Primal Bonds
Page 76
Wade walked toward him but stayed out of reach. “Don’t try it, Sean. Or you’ll watch Glory die.”
Sean hauled himself to his feet and shook out his mane. It hurt to do it, but mane-shaking always looked intimidating. Sure enough, Wade took a step back.
Roaring was out of the question. Sean could barely draw a breath, could barely even see. He settled for a harsh rumble in his throat that seemed more threatening than it was.
“Seriously, Sean.” Wade put his booted foot on Glory’s bare side. “I’ll kill her.”
Glory, with the last of her strength, grabbed Wade’s foot and shoved upward. She was too weak to do much, but Wade lost his balance, and that gave Sean his opening. He sprang.
Gravity worked to Sean’s advantage. He was able to shove Wade to the ground and land on him, using his weight to hold him down. But Sean grew dizzier as Wade struggled, and he knew he’d pass out if he made much more effort. Glory tried to crawl toward the cave mouth, but she’d moved only a foot or so before she collapsed.
Wade started to shift, wolf claws digging into Sean’s side. Wade’s Collar went off, but even with that, Wade was stronger and more rested than Sean. The wolf would kill Sean and Glory both and claim that they’d died of their wounds.
Andrea. Sean’s consciousness started to drift. Love you.
“Sean?”
He heard her voice, the sweetest music. Sean pictured Andrea’s gray eyes that had looked at him so saucily that first night at the bus station, the black ringlets of hair he liked to catch between his lips. He loved every curve of her body, her red lips, her tender and skilled hands that liked to explore him. Sean liked her wolf too, the noble Lupine with Andrea’s cool gaze.
There was no finer woman than Andrea Gray, and she belonged to Sean.
“Sean!”
A white light blinded him. Damn, wasn’t it enough that Wade had them cowed without the man beaming light in his eyes?
A stench went with it, a cross between smoke and mint. Cold wind blasted through the cave, and suddenly it was filled with people. Sean could scent them: the acrid mint odor he’d come to associate with the Fae, the rather ripe smell of a pissed-off bear, the scent of his own father, and the cool honey tones of his mate.
Andrea.
Sean opened his eyes. At the same moment, Dylan reached down and hauled Wade, half shifted, to his feet.
Dylan’s eyes were white-hot with rage. His Collar sparked, but Dylan, the best trained of them all against the Collars, wouldn’t feel it. Behind Dylan, the tall Fae drew a sword.
Wade gibbered in terror. “I was keeping them safe. I was keeping them safe!”
“Lying shithead,” Glory whispered.
Sean let out his breath and turned his head to inhale the goodness of Andrea. She dropped the Sword of the Guardian and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in Sean’s mane.
“I found you,” she sobbed. “Sean, my mate. I found you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Healing Sean was a joy. Andrea felt her magic connecting with the shimmer of Goddess magic inside Sean to soothe his hurts and heal him. He slowly shifted back to human as she worked, the threads of his pain unsnarling and smoothing at her touch.
Andrea knew when Sean felt better, because she felt his gaze fix on her, strong and blue. He snaked a hand around her wrist, fingers hard, and pulled her down to him. Andrea came willingly, sensing their threads twine together, the mate bond tightening.
“Thank the Goddess you’re all right,” she said.
The look in his eyes told her he had more than prayers of thankfulness on his mind. Sean rolled her over into the dirt, and his mouth landed on hers, hungry and desperate, seeking with primal need. His body was hard and heavy on hers, hot through the silk.
Ronan chuckled. “Looks like he’ll be okay.”
“Glory.” Dylan’s moan of anguish made Andrea break the kiss at the same time Sean did.
Dylan had Glory’s head in his lap and was stroking her hair. Sean picked up the sword and moved to them, Andrea right behind him.
Together they healed her. Andrea grasped the blade, letting the edge nick her hand as she had when she’d healed Ely. Sean held the sword steady as the magic poured from him, the blade as a conduit. Andrea directed the heady magic into Glory and watched her wounds close, her strength return. Glory had been hurt far worse than Sean, shot and left to bleed out, but Glory’s healing, boosted by the combined strength of the Guardian and the sword, was swift.
Glory at last drew a long breath, smiling up at Dylan with her usual verve. She was a long way from completely well, though. She’d lost a lot of blood, and she’d need a doctor.
Andrea let go of the sword and leaned back against Sean. “You’ll need to get her to an ER,” she said, her body warm and tired. “That’s all I can do.”
Dylan’s eyes were wet when he looked up, Glory still cradled in his lap. “You’ve done enough, child. Thank you.”
“Now, we need to save Liam’s butt,” Ronan said. “Especially if Fae are popping out of nowhere and shooting poisoned arrows.”
“Indeed,” Fionn said. “Leave the Fae to me. My own fighters are standing at the ready, and they’ve not had a good battle in a long time.”
Sean’s scowl was fierce. “Fae are shooting poisoned arrows at Shifters?”
“Yep,” Ronan said. “They got me, but Fionn here has this magic powder ...”
Fionn interrupted. “My warriors know they are to be of assistance to my daughter on her command. They always will be.” Fionn gave Sean a pointed look. “You’d do well to remember that.”
Sean’s brows climbed, and Andrea wanted to laugh. “Hey, I’m a warrior princess, remember?” she said.
Sean growled as he leaned into her. “A warrior princess with lacy underwear.” He pressed a promising kiss to her mouth. “Now, let’s go kick us some Feline ass.”
“Love to,” Andrea said.
Dylan stayed behind with Glory. He told them he’d get her to a hospital, and then he’d deal with Wade. He sent the unconscious Lupine a vicious look that didn’t bode well for him.
“You sure, Dad?” Sean asked. His sword gleamed, his naked body tall and strong, the Guardian ready for battle. “We could use you.”
Dylan shook his head. “This is your fight, Sean. Yours and Liam’s. It’s time for me to focus on different things.”
Sean hauled himself to his feet and shook out his mane. It hurt to do it, but mane-shaking always looked intimidating. Sure enough, Wade took a step back.
Roaring was out of the question. Sean could barely draw a breath, could barely even see. He settled for a harsh rumble in his throat that seemed more threatening than it was.
“Seriously, Sean.” Wade put his booted foot on Glory’s bare side. “I’ll kill her.”
Glory, with the last of her strength, grabbed Wade’s foot and shoved upward. She was too weak to do much, but Wade lost his balance, and that gave Sean his opening. He sprang.
Gravity worked to Sean’s advantage. He was able to shove Wade to the ground and land on him, using his weight to hold him down. But Sean grew dizzier as Wade struggled, and he knew he’d pass out if he made much more effort. Glory tried to crawl toward the cave mouth, but she’d moved only a foot or so before she collapsed.
Wade started to shift, wolf claws digging into Sean’s side. Wade’s Collar went off, but even with that, Wade was stronger and more rested than Sean. The wolf would kill Sean and Glory both and claim that they’d died of their wounds.
Andrea. Sean’s consciousness started to drift. Love you.
“Sean?”
He heard her voice, the sweetest music. Sean pictured Andrea’s gray eyes that had looked at him so saucily that first night at the bus station, the black ringlets of hair he liked to catch between his lips. He loved every curve of her body, her red lips, her tender and skilled hands that liked to explore him. Sean liked her wolf too, the noble Lupine with Andrea’s cool gaze.
There was no finer woman than Andrea Gray, and she belonged to Sean.
“Sean!”
A white light blinded him. Damn, wasn’t it enough that Wade had them cowed without the man beaming light in his eyes?
A stench went with it, a cross between smoke and mint. Cold wind blasted through the cave, and suddenly it was filled with people. Sean could scent them: the acrid mint odor he’d come to associate with the Fae, the rather ripe smell of a pissed-off bear, the scent of his own father, and the cool honey tones of his mate.
Andrea.
Sean opened his eyes. At the same moment, Dylan reached down and hauled Wade, half shifted, to his feet.
Dylan’s eyes were white-hot with rage. His Collar sparked, but Dylan, the best trained of them all against the Collars, wouldn’t feel it. Behind Dylan, the tall Fae drew a sword.
Wade gibbered in terror. “I was keeping them safe. I was keeping them safe!”
“Lying shithead,” Glory whispered.
Sean let out his breath and turned his head to inhale the goodness of Andrea. She dropped the Sword of the Guardian and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in Sean’s mane.
“I found you,” she sobbed. “Sean, my mate. I found you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Healing Sean was a joy. Andrea felt her magic connecting with the shimmer of Goddess magic inside Sean to soothe his hurts and heal him. He slowly shifted back to human as she worked, the threads of his pain unsnarling and smoothing at her touch.
Andrea knew when Sean felt better, because she felt his gaze fix on her, strong and blue. He snaked a hand around her wrist, fingers hard, and pulled her down to him. Andrea came willingly, sensing their threads twine together, the mate bond tightening.
“Thank the Goddess you’re all right,” she said.
The look in his eyes told her he had more than prayers of thankfulness on his mind. Sean rolled her over into the dirt, and his mouth landed on hers, hungry and desperate, seeking with primal need. His body was hard and heavy on hers, hot through the silk.
Ronan chuckled. “Looks like he’ll be okay.”
“Glory.” Dylan’s moan of anguish made Andrea break the kiss at the same time Sean did.
Dylan had Glory’s head in his lap and was stroking her hair. Sean picked up the sword and moved to them, Andrea right behind him.
Together they healed her. Andrea grasped the blade, letting the edge nick her hand as she had when she’d healed Ely. Sean held the sword steady as the magic poured from him, the blade as a conduit. Andrea directed the heady magic into Glory and watched her wounds close, her strength return. Glory had been hurt far worse than Sean, shot and left to bleed out, but Glory’s healing, boosted by the combined strength of the Guardian and the sword, was swift.
Glory at last drew a long breath, smiling up at Dylan with her usual verve. She was a long way from completely well, though. She’d lost a lot of blood, and she’d need a doctor.
Andrea let go of the sword and leaned back against Sean. “You’ll need to get her to an ER,” she said, her body warm and tired. “That’s all I can do.”
Dylan’s eyes were wet when he looked up, Glory still cradled in his lap. “You’ve done enough, child. Thank you.”
“Now, we need to save Liam’s butt,” Ronan said. “Especially if Fae are popping out of nowhere and shooting poisoned arrows.”
“Indeed,” Fionn said. “Leave the Fae to me. My own fighters are standing at the ready, and they’ve not had a good battle in a long time.”
Sean’s scowl was fierce. “Fae are shooting poisoned arrows at Shifters?”
“Yep,” Ronan said. “They got me, but Fionn here has this magic powder ...”
Fionn interrupted. “My warriors know they are to be of assistance to my daughter on her command. They always will be.” Fionn gave Sean a pointed look. “You’d do well to remember that.”
Sean’s brows climbed, and Andrea wanted to laugh. “Hey, I’m a warrior princess, remember?” she said.
Sean growled as he leaned into her. “A warrior princess with lacy underwear.” He pressed a promising kiss to her mouth. “Now, let’s go kick us some Feline ass.”
“Love to,” Andrea said.
Dylan stayed behind with Glory. He told them he’d get her to a hospital, and then he’d deal with Wade. He sent the unconscious Lupine a vicious look that didn’t bode well for him.
“You sure, Dad?” Sean asked. His sword gleamed, his naked body tall and strong, the Guardian ready for battle. “We could use you.”
Dylan shook his head. “This is your fight, Sean. Yours and Liam’s. It’s time for me to focus on different things.”
