An Alpha's Pride [tribal bonds 2] (12 page)

“Carlton, its Rowan,” said the voice from the other side of the door. “Can I open the door?”
“Yes.” Carlton rolled his eyes. His voice sounded as weak as a month-old pup. It was fucking embarrassing.
The door opened slowly, and Rowan stepped inside. The man’s eyes searched the room for a moment. Rowan’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he spotted Carlton lying on the floor.
“Oh my god, what happened?” Rowan asked as he rushed over to Carlton’s side.
“My mate happened,” Carlton growled.
“Huh?”
“Daniel drained me until I passed out.”
Rowan’s soft inhale filled the small room. “He didn’t.”
“Oh, yes, he did,” Carlton growled. “And when I get my hands on him, I’m going to paddle his ass so hard he won’t be able to sit down comfortably for a week.”
Maybe a month.
“Well, we have to get you on your feet before you can do anything.”
Carlton heard Rowan grunt as the man strained to help Carlton up. Once he was sitting up, he scooted back until he could lean against the wall. It was going to take a whole lot more than one little wolf to get him on his feet.
As much as he hated to say it…“I think you need to go get Luca.”
“I have a better idea.” Rowan grinned and tilted his head to one side. “Jackson, I need your help.”
Carlton groaned when the door was pushed open even further and Jackson, Rowan’s personal bodyguard, stepped inside. He could see the instant surprise on the man’s face when he saw him, along with the amusement.
“You bellowed, your highness?”
Carlton’s eyes widened when Rowan just laughed instead of laying into the guy. He would have thought that Rowan would be pissed at the disrespectful way Jackson spoke to him, but he wasn’t.
“We need your help getting Carlton on his feet and down to Luca’s office.” Rowan’s head swung around. “You do want to go to Luca’s office, right? We can take you to a guest room if you’d prefer.”
“Luca’s office will be fine.”
Carlton pressed his lips together as Jackson came over and wrapped an arm around him, and then lifted him to his feet. Rowan moved to the opposite side, under Carlton’s arm.
Carlton prayed no one would see them as he was helped out of the bathroom and down the hallway to Luca’s office. He would be so embarrassed to be seen in this condition by any of the vampires. It would undermine his standing with them, and that was a bad thing.
He’d bet anything that Daniel hadn’t thought of that when he came up with his little plan. Well, he’d certainly know about it by the time Carlton was done with him. Carlton had a few choice words for his mate, and none of them would be fit for polite company.
“What the hell?” Luca shouted when they walked into the office. He jumped to his feet and hurried around his desk, helping get Carlton to a chair. “What happened?”
Carlton felt his face flush as all eyes turned in his direction. “Daniel apparently decided that he didn’t want me to go on this mission with him. He drained me until I passed out.”
Luca’s eyes rounded with shock.
“Just how long have I been out, anyway?”
“Actually,” Rowan said, “you were only out for about twenty minutes. Daniel asked me to check on you in a couple of hours if I didn’t see you, but I got worried so I checked early.”
“Thank you.”
Rowan beamed. “Hey, it was no problem.”
“No, but this is,” Luca said. “If anyone finds out that Daniel drained you, it will undermine your authority with your pack.”
Carlton grimaced. “I know.”
“We need to get you on your feet and get you out on that mission.”
“And just how do you propose that we do that?” Carlton snarled at Luca. “I can’t even stand on my own.”
“How do you feel about blood?”
Carlton frowned. “Blood?”
“After Ben shot you, Daniel donated some of his blood and asked me to hold it here in case you were injured again. The blood of a vampire can heal his anamchara much faster than anything else. If you’re not adverse to it, we can get you some.” Luca shrugged nonchalantly. “It might taste nasty, but it will get you on your feet faster than two days of rest will.”
Carlton grimaced at the thought of drinking blood. Granted, Daniel’s blood had tasted wonderful when he had claimed his mate but that was from the source…and during sex. Drinking from a blood bag, or even a cup, just sounded gross.
“Bring it.”
Luca quickly left the room, only to return with a cup a few minutes later. Figures it would be from a damn cup. Carlton wasn’t too sure he could do this until he thought about Daniel out there fighting hunters all by himself.
He curled his finger around the handle and then threw his head back, quickly downing the disgusting crimson. It tasted metallic and bitter on his tongue, not anything like the sweet taste Carlton was used to from his mate. Carlton pushed that aside and drained the cup before slamming it down on the desk.
“Now get me to my mate.”
“Jackson, have a car brought around to the back of the hotel. I don’t want anyone seeing Carlton leave, especially if they think he is already with Daniel.”
Jackson nodded and left to do as Luca asked. Carlton was starting to feel better already and knew by the time he found his mate that he would be back to normal, or at least normal enough to teach Daniel a lesson when this was over.
“Thanks.”
Luca nodded, the intensity in his eyes loud and clear. Alpha, or electus, they had to stick together. Too bad his mate didn’t feel the same way.
“Let me know how things go,” Luca said as Carlton left his office.
Since he had been in on the plan, he already knew where Roman, Seth, and Daniel were headed. He just hoped he made it there in time before they moved on to the next location.
After riding for twenty minutes, Carlton felt the car pull in front of plain, brick building. It didn’t look like much. There was graffiti on the walls and litter blowing around the front door. Carlton knew for a fact this wasn’t a bar, so what was it?
He slid from the car, hearing the car pull away as he headed around the side of the building. His senses were open, scenting, and listening to everything. He wasn’t going to be caught unawares. Hunters were a nasty bunch that would sooner see him dead than try and reason with him.
Carlton heard voices from the back of the building. He listened close, edging his way toward the sound. He didn’t hear Daniel, but that didn’t mean his mate wasn’t back there. He could have talked to him through their bond, but Carlton wanted to remain the element of surprise, even to his mate.
“I don’t care what you say, we’re not going to do that,” someone protested loudly. “They look human.”
He heard something clang across the ground, as if someone had thrown an aluminum trashcan. “Don’t fucking fall for it, Jack. They may look human, but they’d tear out your throat and drink you dry given half the chance. Just do what the fuck I tell you to and we’ll have no problems.”
This was the first stop on Roman’s list, but Carlton didn’t see anyone here who had been at the hotel. That thought disturbed Carlton more than he cared to admit. He snuck a quick glance around the corner. There were five men standing there. He was good, damn good, but even he wasn’t good enough to take down five men. Where in the fuck was Daniel?
“Take them over to the meeting lodge. I’m tired of playing with those animals. It’s time we disposed of them.”
Shit, Carlton had let the car leave, so now what? He crouched down, taking in the faces of every man back there. He was going to make all five of them pay for what they had done. And they were going to know a shifter had done it to them. But he wasn’t stupid enough to fight all five at once.
His back slammed into the brick when the humans started moving toward the building. He took in a long drag of breath and then let it out, trying to still his heart. He was an alpha, used to taking charge and kicking ass, but that still didn’t mean he didn’t feel fear.
Only an insane person was fearless in Carlton’s opinion. A healthy dose of fear was good for anyone. It kept them alive. And Carlton planned to stay alive, even if just long enough to paddle Daniel’s ass.
“What do we have here?”
Carlton swung around, baring his fangs out of instinct as he looked at the man standing behind him.
“You’re one of them!”
Carlton raised to his full height, ready to go toe to toe with this man until he saw more men coming around the corner, the same men who had just been out back.
Shit!
“I could smell your filthy dog hide from a mile away.”
Carlton let his claws extend as he swiped them across the man’s chest. Crimson blossomed as the man stared at him in horror. One down, four to go. He knew he shouldn’t kill them all. Carlton had to keep at least one of them alive to find out where the shifter and vampires were being held, but fuck if he didn’t itch to slice every last one of their throats.
“Bring it on, dog,” one of the four men advancing taunted. “I’ll show you what happens to a willful mutt.”
Carlton growled. “And I’ll show you what happens to a pussy. Come on,
human
, show me what you have. You might want to set your purse down first, though.”
The man spit on the ground and then smiled at Carlton. “I don’t own a fucking purse, but I’m about to—”
“Shut the fuck up already. You’re boring me,” Carlton snapped as he lunged, his claws digging into the man’s side. The human howled in pain as he went down like a ton of bricks.
He didn’t revel in his victory for long, there were three more men to deal with, two of which he had to kill. Carlton rolled his shoulders, hearing his vertebra crack as he curled his fingers into the palm of his hand. “Next.”
“You lousy son of a bitch,” the next man shouted as he lowered his frame, going in for the tackle.
Carlton wasn’t going to admit this to anyone, but he was actually having fun. It helped him release his pent-up aggression he had been holding inside, and it felt fucking invigorating. Maybe he should hunt the hunters down more often.
He produced a few quick moves, dropping the hunter within a heartbeat of the man reaching him. His adrenaline was pumping, his skin was buzzing with excitement, and Carlton wanted to howl his victory over the first three he had dropped. Maybe he could take down five men.
Carlton spun around, ready to take on the next man when he saw someone walk around the corner of the building, a peculiar expression on his face. Carlton knew he had to keep a close eye on this man. He didn’t strike the alpha as being one of the hotheaded men that had surrounded him. No, this man was quiet, his eyes studying as he took in the scene.
The mysterious man waved his hand. “Don’t stop on my account.”
“Tiring?” the fourth human taunted.
“You wish,” Carlton growled as he readied for battle, planting his feet as he waited. When the fourth man rushed him, Carlton felt something sting him in his neck before the fourth man could even reach him.
He was getting damn tired of being shot with darts.
He fought to stay upright, knowing that if he went down that his ass was in serious trouble. The man watching him intently didn’t look like the type to screw anything up. Maybe this was the man Roman was talking about, the man that had been kicked out of his group.
If it was, Carlton was fucked.
He swayed on his feet, trying his best to focus. He knew there was only way to save his ass and as much as it pissed him off to do so, Carlton called out to his mate.
“I think I’m in over my head, mate.”
“What? Where are you?”
Daniel’s voice was panicked as he spoke through their bond.
“First location,”
Carlton thought as the ground rushed toward him.

“Go faster, damn it!” Daniel snapped as he tapped his foot restlessly on the floorboard of the car. He needed to get to Carlton like now. It seemed like it was taking forever, and Daniel could no longer hear Carlton in his head. It was driving him insane.

“Do you want to drive?” Roman shouted at him.
“Just go faster!” It would take too long to switch seats. Besides, Daniel’s nerves were so shot right now he’d probably end up getting them all killed. He had barely been able to breathe since Carlton contacted him. Now that he could no longer hear Carlton, Daniel wasn’t even sure his heart was still beating.
This was his fault, and he knew it. He should have trusted Carlton to take care of himself, and instead, he had insured that Carlton walked right into a trap. Daniel wasn’t sure there were enough ways in the world for him to grovel to his mate—assuming they all lived through this.
Daniel still couldn’t figure out how they had missed the hunters at the first location. When they had arrived at the abandoned building and searched it, the place had been vacant. There hadn’t been a sign that anyone other than drifters, drug addicts, and kids playing pranks had been inside the place in years.
So, they had moved on to the second location. Luckily, they hadn’t reached it by the time Carlton called out to him. But the two places were still miles apart. It would take more time than Daniel thought Carlton had to reach the man.
In the meantime, Daniel was being tortured with images of what must be happening to Carlton. Daniel had heard stories about what happened to those unfortunate enough to be captured by the hunters. They were nightmare images, not something Daniel really wanted Carlton to live through.
Daniel rubbed the ache growing in the middle of his chest as he thought about the fact that he was wishing his mate were dead if he was in the hands of the hunters. That was not how things were supposed to be. He should never have to wish his mate was dead.
And even if Carlton did live long enough to be rescued, Daniel wasn’t sure the man would want to live, not after being in the hands of the hunters. Again, nightmare images.
“Hold on, Daniel,” Roman said. “We’re almost there.”
Daniel shook his head. “It’s not fast enough.”
Daniel’s heart started pounding faster when they rounded a corner and the building at the first location came into view. Nothing seemed out of place, but nothing had seemed out of place when they had been there before either. Look how that had turned out.
The second Roman brought the car to a stop, Daniel opened his door and slid out. He didn’t bother shutting the door. As devoid of life as the area seemed, it would be too loud to shut the door. He was pretty sure the noise of the engine could already be heard by whoever was waiting for them.
“Slow and easy, Daniel.”
Daniel nodded that he had heard Roman and slowly began to make his way toward the vacant building. The closer he got, the more the hairs on the back of his neck started to stand on end.
Daniel stopped and held up his fist, indicating to everyone else that they needed to stop as well. Something wasn’t right here, and it was more than the fact that the hunters had Carlton.
Something else was wrong.
The total lack of noise was eerie enough, but that wasn’t what was freaking Daniel out. The very air itself was off. Daniel lifted his nose into the air and drew in a deep lungful of breath.
There was something…
Daniel’s eyes widened as he figured out what he smelled. Before his panic and dread could paralyze him where he stood, Daniel started running back toward the car, shouting for the men with him to get away, to get down.
He made it several feet before the blast from the exploding building lifted him off his feet and threw him through the windshield of the car they had been driving. Daniel cried out as his body impacted, shards of glass embedding in his skin. After a moment, he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. Pain racked every inch of his body. He didn’t want to move.
But the pain moving through Daniel’s body was nothing compared to the pain in his heart as he turned his head and saw the burning building, the building where his anamchara was supposed to be. It was nothing but brick and fire and smoke and rubble. Nothing could have lived through that blast.