by Ramona Gray
The tagen bellowed angrily and swung one arm. It caught Hanif in the chest and he yelped loudly before flying backward into the deep snow. He was on his feet and rushing forward in an instant as Kane and Radek landed on the tagen with heavy thuds. Their weight drove him to his knees and he punched Radek in the side before grabbing Kane around the throat. He squeezed tightly and then screamed miserably when Hanif tore off a chunk of his face with a loud growl. He dropped Kane and swung blindly at him as blood poured from his face. Kane ducked and the tagen screamed again when Radek bit him in the side. His teeth sank through the heavy pelt and he growled ferociously as the tagen beat at him with his fists.
Kane, snarling viciously, knocked the tagen on to his back and latched on to his exposed throat. He tore through the skin, blood spraying in a wide arc, and the tagen made a low gurgling noise as his feet drummed on the ground.
The shifters backed away, blood dripping from their large fangs, and watched as the tagen clapped his hand to his throat. Blood continued to spray from his jugular vein for nearly a minute before it trickled to a stop and the tagen slumped against the hard ground.
Kane shifted to his human form and wiped the blood from his mouth.
“Are you all right, Kane?” Abby asked.
“Aye.” Kane glanced around. At the far end of the street, a small group of humans had gathered and they were staring at the shifters in shock and fear.
Kane dug through the bag that was tucked among the furs on the wooden sleigh and pulled out clothes as Radek and Hanif shifted. “We need to leave.”
“We need swords,” Michael said. “I’m not leaving without one.”
Kane growled and Abby shook her head. “He’s right, Kane. This whole trip was pointless if we don’t get swords and warmer clothing for Sara.”
“We move quickly,” Kane muttered as he tossed clothing to Hanif and Radek. “Stay together and keep your eyes open for the other tagens.”
* * *
“Radek, are you sure you’re all right?” Sara examined the bruising that was developing on his side and Radek nodded reassuringly.
“I am fine, sweet one. Nothing is broken.”
They were standing outside of the blacksmith’s and Kane glanced impatiently at the door before studying the crowd of humans who were following them.
“I do not like this, Kane,” Hanif said uneasily. “Where are the other tagens and why would they take over a human village in the first place?”
“For their women, most likely,” Kane said.
“Why didn’t the humans band against them?” Hanif wondered. “They have weapons.”
Kane glanced at Radek. He knew what Kane was thinking – there had to be a few tagens if they had taken over an entire village – and he pulled Sara closer to him.
Kane was reaching for the door when it opened and Abby and Michael emerged. They were both carrying swords, Abby had two, and she placed one of them on the sleigh with the furs. Kane took her hand. “Let’s go.”
They hurried down the street, the crowd of people parting silently to let them pass. A shiver ran down Sara’s spine. The crowd of people had grown and it was eerie to walk through them without a sound being made. A small girl with a dirty face and matted blonde hair stared shyly at her from behind her mother’s leg. Sara smiled at her and the child hid her face in her mother’s leg as Radek gripped her hand tightly and pulled her along.
“Faster, Sara,” he murmured.
They were almost to the main street of the village and the edge of the forest loomed to their right. Kane said, “There is a general store just a bit further. They will have clothes for Sara and the herbs Adina needs. We will – “
“Oh shit,” Abby said.
Three tagens, all of them bigger than the one they had killed, emerged from the side streets. They surrounded the small group as Kane snarled softly.
“You killed our brother, dog,” the biggest one said. He had thick black hair and dark brown eyes, and Abby guessed his height to be around twelve feet. His arms were as thick as her thighs and he shrugged out of his pelt before pulling a wooden club from the leather strap around his waist.
“We told him to walk away,” Kane said. “He chose not to.”
The tagen studied Abby and Sara before smiling at Kane. “We will kill you and take your women. They will suffer greatly for what you have done.”
Radek howled and then shifted with an abrupt pop. He snarled at the tagens, saliva dripping from his fangs as he stood protectively in front of Sara. She pulled her bow from her back and quickly notched an arrow into it as the second tagen leered at her.
“You’re a pretty little thing. I will enjoy having you in my bed.”
She raised her bow and aimed it at him and the tagen laughed delightedly. “What spirit you have. Do you think an arrow will stop me? Do you even have the strength to draw the bow back?”
“Come closer and you’ll find out,” she spat.
“Enough,” the leader of the tagens said wearily. “Let us kill them and be done with it.”
Kane and Hanif shifted and Hanif raced toward the second tagen. It raised the club it carried and swung at him. Hanif ducked and the tagen made a soft grunt of surprise when he felt the arrow lodge in his ribs. He pulled it out and gave Sara a look of astonishment. “You will pay for that, you little bitch.”
Hanif barked loudly and the tagen lunged at him as Radek and Kane surrounded the largest tagen. He swung his club in a gentle arc before smiling at them. “Come on then, you mangy dogs.”
They leaped at him as Abigail glanced at Michael. He grinned at her, his eyes lit with a fierce light, and gripped his sword tightly. “Are you ready, Abigail?”
“Yes.” She returned his grin. “Stay here, Sara.” They ran toward the third tagen and Sara watched wide-eyed as they moved nimbly around him, their swords jabbing and flashing in the sunlight.
In only a matter of minutes they had driven the tagen to his knees and with a harsh grin, Michael sliced the tagen’s head from his body. The head tumbled into the snow and blood sprayed from his headless stump before his body pitched forward.
“Fuck, that felt good!” Abby shouted.
There was a harsh howl of pain. The second tagen had Hanif by his front leg and Hanif howled again when he broke the shifter’s leg with a loud snap.
Abby and Michael sprinted toward the tagen as he wrapped his large hands around Hanif’s neck. There was a soft whoosh of air. The tagen dropped Hanif and slowly reached up to touch the arrow that was sticking out of the middle of his forehead.
“No,” he whispered as blood trickled from his mouth and he fell on to his back with a thud.
“Nice fucking shot, Sara!” Abigail shouted as Sara lowered her bow and released her breath in a harsh rush.
There was a scream of pain and the largest tagen knocked Kane from his body and stumbled back. He screamed in anger over the dead bodies of his brothers and turned to flee. Radek howled loudly and leaped on to his back, knocking him face-first into the ground. The tagen beat at him with his fists as Radek sank his teeth into the back of his neck and ripped away the flesh.
The tagen screamed miserably and flipped on to his back, holding his hands out in a desperate plea. “No, please, I am sorry. Let me live and I will leave. I swear it.”
The two shifters glanced at each other, identical grins crossing their faces, before they fell on the tagen.
Sara winced and looked away as the tagen’s dying screams shattered the cold air. Hanif had shifted to his human form and he was holding his left arm grimly as Abigail and Michael helped him to his feet.
“Are you all right, Hanif?” Michael asked.
“Aye, it is only broken. It will heal in a day or two,” Hanif’s face was pale but he smiled grimly at Michael.
Radek backed away from the dead tagen and howled loudly. Kane joined him and the humans in the street clapped their hands over their ears. Radek shifted and turned to Sara. His eyes widened and he gave a hoarse shout
of warning as the tagen slipped out from the side street and grabbed Sara around her throat. He ripped the bow from her hand and tossed it to the ground before backing away from the shifters.
Radek, panic coursing through his veins, ran toward them and the tagen squeezed Sara’s throat. “Come any closer, dog, and I’ll snap her neck.”
Radek froze and stared helplessly at Sara as the tagen yanked her back against him. She barely came up to his waist and she gave Radek a look of terror as the tagen petted her curly hair.
“Give me my mate,” he snarled at the tagen.
“Your mate is dead if you come any closer,” the tagen snapped.
“Your brothers are dead.” Kane had joined Radek and he showed the tagen his blood-smeared hands. “If you kill the girl we will make you suffer in ways you cannot imagine.”
The tagen lifted Sara around the waist and backed toward the forest behind him. “The girl is coming with me. If you try and follow us, I will tear her guts out with my bare hands. Is that what you want, shifter? To see your mate’s guts in the snow?”
Radek howled, his body swelling and his jaw cracking as his fangs protruded from his mouth. “Give me back my mate and I will end your miserable life quickly.”
The tagen was in the forest now and he shook his head as Radek and Kane stalked toward him. “You are killing her.”
“Radek,” Sara whispered.
“It is all right, my sweet one,” Radek said. “You will be safe soon.”
The tagen laughed before pulling Sara’s head back by her hair. “Your mate lies to you, girl. You will be dead soon. But not before I make you pay for what your mate has done to my brothers. You will beg for death before I am done.”
His eyes widened at the soft growling behind him. He turned, his entire body stiffening, and stared in horror at the giant koran crouched behind him. The koran roared loudly and the tagen whimpered in fear before dropping Sara to the ground. He backed away, holding his club protectively in front of him as the koran stalked forward. It nuzzled Sara’s hair affectionately and licked her forehead before crouching again.
“No,” the tagen whispered. He glanced behind him. Radek and Kane were moving toward him with their fangs bared and their bodies swelling, and he turned and darted into the forest. The koran roared again and the tagen screamed miserably when the beast landed on his back. He fell to the ground, scrabbling uselessly at the snow as the koran swiped at him with his sharp claws. They cut through his thick pelt and into his flesh and he moaned pitifully when Meeka bit into the flesh of his back. His back arched, his fists pounding against the ground as the koran tore his spine from his flesh with a wet, ripping sound. Meeka roared a third time in triumph as the tagen made a final, gasping moan and died.
“Sara!” Radek dropped to his knees beside her and gathered her into his arms. “Are you hurt, my sweet one?”
He lifted her chin and studied her throat anxiously as she threw her arms around his waist.
“I’m fine, Radek.”
He kissed her deeply, his hands threading into her hair to hold her head tightly.
“Are you okay?” She asked when he finally released her mouth.
“Aye, I am perfectly fine.”
“Gross,” Abigail muttered.
Sara followed her gaze. Meeka was throwing the tagen’s spine into the air, catching it in his mouth and tossing it again as blood and bits of meat splattered the snow. He rumbled happily and tossed the spine into the deep snow before pouncing on it and shaking his head wildly.
“Ugh!” Abigail backed away as drops of blood landed on her face.
Sara laughed a bit hysterically. “Meeka has a new toy.”
Radek rubbed her back before hugging her tightly as Kane squeezed Hanif’s shoulder. “How is your arm, Hanif?”
“Broken,” Hanif grunted. “Thank you for saving my life, little human.”
“You’re welcome, Hanif,” Sara replied.
Kane studied the humans who had gathered behind them. “Are there any more?”
A man stepped forward. He was tall and thin with hunched shoulders and thinning hair. “No. You have destroyed all of them.”
“How long have they been at the village?”
“Nearly six months.” The man glanced at the other humans. “They killed most of us.”
He cleared his throat and gave Kane a nervous look. “Thank you, shifter. We are in your debt.”
Kane nodded. “We need more supplies and food for our journey home.”
“You are welcome to whatever you need,” the man replied. He turned to the humans standing behind him. “This is a day of celebration. The shifters have ended the tagens’ cruel reign and we will offer them the best of what we have.”
Chapter 20
Sara stared out the window at the street below her. The humans were still partying and the sound of their singing drifted through the glass. She and the others had picked out supplies before, at the villagers urging, joining the humans for a feast. She had enjoyed the party. The humans were nearly giddy with relief at being freed from the tagens and they had been falling over themselves to thank them.
Only Radek had not joined in the festivities. He had not stopped her from mingling with the humans but he had spent the entire evening sitting at an empty table with his back to the wall as he watched the humans quietly.
She drew the curtains closed. Despite the villagers’ protests, all of them had retired for the night. They were leaving early in the morning and Kane wanted them well-rested for the journey home.
“Sara? Is there something wrong?”
The genuine concern in Radek’s voice made her heart swell. She loved him, she knew that now, and she thought he might love her. He had called her his mate, and the fear on his face when the tagen had taken her had been very real.
He hates humans, Sara. Even tonight he could not bring himself to enjoy their company. Do you honestly believe that he loves you? He called you his mate for the same reason that Kane did with Abby – to try and protect you from the tagen.
Bullshit. He loves you.
“Sara?” Radek’s arms circled her waist and she leaned against him.
“Tell me what the humans did to you, Radek.”
He tensed and started to pull away. She clung to his arms and stared pleadingly at him. “Tell me, Radek.”
He studied her face for a moment before staring at the wall. “When I was a boy I went into the forest alone. I was not supposed to but I was stubborn and disobeyed my parents. I was stolen by humans. They took me to their home and tortured me for the amusement of themselves and their children.”
He was beginning to tremble and she put her arm around his waist and hugged him tightly.
“They burned me and stabbed me just to see how long it would take before I would heal. They collared me and chained me to a wall in their barn. More than once they took me to the lake and held me under the water until I nearly drowned.”
“Oh, Radek,” Sara whispered. She was starting to cry and she wiped at the tears as he continued to stare at the wall.
“I was so afraid, Sara. After a few days I – I begged them not to hurt me, promised them I would do whatever it was they wanted if they would just stop hurting me. They laughed at me. They called me a worthless dog and told me I was going to die.”
“How did you escape?” Sara asked.
“I didn’t. My father and Kane’s father searched for my scent in the forest. It took them a few days to find it – my mother said it was nearly gone by the time they found it. They and our alpha, Maven, followed it to the farm where I was being held captive. They killed the humans who had taken me and returned me to our pack.”
“I’m so sorry, Radek,” Sara whispered.
He stared blankly at her for a moment before frowning. “Why are you crying, sweet one?”
“Because it breaks my heart to hear the way you were abused,” she said. “You were only a child and what happened to you is horrifying. I – no wonder you h
ate us.”
“I don’t hate you, Sara,” he said quickly.
She rested her forehead on his sternum and he stroked her curly hair before burying his face in it.
“I don’t hate you,” he repeated. “Do you believe me?”
She nodded and he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He needed her badly. When the tagen had taken her, the fear had nearly paralyzed him. The thought of losing his mate had sent his wolf into a frenzy of terror and anger and his human side had been equally terrified. He’d realized in that moment of terror that he loved her and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life.
He set her down next to the bed and smiled distractedly at her. He loved Sara and he had no idea how to tell her. Would she even believe it, he wondered. He had spent weeks telling her he hated her kind, that it was only his wolf who would ever want her, and he didn’t have a clue how to convince her that he had been a fool.
Bite her, his wolf said persuasively. Bite her and show her and everyone else that she is ours.
He realized with a start that Sara had already undressed and her tiny hands were unbuttoning his shirt.
“Sara,” he covered her hands with his own, “are you sure this is what you want?”
She frowned at him. “Why wouldn’t it be? Do you no longer want me, Radek?”
He shook his head immediately before shrugging out of his shirt. “I want you so badly, sweet one.”
“Good.” She unbuttoned his pants and he kicked them off impatiently as she stretched out on the bed. He studied her naked flesh, drinking in the lovely sight of her pale, soft skin as she held her hand out to him.
“Radek, do not make me wait.”
He lay down beside her, smiling a little when she climbed on to him and straddled his waist. “I want to be on top. Can I, Radek? We have never tried this position before.”
“Whatever you want, sweet one.”
He cupped her small breasts, pulling lightly on her nipples until they hardened as she closed her eyes and arched her back. He played with her breasts until she was rubbing her pussy against his abdomen and moaning loudly. God, he loved the sounds she made, loved the look on her face when he touched her soft skin, and he felt a wave of love for her that was nearly painful in its intensity.