Forbidden Lineage

Chapter 17

“I’m certain, Locke.  Bet my life on it they wouldn’t.”  She said with conviction, and Damien could hear a hint of a smile in her voice.

Again, the arms slipped under him.  ‘Leave me be!’  He wanted to scream, but even with his eyes closed, he felt darkness creep over him and knew he wasn’t going to be fighting for much longer…

Kai:

The first thing he scented as they appeared on solid ground was trouble.  His arms tightened around Sofia as Nik released them and raced through the rooms, realizing long after he did, that they were still alone.

“Dante’s in the city.”  He spat in disgust, arms tightening around Sofia and glaring accusingly at Nik. 

“Easy, kid.  This place is like Forte Knox.”  Nik said, sitting down sullenly.  “No way in or out, unless you’re invited or permitted to leave.  Dante will never find us here.”

“I can smell him.”  Kai wrinkled his nose and looked around the spacious apartment.

“You can, I cannot.”  Nik reminded him.  “If I can’t scent him, he can’t scent me.  I’ll ask Medea to block out our mental links just to be certain he doesn’t try to tap in.” 

There was rustling in the next room, and Kai turned to Sofia. 

She smiled through their bond encouragingly.  ‘It’ll be okay babe.’

‘I hope so.’  He told her silently.

‘I’ll do my best, promise.’ 

‘I know you will, love.’  He kissed her slowly and sighed when he released her.  Turning to find Nik already flying through the door, he pulled Sofia along behind him and followed.  He wasn’t sure what he was headed for, but he mentally prepared himself for it.  His senses perked quickly, picking up three distinctly different heartbeats, and three familiar scents.  One was normal, human like, the scent powerful and alluring.  Medea.

The other was rapid, the scent unwelcome, making the hair on his arm stand on end.  Shifter.

The third heartbeat was sluggish, the shallow breathing uneven, but the scent, familiar.  His father.

Fighting the drag in his steps as he entered the room, the Shifter started and swung around, his eyes wide.  He slowly pulled Sofia behind him and paused, taking in the red headed vixen who held firmly onto Nik’s shoulders as he knelt beside the bed, the frail looking young man who seemed too small amidst the giant white pillows that surrounded his thin frame, and a visibly shaking shifter who seemed ready to pounce on him with the next move he made.  He weighed his options in a nanosecond.  He could take the shifter down in a moment, but he didn’t want to risk the Witch turning a spell on him.  Nor did he want to bring more trouble to his brother.  Brother….it felt strange to say the words even if they were in his head.  Nik had practically raised him.

“Beast!”  The Shifter bellowed, breaking through his musing.

“Silence, Locke!”  Medea snapped her fingers, and instantly, the big man lost his voice.  Slack jawed, he hissed around a sentence before glaring at Medea from behind.  He lifted his hands up with a ‘what-the-hell’ motion.

“Keep that up, and you’ll make a lovely pet cat.”  Medea warned.  Locke immediately shut up and crossed his arms on his chest. 

“Come.”  Medea moved to the side and gestured for him to join them.  His legs felt like rubber as he hesitantly made his way to the bed.  Sofia murmured words of support, but his ears settled for something else.  Thirty beats, six uneven breaths…the hairless figure laying unconscious on the bed still managed to claim all of his attention.  He could pass for a brother, looking no older than himself, but the dark circles under his deeply sunken eyes told of his plight.  His skin was taut, white against the violet throw he was laying atop.  His faded blue T clung to him, outlining his bony frame.  This man smelled familiar to him.