Justice took the ramp off I302 as they made their way through the sleepy town of Bretton Woods, where everything was closed down by six o’clock. Bell shut his eyes when Wrath massaged the sensitive skin beneath his hairline. Even his touch was different from Alek’s. He found himself leaning towards it, Wrath’s energy flowing into him and calming the fire licking at his belly, as if the demigod’s power was meant to absorb fury and turn it into something pleasant.
He’d been so lost in Wrath’s touch that’d it taken him a moment to realize the massage had stopped and he’d gone stiff beside him as if he sensed danger. Bell sat up. “What’s wrong?” He allowed Wrath to direct his attention to the fire engines blocking their path several yards ahead. Bell’s eyes widened. The building that sat on the corner was engulfed in flames as black smoke billowed into the night sky. It appeared to have been burning for a while, as firefighters blasted their high-pressure hoses on the angry flames licking out of the second-floor windows.
“Oh man. This is not good,” Justice grumbled. “I don’t think we can get by right now. Damn. This could take a while. Going back around the other way doesn’t make sense.”
Bell turned to see that Wrath looked entranced by the flames. “Are you okay?”
Wrath shook his head solemnly, his voice eerily dark in the confines of the vehicle. “Someone is about to die… horribly.”
Justice yanked his head around so fast he winced at the loud crack it made, his hand clamping the side of his neck, “Ouch. Shit. Wrath. Don’t do that. Where’d you… oh, never mind.”
Bell shook his head. They had no clue how extraordinary Alek really was.
“There are vampires up there standing in the street,” Wrath told them.
“You can see them?” Wick was craning his head to get a better view, but all that could be seen were the bright red and white lights of the fire trucks and first response vehicles from a neighboring town.
“I can see and hear them.” Wrath closed his eyes and exhaled calmly, “A woman has lost her beloved to the flames. She cries out painfully for him.”
“Oh no,” Farica sighed. “How awful.”
“What the hell? I can’t hear any of that,” Wick rumbled. “I’m hopping out.”
“No!” Justice and Ramon said at the same time. The Lord Protector had been silent for the entire ride, until now. Ramon shook his head, “There’ll be no hopping, my Lord. We have no registered vampires in this town, which means they are loners and could be enemies.”
“You think there’s a rebel force up there poised to attack on the off-chance I may’ve been driving by?” Wick was already opening the door and stepping out onto the curb. He didn’t advance on the scene, but he seemed unsure of what to do, or how to help. His beast must’ve been going crazy inside, but his tiger didn’t have the ability to rescue another from a burning building. Bell knew what they were all thinking. The thought of watching one’s other half get burned alive was something none of them could fathom.
Bell squeezed Wrath’s hand, pulling his attention from the mayhem. “What are you thinking?”
Wrath frowned. “Alek wants me to save him. The man inside the building still has time. I have to go.”
“What?” Bell asked, but Wrath was already climbing out the huge vehicle.
Mac, Farica and Ramon scrambled to get from behind the third row after them.
Bell watched as Wrath started to remove his shirt. No way was he letting his beloved go, “Are you crazy? You can’t just—”
Bell clamped his mouth closed when Alek’s hand came down gently over his lips, his sweet, pale blue eyes glistening with adoration. “Alek.” Bell sighed. “What are you doing?”
Alek ran the pad of his thumb along Bell’s bottom lip. “Don’t be afraid.”
“You can’t say that… and you can’t, can’t go into that fire.” Bell’s heart began to beat way too fast at the sight of the building collapsing on the back end, as firefighters scrambled to stay at a safe distance.
“Alek, may I ask what you’re doing?” Justice stood close, but didn’t push his way between them.
Wrath reappeared before Bell, transforming Alek’s eyes from blue to black, tinged with smoke and flickering embers. Without removing his smoldering gaze from Bell, Wrath answered Justice. “I understand your position AZ. But, again, I don’t answer to you. I have only one master… one alpha. And he says to save him, so that’s what we’re gonna do.”
“Alek… Alek?” Farica searched Wrath’s face.
Bell wanted to snap. They didn’t have time for all the questions and hesitation. He didn’t want to contribute to the doubters. Alek stood confident, calm and sure. He needed Bell to be that way too.
Alek came forward. “I’m right here, Farica. Wrath and I need to keep working together and reinforcing our bond. And this is the only way. By trusting, wholeheartedly. I wouldn’t go in there if for one second I thought I might—”