Warrior (Relentless #4)(216)
“I’ll make sure you two lovebirds get home safe and sound, and then I’ll probably go back to LA by way of Longstone.”
He gave me a sly look. “Something tells me you won’t be leaving home again for a while.”
I didn’t disagree with him. Males stayed close to their mates for the first year or so after completing the bond, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be any different. That didn’t mean we had to stay at Westhorne, however, and I hoped to persuade Sara to take a trip to Russia to meet my parents. I’d be sure to phrase it a lot differently this time.
“Is Sara comfortable in the den?” Geoffrey asked. “She’s welcome to use my bedroom until you leave.”
“Thanks, but it shouldn’t be much longer.”
I heard running feet a second before Sara screamed, “Vampires!”
I ran to her as she burst into the living room. “Where? How many?”
“Everywhere,” she gasped. “At least fifteen.”
Fifteen? Jesus, it was another ambush.
“How does she know that?” Geoffrey demanded.
“No time to explain. Get ready.”
Chris and I grabbed our weapons. I went back to Sara, and he ran to take up a position by the large window.
“Chris?” I asked as I strapped on my knife belt.
“Nothing yet.”
I began issuing orders, not caring this was Geoffrey’s command. I was taking no chances with Sara and Jordan here, even if they had proven themselves to be more than capable fighters.
“We have at least fifteen hostiles incoming,” I shouted as warriors spilled into the living room. “Jordan and Abigail, you’re with Chris. Elijah, you, Joseph, and Noah cover upstairs. Travis and Oliver, take the kitchen. Geoffrey and I will cover the back.”
“What about me?” Sara asked.
Geoffrey held out a sword to her. “Can you fight?”
She put up her hands. “Not with that thing.”
I touched her arm. “Sara, you stay with me. Do not leave my sight.”
For once she didn’t argue. Grabbing a knife from Geoffrey, she followed us just as a window broke at the back of the house. We ran into the den to see two vampires come through the window. My blood chilled at the thought that Sara had been sleeping in here a few minutes ago.
I went after the first vampire, letting Geoffrey worry about the second one. There wasn’t a lot of fighting room in the den so I had to watch where I put my sword. Sara stayed by the door where I could see her out of the corner of my eye as I fought.
The vampire looked surprised to see two armed warriors waiting for him. I took advantage of his hesitation and sliced open his gut. Then I brought my blade around again and took his head from his shoulders.
As soon as he went down, two more vampires leapt through the window. I checked to see where Sara was before I moved in to meet the newest threat. They were faster than the first one, but there was no way they were getting past me with Sara standing a few feet away.
Over the thunder and rain, I could hear screams and fighting in the rest of the house, but I blocked them out to concentrate on the two vampires circling me.
The nearest one feinted at me from my left, and his friend tried to use that as an opportunity to come in from my right. My sword flashed, but there was barely enough room to swing with any force.
The vampires realized that too, and they smiled, showing me their fangs.
Holding my sword in one hand, I unsheathed my long knife with my other hand.
In the hallway, a vampire screamed.
Sara.
Someone crashed into a wall. Fear knotted my stomach, and I spun to the empty doorway, forgetting the danger behind me.
A familiar figure ran past the door toward the living room. I started after her.
“Nikolas,” Geoffrey grunted.
I turned back to the room just as both vampires came at me at once. Desperate to finish the fight, I brought both blades up – my sword to block and my knife to maim.
The vampire on my left screamed as my knife plunged between his ribs. The strike was too low to hit his heart, but it still had to hurt like the devil.
He staggered back, and I spun to the one who had tried to get past my sword. Blood dripped from one of his hands where four of his fingers used to be.
He snarled and lunged at me again, and I used his forward momentum against him. My sword came down, cutting his arm off at the shoulder. Before he could scream in pain, I skewered him through the heart.
I turned back to the one I’d knifed as he started to regain his footing. I leapt at him, striking out with the knife again. This time my aim was perfect, and he sank to the floor in a heap.
Leaving Geoffrey to finish off his opponent, I raced into the hallway where a dead vampire was crumpled against the wall.
“Sara?” I shouted, running toward the front of the house.
A vampire jumped out of the hall bathroom, directly into my path. I was moving so fast I slammed into him, knocking us both off balance.
Dropping my sword, I wrapped an arm around his neck and snapped it. He went limp, but he’d be back on his feet in thirty minutes if I left him like that. I picked up my sword and finished the job.
Heart pounding, I ran into the living room to find half a dozen dead vampires and no sign of Sara. People stood in front of the broken window staring in shock at something on the front lawn.