Page 143 of The Firebrand
Leaning over Silas, who was on his ass in the dirt, Rein retracted his fangs and in a raspy whisper said, “There is no honor in your death. You died the day you gave in to the frenzy. Now your body will follow.” He grasped the hilt of his blade, twisting.
The red faded from Silas’s eyes, his natural silver gaze locking onto Rein’s cold-blooded blues. “You think you are invulnerable, Firebrand. So did I once. This sickness was not the path I coveted.”
Silas coughed, blood spewing from his lungs. “Cerberus rises. He will find those he seeks, destroy the portals, and take our rightful place upon the Earth once more.”
“Your rightful place is in Angor.” Rein quirked the blade once more, driving it deeper into Silas’s heart before he dragged the other stiletto across his neck, severing his head.
The few vampires who remained turned ass, sprinting away when they realized their leader was dead.
“Let them go,” said Rein, a hand to his gut. “The Firebrands can find them later.”
George and Alarik attracted his attention as they huddled in conversation. The human frowned. Alarik stomped off, flipping his hands into the air.
Elisabeta bent to wipe her bloody blade on the shirt of the vampire at her feet.
The minister tramped up to Rein, shaking his free hand while patting Braelyn’s shoulder. “Hell of a wedding! It was more than I expected, but I’ll be leaving now.”
“Thanks,” said Rein, nodding as the demon strode away. He gathered Braelyn close. Nuzzling the beating pulse in her neck, he waited for the after-battle rage to consume him. It didn’t hit. Since the Bludhunt, he had been centered. The beast who reveled in the frenzy was still there, though content, well fed. As long as his female was safe in his arms.
“You took a knife for me, idiot.” She finger-poked him.
“Yes, but I’m hard to kill.”
“Not impossible. Don’t do it again.”
“You owe me sympathy sex.”
“Your wish is my command, O dominant male.” She clasped her hand over his, the wound already sealing, her warmth making the pain tolerable. “At least that’s the end of the human trafficking.”
Rein stroked her hair, angling his head to press a kiss to the pulse in her neck.
When she shuddered, he released her, smacking her ass. “If there’s a next time, do what I tell you. Stay behind me.”
Before Braelyn shot back some smart-ass answer, Alarik interrupted. “What did Silas say to you?”
“He spouted lunacy about Cerberus rising, finding someone, destroying portals, taking our place at the top of the food chain. The usual purist bullshit.”
Alarik flinched, pivoting toward Braelyn’s father. “Did you hear that, George? Cerberus. What do you think now? Is it time?”
George, paler than before, nodded. “Let’s go inside to talk.”
Rein’s gaze pinged from father to father-in-law while the group traipsed back into the house. Something was up.
****
Braelyncollapsed in a chair while Rein planted himself behind her, on alert and arms crossed. Everyone but George and Alarik exchanged puzzled glances.
Before he settled on the couch beside Castia, Alarik poured Scotch all around. “I’ll start.” He tilted his glass, sipping from it. “After Silas kidnapped you, Braelyn, your captors extracted a blood sample. They did the same from each prisoner.”
“I know. I was there. So what? Everybody wants my blood.” She flashed a smile at Rein.
“Because Commander Kole questioned this strange procedure, he tested all humans before he sent them back to Earth. This was fortunate since Silas bombed his own lab, destroying all specimens there. Aisen set fire to their other records.”
Rein, never patient, wiped a hand over his close-cropped hair. “So? Get to the point.”
“The tests showed unexpected outcomes. Silas and Aisen did not choose random humans to bring here as sex slaves. From interviews with the prisoners and by examining their lab results, we learned of two commonalities. First, each had visited a hospital, medical center, doctor’s office, or donated blood. Second, each captive’s sample exhibited specific ancient genetic markers.”
“Very weird. But again, so?” Rein’s voice was gruff.
