Chapter One
The water rushed over his head, sweeping Jeremy along with it. He struggled to keep his head above the water, but the undercurrent kept pulling him down. It didn’t matter how hard he kicked or how hard he moved his arms, he couldn’t stay above the water, and when he did make it, he managed to take a quick gasp of air, then the water sucked him under again.
He shivered continuously and knew the ice-cold water would cause hypothermia if he didn’t get out. He had already lost the sensation in his hands and feet and struggled to use them when an object came close enough for him to grab hold off.
He was going to die. He knew it, but he refused to give in. If this deluge of water wanted him so badly, it would have to fight him every step of the way. He wanted to live.
The forecast had mentioned heavy rain, but no one appeared to have predicted the torrent that came. Up high in the mountains, the rain fell, and as it moved down the hills it gathered pace, and by the time it hit Jeremy’s small town the rain turned into a flood. It swept up everything in its path; boulders, trees, cars and houses, Jeremy included.
The alarm came too late, the majority of the townspeople caught unawares, and as they attempted to flee, the waters came crashing down around them. God knows how many were swept away.
Something smacked into his side, and Jeremy tried to grasp it, ignoring the pain that crashed through his body. He needed to stay afloat; otherwise, he was dead.
His arms and legs grew weaker, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he couldn’t fight anymore. He’d slip beneath the waves and not resurface. Shit, he was scared— no, petrified. He wanted to live; he fought to live, and he wasn’t giving in easily.
Everything kept fading in and out, and Jeremy struggled to stay conscious. He couldn’t fall unconscious because he would die. If death wanted him, it would have to fight hard. Jeremy wasn’t going to die.
He fought to keep his head above the water, trying desperately to hang on and stay alive. He wanted to live!
Where was help? Why wasn’t it here yet? With that thought, another wave crashed over his head, and Jeremy fought on.
❊❊❊
Three days earlier
“Let’s get ready, folks. That storm in the Midwest just became a big one. They’ve seriously underestimated the amount of rainfall.”
“What’s it looking like, boss?” Donnie asked, sitting up from his slouched position on the sofa.
They were in the headquarters of Rescue Inc, a company that helped in numerous rescue missions and other ops. They’d kept up to date with the deteriorating weather conditions and it looked like the local authorities had messed up.
Chester stared at them all and then down at the paper he held in his hands. “They estimated six inches in twenty-four. The place got hit with at least sixteen in the past twelve hours.”
“Shit,” Jared muttered, shaking his head. “What do you need us to do, boss?”
Chester looked at the group of men and women in front of him. “You know the drill. Pack up everything we’ll need. We leave in ten.”
Donnie jumped up and jogged to the equipment room, pulling out all the necessary items. Fortunately, all items were pre-packed for emergencies like this and stored in the same location. An efficiently organized room sped up the process so that they could be out the door as soon as possible.
Kerrie jogged in behind him, pulling her long blonde hair back and grabbing weapons as well as a fully stocked first aid bag. As the resident first aider, she handled all medical emergencies, and she happened to be damn good with a gun.
“The others are on their way,” she informed him, hauling a bag onto her shoulder before picking up the one by her feet. “Plane’s ready. We’ve got a rough ride ahead.”
Donnie grunted. He’d been in worse. He’d manage.
Grabbing the bags he needed, he followed Kerrie to the vehicles, seeing the others loading bags on and getting in. He threw his onto the rapidly growing pile and climbed in as Michaela slammed her foot down on the accelerator. He held on as she drove at breakneck speed to the airstrip where the plane waited. At the speed she was driving, everyone needed to stay out of her way.
They made it within minutes, and before the Jeep fully came to a stop, they were piling out, grabbing the bags and running towards the plane.
Once they were all buckled in, the plane moved, lifting into the air and taking them to their destination.
Donnie loved his job. Rescue Inc was formed by Chester Monroe and Alejandro ‘Ale’ Martin some five years previously. The team was made up of a mix of human and vampire, all with the necessary training required for the job. Each person had a specialty, but all of them knew first aid and how to handle weapons.
Most came from a military or law enforcement background and had been hand-picked by Chester and Ale, who were both ex-SEALs. Donnie had been Delta trained but hadn’t re-enlisted when his time came. He’s seen too much, done too much. He needed to get out while he could.
Now, he was a vital part of Rescue Inc. There were six of them, but he knew they would be expanding, gaining more members. They were called out often, having gained a reputation for getting the job done.
Chester stood, facing the team, his dark skin gleaming in the overhead lights. His eyes flashed red then back to black as he spoke. “The usual situation when dealing with flash floods. Be on the lookout for victims in the flood water but also the usual objects in the water too. The last thing we need is one of us to be injured or worse. An unknown number of civilians are affected with two towns caught up in the floods, and there are also several farms in the area.”
“Fuck. How long until we get there?” Jared asked.
“Thirty minute flight, then feet on the ground, people. Stay sharp, stay focused, and if you get into any difficulties, radio in. Got it?”
A series of ‘yeahs’ filled the air, and it didn’t seem like Donnie had been on the plane two minutes before they were descending and preparing to land.
Once down, they rushed out and were met by the local Sheriff, Fire Chief and EMTs who were heading the rescue mission. Chester and Alejandro spoke rapidly, then Chester left and jogged over to them.
“Right, guys. Usual teams. Me, Donnie and Kerrie will head here—” Chester pointed to Lincoln Town on the map— “and Jared, Michaela and Ale will head here.” Chester pointed to Dryden Town. “These are the two worst affected areas.”
“Do we have numbers?” Jared asked, looking intently at the map of the surrounding area.
“Lincoln Town has a pop of four thou, Dryden’s pop is three thou.” Chester stared at them individually. “You got this, guys. Let’s roll out. Stay in contact and stay safe.”
❊❊❊
Three days later found them all close to exhaustion and Donnie had never been more thankful for his vampire genetics than he was then. They allowed him to work longer than the average human, and at times like these, he needed them.
He was wet, cold and miserable, but they’d saved countless lives and helped one farmer save his livestock from drowning. They’d managed to clear an old folks home before the deluge overcame the defenses they’d temporarily erected. As the last person left, the water had splashed over. Close. Too close.
They were approaching the local river after receiving information regarding a red car that had been caught up in the floods and swept downstream with a possible occupant inside.
The helicopter moved closer, its light searching the swollen river for the car, when they spotted it in the distance. Wasting no time, the pilot moved the helicopter towards the bobbing car, but when they reached it and shone the light, they found no one inside.
“Do you think the driver got out?” Donnie shouted over the headset, eyes on the sinking vehicle.
“Possible,” Chester responded. Turning to the pilot, he shouted, “Search the area. We need to locate the driver.”
The helicopter pilot nodded and moved closer, its light sweeping the area. Just as the team was about to move to another location, Donnie spotted a head in the water. “There!” he shouted, pointing to where he had seen it.
The light swung over, and they waited, all of them holding their breath. Suddenly the head appeared again, the man barely managing to grab air before being dragged under the swarming water.
“How far away is the boat?” Donnie shouted. They also had a rescue boat in the water searching for victims.
Chester shook his head, his eyes flaring red for a second. “Too far!”
“Get me down there, Kerrie!”
Donnie stepped onto the skid and leaned back, having already been strapped into the harness. When Kerrie gave him the signal, he stepped off, floating in the air as Kerrie lowered the winch. He swung in the air, the howling wind moving him around in a dizzy dance. Donnie never took his eyes off the spot he’d last seen the civilian, and as soon as the man’s head popped up above the water, Donnie reached down and shouted, waving his arm.
“Here! Up here!”
Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, then the man was swept under, the water dragging him down.
“Fuck!” Donnie shouted.
The man appeared again further down the river and dragged his arm from the churning water. Even as the water pulled him down again, his arm stayed up, and Donnie reached down for it. Their fingers touched briefly, then he was gone again, swept away from safety.
Donnie waited, his eyes darting around him trying to catch a glimpse of the man. The arm suddenly appeared several feet away, and Donnie felt the helicopter move in response. He reached out for the hand, noticing the arm lowering in the water. It was now or never.
He stretched his arm out, fingers spreading wide, and they touched, once, twice, then Donnie had him. He looked up, nodded to Chester, and the helicopter moved up. As it did, Donnie maintained his grip, somehow moving his hand down to grip the strange man’s forearm.
As they moved up and away from the water, Donnie noticed the man was naked and had several injuries. He wasn’t surprised by this. Most people rescued from rapidly moving water were naked and injured due to the water ripping the fabric away or getting caught on sharp objects.
As they swung in the air, it was apparent the man had lost consciousness, hanging limply from Donnie’s grip, and Donnie wondered how long he’d been in the water. He held all the weight on one arm, and his shoulder protested, the burn building up in the muscle the longer he held him. Again, he thanked his genetics.
Kerrie was pulling him up, but with the wind rushing past him, he couldn’t let go of the line to grab the unconscious man with both hands and haul him close, and he tightened his grip. The skin was wet and slippery, and Donnie could feel the man slip slowly out of his hand. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest.
The wind and rain were hampering the rescue mission, but he knew he wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t, and that reaction surprised him. He’d been on dozens of rescue missions, but none affected him like the one now, and he stared at the man he held, wondering why.
Finally, they made it to the door, and Chester helped to pull him in and then the man he’d just saved. Kerrie immediately checked him out, and Donnie slumped back in his seat, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He was cold and wet and covered in dirt and sweat, and he needed a minute to recover. He gingerly moved his arm around, wincing at the pain.
He eventually opened his eyes and stared at the man on the stretcher. Donnie swallowed as strange sensations flowed through him, and he continued to watch him receive treatment from Kerrie. He furrowed his brow, unsure as to what he was feeling. His stomach had butterflies, and he coughed, attempting to clear the hard knot that developed in his chest.
He rubbed it, and Chester saw, asking, “You okay?”
“Yeah. For a few seconds there I thought I was gonna lose him.”
Chester clapped him on the back. “You did good. The conditions are deteriorating, and I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be out here for.”
As he said that, the helicopter swerved to one side, the wind hitting it hard, and they all held on as the pilot battled against the elements. Eventually, he gained control, and they continued to their destination, a hospital several miles away.
As he watched, the stranger’s eyelids fluttered and opened, and Donnie stared into the most incredible, vivid green eyes he’d ever seen. Their eyes locked and Donnie sucked in a breath, watching the man lift a shaky hand towards him.
Donnie reached over, taking it, leaning forward when he tried to speak.
The words were low and husky. “Thank you.” The man’s eyelids fluttered then dropped, and the hand went limp in his. He didn’t let go; he couldn’t, and then it hit him.
This man, this stranger, was his mate.