by April Zyon
“We’ll pop in once Mikhail has himself in his perch so we can be near him. Safest place to be is behind that boy’s scope. We’ll take our lunch with us, and I’ll keep us shielded from all prying eyes of the were sort while we’re there. You see, I can’t be part of the fight, just an overseer, so to speak. The Gods aren’t allowed to get involved, just watch. Of course, if we do this, you need to know that he’ll likely be pretty pissed.” Ares gave a lazy-looking shrug.
“Hey, as long as he doesn’t turn the weapon on me, I’m perfectly fine with it.” She just wanted to be able to reach out and touch Mikhail and know that he was safe, know that he and the others were okay. “You’ll make sure that he won’t shoot us, right? Because I seriously don’t look good ventilated. I’ve never worn that look, but I’m positive that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”
Ares chuckled, but he gave a nod. “I won’t let him shoot you. Not that he would—he’s got damn fine reflexes. He’ll draw a weapon on us, he might even shoot me, but he’d never do anything to cause you pain. So I’ll be standing behind you when we get there. It’s truly the only safe place to be around a pissed-off, armed individual of Mikhail’s caliber.” He grinned when she growled. Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms over his head, his fingers practically brushing the ceiling. “Let’s get a lunch packed up so we can get moving.”
“Sounds good.” Moving alongside her uncle, Camilla helped him get them a lunch packed and even included some goodies for Mikhail should he feel the need for food and drinks as well.
“You do know he probably won’t eat while he’s on over watch, right?” Ares asked.
“I would rather have him know that I’m at least thinking of him then having him wondering why I didn’t.” And she did think of him, often. “And won’t us being there cause people to see him? I mean, you are planning on plopping us right close to him, so how could he not see us?”
“He will see us, but I’ll be shielding us from anyone else. Come on, sweeting, trust your Uncle Ares to know what the fuck he’s doing after all these centuries. Doubting me,” he said with a snort. “Puh-lease.”
She passed her uncle the basket and laughed. “Now then, how about you get us there, and please make sure to warn Mikhail before we pop up behind him. I would really rather not have him point a gun at you.”
“Meh, he won’t hit me even if he does shoot.” With a grin, he pulled her in close, tucking her head under his chin and off they went, nausea and everything right along with them. “Nice spot,” he said when they settled—wherever the hell they’d settled.
“Jesus, what the fuck are you doing here? Camilla?” Mikhail’s stunned voice reached her ears. “You fucking brought Camilla with you, you idiot.”
“Hey now, no one can see us up here, so I’d watch that. Especially if that’s an open comm line you have there.”
Camilla smiled at Mikhail. “Hey there. I figured since he was determined to come and bug you, I should come with him to keep him from getting under your skin too much. We both know that he does have that ability.” She reached out stroked her finger over his leg, the only part of him she could reach.
The muscle twitched under her hand, tightening up more. “She better be shielded, Ares. The team’s about to enter the town, we have no idea what’s down there, and if she’s spotted I’ll take it out of your hide.”
“She’s fine,” Ares said with a snort. “I’d never let her come here if I couldn’t keep her hidden from all eyes. I’m letting you see her because she’d have a fit if I didn’t. Oh, looks like things are about to happen. We should settle down and let Mikhail do his job.”
Camilla leaned back. It was an odd sensation; they were not exactly in the best of positions, but she felt as if she were in the softest of chairs that cradled her body and made her relax even more. She looked to her uncle and whispered, “Keep him safe, too? For me, please?”
Ares shot her an “Are you kidding me?” look and rolled his eyes at her pointed stare. “Fine,” he muttered. “He doesn’t need it, though. None of them do, not really.”
“Sphinx, there’s movement at your four o’clock, low, near a building that looks like it could be a house. Can’t see what it is, I’ve got no shot, be aware,” Mikhail said. His tone was deadened, cold even, as he spoke to the team below.
Camilla shivered at that tone, but she knew that this side of Mikhail that was necessary. “Yeah, well, they might be good and all that, but he’s mine to worry about, so stuff it, Uncle.” She moved so that she rested her head on Ares shoulder, watching everything as if she were in an action movie, and not liking it one small bit.
“Of course they’re yours. Doesn’t mean I can’t point out the obvious. Oh, cover your ears, sweeting,” he warned. His hands came up over her ears since she wasn’t fast enough. The sound of Mikhail’s rifle still rattled through her. “Bullseye,” Ares said with a laugh.
“Tango down, repeat, tango down,” Mikhail said. He didn’t move his eye from the scope, but she knew he was aware of every breath she and Ares took.
Camilla frowned. “Are you sure we should be here? I don’t want to be a distraction.” Now she felt like an ass, being there when they likely shouldn’t be. “Maybe you should take us home?”
“Mikhail’s the only one that can hear us. He’s very good at focusing. I say we stay until you at least eat your lunch. If you want to leave after that, we’ll go back to the house. I’ll show you some of the cool toys the lads put into place, too.”
“As long as you’re very certain that this won’t bother him or distract him, then I’m good with it.” She pulled out a sandwich and nibbled on it as she watched Mikhail.
“Hardly a blip on his radar,” Ares said, digging through their lunch bag.
“Gunner, at your three o’clock, I have movement. I repeat, movement at your three o’clock. Uncertain what it is. There’s an overhang blocking some of my view.” After a moment, realized he was moving. In very slow increments, but moving nonetheless. “Copy, will disregard.”
“Curtain fluttering,” Ares said when she frowned.
“Right.” Camilla couldn’t believe that this man could see something as small as the flutter of a curtain. “He is really very good at this, isn’t he?” she asked with a frown. “And the rest of them are just as good as he is?” She left that one as a question because she couldn’t see the others, just Mikhail.
“Pretty much,” Ares said. “They all have their own unique skill sets. You have the sniper, explosives experts, computer experts, language experts, and so forth. It all boils down to creating the perfect team, because they each bring something to the table.”
“Huh. That’s amazing. Did you select them because of their expertise or did you already have them in mind and simply helped them to hone their abilities?” She really should have asked that earlier, but she had been busy first trying not to get killed and then, truthfully, enjoying the loving she was getting from Gareth and Mikhail. How they’d all formed a team and came together hadn’t been important to her. Now she felt a little bit like a simpleton for waiting to ask and wondered what other bombs they would drop on her.
“They were already put together as a joint task force team. SEALs and Rangers. Unusual for the two branches to want to cooperate, but they thought it a unique opportunity. Originally, it was a test program. After a while they realized that it worked, so they made it a permanent thing. The bonus? That this team could draw on other SEAL teams as well as other Rangers, should it be needed. They were a tight-knit unit long before I got my hands on them. Now they are beyond anything on this world.” There was absolutely no ego in Ares’s voice.
“I guess having the God of War as your patron helps them a bit, huh?” Camilla wasn’t being rude or mean, just simply stating fact. “Well, whatever it is that makes them work as well as they do is a good thing, right?” She was just happy that the men worked so flawlessly together and that they all seemed to have each other’s backs.
“They
know their business and do it well. Always have, likely always will. It’s in their blood.”
“Copy that,” Mikhail said suddenly. Camilla watched as he shifted ever so slightly. “Nothing visible, Gunner, no movement.” He fell silent for a time, but she saw him narrow his eyes. “Copy, keeping eyes open.”
Camilla looked up at Ares and sighed. “Okay, Uncle, take me home. Let’s leave the men to do what they do best, and I’m going to go home and bake or cook or something so that I’m not thinking of them risking their lives.”
“Cookies would be nice,” Mikhail said to her. He never once took his eyes off whatever he was looking at. “Or a pie. Pie is good.”
Snickering, Ares packed up their lunch but left a sandwich and bottle of water next to Mikhail. “Come on, sweeting, let’s get you back. If we stay any longer, that list of things to bake will only grow.” On his feet, he tugged her up and wrapped an arm around her waist. “See you later, Mikhail.”
“Uh-huh,” he grunted in reply.
Chapter Eleven
Location unknown
“Alpha, they have the girl, but we can’t let them keep her. Where, we don’t know. We need to damn well find her and fast. The vampires seem to have given up on her, but you know those bloodsuckers. They don’t ever give up easily.”
“He speaks true, Alpha. We observed them preparing for what could only be termed a full-on assault. They had their deadliest warriors with them.”
“How many?” the alpha asked.
“The warriors?” the young beta asked in return. At the alpha’s nod, he sighed. “Six, sir.”
“Shit,” someone else muttered.
Pushing to his feet, the alpha moved to stare out a window toward the forest close at hand, barely out his back door. It was good to have the forest close, it soothed the beast within, giving it a sense of security.
“Six is a number we can take,” he said finally. “We won’t, not now. Watch them for the time being, but do not let them know we are watching. We watch them, they watch us, and we all go for what we desperately need. Know this, though.” Turning, he looked at the group at large. “We need to be the ones to free Hades from his imprisonment. No other. If we do not, every were on the planet will be exterminated with barely a thought from our god. I’d much rather watch the vamps get their due for being the parasites they are.”
After meeting each set of eyes there, he gave a nod. “Get to it. Baron, Fitz, find the girl, Camilla. I want her in here before they claim her fully. If she’s claimed, she’s no longer a pawn we can use. So you find her, or don’t bother returning.”
The wolves shared a look: banishment for a pack animal was certain death. “Understood, Alpha,” they chirped.
Dismissing them, he turned back to stare at his woods. Camilla would be his. Not his mate, but he would enjoy taking her from time to time. It would help him to break her mentally until she was his willing slave. Smiling, he rocked back on his heels. He couldn’t wait to slam his cock into her fragile human form. She’d enjoy it, too. In time.
****
Camilla had to admit that she was going more than a little stir crazy. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy being with Mikhail and Gareth and living on the ranch, but she felt more than a little cooped up, because they didn’t want her being outside without both of her guys there, and even then, she still felt the other members of the team close.
It was just not the way that Camilla was built, to stay indoors all the time.
So when Mikhail said that they needed to start on the firebreak on the back part of the ranch, Camilla was more than willing to help. She was one of the first ones there with her floppy hat in hands. “Now then, let’s get to work, shall we?” She heard his growl and leaned in to kiss him. “Don’t be grumpy. You know you’d still be upset if you had to leave me here all alone, bub. Get over it. I’m so coming.”
“Fine, but you stick close,” he told her. “I have a bad feeling, and I hope it’s only because of the last mission.”
“She’ll be fine,” Antonio said. “We’ll keep an eye on her, or two, even. She’s a fine one to look at.” Winking at her, he grinned.
She knew instinctively in that moment that he was messing with Mikhail—not usually the healthiest thing to do. But Mikhail truly seemed distracted. She was learning more about these men by watching them; Camilla was an avid people watcher and had learned a great deal by observing the team. They were all like big children and they all seemed to want to one up each other which was rather hilarious. She liked the way that they all treated each other like brothers.
“Keep your fucking eyes off her, and on the damned surroundings,” Mikhail ordered.
Camilla hugged Mikhail. “Hey, he doesn’t do the things to me that you and Gareth do. He’s just yanking your chain. You know that, right?” She didn’t want Mikhail to think that just because she fell into bed with him, and with Gareth as well, that she did so often. “I’ll stick close to you because that’s one sexy and amazing place to be, but you need to also stick close to me, too. We both know that I sometimes wander without meaning to.”
He grunted at that, slipping an arm around her. “Try not to wander into anything that gives you a rash,” he said. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he let out a breath. “Did you put on your sunscreen?” he asked softly.
“Yes, I have on my sunscreen and I have some more in my little pack over there. I’ll try not to wander into any bushes because a rash would just seriously put a crimp into the things I want to do to you tonight. I also have my gloves and one of your long sleeve shirts, if I need it.”
“Good.” He nodded and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a bear of late,” he said softly. One of the guys snorted in passing, but Mikhail didn’t spare him even a look. “I just feel like something’s coming, something bad. I don’t know where, I don’t know when, and it’s bugging the hell out of me.”
“Hey, don’t even think about it. I don’t mind it at all. I happen to like having you being the man that you are, so don’t stop being you. Bear and all.” She leaned up and kissed him again. “Now, let’s go. I know that you are feeling antsy so the faster we do this, the faster we get home. Right?”
He kissed her again, taking his time with her. Only the coughing that started up in the kitchen made him lift his head. “Let’s get going, before they all keel over with whatever they must have caught.” Glaring at his friends, he gave her another squeeze before letting her go and pressing a hand to her back.
“Have you noticed that my uncle is missing? With the need for hard work, he’s gone?”
“He doesn’t tend to hang around here very much,” Gareth said with a grin. “He only shows up when he needs to tell us something, or when he’s here to poke Mikhail. Occasionally, he’ll show up for a barbecue, but it’s pretty rare.”
“True, that,” Owen muttered. “That damn god can eat. I thought we all had healthy appetites, but in comparison to that man, damn!”
Mikhail was herding her out of the house, the other guys on their heels.
Camilla laughed. “So his sticking around here for the last few weeks has been because of me? I swear I’ve seen more of him since coming into your guys’ lives than I have in the last three years.” Which was too funny to her. She had been busy with classes and the kids or he had been busy with his online gaming and now she realized that his online gaming had been these men instead. It hadn’t been gaming as she thought, it had been real end of the world life stuff.
“More than likely,” James said with a grin. “He does like you an awful lot. More than any of us. ’Course, you’re so cute and all, I see the appeal.”
“Really, James? Do you have to irritate Mikhail all the time?” Nolan asked.
“Not all the time, just when he gets all tense and shit.”
“Well, stop, before he decides to kill you. We might just let him,” Nolan grumbled.
“Camilla won’t, she likes me.” James gave her a huge smile, batting his lashes
at her.
“Oh, sweet merciful heavens, you are too cute,” she told James with a shake of her head. “I do like you, but really, you’re pushing it, mister. If Mikhail reaches out and smacks the back of your head, I won’t be too upset about it.”
“Betrayal, thy name be Camilla Berry.” James gasped dramatically.
“Fucking ham.” Owen snorted in laughter.
“All right, enough. We have work to do before it gets too hot. Let’s get out there and get this next section done already. Victor, get the backhoe and meet us out there,” Nolan said.
“Copy that.” With a grin to her and then a roll of his eyes, Victor loped off for one of the barns where they kept the larger equipment.
Camilla linked her arm with Mikhail’s. “Now then, am I riding with you or am I riding with the goon squad?” She was teasing the men. “Because if I had a choice, you know what it would be. Every time.”
“You know exactly where you’re going to be,” Mikhail said. He urged her toward the Jeep where Gareth was waiting, passenger door open for her. “I’m not letting you out of my sight at all today. Get used to it.”
“Still got that bad feeling?” Gareth asked, all serious suddenly.
“Yup, it’s not going away. If anything, it’s getting worse.”
“Good thing I tucked a few weapons into the back then,” Gareth said. Waving a hand, he bowed to her. “Your carriage, milady.”
“Thank you, kind sir.” She got into the vehicle and looked at her two men. Goodness, they did make her heart go pitter pat, that was for sure.
Shrugging, Gareth shut the door and hopped into the back while Mikhail slid behind the wheel. It didn’t take them long to reach the spot they’d be working, and during the drive Mikhail explained the plan for the day. He told her just how they would create the fire breaks for the farm. Victor would be doing the bulk of the digging, but they had to break the sod and strip it away so he had a clear line to follow. All the dirt he removed would go into the dump truck that Lincoln was driving at the tail of their little convoy. He told her they were putting part of it into various areas around the land they owned, using it to build protected spots, in the event they were ever attacked. The dirt would also be used to shore up the banks of a small river that went through the land.