by R. E. Butler
“What?” Angie asked.
“They’re speeding up.”
“Where are you?” Rage demanded.
“Three miles south of exit ten. I think they’re going to try to box us in.”
“We’re on our way.”
She could hear movement and Vex shouting to someone else that there was a problem.
“Rage, I’m scared.”
“We’ll be there soon. Whatever happens, don’t get out of the car. We’re already on the way. Stay with me.”
“I’m – shit!” she said as she dropped the phone when their car was bumped from behind.
Alli cursed and slammed her foot on the gas. “Fucking assholes!”
Angie found her phone but the call had been disconnected. As she dialed her mate again, her heart pounding, she cursed herself for ever leaving their sides.
If she’d only stayed.
Chapter 8
“Congratulations,” Temple said when Rage and Vex walked back into the club from the parking lot.
“Thanks,” Vex said.
“Where is she?”
“She had to go home,” Vex said.
Rage let out a growl and clenched his fists. Vex felt similarly angry that she had to leave. They hadn’t let it show how displeased they were that she couldn’t stay with them because they didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She was young – technically she was twenty-three, but with her long life she appeared to be barely out of high school. They had to let her take the lead for how their physical mating moved forward. Although he knew quite a bit about shifters, he could admit that after the dreams started, he’d only cared about finding her and making her theirs. He hadn’t even considered what she’d have to deal with concerning her family and pack. They didn’t have any biological family anymore, so they weren’t accountable to anyone but themselves. But Angie had parents and an alpha brother to contend with. They trusted her to know how to handle things.
“That’s a shame,” Temple said. “She’ll be back soon though?”
“We’re going to get her at sunset.”
“She’s a shifter, right?”
“A wolf.”
“Cool.” Temple smiled and said, “Congrats again.”
When they reached the reception desk, Cella smiled at them. “Do you need me to order anything for Angie?”
“Like what?” Rage asked.
“Food. I’m sure that once you mate with her fully, you won’t want to leave the chamber for a while.”
Vex blew out a breath. They hadn’t prepared anything for her. He didn’t even know if she’d been hungry when she left. The idea that he hadn’t anticipated her needs and ensured she was taken care of left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“We’re going to pick her up after sunset. We’ll let you know what we need.”
“Whose chamber are you staying in? I’ll have a refrigerator stocked with water and some basic snacks brought to your chamber for now.”
He looked at Rage who shrugged. “It matters little to me where we are as long as she is with us.”
Cella rolled her eyes with a laugh. “It’s so cool to see you guys go all mushy with your beloveds.”
“That will happen for you someday as well, and then we’ll be the ones teasing,” Vex said.
She sighed. “I don’t know if I believe every vampire gets a beloved. I’m just trying to find someone to take under the fang. I’m so damn lonely.”
Vampires didn’t traditionally date. Very often they would be drawn to someone and mate them. If they were human, they would turn them. But a beloved bond was unique, and before Brone and Mishka had found their beloveds, Vex hadn’t known anyone who had found theirs. It was more legend than reality. But he could feel that their connection to Angie was special, that she was not only their mate but she was their beloved mate. When they shared blood with her, they would also be sharing their memories and they’d be bound together so tightly and strongly that no one could part them.
Rage’s phone buzzed and he lifted it to his ear. “Miss us already, beloved?”
Vex grinned at his brother. Maybe she’d changed her mind and was on her way back. But then he heard her panicked voice on the other end of the line.
“We’re in trouble,” she said, her voice pitched high with fear. “There are three cars behind us.”
Alli said loudly, “I saw them about two blocks from the highway. I wasn’t sure they were following us until they got off the street and onto the highway. I... shit.”
“What?” Angie asked.
“They’re speeding up.”
“Where are you?” Rage demanded.
“Three miles south of exit ten. I think they’re going to try to box us in.”
“We’re on our way.”
Vex said to Cella, “Send any available guards northbound south of exit ten. Angie and Alli are in trouble.”
“On it,” Cella said as she picked up the desk phone.
He and Rage raced out of the office and headed toward the parking garage.
“Rage, I’m scared.”
Vex wanted to roar in anger at the fear in her voice.
“We’ll be there soon. Whatever happens, don’t get out of the car. We’re already on the way. Stay with me,” Rage said.
“I’m – shit!” she shouted. There was the sound of metal against metal and then the line went dead.
“Fuck!” Rage roared.
They reached one of the coven’s SUVs and Vex jumped behind the wheel. Ven, Traz, and Temple rushed into the garage behind them.
“Alli and Angie are in trouble,” Rage said as he rolled down the passenger window. “It’s probably the church.”
“We’re right behind you,” Traz said.
Vex pulled out of the parking spot and raced toward the garage exit. A vampire male stood in the guard booth and put the arm up before they got to it, so he didn’t have to wait.
Rage’s phone buzzed again. “Beloved?”
Her voice crackled over the speaker. “They’re boxing us in!”
“If they force you to stop, stay in the car.”
“I will.”
The SUV careened around the corner, the tires squealing. The sound of engines roaring and another impact made Vex’s fangs throb with fury. How dare anyone mess with their mate! He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the coven’s vehicles behind them, four in all. He was thankful for the family and coven coming to their aid.
“I will slaughter the entire church,” Rage said, his voice a deep growl.
“You and me both, brother.”
While Rage kept Angie talking, attempting to keep her calm, Vex turned sharply onto the entrance ramp of the highway, slamming his foot on the gas. The SUV lurched forward, the engine roaring as the dark scenery blurred by.
In minutes, they came upon the group of cars along the side of the road. Three cars surrounded Alli’s. The front end of her car was locked against the bumper of the car in front, her hood crumpled by the impact. Males were out of the vehicles and shouting at Alli and Angie, brandishing baseball bats and other weapons. Rage was out of the SUV before Vex put it in park, launching himself into the fray. Vex stopped behind the rear car to block it in and was out and into the melee a heartbeat later. A windshield shattered and Angie’s frightened scream pierced the air.
Vex jumped onto the trunk of Allie’s car and leaped over the hood, taking out the male with the bat who’d broken the glass. Nothing could have saved the male from Vex’s bloodlust. The desire to kill those who would harm his beloved overrode everything within him. He was running on fury and vengeance. He grabbed the bat from the male’s hand and lifted it high, striking him along the jaw with one mighty stroke. The male’s head snapped to the side, his neck breaking. He fell to the ground in a heap, his heart no longer beating.
Angie screamed again and he turned with a snarl, watching as another male attempted to pull her through the broken windshield. She fought back, kicking at the male and trying to keep away from the
broken glass. Alli climbed through the broken glass and brandished a short sword, and with a mighty yell swung it through the air, neatly severing the arm of the male who was pulling on Angie. He fell backward and Vex snapped his neck, tossing his body aside and reaching for the next male. Minutes later, their mate was safe and all the males who had attacked the vehicle were dead or dying. Vex opened the passenger door and lifted Angie into his arms. She clung to him, her face pressed tightly to his neck, her heart pounding and the acrid scent of her fear filled his nostrils.
“Are you hurt, beloved?” Rage asked as he joined them and placed a hand on her back.
She shivered hard but said nothing.
“Angie?” Vex said. “Sweetheart, talk to us.” He walked her over to the SUV. Rage opened the passenger door and Vex set her on the seat and untangled her hands from around his neck. He saw dried blood on her arms, neck, and face, but the cuts were healed thanks to the advanced healing of her shifter genes.
“I’m... okay.” She blinked a few times and then locked gazes with him. “They were going to kill me, weren’t they? They’re from the church who hates vampires.” She let out a sharp gasp and her eyes glistened with tears.
Rage snarled and nodded.
Vex squeezed her hands. “We believe so. Do you need us to take you to a hospital?”
She shook her head. “I just... I never should have left the club.”
Vex ran his thumb over her bottom lip and shushed her gently. “You’re safe and that’s all that matters.”
Alli appeared, wiping blood off her sword. “Fucking assholes. You okay, babe?”
Angie nodded. “Thank you.”
Alli hummed. “I screwed up, though. I thought it would be better to be on the highway instead of boxed in on a side street. If I’d told you to call for backup when I thought we were being followed, we might have fended them off better.”
“You’re not hurt?” Angie asked.
“Nah. I’m super hard to kill, and you will be, too, once you’re mated to your males. Which, P.S., I think you need to do immediately.” Alli put the sword in a sheath and gripped it tightly, her knuckles cracking. “Arissa said you guys hadn’t heard from the First Church douchebags since Harmony killed that group.”
“We haven’t,” Rage said.
“It’s pretty clear that they’re watching the parking lot,” Alli said. “They targeted us. We were behind another car leaving at the same time, and no one followed them.”
“Do you think they saw us together in the club?” Angie asked.
“No one can get through the witch glass,” Alli said.
“What’s witch glass?” Angie asked.
“It’s a protection spell that Arissa cast when she first came to the club,” Brone said as he joined them. “Anyone with evil intentions can’t pass through the barrier, so no one should have been able to see you inside.”
Rage nodded. “It’s more likely that the parking lot was being monitored.”
“We need to address this immediately with Mishka,” Vex said.
Angie let out a trembling breath. “I don’t want to go home. I want to stay with you. I need to.”
“Of course,” Vex said. Although he was furious she’d been terrorized, he was thankful she didn’t want to be parted from them. He wasn’t sure that he could let her out of his sight at this point anyway. His need to ensure her safety was overriding any of his gentlemanly desires to allow her to make her own choices about where she spent the daylight hours.
She gave him a small smile and brushed at the tears on her cheeks. “I have a feeling you wouldn’t have wanted me to go anywhere, anyway.”
“What are you, psychic?” Rage asked.
“Take me home. Our home.”
Vex nodded. Before he could say anything about the dead humans, Alli said loudly, “It’s nearing dawn. Anyone who can’t be out in the sunlight needs to beat feet and get the hell out of here.”
Brone shook his head. “We cannot leave you to deal with the aftermath of the deaths with the human authorities.”
“Who said anything about getting the authorities involved? I’ve already called for backup. When I’m finished here, I’ll have my friends drop me off at my apartment.”
“Thank you,” Angie said, stepping from the SUV and hugging the angel tightly. “I’m so sorry you were caught up in this.”
“I like a good fight. It made for an interesting evening.”
Angie chuckled and turned back to Vex and Rage. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“As our beloved wishes,” Rage said.
The coven loaded up into the SUVs. Rage climbed behind the wheel of their SUV and Vex sat in the second row with Angie. Overhead they could hear roars and flapping wings. Angie leaned out of the open door and looked up at the sky. “What’s that sound?”
“My backup,” Alli said. “Get gone, babe. It’s handled.”
“Thank you for protecting our mate,” Vex said to the angel.
“My pleasure. I’m just sorry it happened.”
Angie waved at Alli and pulled the door shut. Rage put the SUV into gear and followed the other coven SUVs toward the club. Vex and Angie looked through the back window and watched as dragon shifters descended on the highway. A few moments later, flames lit the roadway.
Angie gasped as she watched. “Her backup was dragons?”
“It’s smart,” Rage said.
“How so?”
“Dragon fire is extremely hot. A few seconds under a direct blast and there won’t be anything on the road but scorch marks,” he said.
Vex nodded. “She can’t answer questions about the accident if there’s no vehicles or bodies.”
“Damn.”
He put his arm around Angie’s shoulders and pulled her close. She tucked herself against him with a shudder. “We’re so sorry you were harmed. We should have followed you to Alli’s to ensure you were safe.”
“You couldn’t have known people were watching the parking lot.”
Rage growled. “We’re warriors, beloved. We’re held to a higher standard of anticipation and preparation when it comes to what we’re supposed to protect. You could have died tonight or been kidnapped.”
“I would have argued that I was safe with Alli. I just wanted to get home, so I could talk to my family and then get back to you guys. I made a lot of mistakes.”
Vex kissed her temple. “We can put this behind us. The family will figure out exactly how the church is watching the club and we’ll deal with it.”
“You can be certain that we’ll be extra-strength crazy about your safety from now on, beloved,” Rage said. He glanced in the rearview mirror and then returned his attention to the road.
“I know.” She sighed deeply and rested her head on Vex’s chest, where if he were alive, his heart would be beating steadily for her alone. “I never realized you guys don’t have a heartbeat.”
“We’re not technically alive,” Vex said. He stroked her hair, sifting the dark strands through his fingers. “My immortal heart is yours alone.”
“That’s very sweet,” she said, tipping her face up to him. He brushed his lips over hers and vowed to be vigilant with her safety. He could have lost her tonight. The idea of facing an eternity without her made him want to go back to the highway, resurrect her attackers, and kill them all over again.
“Whatever the dawn brings,” he said as he cuddled her close, “we’re together and that’s all that matters.”
Chapter 9
Once they were back in the club’s parking garage, Vex hustled Angie inside the building while Rage stayed behind to talk to the other coven members. Her mind was still reeling from all that had happened. It seemed like a fantastical story – she’d left her mates’ arms and been on the way to talk to her family when they were attacked by humans, whose only reason for coming after her and Alli was because they’d left a vampire club’s parking lot.
“I guess the church isn’t as silent as everyone thought,�
� she said.
“Apparently not,” Vex said. “I need to speak to Mishka, then we’ll go to the chamber.”
As they approached Mishka’s office, the doors were open and Mishka and Harmony were speaking to three other males that Angie hadn’t seen before.
“You’re all right?” Harmony asked, giving Angie a hug. “We were so worried when we got the news.”
“I’m fine and so is Alli.” The image of the fierce blonde brandishing swords like a warring angel flashed through her mind. She wanted to be a fighter like Alli. She wanted to be able to defend herself and others if necessary. She hadn’t even been able to shift into her wolf because they’d been attacked so swiftly.
“We’re thankful,” Mishka said. Harmony returned to his side.
She gestured to the males. “These are my bandmates and friends – Tamar, Wyst, and Bridge.”
“Nice to meet you,” Angie said.
“Sorry you got ambushed,” Bridge said. “Before we came here to the club, we didn’t even know that vamps had an enemy as big and terrible as the First Church of Humanity.”
“Judging by how they’ve behaved in the past,” Wyst said, “you’re lucky to be standing here with us.”
“I know,” Angie said. She shivered at the malevolent look in the eyes of their attackers. She’d been very certain that they wanted her dead. She’d never had anyone want her to die before, and certainly the idea that they targeted her and Alli because they’d been in a vampire club seemed ludicrous. But here she was, fresh from the attack, wondering what would happen the next time she left the club.
Vex kissed her temple and hugged her a little tighter. Then he led her to a chair across from Mishka’s big desk and sat next to her. At his prompting, she told Mishka about the attack and their subsequent rescue, including the dragons who had come to get rid of all traces of the attack.
Mishka hummed. “Alli is friends with the dragon queen, December. She’s a good friend to have in circumstances like these.”
Vex nodded. “We were fortunate it was a stretch of highway that wasn’t busy at this time of the morning, otherwise we would have had to deal with humans and their authorities.”