Embrace the Wild (The Blood Rose Series Book 6) (11 page)

“Fuck.” Malik nodded several times. “I’ll want back up. Give me a sec.”

He shifted his focus to Evan, and because he needed to supply coordinates mentally, Malik contacted him mind-to-mind.

Evan, I’m going to need your help, but first, is everything okay with the Vampire Guard?
Malik’s adrenaline pumped hard.

We’re good here.
No Invictus sign, but I can hear shit in your voice. What’s going on?

Trouble on Willow’s land. Axton procured another illegal charm and is trying to dislodge the wraith families I told you about.

That motherfucker. Where do you want us and how many?

Bring two squads with you.

You got it.

Eight vampire Guardsmen should be enough to take care of Axton. He mentally sent the location and disconnected.

To Willow, he said, “You’ll need to release your protective charm over your gate, or my men won’t be able to get in. Please tell me it’s separate from the one that keeps the wraith families hidden.”

“It is.” She closed her eyes and he could feel a rolling sensation as the charm disappeared. Opening her eyes, she nodded. “Done.”

“Let me fly you to Axton’s position.”

“I was hoping you’d say that, but skip the paths and head into the sky.”

“You just read my mind.”

He gestured to his right boot, and when she stepped up and slung an arm around his neck, he took to the air.

~ ~ ~

Willow leaned her head close to Malik, nestling against his shoulder. She wasn’t used to flying with vampires and wanted to be sure she made it easy for him to maneuver.

But as Malik lifted above the forest canopy and moved swiftly to the west in the direction of the colony, she felt as though she’d dropped into a warm bath and wanted to stay there forever. With the need to make sure her wraiths were safe, she’d forgotten how much she desired him, a sensation reinforced by the fact that she was essentially held tightly in his arms.

Desire flowed as it always did, yet so inappropriately given the situation that her cheeks warmed yet again.

Forcing her attention to the matter at hand, she focused on her protective shield and the battering it was now taking. And the closer Malik flew to the colony, the stronger the charm’s vibration beat against her mind.

She felt someone tapping against her telepathy as well and because she was away from the protective charms surrounding her treehouse residence, she tested the frequency and felt Illiandra trying to reach her.

Willow, we’re under attack again.

I’m on it,
she pathed.

Hurry. The charm is much more powerful than the last one and Axton is almost through.

We’re just a few seconds out.

We?

Mastyr Malik and I.

Oh, thank the Goddess. He’ll be able to help you. I just know it.

Illiandra shut down the communication as Malik dropped ten feet behind Axton, releasing Willow at once.

Axton stood outside the entrance to the colony. Smoke streamed into the air as the vines burned. The rancid smell was almost more than Willow could bear.

Malik shouted, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Axton?”

Startled, Axton turned to glare at Malik over his shoulder, his gaze skating over Willow, then returning to Malik. But he kept the charm on full bore. “There are wraiths behind this protective shield and I intend to expose them.”

“Oh, you do, do you?”

Willow was about to mention to Malik that he needed to stop Axton from using the charm, when Malik suddenly closed the distance, drew back his arm and punched Axton in the jaw. When Axton flew backward, he lost control of the charm and the large, glowing emeralds fell to the ground. Malik didn’t hesitate to grind each gemstone into the dirt with the heel of his boot.

The charm broke instantly.

Willow had never really seen any of the Guardsmen in action before, so watching Malik take charge as swiftly as he did stunned her. Witnessing this side of him caused her interest to rise yet another notch. Of course, he was a man of war, and he’d chosen the simplest route to disarming the situation. But it had worked.

The vines called to her suddenly, a soft frequency reminding her that she had a job to do.

She slipped past Malik and melted into the wounded vines. She ignored the smell and quickly began the healing process. Releasing her power in a steady wave, the stench dissipated swiftly as the vines regenerated at lightning speed.

At the same time, she could see and hear both men. Axton had gained his feet and stood with his fists at his side, his neck arched forward as he confronted Malik.

The leader of The Society had dark, almost black eyes and a feral look that had always given her the creeps. He was Guardsman height, though not as tall as Malik and had thick light red hair that he wore short and shaved close on one side. Though predominately vampire, his sharp chin spoke of a partial fae heritage. His unusually pale skin and boney look indicated a use of cocaine, one of the imports from the States that had afflicted at least one percent of the realm population.

“Where did that woman – that fae – go? Is she the one protecting these wraiths?”

“You’re on a need-to-know basis, and right now you don’t fucking need to know. You’re trespassing.”

At that moment, at least eight of the Vampire Guard floated in from the canopy above, descending to form a half circle around Axton. One of them she knew as Evan, Malik’s right arm.

“Couldn’t handle this alone?” Axton spat on the ground.

“Just wanted witnesses to your crime. You’ve broken two of our laws: the illegal use of fae charms and being on private property without permission. I can arrest you or you can keep the hell away from here from now on. Which will it be?”

Willow understood exactly why Malik wasn’t in a hurry to arrest Axton. The vampire was a pro at using the media for his own purposes and wouldn’t hesitate to exploit an arrest to his advantage. The Society would go to work as well, spreading its hate propaganda all around the realm until Willow would end up with a mob at her gates and more dead half-breeds.

But for a split-second, she had a terrible feeling that putting Axton in jail was exactly what Malik should do.

Axton sniffed long and loud, a by-product of using the white powder. “You’re missing the point, Malik, as you always do. This woman is hiding wraiths on her land, wraiths that could easily become Invictus.”

“And I think you’re missing the point. You’re trespassing.”

Axton took a step toward Malik. “I’ve done more for Ashleaf than you ever will. I’m hunting wraiths, a service I performed long before you arrived and the reason our realm has the lowest percentage of Invictus attacks than any of the other realms. The people you serve know it and one day there will be hell to pay. You’ll see.”

Willow thought Axton was the consummate hypocrite and that Malik had called it right; Axton’s mind was bent. He was a real sociopath, seeing life through the prism of his own perverted ambitions.

The vines were now fully healed and the entrance to the colony protected once more. Willow could have remained in the safety of her invisibility, but everything was changing and instinctively she felt she needed to be part of the stand against Axton. She also thought it would be wise for Malik’s Guardsmen to see what she could do because every particle of her being told her that what had happened here tonight was just the beginning. Axton all but vibrated with his determination to get at the wraiths.

She emerged from the vines which brought a few ‘holy shits’ moving through the gathered Guardsmen.

“You’re back,” Axton said, but as he stared at her, a frown formed between his dark, angled brows. “And where exactly did you go?”

“I repaired the vines.”

“How?” But even as the word left Axton’s mouth, he got a funny look on his face as his gaze bored into hers. “By all the elf lords, I can smell what you are. Holy fuck. You’re a goddess-be-damned blood rose.”

Malik tensed beside her. “It’s none of your business what Willow is. Now get the hell out of here.” He even moved to position himself slightly in front of her.

Willow suddenly understood the mistake she’d made by emerging before Axton left, but it was too late.

Though she stood close to Malik, her blood rose drive to feed all mastyr vampires roared to life until she was completely focused on Axton. To her horror, she realized she was drawn to him for the sole reason that he was a mastyr vampire and she was a blood rose.

His eyes glinted and he angled his head in a way she could only describe as predatory. Yet, she liked it, liked him for looking at her. “So, what’s your name, Mistress?”

“Willow.” The part of her rational mind that still worked, despised that she could be drawn to him on any level, yet she was.

“I don’t recall seeing you around Ashleaf. You must be new to these parts.” Even his voice sounded seductive to her receptive ears.

Because Willow’s mind had shifted its focus and she began picking up on Axton’s mastyr frequency, she didn’t quite get the affect this exchange was having on Malik. In fact, she’d all but forgotten he was there, until he caught her arm and turned her toward him, breaking her mounting drive toward Axton.

His fangs sat on his lower lip and he was growling. Her whole body shivered with sudden unexpected need, although now directed entirely toward him. She leaned close, ready for him to do whatever he wanted.

His nostrils flared and he gripped both her arms, still growling in a possessive way peculiar to vampires and shifters. The air seemed to swell and heat up, then suddenly Malik roared.

She only really figured things out when Malik released her abruptly and launched at Axton. She stepped back several feet until her back was against the vines. She grabbed onto a couple of thick stems and held tight because the fight was on.

Her own wraith fangs itched to descend as she watched the men rolling in the dirt, snarling, both sets of fangs exposed. Blood flew in all directions as one or the other would break skin.

Malik got in a solid punch to Axton’s jaw, but he retaliated by rolling swiftly and throwing Malik into the air.

Axton then levitated and shoved his head into Malik’s chest, which threw Malik against the stone monolith not far from Willow.

But Malik wasn’t a mastyr vampire for nothing and he launched in Axton’s direction, swept upward in the last second then caught Axton’s head in a choke hold and squeezed hard.

Axton flipped around several times, finally wrenching himself from Malik’s control, then lifted his palm where battle energy gathered. Malik did the same.

Two blue streams of electric heat and energy released and met in the middle. An enormous ball of white heat and fire rose from the center.

Both Axton and Malik began moving toward each other, the blue-and-white fire growing larger and hotter with each inch they covered.

And that’s when Willow knew this would be a battle to the death, without either man surviving, if they sustained their battle frequencies. In the same way that she had an irrational drive toward both men, they would in turn fight on until a victor arose or they were both dead.

She left the vines and flew toward Evan, who now had a horrified look on his face. “Evan, you have to stop them. Use all the men. Split them up. Have them grab Malik and Axton at the same time from behind. Their touch will break the energy streams. You’ll see.”

“Got it.”

She levitated and flew well away from the Guardsmen.

Evan coordinated his men and just as the ball of fire would have exploded, the Guardsmen caught each of the mastyrs around the waist and just like that, both mastyrs drew in their blast frequencies.

The air smelled burnt.

Axton fought against the hold the three Guardsmen had on him, while Malik, as soon as he recognized Evan’s voice, dropped to the ground and sat down, breathing hard.

Willow ignored Axton and kept herself focused on Malik. He lifted his gaze to her and his voice, full of rage, pierced her mind,
You’re not to look at other men.

In any other circumstance, she would have yelled at him for such a chauvinistic attitude. But her own body was in an uproar, screaming for his attention, a result of the battle, of the way he looked at her, of the sight of his fangs still low on his lips, of his torn, bloody clothes.

The vein in her neck thrummed.

Sweet Goddess, she wanted him bad.

Evan shouted a few things at Axton, who shortly afterward took off. But her attention was all for Malik. With Axton out of the picture, she started moving toward him. He rose to his feet, his arms cut up, his eyes wild, his fangs an erotic invitation.

Evan must have understood, because he took the Guardsmen away.

Willow knew exactly what was going to happen, but she didn’t want it to take place out in the open so she ran in the direction of the entrance to the colony. Just as she reached the vines, Malik was on her, turning her in his arms to face him, and trapping her in a caveman-like embrace.

Her body melted against his.

She pressed herself backward, however, taking him into the vines. He held her gaze, his nostrils working like bellows, his fangs fully extended. He made grunting noises that had her sex clenching hard.

She moved to the side, and with the vines behind her, she called to them to close up the entrance and give them privacy.

As Malik worked his zipper, she got her shoes off, then her jeans and her thong. He lifted her up and she slid her legs around his hips. Holding his cock in his hand, he found her entrance and began pushing inside. She was so wet and so ready and each thrust felt like heaven.

She angled her head, her heart laboring with the additional blood she’d created for him. Definitely a blood rose.

She whimpered as he licked up and down her throat, grunting again. She felt the sides of his fangs as he nuzzled her.
Malik, do it, please. I’m in agony.

He didn’t say anything or even attempt a telepathic communication. On some level, she knew he couldn’t. He’d devolved into something that resembled what his species had looked and acted like tens of thousands of years ago.