Wild and Free (The Three #3)(69)

That was all Abel needed. He looked to Moose, who was bleeding profusely from a cut on his upper arm and had teeth marks on his neck, but they weren’t deep.

“Put him down. Pressure to the wound,” Abel ordered. Moose moved instantly and Abel looked to Jian-Li. “First aid.”

She nodded and rushed away.

He looked to Wei. “Doc gets here, Jabber first, then Chen.”

Wei jerked up his chin, then rushed after his mother.

Finally, he did what he needed to do most.

He put his hands to his mate, who was now quietly sobbing.

“Come here, *cat,” he murmured, trying to pull her away from Snake.

She tensed against his hands, then suddenly fought him, viciously, striking out at his arm, her other fist connecting with his jaw. Just as suddenly, before he could even move to contain her struggles, she collapsed into him, curling her hands in his tee and pushing in hard with all her strength.

And in another quick change, her head jerked back and she cried, “You’re injured!”

“I’ll heal quickly, *cat,” he assured her.

“But—”

He curved a hand around her jaw, getting closer. “Promise. I’ll heal quickly.”

She stared into his eyes, must have read the truth behind his promise, nodded, and again collapsed against him, burrowing her face deep in his chest.

He held her as she wept in his arms, his throat feeling thick, and watched as Hook finally moved away from his friend, his throat convulsing. Hooker grabbed a bloodied tablecloth from an upended table and draped it over Snake.

Abel’s throat felt thicker.

“Abel, we must move.”

He looked up and saw Yuri, covered in blood like the rest of them, looking down at him.

“We’ve suffered a loss,” Abel told him, which he had to f*cking know since the man was dead at his feet.

“We’ll take the body with us,” Yuri stated. Delilah bucked in his arms at his words and Abel felt his eyes narrow as the snarl ground up his throat.

“Careful,” he growled.

A muscle jumped in Yuri’s cheek and he nodded.

“We must move,” he said, his voice quieter. “We have physicians who can see to your family’s injuries. They’re well-equipped. But it isn’t safe here.”

Abel glanced around at the carnage of headless vampires and wolves littering Jian-Li’s restaurant, then back to Yuri. “No shit?”

“No shit,” Yuri returned stiltedly. “So as you can see, we must move.”

“Your physicians get here and say my family can safely move, we’ll move. Until then, I got a doc comin’ and we’re stayin’ put until I know they’re good.”

“This—” Yuri started.

“He says we’re staying, we stay,” Callum entered the conversation. He was back to man, dressed, and moving with Sonia clamped tight to his front.

“None of their injuries—” Yuri started but stopped when he reared back because Callum bared his teeth, snapped the air in Yuri’s direction, then clipped, “We stay.”

“We stay, Yuri,” Gregor said, getting close, his go ’round with Lucien obviously over. He was looking down with disheartened eyes to Snake before he took in Delilah and Abel’s family and finally his attention came to Abel. “We have our people on the move. All of them. Including physicians who will be here imminently.” His voice went soft. “And rest assured, we will care for your fallen.”

He felt Delilah move in his arms and looked down at her to see her wet, grief-stricken face turned up toward Gregor. The sight of it, the heavy weight of her emotion he felt bearing down on him, forced another uncontrollable snarl to roll up his throat.

He had no idea what she would say, but when she whispered, “Thank you,” that was a surprise. She then looked to him. “I’m okay now but need to go to Dad.” She drew in breath and her fingers tightened in his shirt. “Please let me go to him, honey.”

He nodded and didn’t hesitate in giving her what she needed. He pulled her up to her feet, bent, and touched his lips to hers. Then he let her go.

She moved to her father.

Gregor got closer but stopped when Abel cut his eyes from his mate to the vampire.

“The Vampire Dominion has a compound about two hundred miles south of here,” Gregor told him. “Considering what’s been happening, it’s been prepared for our occupation. It’s very safe, already guarded, and where we’ll be heading. Once your wounded have been seen to, you must pack what you need, including any weapons you wish to have, and do so in a way where you will be covered for a good deal of time as it’s doubtful we’ll be returning.”

“You’re serious, right?” Abel asked sarcastically, not about to go any-f*cking-where with this f*cking guy.

“Whatever happened that allowed this attack will not happen again,” Gregor assured him, though Abel was far from assured. “But we must get you and the other couples that make The Three to a safe place and do it as soon as possible.”

Before he could reply, including asking what this f*cking Three business was, he heard ambulances and turned his head to the door.

“Our physicians,” Gregor murmured, and Abel looked back to him. “You must trust us.”