Guardian's Grace, page 15
“Your cells are deteriorating,” Emma countered. “The mating mark has faded, and your blood is changing. You’ll survive if the mating completely disengages, but if you mate Grace again, you might not. You probably wouldn’t, actually. We’ve never seen anything like this. You do understand that, right?”
“I do,” Adare said, focusing on Emma. “Mercy is a Key, and she and Logan successfully mated. Have you tested their blood?”
Emma nodded. “Of course, but after they mated. Their results were like those of every other mated pair.”
“As ours will be.” He focused on Grace. “We will mate tonight. Wrap your head around that, because the discussion is over.”
Fury zapped through Grace so quickly she could barely breathe. “You’d sacrifice your life for me, but I can’t do the same for you, you arrogant ass?”
“No.” He turned on his heel and strode away.
“Well,” Faith said, pressing her lips together.
Emma chewed on her lip. “That’s that, then.”
The hell it was.
* * * *
Adare returned to the gym just as Benny finished knocking one of the punching bags off the ceiling. Good. Anticipation rippled through his veins, inciting the need to hit. “You want to spar?”
Benny partially turned, sweat forming a V down his shirt. “Sure, but why aren’t you with Grace?”
Adare ducked his head and charged, hitting Benny mid-center and lifting him up before slamming him down on the mat.
Benny landed on his back and struck up, rolling away and flipping sideways to his feet. “Okay, then. You really want to spar.” Using his teeth, he tore the tape off his hands, his eyes glittering. “Let’s do this right.” He toed off his boots. “No boots. I don’t want you to wear my tread for the next week.”
Adare grinned, letting his fangs drop. “Fair enough.” He reached down and pulled his boots off, tossing them over his shoulder. The second he let them fly, Benny kicked, nailing him beneath the jaw. Stars exploded in his head, and he stumbled back, dropping to one knee and sweeping out of pure instinct.
Benny back-flipped, landing easily on the mat. “So. Where’s Grace?”
Adare went full out, hitting and dodging, while catching Benny up on the news of the day. Benny asked questions, made comments, and showed no mercy with his strikes.
After two hours, they were both bleeding and bruised, flat on their backs, coughing and wincing. It was the best Adare had felt in weeks.
Benny hacked up a lung and groaned. “Man, I feel good. You?”
“Much better.” Adare sent healing cells to his skull, which had been split into two or maybe three parts. “I appreciate the sparring.”
“Me too,” Benny said, stretching his legs out. A bone popped back into place, and he sucked in air. “That was a great kick, by the way.”
“Your left has gotten stronger. I think you broke my eye socket.” Adare sent healing cells to his socket.
“Gee. Thanks.” Benny panted heavily, staring up at the high ceiling. “Maybe if you admitted you loved her, then her cells wouldn’t eat yours.”
Adare winced as his broken fingers slowly mended. “I don’t love her.”
“Well, you at least like her. I mean, you’ve surrounded yourself with her photographs for years, and it’s not because you’ve always had an appreciation for the arts. Right?”
“I like her art.” Okay, maybe he liked what he saw in her photographs. Her. She was insightful and kind, strong and adventurous. And a calculating liar who’d deceived him. “She’s not who I thought.”
Benny chuckled, the sound slightly pained. “Right. She pulled one over on you.” He kicked out a foot and rolled his ankle. “That only makes you want her more. I know you, Highlander. Have for centuries. You can fool yourself, but you can’t fool me.”
How screwed up had Adare’s life become that Benny was making sense? “I’ve wanted her since the first time she opened her eyes and started defying me,” he admitted. “But I’ve always been afraid to hurt her.”
Benny laughed. “To think it’s her cells that will eat yours like miniature Pac-men.”
Adare grimaced at the image. “I didn’t survive the ritual of the Seven to be taken down by mating a fragile human, Benny.” Even one who’d surprised him with her bravery the other day.
“I know, Brother. But she ain’t a fragile human. Well, she might be fragile and she could’ve been human, but she’s a Key. We don’t even know the full implications of that fact.” Benny exhaled slowly as healing tingles wafted from him. “By the way, you’ve been a good brother. I hope you don’t die.”
“I love you too, man,” Adare returned, chuckling along with Benny. “Seriously. It has been an honor, Benjamin Reese.” He stood and reached down a hand to help Benny up.
Benny grabbed him in a hard hug, smacking his back with a force that echoed through the quiet. “It has, and you need to live through this.” He stepped away; his gaze serious. “I think you’re gonna have to let go that hold you have on emotion to do it. It wasn’t your fault the Highlanders died, and it wasn’t your fault that your family perished.” He scratched his chin. “In fact, a lot didn’t die. You know that.”
Adare nodded. Many of his brethren had gone into service with the British, but the clan system was destroyed. “My way of life ended.”
“Yeah, but now we have running water. Clean clothes. Netflix.” Benny grinned. “It’s a better world, and mine will go dark if you leave it, so how about you grow a pair and hit the emotion hard?”
Adare cut him a look.
Benny set his stance. “If you don’t, she’ll say no, and we both know you won’t force her. Even if it means she dies.”
Adare couldn’t argue with that. He’d never force a woman. “Did you just tell me to grow a pair?”
“Yep.”
“You want to go again?” Adare muttered.
Benny shook out his arms and rolled his neck. “Sure. Let’s do it.”
“Knock it off.” Grace walked into the room, her face pink, with both Emma and Faith on her heels. “We, um, may have found a solution. Maybe.” She wouldn’t look him in the eye.
The riot inside him settled, hard and fast, definite and sure. “Unless it involves us mating, I don’t want to hear it.” He said the words as gently as he could.
Grace’s head snapped up. “Stop being bossy and just listen, damn it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell the truth? Finally?”
She rolled her eyes. Actually rolled her pretty green eyes at him. “Yes. The truth is, we think you can create some antibodies to me. At first, the doctors didn’t think so, but then we did a whole bunch more experiments that included my giving way too much blood. I think this’ll work. You just have to agree and not be all growly and a pain in the butt about it.”
If she was trying for his cooperation, she was failing. He looked sideways at the queen. “Well, doctor? Want to explain?”
The queen cleared her throat. “How do you feel about taking Grace’s blood?”
His own blood began to hum. Strong and sure. “I’m all for it.”
Chapter 20
Paxton Phoenix had one goal in life and that was to keep Hope safe. That was it. Nothing more. He’d never stood up to his father before, but when faced with the choice, there wasn’t one. “Get out of here, Hope. Now.” He wasn’t big or strong like his father, but he could hold the male off long enough for Hope to run.
“I’m not leaving you.” Her voice shook as hard as her hand in his, but she tried to step up to his side again.
His father gave a smile, the mean one he only got after he’d been taking the white powder and drinking alcohol. “It’s time we got rid of the threat she represents. Show me you’re a man, boy. Let’s do this.”
Hatred, the kind with ice, scraped down Paxton’s body. “No.”
His father’s face hardened even more. “You’d choose that little freak over your family?”
Pax lifted his chin, looking way up, making sure he made eye contact. “Every. Single. Time.” He tried to push Hope behind him so he could back her to the sliding glass door, but she wasn’t making it easy. She didn’t understand the threat here, but he did. He always had. Right now, his only chance was his brain. He couldn’t take his father. Not yet. “She’s Zane Kyllwood’s only child and Talen Kayrs’ only grandchild. If you touch her, if you even scare her, they’ll tear you apart piece by piece. You know that.” Could he get through to the monster? Sometimes his father was beyond reason.
“She’s evil,” his father hissed.
Paxton ignored Hope’s gasp and finally got her to move back a little. “She’s not. You are. If you touch her, the vampire nation, the demon nation, and the entire fucking Realm will be after your ass.”
His dad started, as if shocked by the language. “You little shithead.” He swung full force, hitting Pax in the side of the head with a sound that echoed through history. Pax fell into Hope and pushed her as hard as he could toward the back door before he hit the ground. “Run.”
Hope screamed, high and loud, and ran for the back door.
Pax’s dad jumped over him, going for her, and Paxton kicked up with all his strength, even though the world was going black. His foot nailed his dad right in the groin, going so far he felt something stretch and pop.
The sound his dad made defied description. He fell to the side wall, grabbing his groin, panting in pain. “I’m going to kill you for that.”
Yeah, probably. The back door opened and Hope ran for freedom, still screaming at the top of her lungs. Paxton closed his eyes, letting some of the darkness in. He’d done his job. She was safe, and he didn’t have any more fight in him. Not now.
His dad pushed himself away from the wall, his big boots crunching glass. “I’m going to kick your fucking head from your body.” He lifted his leg, and the boot started to fall. Paxton watched it come.
A growl sounded at the back door and a dark blur tackled his dad back into the wall. Paxton blinked. Zane? A strong hand gently touched his shoulder, and he turned to see Talen Kayrs bending over him, his golden eyes concerned. Oh, shit. They were going to hate him for getting Hope into danger like this. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Talen leaned down to pick him up, and Paxton pushed his hands away. “I can walk.” Whatever they were going to do to him, he would take it standing up. Especially since Hope hovered in the doorway, tears streaking her cheeks. He stood, his stomach rolling over, his legs wobbly.
Zane and his dad fought, but it was pretty one-sided. Within seconds, his dad was unconscious on the floor, bleeding from the nose. Zane turned toward him, his green eyes nearly black, fury across his face.
Paxton’s legs shook but he stood straighter, even though his face felt caved in. He deserved whatever they did to him.
Hope ran for her dad, who enveloped her in a hug, looking so big and dangerous that Paxton knew she’d be safe without him. At least for now.
Talen put an arm over his shoulders and turned him toward the door, standing even taller than Pax’s dad. “We’ll have somebody else clean up this mess,” he rumbled, letting Paxton lean on him as they exited the house. “Your face looks damaged. I’ll give you some blood to heal it as soon as we get back to the warm lodge.”
“I can heal it,” Paxton said, letting the chilly air wash over the heat bombarding him from within.
Talen started. “You’re young to be healing yourself.”
“I’ve been doing it for years,” he mumbled, letting the cells go to work. Had Zane just growled at that? Talen stiffened and then relaxed as well. Pax shook his head, trying to concentrate and fix his face. “Where are we going?”
“To get you checked out and have a talk,” Zane said from behind him.
Paxton exhaled, the movement hurting his entire side. He’d fallen harder than he’d thought. That talk was probably going to hurt worse that he did right now, but he deserved it. Maybe they’d let him still be friends with Hope afterward, if he didn’t fight back, but probably not. He’d almost gotten her killed, and now she was crying. “How did you know she was in danger?”
“We didn’t,” Talen said, taking more of his weight easily. “We discovered she’d left without the proper precautions, and we figured she went to see you. Why didn’t you let us know you were in danger?”
There it was. He’d lied to them all for years. His ears heated and he straightened his back, continuing along the lake toward the lodge. There wasn’t anything to say, and Talen didn’t push him for any more answers.
They entered the lodge and Hope’s mom made a beeline for him, fussing over his already healing face. “I’m okay, Janie,” he mumbled, wondering if she’d still talk to him after learning the full truth. She was the nicest lady he’d ever met, and she’d always treated him like he mattered. “Please stop fussing.” The kindness was too much, and he was afraid he’d start bawling like a baby.
Zane and Talen spoke for moment and then Zane walked toward him. “Do you need to see a doctor?”
“No,” he said, feeling his face heal completely so he could send cells to his side. “I don’t.” They might as well get this over with.
“Okay.” Zane slid an arm over his shoulder. “Let’s go for a walk.” When the head of the entire demon nation wanted to go for a walk, things were about to turn bad.
Pax swallowed and looked over his shoulder and saw Hope, her eyes wide and worried, tears still on her face. He wanted to tell her goodbye, but the words wouldn’t come. So he smiled, and when she smiled back, that was good enough. She’d grown even prettier lately, and her smile was a good image to remember before dying. “Let’s go.” He went with Zane, walking through the main lodge to the rec room, where he’d spent countless hours playing games with Hope and the other kids.
Zane released him and went to grab two root beers from the fridge before motioning toward the outside door. “It’s a pretty night.”
This was weird. Pax took the soda and followed Zane out the wide doors to the covered deck and wooden chairs facing the snow falling lightly over the lake. Zane pressed a button on the table in front of them, and a full fire sprang to life, warming Paxton instantly. Almost in a dream, he opened the soda and took several gulps, letting the sugar take hold.
Zane kicked back with his drink and put his boots on the table near the fire.
Pax swallowed. “I’m sorry I put Hope in danger.” His voice cracked, but it had been doing that for months, so hopefully Zane wouldn’t think he was scared, even though he was.
Zane drank, the expression on his face thoughtful. “I’ve asked you before if your dad was hurting you. I didn’t know if it was regular training, or what, so I wondered when I saw bruises and cuts on you. Every time, you said he wasn’t.”
Pax wanted to throw up. “I know. I lied.”
“Why?” Zane asked quietly.
Pax opened his mouth but nothing came out. What was the right answer?
Zane sighed. “You thought it was your fault.”
Pax jerked. Did Zane know it was his fault?
“You thought you deserved to get hit.” Sadness and an odd understanding filled the demon’s garbled voice.
Paxton held perfectly still. “I was fat and slow, and now I’m too skinny and still too slow. I’m not very smart.” He didn’t know why he was telling Zane all of this. “I—”
“You’re none of those things, Pax,” Zane said quietly. “I know words won’t help, but someday, when you look back, you’ll understand that the problem was with your father, not you.”
Right. “How do you know that?”
“I was there. Right where you are now.” Zane finished his root beer and crumpled the can. “We were raised by my uncle, and he hated us. It was—hard. I blamed myself, and I was wrong. Just like you are now.”
Somebody had hurt Zane? He was the strongest demon alive. How was that possible? “Where is your uncle now?” Why had Pax asked that?
“I took off his head.” Zane turned to look at him. “I’m not suggesting you do that with your dad.” He grinned.
Paxton laughed, shocking himself. They were actually joking about this? He relaxed a little bit. “Hope was very brave in there. You should be proud of her.”
“I am. I’m proud of you both.” Zane turned serious again. “You risked yourself to save my daughter, to protect her, and I’ll never forget that, Paxton Phoenix. Never.”
Well. That was definitely a different way of looking at the night. Maybe there were different ways to look at every situation. Pax drank more of his root beer, his body finally healing, although he struggled a little bit with his hip. It’d heal soon enough. “Thanks for coming in when you did.”
“You bet. We’re going to have to send your dad away. Maybe put him on mission in Antarctica or something.”
Pax nodded, closing his eyes. “I’ll miss this place, but I understand.”
“You’re not going with him.” Zane’s voice was firm. “Not a chance.”
Pax frowned, even as hope leaped into his chest. “He won’t give me up.”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Zane said. “What do you think of your Uncle Santino? Your mother’s brother?”
Paxton watched the snow fall to cover the ice over the lake. “I don’t know him very well, but my memories are good. My dad didn’t let me spend time with him after my mom died.” He barely remembered either of them, to be honest.
“I’ve talked to him through the years, and Janie is calling him right now. He’s been studying butterflies somewhere in the tropics, but he’ll come home and do some work for the Realm. He’s a little eccentric, and he travels a lot, but last time I talked to him, he said he’d be here if you ever needed him. I’d say you need him right now.”
Pax finished his drink, his mind reeling. He didn’t have to live with his dad any longer? Was he dreaming? Maybe he’d been knocked out again. “You sure he wants me?”
