Jace Read online

  It’s all right, Miri.

  A thought came back, awkward and weakened by distance, but very Miri in tone. It’d better be. I don’t want to die down here.

  You’re not going to die.

  You can’t promise that.

  No, he couldn’t. But he could lie. Yes, I can. Just keep climbing and I promise you, it will all be okay.

  I’m holding you to that.

  You do that.

  She was almost to safety, but their situation was precarious.

  The woman’s heart rate steadied; her breathing regulated. As soon as Jace pulled his wrist from her mouth, Derek snatched her against his chest, his breath coming in hard draws, his grip tender as he took her moan against his neck. His gaze met Jace’s. “Thank you.”

  Jace closed the wound on his wrist. “Anytime.” He motioned to her. “She’s going to get very sick before the change completes.”

  “I know.”

  “She’s going to need blood for her first feeding.”

  “I’ll give it to her.”

  “More than you can probably spare.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  The set expression on his face didn’t give Jace a warm fuzzy about the ware’s ability to let another man around her long enough to fulfill her first bloodlust.

  “You might have to let her go.”

  “I don’t have to do shit.”

  He didn’t suppose he did. Lord knew, if it came to a choice between life without Miri or death with her, he’d take the latter. “Let’s get her free of this mess.”

  Together they lifted the concrete slab. It immediately became clear that the rebar that had punctured the vampire’s heart, stopping it, was the same rebar that pierced her chest.

  Jace took a breath, fighting the dizziness that came from giving too much blood and expending too much energy. “Pull it off slowly.”

  Derek nodded.

  With every inch that rasped free, precious blood flowed. Jace worked feverishly. As the last inch cleared, he sealed off the wound.

  Looking up, he saw the dead vampire hadn’t been just guarding the woman and subsequently caught in the collapse. If his undone pants were a clue, he’d been intent on having sex with her. Derek took the heavy body and hurled it, concrete and all. As the body hit the wall, Jace looked at the woman. There were some very distinct bruises on the woman’s body that had nothing to do with falling objects. Some were old. Some were new.

  “The bastards.”

  Derek didn’t say a word, just shrugged out of his heavy coat and carefully wrapped it around the woman. The heavy shearling all but swallowed her, with just her slender calves emerging. Growls rumbled from his chest as he buttoned it closed.

  Jace traced Miri’s progress. Clever little wolf. She was almost out.

  Jace touched the woman’s shoulder. “I did the best I could, but some of it’s fragile.”

  Derek nodded and slid his hands under her shoulders and legs, her bare feet dangling. “Understood.”

  Jace stood with him, those bare feet bothering him. “Until her conversion is complete, she can’t regulate her body temperature.”

  Derek took a breath, every one a struggle for control. He glared at the corpse in the corner. “Get the boots off the bastard.”

  Jace admired Derek’s ability to think rationally with emotion pounding him. Jace didn’t know if he could stand to see anything of his woman’s rapist on her body. He made short work of stripping the boots and socks from the body. The socks slid easily over the woman’s feet and calves, but there was no way to keep the huge boots on her tiny feet. No matter how tightly he tied them, they fell off.

  “You’re gonna have to make do with the socks.”

  Derek nodded. He turned to leave, then stopped and stood there, feet braced. “Thank you.”

  Jace pulled his gun, unlocking the safety. “You’d do the same for me.”

  In fact, he already had by coming to help rescue Miri.

  “I just wish I knew how to save her without converting her. Being vampire isn’t going to make things easy for you.”

  “Her being vampire gives me a chance. I don’t need more than that.” Derek’s expression was so cold it appeared set in stone. “Your woman’s almost out.”

  “Yeah.” Jace headed down the corridor, trailing Miri’s mental path rather than her scent.

  Derek was right behind him. “You’ve got a long row to hoe with that woman.”

  Jace shrugged. “I’ve got forever to do it in.”

  “If she’ll continue to accept you.”

  He frowned at Derek. “What in hell do you mean?”

  “Weres don’t convert to vampires. Once mated, their longevity depends on their continued intake of vampire blood.”

  Son of a bitch! He’d let Miri go on ahead of him because he thought she was immortal now. He put on more speed, going so fast debris seemed to fall in slow motion. “How long does the effect last?”

  Derek kept pace. “It depends, from couple to couple.”

  “Tell me more than ten minutes.”

  “Okay. More than ten minutes.”

  He did not need Derek’s levity right now. He cut him a glare. “Now tell me the truth.”

  Derek paced him easily, not breaking stride or breath. “There haven’t been that many were/vampire couplings, and as blood exchange is normal on a daily basis we don’t have a lot of cold hard facts.”

  Jace took a sharp left, hunching to avoid the low-hanging brace beam. Miri had been converted when she’d taken his blood. There was no going back. “I’ll take speculation.” Hell, at this point, he’d take anything.

  “About a week.”

  The knot in his chest loosened. “Thanks.”

  “Of course, that was only after the couple’s bond had been reinforced multiple times.”

  Jace cut Derek a glare. “You just had to add that.”

  “You asked.”

  So he had. “What do you know about were/vampire children?”

  “Enough to know that you-all are in one hell of a fix.”

  “Yeah.”

  “On the bright side, you have a child to be in a fix about. Not all such pairings are fertile.”

  He knew Derek was thinking about the impossibility of completing his mating to the woman. Weres lived for family and pack, desired children more than anything. Cherished them. Converting his potential mate to vampire might have robbed Derek of every werewolf’s dream, but Derek hadn’t even hesitated in making the decision, any more than he would hold back from his commitment to her. The woman, whoever she was, was a very lucky one.

  An explosion lower down shook the ground beneath their feet and sent debris crashing around them. Derek, running beside him, hunched protectively over the woman. With his forearm, Jace blocked a falling chunk of concrete from striking the were’s head. He continued tracking Miri, fumbling with the connection, finding the link, surging along it until he saw what she saw. She was at the opening, scenting the air as she pulled rock away, getting ready to dash across the open field.

  No!

  All his order did was fuel her desperation and make Derek flinch. His projecting needed fine-tuning.

  Damn it, woman, don’t you move.

  Her Don’t tell me what to do! came back in a succinct denial of obedience.

  Jace swore.

  Derek’s shoulder bumped his as they took another left. “I take it she’s not listening?”

  “She’s thinking of dashing across the field.”

  “Not good.”

  “No shit. Where the hell is pack obedience when I need it?”

  “You’re not pack.”

  “I’m her mate. I rank higher.”

  Miri’s scent came to him, along with the clean scent of the night. They were almost upon her. One more turn and he saw her. She spotted him at about the same time. One quick glance over her shoulder, and she frantically dug at the opening. Derek saw the same thing he did. And damn him for the smile. �
�Looks like you’ve got some work ahead of you convincing her of that.”

  Miri dove for the opening. She got as far as those luscious hips of hers and then hung up. The view had Jace hard in an instant, despite the danger, despite his anger. “You goddamn well better have your eyes closed, Derek.”

  “Not likely.”

  If his friend hadn’t been holding the small woman, Jace would have shoved him into the wall. Miri kicked and wiggled. Along with her scent came the odor of fresh blood. His vampire instincts homed in on the source immediately. She’d cut the bottom of her foot.

  He dropped beside her. She kicked back hard when his fingers encircled her ankle. He went with the momentum, sitting back, dragging her out of the hole. She emerged, a snarling, twisting ball of fear, talons outstretched, canines flashing. Jace caught her hands before she could find his face. Fury radiated off her, bathing him with the heat of her emotions. She squirmed on his lap, igniting his lust. Damn, she was something. Her lips drew back from her teeth, her eyes narrowed. Bending his head, he put his neck within reach as he whispered for her ears alone, “If you bite me, I’m going to come.”

  She went absolutely still. Very slowly, as if she was afraid any motion was going to set him off, she raised her eyes to his. The hint of vulnerability deepened the normally soft brown color. “You are such a pervert.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was all he could do to suppress it. “You’re just remembering that?”

  Miri in a snit had always been the hottest thing he’d ever seen. Something she’d often used to get her way, because he was very susceptible to her charms.

  The sound of rock tumbling against rock drove play from his mind. He shoved Miri at Derek, who dragged her beneath the breadth of his shoulders, shielding both women as best he could with his bigger body. With all the strength he had, and some he hadn’t realized he possessed, Jace tossed debris from the pile, widening the hole. Derek’s curses and Miri’s gasps drove him on past weariness to sheer determination. Another curse from Derek and something slipped beneath him. Miri.

  “Get the hell clear.”

  “Shut the hell up.”

  She grabbed a rock and tossed it back, reaching for another.

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  More rocks came down. “Appears to me, either way, I’m in danger of being buried alive.”

  “Less likely to happen over there.”

  He hauled a boulder back.

  She slipped under his arm and worked her way into the hole. “Pardon me, but if I’m going to get crushed by a pile of rocks, I don’t think it particularly matters where it happens.”

  She wiggled back, dragging rocks with her, squealing as the dirt poured down on her head. He grabbed her feet and hauled her out. “How the hell can you do something so incredibly brave and then squeal like a girl when it gets you dirty?”

  She shoved the dirt out of her eyes. “Probably because I’m a girl.”

  He tugged the jacket he’d given her to wear down over her thighs. “So we can all see.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Miri,” Derek called.

  “What?”

  “Come here and care for this female.”

  It galled Jace to no end that Miri stood immediately and headed toward the were. Jace caught her hand. She jerked around, her hair swinging around her face. He motioned to Derek. “We’re going to have to talk about that.”

  “What?”

  “Your instant obedience to Derek.”

  She frowned. “He’s Alpha.”

  “And I’m your mate.”

  She yanked her arm free. “He’s earned my respect.”

  “Let her go, Jace.”

  Jace had no intention of doing anything of the kind. “Stay out of it, Derek.”

  “As an unmated were, Miri’s my responsibility.”

  “We’re mated.”

  “The union wasn’t sanctioned. It’s not recognized.”

  Miri jerked her hand free and headed to Derek’s side. “We don’t have time to waste arguing this.”

  She knelt by the woman Derek held and took her head into her lap. Derek touched the unconscious woman’s cheek, brushing the dirt from the edges of her eyelashes before standing and coming over to grab the rock Jace handed him. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the woman. “If you’re so gone over her now, what in hell you going to do when she wakes up?” Jace asked as the were went to work beside him.

  “Bear it.”

  Jace yanked a hunk of rock free. “You could just marry her.”

  “Were law is very specific on that. Mating is a woman’s choice.”

  “And I’m willing to bet were males have been getting around the specifics of that law since the day after it was made.”

  “Maybe.”

  Jace sighed. “But not you?”

  “No.” He tossed a rock back. “She’s been tricked enough.”

  Jace threw the rock behind him. It bounced off the floor before rolling up against the wall. “One of these days you’re going to realize pack law is made to be broken.”

  Derek looked over at the woman, regret in his eyes. “Maybe.” He turned back, his expression as barren as the cavern behind them. Derek was pack to his bones. What part of his soul that wasn’t claimed by his mate was owned by his pack. Breaking pack law would break him. Surrendering his mate would kill him. Nothing of the bleakness of his choice was reflected in Derek’s tone as he motioned toward the night beyond the opening.

  “The hole’s big enough. Let’s go.”

  3

  THEY were running out of time. Jace grabbed Miri’s shoulders and pulled her, and the unconscious woman tied to her back, out of the hole. Using Miri as a makeshift sled for Kim had seemed the safest way. He steadied Kim, catching her when she slid to the side as Miri stood. Kim was incredibly light and tiny. It didn’t take any effort at all to hold her. With an explosion of energy, Derek surged out of the hole, not even pausing to brush the dust from his clothes before taking Kim from Jace.

  The werewolf studied her with an intensity that was unnerving as he shifted her in his arms. Kim’s head lolled over the crook of his elbow, her long black hair falling straight toward the ground. Derek looked at him. “How much time do I have?”

  Jace didn’t really know. He and his brothers weren’t in the habit of converting humans. “Judging by what happened to Allie, about three hours.”

  “Shit.” Derek swore, glancing at the sky. There were only about two hours until dawn. “Can she stand the sun before she’s converted?”

  Jace caught Miri’s hand, keeping her at his side. “I don’t know, but Allie couldn’t stand any light on her eyes.”

  Derek took a breath, stroked the woman’s cheek with that foreign tenderness. “Then I’ll have to make do.”

  “You’re a good four hours from the D’Nally compound.”

  “I know.”

  “You could hole up until tonight.”

  Derek was shaking his head. “No. I want her safe.”

  Jace pulled Miri closer, squeezing her fingers when she tugged at her hand.

  “I can’t go with you,” Miri said to Derek.

  Derek’s slate gray eyes fastened on Miri. “No. You can’t.”

  The little bit of hope Jace clung to that the wolves would accept their union died.

  Derek lifted his head. Jace didn’t need to hear his “Company coming” to know the Sanctuary thugs were closing in. He could feel them like an itch under his skin.

  “Good luck.”

  “I’ll catch up to you later.”

  “I’ll be watching for you.”

  Derek took off across the barren clearing, reaching the scraggly pines in a blink of an eye before disappearing into the shadows of the rocks rimming the base of the bluff.

  “Do you think he’ll make it?” Miri asked.

  Jace glanced down at her face. The scars down both her cheeks glowed brilliantly white in his night vision. He reached up and
touched them. “If not, he’ll die trying.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not so pretty anymore, am I?”

  The scars were perfectly smooth, perfectly symmetrical. They had to have been done on purpose, and, to become permanent, they had to have been inflicted when she was near death. It took one hell of a lot to put a were near death and then keep him or her there long enough to scar. “You’re beautiful.”

  The enemy was getting closer. So was the dawn. He hooked his arm around her waist and lifted her up.

  Miri wrapped her arms around his neck. “You lie.”

  He levitated them across the packed snow and frozen ground. “No, I don’t.”

  “You lied in the cave.”

  “When?”

  “When you promised I’d be all right.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Aren’t you?”

  “But you couldn’t know I would be.”

  “But you are, so I didn’t, and your argument is empty.”

  “Hrrmph!”

  It wasn’t as easy as it should have been carrying her. He’d given her too much blood, weakening himself. She frowned up at him. “I can walk.”

  “You’d leave footprints.”

  “You could erase them.”

  “That would leave an energy trail.”

  Her claws dug into his nape. “You could leave me.”

  He ducked under a branch. “Never again.”

  A disturbance in the energy to the left raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Miri opened her mouth. He put his hand over it. Something was wrong. She didn’t move, just froze, absolute and complete terror staining her scent, startling him. He smoothed his thumb over her cheek. His lips over her brow, wrapping a thread of energy around hers. As much as he dared.

  You’re safe.

  She didn’t relax, and he guessed he couldn’t blame her. They were out in the open, and she had only him to rely on. Their brief time together hadn’t allowed him an opportunity to play knight to her damsel in distress.

  Stay quiet.

  Her eyes widened. The nod of her head was almost imperceptible.