Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

MAC

M y mate's close.

And my grizzly was not happy that I hadn't let him loose once we left civilization behind. For months I've searched for her, my mate, only to be disappointed at my inability to scent her. But that ended as soon as I stepped through the portal, miles away from Reykjavik.

Iceland, for fuck's sake, had not been on my radar. And I would never forgive myself for allowing Sierra to suffer. Her captor, the demon who'd vowed to take my mate and those of my brothers for himself so he could rule mankind, had hidden her beneath a volcano, ensuring her scent would be masked from me. The choice had shown his derangement or brilliance. Although no matter which he operated under, the Duke of Hell was fully capable of both.

Sierra had been taken from her life eight months ago with little hope of escaping, but that ended today. I hung on to the hope that the demon had not been able to follow through on his plan of using our brides to break the prophecy the six of us had drilled into our heads for the past millennia.

"Mate, I'm almost there." I spoke out loud, then pushed the words out from my mind and prayed Sierra was able to hear them. I knew it was a longshot since in order to be linked telepathically we must have first become one physically. Yet hope filled me from the moment when she'd been shown to me over a live stream during Dante's attempt at capturing my oldest brother Quinn's mate.

At that moment, I knew she was my mate. And for me, a connection had been forged that could not be broken. It continued to gut me that I had no idea if she felt it as well. Obviously, Dante had her well-hidden.

I'd dealt in truth and science all my life, yet I wasn't above clinging to false hope where she was concerned. I would find her. She will become mine. We will be together forever.

And just when I'd thought I'd never find her in time, my father had steered me toward the land of fire and ice. I'd question him later if he'd been holding on to this information from the very start or if he had somehow used his own powers to locate where our enemy had taken her.

As I crossed the long-ago hardened lava, I traversed yet another ravine. My mate's scent slammed into me as I passed murky white steam escaping from one of the many fissures along the rock wall of the newly awakened volcano.

My heart thundered in my ears as the false hope I carried morphed to triumph. She was inside. But the entrance was guarded. In the shadows, two dark forms lurked. Demons. Yet I could not sense the Duke of Hell. Had he left her care to his underlings because he was still unable to travel aboveground, or was this a trap?

It didn't matter. Nothing would keep me from Sierra. Not even an entire legion of demons.

Remaining still as I observed their movements, my grizzly clawed for escape. It would be easier to shift and take out the guards, but I didn't want to risk scaring my mate. As we found out with Britt, Quinn's mate, she'd known nothing of the prophecy. It was a good bet Sierra would likely fight me if she didn't first pass out from fright if she encountered my grizzly first.

Sending out another message to Sierra, "Prepare and do not be afraid," I tossed my backpack with a change of clothes and several weapons behind a protruding mound of volcanic rock, then called to my grizzly. It was the best way to defeat not just the two guards, but any others I'd come across.

Releasing a battle roar, my grizzly descended on the unsuspecting demons. One managed a weak attempt at stabbing me. The blade grazed my right foreleg, barely breaking the flesh covered by a thick coat of fur. With both demons dispatched, I lumbered along the rocky path, deeper into the cave. Shouts of alarm met me as I encountered four more of them scrambling for safety.

I had the element of surprise on my side and the need to comfort my mate. Her sweetness filled my nostrils with every inhale I took.

Mate! Both my grizzly and I pushed a feeling of reassurance toward the energy vibrations we were now connected to.

The grizzly's hackles rose as I scented fear. It mingled with Sierra's unique scent. However, I couldn't let it distract me from taking out her captors.

The Brethren, my five brothers and I, never killed for the sake of killing. I would defend myself and my mate, and if her captors were foolish enough to attack, so be it. One or six fewer demons roaming topside would be the price paid to send the message to Dante that he'd never win.

Screams filled the cavern as my grizzly hunted. He felt the urgency as much as I did to make quick work of the guards before they could contact Dante to alert him of my presence. Not every swipe of my grizzly's paw went deep enough to kill, but I doubted they had the means to regenerate from their wounds if they'd been here as long as Sierra. All demons needed a steady diet of souls on a regular basis, so how were they being sustained?

"Sierra!" Roaring her name, as I shifted back to my human form, my voice and that of my grizzly's overlapped, bouncing off the walls. Desperate to locate her, I sprinted toward the sound of her cries. What I saw when I located her would forever be imprinted on my soul.

Red hair matted around her delicate face and her wrists tied together in her lap, she rested against the wall. Relief and fear emanated from her eyes and as her gaze fell from my face to the rest of my body, then her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. Tipping her head back, she released a sharp snort, followed by laughter. Maniacal laughter.

The closer I came, the harder she laughed. Not quite the greeting I had fantasized about. Well, at least she wasn't screaming.

I paused my movements and waited until she calmed.

But the longer she laughed, the more I worried she might've cracked from the months spent in captivity. Even the strongest of men would under these conditions. When I get my hands on Dante, I will rip him to shreds.

No longer able to hold myself back, in two strides I crossed the distance to where she sat hugging her middle. Even covered in soot, her clothes ripped and tattered, my mate was beautiful. Her plump lips were chapped, the tips of her fingers bloodied and bruised as if she'd been digging in the unyielding rock. I clenched my fists, keeping my arms at my sides to not scare her when all I wanted to do was scoop her up, hold her close and carry her out of this dark prison.

Once she gained her mortality after we mated, she'd never have to suffer like this again. But until then, I'd need to hold back my rage and handle her as gently as I could.

She whipped her head at my movement. Her gaze landing on my midsection. Actually, a bit lower—to my cock. It had surged to attention once I shifted back. My body instantly reacted to being in her presence.

With her, it seemed I had no control over my body, and I would not apologize for desiring my mate. Although I do regret our first meeting happened in this way. She deserved better.

But by the interest I saw flare in her eyes before she quickly looked away, she liked what she saw.

"Um, I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, uh, I mean thanks for the rescue, but are you aware you're naked?" Her voice raspy from disuse, she began to cough.

Searching the area for some water, I saw nothing but empty protein bar wrappers. I remember seeing a crate on my way into the tiny chamber they kept her in, and jogged back to retrieve it.

Double-checking that the demons were still out cold, I dug out a bottled water and quickly returned to her.

"Here, take small sips." Crouching down, I regretted the move immediately and let loose with a few choice curse words, then mumbled an apology. Making quick work of the rope that bound her wrists, I pressed the plastic into her poor damaged hands and helped her raise the bottle to her lips.

With eyes wide and wary, she mouthed "thanks" then took a long pull. I didn't dare take my eyes off her. I watched her swallow, her delicate throat rising and falling before she let out a satisfied sigh. "Maybe you could move your, er…engorged um, that back a few feet, thanks." She waved the bottle toward my erection then finished the water.

Another growl escaped me. The reminder of my lack of clothing had never made me embarrassed. In fact, I couldn't remember a moment in my life where I'd felt that particular emotion. Her discomfort, wrapped within her sharp words, made me aware of this new sensation. Searching for something, anything, to cover myself and make her feel safer, I scanned the area for a strip of clothing and found nothing. I shifted so my cock was no longer pointing at her, but the movement did little to make the situation better.

"If I could have prevented our first meeting from playing out in this manner, I would have. Unfortunately, my grizzly scented multiple demons keeping you prisoner and your safety meant more, and will always mean more, than any embarrassment either of us may suffer. Not that I suffer, but I assure you I will make it up to you. Can you stand or do I need to carry you out?"

Sierra's movements had stilled. I noticed her pupils were dilated and incredibly, her body had shifted closer to me even as I moved to give her the space she requested. Her breaths came out in short puffs and the vein in her throat pulsed noticeably quicker. Just further proof she was feeling the pull between us.

And whether she knew it or not, whether she was ready to accept it or not, her body recognized me as her mate.

Sighing, she whispered, "I think I can stand."

I offered my hand. She responded with an eye roll before pushing herself up. Unfortunately, her leg muscles gave out from little use. I bent to grab her arms to steady her, but was too late. Sierra executed a perfect face-plant on my erection, her face pressing it against my lower stomach.

" Gawd…fwuffing…amit !" Warm air and muffled cries tickled my flesh. Sierra scrambled backward. Her eyes filled with mortification before she closed them tightly as several tears dripped onto her dirt-streaked cheeks.

"Ah, love, no need for that. If circumstances were different, we'd be able to enjoy your mishap. As such, you'll need to gain some strength back before we find our pleasure with each other. And this cave isn't exactly the setting I would choose for our initial coupling."

She squeezed her eyes shut then let out another frustrated sigh. "Give me a minute. I want to walk out here on my own."

I expected more sharp words from her. Had wanted them, actually. I hadn't realized until this moment that I craved a mate with backbone and spirit. I needed her to tap into that again in order to get her out of here and far away from the Duke of Hell, who was determined to rule mankind and end the prophecy my brothers and I had waited centuries to begin.

Failure was not an option now that I'd found her. She may fight me, but I needed to get as far away from this volcanic prison and Dante's reach as fast as possible.

"I'm going to carry you, Sierra. Since you cannot walk, I have no other choice but to carry you." Time was not on our side. I needed to get her out of here now. Lifting her, I cradled her to my chest and ignored the throbbing between my legs. The need to make her mine would have to wait until she was healthy again. Much too frail for her tall frame, after securing a safe place for us, the first order of business would be to feed her.

The urge to take her to my bed and finally claim her would have to wait.