Chapter 5 #2
I chuckled, releasing my saliva into the center of the wound, feeling the eyes of the shifters on me.
Trev released shaky breaths, the saliva glittering like my eyes, oozing across the wound. It wasn’t enough to spit and sit back to watch the healing commence. This was part one, the base of the healing process.
Closing my eyes, I brought my lips to the wound, kissing each area, then used my tongue to traverse the damage, taking my time over the area and occasionally checking my progress.
Warmth bloomed in my mouth, passing into Trev, easing his pain and hunting any bacteria and nastiness. A series of responding vibrations inside my mouth told me it worked, that this wound would not kill the troll.
I sat back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
I was dizzy, my skin clammy.
“Oh wow,” Paige whispered as the skin knit back together. “Look at that.”
Miko said nothing.
Trev’s mouth hung open in shock.
“Now for your leg,” I said.
Paige exposed the area. Not a zombie bite, but a nasty cut from falling on the tracks. I kissed and licked it better.
“Fucking hell, mate.” Trev finally spoke.
Sweat ran down my forehead, dripping off the end of my nose. “Are you feeling okay?”
My insides lurched, the dizziness blurring my vision.
“The pain’s gone.” He moved his arm, shook his leg. “It really worked.”
I nodded, falling onto my backside, leaning back on my hands. “Crap.”
“Mate?” Trev got to his feet.
“Are you alright?” Paige asked, taking a step forward.
To my surprise, Miko crouched beside me. “What’s wrong?” There was zero concern in his voice.
“Dizzy from the healing. I just need ten minutes.”
Groans nearby told me ten minutes might not be possible.
Miko grunted. “The fire is drawing too much attention. We’ve spent too long here. Can you walk?”
The closeness of him, his voice a deep wind against my ear, his faint earthy, spicy scent tickling my senses, it all made my head spin.
“Ten minutes.’’
“I’ll carry you.”
“Carry?”
“Let me carry you.”
I spotted slowies moving toward the fire, which meant speedies would follow.
I swallowed down some fear. “Okay. Thanks.”
He scooped me up so quickly I squeaked, blushing at the sound.
Miko moved down the tracks with forceful strides, Paige and Trev hurrying behind us.
Look at me, in the arms of a muscle man, a shifter, his hold so secure, so steady. He kept his eyes ahead, not meeting mine staring up at him.
Maybe don’t stare…
I couldn’t help it. He really was one handsome shifter.
Clearing my throat made his nostrils flare.
“What…” I tried gathering my composure. “What kind of shifter are you?”
He didn’t answer, his focus dead ahead, his boots crunching on the gravel.
“I suppose we should restart the introductions, sir,” Paige suggested from behind.
“When we’re home,” he responded.
“Okay, sir.”
Oh. So, his word was final? Which made him an alpha.
“Werewolf?” I asked.
His eyes briefly flicked downward. “Yeah.”
“Okay. I’m—”
A jolt of sparking energy in my chest caught me by surprise, so brief I wasn’t sure it happened.
Miko paused, eyes wide and on me.
“Did you feel that too?” I rasped.
He blinked, then carried on walking with no response.
“Did you?”
Silence.
I tried for introductions again. “I’m—”
“Save it for Haven.” He cut me off.
Hmmm. “Where are you taking us?”
“To safety. Unless you want to stay here on the tracks.”
“I didn’t—”
“Can we have some silence?”
What a grump! “Fine.”
“Good.”
And so we marched along the tracks in silence because our miserable leader had several poles lodged up his ass, finally coming to a pause about ten minutes later.
Miko put me down, holding me up by the shoulders. “You good now?”
He was a few inches taller than me.
“I’m good,” I said.
I kind of liked being in his arms.
“Good. Follow me.”
We walked on, his order of silence reaffirmed. He didn’t want to draw further attention our way. Fine, but annoying, considering I had some questions.
Where was this Haven place? Was it safe? Who were they? Were they the people who wrote the notes?
Why did I sound like a child in the back seat of a car?
Tempering my whining thoughts as we moved down a residential street, I decided to just roll with things. After all, anything was better than running from speedies, diving into trash bags, and being terrified the morning would end with me stuck between a zombie’s molars.
A speedie launched itself from a doorless house, rushing at Miko. Another followed, coming right for me.
Pixie balls! My axe! I’d lost my axe!
Miko growled, braced for impact.
Paige whizzed past me, leaping into the air.
Trev put a big hand on my shoulder, his weight almost pushing me to my knees. “Should we—”
Paige spun mid-air in a flying kick, moving like a fighter in a martial arts movie, cracking the speedie in the jaw. It went spinning over itself, landing in a hissing heap.
Miko charged at the last moment, barreling into his speedie in a rugby tackle to break every bone, landing on top of the zombie. It hissed and snapped, clawing for his face. But he had it pinned, its head in his hands, squeezing until the skull exploded with a crunchy, wet pop.
“Impressive,” Trev said. “Disgusting, but impressive.”
The alpha flung gunk from his hands.
Paige pulled out a screwdriver, driving it into her zombie’s skull.
Finished.
“Wow,” I said.
Miko’s head snapped round. “Behind you!”
Three speedies burst from a house behind me and the troll. We turned to meet them, Trev bursting into a charge, swinging heavy punches.
More agile than a heavy hitter, I twirled out of my attacker’s trajectory, Miko whizzing past me to take on the third.
Another zombie came out of the first house, going for Paige.
Never a dull moment in this city.
I picked up a brick from a collapsed garden wall, going after my attacker. He’d staggered to a stop, turning his head, jaws snapping as he searched for me.
Pink eyes found me.
“Come and get it.” I sounded huskier than intended. Probably due to the lingering thoughts of Miko’s ass.
You horny fool.
The speedie came to get some. I hopped from foot to foot, grip firm on the brick. One hit to bring him down. Three or four to mush up that skull.
Just as I brought the brick up to make my move, Miko tackled him to the ground. Popped his head with his bare hands.
A bubble of anger swelled between my ribs. “I had him.”
Miko stood, flinging more goo from his hands, wiping the rest on his pants. “That so?” His eyes fell on the brick.
“Yes. It is so.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t—”
“Let’s keep moving.”
“Wait. No. I’m talking to you.”
He crossed his arms, saying nothing, stare boring into me.
Curse him. “I’m more than capable of taking down a speedie.”
“Speedie?”
“The quick ones.”
No response.
This man. This miserable man. “I had him.”
“Anything else?”
“Look. I’m not being ungrateful I’m just…” Okay, maybe I did sound a little ungrateful. “Forget I said anything.” I dropped the brick, conceding defeat. “Thanks for your help.”
Miko held my gaze a few beats longer before turning his back on me and walking on.
Paige hurried to his side, talking in hushed tones. He glanced over his shoulder at me, his gaze narrowed.
Had I done something to offend him?
Call me one confused fae.
“Come on, mate,” Trev said.
“I really did have him.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it.”
“He’s…” I didn’t finish.
“Let’s just get to their place. They might have hot water. Man, do I need hot water.”
He was right. Miko might not be the head of any welcome committee, but he was a powerhouse. Anyway, Paige and Trev made up for his lack of friendliness.
This was better than being alone.
Alone hurt. I hated alone.
I gazed up at the huge tower block with windows tinted turquoise. It loomed over the river Thames at the edge of a housing estate, undamaged from what I could make out.
Sunlight sparkled on the murky surface of the water, a few gulls bobbing on the waves. I hadn’t seen the river in a while.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Three rows of metal fences ringed the bottom of the tower, each one topped with barbed wire. Gates in each fence lined up with the tower’s entrance.
“Aragon Tower, Pepys Estate,” Miko answered.
“I know that name.”
“It’s a region in Spain, not a character from The Lord of the Rings.” Such bite in his tone.
“Oh. I’ve seen the movies. You’re talking about the hot ranger guy.”
“Aragorn, yes.”
I fanned my face. “He is delicious.”
Miko quirked a brow at me before striding off toward the fences.
“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating biscuits,” Paige said.
My eyes were on the alpha. “Sorry?”
“Aragorn. Biscuits.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Don’t worry about Miko. He’s like that with everyone. A good man, a determined man.”
“Really?”
“Big time. He is convinced he can find an end to Dawn. I’m talking seriously focused on it.”
“That’s… I admire that.”
She nodded.
Miko waited by the first gate, arms folded. His favorite pose, apparently. Crossed arms and popping heads, that was his vibe.
“Welcome to Haven,” Paige said.
“It’s huge.”
“Huge and secure. Those fences are tough, and there’s more security inside, so don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t worrying. Much.”
“We all worry a little.”
“I guess so.”
“Course, sweetie. Anyway, they’ve kept the biters away for a year now. They don’t really bother us. Bump the fences, wander around, move on. We take out any threats from the…what did you call them?”
“Speedies.”
“I like that. So much better than fast-moving biters.”
A soft laugh passed my lips. “I’ll say.”
“I’m stealing it.”
“Please do.”
She looked up at the tower. “We’re lucky to have secured this place. The dreams of turning it into a commune fell apart, but we’re still here.”
“What happened to those dreams?”
Something sad shimmered in her eyes. “We can talk inside. I’m sure Miko will want to give you a tour.”
I couldn’t help snorting. “Really?”
“Yep. I think so.”
I kept my mouth shut on that issue. “I can’t wait to see inside.”
“And shower, I bet.”
“Was hoping you’d say that,” Trev interjected. “As you can smell, it’s been too long for both of us.”
She smiled somewhat shyly at the troll. “All praise to our generators.”
Did he smile back with a bashful twinkle in his eye? “Praise them.”
Miko still waited at that gate, probably grunting, thinking about the next zombie head to pop.
I was just jealous I couldn’t pull that off.
But you’d like to pull him off?
I ignored my silly self.
“We’d better get inside,” Paige said.
Miko opened the first gate, standing aside to let us in. He avoided eye contact.
Trees dotted around the area shed their autumnal leaves, making a crunchy carpet under our feet.
“I love the sound of fallen leaves,” I said whimsically.
“Don’t even know how to start thanking you, mate,” Trev responded as Paige opened the second gate.
“No need. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to. Really. Always glad to help.”
“I want to. Let me think.”
I smiled up at the troll. “Your health makes me happy.”
He laughed. “First time I’ve been told that. And you’re feeling okay?”
“I am as fine as summer kisses.”
“How nice. I bet you’ve experienced your fair share of summer kisses with a face like that.” He winked.
“Stop.”
“Hey, I might go for the ladies, but I can appreciate a pretty dude when he crosses my path.”
“What a charming troll you are.”
He shrugged. “I know. Anyway, you sure you’re okay?”
“I am. Healing makes me dizzy, passes quickly.”
“Can you heal yourself?” Miko asked from behind us.
I faced him. “No. Annoying flaw in the magic there.” I tried smiling at him. “But I am resistant to infections.”
“So, your spit is like a dog’s?”
“Is that supposed to be funny?”
He didn’t answer.
“Because it doesn’t really make sense, does it?”
No response.
Assbug.
I followed Paige through the final gate to the tower’s entrance, the glass doors fortified with thick metal bars.
A jingle of a lock, the heavy grind of big bolts sliding open, and the door opened. A tall man appeared with an angry scar slicing the left side of his dark brown face, a pink baseball cap on his head.
“Hello there,” he greeted me, immediately offering me his hand. “I’m James.” A gold tooth glittered in his mouth.
“Orion. Nice to meet you.”
We shook.
“Nice one, mate. I’m Trev.”
The two men shook.
Miko moved to the side of the entrance, head bowed, leaning against the wall.
“I can’t believe we have newbies,” James said. “They are newbies, right?”
James and Paige faced their alpha.
Miko looked up. “That’s up to them.” He went inside.
“He okay?” James asked.
“He’s fine,” Paige answered.
James rolled his eyes. “Ball of sunshine as always. Anyway, get yourselves in here. We’ll get you settled and all that good stuff. If you want to stay, that is. We’re just assuming you do. Right, Paige?”
“We are.”
“Good assumption,” Trev said.
There was her cute smile for the troll again.
“Fully agree,” I added. “You had me at Haven. Or is it Aragon Tower really?”
“Oh, yeah,” James said. “Forgot the proper introduction.” He cleared his throat, puffing up his chest. “Welcome, Orion and Trev, to Haven.”