Warrior (Relentless Book 4)

I pulled my bike in next to Chris’s and shut it off. Music and laughter filled the air, along with the crash of waves below the lighthouse. The party was in full swing, and a couple of boys stumbled as they approached the parking lot. One had car keys in his hand, and neither he nor his friend looked fit to drive. Why humans thought they could drink themselves into this state and still function correctly was beyond me.

I veered to intercept them. “Hold up, guys. You’re not planning to drive, are you?”

“Nah, just getting some beer from my buddy’s trunk,” said one of them. Judging by his slur, the last thing he needed was more alcohol.

I watched them grab a case of beer from a car and head back to the party. I followed them at a slower pace. When I’d talked to Chris earlier, I’d been surprised to learn he was at a party. Since the night at the club two weeks ago, Sara hadn’t left the house much, except for school. I was glad she’d recovered enough from the vampire attack to go out with her friends again.

There was no sign of Chris or Sara when I reached the party, but I knew they were there because I could sense her nearby. I saw her two werewolf friends standing with a group of teenagers, and I scanned the crowd for her face. A white van blocked my view, so I walked around it to stand near the lighthouse.

My chest rumbled in displeasure at the sight of Sara in another man’s arms. They were dancing and laughing together, and she smiled at the blond man in a way she had never smiled at me. I was still getting used to the intense protective urges she awoke in me. This surge of possessiveness was something new. I’d known the bond would grow the more I saw her, but I hadn’t expected this, at least not so soon.

Was the blond guy her date? The idea of her with someone else made my gut clench, but I knew it was a possibility. Sara was seventeen and beautiful, and she’d had a life before I found her. There was no reason why she wouldn’t date.

“Hi. Are you one of Dylan’s friends from Portland?”

I tore my eyes from Sara to look at the tall girl with short, dark hair who had walked up to me.

“No.” I had no idea who Dylan was, and I didn’t care, unless he was the blond man dancing with Sara. My gaze went back to them.

“Oh.” The girl moved closer. “You want to get a drink or maybe dance?”

“No, thanks.”

I promptly forgot about the girl when Sara’s partner dipped her, making her laugh. My jaw tightened, and my Mori made angry noises, wanting me to go up to them and pull her away from the guy. There was nothing suggestive in their movements, but it was impossible not to see the man was interested in more than dancing.

As the song ended, her body tensed and she began to scan the crowd for someone. My pulse leapt. Was it possible she felt my presence the same way I sensed hers?

I got my answer when her eyes landed on me and she frowned. Then she pulled away from her dance partner and stalked off in the other direction with the blond man following her. They spoke, and he went to the white van while she stayed where she was. I approached her, and she turned to glower at me.

“What are you doing here?”

I smelled beer on her breath, and I glared after the man. If he returned with more beer for her, he and I were going to have a talk. My gaze returned to her, and I noticed she was flushed and slightly tipsy. We were very tolerant of human alcohol, and I wondered how much she had consumed to make her this way.

“Obviously protecting you from yourself,” I said. “Are you drunk?”

She drew herself up. “No, I’m not drunk! And even if I was, it would be none of your business.”

“You are my business. Whether you like it or not, you are one of us and we protect our own.” I protect my own.

Her eyes blazed. “First of all, I am nobody’s business, and I don’t belong to you or your people or anyone else. This bossy act might work on little kids, but it won’t work on me, and if I want to party with my friends or drink or do anything else, I will.”

She spun away, stumbling, and I grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

“You are drunk.”

Before she could retort, her friend returned.

“Everything okay here?” he asked.

Sara smiled at him. “Peachy. My…cousin was worried that I might be drinking too much. He’s a lot older than me and way too uptight.”

I almost snorted at her description of me. Only a blind man would believe there was anything familial between the two of us, at least on my side. She felt something too; she just didn’t know it yet. Or she didn’t want to admit it.

Her friend wasn’t buying her explanation.

“Cousin, huh?”

“Distant cousins, practically unrelated,” I responded, and the look in his eyes told me he understood my meaning.

He looked between Sara and me. “Listen, if there is something going on between you two, I –”

She made a derisive sound. “Yeah, not in this lifetime.” Turning to him as if I wasn’t there, she said, “I think I’ll go see what Roland is up to. Maybe I’ll see you again later.”

She stalked off toward the beach. I wanted to go to her and make sure she was okay, but I decided it would be wise to give her a few minutes to cool down first. A smile curved my lips. She was beautiful even when she was furious.

“You’re not really her cousin, are you?”

I looked at the blond man, who was still standing nearby. “No.”

He nodded and stared after her. “She’s something else.”

“Yes, she is,” I said more to myself.

The man surprised me when he held out his hand. “Samson.”

I shook his hand. “Nikolas.”

“Can I ask what the deal is with you and her? She didn’t mention a boyfriend, and you don’t exactly seem like her type.”

“What type is that?”

He grinned. “I’m not sure, but I hope it’s blond drummers. No offense.”

“None taken.” I couldn’t help but like the guy, even if my Mori wanted me to hit him for touching Sara. “I’d better go check on her.”

Samson chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

I saw Chris as I approached the bluff overlooking the beach, and I knew Sara had never been out of his sight even when she was out of mine. He gave me a look that said “better you than me” and pointed at a lone figure down the beach away from the fire. Not that I needed to be told where she was; I could sense her from here.

I watched her from a distance for a few minutes before I joined her. She didn’t look up as I neared, but she knew I was there despite my quiet approach.

“Please go away,” she said quietly. “I promise I won’t have any fun or fall into the ocean in my drunken state if you’ll leave me alone.”

I hated the sadness in her voice and knowing I had put it there. She’d looked so happy and carefree with Samson, and it bothered me that she reacted the opposite way to me. She didn’t know what we were to each other, and it was clear she was still upset by the things I’d told her last week. I wished there was something I could say to take away her pain, but all I could do for now was try to reassure her.

I sat beside her, and my Mori almost purred with happiness at being so close to its mate. After watching her from a distance for so long, a feeling of contentment settled over me at her nearness.

“I’ve heard that some orphans take the transition to the Mohiri life well and others struggle to adapt. Eventually, they all come to love our way of life.”

She didn’t look at me. “Maybe that’s because their life before wasn’t that great. It’s got to suck being a little kid with a demon wreaking havoc in your head. But I’m not like them.”

“No, you’re not.” If she only knew how different she was.

“Why?”

I thought about the best way to answer her. “You are very strong. I don’t mean physically. Like I told you before, you have amazing control over your Mori; it’s almost effortless.”

She shifted restlessly, and I wondered if her Mori was reacting to being so close to mine. If so, was she even aware of it?

“You don’t seem to have any trouble with yours,” she said.

“I’ve had many years to learn this much control, and it’s still not as good as yours.” If she only knew how much I’d struggled with my Mori as a boy, and how hard it was to restrain the demon when she was near. It would never harm her, but it couldn’t understand why we weren’t trying to claim our mate.

“Oh.” She rubbed her knees nervously. “But you do control it, right? You’re not going to go all Linda Blair on me, are you? Because I’ve had all the craziness I can handle for one year.”

I laughed at her ability to find humor in the situation. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

She turned her face toward me, allowing me to see the sadness that still lingered in her eyes. “How long is this going to go on? I just want to go back to some semblance of a normal life.”

“Sara –”

“I know what you’re going to say. How normal can it be when I’m immortal and everyone else is not? Why can’t I have it for now, at least until I have to leave?” she asked desperately.

I sighed softly, hating that I was going to crush her hopes of having a normal life. But if she was ever going to accept that she couldn’t go back to the way things were, I had to be honest with her. About the danger, at least.

“That might have been possible before the vampire found you. You don’t know what they’re like; once they decide they want something, it’s like a predator scenting their prey. And you are the one that got away.”

She trembled, and my arm ached to wrap itself around her shoulders. But I knew my touch would not be welcome.

“The werewolves don’t think the vampires will enter their territory,” she said.

“I hope they’re right, and I wish I could tell you this will all go away, but I won’t lie to you. I believe you are in danger here, and I won’t leave you unprotected as long as that danger exists.”

She stood. “Just do me a favor and don’t act like every person you see is out to get me. It is possible that some boys might actually like me.” She walked around me and headed back to the party.

“Ya znayu,” I said softly. I know.

She looked back at me. “Did you say something?”

“I said I’m sure they do.”

I stayed there for a few minutes after she’d left. Chris would keep an eye on her, and I didn’t want to upset her more. I wished I knew what to do or say to make her world right again, but I was at a loss.

When I returned to the party, I found a spot in the shadow of the lighthouse to stay out of sight. Sara was with her two werewolf friends and she wore a smile again, though it wasn’t as bright as the one she had before I’d made my presence known.

I knew I should probably go. She was safe here with her friends and Chris, and I only managed to distress her. But every time I thought of leaving, I couldn’t make myself walk away.

“She’s really gotten to you.”

I’d been so focused on Sara that I hadn’t even heard Chris approach. He stood beside me and watched her with her friends.

“I’ve never seen you look at a female the way you look at her.”

I glanced over at him. “What way is that?”

He smiled. “Like a blind man seeing for the first time.”

I scoffed, but I had no rebuke because I was afraid he might be right.

“How bad is it?” he asked with more seriousness. “I’m not going to have to restrain you if she goes near another male, am I?”

Sara laughed at something Roland said, and my chest warmed in response. “It’s stronger than I expected it would be this soon,” I admitted. “I don’t think I realized how strong until I saw her with the other guy.”

“I guess it’s true what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” His voice didn’t hold any of his usual humor. He laid a hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you should stay away for a while, until she’s more willing to accept you. The more you see her, the harder it will be to keep your distance from her.”

I nodded stiffly. “I know, but I can’t stay away with Eli stepping up his search for her.”

That was only part of the reason. Being near Sara eased the slowly tightening coil of tension inside me. I’d heard from bonded males that just touching their mates was enough to calm them when they were upset. It wasn’t as if I could walk up and take my mate’s hand. She’d probably break her fist on my nose.

Chris and I split up. He mingled with the crowd, while I stayed out of Sara’s sight. A few females came up to me and attempted to start a conversation, but I discouraged them as nicely as I could. I had eyes for only one female. My Mori wouldn’t have endured me being with someone else anyway now that it had found its mate.

It was around eleven when I felt the first drops of rain. I’d been watching the clouds move in for an hour, so I wasn’t surprised when the sky suddenly opened up and sent a torrent of rain down on us. Some of the females squealed, and everyone raced for their vehicles. As I watched Sara and her friends run to an old red pickup, I moved toward my bike, intending to follow them.

Chris met up with me in the parking lot. “She’s fine. Stop worrying. She’s safe with the werewolves, and I heard the boys talking about a party in the Knolls. It’s just a few miles from here, and it’s where the pack lives.”

He was right. As much as I wanted to make sure for myself that she got home safely, it would only invite trouble if we followed her into the pack’s home for no reason. Normally, I wouldn’t worry about upsetting a few wolves, but this pack cared for Sara, and her friends were protective of her. I didn’t want to change that.

But if I ever suspected she was in danger, I’d go through the entire pack to ensure her safety.

Chris shook out his wet hair and pulled on his helmet. “I found a pretty decent pub the other day. Let’s grab a beer and dry off.”

I agreed because there was nothing else for me to do in that moment. Chris led the way to a small bar near the waterfront. We grabbed a booth, paid for two beers, and talked in low voices about the situation in Portland. My eyes kept going to the clock on the wall, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Sara was doing. I was so used to her being at home where it was easier to watch over her, and I didn’t like not knowing where she was.

Chris groaned. “You’re killing me, Nikolas. If I ever find a bond mate, just shoot me right away and put me out of my misery.”

I smiled into my beer. “When this happens to you, I’m going to enjoy your suffering as much as you are enjoying mine. Maybe more.”

He let out a snort. “No way. I’ll stick to human women for the next hundred years or so, just to be safe.”

“For a guy who dates so many women, you’re going through a lot of trouble not to settle down.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble.” His eyebrows lifted suggestively. “I happen to love human women, and they’re less aggressive than our females.”

“Mohiri women aren’t that aggressive, unless you’re talking about someone like –”

“Celine?” he finished for me with a smirk. “Remind me again, how long ago did you and she hook up? And she still tries to rekindle your little romance whenever she sees you.”

I chuckled. “Celine is in a league of her own.”

I thought about the raven-haired beauty I’d met while on a job in New York City back in the twenties. Celine Moreau was a superb warrior and just as skilled as a lover. She’d made no secret of the fact she wanted me in her bed. It had been a pleasurable week for us both, and then we’d parted ways. I’d seen her many times since then, and we were on friendly terms, but I had no interest in picking up where we’d left off. Celine pursued me only because she was used to men adoring her and she couldn’t conceive of one not wanting her.

My thoughts turned back to Sara. I couldn’t have bonded with someone more opposite of Celine. Sara wasn’t afraid to express herself, yet she seemed to try to not be noticed. And unlike Celine, Sara had no interest in me.

The irony of the situation was not lost on me.

My phone vibrated on the table, and I frowned at Erik’s name on the screen. He wouldn’t call this late unless he’d found something important.

“Nikolas, we have trouble,” he said as soon as I picked up. “We got word of a strange animal spotted near the university in Gorham. Reese went to check it out. He says based on the tracks and the witnesses’ descriptions, it was a crocotta.”

My blood chilled. Crocotta were vicious creatures that resembled giant hyenas and always traveled in small packs. They were better than bloodhounds at picking up a scent and tracking it. If there were crocotta in or near Portland, they had been brought in to find someone specifically.

I immediately thought of Eli. The Attic had been full of college students the night we were there, and it made sense that Eli would assume Sara was also in college. So the first place he would look for her was the university.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said with forced calm. “Keep me posted if you find anything else.”

“What’s wrong?” Chris asked as soon as I hung up.

“There was a crocotta spotted near Portland. You know there’s only one reason someone would bring those things here.”

“Jesus.”

“Chris, check the tracker you put on the truck. Where are they?”

He pulled out his tracking monitor. “I told you she’s in the…”

His brows drew together, and my chest tightened with dread. “It looks like the truck is stopped on Fell Road, about a mile from the Knolls.”

I was out of my chair and halfway to the door before he called after me. He caught up to me at the bikes.

“There are lots of reasons why they could be stopped on the road,” Chris said as I straddled my motorcycle.

“She’s in danger. I feel it in my gut, Chris.”

“Okay. But you have to think like a warrior now, not a mate. Crocotta are intelligent and they like to surround their prey. If we rush in there together, they’ll have the upper hand. We need to split up and go in from different directions.”

He held up the monitor that displayed a map of the town and a blinking yellow dot that was the truck. It didn’t take long for us to determine the fastest routes there. A minute later, I was speeding toward the Knolls and praying we were not too late.

It took eleven minutes to reach the turnoff to Fell Road. As I slowed for the sharp right turn, the unmistakable screams of crocotta reached my ears.

“Hold on, Sara.” I hit the gas and shot down the road toward the screams.

I let out the breath I was holding when I sensed her presence. It was faint, but she was nearby and alive. It grew stronger as I sped around a bend in the road and the truck came into view.

I sized up the situation as I raced forward. In front of the truck, Chris fought with two crocotta, and a few feet away, the werewolves battled one between them. A fourth crocotta stalked toward the truck. There was no sign of Sara, and I hoped she was safely locked inside the vehicle.

A growl rumbled in my chest as my eyes narrowed on the creature threatening my mate. I reached down, unbuckled my sword, and gripped the hilt without taking my eyes off my prey. Instead of slowing, I sped up, and my bike plowed into the crocotta with a satisfying crunch.

A second before impact, I leapt from the bike and spun in the air, landing on my feet with my sword in hand. I went after the creature trapped under the bike. It struggled frantically when it saw me, and it managed a weak scream before I severed its head.

Bloodlust filled me as I turned to Chris and the two crocotta he battled. I strode into the fray and brought my sword down across the flank of the closest creature. It cried out and spun around to face me. I didn’t give it a chance to attack. I drove my sword into its wide chest, killing it instantly.

Seconds later, Chris and the werewolves finished off the last two crocotta, and the night was silent except for the werewolves’ panting and the light rain.

I looked at the black werewolf. “You know these woods?”

He nodded.

“Go make sure there are no more crocotta nearby.”

He hesitated and glanced at the truck.

“I’ll take care of her. I promise you.”

He nodded again, and he and his friend dashed off into the woods. I turned to the truck, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw what I hadn’t noticed at a distance. The hood and driver door were crumpled, the windshield looked ready to fall in, and the roof was shredded with jagged pieces of metal sticking up. Through the cracked window, I could make out someone sitting in the middle of the cab. Sara.

In three strides, I was at the truck and pulling on the handle of the driver’s side door. The damage to the door had wedged it, but nothing was going to stop me from getting inside that cab. I gripped the edges of the door, where it twisted away from the frame, and ripped it off the truck.

“Easy, man. You’ll frighten her,” Chris called as I threw the door away from me. His warning registered in my brain, but I almost lost it when I took in Sara’s ghostly pale face splattered with blood. Her green eyes were dazed, and the knife I had given her was coated with blood in her clenched hand. I could see no injuries, and I prayed the blood on her belonged to the creature she had fought.

My hand trembled from a mixture of relief and fury when I cupped her cold face and made her look at me. The pain and fear in her eyes made my heart constrict, and my words came out harsher than I meant them to.

“It’s okay, Sara. They’re all gone. Are you hurt anywhere?”

She didn’t answer, and I worried she was in shock. I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes, and they lost the glazed look.

“Sara, can you hear me?” I asked with more gentleness.

“Yes.” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

Relief coursed through me. I let go of her chin and covered the hand still clutching the knife so tightly that her knuckles were white.

“You’re safe now, moy malen’kiy voin. Let the knife go.” The endearment slipped off my tongue easily, though I’d never spoken that way to another person.

She relinquished the weapon to me, and I threw it on the floor before I took both of her hands in mine. I studied the blood-splattered interior of the cab, and anger surged in me again when I looked up at the shredded roof where the crocotta had tried to get to her.

“You fought them off? By yourself?”

“J-just one,” she croaked.

I let out a short laugh and shook my head. “Just one? Khristu!”

Crocotta were savage fighters, and she had fought one with a knife while trapped in this small space. Pride filled me, and I tugged gently on her hands.

“We need to get you out of this thing. Do you think you can stand?”

She nodded, and then she let out a cry of pain. The agony on her face awoke something dark and violent within me.

“What is it? Did it hurt you?”

She nodded weakly and closed her eyes, but that didn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. “G-guess I’m not much of a fighter after all.”

The urge to kill something rose up inside me, catching me off guard. I had to fight to maintain a calm expression so I didn’t frighten her more.

Get it together. The last thing she needs is to see you lose it.

“Stay here,” I managed to say.

I ducked out of the cab and stormed away from the truck. My mate was hurt. Her cry of pain echoed in my head, and all I could see was blood. The smell clung to my nostrils, fueling the fury building inside me.

I almost ripped the storage compartment off my bike in my search for the can of gunna paste I kept there. The medicine was carried by all warriors because it was a pain reliever as well as an accelerant for our natural healing abilities.

I swore loudly when I couldn’t find the can of paste, and I almost punched Chris when he nudged me aside and dug through the compartment. His hand reappeared holding the metal cylinder, and I reached for it, but he held it away from me.

“Give me the goddamn can, Chris.” I advanced on my best friend.

“I will tend to her,” he said.

“The hell you will. I’ll take care of her.”

“Nikolas, you need to calm down,” he ordered in an even voice. “If you go over there like this, you’ll frighten her. Is that what you want?”

His words pierced my anger. “No, I don’t want that.”

He nodded. “She’ll be okay. Just get it under control while I do this.”

I stood rigidly beside my bike while he went to the truck. I heard the soft murmur of voices, and a few minutes later, Chris reappeared with Sara in his arms.

I started toward them, but stopped when he set her on her feet. She clung to him for support while he examined the injury on her arm and explained about crocotta venom. She looked weak, but her face was no longer twisted in pain, thanks to the gunna paste.

When Chris turned her and pulled up her coat and shirt to reveal the scratches on her back, a deep primal rage erupted inside me. It pulsed red behind my eyes, and my body trembled as my Mori fought for dominance. Only Chris’s words about frightening Sara kept me rooted to the spot and fighting with every ounce of willpower to control my Mori’s rage.

“These are a little deeper but nothing life-threatening,” Chris said loudly, and I knew he was trying to reassure me as much as her.

Sara looked at me, wearing a confused expression, but all I could do was stare back at her. Chris smiled and said, “I have a better bedside manner than my friend.”

“He looks angry. Is he mad at me?” she asked.

Chris shot me a warning look. “No. He’s upset that we were too late to stop you from getting hurt. He’s worked himself into a bit of a rage, and he just needs a minute to calm down.”

She looked away from me. “A rage?”

“Yes, it happens when…” He glanced at me again as if he was unsure of what to tell her. “It’s a Mori thing. You’ll learn about that stuff soon.”

“Oh.” She looked around fearfully. “Where are my friends?”

“They are making sure there are no more crocotta hiding nearby.” Chris whistled softly. “Six of them. That is an unusually large pack. Someone is very serious about finding you.”

I clenched my hands into fists at the thought of what would have happened if Erik hadn’t called me. If we hadn’t gotten here when we did…

“Finding me?” Sara asked in a small voice.

“The crocotta are trackers,” Chris told her. “Someone sent them after you, probably with orders to retrieve you.”

“They…almost killed me.”

He helped her into her torn, bloody coat. “The thrill of the hunt got the better of them. Good thing they’re not as good at killing as they are at tracking.”

She started to shake, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she uttered before she rushed to the other side of the road and threw up.

The sight of her in so much misery snapped me out of my rage, and I started toward her.

Chris held up a hand and mouthed, Wait.

“I’m good,” I said in a low voice.

The anger was gone, replaced by the need to comfort the girl who was quickly becoming the most important person in my life. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but right now, all that mattered was her well-being.

She finished retching and stood facing away from us, shivering with her arms wrapped around her. She looked so small and vulnerable that my chest ached.

I pulled off my leather jacket and walked over to drape it across her shoulders.

“I’ll get blood all over it,” she argued weakly.

I gently turned her to face me, wrapping the jacket around her to make sure she was covered and warm. The jacket swallowed her. The sight of her in it made my Mori happy and stirred more than my protective instincts.

I released her and took a step back. “I think it can stand a little blood.”

“I… Thank you,” she said softly.

I was glad to see she was no longer shivering. “Are you still in pain?”

She shook her head. “I’m much better, thanks.”

She looked past me, and I watched her face as her gaze moved over the dead crocotta and landed on the destroyed truck. Her eyes widened when she saw the extent of the damage for the first time.

“Only someone with warrior blood could have survived that,” I told her.

“I’m not a warrior.”

“So you keep telling me,” I challenged softly.

The play of emotions across her face made me want to pull her to me and comfort her. I went to busy myself by checking on my bike. Sara was injured and most likely suffering from mild shock; she didn’t need to deal with my lack of control on top of that.

“Sara!”

Her friend Roland ran toward her, and I was glad to see he had found his clothing. When he reached her, he moved to hug her, but she held up a hand to stop him. His smile was replaced by concern. “Are you hurt?”

“Yes, but I’ll live,” she replied.

“I nearly lost it when I saw it attacking you,” he said in a shaky voice. “I studied crocotta, but I never thought I’d see them around here. Fuck! They were strong. You were incredible, fighting it off like that.”

Yes, she was, I agreed.

“I wouldn’t have lasted much longer without you guys.” She glanced around. “Where is Peter, by the way? There’s no way I’m going out there looking for him again.”

Roland laughed. “He went to find his clothes. There was no one home when he got there, so he grabbed a lug wrench and headed back. He was coming up the road when he saw us getting attacked.”

Sara was quiet for a moment. Then she turned to me. “How did you know?”

“One of our men called to tell me a crocotta had been seen in the Portland area,” I said. “I knew that they could track you, even if the vampires couldn’t.”

“But how did you know where we were?”

Chris chuckled. “I put a tracker on your friend’s truck at the pizza place a few days ago.” Her eyes widened and he said, “You didn’t think I was going to run around town all week looking for you, did you?”

Roland looked angry, but we would not apologize for taking a measure that had ended up saving their lives. I’d do it again, as many times as I had to, to keep Sara safe.

Their friend Peter ran up to us. “I think we got them all. No worries about one of them reporting back to whoever sent them.” He stared at the truck. “Damn! What the hell happened to the truck?”

“You three are like a disaster magnet.” Tonight had proven that this town was no longer safe for Sara. The best place for her was Westhorne. Surely she would agree after what had happened here.

I rooted in the compartment on my bike for my phone before I remembered it was in my jacket pocket. I walked over to Sara and retrieved my phone. “I’m going to call for a pickup,” I said to Chris.

Sara gave me a puzzled look. “A pickup for what?”

“Not what, who,” I answered. “Look around. It’s not safe here for you.”

Her lips pressed together, and she moved closer to Roland. “I’m not going anywhere.”

It bothered me that she moved toward another male for support, but I pushed it aside. Her safety was more important than my jealousy. “Be reasonable, Sara. You need to be with people who can protect you.”

“We can protect her.” Roland hugged her against him with one arm.

“I can see that,” I replied dryly. “Why is it both times she’s been attacked were when you’ve been protecting her?”

Roland’s eyes narrowed. “Are you implying something?”

Was he serious? “Look around you.”

He scowled at me. “No one could have expected a large pack of crocotta to show up like that. And you couldn’t have held off that many alone either.”

“No, but if she was with her own people, she wouldn’t have had to worry about that.”

“Her people?” he repeated angrily, and I could tell I had touched a nerve. “We’re her friends. We care for her more than a bunch of strangers.”

“They wouldn’t be strangers for long,” I argued. “And she can train to protect herself.”

“Stop it!”

I looked at Sara, whose eyes were flashing angrily.

“Stop talking about me like I’m not even here,” she yelled at us. “I’m not leaving New Hastings, so drop it.”

Her short outburst seemed to drain her, and the fire went out of her eyes as she sagged wearily against Roland. I immediately regretted upsetting her.

“Sara, I think you should come home with us tonight,” Roland told her.

She looked at the dead crocotta. “But you guys got them all.”

“Yes, but you’re covered in blood and your clothes are all ripped up. You don’t want Nate to see you like this.”

She looked down at her ripped and bloody clothes, and sighed heavily. “You’re right. Nate can’t see this.”

I wasn’t happy about her refusal to leave, but I thought it was a good idea for her to stay with the werewolves tonight. Of course, I had every intention of going with her. My Mori was quiet now, but neither of us was going to let her out of our sight tonight.

I looked at the truck and the mess of crocotta parts. “Is there anyone around here who can clean this up before the locals see it? If not, we’ll bring in someone.”

“Yeah, I’ll call someone.” Roland pulled out his phone and made a call. When he hung up, he said, “My cousin Francis will be here in a few minutes with a crew to take care of this. We’ll take Sara to my house.”

“Chris and I will come with you to make sure there’s no more trouble,” I said, expecting an argument.

Roland shook his head. “There’s no need for that. She’ll be safe in the Knolls.”

“Forgive me if I have my doubts. We will accompany you.”

I was surprised when Sara didn’t protest us going with them. But one look at her face told me she was too tired to fight me on this.

Her brow furrowed, and she looked at Chris. “How did you get here so fast?”

“My bike is half a mile down the road. When I heard the crocotta’s hunting calls I decided to come in on foot to surprise them.” He arched an eyebrow at me. “I had no idea some people would come roaring in, making enough noise to wake the dead.”

She gave him a weary smile. “Thank you.”

Chris grinned. “And I thought small town life was boring.”

Roland’s cleanup crew didn’t take long to get to us, and within minutes, a pickup and a car pulled to a stop in front of us. I recognized the driver of the car as the hotheaded werewolf Chris and I had seen in Portland. He ignored us, drawn instead to the six crocotta corpses on the road. He swore repeatedly as he studied one of the creatures.

Two more men piled out of the truck. One of them let out a whistle and looked at Sara’s friends. “You guys did this?” he asked incredulously.

Peter grinned. “Yes, with help.”

Francis and the others finally noticed us, and their faces twisted into scowls. “What are they doing here?” one of the guys asked. I expected Francis to have something to say after our encounter in the city, but he only glared at us.

“They helped us fight the crocotta,” Peter told them.

Sara looked like she could barely stand, and every second these guys talked was one more she would not be resting. “If you guys don’t mind, Sara is hurt.”

Francis turned to her. “You’re hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No hospital,” she said firmly.

“Maybe you should get checked out,” Roland told her.

Chris stepped forward. “She’ll be okay. I gave her something to help with the pain and to speed up the healing. Trust me. It’s a very powerful medicine. The Mohiri have used it in battle for centuries. With her own accelerated healing, her injuries will go away in a few days.”

Francis stared at Chris. “Her accelerated healing?”

“It’s a long story,” Sara and Roland said at the same time.

Francis gave his keys to Roland. “Take my car. I’ll stay here with the boys to take care of this. We’ll need to call in a few more hands to get rid of all these.”

Roland helped Sara to the car, and they set off for his house. I climbed on my bike to follow them. “I’ll call you and let you know where we are,” I told Chris, who had started down the road toward his own bike.

I parked beside the car at the house and went inside without bothering to knock. It wasn’t as if they weren’t expecting me. Roland and Peter were in the kitchen, and Roland pointed to the living room where Sara was curled up on the couch, still wearing my jacket.

“We should put her in a bed so she’s more comfortable,” I told them in a low voice.

Roland shook his head. “Sara loves our couch. She’ll be okay there.”

“Then get her a warm blanket,” I insisted.

“Sometimes, I forget she isn’t like us and she gets cold easier,” Roland said sheepishly. He disappeared down a hallway and returned carrying a thick quilt, which he laid over her. She mumbled in her sleep, but did not awaken.

“Were the crocotta really sent to find Sara?” Peter whispered as I took out my phone and texted Chris to let him know where I was.

“I believe so. I think the vampire who attacked her is trying to find her.”

Peter’s eyes rounded. “But that was weeks ago. Why would he be looking for her?”

“Because she got away. I have no proof it’s him, but I’ve seen vampires obsess over someone like this before. And you don’t use crocotta unless you’re desperate to find someone.”

Roland swore. “Dude, thanks for showing up when you did. If anything happened to her…”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.” I looked at her sleeping form. “She told you about my visit to her last week?”

“Yeah, she told us what she is,” Roland said. “If you think that matters to us, you’re wrong.”

It was good to know Sara had such loyal friends. I hoped someday she could learn to trust me as much as she trusted them.

“Dad nearly lost it when I told him about the crocotta,” Peter whispered. “He and Uncle Brendan are on their way home.”

“Mom will be here soon, too.” Roland looked at me. “You don’t need to stay. This place is gonna be swarming with pack soon, and nothing will get near Sara.”

“I’ll stay all the same.” I left them and walked into the living room. Sara hadn’t moved, and she looked innocent and vulnerable in sleep. My Mori wanted to stand over her and growl at anyone who came near her. But I knew she was among friends here.

I could have stood guard outside, but I couldn’t make myself leave her. I took a spot by the window where I could see her and keep watch at the same time.

It was just after midnight when Roland’s mother, Judith, came home, followed shortly after by the Alpha, his Beta, and several other pack members. I stepped outside to talk to them briefly, but I refused to leave Sara for long. The wolves gave me questioning looks, but I saw no reason to explain my actions to them.

Maxwell Kelly was a big, brawny man with graying reddish brown hair and beard who exuded authority. It was easy to see why he was the Alpha of the largest pack in the country.

“Thank you for helping my son and nephew, and Sara,” he said in a deep voice. “We are in your debt.”

A few of the other wolves grumbled, but a look from Maxwell silenced them. He turned back to me.

“We are not used to having your kind here. How long do you intend to stay in our territory?”

The underlying message in his question was clear. He would tolerate us because we had helped save the lives of his pups, but he didn’t like outsiders in his territory.

“I’ll stay as long as I need to be here. I respect your territory, but Sara is Mohiri and under my protection.”

Whispers and growls broke out around us. A low growl from Maxwell cut them off.

He gave me a hard stare then nodded. “Your people are in Portland as well?”

“Yes. We brought in a team to deal with the vampire problem there. And to provide backup in protecting Sara.” I shared what we had learned so far about the vampire activity in Portland.

“I’ll increase patrols here and send some of my wolves to Portland,” he said.

“Good. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back to Sara.”

One of the younger wolves spoke up. “You can stand guard out here. No need of you being in the house.”

Before I could reply, Judith said, “This is my home, and I decide who enters it. The warrior is welcome. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with me.”

No one argued with her, and the pack left. Judith and I talked for a few minutes and exchanged phone numbers in case Maxwell or I needed to contact each other. Soon after, she retired for the night and I went back to my spot near the living room window.

A few times, Sara tossed fitfully and murmured in her sleep, but she settled down when I went to her and gently touched her face. She might not know about the bond, but even in sleep my touch soothed her.

It was in the hours before dawn when she finally stirred. Her sleepy voice broke the silence in the room. “Nikolas?”

“Go back to sleep,” I said softly.

Quiet settled over the room, and I thought she’d fallen asleep again. I turned back to the window.

“Don’t go,” she pleaded in a hoarse whisper.

Those two whispered words affected me as nothing ever had. My chest grew warm, and I swallowed past the strange tightness in my throat.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. Ever.