Talons (15 page)

He was designated her go-too person
now. His abandonment this morning was curious considering he'd not
left her side since they arrived. A smile curved her lips thinking
of his more than obvious interest in her.

She was glad she wasn’t the only one
crushing. The look in his golden eyes told her he felt the same for
her, but he didn’t act on it. Ty kept her at a distance now, but
she was determined to wear him down. The way she saw it, she was on
the fast track to becoming one of them. She might as well act upon
her instincts.

Vivvie’s instincts about Ty were
unmistakable and despite his assurances he played the field, a tiny
part of her told herself she could change his mind. Warnings went
off in her head but she ignored them. She never felt such a
powerful connection with a guy, even Kevin.

Common sense told her it was just her
latching onto the only friendly face here, but it was more than
that. She wanted to know about Ty, everything he refused to speak
of. He would tell her nothing of himself. He gave her a breakdown
of what she was, what to expect, but nothing personal about him.
She knew he did it to keep some level of professionalism which was
laughable considering they were animals.

Vivvie stopped at her door, aware it
was slightly ajar now. A frown crossed her forehead. She could have
sworn she secured it when she went to breakfast. She stepped inside
and shut the door.

Before she took two steps inside, she
smelled him. By then he pinned to the wall, his yellow green eyes
filled with amusement as he clamped a hand over her mouth to keep
her from screaming.

“
Hello there, Vivvie,” Ryken
said softly as he shoved her against the wall. “Are you ready to
come off some of that pussy yet?”

Vivvie struggled desperately to get
away. Ryken laughed, his handsome face filled with mockery. His
hand reached down and stroked her cheek.

“
You’re still sore at me for
what happened back in Florida, aren’t you?” Ryken asked as his body
pressed into hers deliberately. “If you didn't run off with Ty, you
would have known how much you were on my mind then, Vivvie. You
could say we have a special connection.”

Vivvie stared up at him in fear as he
continued to press her into the wall. Her mind was racing at how to
get away from him. She knew from Ty until she made the full change,
she would die like any other human.

Was she to anger him now, he could snap
her neck with a flick of his wrist. He had an Alpha’s strength,
combined with obvious insanity if he thought to come into the
compound after her. Where was everyone? The compound looked
deserted at a time when it was usually crawling with warriors,
women, and children.

“
Dean is waiting for me in
the service elevators keeping watch,” Ryken said as he touched her
cheek. “I’m sorry I have to start out our life together with
domestic violence, but I can’t have you screaming and bringing Ty
to your rescue.”

Before Vivvie knew what he intended, he
was squeezing her around the throat. She choked and kicked against
the wall as her breathing was cut off. Her vision blurred as she
felt herself falling unconscious and then everything went
black.

Ryken hoisted her into his arms and
left the room. He carried her through the empty halls, nose perked
to the elders. He watched them leave before his spy let him in the
service elevator.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief when he
arrived with Vivvie slung in his arms. “Can we get out of here now?
My grandpa isn’t far away, and either is yours. I smelled them up
top.”

“
They look for us in the
woods,” Ryken said and came to stand in front of the service
elevator. “We got time, don’t sweat it. They don’t know were even
here.”

Dean shook his head, looking at the
unconscious woman. “All this for the anti-social one? Dina was way
more fun, dude.”

Ryken chuckled. “Yeah, we all had fun
with her. Too bad she’s such a pain in the ass, but this one is my
own personal, so don’t get any ideas.”

Dean rolled his eyes as the doors slid
open. The two men entered the elevator and the doors closed. “Ty
won’t be happy to know you came in and took her,” he said and
looked worried. “They’re gonna know somebody let us in,
Ryken.”

“
Let me worry about Ty,”
Ryken snapped as he shifted his unconscious burden. “She’s mine! He
has no right to interfere. She is mine by blood law.”

“
A blood law that hasn’t
been observed in over two hundred years,” Dean pointed out. “Eli
and the others know you plan to take her. Don’t be surprised if
they wait for us up top.”

“
We’re not beholden to Eli
anymore,” Ryken snapped. “I have every right to claim
her!”

They made it out of the service
elevator without a hitch. Dean stepped out and looked around
worriedly. The air carried the scent of the elders and the warriors
who searched for them. Ryken slung Vivvie over his shoulder and the
pair made their way towards the woods.

~~~~

Eli’s ears perked up at footsteps a
mile up through the brush. He turned his head to the sound, ears
going back, low growls escaping his mouth. He smelled Dean and
sensed both entered the woods. Gideon and Jericho waited at the
bottom of the ridge. Ty was circling the mountain looking for his
other men camped farther down the mountain ledge. Ty wasn’t happy
to be the farthest away. Eli did it deliberately to give Ryken time
to take the woman and go.

He was tempted to continue his plan to
let Ryken take the woman, just to get rid of the problem she
represented. The others wouldn’t know were he to allow it. Then the
thought of what Ryken would do to the girl made him growl under his
breath. He was dismayed by the tug of his conscience.

The girl hadn't even made the change
yet. She was hardly one of them. Still, the thought of her being
sacrificed to breed Ryken’s empire bothered him. He was determined
to ignore her but his eyes sought her out since her
arrival.

Attraction was putting it mildly. He
could hardly pretend he didn’t notice the petite dark-haired girl
with her cute looks and saucy mouth. He scanned her thoughts to
know she didn’t care for him at all. The word ‘asshole’ seemed
reserved for him alone, making him smile whenever he heard her use
it.

He knew Ty would be enraged should he
show any obvious interest in Vivvie. His friend was so busy keeping
others away from his new pet, it hadn’t occurred to him to make it
official. In the meantime, the girl was making them all
crazy.

Eli crept out of the bushes and bounded
silently through the trees, disgusted he was risking one of his
souls for a human who couldn’t stand him. Gideon and Jericho could
more than take Ryken and Dean. He needed only to look away and let
them handle it.

The huge panther moved silently in the
direction of the footfalls, glad both Dean and Ryken couldn’t shift
because of the burden they hefted to the van parked out on the main
road. It would give him ample time to catch up and follow
them.

Blue eyes glowed as Eli tracked the
steps, unable to smell them because of Ryken’s gift. His ability to
mask his scent aided him in remaining hidden for months. He was
using it now, but his footsteps gave him away.

He came upon them as they made their
way down the two-track that led to the main road. The white van was
there waiting on the concrete highway. Eli stopped second guessing
his actions when he peered through a bush and saw Vivvie’s pale
face in the morning light. She was unconscious and slung over
Ryken’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her long brown hair
dragging the ground. The rage he felt to think of Ryken’s methods
of keeping her silent startled him, coming on fast and
furious.

Eli had his share of female disciples
and the girl obviously preferred Ty, yet the overwhelming need to
rip both Ryken and Dean apart intensified. He approached
soundlessly through the trees.

Dean and Ryken were arguing now over
what was to be done with Vivvie. He listened, surprised to know
Ryken planned to keep her as his mate. He somehow doubted Vivvie
would appreciate being a baby maker. He knew from her thoughts she
didn’t plan to have children at all and wholeheartedly agreed with
him on that topic alone.

They argued so much they didn’t pay
attention to his arrival until he was on top of them. Ryken was the
first to act, dropping Vivvie on the ground and shifting
immediately. Eli flew at him, his paws viciously slashing at Ryken.
Dean bent to grab the girl, but she’d come to and rolled away,
getting up.

Ryken was taking a severe beating from
Eli now. The elder tore into his flesh, growling and roaring. Dean
was stalking the female, trying to retrieve her as the two huge
cats fought.

“
Get back here! You can’t
run away!” Dean snapped harshly. “If you make me come after you;
I’m gonna rip your heart out and eat it, bitch.”

Vivvie then turned and took off
running. Eli bit into Ryken’s throat and ripped at it furiously,
pinning the younger panther. He could feel Ryken weakening, but he
was conscious of Dean fast upon Vivvie’s heels as she took
off.

Eli knew Dean would make good on his
threats and finished Ryken, opening his throat. It would take many
minutes for him to regenerate, enough for him to get to Vivvie
before Dean tore her apart.

He got up off the blood soaked panther
lying inert on the ground and took off after Dean. He could see
Vivvie running back to the compound and cursed as Dean shifted and
caught her easily, barreling into her and sending her tumbling onto
her stomach.

Eli didn’t think he just reacted to
seeing Dean’s huge paws poised to take Vivvie apart. He pounced,
landing upon the younger panther and knocking him flat. They
grappled and rolled. Vivvie got up and continued to run, back to
the compound.

Dean was no match for Eli and knew it.
As soon as he could spring free, he bolted, headed back where Ryken
lay, still unmoving. Eli saw Vivvie diving into the elevator before
he let out a roar and bounded after Ryken and Dean.

By now Ryken regenerated and the pair
was on the run, going opposite of where Jericho and Gideon waited.
He cursed his wasting valuable time saving the girl from them. They
ran and disappeared into the woods.

Eli knew he could take them both
individually, but he knew they would have the advantage on him now.
His mind scanned for anyone to hear him. Jericho was the first to
answer.

What is it?

Ryken and Dean are going in
the opposite direction. They just ran off from the
compound.

Is Vivvie ok?

Scared shitless, but she’s
fine.

Ok, were on our
way.

Eli felt the connection break in his
mind and looked at the elevator doors. The female was probably
upset. Ty could deal with her. He started after Ryken and Dean,
furious with himself for rushing in to play hero. The female would
still look at him with haughty dislike. Why did he even care? She
was Ty’s problem when he got around to dealing with her.

Vivvie hadn’t come out of her room
since she escaped Dean. Ty came by to check on her, concerned with
the horrible bruising around her throat. Other than a headache and
a sore neck, she was fine. Ryken and Dean got away. She was
startled to know it was Eli who saved her from Ryken, and then
Dean. She wanted to dislike Eli, and then he went and saved her
life.

Ty came by and dropped off her dinner
and it sat on her table, untouched. Tears were never ending to
think of how Dina must have suffered at their hands. The reality of
the horror both women must have endured made her shudder in
revulsion.

She was curious how Eli seemed to be
right there too. The leader couldn’t have smelled Ryken and Dean.
She knew from Ty her would-be boyfriend had a gift in masking his
scent. Eli being right outside was fortuitous, but she was
suspicious.

Why was it the pair got into the
compound at all? It seemed like them getting in was almost too
easy.

Her eyes flew wide at the thought they
allowed Ryken inside, knowing he came for her. Anger flared in her
eyes to know she was used to bait them. Some of her gratitude for
Eli went out the window then. He set her up! She was infuriated
now. She lay down to take a nap finally, feeling sore all over from
her ordeal.

~~~~

Vivvie woke in alarm at three in the
morning, drenched in sweat. Her skin was on fire, and her breathing
was shallow. Her head hurt and she grimaced as she got up. She
immediately ran to the toilet, heaving up everything in her
stomach.

It continued for the better part of the
morning. Vivvie drank water and sat upon the floor of the bathroom,
praying it would end. She knew she was going through this change
everyone talked about, but Ty failed to explain what she had to
expect. This was no flu bug.

Vivvie got into the shower and was
washing her hair when she winced and looked at her nails. They were
falling off. The same was happening to her toe nails. Tears of
anguish filled her gaze as the water ran over her. Without pain she
plucked them off, revealing hard nubs underneath. They were the
tips of the talons that would soon be hers. Instead of feeling
tormented, she was shocked at the elation this discovery brought
her.