by Cheree Alsop
“I'm going after Nora,” I whispered to Jaze. “You guys find Rob. She won't be safe until he's out of the picture.”
“Take Gem and Kaynan,” Jaze replied, his eyes on the dark hallway. “Mouse will send the alert when our backup arrives.”
I nodded and Kaynan turned the doorknob silently. When it refused to budge, he put a bit more pressure behind it and the locked slipped with a quiet pop. A small red light started flashing above us.
I looked at Jaze. “The generators must be on,” he whispered. “They know we're here. We've got to hurry.”
I led the way down the stairs with Gem and Kaynan close behind. The stairs creaked with each step and the noise multiplied in my ears until it sounded like we were a marching band instead of three soft-footed werewolves. Nora's scent grew stronger and fresher the further we went down. We reached the bottom to find the basement sectioned into three long rooms. Rob’s scent was fresh in the air, but so was the soft vanilla and sunflower aroma that made my heart thump loudly in my chest.
I hurried into the room on the left. It was dark, but emergency lighting flickered above, playing havoc with my werewolf eyesight. I peered between rows of boxes and crates and found a silver cage pushed against the far wall. A form was curled on the bottom.
My heart slowed and I took a careful step forward; my soul screamed for me to run to her and make sure she was alright. My mind argued back that Rob had killed her because of our relationship. A board creaked under my foot and the form stirred. My heart began to beat again.
“Nora?”
“Vance?” She sat up and peered through the darkness. “Vance, it's a trap,” she said, horror thick in her voice.
I ran to the cage and pulled the door off in one quick jerk, then she was gathered in my arms, safe against my chest and away from the pains of a world she was too good for. She shook in my arms, her body more fragile than I remembered.
Gem pulled my arm. “Vance, they’re behind us.”
Shots rang out and Kaynan let out a growl before he phased and took down two guards with guns. Gem shot two with darts, then Kaynan grappled a third, pulling him down to the ground with his teeth sunk into the man’s gun hand.
“Vance!” Gem called.
I turned in time to see a door I hadn't noticed behind the cage open and four more guards come through. “Stay behind me,” I told Gem. “Watch over her.” The blue-eyed werewolf nodded, her jaw set with fierce determination.
I set Nora gently down in a gap between two crates. “We'll protect you,” I promised. Her beautiful green eyes held mine for a brief second before Gem stepped in to guard her.
I turned and found the guards almost to us. I crossed the floor and threw a punch at the first man's chest. He flew back into another guard, effectively blocking the door for a brief moment while I dealt with the other two. I ducked under a punch, then blocked a crowbar aimed for my head. I wanted to phase, but it was easier to protect the others in human form, so I gritted my teeth and settled into a boxing stance.
I jabbed one man in the face and felt his nose break under my knuckles, then hit him with a hook across the jaw that sent him spinning into the other man. Three men at the door managed to push their way in. All three had silver knives and I wondered if they were under orders not to shoot around Nora, though I doubted a man who would put his own daughter in a cage as a trap had any scruples.
The instinct to protect the two girls behind me rushed like fire through my veins. No one would hurt the girls I loved. Red rage filled my vision. A man tried to stab me with his knife. I caught his arm and pulled him forward into my fist. He collapsed motionless to the ground. I turned and found another man trying to get past me. I picked him up by his shoulder and leg, then threw him into the wall. He hit with a loud bang and fell to the floor. Another tried to reach Gem and Nora. I bent down and grabbed his foot, then swung him around and into the floor so hard the other guards stared at me, expressions of surprise and horror on their faces as the man lay motionless at my feet. I lifted my lips in a silent snarl, daring them to come forward.
Several attacked at the same time. I picked up a crate and smashed it on top of the first one, then backhanded the next one so hard he spun completely around before falling motionless to the ground. The crowbar slammed into my right side. I felt things tear internally, but the adrenaline and the rage that filled me at the thought that someone would hurt those I cared about covered it all in a red fog of fury. I grabbed my attacker by the throat and slammed him back against the wall. His eyes rolled up and he slid to the ground.
A guard sliced at my shoulder. I grabbed his wrist just below the knife and wrenched his arm down. He let out a yell of pain and held his dislocated shoulder. I threw a straight punch to his face and he staggered back into the men behind him, slowing them down. Gem fired darts behind me and took down two men fighting to get through the door. I kicked one man's knees out from under him, then drove my elbow into his sternum. His ribs caved in under the force of my blow and he gasped for air.
The crowbar connected with the back of my head and lights flashed in front of my eyes. One of the guards tried to get to Nora and Gem behind me and his shadow caught my eye. Gem grappled with him, her tiny figure the only thing between the man and Nora. He hit Gem in the face. A roar of rage filled my chest and I turned and grabbed him, then threw him at an overturned desk so hard one of the table legs when through his chest.
A man bull-rushed me and slammed me backward into one of the crates. The crate shattered beneath me in a mess of broken wood and metal bands. He picked up a wooden stake and tried to drive it through my heart. I kicked out and caught him in the stomach. When he doubled over, I lunged to my feet and slammed an uppercut into his jaw. His head whipped back and he fell over backwards.
“That's vampires, idiot,” I growled, tossing the stake on top of him.
A guard tried to kick my legs out from under me. The kick barely moved me and I glared at him. His eyes widened and he took a step backwards. I turned and horse-kicked the guard in the chest, sending him sprawling into two men fighting Kaynan with double sets of knives. The red-eyed werewolf shot me a look of gratitude, then his eyes widened. I looked behind me to see more guards spilling out into the close quarters.
I glanced at Nora and Gem. Nora sat on the floor between the boxes with her legs pulled up and her eyes wide as she met mine. Fear tangled with her beautiful scent, and I wanted more than anything to carry her away from all of the violence and gore. Gem’s blue eyes met my gaze with confidence that said she knew the odds we faced and was ready to take whatever was coming. She stood beside me and shot two more darts into the guards. “I’m out,” she said quietly, her voice firm.
“We're going to be alright,” I replied.
The man with the crowbar stepped forward and brought the bar back as another man swung at my stomach. I ignored the punch and caught the crowbar with my left hand, then ripped it from the man’s hands. I spun and hit both the men with it hard enough to drop them both. More guards piled into the room. I glanced up and saw others coming down the stairs toward Kaynan. The sheer bulk of them would take us down, but I wouldn’t give up without fighting for the girls who needed me.
I turned back to meet the rush when a black-haired shadow flowed through the door. A knife flashed and two guards fell. Two others yelled, then they were on their knees. Jet moved from one guard to the next, his knife a bare shard of silver before the men were down gasping out the last of their life blood. The look in the werewolf’s eyes was dark and animalistic, cold and calculating as he judged his opponents and took them down without mercy. Memories flowed through his dark blue irises and he gritted his teeth as he took down another with a slice across the neck.
I was stunned at his grace and ruthless proficiency. Before I could move, half of the guards that came through the back door were down. The rest pressed forward as if sensing the menace that came behind them. Jet jumped against the wall, grabbed a rafter, and swung down to land i
n front of them. A snarl ripped from his throat and the guards backed up. Jet launched into them, his blade so quick four fell before I even saw them hit. The rest surged back against the door, but more guards were trying to come in. The group turned with the realization of their fate bright in their eyes.
I broke my gaze from the lethal assault that followed and turned to meet the attackers on our other side in time to block another slice with a knife. I picked up the guard and threw him into those behind him. They fell back into Kaynan, shaking off the two men that held him so another could stick him with a knife. Kaynan’s teeth flashed and another fell to the ground.
Two guards rushed me while a third tried to sneak around to get the girls. I grabbed both men by the throat and smashed them to the ground with enough force to make the floor tremble. I then turned and grabbed the other guard by the collar before he could reach Gem and Nora. The man jabbed at my eye with his knife. I grabbed his arm and threw him in the air. He hit the ceiling and crashed down with plaster falling on top of him.
Jet ghosted to my side, the blade of his knife dark red and an edge of steel to his eyes that sent a surge of gratitude through me that he was on our side. He turned without a word and we faced the guards that made it past Kaynan. I picked the crowbar up and hefted the cold metal in my hands, levering it to take down as many as I could. A voice called down from the top of the stairs.
“Hold it,” Jaze growled in a voice laced with iron and teeth, an Alpha bark that not even the guards could ignore. Everyone turned to see the werewolf with a gun to Rob's head. “Put down your weapons, now,” Jaze commanded in a voice that left no room for argument.
The guards dropped their guns and knives. Kaynan and Jet gathered the weapons, then forced the guards to leave through the door by the cage. Gem walked up the stairs, her eyes on Nora’s father. I helped Nora to her feet, then stumbled and caught myself against the crate.
Nora put a hand on my shoulder, her eyes concerned. “I should be the one helping you,” she said in a voice that trembled.
I shook my head. “Seeing you safe is all the help I need.”
Jaze pushed Rob in front of him and we walked slowly up the stairs. Dizziness from the crowbar blow to the back of my head kept my steps measured, but it faded as we left the basement. By the time we reached the yard, I felt stronger. Nora touched the back of my hair and when her hand came away bloody, she tried to make me sit down.
“It's alright,” I reassured her. “It's already healing.”
Jaze pushed Rob toward one of the Hunters' vehicles, then paused. “Is there anything you want to say to your daughter before you leave?”
I felt Nora tense, but she stood firm and waited for his response.
Rob glared from me to his daughter, such hatred and vehemence in his eyes that I wanted to tear them from his face so that no one would look at Nora like that again. Rob spoke in a dark, angry voice, “I never dreamed you would follow in your mother's footsteps, but what should I have expected with werewolf blood in your veins?”
Surprise showed on Nora’s face, but she pushed it down. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said. There was a pleading tone to her voice as if she asked a question, begging her father to show some shred of humanity to redeem himself.
“You don’t understand,” her father replied. His eyes held hers, asking her to listen. He glanced at me and his gaze narrowed. “The werewolves are a scourge to be wiped from the earth. They taint the bloodlines and they’ll turn us all into animals.”
“You don’t need werewolf blood to be an animal,” Nora replied quietly.
Hurt touched her father’s eyes and quickly turned to rage. He broke free of Jaze’s grasp and dove at me. Jet and Kaynan caught his arms before he took two steps. I stood in front of Nora to shield her from him. “You brainwashed her,” he shouted, his eyes rolling in anger.
I shook my head. “I helped her see the truth.”
He sputtered. “The truth? The truth is that you’re more animal than human. You can’t be trusted. You’re a savage beast.”
Nora stepped from behind me. “Father?” When he looked at her, she took a calming breath. “I love Vance with all of my heart. I’m sorry your life is so twisted by hatred, and I’ll live trying to make up for the damage you’ve done.” She dropped her eyes. “I love you, but I can’t stand to be near you anymore after what you’ve done.”
“You’re tainted by the beast,” he replied, his tone so ugly I wanted to hit him for even talking to her. Jet and Kaynan dragged him back toward the truck. “You’re no daughter of mine,” he called, raising his voice. “Enjoy having puppies with that animal you call a boyfriend.”
Tears sparkled in her eyes, then trailed slowly down her cheeks. She turned her head into my shoulder as her father was lifted into the truck and the door shut behind him.
I put my arms around her and the tension eased from my muscles. I took a deep breath and glanced up at the stars that sparkled in the sky. They winked down on us like tiny gems, reminding me of the grandeur of the world and the miracle that we still lived despite the odds we had faced. The light of the partial moon bathed us in a midnight glow that cast the trees as gray sentries guarding us against the shadows of night.
The moonlight felt gentler, the brush of the breeze weaving through the leaves was softer, and the chirp of crickets hiding in the shadows sounded sweeter. All was right in the world now that Nora was back in my arms. Her scent of vanilla and sunflowers tangled around me and I took a deep breath of it, reluctant to let it out again.
She tipped her head up and her green eyes met mine. The sadness, acceptance, and pain in them stole whatever remained of my heart. “What happens now?” she asked softly.
I leaned down and kissed her on the lips, my fingers entwining gently in her long back hair as she moved a hand to my neck, pulling me closer. I closed my eyes and let her surround me and complete me, covering the pain and torment and chasing away the fears that had filled every day she had been gone. When we parted, I smiled, my eyes gazing into hers. “I don’t know,” I admitted. Laugh lines touched the corners of her eyes and I continued, “But whatever it is, we face it together.”
She touched my face with her hand; her gentle fingers ran along my jaw and sent a shiver up my spine. She smiled and leaned against my chest. I wrapped her in my arms, vowing to never let her go again.
I glanced up and found the others watching us. Gem caught my attention first. She crossed the grass toward us and a pang of regret ran through my bones at the sorrow and realization on her face. My heart ached at the loss in her eyes and for causing her additional pain. She was such a strong, amazing person, and she had earned the right to be happy. I dreaded what she would say, but I deserved to bear the brunt of her pain.
Her eyebrows pulled together and the pixie grin that always danced on her face was sorely absent. She reached up a hand and set it softly on my arm. “I’m happy for you,” she said. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her smile returned and she hugged us both. “I’m so happy for you.”
I covered her hand with my own, dwarfing her fingers. She nodded once and stepped back to the others. I felt a small tug in my heart at her distance, but knew it was for the best. The gratitude that flooded through me at everything Gem had done and all she represented made me hold Nora even closer.
My gaze moved to Jaze and he gave a small nod, a look of approval on his face. His words echoed in my head. I took a breath and spoke them quietly to Nora. “You are my night and day, my moon, my stars, and every driving force that keeps my lungs filling up with air and my heart beating to drive blood through my body. Without you, I am not me.” I swallowed down the lump that tightened my throat. “You make me more because I am with you. You complete me, and you bring out who I really am.” Nora’s face turned up to me and fresh tears sparkled in her eyes, but they were symbols of joy instead of sorrow. I smiled through my own tears. “It won’t matter where our path takes us as long as we walk it together.”
She nodded, her face bathed in moonlight. “I can go anywhere with you now.”
I looked down at her and asked, “What do you mean?”
She turned her head slightly and her green eyes glinted golden in the moonlight. “Let me show you,” she said softly.
Everyone watched in silence as she stepped back into the house. A faint scent brushed the fabric of my shirt where she had touched me. My heart stirred and I looked up to see a graceful cream colored wolf step onto the porch.
“Whoa,” someone whispered behind me.
I glanced at Jaze and saw the smile on his face. “Who knows what love can do,” he said softly, his eyes on Nora.
She crossed the lawn to me and I fell to my knees. Tears trickled down my cheeks and she licked them away. I took off my shirt and phased in the basking moonlight. I turned back to the others and Nora stood at my shoulder. Though I was huge and hulking beside her lithe form, I no longer felt like a bear or an uncontrollable beast. I was a protector, a leader, and for the first time in my life, I was complete and stronger because of the gentleness of the one standing next to me.
We crossed the lawn and entered the twilight darkness of the trees beyond. The world around us fell away. We were complete, more together than we were apart, and we had rescued each other from the unthinkable. She was mine and I vowed to never let her go. My heart was whole, and for the first time in my life, I was truly ready to live.
About the Author
Cheree Alsop is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and two amazing twin sons who fill every day with light and laughter. She married her best friend, Michael, who changes lives each day in his Chiropractic clinic. Cheree is currently working as a free-lance writer and mother. She enjoys reading, riding her Ninja motorcycle on warm nights, and rocking her twins while planning her next book. She is also an aspiring drummer and bass player for her husband’s garage band.