Davies, Corinne - Claiming Destiny [Midnighter Seductions 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (18 page)

“Tell them to be careful. I think one of those yellow-eyed things tried to follow me through the portal.”

“Fuck.” Wolfe tapped on the device again. “The last thing we need are any more rogue Kimil running around the deserts.”

“You mean there are more of them?”

“Yes,” Falcon replied. “We found the remains of one in the crop of rocks where Rock and Jag first chased you.”

“The panther, I remember.”

“Do you remember how it died, Destiny?” Wolf laid his hand on her shoulder, an urgency to his voice distracting her from the feeling of comfort that gave her.

“No, I don’t. It was going to crawl into the space where I was hiding and I sprayed it. It ran off before Rock and Jag found me.”

“What did you spray it with?”

“Pepper spray. I feel really bad because I’d sprayed Jag shortly before that. I didn’t know that he wasn’t there to hurt me.”

“It’s okay.” Falcon stroked a hand down her hair and patted her shoulder. She didn’t feel the same revulsion to Falcon’s touch as she had from David’s. Nor did she crave more like she did when Rock or Jag touched her. “This is amazing news. Jag didn’t suffer any permanent damage by it, but that stuff killed the Kimil.”

“Destiny, can you tell us where to get more of your pepper spray?”

“Sure, you can get it almost anywhere, especially sporting goods store. I’m sure they have one around here.”

“Good, let’s get you out of here.” Falcon looked over the IV bag and the needle the nurse had put in her arm. “What is this doing for you?”

“I think giving me extra fluids. The nurse was worried I might be dehydrated.”

“Will it damage you if we remove it?” Wolfe asked.

“No, but do you know what you’re doing?” Falcon gave her a smile that yelled “
trust me
,” but it still made her nervous. “Forget it. I’ll do it. Can you pass me a cotton ball from that jar? They look like little clouds.”

Wolfe reached for them as Destiny carefully pulled the tape off the needle and clenched her teeth when it rattled the needle in her arm and made her flinch. She took hold of the end of it and closed her eyes pulled the IV from her arm. It didn’t hurt, but it scared her to do it.

“Good job,” Wolfe said and passed her a ball of fluff. She pressed it against the insertion and held it down with her finger. “How are we going to get out of here?”

“Walk calmly. Eddie’s distracting the nurse.”

He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. From behind another door she could hear low, overly dramatic moans of pain. Falcon shook his head and placed his hand at Destiny’s back, hurrying her along. Both men moved eerily silently considering they were both wearing cowboy boots. She was making more noise and she was in bare feet. Wolf paused at the reception desk and pulled the phone cord out from the wall. He made a loud, bird-like whistle as they walked out the front door and down the steps to the large SUV.

Before her feet touched the ground she was scooped up and in Falcon’s arms. “What are you doing? I can walk.”

“You’re not wearing shoes and who knows what has broken over this dirt. I don’t want you getting sick because you stepped on something.” He grinned down at her, flashing a deep dimple in one cheek. Falcon was breathtakingly gorgeous, and he knew it. But her heart didn’t skip a beat and she didn’t feel the need to bury her face in his neck.

“I’m not a princess, Falcon.”

“You’re more than that, Destiny.” His smile dimmed slightly as Wolfe opened the rear door to the SUV and Falcon put her on the seat. Destiny got in the SUV without question and immediately ducked down so no one from the clinic would see her.

“I told you,” Wolfe said to Falcon as he got in the driver’s seat.

Falcon scowled and shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Until they find out and kick both our asses.”

“They’ll try.” Falcon held out his arm and Wolfe clasped it. Destiny noticed the markings on their arms matched up much like the ones on Rock’s and Jag’s did. The pattern was different. She didn’t have a clue what they were talking about and didn’t care. Right now she wanted to get out of there before someone came looking for her.

“What are we waiting for?”

“Eddie,” Wolfe replied. “Here he comes. Stay down for a moment more.”

Destiny slid her butt off the seat and crouched near the floor as the other rear door opened.

“Thanks, Miss Kathryn. I’m feeling much better now. I knew your touch would help.” An old man got in on the opposite side of the backseat, waving over the hood of the car as they pulled away. “I’ll get my boys to take me home for that nap. You give those pretty daughters of yours a hug for me.”

An older man got into the vehicle and settled down in his seat. “Told you it’d go smoothly, boys.” He glanced down at Destiny and held out his hand. “You can sit up here next to me, ma’am. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

Now she recognized him. “You were the man in the market the other day. You were walking with two women.”

“Yes, ma’am, that was me. Have to ask, why you back on this side?”

Destiny shrugged and looked out the window. She was almost embarrassed to admit it now even though she still felt like she’d done the right thing.

“Ran away from them, huh? I’m not surprised.”

“What makes you say that?” Destiny was shocked that he nailed the truth when she hadn’t said anything.

“They’ve got a mighty different world than ours with all sorts of traditions and beliefs that we might not take a hankering to over here. I can understand if they scared you, but they’re good people.”

“I never said they weren’t.”

“No ma’am, I’m not accusing you of anything, but you were only there a few days. Do you think you really gave them a chance? I was there for a couple months and they managed to dry me out and put me back in a healthy state. I figure I owe them my life and I’ll do anything I can to help them. But it still took me a long time to get used to their world.”

“Did you feel like a prisoner?”

“In the start I was. I was a drunk and a violent one at that and tried to take their heads clean off with my gun when I first saw them.” Eddie shook his head. “Mighty ’shamed of my behavior and what I was doing to myself.”

“Were you in prison long?” Destiny was torn about her decision to leave. It wasn’t because of her fear of Rock and Jag but her fears that she wasn’t good enough, or what if they found someone else better later on?

“I wouldn’t call it prison, but they had me secured for my own good. It took a while for me to get through the DTs, but they’ve medicine over there that sped it up. I’d still be suffering or maybe dead if I’d stayed here.”

Destiny looked out the window and watched the desert fly by. Wolfe was a lead foot and she wondered what she would do if they got pulled over. Would she tell the truth and try to get away from them?
No.
She was scared and she should’ve waited and talked to Rock and Jag about it. She could’ve yelled at them and thrown a complete temper tantrum, and for some reason she knew they would’ve stood there and glared at her, and then kissed her senseless to make her forget why she was mad. All they had asked her to do was stay inside the inner walls. It wasn’t like they’d confined her to a six-by-six-foot room for years.

“Eddie, where is the nearest sports store?” she asked.

“What do y’all need there?”

“Pepper spray, lots of it, so we can kick some serious Kimil ass.”

Chapter Ten

Rock threw out his arm and concentrated on the bolt of negative energy he held in his hand. Whipping that at one of the Kimil trying to climb the steps to the portal, he hit the creature between the shoulder blades. It screamed and rolled down the side of the building, landing in a heap at the bottom. It wouldn’t be out for long but long enough for Rock and Jag to make it to the top. Jag battled another Kimil a few feet away. This was one of their advantages. He and the other warriors often trained on these steps and were used to maneuvering on the steep incline. The Kimil were not and it was easier to knock them off-balance. The fall might not kill them, but it would slow them down.

He’d heard from the twins, Derechos and Storm, that Destiny had made it to the top and run into the hallway. He prayed to every god in the universe that she’d made it back to her world safely.
At least she’ll be safer there than here.
Jag raced up the stairs beside him and into the hallway. The portal stood at the end of the hall and for a moment, Rock considered destroying it.

“She’ll be trapped on the other side if we do it.” Jag walked backward next to him, watching their backs as Rock scanned the area in front of them for danger.

“She has four of our warriors over there to keep her safe. The other Atans would never be in any danger because they’ve never met their chosen warriors.” Rock eyed a corner and watched for those evil eyes, but nothing was there as they passed.

“You would be making this decision not only for us but for the rest of our people. We’ll never rule and never know peace. The legend says that our Atan will come with a great weapon.”

“Her weapon was the ability to shatter our hearts when she ran away. I would spare the rest of the warriors the agony we’re feeling.” Rock tried to temper the bitterness in his voice but knew he failed. Knowing their Atan had run away from them felt like a white-hot spear had taken residence in his chest.

“So you will make the choice for us.” Jag stood with his arms crossed over his chest. “You choose the security of our people over your own heart.”

“It’s what my father should’ve done and didn’t and look what happened.” Rock waved his arm toward the door. His own warrior brother didn’t understand why this was for the best. “We’re still battling the Kimil and now there is another entire world in danger and they’ve no idea what they’re up against.”

Rock held out his arm and Jag clasped it. “This is the first time we’re standing at opposite sides of an issue,” Jag said. “But if we destroy the portal, we destroy our future. Do you really want that?”

Jag refused to let go of Rock’s arm and he started to rethink his decision. “Of course I don’t want that. I want our
Atan
safe here in our arms, but she is the one who ran.”

“You’re right and she should’ve spoken to us first about what frightened her off. Do you want to close the portal or go through it and find our woman?”

Rock looked back to the entrance to the hallway. He could hear the sounds of their fellow warriors protecting their
Kaah
, their city.
And I’m going to make the same decision my father made.

“You’re right. Let’s bring her home and then teach her not to run away from us again.”

Jag nodded and the markings on their arms flashed in unison. “We’ve no idea what we’re going to meet on the other side. Be ready.”

“I pity the creature who dares stand between us and our Destiny.” The two of them headed for the dais, but the energy level in the room spiked before they got there. Rock felt all the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he dropped into a defensive position. Jag moved to the other side of the room and did the same. Whatever was coming through the portal they would attack it together.

* * * *

“What about the truck? You can’t just leave it here,” Destiny said as Wolfe helped her out of the large vehicle.

“I’ll take it back to town.” Eddie slid across the bench and behind the wheel. “Go make certain that Lu’um is safe. I’ll check the supplies at the house and keep an eye out until the next rotation crosses over.”

He unrolled the window and looked at Destiny. “You get back to where you belong, young lady. The Midnighters will keep you safe.”