Primal Claim (19 page)

One man came rushing in, weapon pointed and ready to shoot Garreth, but Kerrice lunged for him, transitioning to her wolf midair, and taking him down by the neck.

Growling and screaming filled the air as two more Agents piled through the door. To their disadvantage, they had the writhing bodies of the first Agent and Kerrice in the narrow doorway slowing them down, giving Mercury time to pick up the dropped weapon from the first Agent and take out another with a head shot. The third Agent moved efficiently around the first and got a shot off before Mercury got hold of him.

Searing heat laced through Mercury’s shoulder. He’d been hit, a “through and through.” Ignoring the burn, he dispensed of the third Agent.

Motioning to Garreth to hand his unconscious load over, he ordered, “Out the window. Grab the intel.”

Garreth hesitated, seeing blood draining from Mercury’s shoulder, but finally hefted the shifter onto Mercury’s shoulders.

Using the same method of window removal, Mercury swung the chair. It rebounded without even a crack. Son. Of. A. Bitch. Of course, they used bulletproof glass on exterior windows. If they could make it across the lawn to the woods, they stood a chance at freedom. It wasn’t like they were getting out of the compound using the front door, so they had to find a way to break the window.

Kerrice gave a little whine, still in her wolf form. The wildness was creeping back into her eyes. Even the staid Garreth was starting to look a little rattled.

Their heightened ears picked up the sounds of reinforcements heading their way. Zeroing in on the window, Mercury gave it a mental push. Sensing some give, he tried again, but harder. Still not working.

Dani, I need help taking out this window.

What do you need me to do?

Combine your thoughts with mine and we’ll push it out
.

Got it
.

Concentrating on the window again,
Three, two, one!

He felt energy pour through him and smash into the window, flexing it outward until it eventually shattered out into the night.

Kerrice was the first to clear the opening, followed by Garreth, who transitioned before he jumped, the computer bag hanging out of his mouth.

Securing the unknown shifter, Mercury leaped out, landing deftly on his feet, taking off in an instant run. He couldn’t change forms and carry his load, so he had to use two legs to cross the expanse of the lawn.

Yelling and gunshots filled the air behind him. Return fire could be heard from the woods. He hoped it was Kaitlyn on the long-range rifle. She was a crack shot.

Bennett’s voice filtered through his mind.
Once you’re in the trees, head west to the road. Dani and Jace are standing by with the vehicles.

Flying over the grass, waiting for the fire of a bullet to slice him, Mercury made it to the tree line and kept going, waiting until he was well out of view to head west.

“Hand him over,” Bennett’s dark form popped up running next to him.

Barely slowing, Mercury passed the tall, gangly shifter off to Bennett.

“Who is he?” Bennett repositioned his load so he could run.

Dunno
. It was easier for Mercury to use mind-speak, he was starting to feel the blood loss.
Garreth, you got Kerrice?

The answering bark from behind told Mercury both shifters he’d rescued were on his tail.

“Our mission is to get the shifters and the information you stole back to the lodge. We’ve gone from rescue to escape and evade.”

Gunfire was echoing through the night. The Agents shouldn’t be able to see in the dark woods, but they probably had enhanced vision or night-vision goggles, or fuck, both.

A bullet tore through Mercury’s thigh causing him to stumble. The stumble turned into a face first, smash into the ground, with a mouthful of dirt and tumbling to a stop only when he hit a tree.

Groaning, Mercury rolled to get up on all fours and attempt to stand, slumping his shoulder against the tree to push up when his injured leg wouldn’t work. The burn of what felt like a million charley horses in his thigh told him the bad news.

“Silver bullet.” Mercury’s vision started swimming, the silver poison working faster with his blood loss.

“Fuck. Can you transition? It’s only a mile to the road.” Bennett knew Mercury wouldn’t let him drop his load to help.

“I got him,” Garreth’s gravelly voice cut in.

He had the body frame to be big, like most male shifters, but his time in captivity robbed him of several pounds of muscle mass. Bennett gave him a dubious look, but it didn’t slow Garreth as he hefted Mercury up, supporting his injured side.

Kerrice stood back, observing the scene. Her whines portrayed the urgency that they keep going, but also that as much as she wanted to help, she couldn’t bring herself to get closer, much less touch the strange males.

Mercury’s peripheral vision might be like looking through chicken soup at that moment, but he didn’t miss the look of utter devastation and remorse that crossed Garreth’s face whenever Kerrice made her mournful sound. He could only imagine the atrocities she’d been subjected to.

Deep in the woods, a sudden yell was cut off almost before it started. A quick howl told them why.

“The commander got one. We need to move.” Bennett led the way, moving only as fast as Mercury’s dead leg would allow.

You need to go ahead without me. Save the others.

Bennett snorted. “And deal with your pregnant mate when I show up without you. She’s been a pain in the ass the last three days.”

Three days?

“Yep. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Mercury! What’s wrong?
Dani’s sweet voice fluttered in his mind and he needed it so very much. Otherwise, the beckoning of unconsciousness was looking like a good option.

Nothing a little salt won’t cure. And a few days of sleep. Care to join me?

Silver? Shit
.

Yep.

If you promise not to die, I’ll give you the most amazing blow job after you’re healed.

Unconsciousness can go fuck itself.
Deal. But first, would you do me the honor of making our matehood official?

Yes, now hurry your ass up.

Ah yes, his lovely mate had the heart of a warrior, not a romantic. Giving as much effort as he could, he and Garreth sped through the woods, following Bennett with Kerrice somewhere behind.

Scenting a road nearby, he caught Dani’s sweet scent on the wind. It cut through the mental fog threatening to take him under as they cleared the remaining yards.

Dani jumped out of one of the SUVs and he was tempted to stop and stare. Her vibrant glow, even with the deep concern and fear for him in her features, was breathtaking. Seeing her with her hair secured in a tight bun, wearing all black, and loaded down with her weapons made three days feel like three years. Did the baby’s powers help her get into his gun safe or had she blown it open?

Jace was standing at the driver’s door. The shaved-headed male looked sinister before, but dressed in the standard all black Guardian gear, loaded for battle, his intimidation factor could be more effective than the weapons he brandished. “Get him in, we’ve got the jump bag ready.”

“Mercury, oh thank God.” Dani rushed up to him, ignoring their three new shifter additions, the injuries, and all of the blood, and grabbed his face to plant a firm, quick kiss on him.

Stopping much too soon, she pulled him toward the open door.

Climbing in fucking hurt. His leg could barely bend, but he managed to get his entire body in. Alarm shot through him when he heard two sharp barks from Kerrice.

Bennett, who was unloading the still unconscious shifter into the back of the SUV, whipped out his gun and faced the trees which Jace was already aiming into.

Even though she lacked the enhanced vision of the Guardians, Dani hopped into the back with Mercury, using the open window to aim her own weapon out.

Kerrice darted out of the tree line, limping with a crossbolt sticking out of her hind shank.

“Kerrice, get in.” Garreth was opening the front passenger door for her.

The dark wolf hesitated, seeing even more strange males. Her amber eyes flickered between her father and the Guardians.

Commander Fitzsimmons silently emerged from the trees. “Load up. I got the Agent that hit her, the rest are back a ways, but one’s a vampire so she’ll get here fast. Bennett, we’ll pick up Kaitlyn a few miles down the road.”

Bennett ran to the other SUV along with the commander. Jace got in the driver’s seat and put the vehicle into gear. Kerrice remained frozen.

“Kerrice, please,” Garreth’s tight voice betrayed his conflict. He’d made a pledge to the injured Guardian, but he just couldn’t leave his daughter behind.

“Kerrice, whoever you are,” Dani leaned out the window, “get the fuck inside.

The nose crinkled on the dark wolf as she took in Dani’s scent. Finally, the she-wolf jumped in the seat. Garreth’s sigh of relief was cut off by the door shutting as he ran around to crawl in the back on the other side of Mercury.

It was a tight fit. Mercury groaned as his leg was jostled by Garreth reaching into the front to grab the black duffle bag resting on the middle console.

“You said this was a first aid kit?”

“Sure is. Can you do anything with it?” Jace asked, looking in the rearview mirror at the older male.

“I have training, yes.” Garreth was concentrating deeply, rifling through the bag, which consisted mostly of saline bags and gauze.

He grabbed a bag and ripped it open with one fang, handing it to Dani. “Pour this over his leg wound to help neutralize some of the silver toxicity.”

She did as he asked, wincing when Mercury hissed in pain.

Garreth repeated his actions with another bag, handing it to her. “Same with this one, only slower. The bullet’s still in him and this will help keep the toxin from spreading.”

Dani followed directions and Mercury laid his hand reassuringly on her thigh, wanting her to feel no guilt for causing the pain that was saving his life.

Taking the gauze and some clotting activator, he slapped both against Mercury’s shoulder to stem the blood loss. Not even having the energy to hiss at the sting, Mercury let his head fall back onto the seat, allowing darkness to take him.

“Is he dying?” Dani asked the older shifter, squeezed in on the other side of Mercury. Trying to keep adrenaline from wringing the saline bag empty in two seconds, she concentrated on keeping a stead drip rate on his leg wound. She heard that salt offset silver toxicity but the idea to cart saline bags around was so obvious it was genius.

“He’s not well,” the deep, cultured voice rumbled.

Jace flew over the roads, maneuvering turns that had them clinging to their seats, Mercury groaning, and the wolf up front digging her claws in and finally getting down onto the floor, snapping off the shaft of the bolt sticking out of her in the process.

“Are you a doctor?” Jace asked, after correcting a nasty fishtail around one curve.

The male reluctantly admitted, “Sort of.”

“Close enough. Who’s the dude in the back?”

“No idea. We weren’t allowed to see anyone, only hear them.”

Kerrice whined from the front.

Sigma bastards
, Dani thought.
All of them
. Gritty, pointless, nasty torture was a hallmark of Sigma. Madame G used it to fuel her own agenda, no one, probably not even Sigma leaders knew exact details.

“And you never once tried to communicate?” Maybe just an innocent question, but Dani didn’t miss a hint of accusation in Jace’s tone.

“To what purpose? Increase the torture to each other? Or have them used against us even more?”

Jace inclined his head toward the dark wolf clinging to the floor mats. “She yours?”

“My daughter. I am Garreth. Kerrice, how is your wound?”

A little
wumph
from the front had Dani assuming it was a nuisance, but once removed, the female would heal quickly enough.

Silence filled the car until they reached the lodge, save Garreth checking vitals and changing bandages as they soaked through.

“Wait here,” Jace called, already outside the car, barely having flipped it into park.

Are you kidding? Dani wasn’t sitting there to watch Mercury bleed out enough for the silver to finish him off.

Only seconds later, Jace reappeared with a stretcher as the other SUV skidded to a stop behind them.

Kaitlyn hopped out. “Sorry, we got delayed. But I got my first vampire kill. Rock on!”

“She’ll never let me hear the end of it now,” muttered Bennett, reaching in to help move the unconscious Guardian.

“I know, right? Cuz I was awesome!”

Mercury was loaded under the direction of Garreth, who transformed from haggard prisoner, to confident physician keeping keen watch on his patient. Dani trotted next to the stretcher, keeping her saline drip going. The Guardians hauled him inside to the infirmary, Kerrice limping, but sticking close to her father, and Kaitlyn in charge of the other unconscious shifter.

Numbly, Dani stood next to her mate in the infirmary, a room she’d never been in until now. A new saline bag was thrust into her hands before the old one had a chance to run out. Drip, drip, drip. Dr. Garreth, as Dani started thinking of him, quickly searched the drawers lining the walls, grabbing what he needed – a scalpel and suture kit.

“We don’t have time for finesse,” was all he said, before pressing into Mercury’s leg with the sharp blade.

Bennett and Commander Fitzsimmons watched Dr. Garreth like a hawk watches a big fat mouse. One move in the wrong direction and they’d be on him. But Dani only sensed determination in the male, to save his patient.

Saline mixed with blood and the stretcher was a mess. How Dr. Garreth knew what he was doing she didn’t know. In fact, she
didn’t
know if he knew what he was doing, but at least someone was doing something to save her male.

With a clink, the little bullet popped out and tumbled to the floor, no one willing to touch it. Dani supposed she’d be on clean up duty of that particular fragment, one more small advantage to being human. Maybe she’d save it, find a way to mold it into a weapon and take out more Agents with it. Fitting.