by A. E. Via
Bell screamed to the top of his lungs, before he fell limp.
THEY’RE KILLING HIM! Wrath roared, bursting out of the aircraft in an explosion of white and black fur… and fire. He landed on the ground, shaking it hard enough to tip the Richter scale. He reared up and let Wolf call out to their mate that they were coming. The flames receded into Wrath’s jet-black chest, creating a massive force field of heatwaves around them.
“Stay back!” Mac warned the others. He and Farica hurriedly disrobed and shifted to their animals. They turned their long muzzles to the darkening sky and howled their allegiance to Wrath.
The vampires looked nervous, uncomfortable, but Alek didn’t have time to reassure them that they were in no danger. He could feel that Wrath had a tight control on his powers, remembering Alek’s deal to not attack or threaten anyone. Wrath stood taller than his brother and sister. Significantly taller.
“Holy shit!” Mac exclaimed, standing off a little way from Wrath’s heatwaves. “Alek, are you still there?”
“Yes. I’m right here. Come on, let’s go. Something’s very wrong.” Alek was glad he was able to still use his link to his siblings. He immediately picked up on Wrath’s urgency. Time was critical. He would probably be handicapped if he could feel Bell’s pain right then, sense what they were doing to him. It was a good thing that Wrath was holding that part back from him and Wolf, protecting their sanity. Wolf worked alongside Wrath, but he linked close to Alek, trying to comfort him as Wrath sniffed the air a couple of times, then darted across the small airstrip and straight upwards into the hills, with Mac and Farica trailing not far behind.
Alek noticed how fast they were moving. Wrath’s abilities were far more superior to Wolf’s, and when they worked side by side, it was amazing what they could do. Alek could hear his brother and sister several hundred yards away, their paws beating up the hilly terrain sounded like a steady bass drum that accented Wrath’s cadence. The vampires were also close, keeping a safe distance, but would be there with backup within a second.
It only took him minutes to reach the valley and the foot of the secluded hill that’d been made into a tomb for imprisoned vampires. The horrid stench stung his nostrils. Wrath said he could pick up sporadic movement all over the place, even beneath him. With everyone safely behind them, and Wick’s final confirmation an hour ago that the reserve guards were all clear, Wrath pushed an enormous amount of rage towards the entrance, setting everything around it on fire, except the steel doors. Vampires scurried from behind bushes and trees as the flames quickly consumed them. Alek could sense when Wrath and Wolf were meshing their forces together, and made sure he did the same. He synced his compassion and trust with Wolf’s fierce protectiveness and Wrath’s vengeance, to construct a massive surge of power that eviscerated the second wave of rebels charging out of the opening. Alek called for the demise of all who’d touched or threatened his mate and Wrath saw to it, picking up on his commands and following through. The fire Wrath made was too hot for them to stand. As the rogue vampires fell into ashes around them, Wrath roared a final warning and charged head first into the hill with an insurmountable amount of heat radiating from him.
Anyone who stood in their way after the warning was considered a direct threat, and eliminated. He hoped he was leaving a clear enough path for his siblings and the other vampires to pass through, maybe even collect a few stragglers, if they survived. Wrath didn’t have to tell Alek that Bell was close, because he could smell his amazing scent over the funk of the still partly-comatose vampires. His mate was just beyond that chamber, but he wasn’t calling out to him.
“We have to leave!” Frantic voices yelled as vampires flashed as fast as they could to get away. Some were successful, some were not. “Run, run! He’s killing them all!”
Wrath exploded through the opening with a mighty growl and shifted their body mid-fall from his wolf’s to Alek’s, landing on both feet with a ground-quaking thud. Alek stood tall and flexed his neck, then his fists, reveling in the strength he felt all the way to the tips of his toes. Alek saw through Wrath’s miraculous eyes, holding the surface with him.
“Kill it!” A vampire with a distinct Italian accent ordered from the center of the room. He stood, guarded by several vampires in camo gear, and made direct eye contact with Alek.
Vampires flashed forward to attack him, only to be singed and scorched by the blazing heat. Alek allowed one of the vampires through his waves, grasping his throat. The young vamp hissed and clawed at Alek’s arm, unable to penetrate his skin. Alek growled as he hefted the vampire over his head with one arm. The sizzle of burning skin and the acrid stench of flesh melting from bones made many of the remaining vampires recoil and flee in the opposite direction, running directly into the mercenaries. Just as Mac and Farica burst through the clearing of smoke that Wrath had left behind, Alek felt them push their collective energy, creating a force that knocked down vampires on the second and third levels.
Alek! Wolf blared, momentarily wrenching his mind away from him and Wrath, pulling them in a different direction.
STAY TOGETHER! Wrath demanded.
It’s Bell! Wolf whined, pulling them harder.
Alek finally laid eyes on his mate. The sight before him almost took him to his knees. Several vampires swarmed in and tackled him in his moment of weakness.
Mac’s vicious snarls reached him as his brother dove in to protect him, his large canines tearing through vampire flesh. “Fight, brother!” Mac hollered.
Bell. Wolf battled for the surface, his pain for their mate causing him to forget how effective they were when they stayed as one.
Goddamnit. They were divided again. Wrath was fighting with all he had as Wolf became erratic and inconsolable at the sight of a deathly still Bell on a table, impaled by a long, silver blade. Huge chains held him as several of the guards accompanying the Lord Protector tried to unsuccessfully break the locks. Wolf didn’t want anyone else touching Bell, friend or foe. Alek needed to do something. Farica broke free of the horde, her fast alpha wolf just as strong as Mac’s, making an opening for him. Wrath sent out a surge of heat to the vampires still clutching his back, disintegrating them to ashes.
He hurried to Bell’s side, staring down at him and feeling as if his world was about to crumble. His face was ghostly white and his lips a dull grayish color that made him sick. Was he dead? He couldn’t be. What have those bastards done? Pandemonium went on around them, but all he could focus on was his mate. Alek bent down and buried his face deep in the side of Bell’s throat, pressing his lips against his mark, praying to the Mother for a miracle. He barely felt Bell’s faint pulse. He was slipping away. Alek’s panic and anguish made his chest rumble and the air shimmer around him. The king’s guards kept a wide arc around the table. His brother and sister joined him, their massive wolves eliminating any threat that tried to get close. Alek was so glad they were there. Farica sent a burst of comfort towards him, all while she watched Mac’s six as he leaped four feet into the air, catching a vampire mid-attack.
Alek let that comfort in, allowing Wrath to feel it as well. They were both extremely disappointed in Wolf for tearing them apart, but he and Wrath were still one. Wolf became desolate as he listened to Bell’s pulse get weaker and weaker. Stay with us, Wolf. But all they heard was quiet moans deep inside them.
Wrath sent a surge of heat and dominance to Alek that made him leap onto the table, his feet landing on either side of Bell’s body. He kneeled over his mate and tore the remaining shreds of Bell’s shirt away, grimacing when he saw the skin around the blade was purple and a moldy green. The very visible blood vessels were tinged oil-black from the poison, which was spreading fast. Wrath saw red and turned his fiery gaze on the one he recognized from the video. The leader. The one who had done this.
“Alessandro, we have to retreat now or we won’t have a rebellion left. We know what we’re up against now. The new ones aren’t ready for this. We need a new strategy!” someone yelled in the r
ebel-conqueror’s ear. Alessandro met and returned Wrath’s glare, then flashed in the opposite direction to the tunnels opening to a back stairwell.
Wrath wanted to chase them and send them all to the depths of hell for what they’d done, but Bell didn’t have precious seconds to waste. Alek was glad Wrath didn’t leave him. He felt the demigod’s fury and rage, held it tight within them, controlled it, and this time the power didn’t frighten him. He gripped the massive chains, reared back and released a deafening cry that shook the walls around them. He kept his mind wrapped around Wrath’s and together they yanked on the chains and snapped the links in two, sending metal pieces flying, doing that with each one until Bell was free.
Alek wrapped one hand around the blade of the sword and closed his eyes.
“Careful brother, it’s poisoned,” Mac hurried to say.
Alek concentrated. He shook slightly when Wrath sent a bolt of flames to his hands that disintegrated the sword and handle to ashes. The heat singed the wound, causing Bell to release a startled wail before falling unconscious again.
“My Lord. The tomb is secure. The reserves have moved in and detained some of the insurgents, for interrogation. But I am afraid the leader got away,” one of the king’s guard reported to Ramon.
“Let the troops know we’re going to rendezvous at the safe house. The Lord High can’t fly in this condition,” Ramon directed.
Alek didn’t argue that. Wrath agreed. Bell was just clinging to life. They needed to get him somewhere where he could feed him. Alek hefted Bell into his arms and bounded off the table. “How close is that? We have no time.” Alek’s heart beat wildly. What if they’d done all this for nothing? Come all this way just for his mate to die in his arms. Wolf lifted his muzzle and howled miserably inside.
“Just a couple miles north of here at the base of the falls. It’s empty. It’s where the guards stay during long shift rotations,” Ramon answered.
“I’ll see you there. Make sure no one comes in the room with me and my mate. Clear?” Alek told the Lord Protector, and everyone who could hear him.
“We have healers that—”
Alek didn’t hear anything else because Wrath shot them up two floors, out of the belly of the hill, through the tunnel’s narrow opening and into the brisk night air, making a beeline for the path that’d led them there. Alek blinked, urging his mind to keep up. He ran faster than he thought imaginable with Bell tucked closely to his chest, cradled in his arms like a newborn child. Wrath’s eyes glowed bright enough that he saw everything. Nocturnal wildlife scattered out of their way as he ran in the direction Ramon had told him. He was being followed by his siblings and a few of the guards, but they weren’t keeping pace with him.
Alek hated how Bell’s arms fell like limp noodles at his side. He never could’ve imagined seeing his mate so weak. He kept running until he heard the sound of water crashing into rocks. He was getting close to the bottom and being extra careful not to jostle his precious cargo, since Bell’s wounds still weren’t healing.
He needs our blood. Now, Wolf fussed at them. But they had to get them to a safe, comfortable place where Bell could recover. Wrath seemed positive they could heal him, and it was that encouragement that kept Alek pressing forward with hope.
The second the medium-sized stone-cottage came into view, Wrath skidded to a halt and sniffed around the area. It was safe and empty. They barged inside, taking in the wide-open layout, minimal furnishings and basic amenities on the first floor. There were stairs running along the right side of the living room, leading to a second level of what he assumed were bedrooms. He bolted and cleared the staircase in two jumps and hurried down the hall to the last door at the end. The room was spacious with a neatly made full-sized bed and an armoire beside the only window. The fireplace was dark and cold, but there was plenty of kindling and logs to start one.
“Brother, we’re here. We’ll keep everyone away,” Mac sent to him.
“Is… is he all right, Alek?” Farica’s voice was pleasant in their head.
“I’ll let you know. Give us some space, please.” Alek sighed and felt his brother and sister regretfully close their link for a while, honoring his wishes. He couldn’t handle any more in his mind.
Wolf continued to fret instead of trusting them. Alek put his faith in Wrath who hovered close as Alek hurried to the fireplace and threw in some kindling and logs, and used their hand to ignite it. Alek didn’t have time to marvel over that. He removed what was left of Bell’s dirty clothes and tossed them to the side. He stared in dismay at the seeping hole in Bell’s stomach for a tense moment before he felt Wrath pulling at the surface. Alek allowed him forward to take control. Wrath didn’t waste a second putting their wrist to his mouth and biting a decent-sized gash into their flesh. He placed their wrist over the wound and let his blood drip inside.
Will this heal him?
NO, Wrath answered, chilling Alex to his core. My blood will only kill the poison which is stopping him from healing. Then it’ll have to be your blood that does the rest… if you can get him awake enough to feed before…
Alex winced. No. Gods please.
Wrath let his blood coat the wound all way through. It took a lot, and Alek felt Wrath’s weariness. He’d been on high alert for many hours, and now he’d lost quite a bit of blood in the effort to save Bell. Alek eased forward, pushing his understanding and compassion towards his fierce companions. Rest Wrath. Wolf be calm. I got him. Alek waited to see if they’d have to debate this like they used to have to quarrel about everything else, but he felt them both retreat from the surface and settle down… neither dropping their guard and leaving Alek completely alone.
He gazed down at their battered mate with moisture in his eyes. He held his tears in check. He needed to be strong. He covered his and Bell’s naked body with a duvet he’d grabbed from the foot of the bed. It smelled clean, and was soft. He turned toward his mate and let his natural temperature warm him from the inside, while the heat from the fire worked from the outside.
After he wrapped himself around Bell, he tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips to his throat. “Come on, baby. Drink. Bell, please,” Alek whispered brokenly. He wanted to speak to Bell’s mind, but he didn’t have that luxury yet. Fuck!
He couldn’t lose it. Everyone was counting on him. He stroked Bell’s wild hair for a moment, trying to calm his racing pulse. He was afraid. With agony and despair tugging at his heart, he cupped the crown of Bell’s head and pressed him even closer. All his mate needed to do was smell him and he’d open his mouth naturally and want to taste him. “Come on, mate. You can do it. Fight. Fight for us.”
Bell continued to lie there. Minutes passed… that turned into many, many hours of him not making a move no matter what Alek said or how hard he pressed his jugular to Bell’s cold, dry lips.
“Alek, I’m really sorry to interrupt,” Farica said quietly through the door. “But, everyone is concerned. Any word for us on your mate’s condition?”
Alek sighed, staring down at Bell’s closed lids. He didn’t want anyone else in there. He used their link instead of allowing her to come in. “Not yet.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “It’s almost midnight. Ramon is about to take the guard with him to the reserve’s headquarters to see how many rebels they were able to detain, and to brief Wick and the council. The mercenaries are on watch around the cottage until five and then Mac and I will take over while they sleep.”
“Thank you,” was all Alek could manage through the tightness in his throat.
“Mac and I are gonna be just in the next room if you need us.”
“Okay.” He was so overwhelmed he nearly choked.
“I love you,” she ended gently.
Alek nodded, not trusting his voice. He listened to Farica’s footsteps as she left him alone. He turned his attention back to the sleeping vampire nestled tight against his body. Gods, he really needed his mate to wake up. Bell’s breathing was shallow, and while t
he poison had stopped spreading, his wounds weren’t healing. Alek buried his nose behind Bell’s ear. He could still smell the horrid stench of the tombs on him, but he could just detect his mate’s citrusy fragrance deep beneath the surface. Alek smoothed the hair on top of Bell’s head with one hand, while he caressed Bell’s jaw with the other. There was no stubble, but bruises marked his handsome face. Bell had gorgeous, sharp features. A stern chin with angry, high cheekbones that he wanted to bite when Bell smiled. A long, straight nose that he wanted to kiss down until he got to those sweet lips.
Alek huffed a solemn chuckle. He remembered Bell telling him that he wasn’t familiar with the affectionate act of kissing but had quickly discovered he liked it. “I’ll kiss you for hours if you wake up. Please,” Alek’s voice cracked.
No response.
Alek leaned in harder, almost growling. “Wake up, goddamnit. I didn’t get on that steel death contraption for nothing.”
Bell didn’t move.
Alek’s chest squeezed unbearably tight. “Come on, babe. I know you’re not going to resist waking and yelling at me again. Aren’t you furious that I came to save you? Yeah, well I’m furious that I had to come save you.” Alek held the back of Bell’s neck, drawing their heads closer. “Now, wake up so we can fight about it. Because we seem to be good at it.”
Alek waited a long time before his body sagged into the thin mattress. He was so tired, but there was no chance of him sleeping. Not until Bell woke. He gazed down at the open wounds that were still bruised and painful-looking. He didn’t even want to think about any internal injuries. The scary, toxic veins spread outward from the wound like creepy spider webs, still as irritated and dark as before. Bell needed his blood or eventually the injuries would kill him.
Alek wasn’t about to let that happen. He sat up, then positioned Bell so he was lying flat on his back with his head propped on the pillow. “This is just gonna have to be something else you fuss at me about, but at least you’ll be alive, baby.” Alek brought his wrist to his mouth and punctured a hole in it with one of his canines just as Wrath had. Prying Bell’s lips apart and his jaw open, Alek force-fed his mate. He pressed the slow-seeping wound to Bell’s soft lips, wishing with all his might that he’d open wider and sink those stimulating fangs into him again. Come on. Bell didn’t bite him, but Alek was confident that he’d gotten a significant amount of his life’s force down Bell’s throat.