From the Ashes

by Angela White

  Kevin blinked. “Yes?”

  Cynthia snorted, slightly attracted to the heat she read. He wanted her, and wanted her to know it. “When?”

  “After I get back from Little Rock.”

  “Sure.”

  Kevin stood up, waving to someone over her shoulder. “I asked Adrian to put us together for some of the training lessons, to see if you might like spending time around me. Is that okay?”

  The feeling of being chosen, of it being done publicly, made Cynthia blush. She was willing to give him the same chance that he was extending to her. “Thank you for telling me. I wouldn’t have liked it if I had heard that from the camp.”

  Kevin slowly reached forward and took her hand, officially declaring her as his choice. He placed a soft kiss to the back of it and met her eye. “I’ll never lie to you or cheat. I don’t beat women, and I’ll help make you strong enough to kick my ass anytime you feel like it. I’m not much on kids, but we can compromise in the future. Oh, and I like Matt. I could help you with him.”

  Cynthia gaped. And people said females delivered too much information at one time!

  Realizing he’d revealed more of his feelings than he’d meant to, Kevin let go and stepped back, cheeks dark red. “Sorry.”

  He left with a stiff stride that told her she would have to make the next move now, or he wouldn’t come near her again.

  The reporter tried not to smile at the feeling as the camp stared at her, but she couldn’t stop the curve of her lips. Being wanted felt nice.

  8

  A loud whistle got Seth’s attention, but it was already too late.

  “Becky?”

  The couple scrambled for clothes. Despite the beating he and Kyle had taken, they hadn’t been banned from their females and both men were still spending every minute alone with them that they could steal.

  “It’s your mom…” Peggy froze at the sight.

  Seth helped Becky finish pulling the shirt over her bare skin, and then wrapped his Eagles jacket around her shoulders, lovingly adjusting it.

  “Mom.” Becky stiffly greeted her parent.

  Peggy’s daze broke, and she left Seth’s tent without a word.

  Now on duty nearby, Samantha saw the older woman and understood where she was going, what she meant to do. The storm tracker reached her before she got to the mess. “Don’t do it.”

  Peggy didn’t answer, too furious.

  Sam grabbed at her arm. “Listen–”

  Slap!

  Samantha reeled back from the unexpected hit, letting go.

  Peggy turned toward the crowded mess, toward the people that would help her lynch Seth. It wouldn’t take much to convince them fifteen was too young.

  Sam grabbed her again, ducking the swing this time. She gave Peggy a light head butt that sent her to the ground.

  “Sit there a minute!”

  Peggy didn’t answer, only raised a hand to her throbbing chin and glowered hatefully.

  Sam knelt down and kept her voice lowered. It didn’t hide her loathing. “This mess is your fault. You were too busy caring for Adrian’s kids to tend your own. You owe her!”

  Peggy’s face turned bright red, but she didn’t interrupt.

  “Rick raped her, would have killed her. If not for Seth, she would be dead, maybe even by her own hand. He’s helping her in the only way she asked for, and she’s surviving. Don’t you dare make her feel ashamed for that!”

  “He’s a monster,” Peggy spat, clearly meaning Seth.

  Disgusted, Sam stood up, glaring in dislike. “By all rights, she should hate you. Accepting Seth might be your only chance at saving your relationship with your daughter. I’d think about that before you go gathering a mob.”

  Samantha left the woman on her ass in the dirt, where she belonged.

  Around them, the Eagles nodded in agreement and respect. Samantha was earning her place among the Eagles. They had orders to prevent a riot from happening, and Sam had beaten them to it.

  Peggy stared as the blonde woman vanished into dawn’s shadows, the words stinging. It was all true, every bit. Realizing she’d gotten her child hurt was a terrible burden, and Peggy began to sob in guilt and shame. “I’m so sorry!”

  Surprising everyone, Doug appeared behind her, unable to ignore Peggy’s anguish, even though she deserved it.

  He knelt down. “Come here, lass.”

  The emotion in his voice allowed Peggy to accept his comfort. She let the big man hold her close while she cried.

  9

  Samantha’s day had been a full one. Her night, however, was slow and frustrating as she struggled with the last line of morality holding her back. It wasn’t that she wanted to act like a whore. She wanted to act like a man. It was a hard adjustment mentally, to be evolving in these things while she went about regular camp life, and some nights, she wasn’t sure how she was doing in her fight.

  Something’s coming.

  Samantha felt the chill and closed her eyes as the mental door swung open.

  On duty nearby, Neil and Jeremy both noticed, but it was Marc who came to her side and gathered the information.

  Neither Eagle mentioned it, but both men felt left out. Neil’s choice to give his team a break had been a solid one, but that likely wouldn’t hold much longer. They were almost ready to come back into the action.

  10

  “She’s right.” Doug tried to be gentle. “It’s gone too far now.”

  Peggy didn’t answer.

  They were in a dim corner of the mini-mess, Allan covering Doug’s post. He’d let her calm down and then brought her here, glad to be doing something more useful than just guard duty for a change.

  “Lass, he–”

  “Saved her life.”

  Doug let the curt interruption pass. “When you see them together, you’ll understand.”

  Her hand tightened on the cup at the thought of being around the couple, and Doug understood in a sudden flash of intuition. That adult male wasn’t the one she’d chosen for her daughter. How much of Becky’s freedom had been intentional?

  “You set it up for her to be with Neil!”

  The hard woman didn’t blink. “I want her to be more than some Eagle’s woman. He would have taken her there.

  “You want. What about hers?”

  Peggy’s snort was bitter. “She doesn’t know anything about the real world.”

  “Not true,” Doug denied firmly. “She’s a war survivor, a rape victim, and Seth’s lover. Those things are unchangeable. Your dreams for her are dead, like she should be.”

  Slap!

  Doug didn’t react, though everyone close enough to hear or see it did. He knew what he’d drawn, what he was forcing her to accept.

  Peggy shoved herself to her feet. “I hate you!”

  Doug was surprised to register the sting. He hadn’t felt much of anything for a long time. “No, you hate yourself.”

  Fury…and awareness.

  “I have, for most of my life.”

  She stood there, clearly torn, and Doug nudged her cup of untouched coffee. “Sit down and tell me why.”

  He didn’t think she would. The gambit of emotions crossing her lined face was dangerous for a man with only a very small amount of experience with females.

  The fight went out of her in a rush. Peggy sank down, looking at the bright red handprint. “I’m sorry.”

  Doug gave her a small smirk. “Oh, I expect you’ll find a different target next time.”

  To his surprise, she chuckled, hard but no longer violent.

  “Aye.”

  There was a lilt to her word that shook him. Not so much the sound of their shared heritage, but the attraction it aroused.

  Doug shifted subtly and refilled his cup to buy time. He stole a quick glance at her. She was staring toward the male tents.

  Doug grunted, drawing her attention. “You have questions, I’d imagine.”

  Peggy traded some of her anger for fear. “What happens now?”r />
  “They’ll leave until she’s older if you refuse to accept it. They’re not going to be split up any more than Kyle and Jennifer are.”

  “She’ll leave me?”

  Doug didn’t tell Peggy that the couple was currently making plans. Seth hadn’t taken his correction as well as Kyle. “They’ll probably trail camp. You could go out for visits, but if you can’t support them here and now, so they can stay, I’d guess you won’t be welcome.”

  “I won’t see her?”

  Doug delivered the rest of the truth without any malice. “It all depends on what choice you make right now. She doesn’t need you to rouse these people against Seth or Adrian. That won’t help her and she’s smart enough to know it. She needs you to be her mother.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  10 miles south of Muskogee, Oklahoma

  June 19th

  1

  “Convoy halt. Emergency plan A.”

  There was pause of fear and then the entire camp began yanking on steering wheels and searching the apocalyptic landscape through dusty windows. The heavy winds that Sam had warned them of were gone, leaving fresh debris to be cleared or avoided. It also added huge trees that hadn’t been able to withstand another storm, which made driving tense as limbs cracked and popped above them.

  Adrian waited, thinking Kyle would be staring at Jennifer right now. The hum of raw power had to be filling his truck.

  One minute, moving slow.

  Adrian waved the scheduled guards forward as his camp fled for the mess that was going up in record time. The canopy over it was now lined in lead, and three full teams struggled to erect it as camp members ran into them and each other, shoving.

  I don’t feel a direct threat, but...

  “But it’s dark when you look.”

  How do you know that? Jennifer asked, shocked.

  Adrian got out of the semi without answering, heading for Marc’s Blazer.

  Marc was on guard outside it, Charlie and Dog nearby with Jennifer as Kyle patrolled the stopped refugee camp with his team and a group of female rookies.

  Adrian waited impatiently, ready to reveal all sorts of secrets to save lives this time. He was tired of letting people die because the herd couldn’t handle the things they could do. He wasn’t sure how much more of that he could take.

  Thirty seconds.

  “Which direction?”

  Ahead.

  Adrian waved two teams to their flank and sent three to the front.

  Angela got out of the Blazer with the witch’s red eyes in plain view for anyone to see. “Be careful of these...”

  Marc started to step in front of her, but Adrian was already there. He grabbed her arm, meaning to turn her back to the vehicle.

  Lightning flashed overhead, thick and hungry.

  Angela moaned at the feel of Adrian’s hands on her skin. Yes!

  His instant wave of need in response washed over her as if they were alone and allowed.

  Adrian jerked backward, but too late. The witch lunged forward, drawing what he’d been denying even in their dreams.

  Marc blocked the view from the overloaded mess, simmering. He knew she occasionally took energy from other men, but to see it! He instinctively knew that Angie didn’t crave him that way.

  May I? the inner Marine begged.

  Marc growled. “No.”

  The sound of it snapped Angela and Adrian out of the intense power-lock and they stared in horror. There was no one to blame, no scene to cover up and no crime committed, but the line had been crossed.

  They’re here!

  Adrian turned from Marc’s fury, now more determined than ever to stay back. When she and Marc failed, it had to be because of them.

  Marc didn’t care about the approaching threat or the asshole that had just walked away. What he cared about were the dangerous realizations he saw in Angela’s eyes. She had all of the truth now–Adrian wanted her in his bed–and her reaction, that moan! said she felt the same on some level.

  Angela scowled cruelly, full of shame and anger at the unfairness of paying for not having done anything wrong. “I’ve always known, but you just couldn’t leave it alone.”

  She grimaced, confirming Marc’s suspicions. “And neither could he.”

  Angela left him there, moving toward the front of the convoy to join Kyle.

  Now, may I?

  Marc moved to Angela’s flank, not bothering to stand between her and Adrian as they waited for the slowly approaching vehicles. He’d already thought of trying to keep them apart. That was a waste of time, and Marc still hadn’t found a better solution than the one he was already employing.

  “Because there isn’t a solution to be found,” Adrian forced the words out. “Feed her more and shit like that won’t happen.”

  Marc wanted to snarl, but the man inside asked when she’d drawn from him last.

  “It’s no excuse,” Angela protested. “I’m sorry for the disrespect I’ve shown you.”

  Marc’s inner man almost came forward anyway when Adrian didn’t tell her the truth, that his need was pulling, not hers.

  “Not true.” Adrian moved forward as the five vehicles got closer. “She’ll always have to draw from someone else. Her needs are more than you can satisfy.”

  Any hope Angela had for peace between them vanished with that one statement. Now that Marc knew, he would always suspect, always search her with those concerned blue eyes. His jealousy wouldn’t give him any peace and Adrian knew it. He’d made certain Marc would hurt, too.

  Not like what Adrian is suffering, the witch reminded her. How does he continue to function while being eaten up that way?

  Angela shoved the demon back in fury. You caused this with your dream-walking, promising him what he can’t have!

  The witch cackled ruthlessly. And who says he can’t, my pet? Keep the shields of the past up if you must, but there is no denying what we saw–what you felt.

  Angela’s frustration boiled. There had to be some way to change that future. She didn’t want to be Adrian’s. She wanted Brady!

  Marc turned suddenly, waving Neil over to take his place. Angela and Adrian weren’t acting as if the approaching cars were a threat and at the moment, Marc didn’t think he could stand to see even a single look pass between them. It wasn’t just Angela’s fragile emotions that Marc worried over. This time, his competition wasn’t a sullen, powerless wife-beater or a group of rookies who didn’t know what they were doing. It was Adrian, and that extremely manipulative man was none of those things. He was dangerous.

  Angela motioned Jennifer toward Adrian. Keep helping him.

  It was the first silent order she’d given to any of the females, and Jennifer gaped for a few seconds before reluctantly moving that way. Dog and Charlie were her escorts.

  Angela followed Marc’s stiffly marching steps. When he got in his Blazer and immediately began to dig in his kit, her footsteps quickened. His rifle was in there.

  Marc had considered it, but only briefly. Not only would it make her hate him, it wouldn’t change what had happened. He would have to find a way to live with it.

  Not just you, Angela sent, hesitating by his door.

  Marc grunted, hitting the window button. “Need a few minutes.”

  Angela got into the passenger seat instead, and Marc growled, not lighting the smoke he’d taken from his kit.

  “This isn’t like last time, Angie, where a quickie in the training tent will fix me.”

  Angela recoiled in surprise.

  “Damn.” Marc leaned his head back against the seat. “I’m sorry for saying that.”

  Angela tried to meet him halfway. “I’m sorry, too. I’ve tried very hard to control the hunger. That’s the first...”

  Angela paused, unable to finish. It had gotten away from her once before, back in South Dakota. “Second time.”

  Marc’s face tightened as he understood, but Adrian’s words were currently rendering him incapable of thinking about anything e
lse.

  “Is it true?”

  Angela wasn’t in any shape to lie to him. “Yes.”

  Marc’s grip on the wheel tightened. “But, with him?”

  Angela forced the words out. If she didn’t tell him, Adrian would. “His energy is like mine, it refills the power.”

  Marc’s pain was on his face as he looked at her. “I’ll step aside.”

  Angela forgot about the edge he was dangling over. She grabbed his jacket and dragged him toward her. “No, you won’t!”

  Angela stopped them inches apart. “I’ve wanted you since we were kids, Marc. That hasn’t changed!”

  May I?!

  Marc nodded and stepped back. The usual consideration she got from him would be absent with the Marine.

  Angela moaned softly when he kissed her, but quickly felt the difference. Marc’s hands were rough, pulling her closer with no care for her fear. His free hand went behind her neck, and he pulled her onto his lap before she could protest. His hands went to her head, bringing her to him for an intense kiss.

  Angela was swept away. This was the old Brady, but all grown up. He didn’t hold back or worry over mental issues. He was wild and hers!

  Angela kissed him back, and Marc began to understand that all the holding back he was doing had backfired.

  Marc pushed her sweet lips away, eyes blazing. “I need you!”

  Angela nodded shakily. “Whenever you want.”

  Marc hissed. He’d been waiting for her to be ready, but it was clear that he shouldn’t have. She needed to be bonded with him on every level.

  Marc was watching her emotions flash across her flushed face. He wasn’t hot and bothered like he had been in the training tent–this was a different type of heat–but if she kept looking at him that way, she might get a reminder of why vehicles had back seats.

  Angela leaned forward, smiling a bit at the thought. “I’d prefer a bed.”

  Marc grinned, eager to get her into one. “What the lady wants, she gets.”

  Marc saw the first trace of apprehension enter her eyes.

  “Soon?”

  Marc sighed. He’d figured on three more weeks of barely satisfying necking, but that was no longer necessary. Except, it was. He wouldn’t change his plans because of what had happened. That would be letting Adrian come between them and the man inside refused to allow that.