Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was late hours of night and Jessie should have been exhausted. Instead she was wide awake, pumped up on caffeine, adrenaline, and unbridled curiosity. She sat in the lab listening to voices arguing over strategy and assignments in the attack they were planning.
She’d wanted to go, but a very quick and pointed conversation with Ricard and Serge reminded her that if she was captured, she’d most certainly be used in an experiment, whether she’d take the place of her mother or be turned revenant was unknown, but neither option was viable.
They still hadn’t figured out what Tyrone had in store for her or if simply controlling her memory with the SMR had been his entire plan, but there was no sense in tempting Rollins. They knew from the attempts they’d made with Rafe that Jessie had never been told of the plan. If they captured Rollins alive, they intended to get the information from him one way or another.
With very little argument she agreed to remain at the base, returning to the home she now shared with Ricard to rest for an hour or so before going to the lab to study more of the slides. However, Ricard did not so easily agree to do the same. Serge had managed to get him down the hall toward the lab, though they now stood in the hallway outside disagreeing.
Jessie listened to the men arguing beyond the door to the lab. She felt Ricard’s anger and disappointment, yet, she could not help but feel a personal sense of relief when she heard Serge’s voice.
“It’s final. You will remain here with your mate. We will need doctors to care for the wounded. We’ll need researchers to unravel the rest of Panthera’s experiments. I’ve made my decision. We’ll discuss it no more.”
With that a door slammed.
Ricard roared and several things banged around the lab. Jessie waited until she didn’t hear another noise before opening the door to the lab to find a very disheveled looking Ricard angrily writing on a whiteboard.
He paused for a second, his head tilting in her direction, then went back to writing.
“I’m sorry you aren’t allowed to go with the others,” Jessie said, trying her best not to sound relieved for fear he’d perceive what was a comfort to her in some negative way.
He sighed. “It’s for the best. I would not wish on you the pain of losing a mate.”
“But you want to go.”
He nodded. “Every vampire wants to go. We all want to stop Panthera.”
“And every mate wants her vampire to stay.” Jessie sat on a stool at the table holding a puppy. “It’s selfish, but true.”
He turned and smiled. “I’m glad you want me to stay.”
“You didn’t really think I’d say go to your death, did you?”
Ricard chuckled, and the sound made Jessie’s belly flutter. But before she could say a word, the door smashed open and in marched both Rafe and Gabe.
“Do you fucking believe this?” Gabe shouted. “Do you fucking believe this?”
“Calm down,” Rafe said in a tone of voice that was so smooth Jessie nearly melted off her seat. “Apologies for that, Jessie. I was directing that at my progeny, not you,” he said in his usual voice.
“He’s not letting me go. He is not letting me go,” Gabe shouted, pointing at Rafe, then quickly darting up to his brother in a stance that drew Ricard to Jessie’s side.
Aurelia and Maddie strolled in, chatting away about the idiocy of men.
“Well, I can’t see why he’s all cranked up. It’s perfectly logical,” Aurelia said.
“When have you ever known him to be logical? Honestly, he chased after you, running head-first into a trap,” Maddie said.
“That’s true,” Aurelia said, sliding between the brothers, facing her mate, which instantly forced him to drop his fists, pull her to him, and back away from the vampire he not only called brother, but master.
“There’s no reason for me to stay. You stay. You’re the old one. Maybe you’re slower, weaker. You should be home in bed, old man.” Gabe turned to place Aurelia behind him, but as soon as he let her go, she darted back to the front.
“You’re making this difficult, Aurelia. Stay out of the way. I’m going to kill him and I need room for this.” He picked her up and put her behind a table, which she vaulted with grace and speed.
Gabe threw his hands in the air when she appeared before him. “Okay, listen. I’m the boss in this relationship, and I’m telling you to behave.” He picked her up and put her back where he’d placed her, pointing a finger at her nose. “Stay.”
Aurelia grabbed his hand, pulling his finger to her lips, where she placed a very quick kiss. “Now, let’s get something straight. You may have turned me, but we’re mates, not brother and sister, so you’re not actually the boss of me. I’m the boss of me and the boss of you, because obviously, left to make your own decisions, you’ll make crappy ones.”
“You know, I just let you—”
“Ah, ah, ah.” She bowed her head slightly and looked up at him. “Are you sure you want to fight with me? I know for a fact Rafe is not going to cuddle with you tonight if you don’t have a bed to sleep in.”
“What are you saying?” Gabe had the nerve to look perplexed.
“I’m saying you’re not going tonight, and that’s final.” She kissed his lips.
There was no time for Gabe to attempt to argue because before he could figure out what was happening both Maddie and Aurelia were disarming him and loading all his impressive weaponry on his brother.
“What in the world is happening?” Jessie asked.
“Rafe is going to battle while Gabe remains here to help protect the base,” Maddie said.
“And our bloodline,” Rafe added.
Aurelia nodded. “That’s not just me. That’s actually Gabe, too.”
“Oh, yeah, because Rafe can’t stay. No. Rafe is the big bad master so he gets to go while I stay here and protect my blood in case we need it for an antidote.” He smacked a few hands away and was promptly smacked by both women. “Why can’t we have your blood? You should stay.”
“We have been over this fifty times. You’re the third generation of our blood. Your blood is more potent.” Rafe strapped a second sword across his back.
Jessie counted two long swords, not less than eight knives, two souped-up handguns, one terrifying looking rifle, and countless rounds of ammunition, not to mention a couple of very dangerous looking metal objects tucked inside his jacket.
“Excuses. Excuses.” Gabe was forced, literally forced by both women, Ricard and Rafe to give up a silver-bladed knife, the sheath of which was filled with silver iodide. The four of them ended up wrestling him to the floor for the beloved weapon. “Fine!” he hollered as it was ripped out of his jeans.
“We’ll be back by dawn,” Rafe said, pulling Maddie into his arms. “Try to keep an eye on him for me.” He smiled at her, then kissed her lips in a very long, and sort-of-uncomfortable-to-witness kiss.
“Why don’t you two get a room, and while you do that, I’ll go to Panthera?” Gabe reached for the knife and ended up with his arm twisted behind his back and his face planted against the table courtesy of his brother, who continued to kiss his mate. “Yeah, you’ll be fine tonight. Of course, if you keep that up, you’re going to miss the whole fight,” he managed to say with his lips smashed to the table.
Once the epic kiss ended Rafe released Gabe, and the two brothers shook hands and did the manly hugging, back smacking thing brothers did.
“Pay attention out there,” Gabe warned.
Rafe nodded.
They both looked at Ricard and Jessie.
“We are sorry for your loss and for all that Genevieve suffered,” Rafe said. He extended his hand to Ricard. “Nothing can make amends for what was done to her. But, if I could kill my father again, I would.”
Ricard gave a smirk to the well-meaning comment. “Thanks.”
“Thanks for not taking vengeance on our mates, man. We know the temptation is there, and we appreciate you respecting Aurelia and Maddie,” Gabe said, extending his hand.
Jessie watched as Ricard’s whole demeanor changed. It wasn’t that he simply relaxed. But rather he let go of the rage holding him hostage. Something lightened within him, and she felt a new sensation, a forgiveness.
“Thank you for the apology. It doesn’t bring her back, but it helps to free me to love another.” Ricard looked to Jessie, and she smiled.
“I love a happy ending,” Aurelia said, leaning into Gabe.
“Me, too.” Maddie hugged Aurelia and then Jessie.
“Ladies, it’s not over. The battle hasn’t even begun.” Gabe shook his head. “This is why you don’t go into battle. All this girlie-crap.”
“Rafe! Let’s go!” Alice shouted as she and Hunter appeared in the doorway. “Revenants are screaming for their deaths, and Rollins wants you to capture him.”
“Raaaawwwrrrrr!” Hunter roared.
Rafe grinned. “Duty calls.” He kissed Maddie and nodded toward his brother and Ricard.
“Kill a few for me,” Gabe yelled as the door closed.
They spent the next several hours in a state of constant tension. As soon as the team left, fanning out into Central City in three squadrons, set to make simultaneous attacks on the two substations and Panthera’s main lab, the small contingent left behind went to work.
Gabe and Aurelia met a group of half a dozen other vampires on patrol of the base. Jessie and Ricard accompanied Maddie to the infirmary to wait for any wounded to arrive.
The room was brightly lit and there appeared to be several more beds than there had been the first night she’d come to the infirmary. Five refrigerators lined the wall, each packed with bags of blood. The sight made Jessie wonder if they’d robbed a blood bank.
“Do you think many will be hurt?” Jessie asked.
“It is likely several will be injured. I do not anticipate Rollins will give up his power very easily,” Ricard answered.
“Someone always does something that lands him in the infirmary.” Maddie rushed back and forth stocking supplies, checking equipment, and abruptly stopping to listen whenever there was a sound outside the door.
When no one entered the room, she’d mumble something and go back to whatever task kept her busy. It was on the third occurrence of the mumbling that Jessie finally understood what Maddie was saying. The poor woman was praying for her mate’s safe return. Her hands shook like she was holding an invisible jack hammer.
“Let me help you,” Jessie offered, taking a stack of syringes from Maddie.
“Thanks. I’m just a little worried.” Maddie handed over the supplies and launched into a monologue of how she’d been in love with Rafe for so many years and the stubborn vampire wouldn’t admit his feelings for her, and now that they were together she was terrified of losing him.
Jessie helped to arrange supplies and keep Maddie engaged in conversation for nearly an hour. Then the wounded began arriving.