Redemption (13 page)

“Who did you promise?”

“Deimos, at first. Then Camryn.”

Camryn. She’d been instrumental in the mission succeeding, but that didn’t mean Adrik or his pack trusted her. They never trusted either of her kind.

“Go on.”

“This needs to stay between us.”

“Shit we talk about will always be between you and me. I expect the same from you.” She nodded her agreement. “But if it involves the security of my pack or Paraspecies, I can’t promise anything, sweetheart.”

She swallowed and sucked on her lower lip. His dick stirred.

“I trust your judgment, Adrik. It’s why I want to tell you. I think Camryn needs help, even though she won’t admit it. I don’t know how she’s involved in all this—or even what it all is—but I know it terrifies me for some reason.”

“Let’s start at the beginning,” he said.

“In the facility, Deimos wouldn’t share his name or much in the way of personal information at first.”

“Right. You explained earlier. I would’ve done the same thing. You not knowing kept you safe since they didn’t know who he was.”

“Yes. But later on, as we communicated more and shared stories about people we knew and stuff, I figured out he was a Paraspecies. I didn’t know what or who, but I knew he was. Then he told me he was betrayed, he was supposed to die in a battle at Rum River.”

“Betrayed?” Adrik’s gut clenched.

“He never shared details. He didn’t even seem to know precisely how the betrayal had gone down. All he ever said was the battle wouldn’t have gone the way it had unless someone on your side was a traitor.”

“How so? We’ve never gotten much intel about Rum River.”

“Like I said, he never told me anything. But he warned me endlessly to never, ever trust anyone with knowledge of his existence. It’s why I didn’t tell you earlier.”

“And how does Camryn play into this?”

“I knew I needed to get down to him. I hadn’t realized he’d be all comatose and stuff, or that he wasn’t alone. It was on me to get him out of the cage.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and settled her head on his chest. “A-after she killed Hank, Camryn made it clear there was a plan and I had better abide by it. Within moments she’d gotten those kids in line and willing to follow her wherever necessary. Before you all arrived, she…”

Silence loomed for a few moments.

“She what, Mira?”

“She constructed some sort of shield, or something, around Deimos. So no one could see him or some shit I didn’t understand. She has those two young mages helping her keep it up. She says it’s necessary until we get to Redemption, but I don’t think she expected you all to stop for tonight like we were freaking camping when we’re flirting with the border between Hell’s Highway and Hell’s Playground. Where are we anyway?”

“About four hours from Redemption, a couple of miles into the Highway. We stopped because didn’t have much of a choice.”

The innocents needed food, medical treatment. Supplies they’d packed helped get them stabilized. Trusting Blade and his “team” to escort them through the Highway at night wasn’t an option. Hunkering down in a defendable area made the most sense. He finger combed her hair a moment and stared into her green eyes.

“Why would she shield him and how would she even know about Rum River or anything else?”

“I have no idea, which is why I wanted to share it with you. I don’t want anything to happen to you or your pack.” She looked away. “Or Deimos.”

Fuck. What was he supposed to do with that? The blind trust she gave him so freely made his wolf howl in delight, but the potential impact demanded immediate action. Part of him wanted to string Camryn up and demand answers. The other wanted to get his pack and his woman the hell out of danger.

But neither of those options would do shit to get answers. They’d always known something seriously screwed went down at Rum River. Bredon and a whole squadron had been slaughtered, burned to freaking ash. The only thing they’d found was a constructed pile of bones spelling out NAH.

“I’ve gotta go handle this, sweetheart.”

She nodded and kissed his lips. “Be safe.”

Adrik charged into Blade’s camp. Safeties clicked off drawn weapons, but they didn’t matter. He continued forward until he loomed over Camryn. “You. Me. Now.”

He whirled and headed toward the woods, daring anyone is his path not to move. His wolf needed an excuse to purge rage through a beat down. Unfortunately, the humans weren’t as stupid as he’d hoped and fled.

“Not smart, wolf. Next time you come charging into my camp, I’m making a rug out of your hide.”

“Your camp? Last I heard those men were Blade’s.”

She shrugged. “Believe what you want.”

“Rum River. Talk.” Her eyes widened slightly. Her lips thinned.

“People fought. They died. Not much else to talk about.”

“Bullshit. Who the fuck is Deimos?” Adrik closed the distance between them. “I don’t know what game you’re playing here, succuba mage bitch, but getting my pack and my woman involved was a big, big mistake.”

“Your woman is neck deep in all this.”

“How? Who is he? And why do you give a shit?”

“Who knows his identity is his call, not mine. I came here to do two things. Get him out and get him secured outside of the Playground or the Highway. Then I’m gone.”

Right.

He hadn’t expected answers. That’d be too forthright for her kind. They thrived on lives and drama. Emotion was their drug of choice and she looked a bit famished.

“So she told you.”

“What little she knew. I need more.”

“Afraid I can’t help you.”

“Why are you shielding him?”

She shrugged. “It seemed the thing to do. We’re in a dangerous place, he’s in deep sleep. No Paraspecies would want to be vulnerable.”

“We’d protect him.”

“Right. You’d risk your precious pack to protect the man who bonded with the woman you want to mate claim.” She chuckled. “I haven’t been naïve enough to believe drivel for a long time.”

The edge in her voice had disappeared, her stance eased.

“Mira seems to believe you hadn’t anticipated this stop.”

“It was…” She sighed heavily and smiled grimly. “An unfortunate decision I’ll work around.”

“An entire night must require a lot more energy.”

“Yes, but I’ll work around it.”

“Had we had a few more warriors, I would’ve risked the journey, but I can’t be certain there isn’t another attack down the road. We have quite a bit of road to cover to hit Redemption, and there’s not much between here and there.” Adrik flexed his fists. The stubborn woman didn’t deserve explanations. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

She looked around a moment. “I need blood.”

“Succubae and mage don’t feed on blood. Shifters only do when they have severe injuries to heal quickly.”

“Ancient bloodlines do when energy needs to be drawn immediately. I’d ask Blade and his crew, but I’d prefer they not see my weakness.”

“Yet you trust me with it.”

“I have no choice,” she gritted out. “Mira trusted you enough to read you in and I know she’d never do anything to harm Deimos.”

“At least tell me how you came to know of this mess, why you know so much about what they endured in there.”

“I’m thinking you learned most of the story, or a twisted up version. Blade told you he hired me to infiltrate the facility, gain intel.” Camryn crossed her arms and shivered. “That place was an abomination, a thousand times worse than the other NAH facilities. I can’t reveal why I was sent here. I’m a merc. My ability to maintain the privacy of my clients is key.”

“Why would someone hire you to come down here and care for an Impure?”

“She was a side dish I stumbled across while handling the main course. She became important to me because she was important to the one I did care about.”

“Deimos.”

Her jaw twitched, but she remained silent.

Fuck.

Yet another web for him to navigate. Exhaustion plagued him as he looked up at the cloudless sky. Mother moon hadn’t offered much in the way of guidance for this unfortunate evening. Maybe she thought he already had the answer.

In truth he did.

“I hired Blade to cover my existence. I’m the real merc—I’m the runner of supplies and provisions. I
am
Blade. The man back there? He’s someone with an even darker and more fucked up past than mine—a man who wanted to purge himself of the name he’d killed to protect. I share this with you so you know my intentions are above board. You now have my underbelly, or more of it than I’ve ever allowed a living soul to have. I trust you with this so you’ll trust me to protect Deimos, because I assure you with every fiber of my being, you want him protected.”

Many Paraspecies severed themselves from their pasts, opted to begin anew under a new name. Adrik supposed Impures would want the same reboot. “Deimos isn’t shit to me, my pack, or anyone else here. No one even knows who the hell he is, but I suppose your mage mojo made it that way. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, I’ll back your play. I’ll send blood packs to your camp, but I give you until we hit Redemption. Then you read me in to whatever this is, because I’ll kill Deimos myself before I allow this shit to fuck over my pack or Redemption.”

“Fine.”

He turned and sprinted toward the clearing, allowing his wolf free rein. Bones crunched in mid lunge and he landed on all fours in his feral form. He shook away the remnants of his anger and gave full focus to the run, the rush of euphoria. He inhaled the night, following the wafting tendrils of prey.

Tomorrow would bring a new day, one riddled with shit he’d have no choice but to handle. His people needed his leadership, trusted his judgment. Yet he didn’t trust himself.

Deimos.

The fucker made his wolf want to kill. Yet Mira wanted him safe, protected.

He howled his confusion, his rage. He rested on his haunches and stared down at the two campfires. One offered family, hope. Love, if he dared name the emotion in his heart.

The other shoved trouble down his gullet—problems he was sure weren’t his. Yet somehow he needed to tend them anyway. In the past he’d consulted Jarvis with problems this intense. An Alpha too weak to ask advice was an Alpha who deserved to die.

It was the first thing he learned from the man who’d mentored him, parented him. Bled for him.

Then there was Mira. Self-doubt made him question whether he was the one she needed. She’d be better off with a punk like Deimos. He probably lived in one of the pussy quadrants that never saw battle. He’d offer her the one thing she’d never have with him—normalcy. Boredom.

They could spend their days making babies and painting their white picket fence.

The thought made him bristle with rage. No way in hell. Okay, one problem settled.

Fuck what he should do. Mira was his.

She’d been his the first day they’d met, when she’d stared at him through her scope. The business end of a rifle had never been as sexy as it had been that day—when he’d seen her alight with indignation and determination. Gritty, sexy-as-fuck sass. His cock stirred as he shifted to human form.

Time to get to Mira. The sooner this shit was done and they returned to Redemption, the better. He returned to his camp a few moments later, surprised to see everyone huddled around the bus they’d deposited Deimos and the fledglings in.

Ren ran toward him. “He’s waking up.”

“Good. Do me a favor, grab a few blood bags and haul them over to Camryn. Tell her he’s waking. Come right back and pack everything up. He’s awake, we’ll probably be moving out soon.”

“Oookay. Want to give me any details?”

“Later.” He headed toward the bus and wrapped his arms around Mira, who stood there drowning in the extra shirt he’d packed.

“I heard someone say he was awake. I want to see him, but Peyton and Marek aren’t letting anyone in.” Worry crinkled along her forehead. “Nothing’s wrong, is it? I mean, you’re the Alpha so you’d know, right?”

“I’ll check on him, okay?” He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Soon as I get him settled, I’m fucking you in my shirt, sweetheart.”

“Oh wow.” She shifted on her feet a couple of times and tugged on the hem. A sexy blush rose on her cheeks, her pupils dilated. He inhaled the scent of her arousal. “You don’t mind I borrowed it, do you? It smelled like you.”

“Whatever I have is yours.” Adrik moved away before his brain could process the excited utterance. Geez, he turned to mush around her. Was this how Jarvis felt around Bessa? If so, how the hell did the guy manage to rule all wolf shifters with mush for brains?

He paused at the shut door and knocked. Marek opened it. “About time.”

“He awake?”

“Not sure. We thought so, but he hasn’t stirred anymore and his eyes are closed, so maybe not.” Marek motioned toward Peyton. “She tossed everyone out, just in case. Well, almost everyone. The little gryphon refused to leave his side—even drew down on Peyton and I’ll be damned if he didn’t win.

Adrik chuckled. Kandon was the newest generation of the same famous ancient gryphon line Kadal was. The young warrior’s destiny to protect future goldens offered hope. The flyer would be thrilled to hear his nephew had survived, especially since the boy’s father died protecting Sashi’s family.

“We aren’t sure what sort of mental state he’s in,” Marek said.

Adrik nodded. Some of their kind had gone feral in the internment camps during The Rending. “I hope to fuck he isn’t screwed up. It’d kill Mira.”

“A few hours ago you wanted to rip his head off,” Marek teased.

Ignoring the statement, he headed to the rear, bypassing Peyton. He towered over the makeshift mat Deimos had been put onto. Someone’d removed the dirt and blood-coated shreds of clothing. Deep gouges along his torso no longer bled. The whip marks checkering his back had probably healed some as well.

Adrik hoped the man stayed under for many reasons, some selfish and some not. It’d be easier on his mental state if the man never woke. He’d done what he could for Deimos, but the man wasn’t gonna be a permanent fixture in Mira’s life.

“You two can clear out.”