Page 27 of Beginnings

Chapter 7

Ember

My throat burned.I craved water or a drink of any kind. Calling on Fire like that depleted me of moisture, leaving me shaky. It had been the first time I'd ever used her gift deliberately. The only times it had appeared in the past was when I was dying, or I was out of emotional control. I took a deep breath, trying to process what I’d done. I’d killed a man. Shouldn’t I feel guilt, or remorse or something? Leaning on the wall, I searched inside myself. Connor’s scent filled my senses, his broad back blocking my view of the others and protecting me from flying bits of stone. Nope, there was nothing but relief at getting away from that evil man. And finding Connor? Jesus, I’d thought I was hallucinating when I’d heard his voice. I reached out, needing to make sure he was real. I rested my palm on the middle of his back. Hard muscle shifted beneath my touch.

He turned his head and peered down at me. “Okay?”

I nodded, though I was far from okay. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and make sure he didn’t disappear again. The silver collar around his neck glinted, stoking my fury. I blinked rapidly. Such a beautiful and powerful alpha should never be collared like a pet. A piece of stone hit the wall above my shoulder, the shard bouncing off and hitting me. I winced and my wolf snarled. Unlike all the alphas waiting to fight for their freedom, my wolf was free. They might want to rip their captors apart, but so did I; the difference was, I could. Connor’s muscles shifted under my hand. My body heated at that contact, and something clicked into place inside me. I needed to know he was safe. And I’d break that bloody collar from his neck with my bare hands if I had to. I couldn’t melt his collar right now. I’d shoved Fire back into her cage and even if she hadn’t gone willingly, I couldn’t risk burning his skin with molten metal.

While Walker, Connor and Owen decided what our next move was, I decided on mine. Behind the protection of Connor’s broad back, I shed my clothes.

Walker was the first to notice me. His face didn’t change but he cocked his head then looked back at Connor.

“Holy shit.” Owen’s mouth dropped open, before his gaze travelled over my nakedness.

I flushed but refused to cover myself. These other men were all shifters and should be used to getting naked. With a huff, I smirked. Just not in the middle of a prison break. Connor swiveled to face me, ducking a little when another barrage of bullets hit the wall and door. Owen stuck his gun out of the door and pulled the trigger blindly.

Connor’s eyes met mine. He growled and stood in front of me. A snarl curled his lip, but he couldn’t stop his gaze dropping to my toes and slowly rising. Heat banked in his gaze when his perusal paused on the juncture between my thighs before rising over my flat stomach to my breasts. He inhaled deeply, and I knew he was scenting me; my fear and the lust that shivered through me at the desire in his gaze.

“Move.” My voice was more of a squeak than a demand.

“No fucking way.” His eyes flashed, his fists clenched. “Put your clothes back on.” The possessive growl in his voice had goosebumps exploding over my skin.

As much as I wanted to argue with the challenge in his tone, and wrap myself around that honed and magnificent body, now was not the time. I narrowed my eyes and bent down to pick up my bundled clothes. Instead of answering, I closed my eyes and called my fire to heat my hands, praying hard for her to answer. I needed to get Connor out of this place. My wolf heeded my desperation and faded into the recesses of my mind, giving Fire access. If I couldn’t do this we were all going to die. A burst of heat rushed down my arms, and into my hands. The bundle of clothes burst into flame. I staggered back as Fire immediately receded into the depths of my soul. Pushing off the wall, I darted around Connor before I threw them through the doorway. Smoke rose, creating a screen.

“What the hell are you doing?” Connor yelled before his eyes widened and he shook his head at me. “Damn stubborn, clever woman.” He glared at me, yanking his shirt off those impressive shoulders. I swallowed against my dry throat. His body was a work of art, all sculpted lines and hard muscle. I tried not to stare, more aware of my nakedness than ever. “Quick! Feed it!”

Walker yanked his silk shirt off and threw it on the pile. “Damn!” Owen hissed and threw his into the mix, before looking down at the others. “Shirts off, boys, now!”

They obliged and smoke soon filled the corridor.

Connor turned to peer out of the door. I didn’t wait to see his face when he spun back and reached for me. If I looked in those beautiful sky blue eyes, I wouldn’t want to leave his side. Instead, I let my wolf burst free. Mid change, I leaped from the doorway. Like me, she wanted to stay with her mate, but the urge to protect him was stronger. We needed to rip apart the people who had imprisoned him.

I darted through the smoke.

“Ember!” Connor’s urgent shout was lost in the gun fire. Bullets hit the wall above my head. I lowered my body down and headed to the edge of the corridor, away from the line of sight to the door, then dipped down to my haunches trying to make myself an even smaller target. Low to the ground I slunk along. The stench of fear and sweat hit my nostrils. I lowered down more, almost on my belly, and watched shadowy figures inch forward, firing round after round of silver bullets through the smoke, at the doorway. Connor and the others wouldn’t stand a chance of getting out. Once Owen’s gun ran out of ammo that would be it.

I crept closer. Hatred hit me like a freight train. These men were dressed in SBI uniforms. I couldn’t fathom why the SBI were locking up alphas and fae in underground cells, and taking away their ability to shift.

I snarled. Two agents came into view. Their attention remained on the door. They had no idea of the danger inching ever closer.

“Keep pushing, they can’t have that much ammo left,” one said.

My wolf was hungry for blood, so I released her. Within seconds she had latched onto the man’s forearm, tearing at the joints of his armour until it came away. She sunk her teeth into his flesh and severed it away. He screamed, his fingers loosening on his weapon. Clamping her great jaws around the gun, she yanked it from his grasp. I took control and shifted back to human. The man’s eyes widened at my naked form. Grinning evilly, I flipped the gun around, and shot him in his visor.

Shifting back to my wolf, I darted away from the next nearest agent. This time my wolf skidded to a halt near the wall and spun around. Without hesitation, she bent to her haunches, gathered her strength and leaped. Her front paws pushed his weapon down at the same time as she ripped at the armour around his neck. But this armour was meant to protect against wolves bigger than me, and though I knew where the vulnerabilities lay, I couldn’t get through. A sharp pain stung my side. Instinctively, I jumped away. Snapping, I didn’t give him a chance to raise his gun or throw the knife that he’d stabbed me with. I let my wolf’s viciousness take over. She launched at the only other vulnerable area. His face. I detached myself as she ripped at his flesh, the metallic taste of hot blood hitting her throat. She revelled in it, the scent of her prey only making her more wild. The other alphas rushed forward. One went down, shot in the chest, but the others barrelled into the armed men with no fear. Not even the bullet wounds they sustained in their arms and legs stopped them. The alphas ripped the guns away from the agents, and killed them.

“Ember!” My wolf’s attention snapped to the man who was our mate. She trotted up to him and rubbed against his legs. “We have to get out of here,” Connor said, keeping his gun trained on the corridor. I put my nose down to the ground and followed the scent of the guard who’d brought me in, looking behind occasionally to make sure Connor was following.

“I got you covered, Firecracker.” Owen and Walker jogged along behind Connor, the other alphas behind them. All of them were now armed thanks to the agents.

A locked door loomed before us. “Here!” Owen chucking an ID badge forward.

“That’s no good.” Connor, cursing loudly. “It’s a blood lock.”

Walker prowled up. Calmly, he held out a severed hand with part of its forearm attached.

Connor blinked and his brows dipped. He obviously wondered the same thing as me: how did Walker sever the man’s hand? But right then it didn’t matter. We needed to get out. Connor took the hand and slammed the palm on the pad. The metal bands clicked into place followed by the snap of a needle, and the door slid open. He glared at the cameras on the roof, aimed and shot them out. I ran forward, knowing we had to get to the next hatch before security had time to take this agent's blood profile out of the system. The next door opened and a storm of bullets rained forth.

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