EnemyMine (21 page)

She rested her head against her arms near the end, hating to
be the cause of his pain, unable to watch him finish.

* * * * *

The change had never been so fucking difficult. Emory wanted
to make it fast and spare Mary the horror of seeing him shift forms this early
on in their mating. He’d thought he’d be able to take her someplace special,
Ava’s cabin in Tennessee, perhaps. There he and Mary would make love under the
afternoon sun, exhausting all their strength. Later he would introduce her to
the side of him that ached for her as much as the man. Unfortunately the silver
inside his body slowed his transformation, making the transition painful and awkward.
He muffled as much of his misery as he could, not wanting her to hear it. To
his relief, she placed her head on her knees, giving him the dignity of
finishing without an audience.

She didn’t look up when he moved closer. Her terror rolled
off her in waves, the acrid smell of her fear almost more than he could stand.
He was already on the brink, more animal than human. If anything could set him
off, it would be his female’s stress.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he said softly and placed his hand
on the back of her head. The tremor that greeted him made him want to rip
something apart.

Like Elijah.

The motherfucker had gotten into Diskant’s home. Emory
didn’t know how the bastard accomplished the feat. Entering a pack’s den was a
stupid thing to do. Something people thinking on a logical level would never
even consider. Knowing that Shepherds had come here, ready to take his mate,
changed his perspective in so many ways. He’d promised Mary they’d move to
their own home, but it might take awhile. Until this shit was settled, the pack
would go under lockdown. Safety in numbers would become a rule, not a request.

The gasp that passed her lips when he inspected her shoulder
made him grind his teeth. She’d been shot. His mate had been fucking shot. The
bullet had passed cleanly through, leaving the tissue red and raw but
non-threatening. With the bloodbond she’d heal a little faster, but it had to
hurt.

Others are hurt too. Assess the situation. Find out
what’s going on.

“Mary.” He tried to talk quietly, worried he might frighten
her. “I need to check on Nathan.”

Her head flew up and she launched herself at him, wrapping
her arms around his neck, holding on tight. “Don’t leave. It’s not safe.”

“They’re gone.” Even though the sudden movement aggravated
the bullet wounds in his chest, he didn’t allow it to show. Soon—he hoped—Doc
would be back and would remove the slugs. He wanted to growl, his wolf
demanding his enemies pay with their lives. “I saw them leaving when I came
downstairs.”

“You did?” When she pulled away her eyes were wide. “You’re
sure?”

Fucking-A, he was sure. If it wasn’t for his deep-seated
need to find Mary he would have taken them down one by one, saving her uncle
for last.

Taking a deep breath, he answered, “Yes, I’m sure. The only
reason I didn’t follow them is you’re more important. I had to see you first.”

It was as if a switch were flipped, taking her from
terrified to concerned. Mary ran her hands over his chest, inspecting his
wounds, her fingers shaking. “What about you? How are you here? I saw him shoot
you. I know I did.”

“I’m fine. I’ll heal.” He grasped her wrists, stilling the
motions of her hands. “But Nathan might not.”

The door swung open and he jumped to his feet, ready to
rumble, only to see Nathan’s scowling face. Despite a thin slice at his temple
and a large patch of blood that bloomed over his shoulder, the Beta was no
worse for the wear.

“Don’t worry about me.” Nathan moved his head from side to
side, cracking his neck and wincing. He lifted his hand to his head, touching
the area that had started to mend. “The bastards just nicked me. I’ve had
worse.”

“Worse? There’s worse than this? What are you, shifters or
supermen?” Mary asked with a strangled giggle. The sound sent chills along
Emory’s spine, warning him she was close to losing what control she had left.
She’d endured so much only to face this. No wonder she was finally cracking
under the pressure.

The red cloud hanging over him only worsened. Until he knew
what was taking place outside, he couldn’t secure a location for Mary and spend
the time necessary to rebuild the trust her family had just fucking destroyed.

“Oh shit. Oscar,” Nathan said sadly and kneeled in the
doorway. “Damn, this is going to break Diskant’s heart.”

Or piss him off more than he already is.

Emory reached for Mary. There was nothing he could do about
Diskant’s now-deceased pet. The poor pooch was gone. He knew it the minute he
saw the gaping hole in the dog’s chest. A shifter could survive a severe
injury—even from a gun at point-blank range—but a normal animal couldn’t. They
healed too slowly, would bleed out in seconds.

“He saved me,” she said softly, her voice heavy with new
tears. “Oscar stopped Elijah.”

“Then there aren’t enough steaks and bones waiting for him
where he’s going,” he murmured, his heart slamming inside his chest. She’d come
so close to being hurt. He’d almost failed to protect her.

Diskant’s incensed roar carried through the house and Emory
closed his eyes, fighting his wolf and its response to the Alpha’s battle cry.
He’d heard the fighting outside, known the pack had returned when he rushed
downstairs to find Mary. There would be blood—so much carnage—and retribution
after tonight’s events. Now that they had reassembled, it would become
official.

“Let me see him.” Diskant sounded as devastated as Emory
expected him to be. The Omega’d had the dog for several years, having rescued
him when he was a pup. “Good man,” Diskant whispered, voice shaking. “I’m
sorry, boy.”

Ignoring the pain from his injuries, Emory lifted Mary and
cradled her against his chest. Instead of facing the pack, she turned her head
away and closed her eyes. He walked around the desk. The pack filled in the
space behind Nathan. Emory searched for his brother’s face, hoping he would see
it, somehow knowing he wouldn’t.

“Where’s Trey?”

“He wasn’t with Ava.” Diskant appeared, carrying Ava in his
arms. Emory wasn’t sure if the male was shaking from rage or grief. “His scent
wasn’t in the building either. They took him to another location. I knew
something was off the minute we found her. Sons of bitches wanted to divert our
attention.”

“We have to find him.”

The pack growled their agreement, as ready for a fight as
Emory. The longer Shepherds had Trey, the less likely the pack was to get him
back alive. Considering what had just happened, the hourglass had been turned.
The sands were slowly dwindling to nothing.

Diskant snarled and turned. “Kinsley, you’re going to have
to call in the prides.”

Kinsley shouldered past the shifters in his path. The
Alpha’s anger was palpable, goading the shifters in the proximity, electrifying
the air. “Where do you want them?”

“I want at least one of them here so that we can search for
Trey,” Diskant said, lowering his head and gazing at Ava. “We’re going to have
to put the city on a strict watch until I decide what to do. Tell everyone it’s
best to relocate to their primary safe housing. They’ll need to establish a
guard rotation. The entire area is on lockdown.”

“Understood.” Kinsley peered over at Mary and his lips
thinned. With a stiff motion, he opened his phone and marched off.

“All of you were hurt.” Diskant didn’t ask a question, he
made a statement of fact. “What’s the damage?”

“Nothing that won’t heal.” Emory glanced down at his mate,
irritated that she’d been harmed and he hadn’t been able to prevent it. “Doc
needs to take a look at her shoulder.” Lifting his head, he hiked his chin in
Nathan’s direction. “We also need him to remove a few silver slugs out of our
asses.”

“Mine went clear through. We got lucky.” Nathan gently
rubbed his temple. “If they weren’t such lousy shots we’d all be dead.”

“They were in a hurry and they got sloppy.” Emory growled,
feeling the deep burn in his chest remind him of what a shit shot Elijah had
been. If Emory hadn’t moved when instinct took over, taking a swift plunge to
the right, the bullets would have killed him. Just a couple of inches and the
Shepherd would have nailed him in the heart.

“I’m not surprised.” Diskant looked at Mary then at Emory.
“Ava was the perfect decoy since they wanted a chance to get in the house. They
had an open window to make it in and out alive.”

“What do they want with Trey?” Emory’s snarl caused Mary to
whimper. He lowered his voice and rubbed his chin on top of her head. “Was he
just at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or is there something we don’t
know?”

“Could be he’s a shifter they’ll keep for leverage,” Nathan
mused, shaking his head. “We can’t assume they know who he is. As far as they
are aware he could have been one of the pack killed in the blast a few months
back.”

Doc moved from the pack toward Emory. “Discuss this while I
tend to your female. That bullet could have done some damage that we’re not
aware of. I won’t know until I examine her.”

“Take her to the guest bedroom in the basement and get her
comfortable,” Diskant said, shifting Ava in his arms when she moaned. “I’m
going to secure all the rooms upstairs but I don’t want them occupied until we
have guards placed at all the fire escapes. When the prides arrive we can start
trying to track down Trey.”

Two sides of Emory warred. One part of him wanted to find
his brother, the other demanded he tend to and care for his mate. Shit, this
was harder than he thought. With Mary in his life nothing was black and white
anymore. Everything existed in shades of gray.

“Lead the way,” he instructed as he walked from the office.

Doc pivoted and started the trek to the basement, creating a
path in the process. Emory followed, feeling as though he were trapped in
quicksand and sinking deeper and deeper with each passing minute. He wanted to
accept he couldn’t help his brother and matters were out of his hands but he
couldn’t. Trey was alive, and as long as he knew that he wouldn’t stop
searching for him.

As a brother, he couldn’t.

When Doc entered the guest bedroom situated at the far end
of the entertainment area, Emory quickly strode to the bed, pushing his
personal demons aside. Mary groaned. Her pain was evident when he lowered her
to the mattress, her T-shirt soaked with blood. Emory was horrified,
experiencing a profound and gut-wrenching shame.

How could he be thinking of anything but Mary when she was
injured? What kind of mated male did that make him?

“Emory.” Mary reached for his hand, her eyes full of pain.

“Right here.” He took her hand in his and kneeled beside the
bed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

And he wasn’t going anywhere. Trey was a part of the
pack—had once been the fucking Alpha of the whole shebang—and they’d do
anything to find him and bring him back safely. He had to trust them to find
his brother, leaving Trey’s fate in their capable hands. Mary was too
important. Life meant nothing without her.

She squeezed his hand when Doc informed them he’d have to
cut away the shirt and left the room to retrieve his bag. The low discussion of
the pack outside reassured him. Diskant had placed Ava on the couch, where she
was slowly coming to awareness. Diskant refused to leave her side, but he was
already issuing orders with the pack, telling them what areas to visit and
search. Hopefully the Shepherds would scatter, afraid to remain where they were
after the upheaval they’d caused. If so, they might slip up or leave Trey
behind.

Fuck, he wanted to believe that. Shepherds gone. The city
safe for his mate. His brother back and in fighting form.

“I need to tell you something.”

Emory moved closer to Mary, resting his waist on the edge of
the bed. “I’m listening.”

She started to talk and stopped. “I told them about the
map,” she finally said, her eyes darting away from his, as if she was afraid
he’d take the news badly. “I didn’t want to, but I thought it might buy time.”

Shit.
“That’s why you were in the office?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“It’s going to be all right.” It was an automatic response,
a way to settle his mate, but he wasn’t sure if he was telling her the truth.
“I said I wasn’t leaving and I meant it. I just need to step outside before Doc
gets back and talk to the pack.”

She still wouldn’t meet his gaze, staring across the room.
“I understand.”

“Mary.” He let go of her hand, caught her chin between his
fingers and forced her to look at him. Huge mistake. Her eyes were red-rimmed
and full of fresh tears. “You did the right thing,” he said, wanting to say
something to ease her fears despite his inability to. “If you didn’t stall, I
might not have made it to you in time.”

Whether she believed him or not was open to debate. She
didn’t resist when he pulled away, but he did feel the weight of her stare as
he stood and walked toward the door. Talk about mucking up the plan. If Elijah
knew about the map, Shepherds would be on the move the moment he shared the
information he’d uncovered. The packs Nathan contacted had to know the clock
was ticking, otherwise their advantage wouldn’t mean squat.

Calm down, they’ll make time. This is important.

At least, that was the hope.

Chapter Sixteen

“There.” Leigh shifted in the front seat of Sadie’s Camaro,
rubbing the jacket in her hand and pointing to a large warehouse across the
street. Sadie couldn’t help but stare at her passenger. Leigh wasn’t as pale,
having taken a small amount of blood from a random stranger outside their home,
but she still didn’t look good. The girl needed sustenance, far more than the
swallow or two she allowed herself.

Now is not the time. Focus.

Drawing a deep breath, she stared at the building. “Are you
certain?”

“Positive. The connection is strong. He’s here.”

Sadie stared at the men out front, counting their numbers:
three total. Not difficult to take out. But there would be more inside. How
many, she couldn’t say. Apparently there were Shepherds in the area she hadn’t
accounted for. Disposing of the guards wouldn’t be the problem, keeping them
quiet would. If they managed to scream or call out they’d warn the others a
threat was in the area.

“You’ll need to use a glamour,” Sadie said, glancing at
Leigh, who was wriggling uncomfortably. “We can’t let them see our true faces.
It’s too dangerous.”

“I’ve only done a glamour a few times,” Leigh confessed
nervously. “What if I mess up?”

Newbie nerves, there was nothing quite like them. “You’ll be
fine. If you solidify the image in your mind and focus on the magic, it’ll
hold. No worries.”

“Easy for you to say.” Leigh sighed and reached for the sun
visor above her head. A light came on, allowing the vampire to see her face.
Unlike most legends depicted, vampires could see their reflections. A good
fucking thing. Otherwise the coven would look mighty unappealing when they went
on the town in search of a meal. “Here goes nothing.”

The shift in Leigh’s face was slow but her hair color
quickly went from mahogany to blonde. Sadie bit back a grin when Leigh’s nose
shifted, her full lips became thin and her eyes changed from blue to brown.
When she finished and looked at Sadie, Sadie gave her a smile instead of a fist
pump. No need to make more of the situation. Leigh had to learn to appreciate
her abilities and accept them.

“My turn,” Sadie murmured.

Years of practice meant she didn’t need a mirror. She called
on her magic, imagining herself with a long face, dark hair and brown eyes. She
felt the energy washing over her, changing her features. She knew when the
spell was completed, the tingle of electricity fading away.

“Are you sure we can do this?” Leigh squirmed in her seat,
suddenly restless.

“Absolutely.”

Leigh stopped moving, looked at her and grinned. “Then tell
me what you want me to do.”

Sadie adjusted the weapons under her arms, nodding when she
found everything was as it should be. “I want you to approach them. Appear
confused and nervous, like you’ve lost your way. While they’re distracted I’m
going to phase behind them and take them out. We’ll have to move their bodies
to the alley before we go inside.”

“Then what?” Leigh sounded excited. When Sadie peered over
she discovered the young woman looked eager as well.

Thank Goddess
. Excitement trumped fear any day.

“I’m not sure.” That was the problem. She didn’t know
precisely what they were dealing with. “Make sure you’re veiled. I’ll do the
same. We have to move quietly and efficiently. The longer we remain inside the
higher the risk. I want you to stay hidden. If things get out of hand you’ll
need to phase home and tell the coven what’s happened.”

“You want me to leave you here?” Leigh looked and sounded
appalled.

“I want you to warn the coven. They’ll need to know. If
something happens to me they’ll have to take over my duties.”

“You’re willing to risk your life for him?”

Leigh’s innocent question made Sadie squirm. Vampires didn’t
fall in love with shifters. Yet here she was, ready to put her life on the
line. Once word of her misadventures spread through the coven, she’d probably
lose her importance. They’d remove her from duty, keeping her in their home
only because they needed her physical prowess to protect them.

Isn’t that the rub of it
? The coven was powerful
magically but most of the females were weak fighters, resorting to hair pulling
or open-hand slapping when they had to defend themselves.

Sissies.

“If I have to,” she confessed, the words softer than she
intended, putting it all in the open. Surprisingly, it felt good to say it
aloud and come out of the closet. “I won’t leave him here.”

“I understand.” The young vampire ducked her head. “I was in
love before I was changed. I didn’t want to leave him behind but I didn’t have
a choice. If you have the chance to be happy, you should take it.”

Sadie frowned and looked at the fragile young woman next to
her. No wonder she kept to herself, with an infinite sadness about her. “You
never mentioned that.”

Leigh shrugged, although Sadie could tell the memory pained
her. “It was out of my hands. Dwelling on what might have been won’t change
things.”

“I’m sorry.” The words were sincere but they fell short,
Sadie knew. Leigh was right. Unless she changed the human she loved, they could
never be together. And since Leigh experienced only the worst parts of the
transition from mortal to vampire—the bloodlust, the sexual drive and the magic
that came along with it—Sadie was sure the young woman didn’t want to place the
same burden on someone she cared for.

Leigh looked out the window, ending the conversation in her
usual quiet way. Again Sadie was reminded of the horrible way the girl was
transitioned, of her lack of choice. It had been nothing short of rape. In
fact, some of the coven whispered that perhaps Leigh had been assaulted in that
way but kept the truth to herself. No one blamed her.

Sadie reached for the handle on the door. “Are you ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Leigh nodded and opened her door.

They exited the car quietly. After Sadie collected her sword
and slid it into the sheath at her back, she immediately veiled herself. The
car was parked far enough away that the men didn’t see them coming. A few of
the Shepherds she recognized—the men who tried to blend in with baseball caps,
blue jeans and sneakers. True to her word, Leigh approached them like a
terrified girl, wringing her hands and glancing from side to side. When the men
noticed her, they reached under their jackets for their weapons.

Please let them go for this
, Sadie thought to
herself.
So much is riding on this first part.

One of the men stepped forward. “Stop right there.”

Leigh did, her face revealing her fear. She hunched her
shoulders, biting her lip, and kept her hands in front of her. Her small
stature made her appear almost childlike. “I’m really sorry to bother you. I’m
hoping you could help me.”

The man hesitated and slowly removed his hand from his
jacket. “What’s the problem, ma’am?”

“I’m visiting the area for a research project and I’m
totally lost.” She looked around, moving cautiously as she glanced at the three
men. She laughed, sounding anxious. “That was probably a stupid thing to tell
you, right? I just want to get back to my motel.”

And as simple as that, the men were ooey gooey in her hands.
They dropped their arms and moved closer.

Morons.

“What motel?”

As soon as one of the men spoke, Sadie phased behind the one
to her right. There was no time to go for her sword. They’d have to go the
old-fashioned way. She broke the first one’s neck before he knew what hit him.
The second was disposed of just as quickly. The third, realizing he’d been
duped, tried to scream for help. Sadie had rushed for him, knowing he’d get out
a warning, when Leigh lifted her arm and whispered something.

Power surged through the air, hitting Sadie like a sucker
punch. She’d known Leigh was strong with certain things—like locating someone
using an object that belonged to them—but she was stunned to discover just how
much power the fledgling vampire had kept hidden from the coven.

“
As I will it, so it shall be
,” Leigh said, the words
backed by strong magic. “
Do not speak.
”

The man tried to scream but nothing came out. Collecting
herself, Sadie stepped behind him, grabbed hold of his neck and broke it with a
quick snap. He collapsed, falling face down on the pavement. She turned on
Leigh, suspicious of what other things the tiny girl had kept hidden.

“Where did you learn that?”

“Good question.” Leigh dodged the question, waving her hand
at the men on the ground. “Don’t we need to move them?”

“This conversation isn’t over,” she said and grasped the
arms of two of the men, ready to drag them to the alley. “You can’t hide power
like that. The coven needs to know.”

“The coven knows enough,” Leigh snapped, taking Sadie by
surprise once again, and grabbed the arm of the last man. She followed Sadie
into the darkness without another word, her lips pressed together. They rested
the Shepherds on top of each other, piling them next to the building in an area
that was so dark they wouldn’t be seen.

Three down. How many more to go?

“What now?” Leigh shivered and wrapped her arms around
herself. There was no more anger, no more fight—no more excitement.

Sadie studied her comrade, taking in her posture. There was
no defiance either. Perhaps Leigh wasn’t fully aware of the power she had. It
would make sense. She’d endured so much in the last year, and she made it clear
that learning about her gifts wasn’t a priority. While she could dip into
Leigh’s head if she wanted, the coven had a strict rule against it. Privacy was
something they all valued and respected.

“If you want, you can leave,” Sadie said slowly, reading
Leigh’s body language, watching for clues. The girl had already done enough.
She’d found Trey, which was more than Sadie could possibly ask for.

“I’m fine.” Leigh dropped her arms and shook her shoulders,
as though she was washing away her involvement in killing a man. “Tell me what
to do.”

“We’re going to phase to the fire escape on the top floor
and work our way down. Keep your veil in place when we get inside. I’m not sure
how many of them we’ll be dealing with.”

“Okay.”

It only took a second for them to teleport to the fire
escape Sadie motioned to. Sadie looked inside the window, saw the coast was
clear and phased inside the building. Once there she listened, homing her
hearing and listening for sounds that might guide her to Trey. Leigh appeared
beside her.

“He’s below us,” Leigh whispered. “If this place has a
basement, I’d wager he’s there.”

“Then stay close.” Sadie drew her sword, making sure her
veil was rock solid. “Remember what I told you. If things go wrong, don’t stick
around. Your responsibility is to the coven.”

“Okay.” Leigh’s hushed response came from behind her and
Sadie knew the vampire had veiled herself. They were as ready as they were
going to be.

There were a couple of guards along the way, posted at
windows. Sadie took them out before they saw what was coming, grateful that
Leigh had the foresight to catch each one and lower them to the ground. Down
they went, floor by floor. The structure was one that had to have been used as
a business once, perhaps a clothing manufacturer of some sort. Basements
weren’t always typical in older buildings but this one definitely had one.

When they came to the ground level, Sadie heard voices. “
It’s
time
.” She communicated to Leigh telepathically. “
Remember what I told
you
.”

When they rounded the corner, Sadie hesitated. There were
five of them, all carrying weapons. Her veil wouldn’t hold for long after she
engaged them. Perhaps she could take down three before they could see her.

“
We should seek help from the coven
,” Leigh whispered
in her mind. “
There are so many of them
.”

“
We can’t.”
Sadie wanted to scream at that fact. Her
sisters-in-magic wouldn’t come to the aid of a shifter. They’d likely laugh in
her face. “
If something happens, get out of here, Leigh. That’s not a
request
.”

Left with no other choice, Sadie advanced and clenched her
fingers around the hilt of her sword. The first two Shepherds went down fast,
her blade sliding easily through the flesh and bone of their necks, separating
their heads from their bodies. However, when the Shepherds pulled out their
guns and one of them accidentally bumped into her, her veil vanished. Three to
one? Not odds she liked but she’d faced worse. The question was how many of
them would come from the basement? Was there a miniature army down there?

Braced for what was to come, Sadie took a fighting stance
facing her opponents.

It was time to find out.

As they fired she moved, trusting her instincts and allowing
them to guide her. Despite a swift thrust into the closest man, straight into
his heart, she heard the barrage of bullets coming in her direction. The she
felt the harsh bite as they thrust past her skin, lodging in her torso. She
forced aside the pain, going for the next in line. Another clean strike removed
the head of the man but during her attack she was shot again, then again.

Goddess help me.

Pivoting on her heel, she spun around. Heavy stomping came
from the stairwell behind the door the men were protecting.

Trey was down there. Waiting for her.

Mustering up as much strength as she could, she went for her
last target. He was equally adept at combat, crashing into her body and sending
them to the ground as her sword slipped from her fingers. She balled her fist
and punched him in the nose. Blood gushed, pouring to his mouth. The bloodlust
rose, the darker side of her coming to life. In normal situations she’d never
rely on the vampire, trusting her sword far more, but beggars couldn’t be
choosers and she was losing a lot of blood.