Rise of the Fallen (20 page)

It didn't take him long to pack. He just needed an extra
change of clothes, his toothbrush, soap, deodorant, socks, and underwear. Oh,
and proof that Sam was his wife, of course. He could buy anything else he
needed when he got there, but he wasn't planning on staying more than a few
hours – just long enough to retrieve his wife from the hospital and get her
back to the airport for the late flight home. As he grabbed his leather coat
from the back of the easy chair by the window, his email pinged.

He rushed to his desk and printed David's email then
forwarded it to his phone before grabbing his keys and his bag. With one final
glance around the room, he shut off all the lights, locked up, got in his BMW,
and drove to the airport. While he was driving, he called the hospital where he
worked and told them he had a family emergency and wouldn't be in for a few
days. Hell yeah, family emergency. He was going to get his wife back.

Traceon had never seen Micah like this. He cradled and
rocked Sam with a tenderness so unlike anything he had ever associated with the
male that he didn't quite know how to react.

"How is she?" he asked, jerking the steering wheel
to the left, careening them down a side street toward the compound.

"I can't tell," Micah said then cleared his throat
around emotional gravel.

Trace heard the heartbreak bend Micah's voice, cracking it
between his words. He hoped Sam didn't die. This soon after Jackson, Micah
wouldn't survive it, and Trace didn't want to lose Micah now that he was making
progress with him after years of wondering how to break through that shell of
his.

"She'll make it," he said.

The buildings were a blur as he sped down the final stretch
of road to AKM. They had medics who could monitor her and see her through the
change if she faltered or her body tried to reject Micah's venom.

He shot a quick glance at Micah, but the guy's face was
turned away, his cheek pressed against Sam's as he continued rocking her, but
the scent of tears told him the male was crying.

AKM appeared just ahead and Trace slowed only enough not to
flip the SUV as he turned into the parking lot and raced around to the back.
After screeching to a stop in his assigned space, Trace jumped out and rushed
around to help Micah, even though he doubted the guy needed it. Still, Micah
wasn't himself right now.

They hurried toward the back entrance, Micah practically
running him over.

"Get the door," Micah said as he wiped his face
and scowled.

Trace passed his key card over the reader and jerked the
door open then dodged aside as Micah rushed past him.

"Move!" Traceon yelled at the gawkers who stood in
the way. "Medic! We need a medic!"

Tristan bolted out of his office at the uproar, his eyes
opening wide. Appalled disbelief filled his expression when he saw the human –
well, not quite human, anymore – in Micah's arms.

"What the fuck is this?"

Micah ignored him, but Trace paused long enough to say,
"Not now, Tris. Just alert medical: Human bitten by a dreck. Micah gave
her his venom. NOW, Tristan!" He wasn't going to let Micah lose his mate.
Not on his watch.

Taking off after Micah again, he ignored the members of
their team as they rushed out and watched in horror as Micah kicked the doors
to medical open and hurried Sam inside.

Arion grabbed Trace's arm as he turned to follow him in.
"What the hell is he doing? Bringing a human in here?"

"Back off, Ari." Trace glanced between him and
Severin, who joined them in the hall and pulled up beside Arion like he was his
protector.

"He's gone too far this time, Trace. This is
inexcusable."

"She's his goddamn mate, Ari! You got that! And she's
not human, anymore. Not technically."

Arion swayed, stunned. "Fuck!"

"Yeah, so drop it." Trace started to turn away,
but Ari stopped him.

"Are you saying he—"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying."

The color drained from Arion's face and Severin shook his
head. "What a meathead."

"No, she was bitten by a dreck. He had no choice."

"Sure he did," Ari said. "He shouldn't have
been fucking around with her to begin with, and she never would have been in
danger. He should know better than to pull shit like this."

Trace felt his blood heat. "Oh, and you would know
about mates, right Arion? When were you ever mated, asshole?" Arion had
never taken a mate. All the females he'd had and not a one had fired his
biology to take as a mate. "Until you know what you're talking about, why
don't you shut the fuck up."

Severin bristled by Ari's side and looked like he was about
to slug Trace.

"You can just check that, Hero." Trace warned him
with a glance that begged Sev to try. Trace had already been through enough
tonight and wasn't in the mood for anymore shit.

Tristan and Malek ran around the corner.

"Okay, someone tell me what happened," Tristan
said.

Ari scoffed. "Wonder stud vigilante in there," he
flung his arm toward medical, "gave his venom to a human."

"WHAT?!" Tristan slingshot his gaze toward Trace.
"Care to elaborate?"

"As I told Ari, she's his mate. A dreck bit her."
He threw Ari a malicious you're-such-a-dick glance as Io showed up to get in on
the action. "What would you have done if it had been your mate, Tristan?
Would you have let her die?"

Painful memories flashed over Malek's face as he stood to
the side. He had never spoken of what had happened to his mate or how she had
died, but Trace realized that what was going on here was hitting his comrade
too close to home.

Just then Micah came out into the hall, and Trace could
sense the dread and sorrow wafting from him like sewage.

"Is she…?" Trace couldn't finish the question,
fearing the answer.

"She's alive. For now. They wanted me out so they could
tend to her."

Ari shook his head and started in. "You asshole! You
think you're above everyone else. That the rules don't apply to you. Well, look
what you—"

What happened next happened so fast Trace couldn't track it.
One second Ari was pointing his finger at Micah, and the next Micah's fist was
around his throat and Ari was flat-backed against the wall, a foot off the
floor as Micah released a shriek so agonizing and feral it even terrified
Trace. Was Micah even in there or had he become something else all of a sudden?

Ari flew through the air and landed on the shiny tile,
sliding several feet before Micah jumped on him, cracking his fist against the
guy's face as the rest of them surged forward and tried to pull him off. Io and
Sev each landed punches to Micah's torso before Trace could get hold of him and
pull him back. Io and Severin came at them both, fists cocked.

"Get back!" Trace's voice dropped low and deep,
echoing in his throat with deadly malice as he raised his hand, fingers
splayed. He was ready to ice his own teammates to protect Micah. "I've got
him. He's
my
charge." Warnings flashed from his eyes to the others.
"I'm his guardian, now back the fuck off! NOW!"

Tristan and Malek stepped warily in the middle and pushed Io
and Sev back as Trace pulled Micah away from them like a lion with its cub,
keeping him safe from danger. Only when he was a safe distance did he wrap his
arms around Micah and shroud him in warmth, trying to soothe him through
compulsion. It worked only so much, but it was enough to bring Micah back into
himself and calm him down.

"I've got you Micah," Trace said. "You're
okay, but Sam needs you. Stay strong for Sam, you hear me? Don't you go crazy
vampire on me, you got that? I'm the one with mutant potential here, not you.
Do you hear me? You got that, Micah?"

Mutant. It's what they called mixed-breeds who went rogue.
Rogues were day walkers like Trace who fell prey to their powers. Their powers literally
took them over and changed them into something else entirely. The official term
was rogue. The unofficial slang was mutant. But no matter what they called
them, mutants were the deadliest beings imaginable, even worse than the drecks.

Micah panted, growling with every breath, but he finally
nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I've got it. Get the fuck off me."

Trace released him and Micah pushed his hand through his
hair, shoving it off his face as he shot a glaring eyeful of this-isn't-over
toward Arion.

Meanwhile, Severin helped Arion up and shielded him against
the far wall, throwing one arm across Ari's chest as he glared back at Micah
over his shoulder. Io hovered nearby, bristling for more shit to fly, while
Malek stood in the middle to serve as a roadblock.

Tristan sighed heavily, his face down. Then he shook his
head and shot a glare of his own at Micah. "Take care of your mate, Micah,
but after this is over, you and I are going to have a long talk. Do not test me
on this, you got me?"

Micah glowered at Tristan. "Whatever."

"Yes or no, Micah. Not whatever. This shit has to
stop."

Micah turned away without answering, obstinate to the last.

"Yes or no!?" Tristan got right in Micah's face,
his bluegreen eyes flashing.

"Fuck! Yes, asshole!"

Trace stepped in and pulled Micah back. "Calm down,
Micah." He turned toward Tristan. "Not now, Tris. Okay? Not
now."

Tristan fumed but backed off then turned toward Arion, whose
lip was bleeding. He had bruises forming around both eyes. "You
okay?"

Vampires were tougher than humans, their bodies able to
withstand a lot more punishment. Still, it didn't make the pain any better, or
the contusions.

Ari nodded, touching his lip. "Yeah. I'm cool."
The unspoken
prick
shot from his eyes in Micah's direction. Micah
flipped him off.

"Okay, go home and take care of that," Tristan
said, motioning him to head out. "Sev, why don't you go with him? I don't
want Ari driving with his eyes swelling up like that."

Severin pulled away and nodded then followed Ari down the
hall, their booted feet thunking heavily as they took it slow. Ari's noggin had
to be throbbing from Micah's fist action. Io tagged along, giving his best
friend a shoulder chuck before turning down a side hall that headed back toward
the data center.

Tristan ushered Malek to go with him and they headed back
toward Tristan's office.

Which left Micah and Trace alone in the hall.

The doors opened and a medic popped out as if she'd been
waiting for the commotion to die down. "She's going to be fine, Micah.
She's already adjusting. Thought you'd want to know. Give us a few minutes to
move her to a room and we'll take you to her." The medic disappeared and
Trace clapped his hand on Micah's shoulder.

"You hear that, brother?" Trace winced,
remembering that Micah didn't want him calling him that. "I'm sorry—"

"No, it's okay," Micah said. "I think you
earned your stripes tonight. I think we're brothers after this, don't you? You
saved my chops tonight."

Trace wiped the pleased grin from his face as quickly as it
appeared. "Sam's a good influence on you," he said.

"You think?" Micah turned and smiled at him. The
first genuine smile he had seen from the guy in, well…ever.

"Yeah. I do, brother. I really do."

Severin pulled into Arion's driveway and parked, hitting the
brake as gently as possible. Arion had spent the drive with his head resting
back against the passenger seat and his eyes closed, obviously feeling like a
hammered nail.

"You okay?" Sev asked, keeping his voice quiet.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine." Ari held a towel to
his lip, which had finally stopped bleeding about five minutes ago, but the
scent of Ari's blood still filled the car. It made Sev's mouth water.

"I'll see you in." Sev got out and went around to
the passenger door and stood back as Ari swung it open and slowly climbed out.

"Damn, Micah's a strong fucker." Ari groaned as he
stood up and stretched his shoulder with a grimace.

"What's wrong?" Sev asked.

"He just slammed me damn hard into that wall. My
shoulder hurts like hell."

"Come on, I'll get you inside and take a look at
it."

He locked up the car out of habit and followed Ari to the
door and waited for him to unlock it as his eyes scanned up and down the
residential street as if drecks would jump out and attack them any second.
Severin had spent his life fighting. It didn't matter whether the war was human
or vampire, Sev had found himself in the thick of it, testing the limits of his
mixed-blood powers to keep him alive. He had made a lot of enemies along the
way, too, so he never knew when one would leap from the shadows. The
possibility kept him on his toes 24/7.

"You coming?"

Sev turned and saw that Ari was holding the door for him.
"Yeah, sure."

Ari closed the door behind him and flipped on a lamp then
walked toward the kitchen, shirking his coat along the way. His T-shirt hugged
his thick arms and broad back like a second skin, his tattooed arm swinging at
his side as he trudged to the kitchen.

"You want something to drink?"

Sev brushed his long hair back as he sat down on a barstool.
"Water's fine."

Ari grabbed him a bottle from the fridge and set it in front
of him as he tossed the bloody towel in the trash.

"How does it look?" Ari said, standing on the
other side of the counter and leaning toward him before cracking the lid off
his own bottle of water with a wince. Apparently, that shoulder was bothering
him pretty badly.

Sev's gaze fell to his lips and the tiny cut he just wanted
to lick.

"Like you got beat up." Sev shrugged and tried to
act nonchalant. "Actually, you look good for a male whose face just
impersonated a punching bag.