Chapter Twenty-One

Ramsey was one heavy water monster, even when Rocky shifted and carried Ramsey on his back. His wound was severe enough he couldn’t walk very far and not fast enough. The humans would have caught up with him. The bullet had gone through his gut, but they didn’t have time for him to shift.

Rocky could see they wouldn’t be able to fly over the humans and into the barrier. There were too many soldiers surrounding the house, and they all had guns. Rocky made a big target. The sound of his wings displacing the air was unmistakable. So Rocky didn’t get closer. Instead, he made sure there was some distance between them and the humans, landing in a clearing out of sight but near enough to walk toward Mother Estelle’s house so they could see it through the trees.

Ramsey slid off his back and Rocky shifted.

Gabriel joined them a second later. He shook his head. “They’re everywhere, man. They have Mom’s house surrounded. I couldn’t see past them.”

Rocky hummed in agreement. “They’ll shoot me out of the sky.”

Ramsey clutched his side and grunted. “Move back. I need to shift.”

While Ramsey shifted into a giant slithering snake-like water creature, Rocky formed a plan. Rocky wasn’t sure who he was talking to when he spoke, and he guessed it didn’t matter if Ramsey paid attention or not. Given the severity of his injury, it was up to Rocky and Gabe to get him to safety.

“We need a distraction.”

Gabe smirked. “One in the form of a witch with a ball of death, you mean. Or maybe a warlock.”

“Exactly.”

Since Lucas had a direct link to everyone, Rocky focused on him and projected his thoughts to Lucas. Do you think you and Thomas could provide us with some sort of distraction?

Ramsey’s hurt?

He’s able to shift and heal himself, but yeah, he got hurt.

They shot Vaughan. The fear came through in every word, even through a thought projection.

The next time he spoke to someone in his mind, it was Henri. Are you safe?

I’m not injured. I am scared, though.

That doesn’t answer the question.

I know. But I need to save Echo.

Rocky cursed under his breath. He met Gabe’s gaze when he spoke. “They’re going to create a distraction. We have to wait for the right moment.”

“What’s wrong?” He waved his hand in the general direction of the soldiers. “Besides everything.”

Rocky shook his head. “I don’t know most of it. But Vaughan got injured. And Henri is trying to save Echo, which means the humans have him.”

Now it was Gabe’s turn to curse. “So where is Henri?”

Where are you, baby?

In a van. Echo is with me. We’re on the access road. You know the one I mean. Near our cabin. There’s a caravan. Seven black cargo-style vans. I got lucky and picked the right one. The soldiers took two vehicles. We’re in the first one headed down the access road toward North Lake.

Rocky relayed the message to Gabe.

“They’re headed for the highway.”

They needed to get Ramsey to safety first, but after, Rocky needed to save his mate. Keep telling me where you are.

Vaughan told me to do that.

What did he say, sweetheart?

To stay with Echo. And tell you where they take him. Henri was a brave little turtle. As much as Rocky wanted to admonish him for putting himself at risk, Henri had made the right choice by putting Echo first.

Good job. Bandos and Sully are already on our way to help you. And I’m not far behind. It went against every instinct he had to say it. His dragon roared in his mind with the knowledge they couldn’t keep their mate safe. But the sensible part of Rocky knew they didn’t have any choice but to follow through with the original plan.

He clung to hope. Hope Henri made it out alive. Hope no one else got hurt. Hope Lucas and Echo could save everyone.

If something happened to Henri and he didn’t do everything in his power to save him, he wouldn’t be able to live with it. The feeling extended to everyone. Ramsey. Gabe. Everyone in the clan.

Ramsey appeared exhausted but able to walk without aid for the first time since getting injured. It was a vast improvement. He nodded, indicating he was ready, and they all jogged closer to the house.

They had taken a few steps when they saw fire up ahead. A big ball of it singed a tree. People screamed. Gunshots rang out.

It was chaos.

As Rocky drew near, he crouched behind bushes in a small gully and watched.

There were too many people outside the barrier to see what was happening inside. Some people were smart enough to run, which left a gap big enough for Rocky to see the yard through the hordes.

Thomas and Lucas stood feet away from each other. But they worked in tandem. Thomas threw balls of fire, which seemed as if they came out of his hands. While Thomas was working on another fireball, Lucas drew a gray light from his chest. He held it in his hand and then waved his other hand over it. Doing so made the gray light bigger.

When he threw it, he hit several humans. It took a few attempts to create a hole wide enough for Rocky, Gabe, and Ramsey to run through.

Ramsey held up his hand, counting down. When his hand became a fist, they all ran. They were all shifters, so they weren’t as fast as vampires or as fast as enhanced humans. But Gabe shifted, so his wolf speed made him quicker.

Ramsey was slower because his body hadn’t healed all the way yet. Rocky didn’t want to leave him, which meant he brought up the rear.

When they turned their guns on to them, Rocky shifted. He wanted to create as much of a distraction as possible to make it easier for Ramsey to make a run for it.

Rocky took to the air, breathing fire as he did so.

The bullets stung each time they penetrated his scales. He ignored the pain, killing as many of their enemies as possible.

When he grew too weak to fly, he landed on the road. His stream of fire was the only way he kept them back. But he couldn’t stop them from firing at him. All he could do was inch his way toward the yard.

Hearing Lucas curse told him he was close enough to make a run for it. His energy waned with each step but he pushed. Thinking about Henri alone, trying to survive without him, gave him the stamina he needed to fight for his life.

****

As soon as he was in the yard, he shifted to his human form and then to his dragon’s, trying to heal himself but he quickly realized he was too injured. He would need medical help. He wanted to call for it, but all he could do was lie there.

Then Lucas kneeled beside him. He frowned and called Rocky an idiot. “All you had to do was run.”

“Wanted to make sure Ramsey made it.”

“I know.” Lucas huffed. “You saved his life. It’s still not the point. This is going to hurt, and you’ll pass out.”

Rocky nodded and gritted his teeth as he waited for Lucas to save his life. “Thanks, Lucas.”

“It’s a good thing for you I’m stronger than I used to be. Used to get so tired afterward.”

“I need you to tell Henri what’s happening. Find out where he is.”

Lucas nodded. “I’ll make sure he knows you’re fine and sleeping off the effects of my magic.”

Rocky clutched Lucas’s arm. “Don’t keep me under for long.”

“It’s not something I can control…” Lucas swallowed. “I’ll do everything I can to let Henri know someone is coming to help him.”

“Yes. Make sure he knows he’s not alone.” But it should be Rocky.

Promise me you’ll make it back home in one piece.

Are you hurt? What happened?

Got shot. I’m with Lucas. Now promise me.Rocky would grovel at Henri’s feet when he saw him again. He’d fuck him seven different ways in an hour if it made him happy. He’d promise the gods to be a better person if they would spare Henri’s life. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do.

I can’t, but I can promise to try.

Lucas was right. When he pushed the white light into Rocky, it hurt. It wasn’t long before he felt nothing at all.