This was most likely true, but…“How the hell am I supposed to catch it without hands?”
“I’ll just hand it off to you.”
“If you can do that, why were you throwing it at me in the first place?” He had a few choice words for his mate that he hoped wiped the smug smile right off his ridiculously handsome face. Not wanting to disrespect the man in company, however, he decided to save them for later. “I will get you back for this.”
“I have no doubt,” Demitrius answered with a chuckle. “Hurry up and shift.”
Standing behind Demitrius for a bit of privacy, Oscar quickly stripped out of his clothing, knelt down to the cold ground, and shifted into his hedgehog form. If he got stepped on and squished, he was going to be highly upset. Then again, he had a feeling that Demitrius would be even more pissed if someone were to hurt him, even accidently. The knowledge gave him a small amount of comfort, but he still didn’t see how this would work.
“C’mon, ladies. Let’s go!”
“We’re waiting on you, asshole.” Xander shoved Demitrius good-naturedly before taking up his stance facing one of the vampire Enforcers. “You are going down, Cass!”
“Bring it on, shifter,” the vampire returned, smiling broadly to show off his elongated fangs.
Good grief, there was far too much testosterone in the clearing. Oscar didn’t have long to ponder it before Demitrius called his name and crouched down to place the tiny football close to his mouth. Biting into the disgusting foam, Oscar did exactly as he’d been told, darting between feet as he scrambled through the mud and grass toward the opposite tree line.
“There he is!” someone shouted. “Get him!”
Bodies flew toward him from all direction, and hands reached down to try and snag him, but Oscar was too quick. The big, bad Enforcers laughed loudly as they continued to chase him, some running half bent over, while others were practically crawling on all fours through the mud to catch him.
“You got it, Oscar!” Demitrius voice was pure excitement when it slipped into Oscar’s mind. “Go! Go! You’re almost there!”
Dodging the last of his pursuers, Oscar stopped near one of the trees, spat the ball out of his mouth, and rose up on his hind legs to do a sort of victory hop around in a circle.
“Yes!” Demitrius yelled over the cheers and laughter that floated on the night air.
Oscar was feeling pretty damn elated as well—until someone stepped from the shadows of the forest and plucked him right off the ground. “Gotcha,” the man whispered menacingly.
Then he backed away, disappearing into the woods with Oscar held securely in his grasp.
Chapter Twelve
“Demitrius!”
He’d felt Oscar’s panic before he heard his mate’s voice in his head, and Demitrius was already sprinting across the clearing, shoving people out of his way as he went. “Oscar!”
“What is it?” Xander demanded, appearing at his side along with most of the other men in the field. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. He’s scared, and I don’t see him.” His night vision was superb, but he couldn’t locate his mate anywhere. Oscar’s scent was everywhere, but it didn’t take Demitrius long to pick up the trail that led into the forest. “That way.”
“Can you talk to him?” Logan asked. “Find out where they’re taking him.”
“Oscar? Can you hear me, baby? Where are you? What’s happening?”
“Of course I can hear you.” Demitrius felt a measure of relief at Oscar’s disgruntled tone. If he could be more indignant than afraid, then at least he wasn’t hurt. “There are three of them, Drones from The Hive. We’re headed toward the back fence that faces the mountains.”
“Southeast border of the property,” Demitrius related to his comrades. “They’re headed toward the mountains.”
“Shit,” Talon cursed. “If they reach the mountains, we’re fucked.”
“Stop!” Xander grabbed Demitrius around the elbow and jerked him to a halt.
Wrenching his arm away, Demitrius snarled viciously at the alpha. “You can do whatever you want. I’m going after my mate!”
“We’re going to get him back, but let’s have a plan. We outnumber them, and we know this land better than those assholes. If we use that to our advantage, we’ll get Oscar back a hell of a lot faster.”
“We’ll hit the south fence and try to cut them off,” the Enforcer, Raven, said, already moving in the direction with the rest of the vampires.
“Someone has to stay back with the others.”
Demitrius agreed with Xander, but he damn sure wasn’t volunteering for the job. Thankfully, Jackson stepped forward, offering to stay behind with Oscar’s friends and the other mates who couldn’t protect themselves.
“Call Boston,” Talon ordered his mate. “Get him and Flynn to the dorms to help.”
Demitrius finally understood exactly what Stavion had been trying to tell him when he’d first been assigned to guard the new Moonlighters. Everyone was so busy trying to keep their own lovers safe, there didn’t leave much left over for finding Oscar. If they didn’t get on with this wonderful “plan” soon, he was leaving without them.
“Logan, Talon, you’re the fastest. Shift and follow Oscar’s scent. We’ll be right behind you.”
Unwilling to wait any longer, Demitrius took off through the trees at a run, heading in the direction of the mountains. Fear gripped him and held on tight, but as long as he could still feel Oscar, could still communicate with him, it was manageable. When he reached his mate—and he would—heads would roll. No one fucked with the people he loved and got away with it.
“They can’t have much of a head start,” Xander stated as he ran alongside Demitrius. “He’s going to be fine. Why don’t you check in with him?”
“I’m coming, baby. Everyone is coming for you. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“They keep poking me with needles, but I’m not hurt. I think they gave me one of those Inducers and then maybe an Inhibitor. I don’t know, but I’m cold, naked, human, and I can’t shift back.”
“The Enforcers should be getting close. Listen. Can you hear them?”
“I can’t hear anything. Demitrius, I’m scared. My head feels all funny.”
“Just keep talking. Keep talking to me, Oscar.”
“What’s happening?”
Demitrius glanced sideways at Xander as they pushed through the other side of the forest near the back fence that surrounded the coven. “Where is everyone?” The Enforcers should have reached the area long before them, not to mention Talon and Logan. “Where the fuck are they? Oscar!”
“Look.” Xander pointed down at paw prints in the mud around the bottom of the fence. “Logan and Talon came through here. I can smell them.”
Scaling the eight-foot wrought-iron fence easily, Demitrius made a mental note to have a little chat with Stavion about the security around Haven. The minute his feet hit the ground on the other side, he took off at a sprint, following the bond to his mate that grew stronger and brighter with every step. “We’re getting close.”
Screeches of twin leopards ripped through the night, but the sound that alarmed him the most was the revving of a car engine. Lights flared up ahead, illuminating the darkness as the vehicle sped parallel to the mountains, traveling toward the main road that would eventually lead them to the highway. If they were allowed to make it that far, Demitrius might never see his mate again.
How the hell were any of them supposed to catch a moving car? Not even if he was able to shift into his cat would he have had enough speed to reach the SUV before it arrived at the paved road and was able to accelerate.
That didn’t stop him from trying, though. Pumping his legs as fast as they would carry him, Demitrius sprinted along the fence line, his heart pounding frantically with fear, anger, and adrenaline. As the distance between him and the car lights grew, the prospect of rescuing Oscar before he disappeared began to diminish, but he wouldn’t
give up.
Like a beacon of hope, three sets of headlights crested a hill in the distance, driving straight toward Demitrius and their retreating enemies. The SUV was too large, too top-heavy, to attempt the evasive move the driver tried next, sending the vehicle airborne before crashing back to earth and rolling several times.
With his heart lodged in his throat, Demitrius wouldn’t have been able to shout if he wanted to, not even if his vocal chords weren’t paralyzed with dread. “Oscar! Oscar, answer me! Talk to me. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
He received no response, but he could feel Oscar’s terror. Sickening pain lanced through his head, blinding him momentarily before it passed. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, as though something had stabbed him, and he could swear his right leg was broken, though he was still running on it.
“Oscar! Damn it, talk to me, baby. Talk to me. Oscar!” Over and over he pushed his thoughts to his mate, desperate for an answer.
“Demitrius?” Even through their telepathic link, Oscar’s speech sounded slurred and disoriented. “What happened? Gods, my head hurts.”
Men surrounded the overturned vehicle, prying the doors open and dragging men out one by one. Demitrius made his way through the multitudes, pushing, shoving, and growling. “Move. Let me through. My mate is in there!”
The SUV hissed, and steam poured out from under the hood. One of the wheels still spun in the air, but the metal was so mangled, Demitrius didn’t see how anyone could have survived the crash.
“Demitrius?”
Though hoarse and quiet, Oscar’s voice was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. Dirty, bleeding, and battered, he was still beautiful as he reached one hand out to Demitrius from where he was held in Devlin Murphy’s arms. Demitrius had no idea how he would ever begin to repay the shifters. There wasn’t enough gold in the world to replace what they’d given him back.
“Thank you,” he whispered roughly when Devlin gently transferred Oscar to him. Cradling his mate, he swallowed past the lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes closed, fighting desperately to dispel the moisture that gathered there.
“Give him blood,” Xander suggested. “He’ll heal faster.”
Oscar’s button nose wrinkled. “Eww. No thank you. I’m already healing. It’s just a sprained knee and a few cuts. I’m fine. Really.”
“You scared the hell out of me, sweet baby. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Leaning his head against Demitrius’s shoulder, Oscar closed his eyes and sighed. “When I said I would pay you back for the football thing…this is so not what I meant.”
* * * *
“This is Alpha Blaise Taylor of the Cloud Peak Pack, and his mate, Cole Cunningham.” Stavion introduced the wolves, but Demitrius couldn’t care less who they were. He was more interested in finding out how the bastards who’d hurt his mate had gotten into Haven in the first place.
“I’m here to help,” Blaise said, stepping forward and offering his hand. “I have two mates of my own, so I can understand that you’re fucking pissed.”
That was an understatement of the highest magnitude. Still, he shook the shifter’s hand and offered his name. Then he turned to Stavion and fisted his hands at his sides. “How the fuck did they get in?”
A dark look settled over the leader’s face, and he took up a similar pose with his hands fisted near his thighs. “They came in with the refugees a couple of weeks ago from that group we found in the mountains. We rescue so many, Dee. No one could have known.”
Rationally, Demitrius knew it was true. When it came to Oscar, it was hard to be rational, however. The guy was absolutely never leaving his sight again. Even now, Oscar was just down the hall in the library, surrounded by not only his friends, but eight Enforcers. Overkill, maybe, but Demitrius wasn’t taking any chances.
“Something has to change. We need better security.”
“I agree,” Stavion said solemnly. “We’ve already installed heat and motion sensors along the fences. We have Enforcers patrolling the perimeter at regular intervals. What else can we do?”
“More Enforcers. Electric fences. Quarantine the captives coming in until you can assess them.” Demitrius ticked his list off on his fingers as he delivered the advice. “There are not nearly enough security personnel for the number of residents living here. This can’t happen again, Stavion.”
The vampire bobbed his head a couple of times before he spoke. “Okay. Congratulations, Demitrius. You are now the new head of security.” He waved a hand toward their visitors. “Blaise is here to talk about lending us some of the Enforcers from his pack. You can talk to him about the changes you want made around here.”
“We’re not a large pack,” Blaise’s mate, Cole, said as he rose from the sofa and shuffled forward.
Demitrius had to give the guy credit. Though the smallest person in the room, he held himself with an air of authority and didn’t appear intimidated by Demitrius’s size or appearance. “You can’t loan us Enforcers if it endangers your own pack.”
“We’re growing by the day, same as Haven. Probably sixty percent of our pack are Enforcers or could be with a little training.” Blaise glanced toward his mate, who nodded in return. “We can spare those who wouldn’t mind making the move.”
“Snake River Coven, my previous coven, has also agreed to help with our security. Someone will be here tomorrow night to discuss it,” Stavion added. “This was supposed to be a place for paranormals to come to feel safe. Shit just keeps blowing up in our faces left and right, though.”
“You know these bastards from The Hive will send more.” Demitrius planned to do whatever necessary to make sure they didn’t make it inside the gates next time.
“Agreed,” Blaise answered firmly. “This place poses a threat not just to Haven, but to our entire world. We have to shut it down.”
“We have to find it first.” Cole rubbed the top of his head, mussing up his short hair. “I guess that will be my job. I’ll steal Jackson away tomorrow and see what we can come up with.”
“Cole is Jackson’s brother,” Blaise explained when Demitrius frowned in confusion. “Together, they probably know more about computers than anyone I’ve ever met. If there are electronic records to be found, they’ll find what we need.”
“The prisoners are banged up, but they’ll live.” Stavion didn’t sound overly concerned about their survival, though. “You guys take your mates home and get some rest. I’ll call if we get anything out of them.”
His need to be with Oscar overrode his desire for information, and Demitrius dipped his head, shook with Blaise once more, and hurried out of the room to find his mate.
* * * *
“I’m fine. Would you please stop worrying?” It had been three days since the accident, and Demitrius still hovered around him like an old mother hen. “Everything is healed, and I feel great.”
“You almost died. Maybe you can cut me a little slack just this once.” Demitrius pushed a plate of bacon and eggs across the table and pointed at it. “Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“Am not.” Oscar leaned back in his seat and rested his hands on the tabletop on either side of his plate.
“Just eat.”
“I don’t want to eat.”
“You’re going to feel like crap if you don’t eat. Do you want to get a headache?”
No, he didn’t, but he didn’t appreciate being treated like a child, either. “So, do you officially live here now?” The guy refused to leave his side since his kidnapping—with good reason, Oscar supposed—and he showed no signs of wanting to return to his private cabin.
“I wouldn’t feel right about taking you and leaving your friends on their own, so yeah. I guess I’m moving in.” Sliding into the seat across from him, Demitrius picked up his fork and poked at the eggs on his plate. “Why? Do you not want me here?”
“You know I do. Don’t be an ass.” Oscar didn’t want to fight
anymore. He knew his lover had been worried for him, and it would take some time before that fear dissipated, though he doubted it would ever fully disappear. Demitrius would always have that worry in the back of his mind—and so would Oscar. “Did Stavion find out anything from those Drones?”
“Is that what they were?”
Picking up his fork, Oscar pushed the food around on his plate, but he hadn’t been joking when he said he wasn’t hungry. “Doctors, Teachers, Trainers, and Drones. Drones do all the odd-and-end jobs around The Hive. Top on that list is security.”
“To answer your question, no, they haven’t said anything. Jackson and Cole can’t find any records of the place, either. I, uh, I had an idea.”
Demitrius rarely hesitated, and when he did, it usually meant trouble for Oscar. “Tell me.”
“If we could find your parents, they might know something.”
“I doubt it.” Okay, it wasn’t as bad as he thought. He just wished he could be more help. “I grew up in Utah, love. Cicero is from Arkansas, though.”
“Yeah.” Demitrius sighed and shook his head. “We just have to get him to talk first.”
It was concerning that his friend still hadn’t spoken a word. He seemed normal otherwise, but the lack of communication couldn’t be a good thing. Maybe they should look into getting a professional in to speak with him. Whatever was going on with Cicero, it was beyond Oscar’s ability to fix.
“I don’t know why he won’t talk. I mean, I thought he was just scared at first, but we’ve been here for almost three months. He seems happy, but still nothing.”
“You guys have been through a lot, baby. Everyone deals with trauma differently. Maybe this is just Ro’s way of coping.”
Maybe, but Oscar was still worried. “Can we ask Stavion about bringing in a doctor or something?”
“I think that’s a good idea. Finish eating and we’ll go talk to him now.”
“Have you ever seen a doctor about your inability to shift one way or another?” If he could shift just about anything at will, maybe a geneticist could help Demitrius. “It might be worth a shot.” Oscar loved how his mate looked, but he doubted Demitrius would ever be completely comfortable in his skin.
Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 11