Page 50 of Witch's Exile
20
DEJA
We alerted my guys immediately. Ash was pissed.
"I haven't had time to set up another anchor," he said through gritted teeth. "We're stuck here. We have to fight."
"They are most likely scouts who have been tracking me," Seth said with regret in his voice. "I'm not as stealthy as you guys. But they won't want to fight us. They'll just want to confirm we're here and report back."
"We can't let that happen." Ash gave a cold, pointed look at Raum and Sal. When Sal grinned with delight, I knew that look meant giving permission to kill.
"What can I do?" I piped up.
"Nothing. You're staying inside." Ash turned his cold gaze to me. "Keep away from the windows. Don't look outside."
"What? Fuck that!" I yelled. "I'm as strong as any of you. Let me beat some hunter ass!"
"No! You're their number one target." Ash's face softened as he wrapped a hand around the back of my neck. "We can't risk losing you. Either of you."
A flutter in my low belly made me wonder if it was nerves or my daughter protesting too.
"Fine," I lied through gritted teeth. "Don't be dumbasses out there."
Ash's mouth twitched before he dropped a soft kiss to my mouth. "Wouldn't dream of it, love."
Raum came up to me next and gave me a kiss full of tongue and teeth, clearly showing Ash how it was supposed to be done. I could feel Ash's eyeroll from a few feet away.
"Back before you know it, baby," Raum grinned with a wink.
Sal was nowhere to be seen, which likely meant he already shifted and had slunk away to stalk his prey in the woods. The other three filed out the front door with Ash leading and Seth bringing up the rear. Right before they closed the door, I made a last ditch effort to join the fight.
I stuck my foot out to block the door from closing and turned to slide my body through the gap, but Seth was too fast.
His hand pressed against my chest and pushed me back against the wall with surprising strength. It didn't hurt, but left me stunned enough not to fight back.
Our eyes locked as we both breathed tense, ragged breaths, his palm splayed out on my bare skin and dangerously close to my breasts. Damn my love for oversized V-necks. All the air seemed to get sucked out of the room and I couldn't stop staring at his full lips again.
And just as quickly as it happened, he pulled his hand away and shut the door behind him on his way out.
I immediately ran to the kitchen window, fuck what Ash told me.
The three of them walked casually out to the clearing in front of the house. All of them cloaked in shadow, looking shrouded in darkness despite the sunlight overhead. They would be completely invisible to the hunters. I would have to thank Chase and the shifters somehow after this was over. If it weren't for them looking out for us, we would’ve been ambushed rather than ready and waiting.
A few long, tense moments of silence passed until movement from the treeline caught my eye. Five people, dressed in all black tactical gear came running into the clearing, straight for the guys they couldn't see. They looked wide-eyed and afraid and I soon saw why.
A huge mountain lion came loping after them. Sal was barely running at all, yet still swiping his massive paws at the heels of the hunters. He slowed to a trot and yawned as they came running up on the other three, who were more than ready.
All five hunters suddenly grimaced and fell flat on their backs as if they ran straight into a glass wall. It was almost comical.
The three shadowed guys gestured through the air as they cast their spells, with Sal circling around the hunters to corral them in.
My breath relaxed. This looked like it would be easy. Even if there were five hunters to four demons, they were no match for my guys.
Plus Seth. Because Seth wasn't mine and never would be.
One of the hunters, the leader from what it seemed, shouted an order to the others and they each drew an unusual-looking weapon from a holster on their backs. It looked like something between a gun and a crossbow, and cast bright glares in the sunlight from being an entirely bright silver color.
Immediately something changed. My guys--plus Seth--looked tense. Maybe even worried. Which made me worried. I pressed my nose to the kitchen window, not caring if anyone saw me.
