Wining Celeste (Book 4) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 26

Grayson 

The fact I can enter the portal answers the question of where Lucifer went. Now there’s a more pressing question; Why come back here? I thought he wanted freedom? Doesn’t matter. He’s dead if he’s taken Celeste, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure he has.
“Something’s off here.”
I turn my head back toward the portal where Jacob has exited behind me.
“What makes you say that?” I ask.
He looks around slowly, observantly.  
“A feeling.”
Well, he’s never wrong, and judging by his reaction, it doesn’t bode well for us. 
“Just move forward. We’ll keep our backs to each other.”
I listen to him, slowly moving into the fog. When Lucifer doesn’t show, I begin to doubt my common knowledge and ask Jacob;
“He knows we’re here right. That’s how it works?”
I wait several seconds before Jacob responds, just above a whisper.
“That’s how it’s supposed to work.”
He ends with that cryptic statement. Leaving me even more confused than before. Scuttling sounds echo too close for comfort, and I pause to look around.
“Keep moving!” Jacob warns as I hear him approaching behind me. I do as he says, but my hair stands on end, and I’m ready to shift at a moment’s notice. We’ve got to be pretty far in by now. Several minutes have passed, and the only thing I’ve heard is that damn eerie scuttling. A loud clang echoes across the flat land, and we both turn our heads in the direction it came.
Just a few feet forward, and an agonizing scream sounds from a distance. The moment I realize it’s Celeste, I shift, taking off at a dead run. My paws grip the dry, cracked earth as I skid, digging deep to gain traction. I’m mildly aware of Jacob’s pleas to stop, but they just graze the surface of my subconscious like dust motes on my fur; there, but not worthy of thought. My instinct is at the forefront, any rational thought forgotten. My only concern is my mate and her safety.
When I spot her, my front paws double step as shock locks my muscles. 
She’s behind Lucifer’s back with his one arm, securing her and his other, yielding a sword. His wings flap unsteadily as he fights off a harpy from above and a half dozen minotaurs. 
As if she senses me, Celeste’s eyes zero in on mine. Time suspends for a moment. Though the connection lasts nearly a second, I can see her fear turn to hope. She recognizes me. 
I brazenly go on attack. The minotaur are merciless creatures with sharp ivory horns with an appetite for humans alone. They are a mix of bull and man cursed to roam the empty plains of hell. Cast out from other worlds long ago for their tendencies to gorge themselves on humans.
My teeth sink into the largest minotaur’s neck, crushing bone. I don’t let up pressure until my teeth meet. With no time to waste, I do the same to the next. Two down, with a short distance from the next, I glance at Lucifer he was able to injure the harpy enough to initiate its retreat and is focused on one of the three remaining minotaurs.
The minuscule distraction is enough to ruin the element of surprise. Both minotaurs anticipate my move, and I catch a horn to the ribs. The sharp tip cuts through me like butter, and I suppress a yelp of pain, twisting away in midair to rebound, but they’re on me before I even hit the ground. 
I take another blow. This time, to my hip. Getting up causes the most intense pain I’ve ever endured. Celeste’s voice pleading for me to move is enough for me to persist, but my vision is blurry, from blood; I think, and my head foggy. No! I have to protect her! A white light blazes in front of me, blinding my already obscured view.
I’m shifting uncontrollably. There’s only one reason that happens. My injuries must be critical. Using my hands, I rub my eyes, effectively clearing them. Jacob stands over me and assesses my injuries.  
“Celeste!” 
I manage to gurgle her name out, along with a concerning amount of blood.  It’s uncanny how clear certain things become when you get fuzzy. I know I’m meant to be here. I can feel it in my bones. Yet, my situation is by far desirable, and I’m still feeling like it's fate.
I’m in and out of consciousness, and I can sense them all surrounding me. There’s a bright light that forces my eyes open.  At first glance, everything is blurry.  Jacob’s hands hover above the worst of my wounds, and the light is coming from him. 
I heal fast, but not that fast. Grunting In pain, I lift my head to get a better look, but Jacob demands I stay still.  I can feel the tendons pull back together and the blood slow. He’s healing me. I knew Jacob had a few secreted powers, but I had no idea he was capable of something of this magnitude. 
The light fades, and when I look down, I see nothing more than a scratch. The pain is gone. I take a deep breath, savoring the feeling. The words form on my tongue, but Jacob stops me with a single look.
“Don’t mention it. Let’s just get out of here.”
The guy acts like he opened my door or paid for lunch, not saved my life. I get up slowly, not sure if my internal parts are properly put back together. Celeste stands behind Jacob, shaken by the events. I take her in my arms, not caring if she wants the embrace or not. When she clings tightly to me, I tell myself I’d easily do it all over again just for this.
“Don’t ever do anything like that again.” Celeste demands. I laugh when she punches me hard in the arm.
“As touching as this is, she can’t leave until Mica takes my place.”
Lucifer’s voice grates on my last nerve, and I charge him, but don’t have time to connect. Jacob holds me back. His laughter makes my teeth grow past my lower lip, and I snap at him.
“She’s coming with me, and if you get in the way, I have no problem ripping through you.”
That wipes the smug smile off his face.
“Funny, you say that wolf because if I die, you 're all stuck here.”
It’s almost worth it. Jacob approaches Lucifer and pulls him aside. As they talk, Celeste comes to stand in front of me.
“He’s actually not Lucifer anymore. He’s bound here until Mica takes his place. Mica is going to be this plane’s new keeper, the law of the underworld. That can’t be good.”
No, it’s not. As much as I’d hate to admit it, old Lucifer is the lesser evil. 
“Don’t worry about all that. Let’s just get you home.” I tell her. Celeste’s smile makes my heart flutter. My gods, she’s beautiful. Their conversation gets heated, and we both turn our heads.
“You can’t keep her safe. She’ll be dead before you can use her.” Jacob grates.
“They’re just testing me; I’ll have my protection soon enough.” 
They argue back and forth, and I curl my lip up at Lucifer. He really is arrogant.  
“He’s not going to let me go. I’m his ace in the hole, so to speak... He wants out of here enough to risk his own neck. That should speak multitudes to his commitment.” 
I look back at them and our surroundings. It’s only a matter of time before we’re attacked again. I don’t know about Jacob, but I’m not exactly up for another round. Just when I’m about to approach them, Jacob walks over. He looks at me with furrowed brows and then at Celeste.
“You’re going to have to give him your word... an oath, actually; in blood… Grayson, we're going to have to find Mica; again”