For the Power (For the Blood Book 2) Page 14

  “We have no idea what form the cure will be in,” Jace pointed out. “It may be a formula, it may be a vaccine, and we may have to synthesize more.”

  “Then you do what you have to and bring some of that vaccine here first,” Nate said evenly.

  “And if, by some fluke, the lab the cure is held at doesn’t have the equipment we need?” Jace asked. He forged on, not waiting for a response. “We’d have to go back to base to use the limited equipment there.”

  Nate rubbed his chin. “I see. In that case, we would take you back to your base and wait with you until you’ve synthesized enough of the vaccine. Enough to send back here.”

  I didn’t get it. “Why do you want the vaccine so bad? No one here is infected.”

  He frowned. “Maybe not, but the forest to the east of here is filled with infected Feral Claws, Claws that were once part of this united pack. I won’t let them suffer any longer than needed. I don’t believe it’s asking much. The rest of the cure can be distributed how you wish.”

  “United pack?” Sage asked. “As in, the only pack?”

  Nate inclined his head. “That’s right. This is all that is left of the Claws. Once, there were five packs, five alphas, and now there is only one alpha and one pack. We take in whoever survives and makes it here.”

  There couldn’t be more than maybe a hundred Claws in this camp. They were going extinct. If there was a way to stop that, then I couldn’t stand in the way.

  “You have a deal. We’ll make sure you get the first batch of the cure.”

  Nate nodded curtly. “I’m surprised Noah allowed you to make this journey on foot in the first place.”

  “We had a van,” Jace said, glancing at Sage. “But it wouldn’t have made the trip. We had to leave it part way through our journey.”

  Nate locked gazes with me. “The armored van will ensure your safety. I’m no fool, Eva. The key is tied to you. That much is clear. If your father had something to do with the cure, then he would have security measures in place to ensure only the person he entrusted the key to would be able to unlock it. Noah and I both believe there is no access to the cure without you.”

  I stared at him, this large man draped in fur, this imposing figure with a hard-set jaw and eyes filled with sorrow.

  “In that case, we’ll leave at first light.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Elias

  A Claw camp? Dammit. There was no way in without being noticed, but my gut told me this was my last chance to get to her. Best to scout the perimeter, steering clear of the traps. Traps that weren’t hidden too well. Obviously meant to deter Feral, not Vladul. Traps were another of my skill sets. Tracking, trapping, hunting. It was in my blood. Royal blood from a time when we’d hidden behind castles made of mortar in tiny villages populated by unsuspecting humans eager to please their landlords. We’d supped on blood, leaving our victims alive. It had been the royal way until Malcolm and his uprising had ruined it for us, dragging us into the light and forcing us to run and hide. His ilk that believed they, the predator, deserved to hunt and kill unchecked. That humans were merely cattle to be consumed and bred.

  No care for their sensibilities. No care for their pain. Mother, our queen, our leader … if she could see the Vladul now … If she could see what her usurper was trying to achieve. I needed to stop him, for her, to preserve her legacy and restore us to the creatures we once had been. Not monsters. Not evil. But protectors of humanity linked by blood in a symbiotic relationship. The key would do that. It would give me control of our new empire and allow me to liberate my people.

  But what if the woman carrying the key fought? What if she refused to give it up?

  The thought of having to hurt her made my stomach turn, but it would be one life to save the many.

  My feet avoided branches and crispy bracken, sticking to the softer earth. Yes, I was leaving prints, but by the time those were discovered I’d be long gone with my prize. There had to be some weakness, a place where I could breach their defenses. But the thick fence and the electrified wire extended throughout.

  A moment, I needed a—what was that? That scent?

  Feral … not Fang. Claws.

  The wind was in my favor, bringing their scent to me but keeping my scent away from them. My boots made not a sound as I wove through the trees. Snarls and growls grew louder and metal glinted in the moonlight. I padded closer. Several large cages stood stationed side by side, and inside, pacing and frothing, red-eyed and hungry, were several Feral Claws.

  This was it. This was the perfect plan.

  I stepped into the moonlight, facing the cages. “How would you like to go for a run?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Claws had provided us with a tent and a couple of buckets of water from the well to get cleaned up. Kira had even provided me with a change of clothes. Hers, no doubt—pants made of soft leather and a long-sleeved top. Both black. The guys had wandered off, leaving me to wash and change in our tent. The temperature was dropping and so I hurried to wash and get into the clean clothes, and damn, did it feel good to be fresh.

  “Knock, knock,” Sage said from outside.

  “I’m decent, you can come in.”

  “Shame.” He ducked under the flap, his eyes like embers lighting the gloom. “You look good in that.” He raked me over. “It suits you.”

  I plucked at the shirt. “A little big.”

  He shrugged. “Claw females are larger than humans.” He canted his head in thought. “So are djinn females.” His eyes lit up. “And Fang females.”

  “I get it. I’m a Barbie doll.”

  “No, Eva. You’re no Barbie doll. You’re a force of nature.” His voice had deepened into that extra gravelly tone that rubbed against my senses in delicious friction.

  A shiver ripped through me. It was the chill, nothing else.

  “You’re cold,” Sage said.

  “Yeah, the temperature has dropped.”

  He frowned. “No, it hasn’t.”

  I climbed onto the pile of furs that made up the makeshift bed. “How would you know? You’re made of smokeless fire.”

  He eyed the piles of fur. “I am pretty hot. Would you like me to sleep beside you?”

  Shit, he was getting closer, his presence sucking the oxygen from the room, like the creature of fire he was.

  “Sure.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted, and he lowered himself onto the bed. His arm brushed mine, deliciously warm. I sighed and shifted closer, rolling onto my side to bask in his heat. He stared at the ceiling of the tent.

  My fingers ached to reach out and trace the smooth lines of his profile, granite and chiseled.

  He sighed. “This time tomorrow, we’ll have the cure. This time tomorrow, we’ll have answers. We’ll know what it is we’re dealing with. And then we’ll have to part ways.”

  A stabbing pain in my chest. “What do you mean?”

  “I have a camp to get back to, Eva. Responsibilities. My people are waiting for results. I’ll need to go back and reassure them and rally them to help spread the cure. I’ll need to organize our mission to get into Genesis in preparation for our attack. My people are still being held hostage by the Vladul.”

  “And so is my friend, along with many humans. We’ll storm the gates together. Once we’ve dispatched the cure, we’ll build an army of Claws and Fang and djinn, and we’ll force the Vladul out of their stronghold.” I’d shifted closer, heart racing with determination. “We can do this, Sage, but I need you by my side.”

  Maybe need was the wrong word. Scratch that, it was definitely the wrong word. I didn’t need him, I wanted him. His big bad presence, his fiery gaze, his humor, and the way he could cut right through my bullshit. Whereas Ash was an anchor to steady me, Sage was a reality check that grounded my emotions. Maybe I did need him after all?

  He rolled onto his side so his breath mingled with mine. “If you want me to stay, Eva, all you have to do is ask.” His lips hovered ov
er mine. “Make a wish.”

  “A wish?”

  “Yes.”

  My gaze fell to his mouth. “I wish you’d kiss me.”

  “Granted.” His voice was a growl.

  And then his mouth crushed mine. His hand slid into the hair at the base of my scalp to angle my head and deepen the kiss, stealing my breath and flipping my stomach with the sudden intensity. His touch incited a fever in me that momentarily chased away the chill. He pulled away too soon, and a sound of protest tripped from my lips.

  His chest rumbled in a chuckle. “No more. Not now, not here. I may be a voyeur, but I don’t like an audience.”

  Audience? Ash’s cinnamon scent hit me then. I sat up as he ducked into the tent. His pale gaze raked over us, entwined on the bed, and then he kicked off his shoes and dropped onto the furs on the other side of me.

  “Eva was feeling cold.” Sage’s tone was conversational.

  Ash slung an arm around my waist and pressed his chest to my back. His body heat seeped through my clothes.

  “Better?” Sage asked.

  “Much better.”

  Ash nuzzled my neck, his tongue flicking out to taste me. The juncture at my thighs throbbed in response, and I squeezed my legs together as heat bloomed low in my belly.

  Sage tutted. “I wouldn’t start something you can’t finish, Ash. Hardly fair on the lady, don’t you think?”

  Ash raised his head and sighed before settling behind me, his palm splayed across my stomach.

  What was this?

  Sage smiled down at me. “Ash and I have an understanding.”

  “You do?” I looked over my shoulder at Ash. “What kind of understanding?”

  Ash looked across at Sage as if prompting him to answer.

  “We understand that we both have feelings for you,” Sage said. “And that we both want to be with you. We understand that we want you to be happy, and we understand that a woman like you doesn’t come along every day, that these feelings don’t manifest easily for us. We understand that there will be boundaries and respect and possibly, sometime in the future, a timetable for your attentions.”

  A sharp bark of surprised laughter spilled from my lips. “A schedule?”

  He arched a brow. “Unless you want us at the same time.”

  Ash growled.

  Sage’s grin was filled with mischief. “Fine, so Ash isn’t down for that.”

  “You guys seem to have this all figured out.”

  His expression grew serious. “Whatever you need, Eva. The world has changed and with it so has the shape of love.”

  Ash kissed the nape of my neck, but it was less sexual and more reassuring.

  Could this really happen? Could we do this? I wanted them both, there was no doubt about that, and a future without them made my chest ache with a yawning emptiness. Strange when until a week ago I’d been a sole survivor, prepared to go it alone, prepared to have no attachment, no ties. These males had changed me. They’d burrowed into my soul, into the heart of me where the true Eva hid, the one who longed to connect. The one who wanted more than mere survival. The one who wanted to live.

  Tobias’s face came to mind, his emerald gaze always so warm and filled with compassion and understanding. Would he be able to love me like this? Because I knew in that moment, without a shadow of a doubt, that I couldn’t give up the possibility of Ash or Sage.

  I snuggled back into Ash and tugged Sage closer. “Thank you.”

  “Cozy.” Logan’s sarcastic tone filled the room.

  My body tensed. Damn him and his bucket of ice-cold water attitude. “Yeah, it is, actually.” I raised both brows. “Care to join?”

  Shit, where had that come from.

  He snorted. “No, thanks. Not for me.”

  “Watch your tone, Logan,” Sage said. There was steel in his tone, something I hadn’t heard before.

  “Why?” Logan said. “So you can play happy families and forget that she’s human? You’re begging for heartache. Human lives are fleeting and fragile and good for only one thing. Blood. And with the shit we’re going to have to deal with, hers could be more fleeting than others.”

  Ash was on his feet and in Logan’s face in a blink, but Logan didn’t back down this time; instead he lifted his chin and stood his ground.

  “What? You gonna hit me for telling the truth, for saying what we’re all thinking? There’s a war on the horizon. One where we’re going to have to fight the most powerful fucking supernaturals in the history of forever. Maybe we’ll have a cure, and maybe we’ll have the numbers, but the focus will have to be on the fight. It can’t be on anything else, especially not the safety of one human woman.”

  I sat up. “I can take care of myself. Have been doing so for years. In fact, I recall I saved your arse back at the service station.”

  “Your blood saved my life, Eva. Not you. Just blood. Don’t get it twisted.” His dark eyes flashed with venom that pierced my soul.

  My ears burned with embarrassed anger. “I’m not Julia, and shit doesn’t have to repeat itself.”

  Ash’s back rippled with tension and Logan’s face contorted into something between fury and agony.

  “Jace, that fucking little—”

  “What?” Jace entered the tent.

  Logan turned on him. “You told her. You fucking told her about Julia.”

  Jace’s face drained of color, but he stood tall, shoulders pushed back. “She needed to know. She needed to understand why you were being such an arsehole.”

  Logan shook his head. “You had no right. None.” He stormed out of the tent.

  Jace’s shoulders slumped.

  Oh, shit, me and my big mouth. “I’m sorry, Jace.”

  “It’s not your fault. He needs to let it go. We can’t stop loving just because we may lose the person we love. It’s no way to live. Especially not in a world where love is the only thing that could alleviate the horror.”

  Ash placed a hand on Jace’s shoulder.

  “Should we go after Logan?” Sage asked.

  “No,” Jace said. “He’ll be back. He just needs time to cool off.”

  Ash walked back to the bed and lay down, but Jace hovered in the doorway.

  I patted the furs. “There’s plenty of room.”

  He looked torn for a moment, and then tugged off his boots and joined us on the pile of furs on the other side of Sage.

  “Feel free to snuggle,” Sage said.

  Jace snort-laughed. “Thanks, mate. I think I’ll pass.”

  Somewhere between worrying about having hurt Logan and soaking in the heat thrown off by the guys, sleep stole over me like a sneaky bitch. And then I was running through the forest, dark green leaves slapping at my face, moist earth beneath my boots. Snarls and growls echoing behind me. Death was chasing me.

  Death.

  I bolted upright in bed a split second before the sound of a bell tore through the silence.

  The flap at the entrance to the tent was torn aside. “Get up. We’re under attack,” Kira yelled, and then ducked back out.

  Ash was on his feet in an instant. Jace rolled off the furs and straight into wolf form. Sage pulled me up, and I made a grab for my sword sheath, strapping it on and then tugging on my boots. Ash kissed me hard on the mouth and then leapt for the exit, shifting into wolf form before he hit the ground.

  Someone screamed and then we were out in the night, a night lit up in flames and painted in blood.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Watch out!” Sage scooped me into his arms, hitting the ground with me cradled to his chest.

  A dark figure sailed over us, a Feral Claw. It spun and came back at us, but I was up and ready. Sage expelled a jet of flame that engulfed the thing’s head, and we were moving on to the next one.

  Screams rose up to my left. “Where the fuck did they come from?”

  “Nate said there were Feral to the east of the forest,” Sage replied.

  He had, but this seemed so sudden, and
the Claws were obviously not prepared for an attack. There was something off about the whole thing. But my attention needed to be on the surroundings, on the threat. Ash and Jace fought tooth to claw in their Claw forms, silver and gold lashing out at the Feral monsters who all seemed to have the same colored coats of dark shaggy brown. Their red eyes and foaming mouths made them easy to pick out.

  Where was Logan? He’d left earlier, and he hadn’t been in the tent when we’d woken up. Shit. What if he was hurt? Sage had moved up ahead, blocking a Feral from my sight. Protective, powerful, and beautiful, it was hard to tear my gaze away from his rippling muscles lit up by the flame he was producing. Controlled fire, short bursts of flame directed at a single target. He was obviously conscious about the fact we were surrounded by forests and bark and stuff that would make excellent kindling. Someone screamed, and I turned and headed toward the sound, toward the perimeter and the Claw fighting for her life.

  Kira wielded twin blades like they were an extension of herself, slashing at the Feral as if she intended to turn him into confetti. She had this, and I was about to skid to a halt and go in another direction when a snarl to my left had me spinning to counter a Feral leaping at me. I dropped low at the crucial moment and eviscerated it, and then scrambled out of the way to make sure I didn’t get trapped beneath its weight. A hand grabbed my upper arm, helping me to my feet.

  “Thank yo—” Violet eyes, silver hair, and alabaster skin. “Motherfuck—”

  Pain bloomed at my temple and the world was swallowed by darkness.

  Headache, damn throbbing headache. Violet eyes. Shit! The Vladul’s face swam into focus, and I lashed out. He gripped my wrists before I could make contact with his pretty face.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” His voice was a smooth caress.

  “Bullshit. All your kind want to do is hurt others.”

  Something dark crossed his features, and his sharp jaw tightened. “It may seem that way to you, and I don’t have time to convince you otherwise. I just need the key and then you can go.”