Dayton swallowed hard, working on containing his emotions. His mate was okay. She was more than okay, she was pissed as hell and that fire in her eyes reminded him that she was a vampire and a lot harder to kill than most people. He pulled her ear to his mouth, his lips caressing her gently for a moment as he breathed in her scent, his wolf becoming less agitated at the contact with her soft skin.
It took him another moment but he finally managed to ground himself in her scent, satisfy himself that she was as safe as either of them could be at the moment. Her calm, controlled demeanour helped him and he finally let out a muffled sigh. “Honey, your idea of distraction is enough to stop my heart,” he murmured softly. “If you could keep it to a minimum I’d appreciate it.” He kept his tone light but he knew she would hear some fear in it.
Freya knew where he’d just been in his mind, knew he’d relived losing Faith and the agony that would have caused him. It was another reason to add to all the others for why she was going to spill blood in the not so distant future. His tone didn’t fool her but she strove to match it.
“They’ll pick up the blood trail fairly quickly. Once they do that I’m going to have to act if the pack hasn’t arrived. I will try to avoid being shot again.” She let her lips curl in a slight smile. “This is the second time you’ve passed out at the sight of blood. You could have warned me I was choosing such a sensitive soul to mate with.”
His hand gripped the nape of her neck and his kiss was hard and bruising. It was brief but he needed the contact with her even if it lasted only a fraction of a second. “When we get out of this, you are so going to pay for that smartass remark, vampire.”
“I will look forward to being suitably punished,” she remarked drolly, her eyes flickering into the forest again. “Now hush and let me listen while your body heals. I need to see if there are more than the three I originally picked up.”
*****
The instant Nors warned Rafe of his sister’s distress call the compound turned into a flurry of activity. The Alpha had learnt well from previous experience and the new pack was prepared for the unexpected.
The compound had been built with attack in mind and the moment the order went out, the vulnerable members of the pack were being escorted down to the basement levels of the Alpha’s home, the community centre and the medical centre.
Experience had shown that having a separate evacuation site split the pack to its detriment. Beneath the main buildings were purpose built tunnels blocked off by carefully concealed steel doors and shrouded in a low static pulse that shielded thoughts from Vampires. The tunnels were soundproofed and well stocked with basic foods and water. They could shelter the vulnerable for weeks if need be.
Rafe left Aaron coordinating their defences and ran upstairs to his room. Lacey was already dressed, their sons clutched tightly to her chest as her eyes shone with fury. He felt a surge of pride deep within him as he strode to the closet and pulled out the pre-prepared bags full of essentials for both his mate and his sons.
He hooked the bags over each shoulder and then turned to face her. “The compound is safe for the moment. The danger is about a mile away. Dayton and Freya are pinned down and we need to get to them as quickly as possible.” He reached out as she handed Ben to him.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to give her a hard kiss as she cradled Aaron protectively in her arms. Her scent held no fear, just the rage of a mother whose children were being threatened. He couldn’t have picked a more perfect mate.
“Dayton can’t lose another mate, Rafe. It will kill him.” Lacey hadn’t spent much time with the newer member of their pack but the little she had was enough to tell her that they would be friends.
“Freya can take care of herself. It’s Dayton I’m more concerned about. If one of the vampires gets to him then we’ll lose him.” Rafe was ushering her out of the room and down the stairs as he spoke, his arm a band of steel across her shoulder.
“She’s wild,” Lacey countered. “And thinks she’s invulnerable. She could do something stupid in her need to protect him. You have to get there as soon as possible. We’ll be fine here. Everyone knows what to do.”
Rafe’s heart swelled with pride as he stared into his mate’s eyes. Her protective instincts for the pack rivalled even his own. He kissed her, long and hard, a little of his hidden fear coming to the fore. He knew he had to leave her to protect his pack members. It didn’t mean he wanted to.
“I love you, Lace.” It was a quiet declaration breathed against her lips. “Take care of our boys and make sure that you don’t come out of the tunnels until the all clear has been sounded.”
“I love you too, Rafe. Now go do what you need to do.” She nudged him away and he handed off the bags to Harley who was waiting patiently beside them. He gently placed Ben back in her arms and kissed the babies on their foreheads. Then he kissed his mate once more.
“Make sure the door is sealed tightly and then meet me at the community centre,” he told his Beta before he turned and strode away. It went against everything within him to walk away from his family but he knew that taking out the attacking vampires was the only true way to keep them safe.
He met Aaron on his way outside to the gathering group at the community centre. Cedar and Loretta were already there as well as Nors and some lower ranking pack members.
“Anything more from Freya?”
Nors shook his head. “I don’t want to distract her in case she needs her full concentration. If anything changes for the worst then she’ll let me know.”
“Dayton?” Cedar’s eyes reflected her concern for her brother as she watched the vampire’s face intently. Aaron was standing beside her and his body was taut with strain. They had only just gotten their brother back. It would crush them if anything happened to him.
Nors couched his answer carefully. Freya had a habit of being evasive at times when she didn’t want something known. The fact she’d only stipulated the wolf was safe from bullets didn’t preclude that he hadn’t been hurt in some other way. “As far as I’m aware he’s fine at the moment. Freya will protect him until we get there.”