Page 56 of Claimed By Brothers

We’re in the front line and rapidly approaching Amber and her friends. Less than twenty yards farther ahead, the Sky Tribe mercenaries gather, more and more with every passing minute. Yet I see the doubt in their eyes. The hesitation in their gestures. Umok keeps trotting left and right in front of them, shouting words of encouragement to amp them up for battle.

His decision to attempt to kill our son will be his undoing.

And the rage caused by Amber’s confession has certainly done a number on him. He’s not as bold anymore. Hell, he’s pissed off because we got to the girls first. Of course, only Amber is with child, but Umok doesn’t need to know that.

“Are we sure it’s not a lie?” Izzo asks me as we continue with our advance.

“It’s written in her eyes; can you not see?” I reply with a smile.

We lock our gazes on Amber, and her expression tells me everything I need to know. The acknowledgment, the complete surrender, the unspoken promise she made to herself to see us through to the end. Damn, she is one hell of a woman, and we’d better make sure we’ll have her for the rest of our lives. There isn’t another like Amber anywhere in this galaxy.

“We have to get to her before Umok,” Izzo says.

“Too late,” I hiss as I see Umok reaching for her.

A split-second later, my brother and I start running as fast as we can, roaring from the bottom of our lungs as the war begins. I only hope this will be the last war we’ll ever have to fight. Our soldiers join us, darting across the red dirt with their weapons high in the air, shouting and snapping and snarling as the Sky Tribe mercenaries prepare to meet us in the open field.

I catch a glimpse of Alicia and Cynthia sneaking off to the side. I hope they know what they’re doing.

Jewel, on the other hand, straightens her back and whips out her obsidian knives, ready to fight these fuckers with as much spunk in her as every single soldier in our ranks. Should she ever bond with Sunnaite men in this lifetime, she will bring incredible warriors into the world.

“Kill the child!” Umok decrees as he tries to grab Amber, but the hesitation of his men has him turning around to see what the hell is going on.

To my astonishment, almost half of his warriors proceed to drop their weapons to the ground and flee far off into the night. He stands stunned and motionless while Amber takes a few steps back, quiet, and careful not to distract him from his own shock.

“We need to get to her now!” Izzo gasps.

“Stand your ground and fight like real men!” Umok shouts, clearly infuriated as he watches so many of his underlings running away. “Grow a fucking spine!”

“We’re not killing a child!” one of the soldiers says. “We’ll fight for you, we’ll take the Fire Tribe women, but we’re not killing a child!”

“You will obey me!” Umok says. He sounds downright hysterical.

I can hear my son crying somewhere in the back, but I cannot get to him just yet. I need to breach their first line, and I need to get Amber away from Umok, but I want to get to my son as well. Luckily, my brother and I think alike.

Izzo taps me on the shoulder. “I’ll go around and get Valen,” he says. “You get Amber.”

“Yes.”

Maur and Kai join me as Izzo tears himself from my side and disappears into the oncoming wave of Fire Tribe fighters, using their large frames and bulky figures to mask his movements. The clash is inevitable, and it breaks out in sparks and splashes of crimson blood as the Fire Tribe and the Sky Tribe collide.

Everything happens so fast; I barely register the bodies hitting the ground.

All I can do is focus on Amber, but I don’t see her anymore. My heart jumps when I spot Jewel swerving between two mercenaries, dropping to one knee to cut through a hip and sever the other’s femoral artery before she slides back up on her feet and keeps fighting her opponents. Her agility and speed are quite impressive considering the peak physical condition of the mercenaries.

I duck and slip past one sword, then glide to the side and let the Hadana twins tackle a couple of Sky Tribe fighters as I search through the swelling crowd for Umok and Amber. She challenged him. She swayed his men to abandon him. And she is carrying our child. Those are three solid reasons to push Umok beyond the limits, thus putting her life in mortal danger. I cannot lose her.

“Amber!” I shout over swordplay and grunts, punches, and leg kicks, over clubs hitting shields and the whistling of crossbows darting through bodies.

Blood sprays across my face, but I manage to free myself from a scuffle and finally spot Amber a few yards away. She dodges Umok’s swords, the longer one dangerously close to her throat at one point.

I can’t hear Valen’s cries anymore. I only hope Alicia and Cynthia got to him. Or Izzo. Or anyone who can pull my son out of this living nightmare as I keep fighting through the crowd to rescue the woman I love.

“Amber!” I shout again.

Umok sees me coming and snarls, raising his sword yet again. “You ruined everything!”

“Stop it before it’s too late!” I warn him.

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