Page 45 of Blade's Battle
“That was the easy part, Angel. Getting you to open up to me? Not so easy.”
The door burst open and Blade swung her behind him. The tall dark shifter from earlier, the one with thick, hard muscles everywhere and thinned lips stepped forward.
Blade’s body straightened, every muscle in his torso tense and ready to fight. The bones in his back rippled. Blade was going to shift. If the stranger did the same, and they fought in the confined space of the cabin, there’d be no escape for her or Blade.
* * *
BLADE
Anna had finally told him all he needed to know. She was innocent. Her research had been conducted to help shifters, not harm them, and then she, like so many others, had fallen victim to the WSSO.
Anyone who didn’t understand genetics and viruses, and that was probably ninety-nine percent of the population, could easily be convinced that she was behind the virus. It was a problem, but not an insurmountable one. And best of all, Annatrustedhim.
Eventually, he’d ask her again to blood-bond. For now, she needed time to feel safe and to heal from the recent trauma. She was strong in so many ways, his Angel. He didn’t doubt for one second that she’d rise above recent events, but she was still in love with her dead husband. How the hell was he going to compete with a dead guy, one she idolized?
Hell, Blade was jealous of a guy he’d never met and never would. Anna needed to put that part of her life behind her and move on—with Blade. He couldn’t force her, though. Never would he force her to do anything. Whatever she needed, he’d do for her. She was his future, even if she wasn’t ready to see that.
The door flung open and Blade pushed Anna behind him, expecting to see one of the guards come to take her from him. He’d never let anyone take her from him again.
Anna gasped at the hulking shifter standing in the doorway. Blade had forgotten how intimidating Callen could be to someone who didn’t know him. With his dark-brown, yellow-flecked eyes and muscles that put Blade to shame, Callen had the strength and mien of an alpha without the desire to be one. Perhaps that’s what made him so good as the pack’s enforcer. Callen could and would do anything to ensure the safety of the pack without having to worry about the politics or burden of leading.
The bitter scent of Anna’s fear reached Blade, and it was all he could do to keep himself from growling at Callen for frightening her. Gently, Blade eased Anna to his side.
“Angel, this is Callen. He’s from my pack. Damien sent him to bring us home.”
“Hi,” she said, her voice a mere squeak.
Blade could see how she’d be scared of Callen after her experience with Drake. Callen didn’t exactly smile or do anything to make a person feel comfortable, especially someone he didn’t know. Blade caressed Anna’s back, hoping to soothe her, not that his wolf objected to the contact. The fact that simply touching her calmed his wolf still amazed him. There was no question in Blade’s mind that Anna and he were meant for one another. Finally, after so many years, he’d have a family of his own.
Callen nodded to Anna and then his eyes focused entirely on Blade. “Time to go.”
“Where?”
“Home. Liam is letting me take you back, as long as you behave yourself along the way and promise never to come back.”
Blade grabbed Anna’s hand. “Let’s go, Angel!”
When they reached the center of the compound, Liam was there, flanked by Ravirez and a dozen of Liam’s guards. This was the send-off party, or rather the get-out-of-my-territory party. Blade was more than happy to leave. The farther he got Anna away from Ravirez and Liam, the better.
Callen stopped and gripped Blade’s upper arm as if he didn’t trust Blade to behave. Blade couldn’t argue the enforcer’s logic at the moment. Seeing Ravirez made Blade’s wolf growl. Blade forced his wolf down, a feat he suspected he was only able to accomplish because he was holding Anna’s hand.
“Thank you, Liam,” Callen said. “I give you my word, Blade’s actions will be properly punished.”
Punished?Blade shook the thought away. He didn’t care what Callen had agreed to, as long as he got Anna out of there.
“Yes, thank you,” Anna said to Liam from Blade’s side.
Maybe Blade should have done the same, but he couldn’t. His wolf had already scented Liam. He wanted to sink his teeth into the alpha and rip out his throat. Blade focused on keeping his wolf calm. Holding Anna’s hand helped considerably with that last part.
Blade lifted their clasped hands and kissed the back of her hand. The move wasn’t to lay claim of her before the other male shifters present, not entirely at least. He simply needed to touch her with more than his hands.
That’s when Callen placed a hand on his chest, prying him away from Anna. “The girl stays.”
“What? No! I won’t leave her alone with them!”
Callen stood there, eyes glaring. “You have to trust me, Blade. We leave now, while we can. That’s an order.”
Terror saturated every fiber of his being. He couldn’t leave her unprotected.
