Talk about disorienting, stepping between one realm and the next, nausea curls in my stomach. I stumble to the side into Heathen, shaking the distortion of shadows from my mind.
“Breathe. It will pass.” He steadies me with a hand on my right shoulder.
Sure, he can say that. That man has been jumping realms for centuries, maybe longer. He squeezes my shoulder and steps back, his hand falling to his side as he slides closer to Mick. I take a deep, calming breath and step forward on shaky legs.
I slowly make my way to the front of our little rescue group, up beside Knox and Calixion, who are standing side by side with their backs to us all. It’s still slightly weird thinking of having two masters and a mistress of our Seeth now.
“Should we go through the woods and risk our men, or do we shadow across?” Knox's voice is a soft whisper as I step up behind them.
“I have friends meeting us here in a few…” Calixion’s voice trails off as shadows start to swirl and collide right in front of them. I growl, sliding between them, to stand in front of them. Nothing is getting past me to our masters. I feel Heathen and Sliver step up on either side of me, and a vicious smile forms on my lips.
The shadows gently fade back to reveal three guards. My hackles automatically rise; I have no idea if they are friend or foe, and the growls coming from either side of me echo my thoughts. I step forward into a half crouch, my growl growing louder as they step back with hands raised in front of them.
“Cal, call your dogs off,” the one on the right whispers softly as my muscles gather to spring on him, his eyes never leaving mine. An acidic aroma flows through the air around us, and a feral smile crosses my lips. Fear is a wonderful thing; it leads to mistakes. Like him stepping back further as I take a small step forward.
“Trigger, stand down!” Knox’s thunderous voice sends chills through every one of us, and the tension slips out of us all, leaving me feeling like a marionette with its strings being cut all at once. I catch myself from stumbling and stand swiftly.
Cal steps between Heathen and me, reaching a hand out to the one who is still watching my every move. “Glad to have you show, Gerber.”
My head snaps to the side, looking at Calixion in disbelief, while a few of my brethren snicker behind me. Did this guy's mother hate him or something? She named him after a human baby food brand of all things. Who does that?
I slip back beside Knox, Sliver taking his place on Knox's other side, while Heathen returns to his Mick. One day those two will give in and accept they are mates. I glance back with a smirk. Heathen is relaxed at Mick’s side, like it’s where he belongs. But Mick standing so stiffly, oh yeah, he’s fighting fate with every ounce of his being. I turn back to Knox, my voice low enough that no one but he and Sliver can hear me.
“I would never fight fate like those two. Mates are gifts.” Just as the last word leaves my lips, I hear a female scream so loud I would think she was right before me. Instantly on guard again, my eyes scan the barren field before us. I strain to look into the deathly forest beyond the long, deep field, not catching sight of anyone or anything. I take a step forward, feeling as if I have to find her, help her. What feels like a vice clamps onto my right bicep.
“What the hell are you doing, Trigger?” Knox viciously whispers close to my ear.
I look back at him in complete confusion. “We have to help her.”
“We will get AliStacia back, don’t worry on that. I will have my mate safe in my arms.”
I shake my head at him. “No, the woman we just heard.”
He arches a brow at me.
“She just screamed loud enough to wake the dead, Knox. We have to help her.”
A look of confusion crosses his face, there and gone. “No one screamed, Trigger.”
“Yes, she did. Just now.”
He pulls me back to his side, I look back towards the forest. I know she’s there.
“You heard her?”
I look over only to realize one of the shadow guards is standing before me. He looks at Knox, then down at his hand still gripping my arm. I don’t know why, but I end up blurting it out.
“Yeah, she just screamed so loud I’m surprised we ain’t all running around looking for her.”
The guard looks sympathetic as he turns to Knox. “You both need to know this. Follow me.”
Knox growls at being commanded yet pulls me along the few feet away from the others.
“What is it, demon? I need to find AliStacia, not play these childish games of people thinking they are hearing voices that aren’t there.” Knox’s words are clipped as he glares at the shadow guard.
I bristle at his words; I know I heard her.
“I did hear her. What the fuck is wrong with you to have not heard her?” I growl more than speak to Knox. He growls back, fangs lengthening before our eyes. So completely lost in ourselves, I slightly jump when the shadow guard speaks.
“He did hear her.”
My head whips back in his direction, Knox’s mouth falling open.
“You believe his delusion? No one screamed, at all.” Knox’s voice is a harsh whisper as heads turn our way.
I can feel my embarrassment tinting my ears pink. Fuck!
“If he said he heard a woman scream, then believe him.” The look of sincerity on the guard’s face is a relief to me. I feel myself sag just a little bit.
“How can you put these thoughts in my soldier’s head like this? He was fine until you showed up!” Knox’s voice rises with each word until he’s yelling. What the hell is wrong with him? He never acts this way.
“What thoughts you talking ‘bout, Knox?” Cal’s voice rises above the murmuring of all the others as he walks over, the other two shadow guards flanking him. Great, just great. Knox got so loud that Calixion is now all up in my business.
“This guard is trying to fill Trigger’s head with thoughts of hearing a woman scream. No woman screamed!” Knox turns to Cal, the threat of retribution written all over his face. I want to crawl into a hole in the ground at this point, too many eyes gawking at me.
Calixion looks at me stunned. I can’t tell if it’s in shock that I’m hearing voices or that I’m blushing like a damned schoolgirl.
“You heard her? For real?” The awe in his voice is more relief than it should be. He believes me, and I slowly nod.
“You have to find her then. She needs you.” Calixion places his hand on my shoulder. “She’s your gift, man. Don’t ignore her.”
The first guard turns to Knox, a look of wonder on his face.
“It’s rare, but here in our realm, a mate can be found through this. They hear each other when one is in distress, so the other can find them.”
My head snaps back in his direction. Did he just say mate? As in I have a mate here in this shithole of a realm? The look on my face must be speaking for me as he nods at me in understanding.
“Looks like we have two to rescue today, boys and girls,” Calixion announces as Knox sputters incoherently. The guard gently grabs my arm, pulling me to the side. His voice is low.
“Just remember to keep an eye out for her as we travel to rescue AliStacia.” He releases me, and we turn back to Cal and Knox. A smile plasters across my face as excitement fills my veins.
“Let’s get this party started!”
