Chapter 15

As the morning light brightened the area, Eli surveyed the scene, seeing the dead bodies, both human and shifter and those creatures. Head shots were the only things that worked, and it had to be from a high caliber weapon. Close range helped, too, but too close, and those claws and quills got you.

Eli stood, his body weaving as fatigue rolled through him. He shook it off and moved over to the first shifter body and checked for a pulse. When he didn't find one, he exhaled softly and rolled the body over. Kris Crocker. Ah, fuck. Someone would need to tell his brother, Jake.

Standing, Eli moved to another body, human and nudged it with his foot. There was no response, and Eli couldn't see the chest moving. Another human lay next to this one and was obviously dead. There was no chance the human had survived being decapitated.

"Oh, Kris. Fuck." Vir crouched next to Kris' body and dropped his head. "He shouldn't have even been here. He was in Morefield going over blueprints for an ongoing construction project and must have heard what was happening. He should have left hours ago, but there was a problem, so he stayed to check it out."

"I want these fuckers ended."

"Teal is injured. Badly. And we have two of our own dead. Don't know who yet."

Eli rubbed his face and hobbled over to another shifter. Jim. Jim blinked up at him and tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace of pain. "How bad?" Jim's inside was exposed due to deep lacerations on his abdomen, and Eli didn't think a few shifts would fix it. He could survive, but he needed urgent medical attention at Salutem.

"Sax is going to kick your ass."

"I saw Kris go down…" Jim's lips pulled back, and he hissed.

"Can one of Indy's mate' s friends get here and transport Jim to Salutem?"

"One is…here now."

The demon appeared out of nowhere and seemed to take up all available space. It was huge. It kneeled next to Jim and carefully picked him up, then disappeared. Eli stared at the spot where Jim had been, then looked at Vir. "What?"

"Balor has some interesting friends." His eyes grew distant, then he nodded. "He's in Salutem General now."

Sighing, Eli looked at the carnage around them. "Let's finish this. We have mates to go home to."

Eli watched Alvin sleep,then looked past him to where Alison lay sleeping. He'd picked them up from the community center, and they'd all gone back to his house. The kids didn't want to leave Alvin's side, so Eli had carried a single bed into his bedroom and the twins had that with Alison sleeping next Alvin.

"Hey," Alvin murmured, his voice soft with sleep.

Eli stroked Alvin's cheek. "Go back to sleep. Everything's fine."

"Is it?" Alvin sat up and leaned into Eli, who put his arm over Alvin's shoulder, tugging him close.

"It will be. We'll beat them, Alvin. We'll be free." Kissing Alvin softly, Eli sighed. "I love you."

"I love you, too, and no matter what happens, I'm here. I'll always be by your side."

"Always."