Pieces Of Me

Chapter 8 Darius/Hulk

They swell around us, overwhelming us with sheer numbers, as our exhaustion and wounds cause us to falter. My mate and I continue to fight, anticipating each other's movements, our muscles trembling with exertion.

The magnificent being at my side staggers for a moment and I am quick to wrench her back to stable footing. The sparks reassured me of her life force. Our eyes meet for a moment, our breathing ragged in our ears.

In that split second, regret, understanding, what could have been, passes between us, before she roars a magnificent battle cry, swinging her deadly swords at the vampires. Her brother echoes his sister's roar for blood, swinging his sword at the enemy.

The vampires are swarming now, many hands grabbing at us, lashing out and pulling us down, our weapons pulled from our grasp as they bring us to our knees. We grapple with them, trying to hold them off.

Eve snarls in anger, head-butting the vampire trying to pin her, he rears back but is immediately replaced by another. I find myself dragged backward away from her. I roar. Desperate to be by her side. We fight together, we die together!

I rip at those keeping me from her, pulling myself free, scrambling towards her. A vampire steps away from her as she sways on her knees, then slumps. Her brother lies still beside her. I pull her into my arms.

"Eve! Eve!" I tighten my grip on her, holding her as I bury my nose in the curve of her neck, taking in her tantalizing scent. Feeling the sparks on my skin. My teeth elongate, as I sink my teeth into her, marking her as mine. Our souls twining together. Not a complete mating, but at least now our souls know each other.
M

aybe in the afterlife, we can have a few drinks and sort our shit out. Or, she might spend the afterlife kicking my ass for marking her without permission. Releasing her from my jaws, I stroke her matted, bloody hair from her face and kiss her forehead. Ignoring the sound of a sword swinging towards me from behind.

I memorize her face with my eyes. I'm so focused on her that I only give a soft grunt when the sword plunges into my back. It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. My eyes slowly lose focus. I can't see her anymore. But I don't panic. I know what she looks like, her face burned into my mind and her smell reassured me.

I feel my hold loosening from her body and my hand's spasm as I attempt to grab at her, wanting her to stay close. I feel a swift kick to my shoulder and my body pitches to the side as she slides from me against my will.

Through the newly established mate bond, I whisper in her mind.
I

'll see you soon Kitten

* * * * * * * * * *

Sounds trickle into my ears, as I am dragged by my legs. Confused and disoriented, my brain scrambles to get its bearings. The noises around me are disjointed.

My brain sluggishly kicks into gear. How am I still alive?

My hearing clears and I hear orders being barked out as well as a few chuckles of laughter and the odd scream.

I can feel my body, but my body isn't taking any orders right now. Not even a finger twitched.
N

o bodies available, please leave a message after the beep.

The dragging motion stops and I feel myself being lifted before I'm dropped suddenly on something uncomfortably lumpy and squishy. I can't seem to peel my eyes open, despite my best efforts.

No bodies home remember dip shit I chastise myself.

But I can smell. Blood, lots of it, not only mine.

"Just the last three by that big tree, then we can light it up." A voice says. There is a grunted response then murmurs as they walk away. I can hear a soft groan not far from me, then the murmurs come back. Then silence.

Something lands heavily on me and more weight quickly follows. It is harder to breathe now, with something sticking wetly to my face, and panic sets in. I am in a body pile.

"Quick light it up. Their reinforcements are nearly at the borders." One of the voices barks.

"Keep your pants on Nick. Just throwing a bit more oil in the frying pan." There is the muffled sound of a match being struck and then a woosh sound hits my ears. The smell of smoke, singed hair, and burnt meat filters through to my nose, before my mind slips back into darkness.

Alpha! My Gamma's voice blows into my mind with force, jolting my mind back into awareness.

Connor?

Where are you?

A fire.... somewhere... I reply dazedly. It is getting hard to breathe.

Shit! I was hoping you weren't going to say that he mutters.

There is a loud thud, then another, then the sound of wood splintering.

"Oh my God!" My Gammas horror-filled voice reaches my ears. "Darius, call out."

Can't I link him Bodies not responding, I can hear you though.

"Darius!"

Yip that's closer. There is a groan to my left.

"Some of these people are alive! Pull out as many as you can, before the whole place goes up!" My Gamma yells out. I can feel more people moving around me. The weight above me is lifted.

"Holy shit, Alpha! Connor! I got him" A voice calls out above me.

"Quick get him out, then come help us get more of them," Connor yells out.

I feel myself being roughly grabbed and carried in a fireman's hold before I'm unceremoniously flopped down on the cold grass. With fresh oxygen reaching my lungs my brain starts to settle and orientate itself. The pain begins to beat at me like a pulse. My body lets me know it is hanging in there and is very unhappy about it.

My hand spasm, grasping at .... what?
O

h my God! Eve!
My mind is suddenly crystal clear. I reach for the foreign bond in my mind and tug at it. It remains still. Not shriveled or dead, just unresponsive. Maybe unconscious? My hands continue to twitch for something not there until they are grasped in warm hands.

"Alpha, I've got you. Doc's on the way." Conner says. He rolls me gently on my side and shoves something soft against my back, tying it to me.

"I've got a live one!" Someone calls out.

"Good, keep searching," Connor calls back

"I've located the safe bunker, Connor. We are bringing out the women and children now."

"Got another survivor!"

I feel myself relax in the safety of Connor's arms, as he keeps the pressure on my wound. Survivors are a good thing. All is not lost and somewhere amongst the survivors is my mate, the bond isn't dead.
I

let my mind slip away to darkness, to heal, knowing I am in safe hands and no doubt my mate is too.

Phew! That was close one!
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