Defender's Blood Alex's Destiny (An Urban Fantasy) (19 page)

Bri spoke up from behind Alex. “She saved me Zach, that one had a hold of me and she came back and … and... oh dear lord, she saved me and killed him!” Bri’s voice was shaky.

Alex turned round and held her close all the while whispering to her. “It’s okay, Bri, it’s going to be okay. Why don’t you go and check on Rhianna?”

Bri’s eyes went wide in terror looking for her sister, she spotted her on the ground and ran over. Zach looked at Alex with something that looked suspiciously like pride in his face. Alex smiled back and moved into his body for a cuddle, just for a minute, she needed his arms around her.

Zach had his sword in his right hand so placed his left around his mate. She was so awesome. She had been scared she would not be any use to them. Fuck, she had killed someone to help Bri, he thought the shock might hit her when this was over but just now adrenaline was still coursing through her body. He could feel it.

He checked what was going on and noticed that only one Demon now stood between them and the doorway.

The large Demon was now standing directly in front of the opening in the hill. William had managed to get up and had caught up with them, but by the look of him he didn’t have it in him to repeat the attack on this Demon.

The two Wolves made their way to Alex and Zach and William went to help Bri. Vlad and Dmitri were next to them in a second and Zach nodded his head in the direction of the body on the ground. His voice betrayed his emotion when he spoke. “Alex killed that one. He had Bri and she went back and killed him.”

Vlad nodded and knew Zach would be worried about the after effects on Alex. Killing anyone, good or bad, affected you. They would need to make sure she was okay.

William knelt down and helped Bri. Rhianna was now conscious but had a nasty gash on the side of her head where it had hit the rock. Bri pulled out a hanky and wiped the blood away and she saw her sister’s eyes refocusing. Rhianna shook her head and then tried to get up.

She was rather wobbly so William helped. Once on her feet, the Witch looked around her and saw the bodies all over, some missing their heads entirely. She grimaced and then started to walk with Bri’s help towards Alex and the rest. Once there she opened her mouth. “Okay so can we get in yet?”

Vlad shook his head and pointed to the large Demon standing guard at the entrance. “Shit!” Rhianna spat out.

Vlad spoke with a cold determination. “Okay guys what are we going to do about that fucker? Any ideas?”

Dmitri stepped forward. “As Zach has told us, we don’t want to get in close to that thing, so why don’t we try the spelled weapons? We can do that from here, or maybe a little closer, but we would still be far enough away to avoid it reaching us and also if it throws another of those fireball things.”

Vlad was nodding his head and he unslung his crossbow from his back. He took a bolt from his belt where he had stuck them and placed one in. Once it was in place he nodded. “Okay, Dmitri you come with me – the rest of you stay here.” With that he walked towards the monstrosity in front of them.

As they got a little bit nearer Vlad stopped. “This should do us – close enough for my bow and more than close enough for you and your gun.”

When the Demon saw the crossbow in Vlad’s hands it laughed – obviously not scared. The thing's massive arms moved in front of it and two fireballs appeared, the Demon unleashed them straight at Vlad and Dmitri.

The flames rushed towards the two Vampires and Vlad kept a close eye on them, Dmitri at his side. As the fire drew closer the Vampires timed it just so, a second or two before they would have been engulfed in flames they used their supernatural speed and each moved to the side, away from the balls of flames. Each felt the heat as the flames exploded against the ground, exactly where they had been standing.

Vlad had a cold, hard, look on his face as they moved forward slightly, more determined than ever to get rid of this monstrosity. He whispered to Dmitri. “Okay, we fire together. On my mark ... one, two, three – mark!”

Vlad’s bolt flew straight and true and Dmitri fired at the same time, his aim was spot on and the bullet entered between the things eyes. Vlad’s bolt piercing where a heart would normally be. The grotesque being roared in pain and thrashed about, the noises coming from its throat not of this world.

Then it promptly exploded in front of them. The force of the explosion spattered Vlad and Dmitri with the most disgusting mess and they wiped frantically at their faces to clear their eyes, the smell making both gag.

“YES!” Rhianna screamed. “It worked, it bloody well worked.”

They were all surprised at what had happened and realised that the spells that Tatiana had taught Rhianna must have been very powerful indeed.

As soon as Vlad saw what damage they had caused, he loaded another bolt into his crossbow and walked over to the other large Demon on the ground.

It was awake and still trying to get up. Vlad stared it in the eyes and aimed his crossbow squarely between the glowing orbs in its face. “Get the fuck back to where you came from!” he roared at it and released the bolt.

The effect was the same – it roared, thrashed about, then exploded. The gore covered Vlad from head to foot.

Zach looked down at Alex. “Are you okay? Ready to go on?”

She replied with a strength she didn’t know she had. “I’m absolutely fine, let’s get in there and finish this. I want to go home.”

He smiled and turned and began walking towards the cave. “Okay everyone, I hope that’s all that’s here but we won’t know until we get in there, so keep a sharp lookout.”

The two Wolves, Stuart and Duncan, growled, Stuart taking point and entering first, his nose raised, sniffing to see if he could sense anything else. Vlad entered next with Zach right behind him. Alex and the Witches came next and Dmitri, William and Duncan’s Wolf stayed at the entrance, guarding it.

The passage was dark, cold and damp. They made their way forward and could see light further on. The narrow passage opened up into a pretty large cave which they could make out as they approached. There was light in the cave but they couldn’t see any torches or such that provided it.

The Wolf at the front growled and Vlad and Zach brought their weapons up in front of them. The next instant the Wolf let out a howl of pain as a blade came down and sliced through his shoulder. Zach darted forward past Vlad so fast he nearly flew into the opening.

One more of the not-quite humans stood with his scimitar in his hands, covered in the Wolf’s blood. Zach attacked with a ferocity that took everyone’s breath away. He dispatched this one very quickly indeed. He let his rage through and cut the thing to pieces.

The Wolf was down and Vlad went over to him checking to see if he was alive. He was breathing but badly wounded. “We’ll get you out of here soon, just lie still and try not to move.”

Alex was upset, the Wolf looked seriously hurt, but she walked with a purpose to the altar. It was made of stone with symbols all over the top. There was an indentation which was obviously for her mother’s necklace. She removed it quickly and placed it in.

She then used the knife in her hand and made a cut on her palm. Once the blood was flowing she held it over the amulet and started to say the ritual spell. Her voice was strong and the strange words bounced off the walls to came back at them in a most peculiar way.

About half way through, everyone could feel the change in the air. It was full of static and power.

Light appeared around the necklace. As she continued on, the light was brighter and brighter. Then what looked like electricity shot from it towards a circle of stones on the floor behind the altar.

She was nearly finished and on the last few words a large bolt shot out and hit the circle in the middle. It was so bright that she couldn’t see properly. At that moment she knew the spell had worked, she felt it deep down inside of her and relief washed over her, she had done it.

The instant she stopped, arms encircled her, she knew it was Zach. She collapsed back into him and her legs gave way. She only had time to smile up at his face then darkness took her.

Chapter 16

She awoke in bed with Zach holding her. The second she opened her eyes he moved and looked down at her. The worry was etched on his face. “Are you feeling okay? Do you want some water?”

How did she feel? Bloody terrible was the answer. “God, Zach I feel awful, what’s going on?”

He moved so he could grab a glass that had water in it and held it to her lips. “Drink honey, please, you need to get some liquid into you.” She took some sips but that was all she could manage.

“
I’ve been so worried, I thought I had lost you!” The fear in his voice was clear to hear.

“
Why Zach? What’s happened?” She could only whisper. She didn’t have the strength to do any more.

“
Honey, you’ve been out cold for three days! If you hadn’t come round soon we were going to take you to hospital – but I’m pretty certain they couldn’t have helped. I’ve been dribbling little bits of water into your mouth to try to keep you hydrated but most of it would run out. I have never felt so scared in my life!” He hugged her close and she could feel his despair. Loud and clear.

She spoke and found her voice was raspy. “The last thing I remembered was you putting your arms around me in the cave. That was three days ago?”

She was shocked – then something hit her. “Stuart! Oh dear God. Is he okay, he was hurt so bad, there was so much blood! Please tell me he didn’t die?” She had tears in her eyes remembering seeing the huge Wolf lying in a pool of blood.

“
Shh, don’t get upset. Yes he’s alive, he’s not quite out of the woods yet. It was a serious injury, but he should be back on his feet soon. Margaret is looking after him in one of the rooms here in the main house. He’s on strong antibiotics to fight an infection but he’s a fighter, he’ll pull through.” Zach tried to quieten her down and allay her fears for the large Wolf.

She sagged back onto the pillows. “Thank God.” She would have been devastated if he had lost his life while trying to defend her.

“Is everyone else okay? No one else was hurt bad? What about Rhianna – is her head okay?”

“
Yes, darling, everyone else is fine. Well apart from worrying about you that is!”

There was a knock at the door and Margaret poked her head in. “I thought I heard voices! Oh Alex you’re awake. We were so worried. Are you okay? Are you hungry? Do you want a shower?”

Before she could go on, Zach intervened. “She seems to be okay apart from very weak. I’m going to give her a bath and then I think maybe some light soup?”

Alex piped up. “Lucozade? Do you have any Lucozade? It’s what my mum would give me when I wasn’t well.”

Margaret frowned. “No I don’t think so, but I’ll get one of the guys to run out and get some. You rest and I’ll get soup for you. Just shout down Zach when you’re ready for me to bring it up. Also the rest are desperate to see she’s okay?”

Zach smiled, everyone had been worried for Alex, she was well thought of. Vlad had been pacing back and forth for days. “I think, maybe, after the soup? If she’s feeling up to it then.” Margaret left saying she would let the others know.

Zach turned back to her and he couldn’t believe his luck. She was awake and seemed fine. Thank you, God – he sent a thanks upwards. Not something he would normally do.

“
Right, now I’m going to wash you. The en suite just has a shower so we’ll use the main bathroom. I’ll just go and fill the bath, I won’t be a minute.”

The minute he stood up Alex grabbed for him. “NO, no Zach, don’t leave me, please!” He sat back down and there was another knock at the door.

Margaret again peeked in. “I’ve run a bath and put plenty of bubbles in for you,” and she promptly left again. Zach was grateful that she had thought to do that.

He gently lifted Alex and carried her to the bathroom. It was lovely and warm and steam was rising from the bath, full to the brim with bubbles. He took the nightie she had been wearing off and placed it on the floor, he checked the water wasn’t too hot then placed her in.

He got a sponge and lathered it up and very, very gently washed her. From top to bottom, the contact was not sexual in any way, it was gentle, loving and caring. When he was finished he let her lie in the bubbles for a while and he explained everything that had happened since she collapsed.

Zach had carried her all the way back to the jeep and it had taken Duncan, Dmitri and Vlad to carry the wounded Wolf. Stuart had to stay in his Wolf form for the first twenty-four hours for a couple of reasons: he was too weak to change back, and his wound was so severe that if he had then he would probably have died.

When Alex hadn’t wakened after a few hours everyone had got worried. They had contacted Tatiana and she said it was in God’s hands and they couldn’t do anything but wait.

That hadn’t sat right with any of the Vampires. Zach cursed, Vlad paced and Dmitri swore in his native Russian tongue which made it sound even worse. Everyone else, well they did the only thing they could, they prayed.

Zach had been beside himself watching Alexina slip away from him. Her cheeks were sunken, her eyes were black and she had lost a lot of weight. He was so relieved that she had woken. She looked very weak, however, and he was going to nurse her back to health.

She had shown great courage. She was the only one that had no powers as such and she stood firm alongside those who did. He was so proud of her he couldn’t put it into words.

She looked over at him, she smiled, he realised that she knew just how proud he was. “Right, meine Kleine, back to bed,” and he lifted her out of the bath and wrapped her in a big fluffy towel that Margaret had laid out for them. He took her back to their room and kissed her very softly as he sat her on the bed.

He got a clean nightie for her and put it on. Then he got her comb. She never used a brush on her curls, and he combed her hair through to get rid of all the tangles. She was grateful to him and in fact this was the closest she had felt to him. She was truly grateful to have her soulmate close by.

“I need a plait Zach, or it’s just going to get tangled again. You’ll find a bobble in my toiletries bag,” Alex said and Zach looked confused.

“
What the hell is a bobble?” he asked and she tried to laugh but didn’t have the strength.

“
It’s a band for my hair ... bring me the bag.” She rooted around and brought out a band which he used to secure her hair, once he had done a bad job of putting it into a plait. After he had finished her hair he made her lie in the bed and covered her up to keep her warm. He then stuck his head out the door and shouted for Margaret, who soon appeared with a tray with some hot soup and toast. Alex was hungry but she was so weak that Zach fed her.

She could feel he wanted to discuss something, but he was mildly blocking her so she didn’t know exactly what it was. Zach spoke softly as he fed her. “Honey, I want to speak to you, I don’t want you to be frightened but I think now, especially that you are so weak and ill, that now is the time.” She wondered just what he was going to say?

Zach continued. “Now you know how I feed from you? And we’ve spoken about you taking some of my blood so that you don’t age? Well my blood has some healing qualities and I think you should have some. What do you think?”

Alex stared up at him, he sounded worried, he had obviously been scared but she didn’t know how she felt.

“Zach, I’m not sure, you know that I can’t even eat my steak rare. I’m worried I’ll be grossed out and not be able to do it. I also don’t want to, oh what’s the word I need, my brain is so tired I can’t think straight. This isn’t the word I want but it’s the only one coming to me, I don’t want to offend you if I can’t do it.” She was so tired she just wanted to go to sleep.

Zach carried on and she tried to focus. “I understand Alexina, I do, but I really think we should try. Okay?”

She looked at him and just nodded. Zach bit into his wrist and let a small amount of blood pool on it before holding it to her mouth. “Try and drink a little honey, please,” He coaxed.

She didn’t look at it but stuck her tongue out and lapped a tiny amount. The taste was not what she had expected at all. She was not expecting the sweetness that hit her taste buds and lapped a little more, she kept her eyes closed though.

Zach murmured all the time, encouraging her to continue. She did for a little while more but then exhaustion overcame her and she didn’t have the strength to lap up any more. Zach took his wrist away, lay down next to her and took her in his arms. Her feeding from him had elicited the normal response but he hid that from her.

“
How was that? Do you think you will be able to do it?” he asked. She nodded once and promptly fell asleep. Zach stayed at her side and slowly his arousal left.

Margaret knocked a little while later to see if Alex was up for visitors. When she saw Zach lying next to a sound asleep Alex she said she would tell the others they would have to wait.

Alex slept for another eight hours and Zach refused to leave her. When she woke this time she wasn’t as bad as she had been, and Zach could sense she was healing, slowly, very slowly.

The others came to visit a couple at a time with breaks in-between so as not to tire her out too quickly, and Zach gave her another bath. When Scott and the sisters visited she noted that Scott and Bri stood very close and the large man’s hand made its way to Bri and held hers. I was right about them, she thought.

Bri kept thanking her for saving her. “God Alex if you hadn’t done what you did, I doubt I would be standing here right now. I really, really can’t thank you enough.” Alex just smiled – she had only done what anyone would’ve done, right?

Margaret appeared with a smile and a bottle of Lucozade, which made Alex happy as she gladly drank it down.

They were lying quietly when Alex spoke. “When will we go to my old place? I would like to get my stuff before we head home.”

Zach smiled. “It’s okay, you don’t need to worry about that.”

“But Zach, I need to get my stuff.”

“
It’s already taken care of. Scott drove the girls and they packed up your things. They took anything personal and all your clothes, shoes, jewellery, everything has already been loaded onto the plane. You don’t need to worry about anything other than getting better.” She smiled into his shoulder and fell asleep again.

Zach was worried that it was taking too long for her to get better and he wanted to get her home as soon as he could. He decided that they would leave the next day, he could carry her and then she could go to bed on the plane. He got up slowly, so as not to waken her, and made his way downstairs.

Margaret, Duncan, Vlad and Dmitri were in the kitchen. It was the heart of this house he thought. He told them his plans. He wanted to get Alex home and so that’s what he was doing.

Margaret was a little sad, she liked them both and wished they would stay longer. Zach assured her that when Alex was fine they would return for a little holiday. To this Duncan did a loud ‘harrumph’.

“Well ye better dae it this time, dinnae wait fer another hundred years laddie!” Duncan spoke in a reproving tone.

Zach laughed. “I won’t Duncan, I promise. I know Alexina would love to see the baby when it comes.”

He sent Dmitri to find the girls and tell them they would be leaving the next day and to get organised. When Zach made up his mind, nothing could sway him.

Margaret made Zach sit down, obviously worried about him also. He hadn’t left Alex’s side since they had brought her back, he looked tired.

Vlad stared at Zach, he too looked worried about him. He hadn’t fed in four or five days and he was nearing the limit without food. “Zach, please don’t bite my head off, but you look like you need to feed. You look tired, my friend.”

“
I’m fine!” Zach shot back. “I feed from my mate and nobody else,” Zach advised in a tone that would have scared most.

Vlad, however, continued. “Zach, I know that, but obviously you can’t feed on Alex right now. That doesn’t mean you don’t feed. You know you can’t go more than another couple of days. What will you do if she’s not better by then?”

Zach slumped, “I don’t know Vlad. The thought of feeding from anyone else makes me sick to my stomach.”

Vlad got up and walked over to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know Zach but you won’t do Alex any good if you get weak. I have some donated blood in the special container on the plane. I think you should have some when we get on? Okay?”

Zach’s voice was filled with feeling as he looked up at his friend. “I know you mean well Vlad, I do, but I don’t know if I will be able to ... we will see.”

Dmitri came back and he actually had a smile on his face, something which was pretty rare. “We’ll be one short on the return journey Zach. Scott has managed to convince Bri to stay on for a bit.”

“I bloody well knew he had eyes fer that lassie,” Duncan laughed.

“
I hope she knows what she’s letting herself in for – Wolves are very possessive,” Margaret commented.

“
Indeed,” Zach remarked and everyone smiled, he really did like to use that word.

Zach stayed downstairs for only a short while and then returned to Alex’s side. He felt calm when he was next to her. He couldn’t watch over her from downstairs.