Race to Destiny 4 (2 page)

Eric and Striker were pissed.  The Clan was under attack, and although their sweet little mate was locked in a room, she was still vulnerable.  Striker counted thirty strong men flowing into his Clan's compound.  How the fuck had they slipped by?  His vampires were warriors; they had been trained to protect the Clan.  He was a warrior also, Striker had trained with the best, and when the call had come out for the Senate to have warriors, several of his men had joined.  Striker had been there for the attack on the Senate weeks before.  It had been entertaining, more excitement than with his Clan. 

Striker was an old vampire, and with age he had gained strength and more powers.  He didn
’t care about the power, he had no use for it, but the strength, it gave him a reputation in the Vampire world.  These fools would never have attacked his Clan unless they were trying to get to Mia, and he would die to protect her.

Striker ran into the mix.  Swiftly taking out one vampire as he ran, using just the stake he held.  Eric was right beside him, the Fae prince was one hell of a warrior as well
, considering his father was the leader of the Fae, showed he was not a just a pampered rich boy. 

The men turned so their backs were together and began to battle more of the Rogues
who seemed to be flowing from somewhere.  He let out a raging roar that made the Rogues pause, looking shocked.  His power radiated from him and he grinned at the opponent who dared to challenge him.  He felt and heard Eric chuckle as he quickly dispelled a shifter who he had been waiting for.

Mia
, Striker thought,
she had to be terrified
.  His poor mate had already been terrorized by these people enough.  When she arrived, she had been frightened and wary, Eric and he hadn't had enough time to make her comfortable with them completely.  They had agreed to take it slow because of her past, but now they were going to have to go at a snail’s pace.  Not that he minded, Mia was his mate, and she was meant to be shared between him and Eric.  He would not fail her.

**
***

Mia felt each bump
as the man or men tried to break down the reinforced door Striker had shown her when she arrived.  The lock was industrial grade, made to keep shifters out, but this guy was really determined.  She was afraid but felt the first stirrings of her old self as she gritted her teeth.

Sure, she knew the world she stepped into unknowingly was dangerous.  Mia had come to terms with it. 
But damn it, why the hell were they so hell bent on capturing her, it didn’t make sense.
  Other than her father being a dignitary, she was a blip on the map. 

Slowly she pulled away from the door, the door held even without her small frame pushed against it.  She frowned and stared at the door
feeling anger.  She finally was feeling anger and not self-loathing and fear. 
Oh hell yeah, she was gonna get herself back whether it killed her, or them.
Mia turned and looked around the room, a weapon—she needed a weapon.

Ha, a heavy lamp, the base of it would crush the skull of anyone who dared to come through.
  Feeling more like herself than she had in months, Mia brandished the lamp and yelled.

“
What the fuck do you want?” she screamed.

Eric and Striker heard he
r yell with their sensitive hearing, as did the rest of the men fighting both Rogue and warrior. 
Shit,
he could hear the thumps as well against the door and knew for now she was safe, she had to be screaming in fear, the anger pulsed through him and flowed to Eric as well, they doubled their efforts to slay these assholes and rescue their mate.

Mia glowered at the door. 
“Answer me you fucking pricks, why the hell are you after me?”

She only heard more grunting as whoever it was doubled his effort.

“Listen you, I don’t know who and what you are and don’t care.  If Roarke thinks I will go quietly this time, he has another thing comin'!” she screeched and it felt good to release the anger she had stored up.  It was like a flood of emotion flowing through her.

Eric and Striker sighed, their poor little mate was losing it.  The fear had taken over.

“Come on,” they heard her scream.  “I am not afraid of you!” 
Shit yep, she has lost it,
they shared with each other
.
This had broken her completely and the fear had taken over.  Eric and Striker fought harder with the Rouges to get back to her and sedate her in case she was freaking out too bad.

“
Pussies, you know when I was kidnapped and tortured?” Mia screamed and braced the heavy lamp on the floor, leaning it against her leg, ready to grab it again if needed but she was pissed off right now and needed to throw shit.

“
Sitting in that cell day after day, waiting for the next beating, and the laughter from the men who wanted to degrade me.  It was fucked up!” she yelled and threw a book at the door.  “Then making me strip and beating me while they told me how ugly I was as the next step!” she screamed and threw a pillow, which didn’t do much.  Mia needed to feel the anger leaving her.  She leaned the lamp again the wall and took a few steps to the chair sitting in the corner.  Lifting it over her head, she screamed, “I am not the ugly one you bastards, you are with your hairy asses.  I mean shave for fucks sake,” she said and let the chair go.  “Your leader,” she yelled and reached for a box that sat upon the dresser, “he is the biggest fucking pussy of them all.  Never talking, only fucking grinning at the pain he was causing.  Thank God I never had to see his pencil dick, I would have puked.”

On and on she went
, throwing anything she could get her hands on as she screamed all of her frustration, fear, and anger at the door, with tears streaming down her face.  She felt it draining through her.

Striker and Eric, and well as several men, Rogues, and warriors alike paused and tilted their heads, they could hear what she was screaming, and hearing the braking furniture as it hit the door. 
“What the fuck?” Striker whispered.

“
It seems our little mate is more of a firecracker than we thought.  I think she isn’t afraid so much as pissed off.  You didn’t leave her with any weapons did you?” Eric snorted.

“
No,” Striker muttered as they listened to her rage. 
Shit, that was a lot of pent up anger. 
Striker turned and cut the head off the shifter who was grinning.  “We need to go and get her, then get the fuck out of here.”

“
Agreed,” Eric said and cut the head off the vampire who he was fighting.

**
***

Eric made his
way carefully through the store, keeping an eye on everyone around him.  Nowhere was safe for him at the moment.  He needed to get in, get the things on his list, and get out.  He was oblivious to the stares from the women and some of the men he got as he passed by.  Eric was tall, standing at over six foot three, with blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, tied back at the nape of his neck.  He had a firm body built by his work with the sword.

He approached the women's
clothing section and began to check the sizes he had written down.  He grabbed a few t-shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans.  He walked over to the underwear section and quickly picked out some pretty, silky pieces.  He tried to not think about what Mia would look like in said underwear or he wouldn't be able to walk.

He headed into the men's section and picked up some clothes for himself and Striker, then he got a large duffle bag to hold it all.  He went through the checkout line, keeping an eye on his surroundings.  He began to walk back to the hotel carrying the bags and as he walked, he thought about all that had happened in his life as of late.  Had it only been a month that he had been home with his family and everything had seemed normal?  Well, he laughed out loud, as normal as life could be living as Fae.

His father was the leader of the Fae Clan in Sweden.  When his father had felt the death of Eric's sister, the family had been devastated.  His father had taken Eric aside and confessed to him that for some time he had been planning to move their Clan to the compound of the Senate.  Eric had been surprised but understood due to the fact that the Rogues were wreaking havoc all over the world now.  Their Clan would be safer if they were within the compounds walls with other magical creatures.  They would then be able to ban together to provide safety in numbers.

Due to the death of Sable, Eric's sister, his father had told him it would be Eric's duty to go to the Senate and pledge their loyalty.  Eric had agreed and immediately headed to Italy to meet with the Senate members.  Once he had arrived, he had been asked by the Senate to go on a special mission to help a young woman make her way to them.  She needed protecting and they thought Eric capable.  Eric had been honored to be asked by the Senate to perform such a task; he had quickly agreed to go.

Striker had met him when he arrived and filled him in on Mia's background, or what they knew of it.  Eric had been horrified at what had been done to the little human woman.  It troubled him more to think of his little sister going through the same despicable things at the hands of the Rogues.  Eric wanted to get his hands on this leader of the Rogues, this Roarke, and kill him.

Eric had also been surprised when he met Striker and knew instantly he was his mate.  Striker had also informed him the beautiful Mia was their mate as well.  Eric had been so happy to have found his destined mates.  Striker was happy also and the two of them had worked hard to try to break down Mia's walls.  They wanted to earn her trust and ease her into their worlds.  They both knew Mia was aware of werewolves, but she didn't know of the other magical creatures as well as vampires existing.  They knew humans were delicate creatures and Mia would need to be eased into their reality.

Eric smiled as he thought of their little mate and how beautiful she was.  They had finally gotten to where she would allow small touches and Eric cherished every one of those moments, as he knew Striker did.  Then when the Clan compound had been attacked, Eric had felt as if his heart had been ripped out as he watched Mia retreat into herself again.  Now they were on the run and in hiding.  He only hoped they could all get to the Senate compound safely, then they could begin to work with Mia again.  He knew that he and Striker would do whatever it took to help their mate.

He entered the hotel and sat down in the lobby, setting the bags beside him.  He picked up a nearby newspaper and pretended to look it over as he surreptitiously checked his surroundings.  He wanted to make sure he wasn't followed before he headed to their suite.  There was a true threat and he would put his own life on the line to make sure it never got near Mia again.

*****

Mia stepped out of the shower and toweled herself dry.  Then she wrapped the towel around her body as she wiped off the mirror with her hand.  She grimaced at the person staring at her in the mirror.  She looked horrible.  She had dark circles under her eyes, a large bruise on her forehead and marks on her neck.  She didn't look any further knowing she would probably br
eak down into sobs if she did.  When had things gone so horribly wrong for her?  Oh yeah, when she had had the brilliant idea to leave behind all that she knew and start a new life on her own.

The knock on the bathroom door startled her.  "Are you okay in there?
” Striker's deep voice sent shivers down her body.

"I'm...
”  She cleared her throat.  "I'm fine.  Be out in a minute."

She listened for his footsteps to retreat.  It took a minute and then they did and she let the breath she had been holding go.  She knew he meant well
, but she needed to get herself together.  She couldn't seem to think straight, her mind was a jumble of snapshots of the last few days, and nothing seemed to come into focus really well.  Tears began to course down her cheeks and she tried to stop them, wiping them away furiously.  Just as a sob tore through her body, she tried to hold it in, covering her mouth with one of her hands.  She was losing it and didn't know how to get control.

She backed up against the bathroom wall and slowly slipped down it until she plopped onto her bottom.  She drew her knees up to her chin and tried to concentrate on not making a sound.  Striker wasn
’t a normal man, he was a werewolf, he could hear the slightest sound, and she didn't want to freak him out by seeing her lose it.  Plus add in Eric and she was screwed about keeping this quiet, but she tried. 
Damn it, she was going to lose it,
she thought.  She tried to take a deep breath but it came out as another sob.  She put her head down on her knees, giving in to the need to cry.

Suddenly the door to the bathroom burst open and Striker was filling the doorway.  He took in the situation in one sweep and bent down, scooping her into his arms.  He carried her out into the bedroom area of the suite they were in and sat down on the large king size
d bed.  He didn't say anything as he held her, running his hand on her back.  She tried to push out of his arms, but he only tightened them around her.  It was his soft kiss on top of her head that was the catalyst to her losing her battle.  She just couldn't hold it in any longer.