Rane's Mate (3 page)

Faith started shaking. Kane stopped her pacing and hugged
her close, assuring her that his father was listening and he had Major Black
listening on another phone.

She settled into Kane’s hold and continued on. “They’re near
the small stage. This group is in a band, and they played earlier this morning
and stayed to watch the other bands. This is the youngest of the four groups
the demons want, and they’re all males. I feel this one is going to go down
around about ten-thirty or eleven PM. They’re going to leave via the left side
exit off the backstage, all the boys together. It was too quick, and that’s all
I got. The only thing I can remember about them is that one had a mohawk and
the other had lots of piercings on his face. Sorry,” Faith apologized again. “Too
much was going on.”

Faith continued on as Rane looked around the room, noticing
the intent stare of all the wolves and the women. He returned his attention to
the conversation as the werewolves swore, and then the room turned quiet. His
brother told their dad that they were going to need every available wolf there
now.

Hanging up the phone, Kane looked at Rane. “Please tell me
that you have trained the six human military men enough, because we’re going to
need all the help we can get.”

Rane sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “They
will have to do. If we split them up, put two in each team, they should be
fine.” He got on the phone, making sure everything was organized.

Kane swore, pounding his fist, before he turned back to him.
“Rane, the weapons aren’t all iced.”

Sara cleared her throat. “I’m a water element, what do you
mean by iced?”

Rane smiled at Kane, pulling one of his blades out as he
explained to Sara how everything worked. Sara was confident she could ice the
tips.

Faith interrupted them, speaking loudly so the whole room
could hear, which now consisted of all of the werewolves they could spare, six
military men, and three women.

“We need to try to make this look like part of the show. We
want the least amount of pandemonium. Sara, Remy, and Kirby have agreed to
help. I know already that Sara and Remy work well together. I’d like for them
to be put with—”

Tray stepped forward. “If you’re putting Sara in danger, she
goes with me.”

Sara stared at Tray bug-eyed and open-mouthed.

Kane spoke up. “Tray, you’re my best marksman shooter with
bow and arrows. I need you elsewhere.”

“I mean you no disrespect, but my mate stays with me.”

Kane nodded and Faith smiled.

Sara sputtered out, “Mate…I am not...”

Tray went straight over to Sara and looked into her eyes and
said, “Yes, you are.” He pulled her shirt to the side and bit her shoulder.

Sara screamed, and then moaned. Several chuckles were heard
when she pushed on his head, smacking it. “You arsehole, you bit me.”

Rane chuckled as they continued to bicker. Faith and Kane
gave more instructions.

Finally Faith looked at Rane and said, “Kirby and I are
going with you in the second group.” Faith advanced on him, her finger pointed
at his chest. “Don’t you do anything like Tray just did. I’m going to kick his
arse later if Sara allows him to live. I mean it, Rane.”

He put his hands up. “I will not bite her tonight.”

“Okay, let’s go and get into position, and remember, minimal
damage.”

Pulling out into their groups, Rane looked at his group
which consisted of Kane, Jamie, Devlin, Blake, Major Samuel Black, Sergeant
Nathan Cross, and Dominic, Seth, and Owen in wolf form, also Faith and Kirby.

Kirby was trying not to freak out. A few hours ago she had
found out that her new friends were supernaturals and that other beings existed,
like werewolves, demons, and other terrifying things. Oh, and that demons
wanted to take over the world, kill almost all of humanity, and any humans that
were left made to be their slaves or zombies. The thing that had her scared
shitless though was that in a crazy moment she had agreed to help.

They got themselves in as much of a position as possible.
Kirby couldn’t understand how the demons were going to do this when they were surrounded
by people. “How on earth do they expect to pull this off? There are people
everywhere.”

“They think the chaos they’ll cause will help them get the
people they want. And sad to say, but it most definitely will. As everyone will
be trying to get away, they’ll be going in the opposite direction.” Faith glanced
at all the people near the stage then turned back to her. “Let’s hope the
demons come when the last band has finished, then almost everyone will have
moved to the main stage.”

Kirby looked around to see the band was finishing their last
song. Biting her lip, she turned to Faith. “How long do you think we have? The
band is finishing now and we all seem to be spread pretty thin.”

Faith didn’t get to reply as Rane came strolling over and cut
her answer off. “Tell me you gave Kirby a weapon so she’s not just standing
around looking like a stunned mullet.”

Kirby ignored Rane’s comment. She didn’t even bother to
acknowledge him. Every time she thought about him or even glanced his way her
stomach did weird little flips.

She smiled when Faith rolled her eyes before turning to him.
“Of course, although I don’t know what good they will do her. She has had no
training. First thing tomorrow I’m going to teach the girls some basic moves.”
Faith reached forward and patted his arm. “Try not to worry. I’ll protect her.”

Rane groaned. “Oh God, now I feel real great. Why didn’t we
just send the girls home? Dad, Mum, Bengie, and the girls would have looked
after them.”

Kirby felt her stomach sink. Fantastic, Rane didn’t even want
her around.

Faith sighed. “We couldn’t spare anyone to drive her home,
and I kind of wanted to try a little experiment with Kirby.”

Kirby turned to Faith. “What experiment?”

“I was hoping you would help with the minions as they are
kinda animals.”

“No fucking way, Faith. I know what you’re thinking. Kane,
control your mate,” Rane muttered.

“Idiot,” Faith and Kirby huffed out.

Faith and Kirby shook their heads as Faith glared at Rane.
“You did not just tell Kane to control me. If we didn’t have demons coming
right now I would so be kicking your arse.”

“Faith, I want to help, tell me about this experiment.”

“You said you can talk to animals, so maybe you can get
minions to do what you want, or at least confuse them enough for me to kill
them.”

Kirby touched her forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. “Well,
if I can see the eyes of an animal—”

“I said no. You are not looking a minion in the eye, no frigging
way.” Rane glared at her.

Fuck this idiot. What right did he have to tell her what to
do? She’d moved away from her overbearing, controlling brothers so she didn’t
have to put up with stuff like this. She’d had enough. Rane might be the best
looking man she’d ever laid eyes on, but he was a controlling arsehole just
like her brothers. She turned to Rane, her fists clenched at her sides.

“You do not get to tell me what to do. You’ve been glaring
at me all day long and made it perfectly clear to everyone that you do not want
me here. I don’t care if you’re the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, you are a
controlling arsehole. I pity the woman who gets stuck with you.”

Kirby heard laughter behind her, which turned to covered
coughs as Rane turned and growled at his brothers. “Well, guess what, little red?
That woman is—”

Faith interrupted them. “Not now, Rane. It’s showtime.”

Kirby turned from Rane to see they were surrounded. She
screamed, even knowing she shouldn’t as it would draw attention to her. But at
the sight of the minions, she couldn’t help it.

“Kirby, get it together,” yelled Faith.

It took her a minute to gather herself. There were screams
everywhere. Faith was right, most people had moved to the big stage, but the
few that were still around were screaming and trying to get away so they wouldn’t
be slaughtered.

Kirby saw creatures that were a mixture of a small, fat pig,
but gray and black instead of pink, and a bat, but the wings had sharp thorns
all over them. The little creatures also had sharp teeth.

Faith yelled over to her, “If you can’t control them, then
you’ll have to kill them. The best way is to cut the wings off first and either
chop off their heads or stab their heart, but give it a try to control them
before you attempt the other.”

Sighing, Kirby looked up, nodded at Faith, then turned to
look at the minions. She stilled though when she saw a demon. Frozen, staring
at the things out of nightmares, Kirby looked at eight huge beasts ranging in
size from ten to sixteen feet. They were built like a tank and were bright red
with black thorns all over their exposed skin. Two large, black horns protruded
from their head. They had wicked, long teeth, and had a tail with an arrow
spike on the end. Some had two arrow spikes on their tail.

Kirby almost fell over when Faith elbowed her, which helped
her get out of her frozen, terrified stare. “Focus, Kirby. We don’t have time
for you to be scared now. You need to give your powers a try. But whatever
happens, stay away from the demons and don’t look into their eyes. Pull out the
knife I gave you just in case.” Faith pulled out two long knives, almost like
machetes. “Go, Kirby. I need you to guard the backstage door so they don’t get
these kids.” Faith ran to the stage door with her and placed one of the huge
machete knives across the doors, jamming them shut. Faith turned to Kirby. “Get
ready, because here they come.”

Kirby glanced up to see twelve minions coming at her and
Faith. Looking at as many as she could, she sought their thought pattern and
came up against violence, death, and pain. She strained to push further into
their minds, searching for any commands. Eventually she found the command she
was looking for. They had been ordered to
Hurt, kill as many as you can, but
don’t kill this group–just corner them.
A picture flashed in her mind of a
group of teenage boys. This command repeated over and over in the minions’ minds.
Focusing as much as possible, Kirby changed the command just as she felt the
minions starting to bite her legs and their wings cutting into her face.

She could hear Faith yelling, “Now, do it now.”

Screaming in the minions’ head, she said. “Freeze, stop,
freeze.”

Ten minions froze in their spot, turning their ugly heads
from side to side with a look of confusion.

Kirby turned to Faith, yelling over the screaming. “Hurry I
don’t know long I’ll be able to hold them off.”

“Brilliant!” Faith yelled.

As Faith continued to run and almost dance about, chopping
and cutting wings and heads off the minions, she yelled over her shoulder,
“Guard the stage doors, Kirby. Zombies are coming. Don’t be fooled by their
human appearance. Kill them if you can.”

Kirby’s back hit the stage door as a hand reached out and
grabbed her hair. Screaming and kicking, she tried to get out of the hold. She
heard Faith yelling at her again to use her knife and kill. Pulling her knife
around, Kirby slashed at the hand holding her hair and turned to see something
that was once human. Shutting her eyes, she stabbed its chest.

Turning to find Faith finishing up on three zombie creatures,
she said, “Wow, you’re a modern day Buffy.”

Faith smiled then screamed in pain as a sixteen foot,
hulking demon grabbed her from behind. Kirby stared, transfixed, never having
seen anything like it. Faith used her knifed hands above her head, slicing
backward. She spun, moving her hands down, then pushed both her knives up and
into the demon’s chest. The demon’s scream was deafening.

Faith never seemed to stop as she yelled to Kane, “Get your
arse over here now.”

The demon was trying to pull the knife out with one hand and
reach for Faith with his other hand, his tail snaking toward her. Afraid to
blink because she might miss something, Kirby watched as Faith quickly maneuvered
out of the way. Kane ran over, jumped on the demon’s back, climbing to his
head, which he then cut off. Staring opened-mouthed, Kirby looked at the chaos
around her. Eight dead demons, four zombies, and about forty minions lay
scattered on the ground. Injured people were lying everywhere.

Faith and Kane came over to her, smiling. “Kirby was amazing,
Kane. I really think we could help train her on a larger scale to freeze the
minions, or command them to do other things. Even with no practice and never
doing anything like this before, she got them to freeze for a couple of
minutes, which gave me time to kill them. I feel, no, I
know
she could
do it for a lot longer.”

Kane smiled at her, nodding as he said, “You did real good,
Kirby. Thanks for the help. I now need to know how badly you were hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she assured Kane. “Look after Faith first.”

Kane ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. He looked
his mate up and down. “Faith has hardly got a scratch on her, and the scratches
she does have will be healed in five to ten minutes tops. Trust me, if she was
hurt I would tend to her before I did anything else.” He leaned down and
brushed his lips against Faith’s, whispering, “I love you, princess.”

Kirby grinned as she glanced at Faith. “Yeah, she is
super-fast.”

Faith laughed. “I was Kane’s shadow when I was little. I
went to all their fighting lessons until they finally caved and taught me to
fight properly.”

Kane leaned down again and kissed Faith’s forehead. “The
army has called in reinforcements to help clean up. I thought since I’m a
doctor I would help out too, but only if that’s okay, princess?” Faith nodded
her head. “I only stayed over here because Rane would kill me if I didn’t check
Kirby out first.”