Tails and Tentacles (Miracle: Salvation Isle #5)

16. CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15

Was it possible to live in a perpetual state of arousal and remain sane? Baz snorted softly to himself as the word seemed way too tame to descibe just how hard he was every single time he saw Channing. No. Not just seeing, thinking about, scenting him, or even just having someone say his name. Every morning, as well as many times during the night, he’d wake up coming as his dreams nearly always resulted in visions of making love to his mate.

The thing was, Baz feared if he stayed hard much longer, he might just lose his damn mind. Even he snorted at that absurd thought. He’d lost it long ago. Well, not really that long, but still, it felt like an eternity.

“Good morning, mine.” The endearment he’d used when they’d first met slipped from his lips despite his determination to not cause Channing to suddenly revert to his thinking after that. Doing his best to act as if he hadn’t just said that, Baz added, “Where is Saleh?”

She was typically with her dada at all times. Or, more accurately, her dada was hovering no matter where their daughter was. Surprising as it was, Channing had asked Baz to take him to Braydon’s and Karim’s home to apologize to his best friend shortly after Baz had returned home. He hadn’t even asked why, instead puffing up with pride that his mate had wanted him to be by his side.

Channing’s grin covered his entire face. “Good morning,” he replied as he leaned against him when Baz had sat down onto the sand next to him. It had become their morning ritual since Baz had gotten back from freeing the shifters who’d been captured by the human hunters.

“She’s at Braydon’s, playing.” The way his body stiffened, but not alarmingly so, alerted Baz that his mate was worried about something. “I don’t want to ruin a good morning, but did you find anything out last night?” Channing said after a brief press of their lips.

Baz placed the basket of fruits, water, and the few bottles of juices before them. Opening the flaps, he took out the containers of food as well as drinks for them to partake. Ignoring the twinge of unease he was currently feeling at the topic of human hunters.

“No.” He hated having to say it, but he also wasn’t about to lie to his mate. “I regret to say there are only two more humans alive to possibly give us information.”

No. He didn’t just hate to say it, he felt as if he were devastating Channing by allowing any of them to die without telling their secrets.

“I want to see them,” Channing announced as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Unprepared for the request… no, the demand, Baz had no words. Wait. Yes, he did. But the moment his lips opened, Channing’s hand covered them.

“Hear me out,” his mate insisted.

To be completely honest, Baz didn’t think anything Channing said would change his denial, but he nodded as he also couldn’t deny his mate that simple request. Who the fuck was he kidding? He most likely would agree to Channing seeing them, despite how… How was he to put this… Disfigured they were.

“No one…” The determination—no, it was far beyond that. Resolve? Close, but Baz felt as if that word even paled to how serious his mate was—shone in those brown eyes. “And I do mean no one wants to find the fuckers behind this operation more than I do.”

Baz didn’t bother to state there were plenty of shifters who had lost parents, siblings, mates, and children to these assholes. Until finding Channing, Baz hadn’t had any clue what he’d do to make his mate happy. If that meant allowing Channing to tear the humans to shreds, he’d do it.

That was especially true since none of those they’d brought back to Salvation, no matter the torture, had said a word. Well… mostly. Oh, they’d screamed, cursed, and prayed for death, but other than that… nothing.

He’d have to get Saber’s approval, which he doubted would be a problem. “You understand they’ve already been tortured.” It didn’t give him a moment of peace knowing that he’d been a part of that, especially when they hadn’t discovered anything. Admitting it to his mate only made his stomach clench as bile threatened to surface.

“I do.” Channing didn’t even seem phased by that knowledge.

“Okay.” What else could he possibly say? “I need to get permission from Saber, but I don’t see it being an issue.” Or, at least, he hoped not.

“You sure you want to do this?” Baz already knew the answer, but he hated that Channing felt as if torturing anyone was completely acceptable.

Other than when they’d claimed each other, they hadn’t had sex. Yet… Baz breathed in, infusing his lungs with his mate’s unique aroma… no matter whether they were sleeping together or not, Baz knew he would do whatever Channing needed. Even if it ended up destroying a part of him.

Oh, he’d try to stop it by convincing his mate it was useless, but when Saber had decided Channing deserved the right to try to get the information they’d been unable to get, there was little he could do.

Channing stared at one of the last two humans that were still alive and nodded. The man, Larry, if he remembered correctly, was slumped in his chair, held up only because of the ropes securing him.

Nothing about his appearance let the observer think he hadn’t been beaten… tortured. Dried blood dripped down his face, arms, and torso. Bruises marred every part of his body, shutting one of his eyes and allowing him to block out what was in front of him.

When Channing stepped to the door that separated them from the human, he reached for the knob, then stopped for several beats. His lids closed as his mouth moved. What he mouthed, Baz had no clue, but something inside of him said it was a prayer.

They hadn’t discussed religion but based on each expression Channing had given when he’d heard about the human hunters and their resistance to torture, Baz had little doubt that he prayed for all their souls. It was why he hadn’t wanted his mate to have anything to do with what happened to the humans.

The lock of the interrogation room clicked open, indicating Yosi had been listening to them. Channing stepped over and pushed it open further so they could both enter.

Channing stepped into the interrogation room to stand on the other side of the table from the human that was tied to the chair he was sitting on. Baz’s fingers itched to take his mate as far from this situation as possible.

Only Channing’s words when they’d talked an hour ago about what would happen stopped him.

I need to do this. Channing’s voice had been resolute.

I can do it for you. Baz hated that his mate thought he had to confront one of these assholes.

No. The resolve infused in that one syllable word stopped Baz before he’d been able to convince Channing he shouldn’t have to do it.

As much as it tore his heart apart, Baz nodded. “I hate it, but if it’s what you need to do, I won’t stand in your way.” That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be right by his mate’s side.

Dark hair surrounding a small bald spot greeted them as the human was bent over with his chained hands dropped down past his thighs, giving them a view of the top of his head. Hating that his mate had to experience this, Baz refused to feel bad about how much pain the human was most likely enduring.

What he’d expected from Channing, Baz honestly had no clue, but for him to go up to the man and press a wet towel to his bleeding nose hadn’t been it. Had he missed something?

“I’m sorry,” Channing said as he moved that damn towel to wipe the sweat, tears, and blood from his face as best he could. “No one should have to suffer.” His mate’s voice was kind and caring as he continued to care for the human.

“I just wished one of you had felt the same when I was chained, pregnant by the way, and forced to mine uranium.” The human lifted his head with a sneer on his face yet, Channing never stopped talking. “I mean, I get that I’m different from what you’re used to you, but then again, the same could be said for you.”

Damn if the human’s head didn’t jerk up as if he had no clue what Channing was talking about.

Bless his mate, he never even acknowledged the response, just kept speaking. “After all, here you are nothing more than human…” His voice trailed off for several moments. “While we’re… more.”

Damn if that last word didn’t cause the human to shiver in fear based on the scent that emanated from him.

“You’re going to die,” Channing told him, even though Baz hadn’t told him what happened to any of the human hunters. “The question is how painful do you want it to be.”

With eyes as dead as he’d ever seen, Channing sliced with a knife, dismembering his pinkie. Even as the human screamed for him to stop, Channing took the next finger as if he hadn’t felt a damn thing.

When he waved the digit before the shocked human’s eyes with a grin that could rival the devil himself, Baz wasn’t certain if he should be horrified or… impressed.

“Just know, you started with ten digits,” Channing told him conversationally as if he wasn’t torturing the man. “Just imagine what other types of appendages I could take after that.”

Fuck.

Even though Channing had shown just how protective he was when it came to his daughter, Baz hadn’t imagined he’d be this… well, sadistic.

As if his mate had read his thoughts, he leaned until he was almost nose to nose with the human. “See, I get that you’re terrified of what your boss will do to you if you squeal.” Then he smiled and shoved the knife he’d been wielding in between the man’s ribs, causing him to not only gasp in agony, but struggle to breathe.

“But you and your kind have threatened my daughter.” Damned if that grin wasn’t as evil as the devil himself. “Trust me, if necessary, I’m more than willing to relish in your screams for weeks, if not months.”

Then Channing took one step back, glancing at the blood-soaked knife as if were nothing. “Actually, I’d prefer to hear you beg for death if it meant giving my daughter even a moment’s peace.”

The blade was suddenly at the next finger to be removed. “But if you’d prefer to be taken apart piece by piece, I’d be more than happy to accommodate you.”

Was it wrong to be both turned on and terrified of his mate in this moment? Baz wasn’t certain, but he had to admit, however Channing had managed to draw on his inner sadist, it worked.