by Reese Monroe
Heavy and tired from healing Justin, then the girl in the bathroom, he could barely even run. He slid beside her and grabbed her hand.
Justin. Back door. Hurry.
Theo grabbed Sadie’s limp body, tears now freely flowing down his face, and fell onto his back.
He shoved his hands up the back of her shirt and made contact with her flesh.
So cold. So still. There was barely even an echo of a heartbeat. But there was no poison in her system. Nothing he could detect.
Of course not.
Mortal weapons. A knife. If it punctured precisely the right place, and she received no medical attention, she would die. Only when they mated would she receive his immortality.
But why try to kill her? He’d said he needed them mated. A hammer of agony pounded through him, and his fangs dropped.
“Oh, Great One.” Justin stumbled to a stop beside him. “Theo. Hold on.”
He hugged his Mate closer, absorbing her injuries. Yet touching her skin spurred him on. Strengthened him. “Must heal her.”
“Theo?” Sadie whispered into his neck. “Isabelle. Bathroom.”
Even near death, she worried for her friend. “She’s fine, love.” He kissed her hair. “I got to her.”
He ran his hand up Sadie’s spine and held his other arm tight around her waist until he couldn’t bring her any closer. If only he hadn’t had his shirt on, there’d be more contact. More absorption, faster healing.
As if his brother knew his thoughts, he reached for Theo’s shirt and tugged it up. Theo edged Sadie’s up enough to allow their stomachs to connect.
He combed the hair from her forehead to see her face. Bruises, cuts, and blood marred her porcelain skin.
Another wave of agony slammed into him, and he turned his face to let out a roar.
“Hold on, brother.” Justin stood. “I’ll get the car.”
“Witnesses…any wi—”
Justin leaned forward, hands on his knees and breathing hard. “Got the ones from earlier.” He looked around. “Clear…here for now.”
He limped away, constantly scanning the area, and moved out of sight around the corner of the building. Justin was in bad shape, as they all were, but he hadn’t groaned a bit. He was a true warrior.
Warmth oozed along Theo’s stomach, down his side, and onto the ground. Sadie’s wound must have been so painful. Such agony for her to experience. She’d made it up the stairs, then fallen here. On this rocky path. Searching for him, no doubt.
Alone. She must have felt so alone. He focused on her beautiful face to block out the agony filtering into him. The desperation she’d felt. The fear.
Darkness nipped at his vision.
No, he must stay awake. Had to stay strong for Sadie. He never should have left her side at the party. He should have been with her. None of this would have happened had he stayed by her side as she’d asked him to. She’d wanted to share her birthday celebration and graduation party with him, and he’d left her.
Left her to fend for herself.
His thoughts fell to what The Great One had said about Sadie dealing with a deep sense of abandonment. And Theo hadn’t been there for her.
“Shit,” he whispered. And this morning he’d been so distant. Cold.
I’m so stupid.
He ran his tongue across his fangs and cringed. A vicious yet hated weapon, but he was too tired to retract them. Didn’t matter anyway; he had to trust Sadie. Bare himself to her.
Another gut-clenching pain stabbed him. She tensed, and a whimper leaked out, yet her eyes remained closed. “Theo.”
“Relax. You’re safe.” His voice was tight. They were far from safe if any demons found them as they were. But he was holding her, and no matter what anyone or anything did to him, he would never let go.
She would not be alone. Ever again.
The sound of a car worked its way through the static in Theo’s ears. His body felt heavy. Like a concrete block.
Sadie gasped, and her eyes shot open.
He held tight, working to relax his face so she wouldn’t see his torment.
“Dasha?”
“Fine,” he whispered back and went to guide her forehead to his neck again. Partially for the skin connection, but mostly so she wouldn’t see—
“Fangs.” Her body tensed again, and she pushed away. Where she got the strength, he wasn’t sure, because he hadn’t yet healed her that much.
“It’s okay. You’re safe.”
Her lids fell heavy on her eyes, and she frowned. “Fangs…demon...”
She went limp against him.
The bumper of an SUV came into view on the edge of his vision. Please let that be Justin.
A door clicked open, then another, and shortly after, another. “Come on, help me. Keep your eyes focused on the man. The two must stay connected, but you are to look at the female as little as possible. Understand?”
Two men, built like linebackers, nodded. Blank eyes. Justin had tranced them to help. Thank you.
Theo closed his eyes and focused on the treasure in his arms. He willed all his senses open for full healing. Give me everything, love.
Those were his last thoughts before darkness took him.
Chapter Thirty-one
Something jostled Sadie out of the darkness. She began to roll, but strong arms hugged her tighter, keeping her secure.
Cinnamon. Theo. She opened her eyes to find that she was nuzzled close to him, forehead to his neck, and his pulse was hammering.
Erratically.
Isabelle. Aggie. The party. She looked up and saw the backseat of a car. “Justin?”
The car swerved. “Shit.” Another jostle. That one felt like a curb.
“I can’t go on.” The car decelerated.
“Justin,” Sadie said louder this time.
He coughed. “Almost home.”
She looked at Theo. His face was tense, eyes ping-ponging beneath the lids, but what caught her attention most were the fangs protruding from his lips.
Freaking fangs.
She pushed away, but he kept her locked to him, like back at her dorm. She closed her eyes and took assessment of her aches and pains. Minimal stinging in the stomach. Her shoulder pulsed erratically but didn’t hurt.
She peered up front and saw Justin leaning forward and to the side. The car continued to decelerate. “Justin. What’s happening?”
“I’m fading. Sorry, Sadie. I can’t drive.” He coughed again.
She turned her focus to Theo. Her heart hammered at the sight of the fangs again, but she drew in a deep breath. “Theo.”
No response.
“Theo, can you hear me?”
Nothing.
Theo, love. I’m safe. Please release me. Let me drive us home. She watched him for any evidence that he’d heard. Even used the word he always used with her, hoping it would resonate further. Deeper into his soul.
She’d deal with the fang issue later. Shit, he had fangs.
Justin’s hurt. I need to get us home. Please, Theo. I’m safe. You healed me. You protected me. I’m safe.
His grip loosened. I love you.
His words soothed her mind. She’d only lived eighteen years. They were hard years growing up in foster care, but those words, those three words that just caressed her mind, soothed all the aches she felt going through her body, both mental and physical.
Now let me save you.
No response. She peeled out of his embrace and looked over the seat.
The car inched forward. Justin evidently hadn’t been able to shift gears. Gravel crunched beneath the weight of the tires.
But what concerned her most was the cliff they were feet away from.
“Justin!” she yelled.
No movement. Not even a flinch.
She grabbed the wheel and started cranking it as she climbed onto his lap. The car lurched forward.
“Get your foot off the pedal.” She kicked his feet, but they wouldn’t budge.
; She jammed the brake, and the motion revved the engine since his foot was still on the accelerator.
She grappled for his jeans and yanked his foot up, then slammed the gear into park.
They were so close to the ledge she couldn’t even see anything past the hood. The car creaked, gravel shifted, and the front started to dip.
“Son of a bitch!” She jammed the rear-wheel drive lever into place, then slammed the gear into reverse and pressed the gas pedal. The car moaned and shifted, edging back, the tires working to find purchase in the gravel.
“God, please.” She checked the rearview mirror and glanced around. It looked like a Jeep or something. Those had power. Did she dare punch it?
She pressed the gas heavier, and the tires finally caught. The car shot backward and soon the cliff’s edge came into view.
“Holy shit.” Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her mouth went dry as cotton.
Had she not almost died, again, the setting sun over the distant mountains would have been a spectacular view. Instead, it just made things darker and more complicated.
Here she was on the side of the road with two unconscious men, and demons on the loose. Oh, and not to mention her Mate had freaking fangs.
“Think, Sadie.” She pushed open the door and hopped out.
Theo had taught her to calm herself. Listen. Smell. Feel. She scanned the area. The paved road lay about thirty feet away. There were no cars passing by at the moment. If she guessed right, they were on the back roads. County Road 7 maybe, headed to Theo’s compound.
Okay. She could do this. A cleansing breath of the crisp, pine-laced air slowed her mind and heart rate down. Think.
Justin needed to touch Theo to heal. But would that hurt Theo? No. He couldn’t die. Yes. She needed to get Justin and Theo together.
They were so big, though.
She was strong and getting bigger herself so, hell yeah, she could do this. She ran around to the passenger side door and with a few well-timed moves, she dragged Justin from the driver’s seat into the passenger side, then reclined it as far back as she could to get him closer to Theo.
She crawled in back and grabbed Theo’s hand, then reached through the space between the two seats to Justin and joined their hands.
But they didn’t clasp. Justin jerked, and so did Theo, but neither took hold.
Too tired. Too injured maybe.
Tie them. Yes! She glanced around the strange car. Whose was this, anyway?
She grabbed Theo’s black leather belt and went to work unbuckling it.
Within minutes, she had their hands bound together and was in the driver’s seat again. Now she needed to figure out how to get to Theo’s compound.
Ring. A muffled classic telephone ring sounded, and it was up front with Sadie somewhere. She glanced at Justin. Another ring. She reached over and dug her hand into his front left pocket and felt his phone.
She clicked it on while staying focused on the road. “Hello?”
“Who is this?” A sultry female voice laced with a thick French accent asked. “Damn it, Justin.” The voice trailed off.
“Hello?”
Silence, but the line was still open.
“I’m with Justin and Theo.”
Muffled sounds, as though someone covered the phone to talk. A curve ahead prompted Sadie to ease up on the gas pedal. She propped the phone to her ear with her shoulder and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands. Damn horrible alignment. Justin must have hit quite a few curbs before he lost consciousness. The headlights bounced off the trees flanking the narrow road.
She hated driving cars. That was why she had a Ninja. It was much easier to handle and was much smaller.
“Hello? Anyone there?” Sadie asked again as she maneuvered the SUV around the curve. Thankfully the road straightened out.
“How do you know Theo?”
“Um.” Shit, she didn’t want to give too much away, just in case this was one of Justin’s floozies. “He found me a few days ago.”
More muffled mumbling.
“Look. Who is this?”
“I am Halena. And you are…?”
“Sadie.”
The woman named Halena gasped. “As in Sadie Nowland?”
“How do you know me?” So, it wasn’t one of Justin’s trysts. But how would this chick know Sadie?
“What’s wrong?” the woman asked.
“Kind of a lot, thank you very much.” She laughed into the phone and checked the rearview mirror. Theo still lay out of sight as darkness swallowed what was left of the light sky, but she wasn’t about to spill anything to some chick with a sultry voice named Halena. What kind of name was that anyway?
“I will speak with Justin, now.”
“That’d be no. Are you Shomrei?”
“I’m sure I do not know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t use that word on open airwaves,” Justin whispered.
Sadie jerked at Justin’s sudden words. The phone slid from her hand, and she went to grab it. The car followed her movements, but she stopped and gripped the wheel with both hands, letting the phone fall to the floor.
“Please. I don’t need to add crash wounds to the ones I already have.” Justin coughed, then winced. “Oh. No coughing.”
His voice was raspy, tight. Faintly heard above the roar of the engine.
“Justin?” Sadie said, daring not to take her focus off the road.
“Sliced and diced, at your service. I’d get that phone, but I’m still hurtin’ pretty good over here.”
No curves up ahead, so Sadie steadily chanced another grope on the floor for the phone. The third try she got lucky.
“Hello?” she said as she pressed the phone to her ear.
“Who’s on the phone?” Justin asked. He lay against more of the door than his seat, his hand still belted to Theo in the backseat.
“Someone named Halena.”
“Shit,” Justin said under his breath.
“What? Who is—”
“Put Justin on now.” Halena’s voice had gone from sultry to downright pissed off. Justin tended to instigate that reaction.
“No. You tell me what’s going on.”
Justin gasped. “I wouldn’t—”
“How dare you?” Streams of words ensued. They didn’t sound French, though. No, that sounded like Latin. Even more confusing, she understood some words. Insignificant, honorable, destiny, finally, strongest.
“What do you mean strongest? Destined for what?” Sadie asked.
Another gasp. “You speak Latin?”
No. “Bits and pieces. I tend to remember things. Care to tell me what’s going on?”
“Tell Justin I will arrive in due time.” The phone went dead.
“Well fine. Bye. Nice talking to you.” Sadie tapped the number pad and dialed Dasha. “Justin. You okay?”
“No.”
“Hello?” Dasha answered.
“Dash. It’s Sadie. Where are you?”
“My room. Where are you? Justin was supposed to be here, like, two hours ago. He’s not answering…wait, you’re on his cell. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. We’re fine. Um. Just ran into a bit of trouble. We’re headed to the compound. Stay put, okay?”
“What if some de—”
“Don’t say another word. Call you soon.”
“Got it.” The line went dead.
Sadie hated having Dasha out there on her own. “Justin?”
He groaned.
“Who’s Halena?”
“Old one. Mean. Wicked strong, though.”
“More on that later. Am I on the right road to the compound?”
“Yeah, straight for about ten more miles.”
“Good. So, tell me about your fangs, and don’t give me any of this crap about Theo having to tell me, either. I need to know what the hell is going on. And how the hell do I know some Latin?”
“You told Halena—”
“Yeah, well, I lied.”
<
br /> “Really?”
“Fangs.”
“Um. Theo has fangs.”
“No shit, Sherlock. Thought he was some angel thing called a Shomrei. Fangs don’t scream ‘angel’ in my book, buddy.”
The white lines in the center of the road blurred into oblivion. Most of her wounds were healed, but that didn’t stop the fatigue, and she’d already burned through the cake she ate earlier. She was hungry.
She shook her head and opened the window to get some fresh air in the car. “Whose car is this? Wait. Forget I asked that. Fangs. Now.”
“Gatekeepers. Must be strongest of all the Shomrei. Created with special…powers.”
“Fangs are a power? I’ve never seen them before. Or yours.”
“I don’t have them.”
“Why not? You’re a Shomrei. You fight the demons. You already can’t touch a Mavet. If these fangs are a weapon, you should have them, too.”
“You’re not grossed out by them?”
“Well sure. I mean, kind of. The demons’ fangs gross me out. But mostly ’cause they’re usually dripping blood.”
“Theo’s have before as well. Just not human blood.” Justin sat up a little straighter. He rolled his shoulders and winced. “Okay. Not smart.”
“Go on.”
He drew in a deep breath. “Like I said. The Gatekeeper must be the strongest of the Shomrei. To be the strongest, you must be master of both Light and Dark.” He pointed. “Turn’s coming in a couple of miles. On the right.”
“Thanks. Go on.”
He looked at Sadie. “To be master of them both, you must have both within you. And be able to control them.”
“Theo controls Light and Dark? The Great One allows that kind of power in a being?”
“Yes. Because He is the Master of the Gatekeepers. He creates them, and since He masters everything, He holds the ultimate power.”
“Why not just make a bunch of Gatekeepers, then? Keep the demons out altogether.”
“Free will. Choice. The Great One would never take away a human’s right to choose. That’s a dictatorship. He didn’t create humans for that.”
“My head’s going to explode.”
“That might get a little messy.”
“I just don’t understand why this Great One works the way He does. It’s not logical.”
“You sound like an engineer.”