Warrior's Hope (Dark Protectors #16)(27)

Hope felt heat rising into her face. She’d kissed both Paxton and Drake the day before, and she shouldn’t trust either of them. “It’s just a dreamworld. He can’t get to me from there. Nobody can. I can bring myself out of it at any point.”

“Well, there’s that,” Derrick mumbled. “Did you ask him why they’re taking enhanced females?”

“I think there’s a war going on within the Kurjan nation,” Hope said.

“What do you mean?” Derrick asked.

She leaned forward. “I think Drake had to step up as leader when Dayne died, and he and Ulric don’t like each other. I think Ulric is actually kidnapping the enhanced females, and Drake wants to stop him.”

“Yeah, because he’s a good guy,” Collin bit out.

Irritation rose within Hope. “If he wants to stop Ulric, he can’t be all bad.” It was time to level completely with her team. “Drake wants to meet me in person, and I think it’s time.”

A chorus of “oh, hell no” went around the entire table.





Chapter Eleven


Paxton leaned against a tree outside of demon headquarters as the sun sparkled off the snow blanketing his surroundings. Christmas lights had been strung around every eave of every home, twinkling merrily, even though it was almost noon. It seemed as if lately the demons and the vampires were competing to see who could decorate with more lights and outside whimsy, such as deer and presents and even a snowman. He wished he could get into the spirit, but considering he didn’t have much chance of surviving the next week, he wasn’t feeling it.

An overlarge Santa bobbed and ducked in the determined wind, taking Paxton back to a Christmas when he’d been about five years old, playing with LEGOs given to him by Hope’s mom. His father had loomed over him, drunk and high, and had kicked the LEGOs across the room before turning his fists on Pax.

He shivered and wrenched himself out of the past. It was over. Sometimes the nightmares took him, and even now, he couldn’t help but search for threats around him, hoping his imagination didn’t add any to the count.

His pose was casual, but he could spring into action in a moment. Although it probably wouldn’t matter, considering there were snipers on two rooftops and at least one he could sense in the trees. The heightened security was no doubt because of him, but it was rare that Hope went anywhere, even in Realm territory, without being covered by at least two soldiers.

He actually liked that fact; it helped him to sleep better at night when the nightmares weren’t plaguing him. There was no doubt in his mind that the Kurjans would make a move to take her, and the security in place made it nearly impossible to reach her.

Although he’d always thought he’d be the one standing in front of her. At the end of the current day, Henric would probably blow off his head. It was a risk he had to take.

She walked out of the building flanked by Liam and Collin. That was good. Libby trailed behind her, chattering with Derrick, who was forming plasma balls and tossing them back and forth between his bare hands. The second he caught sight of Paxton, he winged one his way.

Pax stepped easily out of the line of fire and partially turned to watch as the small golf ball–sized orb crashed harmlessly into a snowbank and heated its way through until sputtering out.

While his bet had been that Liam would lose his temper and rush him, he hadn’t expected Derrick to duck out from behind Hope and run full bore at him. Interesting. Derrick was young at about twenty-two, but as a demon-vampire hybrid, he was quick.

Paxton set his stance and absorbed the impact, ducked his shoulders, and threw the heavily muscled male into the recesses of the forest. The kid hit a tree, and the tall spruce came down. Pax grinned. He had purposely aimed for the tree with the sniper, who yelled as he landed on his back. The guy was up instantly with his weapon pointed at Pax, who turned around to face Hope.

“Anybody else?” he asked, sounding bored. He actually wouldn’t mind a good fight, but hurting one of her team would just piss her off, and right now he needed her cooperation.

Liam’s chin dropped as if he were going to charge.

“No,” Hope said softly, her laptop bag over her shoulder. “Everybody just stop. Paxton, what do you want?”

“I want to talk to you,” he said.

“Absolutely not,” Liam exploded, predictably.

Libby walked around and marched right up to him, ignoring Collin’s hand on her arm.

When she reached him, her eyes were blazing. “What are you up to?” She put both hands on her hips.

He wished he could tell her. Instead, he stared down at one of his oldest friends. Libby had grown to be about five foot eight, with tawny brown hair and usually mellow brown eyes. She was fit and compact like a shifter, and she could go from human to feline in a second. The anger in her eyes dug deep into his heart, making it ache.

“Libby, I need to talk to Hope,” he said, trying to keep his voice gentle.

She punched him then, full-on in the gut. He took it, not tightening his abs. Oh, he could have stopped her, and they both knew it, but he figured she deserved one good hit.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“No,” she spat, looking like she wanted to stomp on his foot. In fact, knowing Libby, she would. Derrick lumbered out of the woods, snow falling from his head. His growl held menace as he stood next to Libby in a defensive position.