Bonds of Fire: The Bellum Sisters 2 (paranormal erotic romance) (39 page)

“Now is hardly the time,” he said darkly.

Thane and Jackie squared instantly, jaws firming, eyes straight ahead. Lyonis nodded at them.

“Any news on Danny?”

“No, Sir. But all of the Atal Warriors have been set along the perimeter and streets. A total of 100 warriors,” Thane said.

“Alpha Lyonis, I still don’t think this is necessary. We don’t need vampires securing our defenses,” Jackie said.

Lyonis sat down only to stand again. He couldn’t stop moving in agitated jerks. Willow was driving him crazy. Why the hell was he feeling guilty? He was doing the right thing! It was his job to protect his mate and child dammit and that’s what he was going to do. But damn the sight of her hurting tore him up inside better than a chain saw could ever do.

In a distracted voice he said, “Sometimes we have to push aside our pride in order to be stronger. To take care of the ones we love.”

He didn’t see the intense look shared between Thane and Jackie at his words. Too focused was he on Willow. Willow, Willow, Willow. Why couldn’t she understand that this was necessary, that he was doing it to protect her?

“I hurt her.”

He didn’t realize he said the words aloud until Thane stepped forward and said, “These are difficult times. As long as you love her and tell her often she'll realize it’s the right thing.”

Lyonis stared at Thane in surprise. Had he ever told her he loved her? He thought he might have mentioned it in passing, but had he ever said the words to her? Hell, how could she not know it when his feelings radiated from his very pores?

“Of course she knows I love her,” he said softly, unsure.

Thane raised a dark eyebrow. “You don’t sound certain, Alpha. Maybe it’s time you tell her...as many times as it takes. Sometimes women need to hear it, a lot, before they’ll soften up.” The shapeshifter’s lips twitched like he wanted to laugh. Jackie’s hand shot out and slapped his arm almost too fast to see. Thane straightened again but a grin played at his lips.

Lyonis’ gaze slid over to Jackie’s exposed neck and there he saw the fresh, pink bite. The tension in his shoulders lessened.

“You two finally mated, huh? Congratulations.” Still the happy news didn’t fix his mood any.

“Yes, Alpha,” Jackie said, pink coloring her cheeks.

A guard ran into the room, panting from a sprint. “Sir, we have a problem!”

Lyonis stiffened, his heart pounding frantically. “What is it?” In his gut, he already knew.

“The Queen, Sir, she’s missing.”

Lyonis was out the door the next second. The cabin door was standing wide open as he entered it a minute later. He ran through the house, searching every door and closet. Under the bed he found her backpack, which previously had been empty in the corner of the room. His fist clenched over the packed bag. She was going to leave him but then why didn’t she take her bag?

Jackie and Thane came into the room after him.

“How did she leave?”

“Sir, the guard said none of the other guards let her through the perimeter. That it would be impossible for her to get through.”

Lyonis ran back downstairs and finished searching the rooms. Last, he stopped in the kitchen. A frown came over him as he looked at the open cabinets and a pot lying on the floor.

“What happened in here?”

The guard who had run to tell him the news stepped forward. “Sir, Rachel Harbrow stopped by. The ladies chatted for at least an hour. When another hour passed and I didn’t hear anything, I knocked on the door but no one answered. So I came in and searched the place but found it empty.”

“There was a struggle,” Thane said, inspecting the kitchen.

Lyonis nodded and the words were out of his mouth before he could think about it. “Call Tyrian en Kulev and get the sisters out here.”

“But, Alpha, I’m sure we can figure this out without any help from more Atal Warriors,” Jackie said.

Lyonis saw black. He stood; hands fisted tightly at his sides and in a cold, controlled voice said, “Don’t question me again. The demon took her and Rachel, too. Unless you know how to get her back then shut up and do what I say.”

Jackie bowed her head respectfully. “Of course, Alpha. You’re right. My pride bested me again.” She turned from the room.

* * *

“Where are they!” he screamed. Everyone around him recoiled.

“I called them right away, Alpha. They said they’d be here right away. I don’t know what’s taking so long,” Jackie said.

Lyonis paced back and forth in his living room. Guards stood all around him but wisely didn’t ask him to calm down or sit. They knew he’d tear off their heads with such nonsense.

It had been almost a whole hour and they still hadn’t showed up. Each second that ticked by made him feel like he was slowly feeling Willow slip through his fingers.

A guard rushed into the house. “Sir, they’re here!”

Lyonis was outside in the blink of an eye. Tyrian, Chloe, Lily, Telal, and a guard walked towards him.

“What the hell took you so long?” he roared. His pack knew the intensity of his anger and flinched at his voice.

Chloe gave a disgusted glace at the demon Telal. “Ask him.”

Telal merely shrugged and Lyonis saw red. He had the demon on his back, his hands on his throat in the next second. His hands transformed, forming sharp taloned claws that dug into the demon’s neck.

“I’ll kill you,” Lyonis spit out.

The demon didn’t flinch. “Then do it. Otherwise get the hell off me, shapeshifter.”

Lily stepped forward with a fierce scowl on her face. She planted her hands on her hips and glared down at Telal. “You don’t have to be such a bastard. His pregnant mate has just been stolen by the demon and he has no way to get to her. You’d be freaked out too.”

“I’d have to care about her first.”

Lyonis’ fist slammed into the demon face. The demon cocked his head to the side to spit out blood. Still, his face was impassive, uncaring.

“If you want my help get off of me now. Or I’ll make you get off,” he said softly.

Lyonis was forcefully tugged off the demon by his guards and he let them because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get off him on his own.

Telal flashed to a stand. “Why was I called here?” He sounded bored. Lyonis shook against the arms holding him. He knew he wasn’t mad at the demon—much—but that he wanted an outlet to release energy on. Still that didn’t stop him from lunging again at the demon.

The blue-haired demon looked at him as if he was no greater a threat than a fly.

“What happened to our sister,” Chloe asked, her hand clenched in Tyrian’s.

“She gone,” Lyonis said, then restated what had happened in the house with Rachel.

“The demon took them both?” Chloe said.

Telal scoffed. “Dura is a
jaheera
demon that thrives off fear and death. Its powers are magnificent when at full strength. Even now I doubt she’d taken Rachel. The shapeshifter is useless, unless she was being controlled.”

“Controlled?” Chloe said.

“Yes, I’m sure the other members of your little pack that have gone missing are gone right now. Go ahead, check,” Telal said with that same straight face.

Lily marched up to him and slapped him across the face. He slowly turned his head to look at her and a small spark of anger, or something, was there.

“Don’t ever hit me,
lilit
.” His words were deathly quiet, controlled.

“Then don’t pull this nonchalant attitude with me. This is my sister you’re talking about.”

He shrugged.

Thane had already taken off into the pack to find out about Stephanie. He came back a few minutes later, a grim look on his face.

“Stephanie’s parents say she left the house to go to a friend’s house, but none of the guards have seen her all night.”

“See, she’s been using them all along. It’s a smart way to infiltrate the enemy really,” Telal said.

Lyonis made another lunge for the demon, but stopped when Lily stretched up on her toes, grabbed the demon’s golden-skinned face in her small hands, and planted a big kiss on him.

She pulled away before he could push her off. The demon looked...stunned.

“I told you not to touch me.”

“You said not to hit you. Say another smart-ass comment while my sister’s in danger and I’ll keep planting them on you. One horrible kiss at a time, got me?” The hard edge to her voice belied the teasing words. The demon twitched but didn’t say anything.

“How do I get to her?” While she’s still alive, he added silently. He could sense her, feel her, as all mates could do. He could feel the strength of her soul still beating, but for how long?

All eyes trained on Telal.

He crossed his arms across his big chest. “I can teleport to the deepest level of the rift.”

Lyonis shook off the arms holding him. “Take me now.”

“But,” Telal interjected, “I can only take one other person with me at a time and you won’t be able to kill the demon.”

“Yes he can!” Lily said. “She was stolen from the house so the potion and dagger should still be here. He can take that down there and use it.”

Telal rounded on her. “A mere dag and vanishing spell will not kill Dura.”

Lily cocked her head to the side. “Yes. It. Will. The dagger was enchanted and blessed by a good friend of mine.”

Telal tossed back his head and laughed.

“You may have heard of her, Rosa El Blanco.”

His laughter died, his expression almost becoming angry. “You know Rosa the White?”

“We’re besties,” she whispered fiercely.

Telal looked as if he didn’t believe her but then he just shrugged. “If the white witch has truly enspelled the weapon then you may serve to deal damage to the demon. Though I doubt it can kill it; perhaps just hurt it.”

“Take me there now,” he said to Telal.

Turning, Lyonis ordered Jackie to grab the dagger and spell. She returned with it a minute later. He saw the worry and hesitation in her eyes. She was worried about her Alpha. But he could issue no comforting words to her now.

Lyonis took the dagger from her and instantly felt the power in it. It was heavy but not from its mass; the spell held a positive, wavering energy around it like an aura. He clenched it in his hand then stepped towards the demon.

“Please bring her back,” Chloe said, tears falling down her face. The sisters huddled next to each other, hands held tightly.

Telal stepped forward, clasped Lyonis’ shoulder in his hand and said, “Hold tight.”

And then they disappeared.

Chapter 40

The dark, endless sky above cracked with streaks of silver lightning. Thunder boomed in the open space around her and Willow struggled to sit up to see. What kind of magic was this?

She cried out as her broken ribs stabbed at her. The sky formed a white slit that reminded her of a thin cloud, and then it was gone and two men appeared on the ground. The demon roared and spewed garbled words. Danny, Stephanie, and Rachel launched themselves at the intruders.

Willow gasped at the sight, blinking several times as unbelievable hope filled her chest.

“Lyonis!” It came out more as a croak, but he heard her.

He turned back to look at her just as Danny tackled him down to the ground. His eyes took in everything in a blink, then his gaze focused on the boy on top of him, and she saw his pained expression.

The blue-haired demon was here too. He locked into a battle with Rachel as Stephanie sidestepped around him to engage with Lyonis. Telal quickly got Rachel in a chokehold.

Willow struggled to her feet, favoring her good leg. Her chest hurt to breathe, to move, and hell, it hurt even when she didn’t move, but she stood.

“Don’t kill her!” she screamed.

The blue-haired demon flicked her an annoyed gaze, and tightened the pressure around Rachel’s neck. Her eyes fluttered shut slowly and her body slumped. Telal dropped her to the ground, surprisingly gently.

He squared off with the demon who started chanting more dark words. Black, wispy smoke came out from the ground and slowly took the shape of clawed hands. Another arm appeared then dozens of skeletal bodies, black and oozing like tar, pulled out from the sharp ground with groans and moans.

Willow made her way towards Lyonis, dragging her useless leg and holding her ribs. She had to help him, had to kiss him one last time just in case they didn’t make it.

Telal suddenly let out a fierce battle cry. The sound brought chills down her body and made her pause at its power.

Lyonis also knocked down Danny and Stephanie without killing them, and then he rounded on Dura. Dura took a hard step back and Willow toppled to the ground with a choked scream as her hurt leg roared with pain. Only Telal and Lyonis didn’t budge as the demon moved with quaking steps.

Willow refused to give up. She had to help them.

The black, oozing monsters she’d summoned surrounded Lyonis and Telal, screeching war cries. Willow rolled onto her stomach and used her elbows to lift herself off her broken ribs. The pain was excruciating; tears fell again and again, intermixed with her sobs of pain as she crawled, dragging her useless leg behind her.