Race to Destiny

  On and on she went, throwing anything she could get her hands on as she screamed all of her frustration, fear, and anger at the door, with tears streaming down her face. She felt it draining through her.

  Striker and Eric, and well as several men, Rogues, and warriors alike paused and tilted their heads, they could hear what she was screaming, and hearing the braking furniture as it hit the door. “What the fuck?” Striker whispered.

  “It seems our little mate is more of a firecracker than we thought. I think she isn’t afraid so much as pissed off. You didn’t leave her with any weapons did you?” Eric snorted.

  “No,” Striker muttered as they listened to her rage. Shit, that was a lot of pent up anger. Striker turned and cut the head off the shifter who was grinning. “We need to go and get her, then get the fuck out of here.”

  “Agreed,” Eric said and cut the head off the vampire who he was fighting.

  *****

  Eric made his way carefully through the store, keeping an eye on everyone around him. Nowhere was safe for him at the moment. He needed to get in, get the things on his list, and get out. He was oblivious to the stares from the women and some of the men he got as he passed by. Eric was tall, standing at over six foot three, with blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, tied back at the nape of his neck. He had a firm body built by his work with the sword.

  He approached the women's clothing section and began to check the sizes he had written down. He grabbed a few t-shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans. He walked over to the underwear section and quickly picked out some pretty, silky pieces. He tried to not think about what Mia would look like in said underwear or he wouldn't be able to walk.

  He headed into the men's section and picked up some clothes for himself and Striker, then he got a large duffle bag to hold it all. He went through the checkout line, keeping an eye on his surroundings. He began to walk back to the hotel carrying the bags and as he walked, he thought about all that had happened in his life as of late. Had it only been a month that he had been home with his family and everything had seemed normal? Well, he laughed out loud, as normal as life could be living as Fae.

  His father was the leader of the Fae Clan in Sweden. When his father had felt the death of Eric's sister, the family had been devastated. His father had taken Eric aside and confessed to him that for some time he had been planning to move their Clan to the compound of the Senate. Eric had been surprised but understood due to the fact that the Rogues were wreaking havoc all over the world now. Their Clan would be safer if they were within the compounds walls with other magical creatures. They would then be able to ban together to provide safety in numbers.

  Due to the death of Sable, Eric's sister, his father had told him it would be Eric's duty to go to the Senate and pledge their loyalty. Eric had agreed and immediately headed to Italy to meet with the Senate members. Once he had arrived, he had been asked by the Senate to go on a special mission to help a young woman make her way to them. She needed protecting and they thought Eric capable. Eric had been honored to be asked by the Senate to perform such a task; he had quickly agreed to go.

  Striker had met him when he arrived and filled him in on Mia's background, or what they knew of it. Eric had been horrified at what had been done to the little human woman. It troubled him more to think of his little sister going through the same despicable things at the hands of the Rogues. Eric wanted to get his hands on this leader of the Rogues, this Roarke, and kill him.

  Eric had also been surprised when he met Striker and knew instantly he was his mate. Striker had also informed him the beautiful Mia was their mate as well. Eric had been so happy to have found his destined mates. Striker was happy also and the two of them had worked hard to try to break down Mia's walls. They wanted to earn her trust and ease her into their worlds. They both knew Mia was aware of werewolves, but she didn't know of the other magical creatures as well as vampires existing. They knew humans were delicate creatures and Mia would need to be eased into their reality.

  Eric smiled as he thought of their little mate and how beautiful she was. They had finally gotten to where she would allow small touches and Eric cherished every one of those moments, as he knew Striker did. Then when the Clan compound had been attacked, Eric had felt as if his heart had been ripped out as he watched Mia retreat into herself again. Now they were on the run and in hiding. He only hoped they could all get to the Senate compound safely, then they could begin to work with Mia again. He knew that he and Striker would do whatever it took to help their mate.

  He entered the hotel and sat down in the lobby, setting the bags beside him. He picked up a nearby newspaper and pretended to look it over as he surreptitiously checked his surroundings. He wanted to make sure he wasn't followed before he headed to their suite. There was a true threat and he would put his own life on the line to make sure it never got near Mia again.

  *****

  Mia stepped out of the shower and toweled herself dry. Then she wrapped the towel around her body as she wiped off the mirror with her hand. She grimaced at the person staring at her in the mirror. She looked horrible. She had dark circles under her eyes, a large bruise on her forehead and marks on her neck. She didn't look any further knowing she would probably break down into sobs if she did. When had things gone so horribly wrong for her? Oh yeah, when she had had the brilliant idea to leave behind all that she knew and start a new life on her own.

  The knock on the bathroom door startled her. "Are you okay in there?” Striker's deep voice sent shivers down her body.

  "I'm...” She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Be out in a minute."

  She listened for his footsteps to retreat. It took a minute and then they did and she let the breath she had been holding go. She knew he meant well, but she needed to get herself together. She couldn't seem to think straight, her mind was a jumble of snapshots of the last few days, and nothing seemed to come into focus really well. Tears began to course down her cheeks and she tried to stop them, wiping them away furiously. Just as a sob tore through her body, she tried to hold it in, covering her mouth with one of her hands. She was losing it and didn't know how to get control.

  She backed up against the bathroom wall and slowly slipped down it until she plopped onto her bottom. She drew her knees up to her chin and tried to concentrate on not making a sound. Striker wasn’t a normal man, he was a werewolf, he could hear the slightest sound, and she didn't want to freak him out by seeing her lose it. Plus add in Eric and she was screwed about keeping this quiet, but she tried. Damn it, she was going to lose it, she thought. She tried to take a deep breath but it came out as another sob. She put her head down on her knees, giving in to the need to cry.

  Suddenly the door to the bathroom burst open and Striker was filling the doorway. He took in the situation in one sweep and bent down, scooping her into his arms. He carried her out into the bedroom area of the suite they were in and sat down on the large king sized bed. He didn't say anything as he held her, running his hand on her back. She tried to push out of his arms, but he only tightened them around her. It was his soft kiss on top of her head that was the catalyst to her losing her battle. She just couldn't hold it in any longer.

  She wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head on his chest, sobbing. She cried for a long time, letting out all of the pent up feelings from the last several weeks. She cried for the abuse and degradation she suffered at the hands of Roarke, for having to flee the country and leave her friends and family behind, and she cried for the danger she had been through in the past twenty-four hours. She let go of it all while Striker held her and never said a word.

  When she ran out of tears, she began to quiet and draw in deep breaths of air. It was then when she began to come back to herself, she was mortified with what she had done. As she went to pull back with a gasp, Striker again tightened his arms saying, "Don't."

  “I...uh...just need a little space,” she whispered.

  “I know but later, you are scared and
throwing off a lot of vibes right now, just let me comfort you. Please,” Striker said and she nodded.

  She sighed, allowed him to hold her, and laid her head more comfortably on his shoulder, still sniffling. As she lay there, she became aware of how warm he was and how good he smelled. Damn it all to hell, she had been having these thoughts at the most inopportune time lately. First with Striker and then with Eric, who had been sent by the Senate to help her get to their home. She was more than willing to just ignore the feelings, however they just kept freaking touching her, and it drove her nuts when they did. Mia was almost convinced herself they had put some kind of spell on her. Never before had she had this reaction to not just one but two men.

  Mia was convinced they knew it too, she had seen both of them smile at her when she had the thoughts running through her head. It made her wonder if they could read minds as well. She was not sure of Eric’s abilities, he had not really told her much. They were just getting to know one another and packing to leave when the Clan was attacked. She felt sick to her stomach thinking of all the trouble people were going through just for her.

  She nuzzled her face into Strikers chest as he held her tight, letting his warmth soothe her. He held her tightly but yet tenderly. She felt the hardness of his chest and the strength from his arms. Closing her eyes she thought of his and Eric's bodies. Then her thoughts changed and Mia felt herself getting wet just thinking about how it would feel to be skin to skin with both of them. She felt and heard Striker growl a low growl, the rumbling in his chest sending little tingles between her thighs. She rubbed them together as if she could stop what was happening to her. She knew he had heightened senses and could tell she was aroused. She was so embarrassed that she just wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole.

  *****

  Striker sat on the bed with Mia in his arms and he was in agony. She smelled so good and all he wanted to do was lay her down on the bed in order to lick her from head to toe. He felt like a heel even thinking that way with all that she had been through. He knew from the information he had been given that she had been through hell and back with the jackoff, Roarke, and now with the attack on his Clan. She was human and he had to keep reminding himself of that.

  Since the day he had met her plane and had taken her hand in his, he knew she was his. He had gotten a call from Dante, an old friend, and now member of the new Senate, who had asked him to pick up a human from the airport and keep her safe. He owed Dante several favors as they had known each other at least two lifetimes and had not hesitated to agree to help. When Dante had explained that this human woman had been a victim of Roarke, whom Striker had heard all about, he had been angry. He despised anyone who thought to use humans, most especially women and children.

  He had gone to meet the plane and when the tiny human woman had stepped off, he had been stunned. She was beautiful, all wrapped up in a small package. She stood at around five foot five with a slender body from what he could tell with the baggy clothing she was wearing. She had long, auburn hair that fell to her waist in waves. Her features were petite and her green eyes told of her pain. She had seemed so pale and withdrawn; to him her spirit seemed lost. He had slowly held out his hand, holding it out in offer to shake hers. When she placed her tiny, delicate hand in his larger one, he had felt the connection. He had known then and there that she was his mate. He'd had to control his response, focusing to remain calm, and smiled at her in welcome.

  Once they had gotten back to his Clan's compound, he had tried to give her time to heal. Cami, the Chosen female Alpha, had cautioned him that she was healing physically and mentally from the abuse she had suffered. He had called the Alphas himself to get a detailing of what had happened to his mate at the hands of Roarke. Quin and Jaden had their mate speak to him as she had spent a great deal of time with Mia. Cami refused to tell him specific details saying that Mia would say when she was ready. She did tell him that Mia was suffering and needed time to heal.

  He had done his best to give Mia space and allow her to become comfortable in his presence. He spent time with her each day, talking to her, getting to know her. Little by little, she began to come out of her shell. He had even begun to see her smile a few times and once had even gotten a small laugh out of her. That was when his heart had almost ceased to beat; the sound of her laugh had reached deep into his soul and ignited it. He had wanted to wrap her up in his arms but had to stop himself, as he knew she wasn't ready for that yet.

  He also knew she thought of him as a werewolf, which he was not. Striker was a three hundred year old vampire. He had seen that becoming aware of the existence of werewolves had completely unnerved Mia, so he had wanted to wait to tell her what he truly was until she was more comfortable. He knew it was a big gamble, but he didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. She had been through enough trauma.

  “Eric is coming soon. He will want to know you are okay,” Striker said, smiling on the top of her head. She needed to get used to them together. So far, it had been a little bit, but both men were getting restless about the lack of contact with their mate.

  For one moment, time froze and Striker's heart stopped as he realized that all the work that had been wrought to bring Mia out from behind her carefully built wall had just been destroyed. His heart twisted and he raised his hand to his chest as if he could physically feel the pain.

  He was brought out of his thoughts as he felt Mia sag against him as she fell into an exhausted sleep. She had worn herself out completely with her crying. He knew she would feel better after letting some of her emotions go, but where would that leave them? He stood with her in his arms and then turned to tuck her into the bed so she could have a good rest before they had to move again. Staying in one place wasn’t safe at the moment, they would need to keep moving and get to the Senate as soon as possible.

  Chapter Three

  Once he determined that he hadn’t been followed, Eric went up to their suite and let himself in. Striker was in the living area checking his laptop and looked up at Eric as he walked in.

  "Any problems?” Striker asked.

  "No, you?” Eric answered.

  Striker shrugged. "She took a shower and then lost it in the bathroom. She was sobbing and I couldn't help it. I went in and picked her up."

  Eric looked at Striker's haunted eyes and said, "She let you pick her up?"

  "Yeah and then I held her on the bed while she cried it out. She's asleep in there now,” Striker said with a faint smile.

  Eric was shocked. "Wow."

  "Yeah.” Striker got up and stretched.

  "That's...well...that's amazing,” Eric told him.

  Striker nodded. "Even after she was done crying, she stayed in my arms and fell asleep."

  "Lucky bastard,” Eric whispered.

  Striker grinned. "Can't help it. I know she is in pain and terrified but it was so good just to hold her, even for a little while. Although I must admit as well that it was just as painful."

  "I think I know what you mean. Still, you got to hold her and she let you,” Eric told him with envy.

  "Should I tell you just before she fell asleep I smelled her arousal?” Striker asked with a smirk.

  "Bastard,” Eric muttered.

  "Anyway, what did you get?” Striker asked with a little laugh.

  "I got us all jeans and t-shirts. I wanted us to blend in,” Eric told him.

  Striker grimaced. "Good idea."

  "I also got us sneakers and some odds and ends. Like toothbrushes, sunglasses, hats, and I picked up a book for Mia.” Eric colored a little as he mentioned the book to Striker, but he hoped Striker didn't notice.

  He didn't get his wish. Striker's eye narrowed. "What kind of book?” he asked in what seemed like a curious tone but Eric heard the tone underneath, the demand.

  "I got her a romance, okay? I thought maybe if she read a happily ever after…" Eric shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it might help."

  Striker seemed to think about it
for a minute and then said, "Maybe it will. Good thinking."

  Eric grinned and said, "And it's a ménage."

  Striker rolled his eyes. "Now you are pushing it."

  They both laughed. "What have you been up to?” Eric asked as he began to sort the clothes out of the bags.

  Striker glanced back at his laptop, one of the only things he had been able to grab from the compound before they ran. "I was checking the email the Clan set up but no one has posted yet."

  "Do you think we can send the Senate an email? Or better yet, call them?” Eric asked.

  Striker shook his head. "Not yet. Not from here. We need to get further away from here and closer to the Senate compound. We don't know who we can trust at this point."

  "I agree,” Eric told him.

  "So we'll stay here for tonight and head out tomorrow,” Striker said.

  "Yes. Okay, I think we should order dinner so when Mia wakes we can get her to eat,” Eric suggested.

  "Okay. Grab the menu. I am going to have to go out for a little while,” Striker told him.

  Eric understood, Striker needed to feed. It was going to be dark soon and he could go out to find a donor. Vampires were not what humans made them out to be. They didn’t kill for blood, most didn't take from live donors anymore. They got their blood from blood banks that were mostly run by vampires. However, in their situation, Striker didn't bring any bags with him. Due to his age, he only needed to feed every few days, if that. He could eat real food it just didn't nourish his body the way it nourished the human body. He needed the blood to survive.

  Eric nodded to Striker and said, "There is a bar just down from hotel, not even a block.” It seemed like it would be the easiest place to find what he needed.