He turned her carefully and felt the breath leave his body on an enraged cry. Her shirt was torn open; scratches marred her upper chest and collarbone.
He was aware of the Breeds surrounding them, two teams, their backs to Seth, Dash and Callan as they quickly checked her for injuries.
“I want f**king secured access into the house. Find that damned shooter, Styx, or I’m going to peel your bones,” Callan was yelling into the communications link as Seth checked Dawn’s wrist. It was swelling but not broken. Her ankle was twisted. Scratches marred her arms, upper chest and stomach, but there were no wounds. There was a lump on the back of her head. The bastard had hit her. The son of a bitch had let them listen as he attacked her. Let them know he had her. Seth had heard the note of possession in his voice, the demented lust, and knew a terror unlike anything he had ever known.
“I told you she was going to follow,” Dash reminded him and Callan both. “Where do the two of you get the idea your women are going to sit and twiddle their thumbs when you’re in danger?”
Seth cast him a furious look as he quickly pulled Dawn’s shirt over her br**sts and secured several buttons.
“Is that f**king route cleared?” Callan was snapping into the link before turning blazing eyes on Seth.
“Pick her up. They’ll surround the four of us and pull us into the house.”
Seth picked her up gently, his teeth clenching with the pain streaking through his soul at the limpness of her body. Defenseless. God, how was he ever going to erase the mark on his soul that he had put her here? That he had let this happen.
“Seth, stay low.” Dash put his hand on his shoulder as he moved to rise. “The others need to be above us. We’ll move carefully to the clearing, then they’ll surround us entirely. We have a shooter in the trees.”
He nodded, unable to unlock his teeth, to relax his jaw enough to speak. If he did, he would howl in fury. He would never contain the rage burning inside him.
He stayed low, keeping his head below shoulder level of the Breeds surrounding them. He understood as they made their way through the natural cover. The Breeds surrounding them were unmated. Those within their protective circle were mates. The Breeds were so protective of their women that the mated males were also extremely careful of their own safety. The women’s survival, he had learned, depended on those matings. Should a mate be lost, then his partner would suffer and the consequences of that loss could be devastating.
“Our Breed doctor is flying in,” Callan snapped. “Elizabeth put the call into Sanctuary immediately. The heli-jet will be en route within minutes, ETA less than two hours.”
“She’s stable.” Seth was finally able to speak as he ran at a near crouch. “Bruising, scratches and some swelling; nothing’s broken. He hit her in the back of the head, possible concussion.”
“We’ll keep her stable till Doc Morrey gets here.” They eased to the clearing leading to the house.
“Jonas is perched at the top of the house with his rifle,” Callan informed them. “We move in hard and fast to the house. Keep moving. God forbid one of you go down, stay down, don’t move until we can drag you out,” he ordered the unmated Breeds.
Jonas’s voice came over the link. “Move out. You have a clear field.”
They made it across the clearing, the Breeds rushing them into the back of the house as the guests gathered around, shocked, concerned, ignored by Seth as he ran to the back stairs and up to the second floor and his suite.
She needed to be in their bed. Wrapped in the scent of their bodies. She had to know she was safe. God help him, how could she ever feel safe in his care again?
CHAPTER 17
Consciousness didn’t return in a rush. It came slowly, the sound of voices rising from the mists of her own screams and the brutal dark eyes staring down at her.
When she felt the prick on her arm, the knowledge that a needle had pierced her flesh, awareness flooded into her brain. Her hand shot out, her fingers clenching around a slender neck, tightening. Her eyes jerked open, but her senses were still dazed, her vision hazy.
“Dawn. Let the doctor go.” A hard hand slid over her wrist, not gripping, just touching.
Seth’s touch.
She blinked, letting her fingers loosen slowly as she felt her hand cradled in his and her vision slowly cleared to see Dr. Morrey standing over her.
Ely’s face was pale, her dark eyes worried as she drew back the hand and the hypo-syringe she was using.
“What is it?” Dawn questioned the injection groggily.
“Just something to clear your head.” Ely coughed slightly, a hand lifting to her neck as she massaged the reddened skin. “I didn’t expect you to have the strength to react so quickly.”
Dawn blinked drowsily, feeling the effects of the tranquilizer still in her system as her gaze sought Seth’s. He was sitting on the side of the bed next to her, his eyes dark, anger and concern swirling in the cloudy depths.
“Did anyone get him?” she asked.
Seth shook his head, his jaw tightening. “He got away.”