Forged by Fate (6 page)

Orange blazed through Theo’s hazel eyes, and a growl ripped through the air. Sadie pushed free and jumped to her feet.

“Alive,” Theo whispered. “Safe.”

Justin coughed. “Safe, brother.”

Theo dropped his hold on Justin and sagged against the couch, holding Sadie’s gaze. “Mine,” he whispered, and his eyelids slid shut.

“Holy. Shit.” Sadie backed toward the door as Justin leaned forward, gasping for air.

He crawled away from Theo. “See what I get for trying to help?”

She stared, astonished, scared, furious, and awed all rolled up into a near freak-out fit. What the hell had she just witnessed?

“Go quickly. I’ll stand guard.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening.” She tugged at her hair.

Justin glanced at Theo.

“He almost killed you,” she whispered. For the first time in a long time, her voice cracked. She was strong. Confident. She had to be as the youngest person at this college, odd man out in high school, and freak-of-nature strong black belt. “But you’re his brother.”

“Yes.” Justin looked up at Sadie from the floor as he rubbed his neck. “He’d kill even me to protect his Mate.”

Wait a minute. Did he say
Mate?

Chapter Eleven

“You shouldn’t have done that, Justin.” Theo picked up the pace as they hoofed it to Justin’s Camaro.

“You were the one who went all knife-happy on me. You scared the shit out of her.” He shook his head.

“I didn’t mean to.” Theo jammed his hand into his hair.

He’d been so weak from healing Sadie. Exhausted. All he knew while in his slumber was that someone was taking her. Prying her away from him. How he knew, he wasn’t sure, since he had been regenerating.

And his brother had nearly paid the price. The one who, besides his Mate, Theo cared for the most in this world. He’d expected the intense reaction to his Mate, but to nearly harm his Companion…that didn’t sit right with Theo. He needed to get his shit together and fast.

Justin swung open his door. “So, where’d she disappear to?”

“Not sure, remember, I was out cold?
You
were supposed to be watching her.” Theo shook his head. “I feel her, faintly. I wasn’t surprised she wasn’t at Dasha’s. She’s much farther away.” He went to his bike.

“You’re riding that?” Justin glanced around. “What if you find her?”

“There’s no
if
about it.” He swung his leg over and jammed the key into the ignition. “She also rides a bike, though it’s in the lot. When I find her, she’ll ride with me.”

Justin huffed. “Good luck with that.”

Theo paused, drawing in a cleansing breath, seeking out his Mate. She ran on foot less than thirty minutes ago, so she couldn’t have gotten far.

Unless someone took her while she was out on her own.

Damn, his healing slumber was so deep. Had Justin gotten Theo awake sooner, they could have been that much closer to Sadie.

“What’s wrong?” Justin asked.

“What?” He glanced around.

“You growled. You sense something?”

“I did not.”

“Actually, you’ve been doing that a lot lately. Possessive much?” His brother ducked behind the car as if expecting Theo to throw something at him.

Hardly. But he was right about the possessive comment. Theo had every right, though. After nine centuries of waiting for his Mate, he’d finally touched her. Grazed his fingers along her neck
.

Too bad he’d scared her into running away.

“Hello?” Justin’s voice sliced through his reverie.

He threw his leg over and kicked the bike into action. “Follow me.”

Theo pitched forward with the Camaro close behind. The sun had set hours ago, which left many shadowed areas for Sadie—and demons—to hide.

He’d sensed none nearby, lucky for them, but he barely registered a blip on his radar for Sadie. That was concerning in its own right.

He went north and proceeded to do a loop around the small campus. The town’s population was only forty thousand, yet it was spread out. An engine roared and Justin’s red sports car came alongside him.

“Anything?” he shouted over the noise.

Theo shook his head. And at that instant, the cold vibration he knew so well slid down his spine. Flashes entered his mind in rapid form: long fangs, fire, and granite.

Shit. Sadie was in Hades.

Instinct demanded he veer right. Hackles raised, he nearly skinned his knee he took the turn so sharply. Too sharp for Justin to follow. He’d have to catch up.

Theo wasn’t near a gate to enter Hades, and if a demon hadn’t created a splice, he’d have a bit of a drive to get to a gate.

“Where?” he whispered to The Great One.

The pull was intense, as if a magnet drew his bike. The scent of rancid milk, sulfur, and dirt ransacked his senses.

“Lead me,” he said again. “Your will be done.”

A dark sliver within the void of night opened ahead of him, smack in the middle of the road. He held on to the handlebars and drove in.

Considering that splices only opened to bring a Gatekeeper to the location a demon breached Hades, the fact that one opened for Theo to get to Sadie led him to believe she was in serious trouble.

Darkness encapsulated him, but he forged onward. He’d made this trip millions of times, but this time it wasn’t to send a demon back to Hades.

It was to retrieve his Mate.

Pity anyone who got in his way. Wind whipped by, pounding in his ears louder than a raging river. The stench of sulfur clogged his senses.

He opened his mind, searching for Sadie. Through the thick, pungent evil, he sensed a breath of fresh air. A light.

A pure soul that didn’t belong in this darkness.

Orange flames flickered into his awareness, and he let off the throttle. To his right. Yes. She was close. Her heartbeat was fast. Anxiety rolled through the air, slamming into him.

Very close.

Jagged rocks and granite burning red-hot from the flames flanked him, creating a narrow tunnel. Only the roof of this tunnel was an endless orange sky.

Hold on, love.

He didn’t sense they were hurting her at the moment. But if they had, he would rip this place to bits.

“Theophilus.” It was Aggie’s voice floating in the air like a hushed whisper. “How nice of you to visit.”

Theo glanced behind him. The rumble of his bike’s engine vibrated the air, a haunting sound. He wasn’t familiar with this part of Hades that he could tell, and he’d seen much of it. Splices to locate demons on earth stayed open until the vanquish was complete for Theo to return home. Hopefully, this unique splice did the same.

A whiff of vanilla teased his nostrils. But it was quickly followed by the foul stench of fear. Anger. Desperation.

Finally, the end of the ceiling-less tunnel came in sight. Seven demons formed a semicircle around Sadie with Aggie standing in the center. Aggie’s red eyes flamed.

One demon held Sadie by the neck and shoulder, nails digging into her tender flesh.

A roar burned through Theo’s throat and rushed out his mouth. One push off the bike, and he was airborne, aiming straight for Aggie, who smiled and vanished, only to reappear beside Sadie, dagger to her throat.

Theo’s fangs dropped and blood burned through him as his muscles tightened, preparing for battle. No, they would feel his wrath. Judge, jury, and executioner were the three words to describe Theo.

Yet he’d sentenced and convicted Aggie three times, but somehow the demon continued to return to earth.

Theo froze, reading the situation. The demons hadn’t moved. And they wore ceremonial garb. No, sacrificial garb.

Shit.

“You will unhand her.” Theo calculated the odds of his super speed. Was he fast enough to get to Sadie without harming her too greatly? She’d been through so much recently.

So much she’d run from him.

And once again, he hadn’t protected her. That pumped his blood three notches hotter than it already was. His muscles twitched, begging for action. To kill.

“Such a beautiful, fragile human.” Aggie smiled and brushed his knuckles along her bare shoulder.

The one with
Theo’s
brand. The Mark they shared, declaring them Mates. Showing all males she was not available.

Even humans, though they didn’t know it.

Sadie tensed and fixed her stare on Theo. He opened his mind to hers but saw a fury of thoughts raining down. He couldn’t quite grab one to hear completely. Wait, she was running through scenarios, options to get herself out of the situation. Yes. His woman was strong. She’d fight.

He widened his stance, inching his hand toward the dagger perched at his hip. But if he got one to her, could she wield the Mavet since they hadn’t mated yet? Normally the Mates couldn’t until—

Trust her.

The Great One’s voice was calm yet piercing.
Yes.
He would trust her. She was strong. Stronger than even she knew. She could handle the Mavet.

“Aggie, you really are daft, aren’t you?”

The demon hissed.

“My woman would
never
be fragile.” Theo grinned slowly, praying to The Great One that Sadie understood he needed her to fight. To use her skills as a black belt and her strength as a Shomrei Mate. “You know what that means?”

He nodded at Sadie and silently said,
Be ready.

She winked.

Actually winked.

This might work
.

He tossed one of his daggers toward Sadie while he sped at Aggie, pulling out the second dagger from his thigh holster.

Sadie snatched the weapon from the air and sliced at the claws holding her.

One dive forward had her rolling on the ground. Theo easily plowed through the first wall of demons that swarmed in front of her, and then jumped over her as she rolled away from Aggie.

Theo sank his dagger in Aggie’s neck.

Wait, it wasn’t Aggie. Instead, it was one of his minions. The creature flopped onto the ground, foaming at the mouth. Theo whipped around and found Sadie engaged with a giant demon. His nails sparked against the blade.

“Stab them anywhere,” he yelled as he charged the scuffle. The rest of the demons fled.

But he knew they wouldn’t be gone for long. They’d be back, and in greater numbers.

Sadie pierced the demon’s thigh, and it sagged to the ground.

“Now that’s just not fair,” Justin said from the distance. “She can handle the Mavet and your Companion can’t.”

Sadie jumped away from the demon that lay immobilized on the ground, black blood oozing from his wound. She flattened her back against the jagged wall, which had to hurt, yet she didn’t flinch.

So strong.

With wide eyes, she seesawed her focus between Justin and Theo. Sweat poured down her face, though it didn’t appear she had any bruises. Or cuts.

“You might want to call in your fangs, brother,” Justin whispered.

The adrenaline had been pumping so fiercely he’d forgotten. Instantly, he called his supernatural side in and faced his Mate.

“Come here, Sadie.” He offered his hand. He didn’t like her in such close proximity to the demon. He recognized this one. He’d sent the bastard back here centuries ago. “Sadie.”

She jumped to the side, not toward Theo. No, it looked as if she wanted to melt into the granite to get farther from him than she already was. Of course she’d be scared. She had seen his fangs.
Shit.

“I won’t hurt you.”

She stopped as if considering her options.

There weren’t any.

He had to get her out of here, and she had exactly five seconds to get to his side so he could take her away from this place or he would speed to her and get her himself. Those demons would soon return with stronger numbers.

“Am I dead?” she whispered, as she continued to inch to the side, looking at the paralyzed demon.

“No, love. Please, come to me. I’ll get you out of here.”

Justin flinched and glanced upward, his nostrils flaring. Theo, too, smelled the demons approaching. What a score to kill the Gatekeeper’s Mate, or at least try.

“Look, Sadie. I know you’re scared.” Justin edged toward her. “But we need to go. Right now.” He offered her his hand as Theo had done.

And she ignored it just as she had Theo’s.

A snarl ripped through the air, and she flinched. Knees bent, hands fisted, she looked up. Theo sped to the demon and retrieved his dagger, then leaped in Sadie’s direction.

Amazingly, she tracked him, because when he approached, he saw her wide eyes.

“Sorry, love, time’s up.”

Chapter Twelve

Theo slammed into Sadie with such a force she feared her ribs cracked. His relentless grip around her waist held her steady. Each step he took, which she could barely register because he moved so fast, sent a jolt of raging energy through her until she figured her hair would burst into flames.

She lifted her head to see where they were going.

“Try not to move, love.”

“Don’t call me that.” She craned her neck more to see.

His bike. That black thing of beauty lay on its side among the granite walls and flickering flames. That’s right, he’d leaped off it when he’d seen her surrounded by…
demons
. Shit, they were demons, weren’t they? She was in hell right now.

He’d come to get her in hell on his motorcycle? Just drove it on in, kicked ass, then rode out?

“Go. I’ll buy you some extra time,” Justin said.

Clashing metal rang through her ears. She dared a look back and found Justin engaged with four hideous creatures. They didn’t fight with daggers, though, like Justin.

They used their claws…and fangs, judging by the snap one made for Justin’s arm. Theo slowed, and before she could register it, she sat astride the bike with him in front of her.

“Hang on.”

She must not have reacted quickly enough because he reached back and yanked her arm around his waist. “Now.”

She twined the other around and latched her hands together. The engine roared, and they lurched forward toward a tunnel. No, a darkened hallway.

Blooming orange clouds formed in the sky above them, but the dark walls on either side went up forever.