Azure (The Silver Series Book 5) (26 page)

I jabbed one man in the face and felt his
nose break under my knuckles, then hit him with a hook across the
jaw that sent him spinning into the other man. Three men at the
door managed to push their way in. All three had silver knives and
I wondered if they were under orders not to shoot around Nora,
though I doubted a man who would put his own daughter in a cage as
a trap had any scruples.

The instinct to protect the two girls behind
me rushed like fire through my veins. No one would hurt the girls I
loved. Red rage filled my vision. A man tried to stab me with his
knife. I caught his arm and pulled him forward into my fist. He
collapsed motionless to the ground. I turned and found another man
trying to get past me. I picked him up by his shoulder and leg,
then threw him into the wall. He hit with a loud bang and fell to
the floor. Another tried to reach Gem and Nora. I bent down and
grabbed his foot, then swung him around and into the floor so hard
the other guards stared at me, expressions of surprise and horror
on their faces as the man lay motionless at my feet. I lifted my
lips in a silent snarl, daring them to come forward.

Several attacked at the same time. I picked
up a crate and smashed it on top of the first one, then backhanded
the next one so hard he spun completely around before falling
motionless to the ground. The crowbar slammed into my right side. I
felt things tear internally, but the adrenaline and the rage that
filled me at the thought that someone would hurt those I cared
about covered it all in a red fog of fury. I grabbed my attacker by
the throat and slammed him back against the wall. His eyes rolled
up and he slid to the ground.

A guard sliced at my shoulder. I grabbed his
wrist just below the knife and wrenched his arm down. He let out a
yell of pain and held his dislocated shoulder. I threw a straight
punch to his face and he staggered back into the men behind him,
slowing them down. Gem fired darts behind me and took down two men
fighting to get through the door. I kicked one man's knees out from
under him, then drove my elbow into his sternum. His ribs caved in
under the force of my blow and he gasped for air.

The crowbar connected with the back of my
head and lights flashed in front of my eyes. One of the guards
tried to get to Nora and Gem behind me and his shadow caught my
eye. Gem grappled with him, her tiny figure the only thing between
the man and Nora. He hit Gem in the face. A roar of rage filled my
chest and I turned and grabbed him, then threw him at an overturned
desk so hard one of the table legs when through his chest.

A man bull-rushed me and slammed me backward
into one of the crates. The crate shattered beneath me in a mess of
broken wood and metal bands. He picked up a wooden stake and tried
to drive it through my heart. I kicked out and caught him in the
stomach. When he doubled over, I lunged to my feet and slammed an
uppercut into his jaw. His head whipped back and he fell over
backwards.

“
That's vampires, idiot,” I
growled, tossing the stake on top of him.

A guard tried to kick my legs out from under
me. The kick barely moved me and I glared at him. His eyes widened
and he took a step backwards. I turned and horse-kicked the guard
in the chest, sending him sprawling into two men fighting Kaynan
with double sets of knives. The red-eyed werewolf shot me a look of
gratitude, then his eyes widened. I looked behind me to see more
guards spilling out into the close quarters.

I glanced at Nora and Gem. Nora sat on the
floor between the boxes with her legs pulled up and her eyes wide
as she met mine. Fear tangled with her beautiful scent, and I
wanted more than anything to carry her away from all of the
violence and gore. Gem’s blue eyes met my gaze with confidence that
said she knew the odds we faced and was ready to take whatever was
coming. She stood beside me and shot two more darts into the
guards. “I’m out,” she said quietly, her voice firm.

“
We're going to be
alright,” I replied.

The man with the crowbar stepped forward and
brought the bar back as another man swung at my stomach. I ignored
the punch and caught the crowbar with my left hand, then ripped it
from the man’s hands. I spun and hit both the men with it hard
enough to drop them both. More guards piled into the room. I
glanced up and saw others coming down the stairs toward Kaynan. The
sheer bulk of them would take us down, but I wouldn’t give up
without fighting for the girls who needed me.

I turned back to meet the rush when a
black-haired shadow flowed through the door. A knife flashed and
two guards fell. Two others yelled, then they were on their knees.
Jet moved from one guard to the next, his knife a bare shard of
silver before the men were down gasping out the last of their life
blood. The look in the werewolf’s eyes was dark and animalistic,
cold and calculating as he judged his opponents and took them down
without mercy. Memories flowed through his dark blue irises and he
gritted his teeth as he took down another with a slice across the
neck.

I was stunned at his grace and ruthless
proficiency. Before I could move, half of the guards that came
through the back door were down. The rest pressed forward as if
sensing the menace that came behind them. Jet jumped against the
wall, grabbed a rafter, and swung down to land in front of them. A
snarl ripped from his throat and the guards backed up. Jet launched
into them, his blade so quick four fell before I even saw them hit.
The rest surged back against the door, but more guards were trying
to come in. The group turned with the realization of their fate
bright in their eyes.

I broke my gaze from the lethal assault that
followed and turned to meet the attackers on our other side in time
to block another slice with a knife. I picked up the guard and
threw him into those behind him. They fell back into Kaynan,
shaking off the two men that held him so another could stick him
with a knife. Kaynan’s teeth flashed and another fell to the
ground.

Two guards rushed me while a third tried to
sneak around to get the girls. I grabbed both men by the throat and
smashed them to the ground with enough force to make the floor
tremble. I then turned and grabbed the other guard by the collar
before he could reach Gem and Nora. The man jabbed at my eye with
his knife. I grabbed his arm and threw him in the air. He hit the
ceiling and crashed down with plaster falling on top of him.

Jet ghosted to my side, the blade of his
knife dark red and an edge of steel to his eyes that sent a surge
of gratitude through me that he was on our side. He turned without
a word and we faced the guards that made it past Kaynan. I picked
the crowbar up and hefted the cold metal in my hands, levering it
to take down as many as I could. A voice called down from the top
of the stairs.

“
Hold it,” Jaze growled in
a voice laced with iron and teeth, an Alpha bark that not even the
guards could ignore. Everyone turned to see the werewolf with a gun
to Rob's head. “Put down your weapons, now,” Jaze commanded in a
voice that left no room for argument.

The guards dropped their guns and knives.
Kaynan and Jet gathered the weapons, then forced the guards to
leave through the door by the cage. Gem walked up the stairs, her
eyes on Nora’s father. I helped Nora to her feet, then stumbled and
caught myself against the crate.

Nora put a hand on my shoulder, her eyes
concerned. “I should be the one helping you,” she said in a voice
that trembled.

I shook my head. “Seeing you safe is all the
help I need.”

Jaze pushed Rob in front of him and we
walked slowly up the stairs. Dizziness from the crowbar blow to the
back of my head kept my steps measured, but it faded as we left the
basement. By the time we reached the yard, I felt stronger. Nora
touched the back of my hair and when her hand came away bloody, she
tried to make me sit down.

“
It's alright,” I reassured
her. “It's already healing.”

Jaze pushed Rob toward one of the Hunters'
vehicles, then paused. “Is there anything you want to say to your
daughter before you leave?”

I felt Nora tense, but she stood firm and
waited for his response.

Rob glared from me to his daughter, such
hatred and vehemence in his eyes that I wanted to tear them from
his face so that no one would look at Nora like that again. Rob
spoke in a dark, angry voice, “I never dreamed you would follow in
your mother's footsteps, but what should I have expected with
werewolf blood in your veins?”

Surprise showed on Nora’s face, but she
pushed it down. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said. There was a
pleading tone to her voice as if she asked a question, begging her
father to show some shred of humanity to redeem himself.

“
You don’t understand,” her
father replied. His eyes held hers, asking her to listen. He
glanced at me and his gaze narrowed. “The werewolves are a scourge
to be wiped from the earth. They taint the bloodlines and they’ll
turn us all into animals.”

“
You don’t need werewolf
blood to be an animal,” Nora replied quietly.

Hurt touched her father’s eyes and quickly
turned to rage. He broke free of Jaze’s grasp and dove at me. Jet
and Kaynan caught his arms before he took two steps. I stood in
front of Nora to shield her from him. “You brainwashed her,” he
shouted, his eyes rolling in anger.

I shook my head. “I helped her see the
truth.”

He sputtered. “The truth? The truth is that
you’re more animal than human. You can’t be trusted. You’re a
savage beast.”

Nora stepped from behind me. “Father?” When
he looked at her, she took a calming breath. “I love Vance with all
of my heart. I’m sorry your life is so twisted by hatred, and I’ll
live trying to make up for the damage you’ve done.” She dropped her
eyes. “I love you, but I can’t stand to be near you anymore after
what you’ve done.”

“
You’re tainted by the
beast,” he replied, his tone so ugly I wanted to hit him for even
talking to her. Jet and Kaynan dragged him back toward the truck.
“You’re no daughter of mine,” he called, raising his voice. “Enjoy
having puppies with that animal you call a boyfriend.”

Tears sparkled in her eyes, then trailed
slowly down her cheeks. She turned her head into my shoulder as her
father was lifted into the truck and the door shut behind him.

I put my arms around her and the tension
eased from my muscles. I took a deep breath and glanced up at the
stars that sparkled in the sky. They winked down on us like tiny
gems, reminding me of the grandeur of the world and the miracle
that we still lived despite the odds we had faced. The light of the
partial moon bathed us in a midnight glow that cast the trees as
gray sentries guarding us against the shadows of night.

The moonlight felt gentler, the brush of the
breeze weaving through the leaves was softer, and the chirp of
crickets hiding in the shadows sounded sweeter. All was right in
the world now that Nora was back in my arms. Her scent of vanilla
and sunflowers tangled around me and I took a deep breath of it,
reluctant to let it out again.

She tipped her head up and her green eyes
met mine. The sadness, acceptance, and pain in them stole whatever
remained of my heart. “What happens now?” she asked softly.

I leaned down and kissed her on the lips, my
fingers entwining gently in her long back hair as she moved a hand
to my neck, pulling me closer. I closed my eyes and let her
surround me and complete me, covering the pain and torment and
chasing away the fears that had filled every day she had been gone.
When we parted, I smiled, my eyes gazing into hers. “I don’t know,”
I admitted. Laugh lines touched the corners of her eyes and I
continued, “But whatever it is, we face it together.”

She touched my face with her hand; her
gentle fingers ran along my jaw and sent a shiver up my spine. She
smiled and leaned against my chest. I wrapped her in my arms,
vowing to never let her go again.

I glanced up and found the others watching
us. Gem caught my attention first. She crossed the grass toward us
and a pang of regret ran through my bones at the sorrow and
realization on her face. My heart ached at the loss in her eyes and
for causing her additional pain. She was such a strong, amazing
person, and she had earned the right to be happy. I dreaded what
she would say, but I deserved to bear the brunt of her pain.

Her eyebrows pulled together and the pixie
grin that always danced on her face was sorely absent. She reached
up a hand and set it softly on my arm. “I’m happy for you,” she
said. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her smile returned and she
hugged us both. “I’m so happy for you.”

I covered her hand with my own, dwarfing her
fingers. She nodded once and stepped back to the others. I felt a
small tug in my heart at her distance, but knew it was for the
best. The gratitude that flooded through me at everything Gem had
done and all she represented made me hold Nora even closer.

My gaze moved to Jaze and he gave a small
nod, a look of approval on his face. His words echoed in my head. I
took a breath and spoke them quietly to Nora. “You are my night and
day, my moon, my stars, and every driving force that keeps my lungs
filling up with air and my heart beating to drive blood through my
body. Without you, I am not me.” I swallowed down the lump that
tightened my throat. “You make me more because I am with you. You
complete me, and you bring out who I really am.” Nora’s face turned
up to me and fresh tears sparkled in her eyes, but they were
symbols of joy instead of sorrow. I smiled through my own tears.
“It won’t matter where our path takes us as long as we walk it
together.”

She nodded, her face bathed in moonlight. “I
can go anywhere with you now.”