Except by NASA, Alek chuckled, realizing he was about to be in for a long, unpleasant night when Bell was brought down.
Wrath was amused. He’d followed Alek’s command, but had added a little extra entertainment in it for himself. He’d found the precious mate a safe hiding place, and in return Belleron had all but promised to pay him back by projecting more of that delightful rage at him later. It was a win-win.
It wasn’t long before he heard Mac and Farica charging in his direction with the Lord Protector, the guards, and the mercenaries running close behind. Wrath stood waiting for their arrival. Mac’s large white wolf was the first to round the corner, skidding to a stop a few feet from him.
“Do you smell that?” Mac asked through Wolf’s link.
Wrath was slightly entertained. Yeah he did smell the rebels, a long time ago. “I do.”
“They’re either the bravest motherfuckers in the world or the stupidest—”
“Or just plain suicidal, because they run towards their death,” Wrath snapped.
“Yeah, and they stink all to be damned too,” Farica said, panting when she stopped and stood close to Mac. She was already revved to go, “Wrath, Wolf, what’s the plan?”
“The plan is to eliminate this threat for Alek and get a message back to Alessandro Giuliani.”
The vampire guards stopped several yards away when they noticed it was him. Ramon glanced around then frowned, turning worried eyes back to Wrath. He saw the question before the Lord Protector could bother to ask it.
“He’s safe,” Wrath confirmed.
Ramon squinted and touched his palm to his temple as if his head hurt. The older man looked as if he wanted to say more, ask more questions about the whereabouts of his lord, but didn’t want Wrath answering them. As a demigod, he could speak telepathically with any being. When he spoke into another’s mind, he understood it wasn’t a pleasant feeling, so he kept his words to a minimum.
The mercenaries fanned out in a wide arc, preparing to fight. Wrath would admit they were a skilled group of killers, but they had no allegiance, not to the king, and not to the Volkovs, therefore he didn’t trust them. The one wearing black cargo pants and a black crew-neck T-shirt spoke, an angry, vein protruding from his forehead, “We didn’t come here to feed off your scraps.”
“You came because you were paid. Paid to follow my orders. Now, stand down,” Ramon demanded.
The loudmouth leader of the mercs had defiance written all over him. “This time, we’ll handle it.”
Wrath thought that was comical. If they wanted the glory, then they could have it. He only had one job to do and it didn’t necessarily include them. They could do whatever they chose.
Warn them, Alek instructed.
Wrath wished he could roll his eyes. The brash men didn’t deserve a warning. But, if it made Alek feel better… He held his dark muzzle high, sniffing the air to determine just how close the rebels were. It was time. He looked to the mercs, speaking to all of them at once. “Fight with whomever you wish. But stand clear, or you’ll perish on my waves.”
The leader gave him a pointed grin as if he were ready for a real challenge. They could all hear the horde racing towards them now. There were many of them, but no more than they could handle. Wrath felt Wolf’s soul open up and flood his mind with protection and his dynamic conquering spirit. Together, they were the destroyer. Wrath sensed the horde shift in another direction, two groups breaking off to the right and left, in what he felt was an obvious attempt to box them in. After millennia of fighting and war, it was difficult to fool him.
With Farica’s fierce she-wolf flanking his left and Mac’s righteous beast on his six, Wrath sensed them pushing their collective energies towards him in a show of unity. Wrath felt a part of something much bigger than a mere fight, larger than just another battle for him to wreak his havoc on. No. Wrath felt the bond of family for the first time in his long existence.
They are your family now, too, Alek said. His kind heart and compassion engulfing Wrath’s mind. First Belleron and now Alek’s siblings were overwhelming him with… with… good feelings. In complete control, Wrath inhaled deeply then expelled a mass of flames along their right side, cutting off any ambush that could come from that direction. The mercenaries flashed to the other side, cursing and hissing at the sudden display of power, just barely avoiding Wrath’s deadly heatwaves. Acrid, black smoke billowed into the sky as he waited for the remaining rebels to make themselves seen.
“Holy shit!” Mac exclaimed.
“We come to speak about a peaceful resolution,” a raspy voice yelled from deep within the woods. The enemy’s forward progression ended after Wrath’s warning. “We’re not here to fight.”