Death Defying (Dark Desires) (23 page)

He was already hard, but he held himself in check and stroked her gently, caressing the small swollen nub until she pushed against his hand. He went still wondering how far to take this. He didn’t want to hurt her, but if he could give her some pleasure, some respite from the pain, he desperately wanted to.

“Please,” she said as he hesitated. “I won’t break, and I need to feel you inside me.”

Setting the shower to air, he held her in the warm blast. When they were both dry, he carried her through to the bedroom and lowered her to the mattress. He came down above her, locking his elbows so his weight didn’t touch her. She parted her thighs and he slid inside, heard her whispered sigh of pleasure. He made love to her slowly, until he felt her fly apart beneath him, and then he lay beside her and slept.

He awoke to the sound of coughing. Tannis was sitting up in bed. When she turned to face him, he saw the tracks of crimson from her nostrils, and he knew their time together was running out. She touched her fingertips to her face and held them up before her eyes. Her lids fluttered closed for a brief moment, and when she opened them, her expression was pissed.

“Shit,” she said. “Shit. Fuck. Crap.”

Yeah, that about covered it.

Callum rolled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. Keeping his mind blank, he grabbed a towel and moistened it in the small sink, then went back to her and perched on the edge of the bed. Gently, he wiped the blood from her face, leaned in, and kissed her.

“You have to go,” she said. “I just got a comm from Daisy—we’re coming up on
The Endeavor
.”

This was it, then. His gut tightened with the almost forgotten mixture of anticipation and fear he’d always felt before he went into action as a pilot. However many missions he flew, it had always been the same. Once in the air, the sensation dissipated and he’d reached a cool, calm place where his brain and body functioned with a precision he never experienced on the ground. He just hoped the same would happen here, but he doubted it. Back then, there hadn’t been so much at stake. If Tannis were to die, he had to make sure she went, knowing what was left of her crew were safe and those dead were revenged.

“I want you on board
The Endeavor
,” he said. Whatever time she had left, he wanted her close.

“Just try and leave me behind.”

Chapter Twenty-three

Tannis watched through the scanner as they drew away from
El Cazador
. The ship had been her home for the last fifteen years. Now, she was filled with the knowledge that she would never see her again, and a wave of sadness washed through her.

Four of Devlin’s men had taken over
El Cazador
—she would be used as a distraction while they slipped onto Trakis Four on
The
Endeavor
. At least that was the plan.

Rico would hate it that she was leaving his ship in the hands of strangers. At the thought, she blinked back tears and then quickly wiped her face with the cloth she held. No way did she want the others to see how bad she was; they needed to focus, not worry about her.

The small shuttle was crowded with the six of them. Whenever they’d gone on a mission before there had always been the buzz of excitement. Today, the atmosphere was subdued. It was good to know they were sad at her dying, but maybe she should say something cheery like—
hey, get over it, everyone has to go sometime.
But that wouldn’t even be true in the present company.

She cast a sideways glance at Callum. He stood beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. He appeared composed and actually managed a small smile when he caught her gaze. He was trying so hard.

Beside him, Skylar stood, her expression distant as she, too, watched
El Cazador
disappear from the scanner. No doubt, she was thinking about Rico. But that would pass. She had time, after all.

The one she was really concerned about was Jon. He’d already shifted and lay on the floor of the shuttle, taking up most of the space. His head rested on his paws, but his amber eyes were open and watchful. If they failed…

She shut down the thought. They wouldn’t fail.

“There she is,” Skylar said.

The ship appeared out of nowhere on the scanner. One second they were staring at the vastness of space, the next the viewer was filled entirely with the matte black hull of
The Endeavor.

“We’re inside the shielding,” Callum said.

The ship was huge—ten times the size of
El Cazador
and beautiful, all sleek, graceful lines. “So tell me again—how many crew?”

Callum cast her a wry look. Yeah, so she’d already asked, but she needed to take her mind off the coming separation.

“I told you—I don’t know. She can carry up to one hundred men comfortably, but she can be flown by one person so long as they’re Collective. I can sense five Collective members, but there could be others.”

“Can she really hear your thoughts?” Daisy asked, her tone full of awe. Obviously, to Daisy’s mind, telepathic people were nothing special, but a telepathic ship was way cool.

“Yes. We identified the frequencies of the telepathic brain waves and tuned her in.”

“Can’t you ‘talk to her’ from here?” Tannis asked.

“No. In case of attack I didn’t want anyone to be able to remote control her. But if I can get close enough to the biometric reader, I can take over. She’s my ship. I can override anything.”

“Okay, I’m taking her in,” Daisy said.

Directly in front of them, a split formed in the giant hull, revealing the docking bay beyond. Daisy flew them in and touched down gently beside a line of shining new shuttles that made Tannis’s mouth water. In fact, everything was shining and new.

She was inspecting the docking bay through the monitor when Callum leaned down and scooped her up. Her mouth opened to protest that she was strong enough to walk but then snapped closed again—she was by no means sure it was true and besides, she liked being held in his arms.

He carried her down the ramp. A man waited for them at the bottom, his violet eyes showing he was one of the Collective. He was dressed in the black uniform of the Corps and drew to attention when he saw Callum.

“Sir, I’m to take you to the bridge. The captain will meet you there.”

Tannis gazed around her as they walked along the wide silver corridors, then rode up to the next level in a some sort of ultramodern elevator, just a wide shaft that swept them upward as if they were flying and opened directly onto the bridge. She quickly took in her surroundings, assessing what could be used to their advantage. Three men occupied the area, all dressed in the same black uniforms. All drew to attention as Callum entered.

He ignored them and carried her across to a chair situated in front of the main console.

“This place is huge,” she said.

Compared to
El Cazador
it was. The ceilings were high, the corridors and rooms wide with little in the way of furniture.

“She was designed with certain physical attributes in mind,” Callum said. Standing in front of her, he spread his wings.

“Very impressive,” she murmured.

“I wasn’t told anyone else would be boarding.” The captain’s voice took her attention from Callum. She studied the man. He appeared somewhere in his midthirties, but of course that meant nothing with the Collective. He could be anything up to four hundred years old, and when she looked closely, she could see the age and experience reflected in his eyes. He also sounded suspicious.

Callum gave her a small smile and then turned to face him. His posture changed; he appeared to grow, become more commanding. “I didn’t think it was any of your business, Captain.”

Tannis almost smiled at the tone—he sounded so like the old Callum—the Leader of the Universe who didn’t have to answer to anyone.

The captain must have recognized it as well. He nodded. “I’ll have someone show you to your quarters. We should be arriving at Trakis Four within a few hours and then we’ll head home.”

“I don’t think so. I’d like you to gather your men together, Captain.”

“Why? I’m afraid we don’t have the time right now. We have a problem with the ship that I need to see to before we reach Trakis Four.”

Callum swore softly. “Don’t tell me—the reactor units?”

“Yes. How did you—”

“Because she failed the initial test runs on the reactor units. They broke down under pressure. That’s why she was back in the dockyards. I gather they failed to tell you.”

The captain remained silent.

“Idiots.” Callum paced the deck for a few minutes, then turned to the captain. “I’ll deal with it. You get your men together and gather in the docking bay.” As he spoke, he strolled toward the bank of consoles. The captain frowned; he stepped forward, but it was too late. Callum reached out and pressed his palm to the reader on the console.

He flinched as the blood sample was taken, and then he smiled. “I’m taking over control of my ship, Captain. You can stand down.”

“That’s not in my orders, sir.”

“Fuck your orders.” Callum closed his eyes briefly and the captain swayed, his hand going to his head, his eyes widening. “That was only an example. Get your men to the docking bay. And if you feel bad about this, then remember—I’m still head of the Council.”

The captain nodded and left the bridge, the other Collective members following.

“So did it work?” Tannis asked. She wanted reassurance things were going to plan. Exhaustion tugged at her mind, and her body felt lethargic and heavy. The need to give in, to lie down, close her eyes, and just drift away was almost overwhelming. The painkillers were still working, but she was taking too many and could no longer counteract the effects, at least not without going completely wired.

“Yes—I have control.”

At his words, she relaxed and allowed herself a huge yawn. Callum reached down and picked her up. “Come on, I’ll get you settled, and then I need to make sure that the captain and crew leave quietly.”

…

“You know, you’re pretty sexy when you go all Lord of the Universe.” Tannis spoke the words into his neck, her soft breath tickling his skin.

He glanced down and forced a smile. “Hold that thought.”

The master cabin had been designed with wings in mind. It was huge and decorated in scarlet and black. Holding her with one arm, he stripped the coverlet and placed her in the center of the mattress, then removed her boots and pulled the sheet up to cover her. Sinking down beside her, he took her hand.

“Go to sleep,” he said. “When you wake up, I’ll be back.

Her eyes drifted closed, and her breathing evened out.

Would she wake up? Or would she be one of the lucky ones and die a relatively peaceful death in her sleep? Part of him hoped so; the other part wanted her to live as long as possible. That little hope niggled at his mind again and he leaned in close.

“Hold on,” he whispered. “Don’t leave me.”

He sat and waited until he was sure she was asleep. Black rings surrounded her eyes. She looked small and tired in the enormous bed, propped up on the pillows so she wouldn’t choke on her own blood. He wanted to stay, but he needed to spend some time with Daisy, make sure she could handle
The Endeavor
in case they were all captured or killed, and she had to take the ship up on her own. Still, he waited until the ragged sound of Tannis’s breathing had smoothed, and then he gently tugged free of her hand and rose to his feet.

Would he ever see her again? He hoped so.

He kissed her forehead, then turned and left without looking back.

Chapter Twenty-four

The Endeavor
set down on a landing pad just outside the Church’s main headquarters. Callum had considered taking her inside, but she’d have been seen as soon as they got close, and they’d lose the element of surprise. They could go for a quick extraction, but as they had no clue where Alex was being kept that was unlikely to succeed. The place was a warren, expanding over the years as the Church grew.

In the distance, the sound of guns rumbled. Darkness had fallen, and up in the sky to the north, he could see the flashes of the ongoing firefight, hopefully drawing the Church’s attention away from
The Endeavor’s
approach.

The plan was to find Alex first and then go after Hatcher.

Jon growled and pawed at the door, impatient to be off. Callum hoped he would be sufficiently in control not to be too conspicuous and give them all away. He knew little about werewolves, but he suspected control wasn’t one of their stronger points. Rico would have known.

The Endeavor
was equipped with her own speeders, and they took one for the short distance to Church Headquarters, pulling up at the rear entrance. There was a single guard on the small gate. Skylar took him out easily and they slipped through and found themselves in a deserted courtyard. Callum presumed that everyone was concentrating on the full-frontal attack by
El Cazador
. No doubt, they would have recognized the ship.

Jon padded out to the center of the courtyard and sat on his haunches, his eyes closed, his nose raised to the air.

“Can he scent her from here?” Callum asked.

“I don’t think so,” Skylar replied. “But they have an almost telepathic bond, not like we do, more sensory, so if she’s anywhere close, he’ll feel it.”

Jon’s eyes opened, glowing amber. He peered over his shoulders and nodded his huge, shaggy head.

“We’re on,” Skylar said.

They followed the wolf to a door set in the far wall. He stood to the side as Skylar pressed her palm to the wood. The door didn’t budge, and she stepped back and kicked out. The lock splintered, the door swung open, and Jon pushed past her. Skylar went after him, Callum squeezed through behind her, and Devlin followed.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. They were in a narrow corridor with walls of bare stone, and a rock floor, which slanted downward. He guessed they were heading toward the dungeons. Obviously, they’d decided their little priestess wasn’t to be trusted.

Metal doors lined the corridor, each with a small grill in the front. Callum peered into a few of the cells, but they were empty. Then Jon gave a small yip of excitement and he was off, still heading downward, deeper underground.

Up ahead, he came to an abrupt halt outside one of the doors. The fur along his spine stood on end. His ears were pricked, his hind legs trembling. He released a low whine and then frantically scratched at the metal.

Callum caught up, pushed past the wolf, and peered through the grill. Alex huddled on a small cot, but she stared toward the door, her eyes wide. Beside him, Jon let out a low, impatient growl.

Callum studied the door. A palm panel was built into the wall to the side—no way would they kick this one open—so it looked like they were going to have to blow the door in.

Skylar must have come to the same conclusion. “Stand back,” she said.

The wolf peered up at her, then at the door, and finally he stalked a little distance away and turned to watch. Callum and Devlin moved to stand beside him as Skylar aimed her laser at the locking device.

The air filled with the acrid scent of burning metal, and above their heads, the high-pitched pulse of an alarm sounded. Callum cursed—they didn’t have long—someone would be sure to investigate.

Skylar pressed her fingers to the door and pushed it open as Jon leaped forward and was through the door before anyone else could move.

“Stay here and keep watch,” Callum told Devlin, and the other man nodded.

By the time Callum stepped into the small cell, Jon was on the cot. Alex sat with her arms around his neck, her face burrowed in his thick fur.

“We have to move,” Callum said.

She raised her head, her huge gray eyes brimming with tears. “Thank you.”

“Our pleasure. Now let’s go.”

Alex lifted her arm, to reveal the cuff around her right wrist. It was attached to a metal loop built into the stone wall.

“We’ll have to shoot it off,” Skylar said. “Stand as far away from the cot as you can.”

Alex extricated herself from the wolf’s embrace with difficulty. When she finally managed to stand, she kept one hand on the shaggy head, her fingers digging into his fur. She moved until her arm was outstretched, then closed her eyes against the glare of the laser. The chain gave in seconds, and she fell to her knees and hugged Jon. The cuff was still attached to her wrist, but she was free.

“We need to be out of here,” Callum said.

Alex raised her head and nodded. She got to her feet and looked past him as though searching for someone.

“Have you got Rico?”

“Rico’s dead.” Skylar tone was harsh.

Alex’s gaze flew to her face, her brows drawing together. “No, he isn’t. Skylar, really he isn’t. He’s alive.”

“What are you talking about? Hatcher told us he’d been executed, his body burned.”

“If he told you that, he lied. That’s what they plan to do, but they’re going to have a public execution. I know because they want me to light the pyre as proof that I’m loyal. I told them to go to hell, which is why I’m down in the dungeons.”

Skylar stepped up close to her. “Where is he?”

“Here somewhere. There’s nowhere else secure enough to keep him. He has to be close.”

Skylar was shaking. She chewed on her lower lip and Callum could see her consciously pulling herself together. “Jon, can you find him?”

The wolf lowered his head.

“I’ll shift as well,” Alex said. “Just give me a second.”

“Quickly, then.”

Callum turned away as she stripped off her clothes. When he looked back two wolves stood side by side. The smaller lifted one foot and the cuff slid off easily. Then she headed for the door.

He followed them out and watched as they crisscrossed the corridor, noses to the ground as they tried to pick up the scent. He was hardly daring to hope. Could Rico still be alive? And why had Hatcher lied? It had to be some effort to preempt a rescue mission. He didn’t care. All he cared about was there was a chance.

He prayed Tannis was still clinging to life. She was tenacious; she wouldn’t give in until she knew Alex was safe. Should he call her? But he didn’t want to raise her hopes if this came to nothing. And would Rico be able to change her? Would he agree?

The alarm had stopped. Devlin was at the corner watching. He glanced at Callum and shook his head. Nothing yet.

Alex gave out a low yip, and then she was loping down the corridor. Skylar raced after her with Callum close behind. The red wolf skidded to a halt in front of one of the cells and went up on her hind legs so she could see through the small window. She turned to Skylar and yipped again, then dropped down to all fours and backed away.

This time Skylar didn’t hesitate. She blasted the door, kicked it down in seconds, and rushed inside. For a second, Callum hovered outside, unwilling to let his hope die so soon. Then he stepped into the cell.

Rico was chained with both arms fastened to loops in the wall. Skylar had stopped just inside the door and was staring at him as though she couldn’t convince herself he was real.

“About fucking time,” Rico said, but he was grinning.

Skylar dove toward him, wrapped her arms around his middle, and held on tight.

“Oh, God. Oh, God.” Then she raised her head. “I thought you were goddamned dead,” she snarled.

“Why the hell would you think that?”

“Because that bastard Hatcher told us he’d executed you.”

“Well, he was a little premature, but I’m sure he would have gotten around to it, given time.”

Rico looked a mess. He was naked from the waist up, his chest a mass of bruises, burns, and cuts. Callum knew he healed quickly, so the wounds must be recent.

Rico met his gaze. “Where’s Tannis?”

“She’s dying. Of the Meridian poisoning.”

Shock flared on the vampire’s face. “What? You were on planet. Why didn’t she get the treatment?”

“We aborted when they killed Janey.” Callum was almost scared to ask, but he pushed the question out. “Can you save her?”

Rico stared at him for long moments. Then he nodded. “But I won’t do it unless she asks. I’ve offered in the past and she didn’t want it.”

“She’ll want it.” Callum prayed he was telling the truth.

“And I need to feed. I’m too weak right now.”

“Let’s get out of here first. You can feed in the speeder on the way back to the ship.”

“
El Cazador
is here?”

“Not exactly. We’ll explain on the way.”

Devlin peered in through the open cell door. He glanced at Rico. “Nice to see you back from the dead, but we have to move. We’ll have company any second now,”

Skylar raised her pistol, aimed it at the shackles that held Rico to the wall. “This might sting a little.”

“Darling, I don’t really care. Do it.”

Skylar blasted the chains close to the wall, even so, Rico winced, and the stench of scorched flesh filled the room.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

“Don’t be.” Rico grabbed her around the waist and kissed her hard. “Let’s get the fuck out of this shithole. Hey, have I mentioned how much I hate the Church?”

“Not recently. But feel free. I don’t think anyone here will argue with you.”

They left the cell and headed back the way they had come, the two wolves stalking at the front, Skylar and Rico in the middle, Callum and Devlin at the rear. They were almost to the door into the rear courtyard when a noise behind them made Callum whirl around.

A small group of men appeared around the corner, weapons in their hands. Callum heard a growl behind him and the two wolves burst past them, leaping at the first two guards before they had a chance to pull their triggers. The first died quickly, the huge black wolf ripping out the throat. The second was messier. He reckoned it was Alex’s first kill as a wolf, but she got there in the end. Callum and Devlin took out the second two and he stood staring at the bodies. He couldn’t dispel the notion that time was running out for Tannis. They needed out of there. Now.

A second group appeared but backed away when they saw the carnage.

“That was Hatcher,” Devlin said.

He made to follow, but Callum stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Devlin, we have to get back.”

“No, we have to get the murdering bastard who killed Tris.”

“Tannis is dying. Rico can save her, but every second might make a difference.”

Devlin’s gaze shifted from Callum to the vampire. “You’re going to change her?”

Rico nodded.

Devlin stared after Hatcher, and then he gritted his teeth and nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you. And I promise you, we will return, and one day he will pay for Janey and for Tris.”

…

The faint vibration of the ship’s engines roused Tannis from a light sleep. They must be back. Either that or something had gone badly wrong and they were leaving without them. She rubbed her forehead, the headache had dulled to a throb, but she felt spaced out and not with it.

She had to hold on. She wanted to know they’d succeeded, and she wanted to see Callum one last time.

But when the door opened, it wasn’t Callum standing there. For a second, she couldn’t make her head process what she was seeing. Was she hallucinating? No, she couldn’t be. If she had conjured up an image, then she was sure Rico wouldn’t have looked quite so bad. His bare chest was crisscrossed with a multiple cuts and burns.

Which meant he was real.

She swallowed and blinked. No way was she going to break down like some idiot. But, oh God, he was alive.

“You look like shit,” she said.

Rico grinned. “Yeah, and you look
so
much better.”

Tannis ignored the sarcasm. “I missed you.”

“Of course you did. That’s why you’re lying in bed instead of out there rescuing me.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I’ve been dead for a long time, sweetheart.” He moved into the room and stood looking down at her. “You made a right crappy mess of this, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

Callum appeared and strode across the room, relief lighting his face as he saw her. He perched on the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand.

“You want this?” He glanced from Rico to her.

She followed his gaze and knew what he was asking. She studied the vampire, knowing he could save her and she would live forever.

But this would be the easy way out.

And she had never followed the easy way. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have fallen in love with a man like Callum.

She wanted her dream.

The hope she’d hidden deep in her mind since they’d left Trakis Seven rose to the surface and crystalized into something hard and tangible.

Taking a deep breath, she looked back at Callum and shook her head. “No.”

For a second, shock flashed across his face, then understanding. And she knew that he’d harbored the same hope.

“I want my dream,” she said.

He stroked her hand, then raised it to his lips and kissed her palm. “We don’t know how long you can last or how long it will take or even if we’ll get through alive. I—”

She put a finger to his lips to stop the words. “I trust you.”

“You’re sure?”

“More sure than anything in my whole life. I don’t want to die. But more than that, I want to be part of you, in your life and in your mind. All my life I’ve been a loner. Now, I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

His expression cleared, relief flooding his eyes, and the tension seeped from him. He leaned in close and kissed her. “Good. I’d hoped, but I didn’t want to…” He rose to his feet. “We need to get moving.”

Rico had been watching in silence. Now he frowned. “Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”