Page 96 of Those That Defy the Realm

“We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t left. If I hadn’t let my insecurities rise up after all these months.”

Henry gently rubs my back. “That doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting out alive. Which we probably should be focusing on. I have no idea how the others are fairing against the pack.”

I pull back once more. “Others?”

“Yeah, you didn’t think I was alone, did you? I might have the will to break into a rival pack’s base, but I would’ve been killed already without a little help.”

“Ash?” My stomach drops as I think of him breaking his treaty to run to my rescue, to risk the lives of his entire pack to step foot on the continent.

“No,” Henry quickly reassures me. “He is probably going out of his mind, but he is in the Northern Isles. Ty, Antares and Bree are all out there fighting though, so we should probably get going.”

Easing to his feet after being on his knees on the concrete floor, Henry massages his joint where his prosthesis is joined before he helps me to stand. I don’t stay vertical for long, however, as the lack of blood in my system sends me crashing back to the bed with a fit of dizziness.

Instead of letting me try again once the room levels out, Henry bends, putting one arm around my back and the other behind my legs, being careful of my wounds. He lifts me into his arms with ease and heads for the corridor beyond my cell.

It’s a short distance through a set of rooms that I don’t recognise. I must’ve been unconscious until they’d secured me in that tiny room when I was brought here.

“Is it weird that there isn’t anyone around?” I whisper.

“Yes,” Henry replies. “But I’m not going to question it.”

Walking up a small flight of steps from within what looks like a storage room, Henry turns to shoulder his way through a closed door.

The next room isn’t empty. In fact there are several vampires, and one fae, who immediately turn to look at our entrance as the door swings shut behind us.

“Oh freaking gods, Claire!” Bree rushes over and slings her arms around me as Henry sets me onto my feet. He doesn’t let me fully go, however, keeping one hand around my centre, which I’m grateful for as my legs nearly give out.

“Careful with her.” The male vampire growls at my best friend.

“What the fuck happened?” Bree asks, putting some space between us but keeping her hands on my shoulders. “You’re covered in blood. Is that yours?”

Henry fills her in quickly on how he found me, and Ty comes over to listen as well. It gives me a few seconds to look at the state of them all as well. Their clothes are dishevelled, and Ty’s shirt is torn. Bree has a smattering of blood up one bare arm.

Beyond them, Antares is shifting a few bodies. I stumble back into my protector as a head rolls off the pile he’s building.

“Where’s Fillias?” Henry asks as he finishes.

“Phelan dragged his unconscious ass out of here,” Antares answers before anyone else can. “They escaped out the exit with a few others, abandoning the rest of the pack to fight us, fucking cowards.”

“So that’s why it went quiet,” Henry muses.

“I almost had him,” Ty says. “But we were so outnumbered, I couldn’t keep my hands on him for long enough to tear his head off his shoulders. We better move out before they come back, however. I don’t fancy another fight tonight, especially as there are more members of their pack. If they bring backup, I’m not sure we’d win, especially without our powers.”

“Still nothing?” Henry asks. I don’t have the strength to get them to give me the details, but if Ty doesn’t have his shadows, this pack must be powerful.

And they wanted me…

“No. I can feel them there, but it’s like they’re sleeping. It’s really fucking annoying.”

“Tiny pricks, the lot of them. Can’t believe they gassed us.” Antares complains.

“Anyway,” Ty stops him before he can get into a real tirade. “Let’s get out of here.

Henry scoops me into his arms once more, my hands instinctively winding their way around his neck this time. I can feel my strength slowly returning. Considering I’ve not had any medical intervention and haven’t replaced the blood I’ve lost, I don’t want to think how I’m recovering so quickly.

Not yet.

Unfortunately, my best friend doesn’t let me sink into denial as we cross the room and head for what I assume is the exit door. “So, are you a vampire now?”