AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pressed me against the wall with his body, pinning me in place as his hands moved up over me, around my neck, until he held my head in his palms. “And he will know that it was I who tasted you first, who took you first.”
I tried to brace myself for what I knew would come next. But he stopped short, not invading my thoughts.
His grip went slack, and I dropped to the ground. My body twitched and quivered violently as the shock gripped me. My mind began to recover, slipping out of the spell he’d put me under. Marcus wasn’t looking at me though. His attention was elsewhere, distracted by something I couldn’t see.
Everyone quieted as a subtle whistle of wind emanated from the wall. Marcus turned his back to me.
The room spun, and I struggled to push myself up to my knees. Nausea roiled through me, but I breathed slowly, trying to calm my stomach. I didn’t know what was happening, but I couldn't afford to linger on it. I pushed myself up, bracing myself against the wall as I struggled to my feet.
The shadows on the wall grew and stretched out from under lamps and tables, joining each other until they enveloped the wall entirely. My heart leapt at what I saw, and the air rushed from my lungs.
From the darkness emerged Damien, rage clear as day on his face, the air around him almost combustible. I’d never seen such rage mar that beautiful face of his.
Stepping out of the dark void behind him appeared Barrett, Vincent, and Zephyr, fury painting each of their faces except for Barrett, who looked as if he were about to have the time of his life as he cracked his knuckles. I’d never been happier to see them as I was now, but they were outnumbered.
The group of Marcus’ men rushed them before they could take another step, and I hurried to get as far from Marcus as I could, the movement swaying and blurring as my mind recovered from Marcus’ mental manipulation.
Amara intercepted me, uninterested in what sort of hell Damien and the others were about to be unleashed. “Going somewhere?”
My legs shook, struggling to hold me up. I paced back as she advanced, backing me toward the firepit. I needed something, anything to fight her off. A beer bottle might not be enough. My mind flew through every detail I’d looked over when I first entered this room.
The irons by the fire!
I whipped around, searching for them. Amara’s foot slammed into my back, knocking me into the pit. I narrowly avoided the fire, and adrenaline clouded the pain in my palms and knees as I lifted my face. I froze, my gaze meeting the unseeing eyes of Melissa’s body laying before me.Oh God…
My hand reached out to touch her, to shake her. But I knew it was no use. She was gone. If only I could’ve saved her, somehow stopped Marcus. She was gone, she was gone and there was nothing I could do for her.
“I could send you where she went if you like,” Amara sneered.
I whipped around to look back at her as she stalked toward me. Then, out of the corner of my eyes, I found them, leaning against one of the tables. I jumped to my feet and lunged to get a hold of one of the pokers, turning on her. My hands shook as I gripped the metal firmly, standing my ground.
Her lips curled as she approached me. I took a deep breath, focusing on stabilizing myself. I didn’t know if I stood a chance in hell against her, but I wasn’t going to go quietly.
“How pathetic. You really think you can take me on? That’s adorable,” she snickered, placing her hand on her hip.
I stumbled back as she stalked closer. I knew she was right: a human didn’t stand a fair chance against one of her kind. I ground my teeth together as a cocky grin spread across her face, and my palms gripped the iron tightly.
She lurched for me, and my feet slid in an oddly instinctual way, stepping out of her path. As she lost her footing and fumbled forward. I swung the iron down as hard as I could, cracking it against the back of her head, and she collapsed to the floor unconscious.
The iron slipped from my hands, bouncing off the floor, the metal ringing in my ears as it hit the concrete. I heaved, bile rising in my throat at the feel of the metal connecting with her skull. I inhaled heavily through my teeth, my palms clammy, and a cold sweat broke out over my skin.
She’s not dead, Cas, just unconscious. Just unconscious.
My balance wavered as I fell against the wall, the remnants of Marcus’ mind manipulation still fading from my body. I turned, looking to see the all-out war erupting before me. I pushed off the wall and stumbled forward as my eyes searched frantically for Damien.
Barrett’s fist slammed across a man’s jaw. The guy hit the wall and slid to the floor unconscious. Nearby, Zephyr knocked his head into another’s face, busting his nose open before grabbing a chair and smashing it over the guy’s head. The metal frame splintered apart as it knocked him out.
They communicated as they fought, and while I couldn’t understand what they were saying over the commotion, the way they fought together was fluid, perfectly in sync.
Hands took hold of me in my daze, twisting my arm and pinning it behind my back. I looked back, glimpsing Cole’s face. His hand plastered over my mouth before I could scream for Damien. He forced me to sidestep, using me as some sort of human shield.
Barrett's gaze found us, and he went rigid as he locked eyes with Cole at my back. Sorrow drained any emotion he felt before, and his eyes wavered a moment before he looked away, yelling Damien’s name.
I followed the direction he was looking to find Damien. He was beating Marcus senseless, fist bloodied as he repeatedly slugged him. Marcus slumped as Damien clenched the front of his t-shirt, his face a bloody mess. Damien grabbed a handful of Marcus’ hair, slamming Marcus’ head into his knee. Before he could recover, Damien yanked him back up, ripping a dagger from his holster, prepping to finish him off.
“Damien!” Barrett yelled again, and he looked up, finding Barrett as he motioned in my direction.
His brows shadowed his eyes as anger continued to consume him. His glare met Cole, and for a moment a wave of shock washed over his face. He released Marcus, who collapsed to the floor. His eyes darted between Cole and me for a moment, and I watched as his face melted from shock and confusion to pure deep-seated rage.
