Skin Walkers: Angel Lost (10 page)

Chapter 22

Remy didn’t bother taking a vehicle to Conn’s mountainside bunker.  He didn’t have the patience for that, and besides, Delain would have a vehicle there and Remy planned on using it to get his Angel back to StoneCrow.  Currently shifted into golden eagle form, he was soaring high above the earth.  Eyes steely, darting back and forth as he searched once more for the hidden bunker, he tried to stifle the rage that was coursing through him.  Images kept flashing through his mind of Delain attempting to woo Harlow, trying to
touch
her, and it made him beat his massive wings all the harder.  He prayed his fellow Walker hadn’t tried to force Harlow into anything, because if he had he would die.

The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him.  Another Walker had kidnapped his Angel, and had taken her to the bunker to claim her.  It was the exact same thing he’d done to Conn Drago.  He’d taken Aries in an attempt to hurt Mason EnemyHunter, and Conn had made sure Remy paid for that bad decision with blood. 

Cold air bit at him.  October had just come and gone, and while the snows had been sporadic in October, Remy’s inner beasts could sense an onslaught coming.  Winter was officially here.

Diving down from the clouds, he tucked his wings tight to his body and narrowed his eyes to thin slits.  The mountainside came into sight, and he didn’t spread his wings until the last second, maybe a little too late, but desperation was ruling him now. 

His wings caught the wind as he broke through the canopy, jerking his body backward, his talons heaving out in front of him, and he shifted.  Mid-drop he transformed, regenerating clothing on the way and, as he crashed to the ground, he slid on one knee, the other leg attempting to brace him on the ground.  It didn’t work, and he ducked his chin and rounded his shoulder, tucking into a ball and rolling once before hurtling upward.  His hands slammed into the trunk of a tree that he would have crashed into had he not used the roll to slow himself and get better footing.

His head snapped toward the area where the bunker was hidden and he shoved off the tree, a snarl taking his lips. 

As he raced toward the bunker, still dressed in his black BDU’s, he knew he could make the journey faster if he took animal form, but he knew if he went charging in as a beast, there’d be little chance of keeping said beast from killing Delain on principal alone.

Crashing through the clearing, Remy made no effort for stealth, he didn’t need to.  There would be no finesse here.  He was coming with bad intentions, and he didn’t care one way or the other if Delain knew.

Remy rounded a hillside and the tail end of a StoneCrow issued Humvee came into view.  Good.  At least the asshole was taking precautions with Harlow.  If the Megalya were in fact hunting her, it’d be Remy’s choice of vehicle out here too.  Armored, yet fast.

Jerking his eyes from the Humvee, he looked to where the large metal door to the underground bunker was nestled in the mountainside.  Slamming to a halt, Remy didn’t move a muscle.  The door was wide open. 
Why?
  His nostrils flared as he partially shifted to bear and scented the area.  The icy bite of frost hit him first, followed by the scent of pine and earth.  He scented again, and his eyes closed as he picked out the sweet caramel scent of Harlow.  He savored it a moment before his eyes slammed open, transitioned to a full black he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to.  There, beyond all the other scents, was the acrid tang of Harlow’s fear.

Remy rushed the bunker, prepared for the worst.  The door would only be open, exposing them, if the Megalya had found them!

Inside, he found Delain wheezing on his knees, both hands at his throat.  He didn’t care, he couldn’t.  His eyes scanned the long narrow room, but there was no sign of Harlow.  He turned to the left and his booted feet echoed loudly as he hurried to the door leading to the single bedroom.  He kicked the door open and his heart seized.  No Harlow, and worse, no scent of her.  He crossed the room in the space of a few steps and used a shoulder to shove open the door leading to the bathroom.  Nothing. 

Panic setting in, he spun and ran from the bathroom, through the bedroom, and out into the main area, where Delain was trying to get to his feet.  Remy was happy to oblige. 

Bending, he fisted both sides of Delain’s shirt and hauled him up.  The Walker was large, but Remy had fear and rage on his side.  Turning, he slammed Delain into the wall, the Sentry’s feet dangling an inch from the floor.  Instinctively, Remy’s incisors elongated and he went nose-to-nose with Delain as he snarled, “Where. In the
fuck
!  Is my Angel?”

Delain fisted the front of Remy’s shirt, frowning hard.  “I-I don’t know!”

A growl rattled Remy’s chest, and he was barely holding back his beasts.  “The
fuck
you say?”

Delain tried to shove Remy back, but he didn’t move an inch.  “She…  She sucker-punched me in the throat and made a break for it.”

Remy released him so fast that Delain barely caught himself when his feet hit the floor.

Turning to leave, Remy took one step and, when Delain ghosted, he spun and fisted the Sentry’s shirt again, growling, “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

Delain was angry now as well.  “I’m assuming you’re going to want my halo off her!”  

And oh yes, he did.  Releasing Delain, Remy turned and sprinted from the bunker.  He rushed to where he’d scented Harlow earlier, and once he picked up the scent he partially shifted to ensure he didn’t lose it.  Jogging, he paid little attention to the pulse of energy he felt behind him indicating that Delain had shifted.  He heard the flap of wings and knew he had taken to the skies.  He’d need to.  He didn’t know Harlow’s scent the way Remy did.  It was ingrained in Remy’s very soul.

A few hundred yards into the forest he saw her. 

“HARLOW!”

She had one hand braced against a tree, her other arm wrapped around her middle.  She was doubled over and breathing hard.  Something was wrong.

Remy was to her in a blink, and when he gripped her shoulder to turn her to face him, he stepped back in shock.  Her pupils were blown out, and she was blinking and squinting like she couldn’t focus on him.  “Remy?” Her hands were shaking, and she smelled off.

Without a word he picked her up and turned to hurry back to the Humvee.  “What’s wrong, love?  Talk to me.”

“I don’t feel good.”  She rested her head against his shoulder.  “Something’s wrong.”

Damn right something was wrong.  She was wearing dual halos,
and
the Megalya fuck who was hunting her had also placed a claim. She had three unfinished claims battling for dominance, and she was the one bearing the strain.

Hearing a crunch behind them, Remy spun and snarled. “OFF!  NOW!”

Delain’s jaw worked, but he stepped forward and lifted his hands to Harlow’s throat.  “I’m sorry, Harlow.”

Her eyes glittered as he removed his halo from her throat.  “You don’t do that!” she spat.  “You don’t just
take
people against their will!”

Delain fisted his halo, looking right at her.  “I apologize.  It was an order, and…”

She didn’t let him finish.  “I don’t care if it was an order.  You don’t just
take
women!  Are you a Walker, or a Keeper?”

Delain ducked his head as Remy spun, barking out, “Leave the Humvee!”

Remy carried Harlow back to the bunker as she shifted in his arms and moaned.  “Harlow?”

She glanced up at him.  “Feeling a little better now.”

“Good.” But he didn’t look pleased about it. 

At the bunker, he carried her inside and jerked the door closed behind them, putting a large bolt in place to lock it from the inside.  Without preamble, he carried Harlow directly to the bedroom and placed her on the bed, bending to take off her jacket and then her shoes.  “What were you doing out there alone?”

“No one’s taking me, ever again.”

At the determination in her voice, Remy stopped peeling her socks off her feet and looked up.  Knowing her like he did, he knew she’d been beating herself up for letting the Megalya kidnap her. She was a trained Sentry after all.

Remy was grinning up at her now.  “Punched him in the throat, huh?”

Harlow grinned and shrugged one slim shoulder.  “He’s way bigger. I had to go for a sweet spot.”

Remy’s grin slipped, and he cupped her cheek, his expression softening.  “How you feeling, love?” 

She sighed heavily.  “Better, now that his halo is off.  It made me ill.”  She scratched absently at her arm. “Felt like my skin was crawling, and I was nauseated and getting worse.”

He grabbed her face with both hands then and studied her eyes.  The pupils were going back to normal.

She blinked up at him.  “Thank you…for coming for me.”

Remy frowned. “I will always come for you.”

Sucking in her bottom lip, Harlow’s cheeks reddened as she looked down, asking, “Will you come for me now?”

“Harlow,” he growled, and it sounded like a warning.  It was.  His need for her was pulsing through him, and was only heightened by the fact that she’d been taken from him.  Teasing him now was only going to get her proper fucked.

She gazed at him steadily with her soft green eyes.  “I mean it.  I want you to claim me, Remy McCabe.  I’ve been waiting for you.”

He shook his head hard once, his bangs falling into his eyes.  “I’ve been thinking on it for fucking days, Harlow!” Remy snarled. “It’s been all-consuming.”

Delicate brows speared down in worry.  “What…what has?”  She braced herself for rejection.  Perhaps he’d had enough time away from her to realize they couldn’t work.  Perhaps he and Mason’s past was so strongly rooted in hatred that Remy couldn’t overcome it.  Mason had told her the affliction didn’t work that way, that it wasn’t a choice, but even that had been little comfort.  She didn’t want Remy choosing her because he felt some compulsion to do so.  No, she wanted him to
want
to choose her.  Now, watching him, he looked nervous as hell and her body filled with dread.  “Just…” she cleared her throat and lifted her head, vowing to be strong no matter what he’d decided.  “Just say it, Commander.  What’s been so consuming?”

“You,” he whispered.  “Not just you, but my need of you…my
desire
to make you happy.”

All the air left Harlow in a rush, and she actually grabbed her belly at the dizzying sensation.

“I’ve never made anyone happy, Harlow EnemyHunter.  I’ve never wanted to.  But, you…  You make me want to give happiness to
you
!  Spending all that time out there, hunting the Megalya, I’ve been so damn distracted and anxious and nervous.”

“Nervous?”

“Yeah.”  He thrust a hand through his hair.  “I realized I’ve never wanted something so badly before.  I’ve thought about how it would work between us, how you’d be happy and replete in my love, how that’d make me feel.  I’ve thought about the pride I would feel with the knowledge that I could be a good mate.  I’ve hoped with all my being that you hadn’t changed your mind.  I know when last we spoke everything happened too quickly.  We’d just been attacked, I was heading out on mission.  I can only imagine the sense of urgency that made you seek me out before I left.”  He fisted a hand, rubbing the other over his knuckles.  “You’ve had time to think on things now, and it’s been eating at my insides that you may have changed your mind.”  He looked away. “I’m sure Mason has attempted to dissuade you, and…”

“I didn’t.” 

Her words cleared his frown, his expression suddenly hopeful.  “I want my claiming to be special.  I want it to be romantic, something you’ll remember and appreciate for the rest of our lives.” 

Harlow stared at him in silence for a moment, then she pulled her shirt over her head. Remy’s heart gave a start at the sight of his halo around her neck.  It sparked something in him, something primal and possessive.

  “You just raced here and challenged a fellow Walker for me.  You rescued me…
again
!  If that’s not the most romantic thing in the world, then I don’t know what is.”

Pacing away from the bed, Remy made a show of studying the room.  “You saved yourself this time, love.  And I can’t see me taking you in this place, not like this.  You can’t want that?”

When he turned back to Harlow she was shimmying out of her jeans, pushing her panties down along with the denim.  “Commander McCabe, if you don’t get over here,
right now
and pleasure me, I’m going to do it myself, and then…” 

She didn’t get to finish. Remy ripped open the front of his shirt, buttons flying everywhere.  He had to bend to unlace his black boots, but seconds later he was toeing them off and unsnapping his pants.  His eyes were locked on Harlow’s pussy as she made a show of slowly spreading her legs, pretending she didn’t know it was happening as she reached back to unfasten her bra.  When her breasts fell free, Remy’s heated gaze locked on them, and he whispered reverently, “I’ve dreamed of this.”

“No more dreaming.  Come here, Commander.”

He was on her in blink, and while he wanted badly to taste every inch of her, wanted to go slow and gentle, the affliction was too much. He poised his erection at her entrance, collaring her throat with a hand and looking down at her breasts as he gritted out a pained, “Harlow…  I can’t-I can’t be gentle right now.  It’s been too long, and the affliction…”