Chapter Twelve #2
“No,” he whispered. He would not feed from an infant. The addiction, compounded by severe blood loss, turned his hands into claws as his fangs cut through his gums.
“No.”
Still, Aidhan whimpered and cried. How long could the baby survive in this cold? Hours? Minutes? Rhys’s mouth watered and he swallowed again and again. He was so hungry. Maybe just a tiny sip?
“No! No! No!” Ragged scream after ragged scream filled his throat. In the background he heard Aidhan’s cries. The poor thing was scared to death.
And he should be. He’s trapped with a monster.
“I’m not a monster. I’m not. I won’t hurt this baby, even if it kills me,” Rhys whispered.
He dragged himself over to Aidhan and gently picked him up and held him close. In the moonlight he could see Aidhan’s face. The tiny child calmed down the instant he was picked up. He looked up at Rhys, blinking his purple eyes.
“Okay, kiddo, it’s just you and me.”
Rhys stood and bounced Aidhan in his arms. He had to move slowly since he was weak from blood loss.
But, after a while he had checked the entire room.
Of course their captors had not left any way out.
The door at the top of the stairs was locked, even throwing his weight against it, it wouldn’t budge.
Whoever had taken them wanted him trapped so he would feed on the baby.
He slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor.
“We just have to wait for your momma. I bet she is with Moe and your Aunt Abby right now figuring out what happened. You’ll see. We just have to wait.” Rhys tucked the baby close against his body.
Out of nowhere a sense of motherly love filled him. The pain and hunger from the addiction evaporated. He felt a peace like he had never known before. In that instant, he knew, that no matter what, he would do whatever it took to get them out of here alive.
Fate had plans for them both.
* * * *
Around her, Rebecca heard voices. They planned search patterns and perimeter checks, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was her baby. Aleks was standing with Bran and Liam coordinating efforts. Abby and Moe could feel that Rhys was awake, but could not pinpoint where their mate was.
“He won’t hurt your baby,” a melodic voice said.
Rebecca turned her head. It was as if each movement was in slow motion. Gabriel knelt beside her.
“I want my baby, Gabriel. Please find my baby,” she whispered. She saw the pain and helplessness flare in his eyes.
“I swear I will find the ones who took our children.” He took both her hands in his.
She had forgotten. Rhys was like a son to Gabriel, he was the only other person besides Aleks who could possibly understand her pain. She just nodded. The whole world was muted. It was as if she was wrapped in soft cotton. All her senses were dull.
“Is she okay?” she heard Gabriel ask.
“She’s in shock, but I dare not move her to the clinic. Another bout of hysterics could shut her down,” she heard Doc say.
She nodded, agreeing with him. She would probably lose her mind if she left the diner without her son. They moved away from her.
“My dear. My dear. Oh, don’t you look a fright,” a soft voice said.
Rebecca tried hard to focus on the figure before her.
“Someone took my baby.” Even to herself her own voice sounded so far away.
“Poor dear.” The nearly transparent figure clucked her tongue.
“Who is she talking to?” she heard Abby ask.
“Better get Doc.” She watched Moe walk toward Maddox.
“That pretty young man has him, dear.”
“Who?” Rebecca asked.
“Who, what Rebecca?” Abby asked, her face looking concerned.
“That pretty young man you showed me on your little box. They are in my basement.”
Rebecca felt the world suddenly come rushing back into focus. Smells returned and sounds slammed back into her.
“Oh my god! I know where he is!” she yelled.
Everyone in the diner was staring at her like she was crazy but she didn’t care, she had to get to her baby!
“Thank you, Ms. Whittaker!” Rebecca jumped up, heading to the door.
Abby caught her arm. “Where are they?”
“Ms. Whittaker says Rhys and Aidhan are in her basement!” There was a rush of movement and Rebecca and Abby left the diner at a run, Aleks and Moe and Gabriel right behind them.
* * * *
They were almost to the house when Abby heard it.
The voice of an angel. Note after note blended together and lifted to the heavens.
She and Rebecca stopped and listened. They tried the door only to find it locked.
Moe came up behind them and, not even stopping, pulled the door from the hinges and threw it aside.
Abby was impressed, that was an extremely heavy door that her mate had thrown like a Frisbee.
They followed the sound of the song to the kitchen.
This time Aleks leaned back and with one kick destroyed the door.
Abby followed Rebecca into the darkness to the ones their hearts were desperate to hold.
Behind them light flooded the room as everyone gathered together with their flashlights and lanterns.
Rhys, hearing the door kick in, had stood. He was drenched in blood and so was Aidhan.
“I told you! He has killed the Arkadion!” Somehow Salsiby had joined them in the basement. Before anyone could think he lifted a small revolver and pointed it at Rhys. Within the confines of the small basement the shots were deafening.
“Aidhan, no!”
“Rhys!”
Rhys turned his body blocking Aidhan from the gunfire. His body jerked as each bullet buried itself deep in his flesh.
An inhuman roar filled the basement. Moe’s body seemed to expand and grow. At seven feet he was scary, at eight feet he was terrifying but at nine feet he was the thing of nightmares.
He had grown as broad as he had tall, with a fine coat of fur covering his body. His upper and lower canines had extended, his jaw and forehead had become squared. Locking his demon-like black eyes on Salsiby, he roared again.
Screaming in terror, the smell of urine filled the air. Salsiby dropped the gun and darted up the stairs. Moe was right behind him.
Rebecca, Abby and Rhys stared at the creature Moe had become, as he pounded up the wooden steps after the lawyer.
“Okay, that was totally fucking hot and owww!” Rhys exclaimed.
Rebecca took Aidhan and cuddled him close. Aleks wrapped himself around Rebecca and his son.
Abby held Rhys close, crying as she looked at the bullet holes in his shirt.
“Shush, I’ll heal and be good as new as soon as Doc removes the bullets. It’s one of the advantages of being this old.” Rhys held her close. They both looked at each other when they heard another inhuman roar as it vibrated the walls above them.
“We better go make sure he’s okay,” Rhys said.
“Salsiby?” Rebecca demanded.
“No, Moe.”
They made their way upstairs where under the light of the moon, most of the town had gathered and stood in awe as their nine-foot mate beat Salsiby.
“I’m so glad he caught up with him outside, it would have been a bitch to get blood out of the wood floors,” Abby commented.
Rebecca nodded, nuzzling Aidhan.
“Maybe you girls should head to the diner,” Aleks suggested, looking a bit sick.
They turned to him.
“Why?” they asked, tilting their heads in unison.
Aleks shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Is that…Is he using…?” Rhys’s eyes widened.
“Yes, it is,” Gabriel said, looking on, amused.
“Papa,” Rhys whispered. Gabriel laid a hand on Rhys’s shoulder.
“The darkness is gone from your eyes,” Gabriel said, his voice filled with love.
“In the basement, I felt Fate come to me. She lifted the addiction. I’m free.” Rhys smiled at his prince.
“She heard my prayer,” Rebecca said.
“Is our mate beating Salsiby to death with his own arm?” Abby asked, looking at the bloody mess in the front yard of their future home.
Rhys turned from his maker as Gabriel moved away to hold Ashby, who was watching everything with a horrified yet fascinated expression.
“Yes, he is,” Rhys said proudly.
“Do you know what kind of strength he would need to pull a shifter’s arm from its socket like that?” Abby asked.
Rhys shivered in lust. “Yes.”
Behind them a shadow darted away. Rhys turned sharply. Gabriel saw the movement as well and barked an order. Two vampires peeled from the shadows and gave chase.
“I thought he was a spider monkey, aren’t they, well you know, little and cute?” Rebecca asked as Moe continued to beat out his rage on Salsiby’s lifeless body.
“I heard a rumor a long time ago that since primate DNA was so close to humans, monkeys were the only shifter to receive a third form.” Gabriel motioned to the creature in front of them.
“Umm, how do we get him to stop? Not that I’m against the beat down, but I think Salsiby died like five minutes ago,” Rebecca asked.
Abby looked at Rhys and smirked. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
Abby stood back and drew in a deep breath. “Oh my god, we need to get him to the clinic!” she screamed.
Moe instantly halted. He dropped the arm and stalked closer to them. He sniffed Rhys’s back and howled his fury. With a gentleness, which contrasted his size, he swept Rhys up in his arms and began to lope toward the clinic.
“I better race ahead of them and prepare Doc,” Abby said.
“Better hurry.” Rebecca laughed. She pointed to Moe’s disappearing figure.
“Shit!” Abby swore and ran behind them.