Alpha Warriors of The Cause - Tamara Rose Blodgett Page 0,26

by his side, blade out, and moves inside directly after Calvin smashes open the door with a well-placed strike of his foot.

The scene before Jeb bottoms out his stomach, nearly making him drop his weapon.

The large male Bloodling and the rogue Reflective, whom Jeb has become increasingly certain is also a Bloodling, are holding Beth between them.

The older male’s lack of pants has Jeb moving before his next breath.

“Jeb,” Beth says in a voice that's little more than a whisper on the air. Her soft plea incites every male instinct he possesses.

Jeb leaps from where he stands; the Bloodlings’ eyes widen like slick pools of water and malice.

The older of the two drops Beth on the couch and crouches, hissing at Jeb as he barrels into him.

They roll, tumbling over the back of the couch, and slam into the half-meter solid-stone wall. Jeb leaps to a stand, and the Bloodling thumps the flats of his palms into Jeb's chest. Jeb grabs onto the tight black hair club secured at the Bloodling's nape before he flies backward.

They fall together, and Jeb releases his hold, jabbing the Bloodling in the throat. He gives a return strike to Jeb's temple, and Jeb’s vision trembles.

Jeb flings himself backward, casting his arms wide, and does a backflip that takes him just out of reach of the huge Bloodling.

They circle each other, though the Bloodling's pants at his ankles causes him to shuffle.

Jeb tries to tamp down his rage at the inference of the Bloodling not having pants.

Impossible.

Jeb tenses and moves in hard, peppering his jabs at the organs protected behind bone.

Talons punch his shoulder, and Jeb grunts.

His eyes flick to Beth lying on the couch, and his adrenaline surges, ripping through to his basest level.

With a howl, he jerks his chest away, and the talons pull out of his flesh. Jeb ignores the blood—and everything but the death of this Bloodling who would harm his soul mate.

“Jeb!” Calvin shouts in the background.

The Bloodling invites him to finish him by living.

Jeb moves forward, twisting the blade he managed to hang onto into an upward arc. He sinks it deep into the Bloodling’s gut. He hisses, burying his fangs in the torn meat of Jeb's shoulder.

“Stop, Reflective,” the Bloodling pants beside him. “I do not wish to end you.”

Jeb bares his teeth. “Fuck you.”

He turns the blade, trying for the Bloodling’s heart.

A hard shove loosens his hold.

Calvin comes at him, using both hands to shove him harder. “Stop! Merrick!”

Jeb turns his blade toward Calvin, his eyes flicking to Beth.

“Kill me if you want, Merrick—but it won't help Beth.”

His hands grip Jeb's uniform as blood pours out of the wound. Jeb's arm whips out, hitting the wall. A wave of vertigo latches onto his vision.

“That's it, Merrick. Calm down. Beth's okay.”

His eyes meet the pale blue of Calvin's. His gaze finds the strange-looking Reflective standing beside Beth then moves to the one he stabbed.

His noises of dying are satisfying to Jeb, whose smile is grim. At least he incapacitated the male before he could hurt Beth.

Then Jeb notices fire in his shoulder. He moves from underneath Calvin's hands, covering the wound on his shoulder with a slightly shaking hand.

Jeb looks to the male beside Beth. “Who are you?” Without waiting for an answer, he turns to Calvin. “Why did you stop me from finishing this one?” Jeb jerks his jaw in the direction of the struggling Bloodling at his feet.

“You'd be dead if it weren't for Beth,” the second Bloodling says.

Jeb frowns. “How is that—Bloodling?”

He nods. “I am the Bloodling that fought with Ryan. I am Slade.”

Jeb leans against the wall, taking in that bit of information. His eyes rake the male as the poorly rendered Reflective second skin falls away to reveal the very Bloodling who had carried away a beaten Beth.

“How does Beth have anything to do with my death?” Jeb straightens and winces at the excruciating pain in his shoulder. He pulls more healing power to the wound, redoubling his effort to close it.

Keeping a wide berth, Jeb skirts the writhing Bloodling and moves toward Beth.

“Not so fast, Reflective.”

“I have soul mate claim on Beth Jasper,” he says in a flat voice.

“No doubt, from your defense of her. But I think that won't matter a shit through a goose if you let her father die, do you?”

Jeb's head whips to the dying Bloodling then back to Calvin, who raises his hand slowly. “I got in there when I could, Merrick. You were going to rip