Feral Craving (25 page)

“How in the hell did you all
find me?”

Tony peeked over his shoulder
and held out another black SIG and a thick hunting knife. “Mackenzie.”

Bari frowned, but inside his
heart galloped, and he rejoiced silently that she was safe. “None of you know
the area, hell, she grew up here and she hardly knew the forest. How did that
happen?”

Tony shook his head, almost
in exasperation. “You sure do ask a lot of questions during a rescue mission.
You completed the bonding with her, didn’t you? That answer your question?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tony inched open the door and paused before he
shifted to look outside.

A rush of cool, fresh air
filled the room, and Bari’s eyes fluttered closed at the smell. This was his
home. When he opened his eyes again, Tony looked back at him and nodded his
head outside. Bari nodded, got the knife ready and without a moment’s pause,
went after him into the night.

He was beyond mad, his anger
held in a quiet calm that belied how he felt toward the enemies surrounding
them. His team moved as one through the camp and more than once they
encountered resistance trying to get out. Their stealth worked in their favor
though, as Bari suspected many more demons lurked nearby. As he rounded another
corner, working their way through the camp with a scattering of small cabins
throughout, he dropped into a crouch, springing from it with the knife in hand.
He executed each strike with precision, the blade slicing through flesh and
cartilage as he fought for escape. He was coated in their blood as he wiped the
blade on his pants and moved out into the safety of the tree line, then headed
toward the river’s bend. At the safety of the cliffs down along the bank of the
river, water flowed smoothly, swollen with rain water as it shifted and turned
toward the ocean. He took in a deep breath and swept the horizon, knowing he
had miles to go and a short time to cover them. He was glad Mackenzie never had
to bear witness to the monumental amount of destruction he could wreak.

They arrived back at the
house after a few hours, the remainder of his trip long and strenuous
physically due to the terrain, but otherwise uneventful. Pressing inside, the
acrid tang of smoke filled his lungs, a smoky haze curling from the fireplace.
The door swung open with a loud creak of the hinges, his footfalls sounding off
the wooden floor as he made his way inside. He sat heavily on the blue couch as
his mind went to work processing everything that just happened.

Shoving both hands through
his hair, Bari placed his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his palms.
Bari fought his body’s reaction to go find Mackenzie. Hell, he didn’t even try
to reach out to her. She had been through so much and still, he didn’t know how
she was going to react now that they were back in Nantucket. The whole
incident, combined with the reunion with his father, almost overwhelmed him. He
had to go after her. Everything in him screamed for him to find her. His stood
and walked around the room, avoiding his team’s gaze as they sat silently
around the room. The casual walk through the front room was deceiving to the
utter chaos going on beneath his skin, in his mind and heart.

A creak sounded just outside
the door, and Bari stilled, his body becoming statuesque, each hard line of it
unmoving as a scent assaulted him, one so memorized and familiar that his heart
hammered in his chest with dread. Power licked along his skin, and he braced
himself for what came next.

Soft, hushed voices, muted in
a series of whispered exchanges had his ears straining. Normally, he could have
picked up even the lowest voice, but for some reason his heart thundered in his
head, and he almost wanted to shout through the door, just to kill the tension
riding the air in waves.

Bari’s jaw clenched shut
tightly as the door opened and Byron and Mackenzie filled the view. She
appeared so battered and weak, and he lunged, raw fury unleashing from his
throat in a primal growl as he crossed the room.

****

Mackenzie saw the look of
intent in his eyes at the same time her heart clenched and her soul screamed
out with joy. When he had been taken, she didn’t know if she would ever see him
again and now, she thought him to be the most beautiful sight she had ever
seen. His dark hair swung back in the wind, the length brushing over his ears
when he was standing still. His normally blue eyes contrasted with white-hot
rage, which screamed through them. He took two more long steps before crushing
her to his chest. Her body cried out in pain just as someone let off a shout of
warning, but she wrapped her own arms around Bari, ignoring his stiffening
posture, and breathed him in. She wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone how
long she stayed there like that, her face pressed into his chest, her mind
centered on nothing but the feel of Bari whole and free standing before her,
holding her with gentle hands. It had taken her name being called a few times
before she realized those hands roamed over her body, looking for any injuries,
all of which were hidden under layers of clothing.

Suddenly she felt so tired,
she really didn’t want to move, and instead as her energy drained, her
adrenaline leveled off, and pain crept up in her veins. Bari gathered her in
his arms and lifted, turning to stroll into the house.

“You both are staying here
for a while; at least until we know what’s happening. Byron, I need you to help
me out with a few things while I get your Mom to sleep, alright?”

“Sure thing, Dad.”

She felt Bari’s steps falter,
and he froze, almost in the process of heading up the stairs. His body shifted,
and she looked up to watch the wonder cross his face. After a few moments, the
most subtle of smiles curved his lips, and Mackenzie couldn’t help but to let
out a sigh of relief.

He nodded behind her head and
then bound up the steps and entered his room, kicking the door shut behind him
and then setting her on the bed. She fell back immediately and rolled to the
side, curling a hand around her stomach. Bari kneeled before her, leaned into
her face, voice full of concern. “Mac, tell me what’s wrong.”

She shook her head and pushed
herself up from the bed, her body protesting the movement before her legs slid
over the side. “No, I’m fine. I just need to shower and then sleep.” She stood
on wobbly legs and avoided looking at Bari as she walked toward the bathroom,
her legs so shaky and weak that she weaved through the path. Distantly she
heard Bari curse under his breath, the sound harsh and ugly, but she paid no
mind as the only thing she could focus on was getting to the bathroom without
falling on her face.

Stepping inside, she turned,
her entire body supported by the hold she had on the handle, and closed the
door. It shut softly before she laid her back to it and just concentrated on
breathing. As the pain pushed down, her eyes glanced around at the small, clean
and tidy space. A toilet sat against the opposite wall and a sink to her left
with a ton of counter space.

Her head turned to the right,
where a large curved shower occupied the space, sending out waves of comfort
her body screamed for. She pushed off the wall and bent to turn on the spigot,
wanting the water as hot as possible. Next, she rose and began to remove her
clothing. It was a long process as with each movement brought a new wave of
pain to her body. Her boots came off and were set beneath the counter, and then
her pants followed before she shucked the sweatshirt covering the worst of her
body’s blows. Turning toward the mirror, her eyes studied the markings on her
body, lacerations and big ugly purple bruises. She realized if she turned
around and looked at her back, it would show many of the same marks, worse if
she included the visual of her old scars. Her head tilted down, and she closed
her eyes as she heard the door opening. Her eyes snapped up to meet Bari’s gaze
reflected in the mirror. Rage and raw fury crossed his face as his eyes took in
each marking covering her body as if he was planning on just how he was going
to pay back those responsible as well as trying to figure out how each had
occurred.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The doorknob broke off in
Bari’s hands from the force he exerted on it as he took in each and every mar
to Mackenzie’s skin. She wasn’t like him, wasn’t of his race and didn’t have
the strength he did to keep up with battles and beatings. He knew the rumblings
that filled the room were from him, and yet he couldn’t stop the strangled
sounds pushing out of his throat. He tossed the doorknob to the floor and
crossed the room as he pointed to the tub. “In. Now.” He was unable to form a
full sentence and was glad Mackenzie did not pick this time to stand her ground
but acquiesced and entered the water slowly.

It was like watching her move
in slow motion as she settled herself. He let her catch her breath as the
heated water lapped over her skin before he dipped the wash rag into the water
and soaped it up. He dabbed the cloth around her face, removing traces of dirt
but revealing bruises hidden beneath. Working down the arm closest to him, he
held her slender wrist in his palm as he washed the length as carefully as he
could. Her flinches and low moans when he swept over too tender an area made
him blood thirsty, more than ever before. He had every intention of spilling
the blood of each and every individual involved, his eyes memorizing every
scrape and each bruise present. Finishing her other arm, he helped her to a
kneeling position, her eyes resigned to his help as she stared down into the
water and allowed him to begin cleansing her torso. Finished with her body, he
began on her hair, unbraiding the tangled mass and lathering it up with
shampoo. He worked his fingers through the soaped strands, mindful of the
tender spots on her scalp before he rinsed it clean. “Lie back for a bit,
Angel.” He rose, her eyelids lowering as he left to ready the towel and bed.

He took his time, but he
didn’t want her water to cool, so he quickly grabbed the towel and went back into
the bathroom. She barely stirred until he pulled the plug on the tub, the water
noisily getting sucked down the drain. Her eyes cracked open, weariness clearly
reflected on her features, and balefully stared at him. Carefully helping her
upright, he dried her as lightly as he could before escorting her to the
bedroom and putting her into the bed. He left the towel around her and climbed
in beside her, trying not to jostle her but needing the contact.

She turned her body toward
him, and a soft sigh escaped from her mouth as he pulled her closer, tucking
her head into his neck. He breathed in the scent of Mackenzie, felt the comfort
only she could provide, and felt her body relax, heard her breathing grow
steady as sleep claimed her.

Hours later, she shifted and
immediately went rigid. Still awake, taking comfort with her safe in his arms,
he waited for her to fall back asleep. She needed rest and as much as he wanted
to retrace her body again, ensure she was healing, he refused to deny her
sleep. She stretched her legs and moved gingerly against him. He shifted, and
she turned her head up, glancing to watch as he rolled to his back.

Her eyes grew soft, and he
tenderly brushed a tendril of hair back, letting his fingers linger on her
cheek. She moved in slow motion and came up on one arm then leaned down to
press her lips to his. She lingered there, brushing her softness against his
mouth, and he let her lead, availed himself to her ministrations. Her mouth was
soft, silky and warm.

Lifting a hand, she drew the
towel to her chest, holding it in place as she shifted and pulled her face up
to look down at him. As her eyes lifted to his, he watched her, concern still
worrying him. She moved her hand up and rubbed between his brows, soothing away
the skin and tension. “Hey you…”

He searched green eyes cast
down on his, looking for the searing pain he saw before. She wasn’t one hundred
percent, but there was a noticeable difference, and he was thankful for that.
He reveled in her touch, in having her next to him, and reached up to still her
hand as she petted his face, traced his jaw, and pressed a kiss to her palm
before reaching up to cup her neck and pull her down to meet his lips.

Blood pounded in his ears as
his firm lips brushed against her softer, pillowy ones. He wasn’t rushed, but
content in re-familiarizing himself to each inch of her. Stroking his tongue
against the seam of her lips, she parted her mouth, allowing him access, giving
him the chance to taste her fully. Between her scent filling his lungs, and the
taste of her, he thought he might explode but refused to rush. The kiss was
long and deep, a tangling of tongues that was a perfect image for the twining
of two souls, and he recognized the completeness in his soul only Mackenzie
could offer.

Bari’s hand traced down her
collarbone then back up to frame her face as he continued to plunder and
explore her mouth with his own. He felt her shift, her legs rubbing against one
another, the action making him crave putting his hand there, to put his head between
them and taste her. He hooked a finger into the front of the towel and tugged,
hoping she would loosen her arms and allow the barrier to slip away.

Her mouth parted in the
middle of their kiss as his hand lay on her skin. He felt it too, that spark of
electricity running through them both whenever they touched. She lifted an arm,
and he pulled the towel from her body, then tossed it aside. His mouth broke
off from hers as she leaned over and watched him. He pulled his gaze from hers,
and then tilted his head to take in her exposed body. A slight groan along with
a small growl broke from his lips at the sight of her, bruises and healing cuts
still displayed across her skin. She reached over to where he tossed the towel,
and he grabbed her shoulder, pushed slightly and rolled their bodies until he
lay on top.