Burned In Shadows (Shadow Unit) (24 page)

“Do you yield?”

“Fuck…. You.” Melissa said breathing hard.

“No, fuck you.” She pulled and heard the bones snap.

“I think we’ve seen quite enough.” Enri said somewhere up on the stage. She looked up and saw him slowly walking towards them as she kept a hold on Melissa’s arm. Damn, she didn’t want the fight to end, there was a lot more ass whooping she still needed to hand down. This woman had slept with her man, tried to mar him with her filth and evil. How had none one noticed before? Someone had to have noticed. Royce could read minds why didn’t he alert any of the other members of just how rancid this woman was.

“That’s enough girls,” Enri clapped to get their attention.

Zea was slowly releasing her when Melissa broke free and turned straddling her chest. She wasn’t in full were form now, but her claws still dug into her arm, breaking the skin and touching bone. The pain was poignant, something she wasn’t sure she could even handle. Zea looked up and noticed that Melissa was changing into full were form.

It
looked down snout to face. It growled and drooled, the snot from its nostrils landing on her cheek as the animal sunk its claws further into her flesh. A scream left her as she tried to get away. She didn’t have much room and knew she wasn’t supposed to be struggling. Her mind was scrambling for a way to get out of the hold, but the pain was too much. She couldn’t shift into anything else because it her body was slowly shutting down. She tried grabbing a fist full of its fur and with all her strength tried pulling the animal off of her, but it wouldn’t budge. Then she tried using her own fangs, sinking into her skin. The wolf bit back turning its head and taking Zea from Shoulder to neck. There was a feeling of being lifted off her feet and shaken so hard black spots where forming in front of her eyes. She couldn’t focus and she knew the wolf was treating her like a rag dog. Seconds spanned into minutes and each minute it became harder for her to maintain her form. Blackness was fast approaching as she lost heavy amounts of blood. The pain was dulling. Her body was done, exhausted her limits.

“STOP!”

Who was speaking? She couldn’t tell, her vision was blurry, and her mouth was filled with the coppery taste of her own blood.
Damn.
She thought she was really going to beat a bitch down.

Chapter 26

M
otherfuckers had some explaining to do. It had been almost two days, and Belinda had not risen. They’d searched the place from top to bottom. Nothing. They couldn’t find her. They were on their way to speak to the Matria when Dietrich Johnson passed them in the hallway. Well, he tried to pass them but Royce’s hand shot out grabbing the male by the throat and pinning him against a wall. There were days when Ronin loved his brother. Today was one of those days.

“What the fuck?”

“Royce, remove your hand from my persons. Or I’ll fuck your shit up. Brain eating brother or not I’ll end you.”

Ronin grunted. He wasn’t going to let D get one off on his brother.

“Why are you here?”

Dietrich growled and flashed pearly white teeth. Royce reluctantly let him go. It wasn’t because he couldn’t take the other male. It was simply the only way of getting the information they needed.

“I fucking don’t know. The Matria called me
here. I’m here.”

Not too many people could
get this man to do a dog and pony show. He barely listened to Dravaggio. Unless… Shit, shit, shit. This is who the Matria was referring to.

“Who called you?” Royce’s voice was
quiet, strained. His brother knew what was happening, but like him, he was shocked.

“You’re Belinda’s fiancé.” It wasn’t a question.

D had the audacity to look surprised. Eyes covered in dark shades, but his eyebrows flew up high.

“Fuck, follow me, I’ll take you to her.”

Ronin had to give the guy credit. He was incredibly normal about their situation. He, on the other hand, was seething. Trying to maintain a semblance of calm. What he should be doing is trying to figure a way out of this mess. Just days ago he was ready to hand her over to his brother. Now, he wanted her for himself. Wanted to protect her and make sure she was safe, no matter what.

“I’m not her fiancé. Not anymore.” D said by way of conversation. Royce swore loudly
, and he tried hard not to let rage over take him.

“Is that why you were hanging out in her room? Royce asked. “Because you’re not her fiancé?

“I’m curious Royce while you were fucking the chick next door, did you care?”

“Of course I cared.”

“Assholes, the both of you.”

Dietrich led them down a
hall that stopped at a set of stairs. Those stairs weren’t there before. He’d searched this place thoroughly from top to bottom. As they walked up, light began to seep through cracks in the wall. It was hard to tell what time of day it was when they had no windows in their room. The Enclave itself was closed off from everything. A guard was posted at the top of the stairs. When he opened the door, they were outside. Ice capped mountains surrounding them on all sides.

“How Harry Potter of you. Can we walk through pillars at the train station as well?”

“Shut up Royce.”

“Ro, you gotta admit its fancy
smancy.” He knew his brother was on edge, the more he joked the more it was to control his anger. Sarcasm was his only way of coping. Dietrich looked over his shoulders and smirked. He had a way of treating them both as if they were adolescent children. As they walked down a path, he noticed there were shops along the base of the mountain. Bakeries and pubs, even a grocery store and what looked to be a school. There was even what looked like a mini-strip mall. Nestled on the side of the mountains were actual homes.

“How the hell do we get up there?” His brother wondered out loud.

“You don’t. Unless escorted. Belinda is in the center of town on display. Follow me.”

On
display? Why would she need to be put on display? Ronin walked quietly behind them taking in all the scenery. There were no escape routes that he could see, unless of course, you flew out. He wasn’t going to let his guard down.

“The Enclave is inter-dimensional, humans can’t see it, but they
sense it. Which is why they all stay out of Fifth ward.”

People were staring as they walked through the town.
They passed what looked like a school building. Children stared out the window, some pointing, and other’s eyes round like quarters as they watched. When they reached the center of the town, they saw her. Belinda was laid out on what looked like an uncomfortable altar. Large pink and white lilies surrounded her and a curtain of honeysuckles covered her body like a blanket.

“Reminds me of sleeping beauty.” Royce said as they stood around her body. “Who’s gonna kiss her first?”

“Neither of you dipshits. Only her chosen can awake her.” D told him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“And that would be you asshole?”

“It wasn’t my choice.”

“Tell me again why I’m not beating the shit out of you walker? Ronin closed his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and putting the guy in a choke hold.

He wanted to touch her. Needed to. She’d come to mean a lot more than he ever thought possible. Great, now he was a sensitive man.

“Look, I walked away from her.” Dietrich said on a frustrated sigh.

Two pairs of eyes turned to look at him.

“What do you
mean, walked away? You never had a shot with her.”

Ronin informed him.

“I did, the broad was crazy about me. We did everything together.”

“Define everything together.”

“Do I need to spell it out for you frat boy?”

“Who’s a frat boy?”

“Alright G.Q. Smooth, what the fuck are you then?” Dietrich posed the question to his brother. They were always arguing over something. Royce went on to explain to D how he was a man, a real male of worth. D of course laughed in his face. He tried to ignore them both. He was worried about the situation. Belinda hadn’t verbally given herself to anyone. She hadn’t acted like a female who was taken. What Surelle had said must have been true. Even if it were true if the other man so much as touched her, he would lose his life.

“I second that Ro.” Royce said. They were both on board with killing Dietrich if he so much as breathed on her wrong.

Dietrich eyed them both and grunted. Ronin couldn’t see his eyes, but he knew they were focused on him and his brother. D was a maniacal bastard and even if he didn’t want Belinda he’d fight them just because he could. That was fine, he could be the same way. The other man would have to understand that for every action that was an equal and deadly reaction when coming from his corner.

# # #

Knives were stabbing her body, hundreds of tiny knives.
They dug into her cheek and tore open her thighs. It was entirely too much pain radiating over her body. She tried to open her eyes, but it was like pouring alcohol into an open wound. Had someone stitched her eyes shut? Of all the days to wake and still be in the dark this sucked ass the most. Jes tried to move her hands, but they were tied. She tried to struggle but couldn’t. Every moment was a constant reminder of how much agony she was in.

She tested her
voice to demand where she was, but only a crack of sound escaped. She tried to swallow, and the dryness of her throat seemed to open up wounds that were embedded beneath the skin. She was in a bad place and she was on the verge of having an episode. As her mind tried to understand what had happened to her and why she found herself in this predicament, she realized two things. She was no longer Zea, and she’d showed her true form out in the open to all of her enemies. She remembered the fight, and hearing Draven’s voice strong and unwavering as he’d called a stop to the ass whipping that Melissa had delivered.

She was in
hell.

Only
hell could be so cruel to shackle her broken body to a chair. She was trying her hardest not to freak out. Ann, her shrink would see this as an enormous step back in the progress she’d already made. Jes tried to suck in air, but her ribs were broken. The knowledge only made her body ache more as she tried to calm her breathing. Which in turn only sped her breathing up, causing more unwanted pain.

“Who are you?” She couldn’t open her eyes to see the voice, but she knew it well. It was
his
voice. Strong and pissed the fuck off. She wanted to crack a smile, truly she did, but if she had her dry lips would have cracked spilling more of her blood.

“Answer me woman!” Draven roared into the darkness.

She tested her voice again, and a sound squeaked past.

“What?”

“Water.” She, could actually hear her voice this time, although it was muffled to her own ears. It still hurt to speak, but at least she could communicate. Somewhat.

“You’ll get no water. Speak.” So he wanted to
play torturer and torturee. Fine. She could play. Her muscles cracked at the joints, and the slightest movement caused pain. Her back shoulder blade itched like a motherfucker. She willed it to stop itching but the more she thought about it the more it itched.

“Fuck!” Oh, her voice at least sounded stronger on that last word.

“You’re not my type.” He shot back.

Liar. Jes thought, she was more than his type. She was it for him.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” She taunted back. They were bantering back and forth like children. At least it was a somewhat civil conversation, and it pained her to talk. He growled, and his breath burst out of his chest in a huff. She still couldn’t open her eyes, but she could hear the tell-tale signs of bones cracking. There was gargling and even a pained moan. Then there was moisture on her face from Draven’s breath. He’d shifted, whether it was to scare her or to show her, she wasn’t sure, but he’d shifted.

“I know you, I know
you as my mate,” the wolf said on a growl. Even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was between shifts, half man, half beast. His hot, moist breath caressing her face.

Finally, her Draven had appeared.

Chapter 27

T
his was why he acted the way he did. If he didn’t look at life through funny glasses he’d be seeing through the “real life is shit” goggles. What else could he do? Royce wanted to strangle someone. No, he wanted to rip someone apart, piece by piece and stomp on their entrails. Take all their intestines and wrap it around someone’s fence like Christmas decorations.

“You’re one sick fuck.” His brother stated out loud.

“Says the guy that eats brains for dinner.”

So his brother bit into someone’s frontal lobe before, no
biggie.

He let out a
calm breath. He didn’t want his inner monologue to get the best of him. Who needs a conscience?

“Dude, I swear to the fucking Gods of old, new, and now, you kiss my girl, so much as lay a hand on her sleeping beauty stone slab, I’ll fuck you up.”

Royce was dead serious.

D flipped him the bird. The hand gesture said a lot, and he knew the other
man always had something smart to say. That he didn’t, meant at least he was listening now. Fool had some sense after all.

“If I wanted her, I could
have her. The only reason I even permitted you an audience is in hopes she’d wake the fuck up. Belinda is like a sister to me. I don’t want to see her hurt because the two of you want to screw with her head.”

For real?
He saw Bells as a sister? He wasn’t going to go into all the ways that shit was sick. Who the hell fucks their sister? Yeah, he wasn’t dumb. Like a sister his ass.

He watched as Dietrich took off his glasses, his pupils
fully dilated and open for all to see.

“I fucked up.”

“Get to you point.” Ronin said.

Another hand gesture. This time D gave them both the bird, before returning to his, macho stance.

“Let him talk.”

Not being able to
hear the other man’s thoughts sucked balls. Big heavy one with wiry crotch hair. He and his brother had been able to before, but now he’d developed some sort of block, just like Gabe did on their first meeting.

“I think our super twin powers are fading.”

Ronin glared while D waited. It wasn’t his fault he had a stellar personality and a charming disposition. He was so going to tell them to suck it when it was all over. Figuratively, not literally. Royce saw the hint of a smile on his brother’s face. Even though the situation was dire, he could still make him pop a grin.

“I’m trying to be
real with you chumps and your conversing via head chat?

“Go on walker say your peace.”

“Belinda needs to wake the fuck up. I have shit to do. Dravaggio’s ordered the evac of Adam and Jesminda.”

“Like you care.”

“I don’t, but it’s my job, and my jobs pays the bills.”

“
Be serious, Royce.”

“I am.”

This was as
serious as he could get. If he let the real situation slide through, funny charismatic Royce would be gone, and dark Royce would rear more than its ugly head.

“I left her at the altar. I’m not the man for her. You two aren’t either, but she needs to be woken up. R
yan said you triggered her nesting, how?”

Both brothers looked at each other. It was none of D’s fucking business.

“Why do you need to know?” Ronin asked.

“It will waken her, to repeat the-,”

Ronin cut him off.

“You will not touch her!”

“I’ve got trained walkers on the mountain waiting to bust a cap.”

“What time period are you from? Gangsta rap is dead.” Royce said.

Walkers were posted with guns on the mountain sides when he looked up. The sneaky bastards were just standing around holding onto guns like it was the thing to do.

“Time is running out. If she doesn’t wake up. She won’t wake up, get me?”

All eyes turned to the vision lying on the altar. They’d changed her garments, and he hadn’t taken noticed earlier. He noticed now. She was wearing a vermillion chiffon gown with silk ties at one shoulder. Her feet were bare, and he could see her toes were also painted the same color of her dress. Her cinnamon skin was rich, and the dress brought out her reddish undertone. Feathers spun from gold silk was braided into her hair. Her radiant features shined with such clarity it almost hurt to look at her. To not wake her would be unacceptable. She may have been theirs, and though he and his brother welcomed the idea of a mate, maybe she truly wasn’t theirs. He could see her swelling with his and his brother’s offspring, could see her standing in the kitchen, the three of them cooking together. Deciding things together. The possibility of not seeing her smiling face or sassy wit was not an option. He knew he would do anything to have her open her eyes again.

“
I love her brother, I love her enough to give her up.”

Ronin didn’t respond to his
internal plea. He simply stood there looking down on her.

“Do what needs to be done, Dietrich,” Ronin murmured. At least they agreed in this.

“I can’t do shit unless you tell me what you did to trigger her nesting.”

“We made love to her.” Trust Ronin to
get down to the grit of it. He grabbed the back of his neck to stop the pain that was starting to sit heavy on his shoulders. Damn, his chest fucking ached with the knowledge that once again, a woman could have died because of his stupidity. Granted, they weren’t being sentenced to death this time, but it felt like he was dying inside.

“Both of you? At the same time?” D’s voice kept escalating as he said asked the question and had the
nerve to sound shocked.

“So, how do you wake her up?” Royce was starting to lose his
composure.

“I’m thinking that maybe if I brought in another.”

“You will do no such thing.” Ronin said. Venom laced his words. His brother had already dropped fang. He wasn’t fucking around. He on the other hand was calculating the best chance he had at stealing her body and taking her away from this fucked up place.

“What do you
suggest? You two attempt to wake?”

“That’s the m
ost logical, we caused her nesting. We can wake her up.”

The shit eating grin on Dietrich’s face made him weary.

“Good. I’ll talk to the Matria to make preparations. In the meantime enjoy the village. Don’t attack anyone and dinner in town starts at six.”

They watched him walk in the general direction of where they’d entered. He did
point over his shoulder at the gunmen on the mountain as he disappeared behind a corner shop. Ronin let out a long sigh of relief, Royce felt it to. They weren’t in the clear yet.

A little girl with auburn hair popped out from behind the altar and smiled.

“Hello there,” Royce said.

“You’re tall.”

“Yes and you’re small.”

“Am not,” she said with authority and
spread her fiery wings to show them just how tall she was. She lifted herself to eye level with them. She was a beautiful little girl, with rosy cheeks and a strong personality.

“No, you’re not small at all,” Ronin agreed.

“You really going to wake her?”

“That’s the
plan. What is your name?” He might as well get better acquainted, he had no intention of letting Bells go.

“Ari, my name is Ariana Ignis.” She landed on her feet and bowed, her fiery mane falling over her shoulders.

“You’re Belinda’s sister?” Ronin asked.

“Yes.”

The two of them were night and day. Ari was pale compared to her sister with sun filled eyes, and Bells had black hair and violet eyes.

“I won’t be able to view her
awakening, none of the children area allowed,” she complained.

“Why not?”

The little girl began flitting around the altar until she found what he guessed was a suitable spot for her to perch on.

“The ceremony is
too carnal. My mother says these things are not learned by a girl of my age.”

“Carnal?” Both
men said at the same time.

“Yes, you will need to love my sister in view of the entire Enclave.”

With those last words, she flew up into the mountains leaving them both with their thoughts. No, they were not in the clear.