My Savior (2 page)

CHAPTER ONE

Darian watched his opponent carefully. In his mind, he identified the order of bones to break that would cause the most pain. They were standing in a damp, abandoned warehouse inside a caged fighting ring. The overhead fluorescent light bathed everything in an unforgiving, harsh light and cast stark shadows. To him, the world had faded to varying shades of gray so that even the blood running from his prey looked black.

It no longer shocked him to think of his opponents as prey. In his mind, the man before him was of no significance. Darian knew that his own soul was so damned that even these fights, which at one time held the rage at bay, could no longer help him control his murderous thoughts. It was another reason why he had been spending so much time away from Lycaonia and the Alpha estate. When he did finally lose control, he didn't want to be anywhere near his family.

"Come on, pretty boy, is that all you got?" the barrel-chested man taunted. Darian sighed. The tiny human disregarded his height and only saw his face. He was making the same mistake so many others had in the past. They saw a handsome face and long blond hair, and assumed he couldn't fight.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. He easily dodged the other man's futile attempts to land a punch. Darian pulled his arm back and punched him in the chest. He smiled when he heard bones break upon impact. Around him, he could hear the jeers and screams of the spectators. They wanted a kill, and he would give it to them.

Like the gladiators of old, he circled the ring, taking in the deafening and inhumane demands for the man's death. He walked lazily back over to the man who was coughing up blood. He put his knee in his back and brought the man's head back so that it was bent at an odd angle.

"Darian, no!" A young male voice screamed from the back.

His hands ached for the kill, and before he could be stopped, he twisted and the man fell limply to the mat. Seconds later, he heard Keelan yell above the crowd.

"
Obliviscaris
!"

The crowd quieted around him, and everyone stood around as if in a daze. Keelan had wiped their memories of him and of this night. Darian shrugged, stood, and walked over to the door. He kicked it open and jumped down from the ring, grabbed a towel, and started to wipe off the sweat and blood as Keelan pushed his way to him.

When Keelan finally reached him, his face was a mask of panic and fear. "Gods! Darian you killed him; you really killed him! What in the hell is going on?"

Darian shrugged. "Don't get involved. It's nothing."

"Why?!"

"Because for a while, fighting helped with the anger." Darian threw the towel down and picked up his bag.

"Anger, what anger? Why didn't you come to us?" Keelan demanded.

"You know what is happening Keelan. Is it really something that you can help?" Darian turned toward the exit.

Keelan grabbed his arm and spun him around. The only reason his fist connected was because Darian wasn't expecting the smallest member of his unit to sucker punch him.

"You sonofabitch! You're just going to give up?" Keelan's face was flushed with anger.

Darian rubbed his jaw. The little shit could hit. "I don't have much time left, Kee. I'm doing the best I can so that when I finally turn, I'm not at home with Meryn and the other women."

Keelan turned and looked at the dead body in the ring. "Are you? Have you already?" He sounded like he was having a hard time getting the words out.

Darian shook his head. "Not yet. The ones I have been fighting in the ring are known criminals. That one"--he jerked his thumb back toward the ring--"spent a lot of money last week bribing a judge to avoid jail time, I just made sure he received justice."

"What'd he do?" Keelan asked.

"He raped a six-year-old girl. The judge said that since she was wearing a tank top and shorts to bed, she was tempting him." He shook his head and began walking to the exit.

"You mean he was a bad guy? That's great, Darian! You haven't killed any innocents. There's still hope." Keelan said excitedly as they walked to where both their cars were parked.

Darian turned to the youngest member of his unit. "Why did you follow me?" He had to know if he was doing anything at the estate that would give him away.

Keelan rolled his eyes. "The other three members of our unit are mated. What the hell else am I supposed to do?"

Darian unlocked his car and threw his bag into the passenger seat. "You could be out wooing your own mate," he suggested.

Keelan looked down at the ground. "Something isn't right. I dreamt of her, sure, but I have met her, and I'm still having dreams of her. None of the others did that."

"It's probably because you haven't claimed her yet. You better be thankful for those dreams; the last one saved her life. If you hadn't told her to get her brakes checked, she would have had the car accident you saw."
 

Keelan looked up and stared at the moon. Darian knew that all witches were tied to the moon in a way no other race was able to explain. When Keelan looked back at him, the young witch's eyes were serious. "I'm not attracted to her at all," he confessed.

Shit.

Darian sighed. He had been counting on Keelan mating next so he could move on to the next world knowing that all of his fellow unit members were safely mated. Now it looked like someone had thrown a wrench in his plans. He really didn't have time for this.

"Have you tried being attracted to her?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? Of course, I have. We've gone out on dates, we get along great, but it's like something is off."

"You have time."
 

"So do you. We're all finding our mates, Darian. I know you have been dreaming of yours, too. Why aren't you doing everything in your power to hold on for her?"

Darian just stared at his closest friend. Keelan was right; he had been dreaming of a woman. She was innocent and bright and pure. She was always laughing and smiling. He had no right tying her to someone like him. He would drag her down into the dark hell that was his future. He would rather give up his soul than let even the hint of a shadow fill her eyes. "I won't tie her to me, not at this point, Kee. It's too late for me."

"Fuck that! I'm not giving up, Darian, and you better not, either," Keelan yelled.

"Or what, my friend?" Darian pushed. He stepped closer to Keelan until their chests bumped.

Keelan's eyes darkened, and suddenly, Darian wasn't one hundred percent sure he could take the young witch. Something in his eyes was wild and untamed. "Don't make me bind you, Darian," Keelan warned.

"It won't come to that," Darian promised. Keelan's display had been warning enough. When the time came, he would be nowhere near the witch.

Keelan eyes lightened, and he smiled. "Good. We'll fight this together, Darian; we can do it." Keelan turned and got in his car, clearly misinterpreting his promise.

Darian would let him continue to think he had a chance; it would be easier on everyone that way.

*****

"Because! If I don't leave this fucking house I am going to lose my mind and I'll take you with me!" a familiar female voice yelled. The next morning, Darian stopped in his tracks in the hallway just outside the dining room and debated how hungry he was.

"Coward." Gavriel joked as he and Beth walked past him and into the war zone.

There were very few things left on this Earth that made him smile; Meryn was one of them. On rare occasions, she managed to push back the darkness, but those incidents were few and far between now. Darian's stomach made the decision for him. Steeling himself, he walked in.
 

Meryn stood on one side of her chair and Aiden on the other. He had both hands held up in front of him as he tried to calm his mate down. Around the table, everyone else was calmly eating their breakfast. Even Penny was taking Meryn's threat in stride, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on spreading cream cheese on her bagel.

"Meryn, sweetheart, you have to calm down," Aiden pleaded.

"I am calm! But if I don't see something besides our bedroom, your office, or the dining room, I will start to get stabby!" She sat down and crossed her arms over her chest.
 

Aiden paled and sat down beside her. "Okay baby, let's go to The Jitterbug. You haven't seen Sydney or Justice in a while."

Meryn shook her head. "I want to go see the last
Hobbit
movie. It won't be in theaters much longer, and I can't miss it. I've seen all the other ones on the big screen. I am not waiting for the DVD to see the ending."

Aiden looked over to where Gavriel sat with Beth and then to Colton and Rheia. Both men's faces were unreadable. Everyone knew this was not a good idea, everyone that is, except Meryn.
 

Beth laid a hand on Gavriel's shoulder. "I'd like to see it, too. If fear of being attacked keeps us from doing the things we want, then they have already won."

Gavriel closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Darian looked over to Aiden. He also wore a defeated expression.

Darian watched as Keelan looked around the table, his eyes slightly haunted and his face drawn. "We could make this a group outing. I bet some of the guys in the other units would like to see what humans think elves look like." Aiden shot him a grateful smile.

Meryn shook her head. "Only if they stay like, I don't know, fifty feet away at all times. I don't want to walk around with a huge wall of bodies blocking out the daylight. I might as well stay home."

Aiden nodded. "You won't even know they're there," he promised. He looked at Keelan. "You should invite Anne."

Keelan shook his head. "Maybe next time."

Darian caught the questioning and concerned looks Aiden was shooting at Colton. Colton just shrugged. Knowing nothing would be answered if the questions weren't asked, he spoke up. "Keelan, are you okay?"

The women turned in unison to stare at Keelan; he flinched at their scrutiny. "I'm fine."

Frowning, Meryn stood and walked over to his chair. She placed a hand on his forehead and then a hand on her own. "I don't think he has a fever."

Rheia got up. "Maybe I should be the one to check that out." She walked over to Keelan and put her hand next to Meryn's. Keelan eyes darted around the table to the other unit members. Darian could almost sense his desperation.

Rheia frowned, and Meryn began petting Keelan's hair. Darian was willing to bet that in a couple more seconds the witch would bolt.

"Well, Rei?" Meryn asked.

Rheia removed her hand. "No fever that I can tell. Keelan, have you been sleeping?"
 

Keelan just shrugged.

"Poor baby." Meryn hugged Keelan's head to her chest.
 

Darian watched and enjoyed a rare moment of amusement. Aiden was growling, and Keelan looked like he was about to piss himself.

After a few seconds, Keelan disengaged from Meryn and looked up at her. "I thought you didn't like me."

She stared at him in shock. "Where did you get that idea?"

The men all looked away, hiding their smiles. They all knew that Keelan was Meryn's favorite lighting rod in the morning. Penny snickered.

Keelan shrugged again.

She ruffled his hair. "Of course I like you. In fact, you're one of the few people in the world I
do
like. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't talk to you at all."

"I think an outing is a wonderful idea. Meryn needs more fresh air," Ryuu said, walking in from the kitchen. He set a pitcher of orange juice on the table and looked at Rheia. "I would be more than happy to watch Penny for you if you would like to go."

Rheia's eyes brightened before she turned to Colton. "We've never been on a real date," she said softly.

Colton sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Just like that, Darian knew they would all be going to see the
Hobbit
. He stood and reached for his phone. He knew his commander, and before Aiden even had to tell him, he was already dialing Sascha.

"You got this, Darian?" Aiden asked from the table.

"Yes, sir." Darian headed to the family room. He sat down on the sofa to make security arrangements. After the second ring, he heard Sascha's greeting. "What?"

"And hello to you, too, asshole."
 

"I'm not awake yet, so it had better be good."

"The ladies want to go see a movie in Madison. Gamma unit has security detail." Darian didn't even try to sugar coat it.

"Motherfucker!" Sascha continued to cuss as Darian heard the man's feet hit the floor.

"I expect they'll try to make the matinee showing at ten a.m. Get the guys ready and meet us in town at the theater."

"We'll be there," Sascha grumbled.

"See you later." Darian hung up the phone and let his hand fall on the cushion at his side. He should have had more fun torturing Sascha, but he couldn't find the energy. Everything seemed so pointless lately.

Darian felt a tugging on his sleeve. When he looked down, he saw that Felix was watching him with a worried look on his face. Forcing his lips to move, he smiled.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?"

Felix continued to stare.

"I'm okay, really," Darian promised.

Felix's bright green eyes filled with tears. "Go home soon?" he asked in his tiny voice.

"I would if I could." Darian let the smile disappear as his head dropped back to rest on the cushion.

Felix tugged on his sleeve vigorously. "I take."

Darian turned his head to look at his small friend and lifted his hand. Using his index finger, he gently rubbed the top of Felix's copper curls. "I appreciate the sentiment, but that option was taken from me a long time ago."

Felix dashed at his tears with his coat sleeve. "Your light is almost gone."

Darian closed his eyes. "I know."

"Alpha help?"

Darian opened his eyes and shook his head. "There nothing anyone can do. Promise me one thing, Felix. If something happens to me, promise you'll keep the women and Penny safe. The guys can look out for themselves."