“Where arre they now?” Cody asked.
Jessie was close. Zach’s contact faded in and out, but on the strong points, he touched both her and Kade. “They’re in the pits,” he told Cody. “Almost here.”
Cody fidgeted. His Were was leaner than Kade’s and covered in fur so dark it shaded to black.
“I want to rrip Braden to pieces for what he’s done,” the Sabre snarled. His eyes glowed copper.
A pulse vibrated through Zach’s three-way connection. “They’re here.”
Cody growled, and Zach braced himself to do something that would have shocked him a month ago.
He prepared to go into battle.
* * *
Kade was upwind of the Dires.
He lay flat on the gravel behind a boulder, his eyes fastened on where he knew they would appear. Knew, because he sensed Jessie. Smelled her, even. With the moon hovering just below the horizon, their bond had grown stronger.
I’m here.He sent the words on a wave of everything that resided within his heart.
I know.The contact faded in, and out, but her reply was clear. His lips peeled back from his teeth in a smile. Because along with them, came her determination to fight. Followed by a message—Twenty knives.
That’s my girl,he purred.
I’m nobody’s girl,she objected.
They come.Zach, somehow in the mix. Kade didn’t understand it, but at the moment, it was a valuable thing.
The first Dire loped around the rocky ridge and into the bowl-shaped valley. The rest were right behind him. Kade was impressed. These guys were enormous. Braden had selected the very best in his strike team.
Braden had to have known Laura was going to bolt. Or at least, try to. Likely had instructed her to. The scarred Dire’s strike team had laid in wait while the drone came after Zach. They’d sent the bulk of the Dires against the farm, while the smaller team waited to get in and nab the women.
Instead, Zach had lived, and driven the main group off. But Laura had taken advantage of the distraction to flee straight to Braden. It was just misfortune that Jessie had tried to stop her and ended up in Braden’s claws.
Lying in wait, Kade didn’t dare twitch a muscle. He’d positioned his Sabres around the valley. The wind was fickle, rising and falling and swirling. At any moment, it could carry their scent to the Dires.
Kade wanted all of Braden’s Dires trapped in the valley before he signalled the attack. The Sabres would have a few crucial moments to subdue them before the reinforcements arrived. Every minute Zach bought them could make all the difference.
Just a little pressure.Zach’s mindvoice was as snarky as his real one.
Do your best,Kade sent.We need them held off as long as possible.
No response. Zach’s contact faded in and out. Kade wasn’t sure if it was the connection, or the man’s general state of decrepitude. The Empath shouldn’t be able to speak into the link at all. Somehow, he was tapping into the connection. It must be due to his ability.
Kade returned his attention to Braden’s group. At the back trotted two enormous Dires, almost as muscular as Sabres. Each carried a passenger.
Jessie and Laura. And behind them came Braden.
Kade’s eyes narrowed as his hindquarters rocked slowly back and forth, gathering his legs beneath him. His tail twitched once and froze.
The leap carried him straight among them, landing between the two massive Dires carrying the women. Kade spun, slashing his claws across the midsection of the one carrying Laura. She shrieked and lost her grip as the creature whirled to face Kade, tumbling into the dirt.
Dires snarled and snapped as the Sabres attacked. Kade lunged at the one carrying Jessie, desperate to cut her loose.
“Kade! Look out!”
Jessie, calling a warning as Laura’s ex-mount slashed wicked claws at Kade from behind. He dodged the blow, but it gave Jessie’s Dire time to slice through the bonds holding her to his back. He flung her toward Braden as Kade renewed his attack.
