Page 19 of Pain

What was there to say?

We couldn’t “plan” for the potential ambush. Drak was right. We needed it to look like we didn’t know we were walking into an attack.

We were most certainly going to be outnumbered, but to what degree? Three-to-one? Four-to-one? Did we even stand a chance? We barely made it out of that warehouse alive, and we outnumbered Lerris and his henchmen. How were we going to defeat a gaggle of blood-thirsty vampires fighting on their king’s orders? Who knew what kind of lies the King told them about Howar or me to rile them up, ready for battle? Even though I was coming into my powers and the three men at my side were extremely powerful, they were all still healing from our battle just yesterday.

I glanced behind me at the enormous sword resting on the floor at Drak and Maxar’s feet.

Lerris called it “Moloch’s Sacrifice.” When I first picked it up, I could hardly lift it, but then, as if acknowledging its true new owner, the sword grew lighter,and I became one with it. I could run with it. I could fight with it. I had no idea how to sword fight, but hopefully my mates and this Kenvin Jol could teach me.

Then, when the time was right, I would bring it down across my uncle’s throat and remove his head from his body and his cancerous existence from this world.

My mind remained at war as the tall trees on either side of the road got stubbier and sparser. We were moving into a different climate now. A drier, more desert-like part of the country—and frankly, not one I found overly appealing. A big part of me understood why Drak didn’t tell us about his hunch that King Howar was working against us. He needed us to be as authentically surprised about the ambush as possible. But another part of me couldn’t deny the betrayal that sat tight and heavy in my chest.

He wanted me to trust him. He kept pushing for us to mate, and yet, he was still so closed off. So secretive. When I brought up what I overheard Melissima talking about to Maxar, he changed the subject. Wasn’t this whole “‘til death do us part” thing supposed to come with trust?

So far, he’d given me very little reason to trust him, let alone want to bond myself to him for eternity.

I glanced over at Zandren out of the corner of my eye. The poor bear was white-knuckling the steering wheel. Was it the upcoming battle that had him so high-strung, or the journey through the portal? Was he even back to a hundred percent after yesterday’s attack and the paralytic Drak had to inject him with so he’d stop attacking everyone?

“Ten miles out,” he said gruffly, glancing my way and gracing me with a curt half-smile. I reached for his big, warm hand and laced our fingers together, resting them on top of my thigh.

“Where exactlyisthe portal?” I asked. “Is it like Harry Potter and we have to go to a chimney chute or something?”

“It’s less dramatic than that,” Drak replied. “They’re usually located somewhere a human would very rarely stumble upon.”

“Last two I went through were in a mausoleum,” Maxar added. “Literally hadto push off the top of the stone casket and jump onto the skeleton.”

“You’re fucking kidding,” I said, spinning around to face him. “That’s disgusting.”

He merely shrugged. “Not sure how many humans would do it. It’s safer. Not all portals are like that though. Some are in simpler places, just off the beaten path, so to speak.”

“The map is telling me to turn right here,” Zandren said. “But there’s no road. It’s just fucking desert.”

“Best do what the map says.” I faced forward again, disliking that the further we drove away from civilization, the less cover there seemed to be. Low shrubbery, a few trees, and small mounds that flatlanders probably called mountains, but nothing substantial that we could hide behind—or that someone looking to ambush us could hide behind.

We kept driving for another few miles, Zandren blazing a trail through the hard-packed sand and dirt. I was beginning to think that Drak might be wrong, because surely Howar wouldn’t send his men to ambush us where there was no place to hide, but my stomach dropped to my toes when we summited a small hill and a little oasis loomed ahead. A copse of trees, larger bushes, and some boulders all cuddled together to create the perfect place to lie in wait.

“That’s gotta be it,” Maxar said. “How fucking convenient.”

“What’s our plan?” Zandren asked through gritted teeth as he slowed down and glanced at Drak in the rearview mirror. “Go in like we have no cares in the world? Park and walk? Is this the same place we’ll return to when we come back through the portal?”

That was a good question, and one I hadn’t thought of. I faced Maxar. “Will we return to this spot when we come back through?”

His nod was still and his amber eyes unsure. “That’s always the hope.”

“How fucking reassuring.” Zandren was all grumbles, growls, and anger-laden mumbles at this point. Even though his one hand on the wheel still had white knuckles, he was careful not to squeeze my hand too hard.

“Keep driving like we aren’t suspecting a thing,” Drak instructed. “My understanding is the portal will be in the center of the oasis. We’ll drive as far as wecan, then park and walk.”

“I’m shifting as soon as we park,” Zandren said. “I’ll be able to smell them better.”

We all went quiet again. I could swear they all probably heard my heart hammering wildly though. The painfulthump thumpagainst my ribcage was like a drum of impending doom that I couldn’t drown out, no matter how hard I tried.

Zandren reached the tree line which seemed to be as far as we could drive.

I met his gaze. “We’re going to be okay,” I said, not believing a single syllable but figuring maybe if I said it out loud, the Fates might tune into this channel on their crystal balls or whatever and give us a nudge of help. Then he pulled me close with our twined hands, wrapped his other hand around my neck, and took my mouth in a kiss that was almost bruising. It was what I needed though. That reassurance from my mate. That connection.

We were dealing with vampires here, not demons. So none of them could fuck with our minds at least. Nobody would hypnotize Zandren into attacking his own crew—at least that’s what I assumed. Maybe Lerris would be here, but my instincts told me he wasn’t. He was off somewhere licking his wounds like a sad, mangy dog.

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