Protection: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (44 page)

Everyone rose and split off as Shaw assigned their roles, leaving Tessa sitting next to her sister in the silent Mess Hall. Camilla’s eyes were as big as saucers, and the dark circles under her eyes had returned.

“You don’t have to fight, you know,” Tessa said, reaching out and taking her sister’s shaky hand.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just— how the hell are we going to go up against the Legion? There’s what, fifty people in this pack? Less than that, probably. Someone’s going to get hurt, or worse,” Camilla said.

“Would you rather just let them come and take us again?” Tessa asked. Camilla bit her lip, and then shook her head.

Patting Camilla’s hand, Tessa tried to soothe her.

“We’re going to do our best, Cam. We’re few in number, but we’re a heck of a lot stronger than your average human. It’s going to be all right, you’ll see.”

When Camilla nodded, Tessa hugged her once more and then rose to her feet.

“Shall we start plotting our revenge, then?” Tessa asked.

Camilla couldn’t help but laugh and follow Tessa.

“You’ve changed, you know,” Camilla said as they left the Mess Hall.

“You think?” Tessa asked, glancing at her sister in surprise.

“Uhhh… yeah. You’re all confident. Making decisions, speaking your mind. You haven’t been like that since we were teens,” Camilla said.

“Since Byron, you mean,” Tessa said.

“Yes. I really like this new Tessa. She kicks ass,” Camilla said, smiling at her sister.

“Well… thanks. Now let’s go get some serious questioning done.”

The sisters headed to James’ cell to help with their part of the master scheme.

“
W
hoa
, who are the hotties?” Kat asked, leaning against a tree in a clearing close to the Legion’s compound.

The pixie-like brunette was surveying a group of thirty or so Shifters that Tessa had never laid eyes on before, each one tall, tan, and well-muscled. They were dressed in militia-esque black uniforms; combat boots and pressed pants, fitted tee shirts and berets. Every unmated female was eying them up without an ounce of shame, and a few of the males were looking right back.

“Men!” Jasper barked, drawing unilateral attention from both the black-uniformed soldiers and the Louisiana pack.

“It’s Jasper’s pack,” Maddie whispered to Kat. “He’s called them in to fight with us.”

“Excellent decision making on your part, obviously,” Kat whispered back to Maddie, who just rolled her eyes.

Tessa turned to survey the scene. The Shifters stood in clusters along the edge of a dense forested area, just feet from a one-lane country highway. The Legion’s building stood a quarter mile off, a tall white structure that looked more like a university science building than the headquarters of evil religious fanatics. The Shifters were lucky that there were only three buildings to worry about: the main building, a garage and artillery building, and the barracks for the Legion’s soldiers and priests. A wide circular driveway swept from the highway up to the main building, all done in spotless white gravel and surrounded by white-blossomed trees. White must a predominant theme around here, Tessa guessed.

“All right, everyone. We’ve gone over this several times. Team A, the Alabama pack, is going to lead the witches into combat with the Den and also back us up on Team B. Team B, that’s Louisiana, we’re going to storm the castle. Any last questions?” Shaw shouted. When no answer was forthcoming, he nodded. “Everyone move out!”

Tessa and Camilla had been teamed with Jace, Shaw, and Jesse. Jace had given her a small pistol to carry, but Tessa was praying she wouldn’t have to use it. A pair of Shifters had already left, intending to cripple the garage and barracks by cutting the power and starting fires wherever they could.

Tess waited, watching as the Alabama pack stormed the Legion’s perimeter defenses, until the soldiers fought their way right up to the Legion’s doorstep.

Tessa’s team team moved swiftly and quietly away from the Alabama pack’s direction, where the sounds of fighting could already be heard. Tessa followed behind Jace and Jesse as they went the wide way around the steep slope surrounding the Legion’s fortress-like main building. Camilla kept close behind, nearly stepping on Tessa’s heels each time Jace paused to listen or look about.

Shaw pulled out the map of the Legion’s compound, drawn from James’s memory. James had offered to come and fight, but Shaw had decided to keep his brother safe at the Den.

It only took the group a few minutes to reach an unguarded back entrance to the building. They gathered at the door, preparing to fight any guards that came along. A keening howl split the air, sending chills down Tessa’s spine. It took her a long moment to realize that the cry had come from inside the building, rather than the battle on the other side of the building.

Lightning rent the air, striking too close to Tessa for comfort. Jace cursed and motioned to Jesse, who kicked down the metal door as if it were made of cardboard. Tessa cringed, but no alarm blared, no lights flashed. No one came running. An ominous feeling pooled in the pit of Tessa’s stomach, but she scrambled to follow Jace as Shaw took the lead.

They entered a cool, unlit hallway. Just as Tessa remembered, the floors, walls, ceilings, everything was perfectly white. Something clicked in her brain, and she realized that the Legion’s headquarters reminded her of the pack’s safe house; impersonal, and ready to be wiped clean if needed.

Shaw led them through the halls without hesitation, though it was so dark Tessa could barely see Jace’s back just ahead. Shaw stopped, and the whole group skidded to a halt.

“We should have seen someone by now,” Jace said, his voice echoing in the deserted hallway.

“Let’s keep going,” Shaw said. They pushed forward, mapping the whole floor before confirming that it was abandoned. Jameson stopped by an elevator and hit the button, and the machine whirred to life. Backing away, they waited as it descended and the doors opened.

Empty.

“Is there more upstairs?” Jace asked Jameson as the group huddled near a stairwell.

“I’m not sure,” Tessa said with a shrug.

“Good thing Shifters like surprises, I guess,” Jace said. He turned and shouldered the door open, taking the stairs two at a time. Tessa and Camilla rushed to catch up with him at the upstairs landing. Jace opened the door and stuck his head into the waiting darkness. Other than the sound of their group’s feet on the concrete steps, there was silence.

“Nothing,” Jace said. “There’s no one. They’ve completely gone. They must have had advance warning, somehow.”

Tessa watched as Shaw took a deep breath, holstering his gun. Everyone else did the same.

“I don’t know their contingency plans, but this doesn’t entirely surprise me,” Jace said, his voice and face blank.

“Alright. We should do a sweep just to be safe,” Shaw said, looking over at Jace and Jesse. The males nodded, jaws tense.

Tessa and Camilla broke off with Jesse and Jace, finding and clearing endless rows of offices and dormitory-style living quarters. Not a thing was out of place, everything as white as it was downstairs. Combined with the silence, it was chilling. Camilla reached out and grabbed Tessa’s hand as they trailed the boys from one room to another.

“Over here!” came Shaw’s shout. Tessa turned to follow Jace as they raced toward Shaw’s voice.

They stopped short in front of a set of white doors. Tessa’s heart began to pound. She recognized those doors. They were just like the ones on the cell she’d been kept in before. She gripped Camilla’s hand as Shaw came into view.

“They’re both occupied,” Jace said as he checked the small viewing windows of each room. “Looks like a male in one and a female in the other. Female looks to be unconscious.”

“Alright. Female first,” Jesse said. Before the words had even left his mouth, Shaw already had the door open. The man waited for a heartbeat before rushing over to the bed where a thin figure lay. Tessa saw a long tumble of blonde locks and a flash of pale skin before Shaw leaned down to scoop the woman up. The girl must have put up some bit of struggle, because Tessa could hear Shaw shushing her and saying comforting things.

Satisfied in that, the group turned to the other door.

Jesse looked over to Jace for a minute, then shrugged and performed the same door-kicking-down routine as before. Half a second later, a huge shadowed form appeared in the doorway. Tessa could make out a huge form, crouched as if ready to defend himself. He was an enormous, deeply tanned male with dark hair and eyes. He wore a white cotton tee shirt and white scrub pants, just as Tessa had when she’d been kept here.

The men drew their weapons, and Jesse took a step toward the doorway. The male growled, the resonance so low and loud that Tessa could feel it in the air. The rest of the men stiffened, Jace and Jesse raising their guns to aim at him.

“They’ve done something to him,” Jace said, his tone sad. “Whatever has happened, he’s not salvageable. There’s nothing we can do for him.”

“What are you suggesting?” Tessa asked, alarmed.

“If it attacks, we’ll have no choice but to put it down,” Shaw said. The bitter tone of his voice did nothing to blunt the cruelty of his words.

“He’s a person,” Camilla said, her voice a sharp retort.

“It makes no difference. If he attacks—”

“I would attack us too if I were standing in his spot,” Camilla said, her voice rising with anger.

“Cam—” Tessa started, putting a hand on her sister’s arm. Camilla shook her off, shaking her head.

“Back up, all of you. You too, Tess.”

“What are you, a lion tamer?” Jace barked. “I won’t let you step into the line of fire, Camilla.”

“Reality check, Jace. You might be mated to my sister, but that doesn’t make you my boss. And since you don’t know what it’s like inside there,” she motioned to the cell door, “that means I’m in charge now. So back off.”

Jace’s jaw clenched but he remained silent, lowering his weapon. Jesse followed suit, and the others took his lead.

“Go on then, Cami,” Tessa said, looking at her sister. Tessa wasn’t sure why, but she was inclined to follow Camilla’s instincts.

Camilla cleared her throat, and then held her hands up to show that she meant no harm. She took a step toward the doorway, taking it slow. Jesse shifted as if to move and the male growled again, his deep bass ringing through the hallway. Camilla jumped a little and shot a glare at Jesse, waving him off.

Turning back to the stranger, she took another half step toward him. He remained impassive, eyes darting around to observe all the other males.

“Hey,” Camilla said, catching his eye. “Will you let me in? Just me?”

The male looked at her for a long beat, and then took a step back.

Tessa sucked in a breath, surprised. The Shifter couldn’t be completely deranged, she realized. He understood Camilla just fine.

Camilla took a couple more steps until she was right in front of him, then paused.

“The bad men have left. It’s just us now,” she said, scanning the male’s face. His expression betrayed little.

“I’m Camilla. They used to keep me here too. They hurt me,” she said, pushing up her sleeve to show a set of terrible bruises that Tessa hadn’t even seen.

The Shifter growled again as he rose from his crouch, his hands reaching out to touch her skin as he examined the marks. He looked into Camilla’s face for a moment, then out at the group. She could just make out his face, chiseled and handsome. He towered over Camilla, all lean muscle. It must be a Shifter thing, Tessa decided.

“Will you come with me?” Camilla asked. “I’ve found a new home, somewhere safe. Would you come with me?”

The male looked around at the group again, then back at Camilla. She held out a hand to him, waiting. After another long moment, he reached out and took her hand. Camilla let out a little gasp as he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck.

Tessa heard several safeties click as pistols were readied, but Camilla let out a muffled, “I’m okay!” before anyone could react. The male turned, putting his back to the guns.

“He’s protecting her,” Tessa said.

After a long second, the guns lowered again.

At that moment, there was a tremendous BOOM that shook the building. Everyone ducked, trying to get their footing. Jace cursed, looking around for the source.

“Something is going on outside. We’ve got to get back to the Den,” he said. “Shaw, have you got the female?”

Shaw emerged from the cell, the woman tossed over his shoulder. She wasn’t moving, but judging by the scratch marks across Shaw’s face, that was a recent development.

“Mmphmm,” Shaw grumbled, readjusting the female’s slight weight over his brawny shoulder.

Jace slipped a protective arm around Tessa’s waist, guiding her down the darkened hallway. The others followed them down the stairs and out to the main exit. Jesse and Jace swung the doors open, and they sprinted outside and around the building the way they’d approached.

Every single member of their team halted and stared, unable to comprehend the scene of complete chaos before them. Trees and bits of mesh fencing were scattered everywhere. Right in the middle of the Legion’s front driveway was a giant, smoldering circle of blackened ground; the burn pattern extended at least ten feet in circumference.

Members of both packs were tending to their wounded, and moving them toward the portal to the Den. Tessa scanned the entire area but didn’t see any obvious casualties, so perhaps they had been lucky on that front. At least the fighting wasn’t going on anymore.

Jace led Tessa down toward the portal, seeking out Maddie. They found her crouched next to Jasper, who was lying on a scratchy utility blanket. He had quite a nasty burn on his chest and left leg, causing Tessa to wince in sympathy.

“Magic burn,” Maddie was saying to Jasper. “Gee, I bet that hurts like a bitch. You know, I heard that it takes like twice as long to heal as a regular burn.”

Her voice was pure acid, and she was halfway shouting at her wounded mate.

“Maddie, I’m not sure that’s helping,” Tessa said, trying to pull her away. Maddie pushed Tessa away, her voice rising in anger as she shouted at her new mate.

“I told you not to be a hero. I told you not to, you idiot!” she shrieked, sounding as if she were about to lose control altogether.

“I saved your life,” Jasper said, his voice scratchy and rough.

“No one asked you to do that!” Maddie said, her expression furious.

“Oookay,” Jace cut in, stepping over and scooping Maddie up off the ground. Jace walked several feet away, but didn’t put his sister down. She thrashed, shrieking for several minutes until she wore herself out. At last her limbs slowed. Her voice broke, and she dissolved into quiet sobs.

Tessa could hear him soothing Maddie, telling her that Jasper was going to be fine. Her stomach did a funny flip, and her heart swelled in her chest until tears threatened to break loose. Fortunately Shaw came over at that moment, whistling and drawing everyone into a circle.

“One of the witches was struck down, and the other has fled. The Legion was long gone before we got here. We’ve also gained some new pack members, it seems. Let’s move our wounded back to the Den.”

“What’s that?” shouted Rhett from the back of the crowd.

“I said let’s go home!” Shaw roared, raising his arms.

A cheer rose up, and everyone moved to do just that.