”

  ***

  “I really wish you would stay in tonight.”

  I sigh as I finish lacing up my boots. “I don’t have a choice, angel.”

  We’ve been trailing the Feds for the last few days and it’s finally paid off. The Omega has been spotted in town and they think he’s going to be meeting with some associates at an abandoned warehouse tonight. The other good news is Linc will be released as early as tomorrow morning. The security tapes from the hospital confirmed Andy’s story and they caught that bastard grabbing Vanessa from the parking lot.

  “You are in no shape to fight. You’ve been living off of caffeine and alcohol for two days, what if you get hurt?”

  “This is my job, Andy.
I don’t get sick days or have the luxury of staying home because I don’t feel like going out. We need to finish this.”

  I want this over with so I can start looking for my brother.

  “I know and I’m sorry I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “The only person who’s going to get hurt tonight is that coyote. He’s going to pay for all the innocent lives he’s taken.” Going after this guy is going to be risky, we aren’t the only ones looking for him tonight. We need to grab him and avoid getting caught by the FBI. It should be a piece of cake, yeah right. It’s going to be a fucking nightmare.

  “Just promise you’ll come home to me.” Her hands skim over my back as she begins to nibble my ear.

  Desire ignites throughout my body, my hard cock strains against my zipper.

  “Trying to change my mind, luv?”

  Her hands roam over the expanse of my body starting at my shoulders and ending at my crotch. “I’m just giving you some incentive to come home quickly.”

  I spin around and pin her down with my weight. I grab her wrists and hold them above her head as I run my tongue over the slender column of her neck.

  “When I get home tonight I am going to rip off your clothes and bury myself deep inside of you. I’m going to take you hard and fast, angel, but don’t worry,” I chuckle. “I’ll be gentle and sweet the second round.” I rotate my hips, grinding against her core.

  She moans my name and my cock twitches with excitement. This woman fills me with unimaginable lust. Every inch of her body entices me. From her sparkling hazel eyes, her firm breasts, smooth, silky skin down to her long legs. She drives me to heights of ecstasy that I never knew existed.

  “I love you, angel,” I whisper against her neck.

  I can’t wait for tonight. I have to be inside of her. I release her hands, and quickly remove her clothing. I free my erection and slide into my own personal heaven. Her body arches off the bed as I begin to pump my hips. My hand tangles in her hair as I bring her neck to my mouth. I gently nip her skin before I latch on and begin to suck hard. Her nails dig into my lower back. I can feel her heart beating rapidly against my chest as I mark her as mine. My body pounds into hers again, and again. I’m probably being too rough, but she feels too damn good to stop. A growl escapes my throat as I release her neck and reposition her legs on my shoulders.

  “YOU ARE MINE,” I growl as I pick up my pace.

  Her pussy clinches and squeezes my cock to an almost painful degree.

  “Fuck,” I moan as I feel my body accelerating toward climax. The sensation starts at the base of my spine and spreads throughout my body. “Come with me, angel.”

  Her body starts to tremble as she throws her head back and cries out my name. I follow suit and fill her with my essence. I collapse on top of her as I try to catch my breath. Minutes later, I reluctantly pull out of the warmth of her body and ready myself to leave. I lean down and kiss her hard, our tongues entwine, and my body gears up for another round.

  “Rest up, luv, I plan to continue the fun when I get home.”

  ***

  Downtown Westhaven looks like any normal small town. Nestled in the heart of the Eastern Berkshires the town is surrounded by picturesque views of mountains and acres of state forests. The town is well known for its skiing, camping, hiking, and water rafting. With a population at around ten thousand and only one road leading in or out of town, you get a sense of old-world charm. There aren’t any fast food chains or giant mega stores for miles. If you want to do anything after dark other than shoot pool and drink, you’ll have to drive twenty miles out of town into Greenville.

  The stores in town offer a variety of options from antiques to hardware, but again you’ll have to leave town for bigger purchases. Despite its country atmosphere and the lack of an exciting nightlife, I will always call this town home. We are currently making our way to an abandon factory on the edge of town. Despite my lack of sleep, I’m amped up and ready to fight. I just pray the four of us will be enough to take them out. Micah had called the Enforcers in Boston for help, but now they are having their own werecoyote problems. We scan the area for any signs of either Omegas or the Feds. So far, it’s eerily quiet. This is never a good sigh. We hunker down in an alleyway across the street. We have a direct view of the parking lot and surrounding area.

  “When they show we hit them hard and fast. Use every trick you have boys, I don’t want any survivors.”

  We all nod at Micah’s orders. I stifle a yawn as I scan the area, man I hope this doesn’t take long, I want to get home and have another round with my mate. My phone starts to vibrate and I quickly pull it out of my back pocket. It’s a text message with an attachment from my brother’s number.

  “I offer you my condolences, Enforcer.”

  I open the attachment and promptly drop to my knees. It’s a picture of Landon. His body is submerged in a bathtub full of bloody water. His face has been severely beaten, but what really catches my attention is the small bullet hole in his forehead.

  “No, he can’t be dead.”

  Jamie grabs my phone as I struggle to breath. “Fuck,” he curses as he passes my phone to, Cass. “Listen to me, kid.” He joins me on the ground and grabs me by my shoulders. “You know it takes more than a bullet to the brain to kill us. Terric is just fucking with your head. He wants to rattle you, so you fuck up and make a mistake. I promise you he’s still alive.”

  I try to comprehend what Jamie’s saying to me, but my mind keeps flashing the image of my brother’s broken form. “I am going to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands,” I growl. If Terric wants a war, he’s got one. Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it.

  “Keep your head in the game kid, I know it’s hard, but you need to focus on the here and now. Once this is over we’ll go hunting for that Scottish bastard.”

  I nod at Micah’s words. I don’t care how long it takes, that wolf is going to pay. I pull myself up and lean against the brick wall for support. Micah’s right, I need to pay attention or I’ll end up getting myself killed. Jamie slips my phone back in its place and slaps me on my shoulder.

  Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to recover as I thought. Two black vans pull into the factory parking lot and park by the front door. This is it, fucking finally. We crouch low to the ground and wait. Several minutes tick by before the van doors slide open, a total of twelve men step into the darkness and front in center is Oscar Farron. They scan the area as they make their way into the building. Once the doors close, we make our way across the street. Our plan is to ambush them the second they leave the building. Jamie and I go left while Micah and Cass go right. We each pull out a knife and slash the driver side tires. We aren’t going to make escaping easy for them.

  Once in position we keep low to the ground and play the waiting game. The only sounds coming from inside the crumbling building are the shuffling of their feet on the concrete floor. What the hell are they doing in there?

  Several torturous minutes later the door swings open and the men exit the building each carrying a large wooden crate. I can only imagine what’s inside them.

  “Okay boys lets load up and get the hell out of here. The boss wants us up north like yesterday,” Farron shouts his orders and the men quickly comply.

  “Isn’t the Alpha going to be pissed we didn’t kill that Enforcer like he wanted?” A medium built coyote asks Farron.

  “I don’t really give a shit, if he doesn’t like it he can drag his ass here and do it himself. I’ve had enough of this fucking hick town. Now hurry up.”

  I wonder which one of us they wanted dead, guess there is only one way to find out. The air around me begins to crackle as I summon huge gusts of wind. The force is strong enough to knock a person on his ass. The clear sky now churns violently with dark storm clouds. Lighting flashes as rain begins to assault the ground.

  “What the hell?” someone shouts.

  It’s time to get this party started. I step i
nto view and throw my arms out, bodies start flying in all directions. Lightning bolts strike the ground so close that the hair on my body stands at attention. Screams of pain ring out and I know Jamie got a few of them. Two of the Omegas try to run, but Micah takes care of them. They sink into the now muddy parking lot up to their waists. They aren’t going anywhere. All hell breaks loose as the coyotes swarm us.

  I receive several punches and kicks to my face and abdomen. Fuck this. I summon a large gust of wind causing bodies to collide into each other before slamming into the cinderblock wall of the factory.

  Suddenly the rain turns to hail. I shift the direction of the wind and send the golf ball sized ice into the bodies of the weres. Fireballs whiz past my head and the smell of burning flesh assaults my nose as screams of pain ring in my ears. The ground starts to shake and mud starts to fly. Several bodies lay dead and I scan the area for Farron. He’s one the males that Micah trapped in the earth. Since he’s taken care of, I pull out my knife and stab the closest Omega in his heart.

  We quickly make our way through them until only two remain. The rain disappears and with one last flash of lighting the sky returns to its normal onyx color. Soaking wet and covered in mud, but we’re relatively unharmed, thank god. Micah splits the ground open and we quickly toss the bodies into the deep hole. Seconds later the holes filled and the evidence concealed.

  “Strange weather we’re having tonight, huh boys,” Micah says as he makes his way toward our enemies.

  “You sons of bitches, how the fuck did you do that?” Farron shouts out as he struggles to remove himself from the earth.

  “Oh come now, I know you’ve heard stories about us. After all, we are legendary.” Micah’s eyes turn from sapphire to emerald as the recognition shows on their faces.

  “No, it can’t be. The Horsemen are just an urban legend, a myth, you can’t be real,” Farron’s partner in crime cries out.

  I can smell his fear and for the first time in my life, I revel in it. These males have caused so much tragedy in this town and god knows where else.