Alpha Protector (Shadow Sentinels World #3)

Chapter 26

S hannon

Behind Vilderon, Airling tilted her head to the side, considering her father. Her alert posture was totally unconcerned by the invading Mades. My eyes narrowed. It was a strange reaction to an unexpected invading force. Unless it wasn’t unexpected…

Behind Stone, Airling spun almost too quickly for me to see. Within seconds, his father lay on the floor—his head severed from his body. Something glinted in her eyes as she turned and stared at my mate. My heart clenched. Hate. Pure, unadulterated hate. Stone didn’t notice, too occupied with killing the next crazed Made. No way would I reach him in time, so I shifted into my human form and yelled, “Stone! Behind you!”

I was too late. The sword fell towards his neck. When it struck, blue-green power blasted through the room, taking down at least eight Mades. Ventry ran in, his face as cold as ice, his armour coated in blood. Behind him was the biggest and most vicious demon wolf in existence. The Shifter King bared his huge fangs and roared, making the air vibrate with his force. My heart stuttered, tears pricking my eyes as a familiar pack of large wolves bounded in, followed by an enormous lion. Lionel gave a roar to rival the King of Shifters.

Stone had somehow got word to them. My heart swelled. Of course, he had. They were our family, our friends; we would never have to fight this alone. My breath caught as a woman with fire wrapped around her hands and burning in her eyes stalked in. Flashing me a wild and delighted grin, she let her flames fly. Despite my relief and joy at seeing our pack, my attention homed in on Stone, who had Airling’s blade embedded in his neck. His eyes met mine, full of regret as his knees buckled, and he crashed to the floor.

“No!” I yelled, my chest squeezing so tight I could barely drag enough air in to breathe, let alone scream anything else.

Airling’s nostrils flared as she tried to pull the sword back, swearing when it wouldn’t budge. She spared me a hate-filled glare before her gaze shifted to something behind me.

“Traitor…” I heard her hiss. I glanced back in time to see the strange dark-haired Fae turn to shadow, rematerialise in front of the Unseelie female and then dematerialise again, taking her with him. There was a cacophony of bellows, the Unseelies staring around in confusion. Pivoting back, I found Stone on the ground, lifeless, and Airling nowhere to be seen.

“Stone!” Pain lanced my heart, my wolf howling as I skidded over the floor, uncaring of my nakedness, and dropped to my knees beside him. No blood. There was no blood! I sobbed with relief when I saw that the blade was embedded in the collar.

“Holy shit,” he moaned, coughing and panting as he pulled the blade out.

Tears streamed down my face as I helped him sit up before throwing my arms around him.

“Hey, I’m okay, Butterfly. Honestly.” His big hands pulled me into his chest, and I held on tightly, a sob escaping my lips.

“Here. Let me.”

I forced myself to move back a bit as Ember knelt down at his other side, giving me a brief grin. “Hey.”

I couldn’t answer, my throat too thick with emotion.

“Butterfly, look at me.” Stone’s rasped command had its desired effect. My gaze snapped to his. His eyes darkened, his nostrils flaring at the sign that his voice still had power over me. His big, warm hands circled my waist, spanning the upper curve of my naked hips. “It really is okay. I’m here, and I’m fine.” He chuckled darkly, pulling me closer and kissing the top of my head. “Never thought I’d be glad I was collared, though.”

Another sob escaped me, and I tightened my hold, still unable to speak.

“Keep still, both of you,” Ember admonished. “I need to melt this lock and I don’t want to singe your hideous wedding suit or your skin, Stone.”

Warmth bathed the air, and Stone hissed right before the collar dropped away.

“I don’t give a fuck about the suit or my skin. I’m just glad the damned thing is off.” He pushed to his knees and gently pulled my arms from around him. Reluctantly, I let him go. He glanced down at me, his eyes travelling over my nakedness. A possessive growl escaped his chest. “Here. Wear this.” He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

Shifters spent enough time naked for it to not bother any of us. Unless a mate was being possessive, and fuck me, I loved it. I was his, and he was mine, and I really didn’t give a shit about that protective behaviour, not when I was too raw from almost losing him. The tears I’d been holding back tipped from my eyes as I slipped my arms through the sleeves, my fingers trembling so much I couldn’t do up the buttons. I looked down, embarrassed by my show of emotion. Ember was my friend, but she was still right beside me, and I was supposed to be a field agent, a tough, Alpha shifter, not someone weak enough to cry. Gods, I’d worked for years to solidify my reputation as a grade-A bitch and Alpha wolf. I swallowed hard, trying my best to stem the flow of moisture. Yet, I wasn’t that person anymore, and it was as confusing as hell trying to figure out how to behave in front of my pack now that I was different. However, I knew crying mid-battle wouldn’t do me any favours if I wanted to return to my position in Connor’s inner circle of warriors. My stomach tightened at the thought, suddenly hating the idea of pretending to be something I wasn’t.

I shoved that worry away. My brain had no space for anything except the image of Stone with a sword embedded in his neck. It was burned into my damned eyeballs. I pressed my shaking hands into my eye sockets, spiralling into the kind of anxiety I hadn’t felt in weeks. No matter how much I wanted to go after Airling and rip her throat out for hurting my mate, I couldn't control my brain, and it was taking me down a tunnel I hated…Gods, I needed a drink… fuckfuckfuck… I didn’t want to need a drink…but I did.

A firm grip on my chin was all it took to calm some of that inner turmoil.

“Look at me.” Stone's commanding voice, his scent surrounding me and his touch were my calm in the storm. My anxiety settled enough that I could think more clearly. I met his gaze, my chin wobbling. His smile was meant to reassure me, and it did, but it was his warm lips lightly touching mine that took away the tension in my muscles and my mind. He rested his forehead on mine, his warmth and gaze enough to centre me. I breathed in his exhaled air, absorbing his nearness before exhaling against his lips.

“I’m fine, Butterfly. She missed. You are going to be fine, too. Those feelings just then? They will pass, I promise. And once we are safe, we’ll talk about it. Okay? And these are nothing to be ashamed of.” He brushed my tears away before pressing his lips to mine in a soft, tender kiss. “They are mine, remember?”

I gave him a watery smile and nodded, letting him wipe the remaining moisture off my cheeks. Once they were dry, he pulled back. “Good girl,” he whispered, soft enough only I heard.

A hand on my arm dragged my attention from my mate. Ember’s voice was quiet as if she didn’t want to spook me. “Shan? It’s so good to see you. Are you…okay?”

She was asking about more than this battle. And, no, I wasn’t entirely okay. This fight had shown me I needed professional help to conquer my demons, but with Stone’s support, I’d do it. I just wanted to escape this place and be alone with my mate. Being without him, having the threat of losing him hover over me? That was almost my undoing. I wrapped my arms around my belly, trying to ease the tight ball of anxiety coiling there. The need to tell him how I felt, that I never wanted to lose him and I loved him, made my skin itch. But there was no way to do that until we were safe and away from here.

I glanced at the door that Airling had disappeared through. We also needed to understand what the hell was going on here and how Made Vampires had gotten into Faery.

I forced a smile and made myself meet my friend’s gaze. “It’s good to see you too, Em. Honestly. But we need to find his sister and that creepy Fae she was working with. They have the Unseelie female.” The glint of metal caught my eye, and it took more effort than it should to shake off the fear that gripped my heart as I eyed the fallen sword. I got to my feet.

Ember’s brow dipped, but she didn’t call me out for evading her question.

Going back into the dark passages and dungeons under this House was the last thing I wanted to do, but finding Airling and the Unseelie High Lady was too important. “I think I have an idea where they might have gone.”

I watched Stone climb to his feet. He didn’t look injured other than the burns on his neck and wrists from the noxious metals.

“You’re not going after her without me. There’s something else going on here that none of us understands. I’ve no idea who that Fae is, but my father had some kind of deal with them, as did Airling.” He inclined his head at the Unseelies. “So did they, by the looks of it, considering it, or he, at least I think that bastard is male, was walking at their backs. He had to be playing both sides in the border wars.”

“Yeah, and he looked far too satisfied when Ventry joined the fight,” Ember mused. We looked towards the Prince Regent. His gun was still in its hip holster, and his sword was nowhere to be seen, yet dead Mades lay scattered at his feet.

“Behead them all,” he instructed the Fae warrior to his left. The blue-haired male, who was as broad and slightly shorter than Ventry, nodded and obeyed his gruesome orders without hesitation. At the back of the room, the remaining vampires were dispatched by Connor, Owen, D, Kawan, and Lionel. Not all of Connor’s brothers, but most of them.

I wanted to run and greet them, yet a part of me was still nervous, even ashamed to see them again. I’d fucked up big time by letting my past dictate my behaviour, and I clearly still hadn’t gotten a handle on it. My need for a drink had calmed since Stone had touched me, but it hadn’t disappeared. I looked down, and even though I wanted to lift my chin and snarl, I shuffled behind Stone’s big body as they shifted into human form and approached.

Stone slowly twisted until he faced me. “Hey?” The familiar weight of his hands landed on my shoulders before sliding up to cup my face and tilt it up. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. They understand.”

My cheeks flushed, mortified he’d told them about my issues…

“I didn't tell them, Butterfly. They’re your family; they saw what was happening and guessed why. Or at least some of it.”

A warm hand took mine, and sympathy shone in Ember’s eyes. “We love you and this big lummox, Shan. You were spiralling, and you both needed a bit of a push to sort out your feelings for each other. We didn’t want to lose you completely, and Connor never wanted to be in the position of having to…discipline you.”

My heart swelled at the love and understanding in her voice.

Connor came and stood next to his queen, pulling her to his side. “She’s right. Ordering Stone to take you away was the only way to save you from yourself. I hoped you would acknowledge your bond because I wanted you both to be happy.”

Trying not to get weepy, I met my king’s gaze, though I knew he could tell we hadn’t mated. A flash of remorse went through me. The need to make Stone mine was fizzling under my skin. I desperately wanted to, but a small part of my brain was terrified of giving anyone, even Stone, that kind of power over me. It was ridiculous to want something so much yet be so frightened by it.

Connor tilted his head, but his words weren’t about our mating bond—or lack of it. He smiled. “Your wolf is back.”

He sounded pleased, and the kindness in his eyes was something I didn’t often see when he looked at me. Or perhaps I’d just never looked at him long enough to see it. I grimaced, wondering what else I’d missed on the faces of my friends and family while too stuck in my cycle of self-destruction to notice. I nodded and slipped my hand into Stone’s, hoping I hadn’t hurt him because of my insecurity over the mating bond.

Yet, when I peered up at him, worried about what I might see on his face, there was nothing but proudness as he smiled at me, then Connor.

“She is.” His warm fingers curled tightly around mine, keeping me grounded and staving off my worry—for now.

Connor grinned. “Good. That’s a step in the right direction. We’ll have you back at work kicking vampire arse in no time, Shan. Well, as soon as you’re ready.”

His words should have made me happy. They didn’t. The thought of returning to what and who I’d been before left a sour taste in my mouth. Stone had shown me a different side to my nature, which I wanted to explore more. I was happy with who I was when I was with him, and for the first time in years, I wanted something different; a life that wasn’t full of violence and the need to prove myself. I didn’t know what that would look like, but I didn’t think it was being a Shadow Sentinel.

I pulled my hand from Stone’s and turned away, not ready for Connor to sense my indecision. “When I escaped the dungeon, I got lost. I think I even went deeper into the catacombs by mistake. My wolf found the old ventilation ducts and guided me through them and back towards the house. While I was down there, I saw something odd. At first, I thought it was a communication hub before I remembered how far from the house I was. No one would have put one that far under their foundations.”

“A communications hub?” Stone’s brow furrowed. “There’s never been one down there that I’m aware of.”

“But that’s the thing,” I said, staring at him. “When I got closer, I could see it wasn’t a communications hub. It was too small and wasn’t made of purely Fae technology. It looked more like something Drake and Charlie put together with Ventry’s help to boost our communications and security systems signals.”

“How big was it?” asked Ventry, his powerful presence brushing over my skin and raising the hairs on my arms. Oh, he was pissed off about this situation, the sheer weight of his magic testament to that, but the dip of his brows told me he was also thinking over what the technology could be.

“Not much bigger than a shoe box, I suppose.”

“Can you take us to it?”

I couldn’t help but glance at Stone but quickly dropped my gaze when his silver eyes burned into mine. They were full of encouragement, but it made no difference. My heart started pounding, and my palms were sweating. The expectation in everyone’s eyes was too much. His soft, rumbling growl made my stomach tighten further. Shit, I’d pissed him off, but I wasn’t sure if I could find the thing again, and I didn’t want to fuck up in front of my family and my king. “I…”

“Give us a moment,” he rumbled at the others, his tone dripping with don’t fucking question me vibes.

I marvelled at his braveness for basically telling the most powerful Fae in Faery, not to mention the Shifter King and Queen, to fuck off.

A warm hand gently encircled my throat and tilted my chin up. A kiss warmed my lips, centering me again.

“Shan, you don’t have to do this. If it’s there, we’ll find it. I can shift, find your scent and follow it. It might take a bit longer if I have to go through the vents to track your path, but I’ll do it.”

I closed my eyes. What was I doing? I was better than this. But we’d agreed on honesty and communication; we’d agreed on trust. If I shared my feelings, he’d understand and not just think me weak. “No, it’s fine, I can take you. I-I’m just…” I coughed, clearing my throat. “I’m scared of failing. In front of them.”

His throat bobbed, and he kissed my forehead, a silent thank you for trusting him with my feelings. “There’s no need to be scared of not finding it. All you can do is try. You won’t be alone; if we work together we’ll get there. No one will judge you, Butterfly. Least of all your family. They’re just happy you’re okay.”

“It’s true,” piped up Ember from across the room. “We are.”

“Ember.” Connor’s tone was amused, though he crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. “That was supposed to be a private conversation.”

Ember grinned. “Yeah, but they know nothing is private if other supes are in the same room. Right, Shan?” She waggled her brows.

Despite my embarrassment at them overhearing my vulnerability, I smiled. “Right.” My family needed to get used to the new me, and I needed to start being honest about who I was and how I felt. I slipped my arms around Stone’s waist and hugged him.

“Thank you,” I whispered into his chest, inhaling deeply before I pulled away.

“Well, fuck me, never thought I’d see Shan hug someone,” Owen drawled, raising a brow.

“Yeah, hey, is that a smile? Should I take a picture before their faces crack? Maybe it’s some new fighting technique where they squeeze each other until one pops.” Lionel chuckled at Stone’s raised middle finger.

“Leave them alone. You’re just jealous.” D’s heavy Russian accent warmed me. I smiled at him as he winked, making Stone growl. D grinned widely.

“Me? I’m not fucking jealous. I get loads of hugs,” Owen said, sounding so indignant I had to chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, we all know how lucky you are, brother,” Kawan said, giving Owen a pat on the back. Kawan’s beautiful, unblemished face was free from the makeup he usually wore, but no less stunning because of it. He was one tough motherfucker, and part of that was having the confidence to be who he was. Yes, he liked makeup, fashion and wild hair colour. But he was also one of the kindest people I knew. I wished I was more like him.

Kawan came closer, his eyes softening. Stone gave a possessive growl, pulling me into his side but Kawan just smiled reassuringly.

“Calm down, brother, I know she’s yours. Besides, she’s got the wrong anatomy to be my type.” Ignoring Stone’s warning, Kawan leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “Hey, girl, it’s good to see you.”

My eyes burned. “It’s good to see you, too. All of you.”

Stone held me tighter.

“You too, you moody bastard,” Owen slapped Stone on the back before kissing the top of my head.

Stone growled more viciously, glaring at D and Lionel. “Don’t even fucking think about touching her.”

Part of me preened at him claiming me, especially when the others grinned and raised their hands. Had they been winding him up because they couldn’t scent a mating bond? Any Alpha shifter would react if unmated males got too close to their mates, especially before the bond had been forged. My stomach plummeted again. What if they thought he was still running from our connection without realising the problem was me?

Lionel shrugged, still smiling. “No problem. We’ll stay away, brother…for now.”

“Enough,” barked Connor, shooting Lionel a warning glare.

I gave Stone’s hand a squeeze. “Come. We need to find your sister and rescue that High Lady.”

“We’ll come with you,” one of the Unseelies said, looking directly at Ventry as if expecting a fight.

“No,” Ventry answered, no compromise in his tone, his stare enough to wither the strongest of warriors. “I do not know you. I do not trust you. You are in my territory without my permission, which is an act of war. Therefore you will stay here and wait for my return. My brother and my men will ensure your safety.”

The Unseelie’s face hardened. “That creature took my sister, I will not wait here…”

“You will,” interrupted Ventry. “But you have my word that I will do everything in my power to ensure her safety and to bring her back to you unharmed.”

“You are the Seelie heir. Why would we trust our sister to you?” another said from behind the first.

“Quiet,” the first one said, raising his hand. Apparently, he was the one with the most power. He studied Ventry quietly for a few seconds, but it was obvious that if the Prince Regent of the Seelie Fae wanted them to stay, they had no choice if they wanted to remain alive.

“I have seen that male in our territory before. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to come here. I wanted to find out what he was doing playing on both sides of the border. If he takes her back to Unseelie lands, you won’t be able to catch them unless I’m with you. As you said, we are at war, and if they catch you, you will be imprisoned at best or, at worst, used as an example of what the Unseelie do to those who cross them.”

Ventry tilted his head, a muscle twitching in his jaw, but he nodded. “Fine, you alone may accompany us. The rest stay here.”

The Unseelie nodded. “I have no choice but to agree. I hope you are a male of your word, Seelie Prince, because my father will gather every Unseelie High Fae and monster in Orth and destroy every life between here and the Winter palace if his sons and daughter are harmed. The skirmishes we have fought these past centuries will be seen as mild in comparison.”

Ventry couldn’t hide his surprise at that. “He allowed all of his children to come into enemy territory? Together? He may try to invade my lands if I harm you, but that’s a…bold move.” His face gave nothing away, but there was no missing that he meant “read that as stupid”.

The male’s lips flattened, and he glared at his brothers. They shuffled uncomfortably and glared back. “Indeed,” he said. They had evidently come without permission and were in deep shit with their big brother.

Ventry relaxed a little at his expression and released a wry chuckle. “Well, we all have siblings that can be…a little challenging.”

There was a huff from the blue haired warrior, who’d completed his gruesome task of beheading the vampires.

The Unseelie prince dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “We do. My name is Ronan. We were told by Lord Vilderon that you are aware of this deal and had granted favour to it. We were even sent a document with your seal to check and sign. My father allowed this match to ensure peace between our kingdoms. He wishes for the fighting to stop.”

Ventry’s brows twitched at that. “When your sister is safe, I wish to see that document. And we can discuss the matter of war later. This war started because the Unseelie chose to ignore the Seelie borders. For the fighting to stop, borders must be honoured.”

“When my sister is safe, I will gladly cooperate with the document. Perhaps another marriage deal can be brokered. After all, it is in both our interests to ensure discussions of a peace treaty continue.”

Ventry nodded but remained quiet, his face giving nothing away. At a guess, he had not commenced any such treaty and was wary of offering any deal, especially for a marriage bond, but he was an astute ruler. He would listen to the information and their peace proposal and decide based on that. Without marriage, it may not result in a lasting end to the disputes, but he would do what he believed to be best for his people.

Ventry didn’t look away from Ronan. “Arrochar.”

The warrior with deep blue hair and blue-green eyes stepped close. “Guard them with your life, brother, but do not let them leave.”

Arrochar nodded and stood with his back to the wall, his hand loosely holding a weapon. The other clearly experienced warriors guarded the exits, their focus sharp. There was no escape for the Unseelie. Similarly, there was no way anyone would get in.

As interesting as the politics of this little group were, I wanted to find Airling. She deserved a sword in her own damned neck for trying to kill my mate. Without another word to anyone I shifted. The shirt Stone had given me ripped into shreds, and I shook off the tatters. Only Connor and his brothers could disassemble their clothes and pull the molecules back together. But with Stone standing by my side and glaring challengingly at the others in the room, I didn’t want to antagonise him further by getting naked first. I nudged his hand before taking off through the door to the dungeons. Vaguely, I heard Connor bark some orders, but I was already running. Once I was down in the depths of the underground tunnels, I inhaled deeply, managing to pick up my faint scent.

I followed it, winding through the dark and narrow corridors, until I found another open door that led down at least three floors to where the air became stale. It was no surprise when my scent was drowned out by the sharp odour of death and blood. Stone’s massive wolf rumbled, pushing his bulk protectively into my fur. My wolf turned and licked the corner of his mouth, trying to reassure him. He snorted air, his purple eyes luminous in the dark. I nudged him away with my head and followed the scent of that destruction. The others, who had also shifted, stayed behind me as I led them to the room where I’d been held.

Two guards lay sprawled on the ground next to the closed door. I’d dug my way underneath it to escape, and it was clear they hadn’t even had a chance to find out I wasn’t in there. There was no need to stop and look or check them for signs of life. Nothing in that room would help us, and nothing would help them. Ignoring their glassy, dead eyes, I tried to remember the path I’d taken in the pitch black, but it had been disorientating, feeling my way along the walls in the dark. It didn’t help that the musty smell of dry rot had swamped my scent.

I shifted, not complaining when Stone was suddenly upright, clothed, and blocking me from view. He faced the others with a low grumble vibrating from his chest. It had never felt weird to be naked with others nearby in the past, but it did now. I pushed back my disappointment that I’d not found the room with the device in it and peered around Stone, who was glaring at the others. Even in the dark, our eyes could make each other out, and with Ember using fire to light our way, they wouldn’t miss the challenge in his burning irises. They didn’t comment, merely stepped back. Even Connor didn’t react to his challenging stare.

It was hard to resist pushing up against Stone as I looked at them from behind his outstretched arm. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell whether I went left or right here. I’ve lost the scent.”

“You did well to find your way this far,” said Ventry, before peering at the darkness beyond. He looked at Connor. “We should split up. Call on your comms if you find anything.”

“We’ll take straight on,” said Ember, walking away with Connor and Lionel, fire wreathing her body and lighting their way.

“Ronan, you’re with us,” Ventry instructed. “We’ll take the right tunnel.”

Owen turned his big head, rumbled in his throat and followed the fae prince. Only then did I realise that Kawan and D must have stayed behind.

Stone waited until they’d gone and darkness descended, then he spun before circling his arms around me and pulling me into him. “Fuck, I can’t wait any longer.” His mouth met mine, devouring me. I met him kiss for kiss, my tongue duelling with his. “I thought I’d lost you, Butterfly. I’m so fucking sorry for what happened.”

I shook my head, my heart squeezing at the pain in his voice. “No, none of it was your fault. Your father is an evil son-of-a-bitch.”

His forehead rested against mine. “Was.”

For a moment, we didn’t move. Close enough to breathe each other’s air, I knew I was taking comfort in his nearness, the warmth of his skin, so I could only surmise he was taking the same comfort from me. His eyes burned, his voice gravelly with emotion that I hated coming from him: guilt, self-disgust, fear. “I love you, Shannon, and it kills me that I put you in danger by bringing you to this world. That I couldn’t, or rather didn’t, protect you like a mate should. I should have known better. Been better.”