"Do not - " she blurted, but he was already reaching for Mira.
"It's okay, Rennie," Mira whispered, standing before him as innocent as a babe who'd wandered into the lion's den.
And that was when Renata realized something extraordinary was about to happen.
"You saved me," he whispered, his huge hands dwarfing Mira's tiny shoulders. The vampire sank down to his knees, bringing himself to her level. When he spoke, that deep, deadly voice was quiet with awe and confusion. "You saved my life. I saw it, just now in your eyes. I saw it that night too..."
Chapter Thirty-three
Nikolai's heart froze in his chest, a stricken, fear-filled lump of ice. With gunfire still erupting in the area, he had made it back through the woods, all the way to the place where his bonded blood had told him he'd find his terrified mate.
Renata was there. She stood in the moonlit darkness of the forest, as still as a statue and looking on as an immense Gen One vampire crouched before Mira, holding the child in his punishing hands.
Jesus Christ.
Niko moved in on soundless feet, creeping in closer and trying to find a position that he could shoot from that wouldn't put either Renata or the girl in the crossfire.
Blast him away, Renata.
Take him the fuck down and get the hell out of there.
She didn't open her mind's power on him. She didn't so much as twitch a finger toward any of her weapons, psychic or otherwise. No, to his horror, she didn't even move. She just stood there, in the center of what could very quickly turn into a hellish storm of bloodshed and violence.
Niko's own fear in that moment was fathomless. All he knew was the terror shredding him from within, his bones chilled, a desperation so savage and complete it set his heart banging like a drum in his chest.
He drew twin 9mm pistols from their holsters at his sides and stalked forward. Although he was moving at a pace only one of the Breed could manage, Renata glanced up. She felt him there, stirring the very air around her, even if her eyes couldn 't quite register his speed. Her blood told her that he was near, just as his would always find her.
He was too consumed with rage to fully notice that she was looking up at him in alarm - alarm directed more at him than the enemy vampire who faced her.
Nikolai charged forward as a flash of movement, totally prepared to kill. He drew to a halt just behind the big Gen One, both barrels held up tight against the glyphs that tracked up the back of the vampire's shaved skull.
Everything happened in a blink of time, but it played out in maddening slow-motion frames in Nikolai's consciousness.
He cocked the nines, his fingers on the triggers.
Renata's eyes went wide. She shook her head. "Niko...wait...don't!"
The Gen One let go of Mira, letting his big hands fall down at his sides. He didn't even react to the guns trained on his head. His chest expanded as he took in a long breath, then let it out on a resigned sigh.
He wasn't going to fight his death.
He didn't care if he died.
And then Mira was screaming, her child's voice pitched high with fear. "No! Don't hurt him!"
Nikolai watched in stunned disbelief - in total amazement - as Mira lunged forward and threw her arms around the Gen One's broad shoulders.
"Please, don't hurt him!" she cried, staring up at Niko pleadingly as she attempted to protect the hulking vampire with her tiny body.
"Nikolai." Renata caught his gaze as he looked up, disbelieving, two large pistols still cocked and ready, leveled at the Gen One's head. "Nikolai...please, it's okay. Just wait a second."
He frowned in question, but his warrior stance relaxed somewhat. "Get up," he ordered the vampire. "Stand up, and get away from the child."
The Gen One complied without comment, slowly un-fastening Mira's arms from around his neck and setting her away from him as he rose to his feet.
Niko moved around to face him, weapons still held on him as he guided both Renata and Mira to stand behind him. "Who the hell are you?"
Sober, expressionless eyes stared at the ground. "I am called Hunter."