United Service (24 page)

“This is Kate,” Sterling said, introducing the two.

Kekoa gave a nod in Kate’s direction, but then commented, “You’re the oldest pre–trans this camp has seen.” He eyed her up and down. Taking a deep breath, he added, “The most beautiful one as well.”

Sterling pulled Kate behind him. “Don’t Kekoa.”

Kekoa cranked his head around so he could get a better look at Kate. The slight growl that escaped his throat, and the bulge from his pants, told Sterling one thing. Bloodlust had hit the young vamp. He only hoped the boy was sane enough to have common sense.

“Kate is my mate, Kekoa. She’s not available for you.” Sterling’s eyes darkened and his fangs extended. Purebred or not, Sterling would fight for his woman.

Kekoa’s eyes scanned across the room, perhaps looking for an advantage point to take the woman from him. Sterling wouldn’t allow that.

“You’re better than this, Kekoa. You protected the kids. Kate is another one of the kids that needs protecting.”

Kekoa paused and looked over to Sterling.

“You’re better than that guard,” Sterling said, pointing to the dead human on the ground. “You’re better than that.”

The young purebred stared down at Henry’s lifeless body, not noticing it until this moment. He crossed the room and stood next to the dead human. Sterling noticed the Kekoa’s hands clench into fists.

“Worthless piece of shit!” Kekoa cried as he kicked the body. Sterling listened as the boy counted off one injustice after another he had suffered under the guard’s hands. With each injustice, the boy kicked the body, putting all of his might behind the assault.

Sterling noticed that it wasn’t just beatings Kekoa mentioned, but the names of children abused under the man’s hands as well. He watched as the body was pummeled.

Kekoa sunk to his knees to beat the dead man with his fists. It wasn’t until Kekoa had bashed the guard’s head in that he stopped. He was breathing heavily, obviously exerting himself to the point of his own physical exhaustion.

Kekoa stood and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, let out the air in his lungs, and looked at peace. When he opened his eyes, they were once again brown. “I’m done,” he said, walking out of the cabin with his legs shaking.

Sterling and Kate followed Kekoa out of the cabin, not commenting on what had just happened. Kate stood close to Sterling. Her slight smile told him she approved of what Kekoa had done. Sterling could understand it as well.

By the time they walked past the small chapel, Sterling had noticed Kate giving him some side glances. Sterling guessed that he had aged more than expected during the fight with Henry. Of course, the blade had been silver which would take much longer for his wound to heal. Blood still trickled out of Sterling’s side as he walked past the chapel and the three were met by Raymond and the other team members.

Raymond took an aggressive stance and was fast approaching Kekoa when Sterling stepped between the two. “This is Kekoa – the young boy that transitioned. He’s okay.”

Raymond stopped mid stride as Kekoa held up his arms submissively. Raymond looked his son over and barked, “You’re lucky not to have been killed.”

“I’m fine.”

“The gushing wound in your side tells another story, son.”

Sterling rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” Honestly, the wound wasn’t gushing – at least not anymore. Although it had worsened with just the few steps he had taken. He turned towards Kate and introduced her.

“Ben briefed me about your ridiculous plan and your date,” Raymond said nodding towards Kate. “You’re lucky she wasn’t killed as well.”

Before Sterling could defend Kate, she ran in her usual ungraceful manner past the two of them to where the other team members had gathered with the children. In her haste, she nearly fell off balance as she ran. Kekoa also ran to the children, calling out Rebecca’s name. Sterling watched as Kekoa hugged the tallest girl. She then pointed to the girls as though accounting for each one. Kekoa did the same for the boys.

The smiles on their faces were rewarding, but with Kate and Kekoa’s absence, Sterling was left alone with his father.

“What were you thinking?” his father demanded.

“All’s well.”

“This time, maybe. But you could have been killed. You know better than to go off on your own, even if the enemy is human.”

Sterling allowed his father’s words to fade out as he looked past the man’s shoulder toward Kate. She was hugging Tiffany and kissing her repeatedly. The young girl was in Kate’s arms and drowsy, obviously drugged. Sulie was talking with Kate and probably telling her about Tiffany’s health and that she’d be fine. Other than slight concern, Kate’s face didn’t show any real worry. Kekoa was busy looking over the boys with a huge smile on his face. Kekoa had exacted his revenge and saved the children. It was a good day.

“The idea of using Kate as bait! You never should have endangered a human like that.”

“What?” Sterling asked after being pulled back into his father’s lecture when hearing Kate’s name.

Raymond furrowed his brow. “Your human date.”

“Kate is a purebred,” he said to his father. “Besides, she wasn’t in any danger,” he argued, although he didn’t believe that.

Raymond looked over to Kate and sized her up. He then gave a puzzled look to his son.

“She’s pure, trust me.”

“Regardless,” Raymond said. “Kate’s a civilian. She’ll stay with the rest of the children and Sulie. Right now she already knows too much. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to wipe her memory of any of us.”

Sterling had seen his father’s unique ability to compel and wipe vampires’ memories many times in the past. He was determined it wasn’t going to happen to Kate. He grabbed his father’s arm and pulled him closer. Anger welled up in Sterling’s face. “You are never to touch her!”

“She’s a liability to the secret of the Colony. She will have her memory wiped once we are done here.” He turned to leave, but Sterling held tightly to his arm.

Sterling looked into his father’s eyes with intense anger. He loved his father, but he wasn’t going to let this man erase him from Kate’s memories. And he wasn’t willing to live the rest of his life without her. “You really are an ass. I’ll be damned if I’m going to have you mess with her mind.”

Raymond shook his head. “I’m sure your date will get over the loss.”

“She isn’t my date,” Sterling protested.

“Whatever she is, she’ll be treated by Sulie for her leg injury, or whatever issue she has. I’ll then wipe her memory and she’ll be returned home.”

Sterling’s eyes held a steadfast resolve as they looked at his father. “Then I formally claim her as my mate. She is now, and forever will be, off–limits to your memory wipes.” His father’s eyes widened in surprise at hearing the Colony agreement, drafted decades ago, thrown back in his face. “She’s leaving with me.” Sterling let go of his father’s arm and walked over to stand at Kate’s side.

*****

Sterling heard his Aunt Sulie reassuring Kate that all the children would be fine by tomorrow. The drugs would wear off by then. Sterling glanced around at the children. Team members were carrying the smallest of the children. The older kids were tired, but able to walk.

He looked over to Kate. Sterling had declared her as his mate, not once, but twice. It felt right, although, she had not reacted to the claim the first time. But, it was the second one that really counted. The one that made it all real in Sterling’s mind.

Kate stood with the team members as they cared for the children. Sterling noticed he was the only team member that had suffered an injury. Great. More fuel to add to the fire for his father’s argument.

Sulie stopped talking with Kate long enough to look down at Sterling’s wound. “Do you want me to seal that?”

“No,” Sterling answered in a more upset tone than he had intended. His father was right behind him now, and he didn’t need any more attention drawn to his injury.

Looking at Alex, Raymond asked, “What about the dogs? How many are there?”

Sterling was happy for the change in topic.

“Four German shepherds. I found them kenneled along the main gate. They’re fine, but they’ll have to be relocated to good families. I can take them to a humane shelter.”

“Good.” Raymond looked at his sister and then announced to the team. “Sulie will give quick thorough checkups of all the children and Ben will help load them into the cars. Daniel will gather the computer equipment and I’ll handle collecting the human bodies.”

Sulie took Tiffany from Kate’s arms. “Mostly bruises and sprains are what I’m finding so far.” She quickly glanced over the children. “They’re all drugged, but overall only undernourished. It’s their mental state that I’m more worried about.” Kate followed Sulie, but swayed as her balance was still off because of her shield. She helped Sulie to rouse the children from their stupor.

“I’ll tell the families tonight that we’ve found their children,” Raymond said as he turned to leave. “There is a lot to do tonight to make sure these kids are safe and taken care of.”

Sterling pulled his father aside. “What would you like for me and Kate to do?” He asked, hoping he wouldn’t regret doing so.

Raymond pointed at the blood on Sterling’s clothes. “You need to heal.” Looking around at the group, he asked, “Did anyone else get hurt tonight?”

Sterling cringed when no one else reported injuries. It was obvious that no one was hurt and Sterling knew his father had only asked to make a point.

Raymond pulled his backpack from his shoulders and handed it to Sterling. “Take this blood. Kate can barely walk, so it looks like you and the liability, I’m sorry,
your mate
, were the only injuries tonight.”

Sterling rolled his eyes as he took the blood from his father. “Fuck you.”

Raymond grabbed his son’s bloodied and torn shirt to pull him back. “We’re not done talking about this, son. You compromised yourself out in the field. When you’re done with the slut, we’re going to finish this conversation.”

Sterling’s fist hit his father squarely in the jaw. He knew no real damage would be done by the blow, but it felt good anyway. His father merely shot him an irritated look as he walked passed him. Sterling now glanced towards Kate, who had witnessed the entire event. She looked surprised, and Sterling wasn’t sure if it was due to the blow or if she had heard what his father had called her. Either way, there would be some explaining to do.

Sterling walked Kate through the camp towards the main entrance. At first, Kate protested she didn’t want to leave Tiffany, but since the drugged girl seemed in good hands, there was no reason to stay.

He sensed the uncomfortable silence between the two of them. A moment later, Kate asked, “Why did you hit your father?”

Sterling let out a sigh of relief as he realized she had been too preoccupied with the kids to overhear what his father had called her. Of course that meant she probably missed him claim her as his mate for the second time. That was possibly for the best – maybe. Sterling’s jaw clenched. “It’s nothing.”

Kate gazed back to the camp. “He’s your father. I can’t believe you punched him.”

“Not the first time.”

She glanced back to Sterling. “Did I upset your father? Because, I swear, the man gave me some of the nastiest looks. I don’t think he likes me.”

Sterling took a breath. “Ignore the dick.”

Kate’s eyes widened in surprise. She then mockingly criticized by saying, “You once told me to respect my parents by not lying to them. But it’s okay to hit one of them?”

“Lying is different.”

The two now stood at the gate of the camp. The main doors had been ripped open by the onslaught of the team during the attack. “Why is lying different?” she asked.

He met her eyes. “Lying is deceitful, and usually for your own gain.”

“Or to protect the feelings of others,” Kate countered. “Hitting, however, is a very violent reaction.”

“It was an honest reaction to how I felt at the time.”

Kate studied Sterling for a moment. “Do you want to talk about what the two of you were …”

“No.” Sterling cut her off and continued through the gate. He led her to the parked cars. He placed his hand on his wound and added pressure. “I’m not a violent man, Kate. Well, killing kidnappers aside.” He considered that statement, and then confessed, “I’ve hit my father a few times, but … I’m a half–breed. Trust me, the man barely feels it. At times, I think violence is the only way to get his attention.” He saw Kate’s reaction to what he had said and followed the statement up with, “He’s the only person I’ve ever hit out of anger, and, no, I don’t want to talk about my actions.”

For several steps she remained silent, and then asked. “Were all the human’s killed?”

“I’m sure they were. At least all at the camp tonight.”

“Have you killed a lot of people?”

As they continued walking it occurred to Sterling to ask, “Was that guard the first human you watched die?”

“The pig deserved it,” she said defiantly as they walked.

Sterling grabbed her arm, which caused her to stop mid–step. He studied her beaten face and the bruises on her neck and hands. A pang of guilt twisted in his gut for having used her as bait. Before he could ask what he desperately needed to know, she answered the unasked question.