8. Luca
8
Luca
I flatten myself against the wall as much as possible as I stare at the fight in front of me, taking small sideways steps so I attract as little attention as possible as I make my way back to the room where the kids are. To protect them, which is my only job here. Which is my only fucking job.
Why did I go over to the sink to get a glass of water?
I should have stayed near their door, I should have stayed in the room with them. I shouldn’t have left them alone.
If anything happens to them…
If anything happens to them…
My stomach rolls as images flash through my head. Images of what the Hearts will do to my family, to my siblings, if anything happens to these kids.
No.
No.
Nothing will happen to them.
I’ll protect them. I’ll keep them safe.
Even if it’s the last thing I do.
I have to protect the kids.
The girl in the flower dress, which is drenched in blood and streaks of things I can’t define —and probably don’t want to know about— moves like a cat, her motions fluid, as she keeps slipping away from the guards, slicing them open with shallow cuts. She’s not killing them, she’s dragging this out as long as possible.
From the frantic grin on her blood-splattered face, she seems to enjoy it, she’s taking pleasure in taking them down little by little.
It’s hard to pull my eyes away from her. I don’t want to see what she’s doing, but it’s like I can’t look anywhere else, only at her. I don’t know if it’s because of how dangerous she is and I need to make sure I don’t lose sight of her so I can protect myself, or the kids, or because of some other reason.
I take another step, noticing the floor is uneven a moment before whatever it is starts rolling and my foot slides out from under me, making me fall on my ass. A scream catches in my throat as I realise what now lies between my legs, what I stepped on.
A finger.
A finger she cut off from one of the guys.
Fucking hell…
Who is this girl?
The guards sprayed a shitload of pheromone suppressant and other scents around, to hide the fearful pheromones from the kids and because the guards really can’t stand each other. The slightest provocation sets them off. This way, they at least won’t kill each other while we transport the kids to their new location. But it also makes it hard to breathe, the competing scents like a thick blanket in the room.
This isn’t the first time they’ve given me guards who would rather kill each other than protect us, they do it because I won’t complain. They do it because it bothers me and because I can’t do anything about it. If I make even a peep, they’ll make it even worse next time…
So, it’s not like I really care what happens to the guards. Their job is to protect us and my job is to protect the kids. As long as I keep the kids safe, they can’t punish or blame me for anything.
I carefully slide along the wall on my ass, making sure to avoid any of the blood, which isn’t particularly easy, and move one of the nearby chairs against the door to the room where the kids are. The door opens in this direction, so, with the chair, they can’t get out and get themselves in trouble.
The fearful pheromones from the kids slip under the door, which are much stronger now I’m so close to it. But they’re smart enough to stay where they are, to protect themselves.
Now I can fully focus on protecting us, now I don’t have to worry about them going anywhere or seeing anything they shouldn’t be seeing.
I have no idea who this girl could be or where she came from.
We arrived at the warehouse on time and settled the kids in the other room so they could hopefully get some sleep before we’re picked up for the next leg of the trip.
One of the guards went outside to let headquarters know we’re on schedule, all the same as usual and according to plan.
Things went off-plan when there was a sound, a strange gurgling, coming from outside, and the other two guards were on their feet in moments, their weapons drawn.
It was all so fast and unexpected that I didn’t immediately know what to do. This has never happened before.
The girl slammed the door further open, the loud noise making everyone flinch as she jumped inside, weapons at the ready. She got up close to each of the guards, like she was scenting them, before she snarled, cutting each of them across the arm, making them drop their guns.
Then she met my gaze and electricity shot through me, like I was hit by lightning, before she glanced at the door to the room where the kids were hiding, meeting my gaze one last time. Something inside me recognised her, something instinctual, even though I’m sure I’ve never seen her before in my life.
I watched as the look in her eyes went from curiosity to intense fury as her attention shifted to the two guards.
She spun away from me, no longer focused on taking the guards down but instead focused on hurting them as long and as much as possible. And she was taking some strange pleasure from it.
It’s hard to believe that someone so small, so doll-like, can take on people so much taller. She’s like a doll from a horror movie, her hair and dress covered in blood and grime, light reflecting off her knife from time to time as she keeps going at them.
One of the guards trips and falls backward, hitting his head against the edge of the sink and he slumps to the ground, not moving anymore.
Is he dead?
Did she just kill him?
For a moment I want to go over to him to check, but self-protective instinct makes sure I don’t move a muscle and stay where I am, as far from the fight as possible.
The girl doesn’t seem to pay any attention to the unmoving guard, now focusing on the last guy. His movements seem slower, his feet slipping in the blood on the floor and she keeps lunging at him, before pulling back, exhausting him.
The overhead light makes her wide open eyes shine, the shadows of her grin making it even more eerie. She’s toying with him.
This short girl in a flower dress is toying with a guard, not giving him even a moment to recover.
A shudder goes through me.
I’ve seen a lot in my life, but this look of pure rage and pleasure is a first.
“Vera!” A tall guy appears in the doorway. He’s her total opposite. Built like a wall, bulky, intimidating.
Another guy slips out from behind him, quickly taking out the last guard, not killing him, simply immobilising him. The guard drops to the floor all the same.
“Caleb!” The girl, Vera, looks up, her eyes now bright and happy and she bounces over to him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek.
She went from a killer to a kitten in the blink of an eye.
I guess she’s an Omega and he must be her Alpha…
A third guy comes inside, glancing around the room for a moment like he’s trying to make sure there’s no more danger, his face goes pale at the sight of the blood and bodies. Then he comes over to me, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
When he kneels at my side, the air seems to clear, making it easier to breathe, until I realise it’s from the third guy’s cedar pheromones. He’s surrounding me with his scent, trying to soothe me. I must look horrible if a random Alpha tries to comfort me, a plain Beta.
I quickly shake my head, dropping my gaze. Not used to anyone worrying about me.
I’m a little bruised, but that’s my own fault for slipping on a… On that . I’m unharmed otherwise.
With the door to the alley open, the stuff the guards sprayed in the room starts to clear and I become aware of everyone’s pheromones. The cedar scent intensifies, which luckily manages to block out some of the disgusting scents from the guards, and I also notice the others; honey, deep forest, and a sliver of fresh bread.
My heart stops for a moment as my brain catches up with the scents.
No.
No.
Involuntarily, I take a deep breath, like I need to check again, to be sure I’m not imagining it.
Honey.
Deep forest.
My body shakes, my brain trying to shut down.
No… No.
This can’t be happening…
No!
My mind flashes back to a dark room. Clothes covered in these exact same pheromones. The triumphant looks in the leadership’s eyes as I reacted instinctively. They drugged me so that even I, a Beta, could go into rut, and then they locked me in a room with these scents.
I was in there for days, nothing to eat, only a few bottles of water to drink, unable to get a satisfying release, but constantly reminded of them .
Of my mates .
I can’t breathe.
My throat closes up. My chest is too tight. My heart is racing.
No.
They can’t be here.
If the Hearts get their hands on them…
No!
“Breathe. Breathe. You’re safe.” The cedar-scented guy touches my cheek, surrounding me in even more of his pheromones. “You’re safe.”
I shake my head. No, we’re not safe. Not at all.
The Hearts could be here at any moment, and if they find out who they are, they’re…
They’re…
My stomach rolls and this time, it keeps rolling.
I turn away and my stomach empties itself. Though it doesn’t give any relief.
Fuck…
Honey scent surrounds me and I start perfuming, not able to control my emotions, not able to not react to my mate, to my Omega. My pheromones aren’t as strong as those of an Alpha or an Omega, but I still have them and I can’t help not trying to mix them with hers.
Vera touches my hand, her skin warm, or am I simply cold? “Where are the kids? Are they safe?” Her voice is insistent, tense.
“Kids?” The guy with cedar pheromones seems confused.
“Yes. They were transporting a group of kids here.” She tugs on my hand, waiting until I look at her. The blood on her face is now streaked, like she tried to wipe it off, and she’s only in her underwear, the dress discarded on the floor behind her. She doesn’t seem to care about any of it, all her focus on me and on the kids.
When I finally meet her gaze, it’s soft, worried. “Where are they?”
I point to the door that I put the chair against. “They’re safe.”
“Good.” She seems to relax some, turning to the second guy who came inside. “We’ll need a car. We can’t leave them here.”
The guy nods, raising his phone, like he’s ready to call someone.
“You have to leave.” My voice squeaks. “Right now . If they find you here…”
They can’t.
They really can’t.
I can be without them, but only if they’re still alive. I can’t have their death on my conscious.
“They?” Vera frowns. “You mean the Hearts?”
I nod. Trying to push at her shoulder.
She needs to leave.
She can’t stay here!
“Are they coming to pick you up?” Her voice is insistent and she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get up and get out of here.
I nod again, more frantic.
“When?” The cedar guy stands up, looking around, calculations running through his head.
“I don’t know. Only the guards know.” I look to the two bodies on the floor. I don’t think we’ll be getting any information out of them any time soon.
“We can’t wait for backup from the house. I’ll call in some favours from people in the city. Just as protection until the others are here.” He kneels, his hand warm on my shoulder. “We’ll make sure nothing happens to you or the kids.”
This isn’t about me. I don’t care what happens to me.
I open my mouth, trying to form a sentence, but nothing comes out.
They can’t stay here!
If they wait any longer, I don’t know what the Hearts will do to them, but I know it’s not going to be good.
This can’t…
I can’t…
My heart feels like it’s about the break from my chest and my stomach rolls again.
Why won’t they listen?!