Raven struggled to get the cuffs off, but she knew it was no use. Instead, she raised her head up looking around. When she saw the yachts, she knew they were trying to move her again. There was too much commotion going on and the possibility of them not getting to her in time was pretty high now. And that scared her. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she yelled, “Caz. Hurry, they are putting me on a boat. Hurry.”
The stock from the rifle almost knocked her out as the guard hit her directly in the face. “Shut up.” Blood wasn’t dripping down her face, it was pouring. She felt lightheaded due to all the blood loss from earlier and now today. She closed her eyes as they carried her onto a boat dock. She could smell smoke and knew the hunters had started burning the yachts. Nobody was going to leave here. He would come for her. She had to believe he would.
“Go, go,” the man yelled. They were on a yacht pulling away. She struggled against her cuffs trying to break them when a thump drew her attention. She held her head up and looked over and saw her mate standing on the boat’s deck. He’d leaped from the dock. Smiling, she watched as men screamed and some even jumped overboard, but some tried to lasso a nine-hundred-pound tiger. When she leaned up enough and her mate got a good look at her face, Caz completely lost it. She had never seen him like this.
She watched as her mate tore into every man on the boat. Only their leader was left. Where was the bastard? She felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull back. She leaned against a body. The leader held a knife to her throat stopping Caz from coming closer. “Doesn’t matter, Caz. I’m not going with him. Kill him.”
Caz shifted and started smiling at the man. Any other time, she would’ve loved to have seen his smile, but right now, she had a knife to her throat. Nothing to smile about until the man gasped and the knife disappeared.
She tried to turn to see what happened to the man, but she couldn’t see him until she looked up and saw the eagle shifter carrying the man in his claw. “Wow.” Caz ran to her side drawing her attention.
He grabbed the napkins off the table and put them on the gash over her right eye. “Are you okay?” He didn’t give her time to answer before his lips were over hers.
When he pulled back, she asked, “Can you get me out of these things?” She lifted her wrists with the cuffs.
“Oh...Sorry.” He pulled the bolt out and released her hands then feet. She jumped into his arms.
“I love you. I’m so sorry I was such a bonehead. I love you so much,” Raven quickly explained. Hugging him so close, she didn’t want to let go, but the caged shifters inside the arena popped into her head. Pulling away, she looked toward the coliseum. “The others. They have them underground. We have to find them. Let’s go now. They have kids, Caz. Kids!”
“I got some out, but we will make sure they are all okay. Let’s go.” They both jumped off the boat onto the wooden dock and ran toward the coliseum. Eagles still flew overhead. Once they got inside, the saw shifters tending to the ones who needed it. The children were all sitting in the corner.
She cautiously approached them, and one little girl got up and hugged her. “Thank you,” she whispered. The others became quiet and watched as another girl then a boy all hugged her. She couldn’t stop the tears as they fell from her face. Never had she wanted a child, but as she hugged the children, and watched Caz’s expression, she knew he was the one she would have children with one day.
They all turned when someone came running down the stairs. Wyatt Benjamin came to a stop looking at each of the faces. Boris held his mate close not wanting to let her go. When Dana Connor saw him, her face dropped. “I’m so sorry, Wyatt. She had to fight a lion and…”
Wyatt put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m glad you are okay.”
Dana pointed to the corner. There was his son, Lake who just stared at him. He was as straight as a statue.
“Lake,” he whispered and ran to his son’s side. Wrapping his arms around him, the little boy, stared off. He never hugged his dad back and Raven knew it would be a while before Lake would feel secure or normal again.
“Let’s get everyone out of here and on the boat then we can search this place for any survivors,” Lennox said, coming over and hugging her. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Understand!” She knew what her alpha meant.
Her brother came up to her and hugged her. He pulled away and turned her around and she remembered she had been shot. The bullet was still inside her. She could feel it starting to burn.
“You need to get this out, now,” Leo said. Her mate swept her up in his arms and walked out toward the boat.
“I can walk, you know.”
He said nothing at first, just stared at her with those big cat eyes of his. Golden like the sun. His tiger was close as he rubbed his face against her head. “Just let me take care of you.”
She remembered the advice she had been given and replied, “Okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The first day back home, all Raven did was eat and sleep. The doctor said her body would heal quicker if she actually listened to him for once. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a choice. Caz stood watch at her door and Jade said if she got out of bed before she healed, she would put a hex on her. For some reason, Raven believed her.
What she didn’t expect was the girls planning a ladies’ night out in her bedroom. Quinn told Caz he had to go play with the boys. He didn’t want to, but Quinn held out her hand and a blue flame appeared. She may have whispered that her burning flame could’ve done a lot of damage to tiger fur.
He got the point when the guy hunters came to his rescue, telling him they had been invited to Calum’s house for an all-male cookout. That seemed to appease him, and the fact that she promised Caz she wouldn’t get out of bed.
Earlier that day, she asked Caz to buy a frame that would look good for the picture she drew of Jade and Lennox’s home. She planned to give it to Jade when she arrived. She was calling it a “thank-you” gift since she’d been a total bitch to her. Jade, Quinn, Greer, Riley, Simone, Scarlett, Alex, and Hayden all came to help her when she was kidnapped. She realized then these people were her family and friends.
She needed them, and it didn’t matter what she thought about it; they weren’t taking no for an answer. Which she had to admit she liked that about them. They were loyal.
Jade was in the kitchen cooking for the party and Raven hadn’t seen her alone all day. When Quinn arrived, she asked if she would get Jade for her.
She was so nervous, her leg started jumping. Dang it, she was a Death Hunter, for goodness sake. Why was this making her so crazy?
“You wanted me?” Jade asked, smiling.
She nodded and took in a deep breath, putting her hand on her leg trying to make it stop. Motioning her into the bedroom, Raven pulled out the present from under her pillow. “It’s not much, but I wanted you to have this. And let me preface by saying I know it’s not any good and trust me when I say you don’t have to hang it up anywhere, but I can’t get out of bed right now and I wanted to get you something for helping me. Well…here.” Raven swallowed hard and handed the gift to her.
Jade took the wrapped package. “You don’t have to give me something for helping you. You’re my friend, a Death Hunter, and part of my family. Of course, I’m going to help you. Any time you are in trouble, I will be there.”