Blood Mates (7 page)

“No…. he ripped Harry’s heart straight out of his chest when harry told him about that girl getting away from them and the legion attacking.”

“Exactly… we don’t need to draw any more attention. We need to find the girl again.”

“Don’t the legion have her?”

“Don’t know for sure… “The tall one answered. “All I know is the sire is pissed off that she got away. And we need to find out where the legion has her if they do.”

“I ain’t scared of those bastards. I can take em… they’re pussies.”

Rhage couldn’t help himself. He laughed out loud which made the three of them swirl around to face him.  Rhage stepped out from the shadows and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why don’t you come over here and call me a pussy to my face…?” the three half breeds looked at each other. “What? Haven’t you ever seen a brother of the legion before? --- Well I’ll be your first and last. I’m gonna kill you…”

The three half breeds then puffed up and hissed at Rhage before rushing toward him in a blur. They were a blur to the human eye if a human saw them at all, but to an immortal who had enhanced vision he could see them perfectly.  Rhage side stepped to the right grabbing one of them and swinging him around to crash into the other two sending them sprawling into the wall of the building. One of them got to his feet quickly. The bad ass who call the legion a bunch of pussies. He charged forward toward Rhage throwing his fists and growling like a rabid dog.  A second one joined in with a knife then the third one. As Rhage dodged the knife and throwing punches he saw Talon standing off to the side just watching.

“You gonna help here?” he called out just before one of the bastards got a punch in and then the knife sliced his arm. Rhage side kicked him down.

“Naw…. You can handle it…”

“Sorry bastard...” Rhage hissed before pulling his own knife and stabbing the bastard on his left square into the heart. The other two froze watching their friend turn to ash right in front of them.  The ash floated in the air around them. The taller of the two shoved his friend toward Rhage and taking off in a run. Rhage threw his knife and it embedded in the bastard’s back not killing him, but taking him down. The other one took advantage and managed to slash Rhage again before Rhage grabbed his wrist snapping it quickly causing the knife to clink on the ground. Rhage grabbed him and pinned him to the wall by the neck… Rhage hissed with his fangs clearly visible.

“You wanna die like your friend?” Rhage demanded. The half breed looked at his friend who was screaming and melting on the ground not far from them. His body was writhing on the ground. His clothes had already melted exposing his back which was a bloody mass of black tar blood substance and flesh. He was trying to pull the knife from his back with the one arm that was working.

“Burns like a bitch I’m sure…” Rhage told him. “Feeling your body melt around you. Slowly dying… you want to die like that?”

“No….” he gurgled beneath Rhage’s hand.

“Then tell me who sired you? I want his name.”

“Dunno….”

“Tell me…” Rhage growled.

“I don’t know… I don’t know his name. I only saw him once. Dante is the only one who calls him.”

“Who is Dante?”

“He is in charge...”

“Where can I find him?” Rhage snapped. When the half breed hesitated Rhage tightened his fingers around the bastard’s throat and lifted him off the ground. The half breed gasped and tried to claw at Rhage’s hand. Rhage eased up a little and the half breed gulped in air deep. “Tell me now. I’m not known to be patient.”

“He isn’t patient at all…” Talon added joining them. Talon held a silver star in his hand. He twirled it through his fingers.  “His name is Rhage… suits his personality…” Rhage growled low in his chest. Talon reached out and barely touched the Silver Star to the half breed’s cheek which quickly left a large blister in a mere second. “Doesn’t hurt us, but is deadly for you…. Now answer my brother or we will make your death a lot more painful than your friend’s.”

“Dante will kill me…..” he squeaked.

“We WILL kill you now….” Talon hissed. To prove his point Talon ran the tip of the star across the half breed’s cheek which began to burn and his skin began to melt. He howled and Rhage had to hold him still.

“Alright!” he wailed. “There’s a house on Lincoln. Dante lives there.”

“Address, dumbass…” Talon prompted.

“1129.”

“And are there more half breeds there?”

“Yeah…..that’s where we were turned.  He usually has ten or twelve already there. He has a group he keeps around.”

“And this is where you met your sire?”

“Yeah…..Dante runs the show when he ain’t there. Oh fuck! My face! It burns!”

“And the woman…” Rhage growled. “What does he want with her?”

“Dunno… I swear! All I know is Dante has everybody out looking for her. The sire wants her bad…..Dante said she is important to the sire’s plan… something about her blood is special. That’s all I know, man... I swear! FUCK! Make it stop! Fuck it hurts!”

“I don’t think he knows anything else, Rhage.”

“I think that’s everything…” Rhage took a step back letting the half breed stand on his own feet. The half breed grabbed his face.  Then Rhage palmed a knife and stabbed him in the heart. The half breed gasped grabbing the hilt with both hands. Shock on his face.

“You said --- you wouldn’t kill me….”

“Not what I said….” Rhage answered just before the half breed dissolved into ashes. He reached down and picked up his knife when it hit the ground and slipped it into his boot...

“I’ll call Lucien and tell him…”

“Wait… let’s check it out first. You know Lucien. He will want to know what we are up against first. We do recon and then call Lucien.”

“You just want to kill this Dante.”

“Damn right…” Rhage growled. “He and his sire wants Ava. I get to this Dante and then I get the bastard’s name. Then I kill them. Problem solved.”

“Recon then I call Lucien.” Talon told him… he then looked at Rhage’s bloody sleeve. “Is that deep? Do we need to call Sloane before we go?”

“No… it will be fine. We have a cooler. I’ll drink a bag on the way and it will be fine.”

Sloane was munching on the bowl of popcorn he had fixed for them and was watching the rest of the movie that Ava had fallen asleep during. She was on the other end of the sofa curled up under the blanket he had covered her with almost an hour ago. George that ugly damn cat was sleeping on the back of the sofa above Ava’s head. Sloane gave up trying to pet him. It was obvious he was loyal to his mistress and wanted nothing to do with anyone else. He even hissed at Sloane when he tried to cover Ava up.

Suddenly Ava sat up on the couch wide awake. She looked around as if she was terrified and didn’t know where she was.

“Ava….what’s wrong? You’re safe…” Sloane said turning to her. He reached out to touch her leg as she began to rub her arm. Ava looked at him and then down at her arm.

“I know I’m safe….” She nodded.

“Good…” Sloane nodded. “Bad dream?”

“It felt real though.” She even pushed up her sleeve to make sure she wasn’t cut. “I didn’t feel pain, but I felt the knife.”

“Some dreams are like that. So real you feel like you were there.”

“Yeah…” she didn’t think it was that simple. This felt like the anger she felt

At dinner earlier. She felt it all, but yet it didn’t belong to her. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She didn’t want Sloane to think she was crazy either. And bless Alfred he appeared in the doorway with a tray saving her from trying to lie to Sloane.

“I thought you might like some hot chocolate, Ava…”

“Lucien needs to give you a huge raise, Alfred.” She said smiling taking the cup he offered her. She sighed when she saw the little marshmallows in it. “And you will always be my favorite….”

“Hey! I saved you…”

“Yeah…” she nodded at Sloane. “, but Alfred used the cute little ones… see…” she held the cup out so he could see them. Sloane rolled his eyes.

“I put them in yours too, Sloane…” Alfred said with a chuckle.

“Alfred, will you join us?”

“Oh…I’m gonna turn in, Ava, but I promise I will next time.”

“It’s a deal...” she nodded. “And I will hold you to it.”

Sloane smiled behind his cup. Ava was slowly wrapping everyone around her finger. And he knew not one of them would complain about it. She was indeed special and not just because she might or might not be a blood mate.

Sloane was in the clinic with Holden, one of the other brothers. Holden had returned from hunting with a deep slash across his ribs. As Holden drained a bag dry Sloane was making sure he didn’t damage anything too bad.

“Damn! Stop poking it, Sloane.” Holden grunted around the bag.

“Shut up… and drink. You will need at least two more bags. The little bastard nearly cut your lung in half. He got lucky and went between your ribs. How the hell did he get that lucky?”

“I thought I had him pinned and he had a switch blade.” Holden said pulling the empty bag from his fangs. Sloane shoved another one into his hands.

“Damn….”

“You’re telling me. He looked like a weasel. I didn’t know he was one.”

Sloane held the pressure bandage to it knowing it would be healed soon. He just wanted to keep as much blood in him until the skin closed up then his body would do the rest.  The brothers usually were able to keep a hidden built in cooler in their vehicles for emergencies which was what kept Holden lucky this time. He heard the doors open and a few seconds later Talon and Rhage appeared in the doorway.

“Damn, Holden…” Talon swore. “You leave any blood in you, man?”

“A little.”

“Drink… talk later…” Sloane snapped. He looked at Talon and Rhage. “You two ok?”

“Better than him….” Talon chuckled.

              Sloane nodded and then saw the sleeve on Rhage’s jacket was split wide open. “You get hurt?”

“Just a slash. It was healed before I finished the bag.” Rhage shrugged. “I’m good.” He flexed his fingers and arm to prove it.

              Sloane grabbed Holden’s hand and slapped it against the towels. “Hold that there until you finish that bag….” He turned and glared at Rhage. “I need to talk to you two. Now and in my office.” He stomped past them throwing the door open. Holden chuckled around his bag of blood.

“You two are in trouble….Sloane is pissed.”

Talon looked at Rhage. “I didn’t do a damn thing to Sloane. What did you do to him?” Rhage snapped before Talon could speak. Talon glared at him hatefully because Rhage beat him to the punch.

When they entered the office Sloane was pacing in front of his desk. He snapped around and pointed at the door. He was beyond pissed. His fangs was even showing and Sloane never showed his fangs. He was always calm and collected.

“Shut it! My office is sound proof. I need the silence to work sometimes.”

“Ok…” Talon closed the doors and Sloane turned on Rhage and demanded.

“Did you know when you brought her in?”

“Know what?” Rhage crossed his arms over his broad chest and kept his emotions flat. Sloane crossed the distance between them and stood nose to nose with Rhage.

“DON’T. FUCK. WITH. ME. ON. THIS.” Sloane hissed in a low tone that neither Talon nor Rhage had ever heard him use before. His fangs lengthened and Rhage swore his eyes rimmed with red, but before Rhage could say a word Sloane turned away and took two or three steps before facing him again. The red was gone from his eyes and his fangs retracted some. He was calmer than a few seconds ago, but not by much. He had never seen Sloane like that before. It wasn’t right.

“I’m only going to ask once and you better fucking tell me the truth... is she your mate? You can hear her heart can’t you? You felt her pain when you brought her in….” he then pointed to Rhage’s arm. “And tonight she bolted straight up from sleeping rubbing her arm where you got cut. Don’t even think about lying so tell me.”

“Sloane…” Talon sighed. “Leave it alone, man.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Talon… so shut up.” Sloane never took his eyes away from Rhage when he growled at Talon. “Answer me, Rhage.”

“I have no intentions of claiming her.” it was all Rhage could say. He just couldn’t bring himself to deny it again. He couldn’t make his mouth say the words. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he just couldn’t say it out loud, not again. He didn’t see it coming. Sloane’s fist was so fast he didn’t even blur, but Rhage felt the impact of Sloane’s fist on his jaw which sent him flying across the room. Rhage slammed against the wall so hard he put a dent in the surface and sent a crack running up to the ceiling. Talon quickly stepped in front of Sloane.

“Sloane, man clam down….” Sloane shoved Talon aside and glared at Rhage with a murderous edge.

“Then deny her in ceremony so it severs the connection. She is already feeling you she just doesn’t know who it is or what is going on!”

“Fuck…” Talon mumbled.

Slowly Rhage rose from the floor. He looked at Sloane. “She deserves better. It’s for the best I don’t claim her.”

“You are a selfish bastard… you are damn right she deserves better. For some unknown reason you were gifted with the only female who is perfect for you and your sorry ass doesn’t even know what that means.” Sloane hissed. He shook his head. “I always thought you were a damn intelligent brother and right now I’d love to sever your head myself!” Sloane stormed out of the room nearly taking the door off the hinges.

“Fuck!” Talon swore. “Shit!” Rhage leaned against the wall rubbing his jaw. Sloane had cracked it in two places. Talon then noticed Holden standing there.

“Now isn’t a good time, Holden.”

“Sloane had a mate…” Holden said getting their attention. Both men stared at him stunned. “He never talks about her. He got drunk once…I mean REALLY drunk and told me. I think it was the anniversary or something. He doesn’t remember and I have never mentioned it. The day they were gonna take their vows his brother killed her.”

“What?” Talon gasped.

“Apparently he was a jealous bastard and he had always hated Sloane. He felt that she should’ve been his and not Sloane’s. You know that whole I’m older and deserve everything delusion. He raped her and killed her as Sloane was chained to the wall. Sloane watched her die in front of him and felt her pain the entire time. So I’d say you pissed him off royally with YOUR stupidity.” Holden then left.