Page 59 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

Merrick pried his eyes open with effort. He didn’t know where he was. He was moving, prone in the back of some type of vehicle with the hard floor digging into his back, but he still couldn’t see anything.

His breathing sped up. He tried to remember what had happened. They’d been at the fight, and there’d been an explosion. Glowing, magical shields had sprung up all over, but the force of the blast had still knocked him off his feet.

Everything went hazy after that. People coughing. Some passing out. Paranormals falling over like they were human. Fighting. Loud snarls and guns discharging. Then, hands grabbing him. He’d screamed for Leander…or tried as a black bag had been slipped over his head.

That was it. He wasn’t blind. There was a bag over his head, and they’d managed to take him this time. Oh gods.

* * *

“Merri!” Leander shouted again, crawling across the gym floor, his throat and lungs on fire from silver-laced gas those human fuckers had somehow gotten a hold of. He wasn’t the only one down. Every vampire and shifter was on the ground. The demons and witches were putting up a good fight, but the humans weren’t without weapons for them either, it seemed.

They had a tanker truck connected to a fire hose. The hellhounds roared, skin sizzling, when the hose turned on them. Holy water. It had to be.

Strong, clawed hands gripped his arms and hauled him to his feet. The gargoyle. Her lips and nose were red and raw. His felt the same. That damn silver vapor was as clever as it was painful. He could feel himself healing, but every lungful of air he sucked in felt like breathing razor blades.

“They have your mate,” she said, voice rough.

Rage exploded in his chest, dulling the pain still trying to bog him down. “Where?” he managed to grate out.

“Van,” she growled, pointing one claw-tipped finger at the road heading east.

He leapt into the air, using every ounce of anger and fear to propel him up into the sky. Once he cleared the gas hanging over what was left of the gym, cool, crisp air filled his lungs. He flew forward, shooting off into the night toward where the gargoyle had pointed.

Reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket, thankful Merri’s teasing had made him wear the leather tonight, he pulled out his phone and activated the emergency SOS that would signal Ammon that something was wrong. He didn’t know where they were taking Merri, but he wanted all the help he could get to get him back safely.

The sound of flapping wings reached him over the air whipping past his ears. He glanced back, finding the gargoyle hot on his tail. A second later, a wolf howl went up somewhere in the city. Another moment and it was joined by another, then another, and another until the night was filled with a symphony of battle cries. The wolves were coming.

Bolstered, Leander flew on, gaining altitude as his eyes sought out the van carrying his heart.

* * *

“What is that?” a man’s voice said. “Shit, is that the fucking wolves?”

“Hurry up,” another voice urged.

The vehicle rocked uncomfortably beneath Merrick as it accelerated. Straining to hear what they did over the sound of the road beneath them, Merrick’s heart leapt up in his throat. He hoped one of those howls was Ammon. That meant Leander was alive and knew Merrick had been taken. They’d be coming for him.

Tears pricked his eyes. He just hoped they found him before these men got him wherever their destination was.

* * *

Leander caught sight of a black van. It was careening along the road, taking curves at dangerous speeds. Behind him, the gargoyle let out a roar and swooped low. That must be it, then.

Following right behind her, Leander knew they’d have to be careful how they attacked. He was sure the kidnappers wouldn’t have bothered to buckle Merri’s seatbelt if they’d even put him in a seat. He couldn’t risk Merri being injured as they stopped the van. Humans were so damned fragile.

Flying faster, he grabbed the gargoyle’s wrist.

She looked over at him, slowing a fraction.

“We can’t wreck the van,” he shouted over the wind.

She nodded.

Releasing his hold, they both sped up until they were flying directly over the van, twenty or thirty feet above the roof. Leander hoped the darkness and proximity would keep the humans from spotting them.

The rumbling roar of multiple engines carried up from behind them. Glancing back, Leander saw a tight formation of motorcycles gaining on the van. The hellhounds.

He wanted to swoop down and tear the vehicle apart with his bare hands, shred his way through metal and flesh and anything else between him and Merri. He wanted his mate back in his arms.

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