Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
ROMAN
We arrive at the cemetery, finding it very easy to locate where the consortium has gathered. There’s a monument glowing with fluttering light. It has to be them.
We’re silent while we move as a motley group of supes.
I’m joined by one other wolf shifter I’ve chatted with in bars before when I’ve been in New Orleans along with a couple of gargoyles and a few witches.
Apparently, he had a run-in with the consortium too and is all too happy to help take them out.
I can feel the bond in my chest tying me to Loch, and it’s vibrant and active, helping me focus on what I have to do. He’s safe. Cas is with him and Jareth. Jareth would never let anything bad happen to our love.
One of the witches motions for us to pull closer. He puts his hands out before him, closing his eyes for a moment, then as he opens them, a smile spreads across his face.
“They are unprotected and their energy suggests they suspect no danger. We can ambush them.”
“I like it.” I crack my knuckles. “Let’s go.”
I launch myself into the cemetery, flying through the air as I leap into the midst of the fae meeting. They scream in surprise as my entire group descends on them. There must be twenty of them, but they’re no match for us.
Rage blinds me as my wolf surfaces, my fingers shifting to claws, my teeth elongating as I snarl, the knowledge that these assholes tried to hurt my mate fresh in my mind.
I tear through them easily, delighting in their terrified sounds. Fae are strong and tricky, but they’re small and easy to overpower if you can catch them off guard, which we did.
“I need blood from at least one of them,” I call out.
“On it,” one of the witches yells back.
I glance up only briefly, but it’s enough for me to see Atlas crush one of the fae. Then one of them jumps on my back, stabbing me in the neck with a sharp instrument.
“You smell like the one who killed our prince,” the fae snarls. “I will avenge him.”
“Yeah, cool.” I reach behind me, grip the fae soldier by his neck and pull him off me, snapping his neck easily before dropping him to the ground. I lunge forward, but whatever he stabbed me with is already taking effect, and I stumble, falling to my knees. “Fuck.”
Someone is beside me. “Roman?”
I can hear Drax, but I can’t open my eyes. My head is woozy and my legs don’t work. “Poison.”
“We need help!” Drax yells.
Warm hands land on my forehead and chest, but all I can think about are my mates. I need them.
“Jare…” I whisper, my voice weak. “Loch. Mates.”
“You’ll be okay, Wolfie,” Rune says as he hovers over me. “One minute.”
Several more hands are on my chest, and just before my eyes flutter closed, I’m hit with what I can only describe as a bolt of lightning. I jerk upright suddenly, sucking in air as the clouds in my head blow away.
As I blink, everything comes back into view, crisp and bright. “What the fuck?”
“Antidote,” Rune says. “They got you good, but I was able to counteract it quickly. You’ll be okay.”
I squeeze his hand. “Thank you. ”
“Let’s go.” Mac help me back to my feet. “We’re done here.”
I look around and find the ground littered with dead fae.
“None of them got away.” Atlas smiles proudly.
“We’re going to hang their bodies in the square as a warning,” one of the witches says.
I already know there will be a glamour to ensure only other supes can see them and not the mortal world, so I don’t question it.
“Thank you, everyone.”
“It benefits us all,” a gargoyle says.
“Let’s go get your mates,” Drax says.
LOCHLAN
Rage.
That’s all I feel as I tear through the vampires who jumped on me. They hurt my Jareth and they will never see another moon because of it.
I can feel Jareth close by, though it’s muted due to his protection spell, but it’s Roman who makes me stumble for a second.
I swear I felt the bond flicker, but it’s back now, strong and clear, so I focus on the vampire beneath me, whose neck I’m currently tearing into with my nails as we tumble to the ground.
“I’m okay, Jare,” I yell out, getting to my feet.
Some of our vampire allies have started a massive fire and are throwing the rogue vampires into it, ensuring this is the end. I drag mine over and toss him on the pile, listening to his screams of agony for a moment before spinning around and launching myself at another one.
I’ve never felt like this before. So… immortal.
I finally understand now. It’s the same thing I felt when I gave into my instincts and tore that fae’s head off.
If I just let it take over and don’t fight it, my true nature comes out.
Knowing I’m protecting Jareth helps as I roll around on the ground, battling another vampire.
He’s strong, but all I have to do is think about Jareth, about how they attacked us at the restaurant last night, about what other harm they’ve done, and a fresh wave of anger spreads through me, strengthening me.
A loud roar bursts out of me as I tear the heart out of the vampire pinning me to the ground.
He shrieks, and I launch us into the air before letting him drop into the fire.
Then I charge at the remaining vampires, pulling them back from the edge of the magic bubble we’re in and doing as much damage as I can before I add them to the fire too.
I whirl around in a haze, looking for more until Cas’s hand lands on my chest. “You’re done. We’re finished.”
I blink at him, nodding, then search for Jareth. When I spot him, he’s in front of me, walking in my direction, strong and unhurt. Relief washes over me and I stumble towards him, falling into his arms when I reach him.
“You were impressive,” he whispers, kissing the side of my face. “My beautiful, strong mate. I love you, Loch.”
I squeeze him tighter. “Gods, I love you, Jare. Everything I did, all of it, was for love.”
“I know.”
I continue holding him, aware that the bond in my chest is pulsing. “Roman.”
“He’s coming, love,” Jare whispers, still holding me.
The adrenaline is wearing off and my knees buckle. We sink to the ground as heavy footsteps approach, then Roman is there, his scent mixing with ours and soothing the remaining tension away. He wraps his strong arms around both of us, kissing us rapidly.
“My mates,” he says, his chest rumbling as patches of fur ripple across his arms. “I love you. I love you both so much.”
A smile pulls at my lips. “Me too?”
“I said both, right?” He tilts my face up with his fingers under my chin. “Yes, Loch, I love you. You’re mine forever.”
“I love you too. Gods, I love you both. I didn’t know it could feel like this.”
“It couldn’t,” Jareth says. “Not before us.”
I search Jareth’s pretty gray eyes. “This is forever.”
He nods. “Yes. In a couple of weeks, Roman will bite me and mate the three of us.”
“Officially,” Roman says. “We’re already mates. We’ve always been mates, we just didn’t know it.”
“Are we done here?” I ask. “I want to go to Jareth’s. Can we do that?”
“How about a quick pit stop so I can hand off the fae blood to Auri.”
“Can one of the guys do that?” I whine.
Roman smiles. “I have a couple of other things to talk to the boss about. You guys can go ahead and get ready for me though.”
Jareth and I shake our heads at the same time. “Nope,” he says. “We’ll go with you then we’ll go to the garden together.”
I lean in and kiss Jareth, pulling Roman closer, and he quickly joins in. It turns heated pretty fast, but Roman is the one who ends it.
“Not here. I want you alone and naked at Jareth’s cottage.”
“Our cottage.” Jareth smiles.
My heart flutters with joy. “Let’s go home, boys.”