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Chapter Five

Elena

A dart? A damn dart?

They dart their own kind?

Whatever Anaki was, whatever everyone else in the room was, they were insane.

This was when we needed Emm. Not when she was out gallivanting all over the states while she tried to catch bounties on this Locke guy. We needed her here to keep us safe from these crazies... whatever they are.

Because we all knew I was too weak.

I swallowed the bitterness that built in my throat.

I checked on Luis, tucked under Abuela's arm. Everything was in slow motion as I watched Nadia reach into her bag for a dart and a gun.

I’m nothing like my sister, as much as I try. I might have a mouth like a Latina, but that was all I possessed. I never stood up for myself, but like hell, I stood up for others who couldn’t stand up for themselves.

While I didn’t know Anaki, the thought of him being shot didn’t sit well with me. He helped me stand, kept me calm. He had a gentle hand.

He was part of the kidnapping team here, but that didn’t matter .

I didn’t have time to think; I stepped forward and shouted a resounding No as soon as Anaki’s knees hit the floor. I blocked the dart’s path, my hands instinctively reaching for his hair.

Anaki's forehead gently pressed against my stomach, his hands instinctively reaching for the back of my legs, tightly gripping them as if the weight of the world threatened to snatch him away. The room was filled with a hushed silence, broken only by the sound of our steady breaths.

The air carried a faint scent of sweat and anticipation, mingling with the warmth of our intertwined bodies.

In that moment, I could feel the intensity of Anaki's emotions, his grip conveying a mixture of fear, longing, and a desperate need for… I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Despite the carefree attitude he had earlier, this was different.

“Do not shoot him,” I nearly begged. I turned to look at the shocked faces in the room. Nadia hadn’t even placed the dart in the gun.

“What just happened?” Bear said as he stepped forward. “What the fu—”

Anaki cleared his throat, let go of my legs and stood. “I’m alright. I apologize.” He rubbed his throat with his hand. “I got out of control there for a second. Please forgive me if I startled you.”

I eyed him up and down and shook my head.

“It’s fine.” I mentally shook off the effect his touch had on me, the growls and the odd behavior.

Rather, I concentrated on the fact that there was, in fact, a vampire in our living room, who was cleaning underneath his sharp nails with a dagger in the corner.

And he touched my son.

“?Dios Mio!” I rubbed my forehead with my finger. What would Emm say about all of this? She was the tough one. I tried to toughen up over the years, to be the head of this family since Abuela’s mind had gone, but I could only do so much .

Always too soft, wishing to see the best in people.

Damnit, I saved my kidnapper.

“As lovely as this all is—” while talking, the vampire stashed the dagger in his suit pocket. He didn't look like a kidnapper, more like a businessman who never sees the sun. Could he even go out in the sun?

“Isn’t he just swoon-worthy,” Abuela said as she took another sip of her tea. “Just how I imagined they would be. I’m so glad I got to see one before I died. Think he will let me make him some of my tamales once we arrive where we are going? I assume you are not allergic to garlic.”

The vampire smiled.

Emm is going to shit herself.

The vampire gave a fanged smile. “We should head to the plane. I’ve got an angry sorceress, with an equally angry panther, ready to fly while you all play tea party.”

I sat down in the chair, suddenly feeling dizzy.

Luis bounded toward me and gave me a hug. “Please, can we go with them?”

My eyes widened. “You realize they are taking us without consent. We don’t have a choice. This isn’t a vacation, Luis. They have guns, there is a vampire, and who knows what else these people are?”

Nadia and Bear gave each other a look.

Luis shrugged his shoulders. “They haven’t hurt us. They didn’t shoot Lizard-eyes over there when you said not to. Don’t think they are very good kidnappers.”

Why was everyone trying to convince me we should go with them?

“Emm is in trouble, obviously. Are you taking us to make her compliant?” Instead of looking at the vampire guy and Nadia, I dared to look at Anaki. The one who was making my stomach flutter in ways it shouldn’t.

I haven't found any man attractive for a long time. Especially after what Luis’ father had done to me. Men were just... off the table. I have a son and a medical condition that would annoy most men.

Who wanted a broken woman to take care of?

I gritted my teeth and looked away from his handsome face.

Anaki had kind eyes that I could get lost in now that I’ve really seen them. Pretty, cerulean-blue with hints of green around his pupils.

He was swoon-worthy. I would remember him in my personal time with myself.

“Emm doesn’t know that we came to take you with us. It is imperative that she doesn’t know, yet. Under direct orders of our president,” Bear said from the other side of the room.

I crossed my arms. I wouldn’t be soft, I wouldn’t be the pushover anymore.

“No.” I ground out. “We are fine here, no matter your intentions. We have been for years. I am not uprooting mi familia, because of Emm and her hunt for one of your members who supposedly has done something. She will make sure they are innocent before she does anything, she doesn’t kill innocent people, she—”

The men in the room barked out a laugh.

Bear shook his head and possessively put his hand on the back of Nadia’s neck. “We aren’t worried about Locke getting killed. It’s you, Emm’s family, that we are worried for. There have been… complications.” Bear’s eyes flicked to Luis, who was stealing cookies someone had placed on the table.

“What sort of complications?” Emm had told me she was being stalked and wouldn't be able to call for a few days. She called a few days later and told me she was fine and not to worry about it.

Had she been lying?

Bear cleared his throat. “Complications that involve Emm’s past, along with yours. They are hunting her, they know where she is, and they are trying to find her family. ”

Instinctively, I put my hand over my heart as my face paled.

Shit. I knew she had gone too far. She’d played this game long enough.

“And why doesn’t she know you are coming for us?”

Anaki stepped closer. His hand had a tremor, but it landed on my arm like it steadied the both of us.

Why did the gentle warmth of his touch soothe me? As his hand connected with mine, the aches in my body gradually faded, and I could feel the tension in my muscles melting away.

Everything didn’t seem so overwhelming, which it should have. All of it should have me screaming and crying, but everyone was acting like it was normal.

Abuela was having tea with one of our captors for Christ’s sake!

“Because Locke likes to take care of things in his own way. Think of this as his present to your sister.” Anaki gently guided my arm down intertwining our fingers.

The touch sent a wave of warmth through me, leaving me momentarily breathless.

The air felt heavy with anticipation as I stood rooted in place, unable to react to the audacious act he had just pulled off.

“By the time this is all over, your whole family will be safe, with the MC by your side. We protect what’s ours.”

I heaved out a breath. “An MC? A motorcycle club? That has a kidnapping team?” I raised a brow.

Anaki shrugged his shoulders. “We’re specialists. Not just an MC.”

“Obviously,” I retorted. I waved my hand around, “especially with the whole vampire, witch and—”

Nadia stood up. “Bears!” She hugged the big man’s arm.

That tiny thing was a bear?

"There are also wolves, a lot of wolves.” Anaki bobbed his head back and forth. “Even some dragons.” He tilted his head toward me playfully .

“Woah, cool!” Luis jumped off the couch and ran over. “Is that what you are? With the way your eyes went loco.” Luis pointed to his eyes and swirled his fingers around.

Anaki puffed out his chest. “Aye, that I am.”

That explained the deep, guttural growl that came from him. I’ve never heard such a growl before. It reminded me of Smaug, when we had a ‘Lord of the Rings’ weekend.

I covered my mouth and closed my eyes.

“Hey.” Anaki pulled my hand away. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we are the good guys. I promise you with my life.” He put his hand over his chest and bowed.

I stared at him strangely as he did the gesture. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as he did, especially when he looked up at me with those eyes that shifted from human to dragon.

“Careful, watch your step,” Nadia said at the door of the private plane. It was luxurious, far better than I thought we were going to be led to. Plush, leather seats with TVs in the backs.

Luis was bouncing on his toes as he ran down the aisle, looking out at the different windows. He’d ran his mouth a-mile-a-minute in the SUV that brought us to the tarmac. He wanted to know everything about The Iron Fang MC and shifters .

Thankfully, Bear and Nadia kept him occupied, answering questions vaguely so I could ask my own later, because right now, I needed to process.

We were leaving with people who could be lying to us, to go to the United States, to an MC club and hiding out in a remote cabin until the coast is clear.

Once Luis learned that there was a naga, or a snake shifter, at the club, his eyes lit up even more. With his love for fantasy, magic and reptiles, he was going to be one happy child.

Meanwhile, I was having a mini panic attack. We were going on a plane—

None of us had flown before, and for good reason. We were in hiding. We didn’t need our legal names to pop up for anyone to find us. Mainly for Emm’s sake, but we were linked to her, and if they wanted to get to her, hurting us would be their way to do it.

The first few seats with tables held folders, laptops, guns and ammo. Quillian and several other vampires sat by them. None of them attempted to move them when we walked by while he flipped through his phone.

Because he trusted us?

Or would he slit our throats if we tried?

“Ah, there you all are,” Abuela said, and put her hand on the table. “Nice to see you all again. Winter, how is the blood lust coming along?”

I made a horrified face when I checked the woman nestled in the lap of a male. “She’s much better after your donation, Abuela. We owe you. She isn’t ready for cold, stored blood yet. I don’t know why your blood called to her so much.”

“No worries,” Abuela waved her hand. “Any time she needs more, you let me know, Cyran.”

Winter cuddled up to Cyran more. She pursed her lips together and nodded. “Yes, many thanks.”

We had a blood-lusting vampire on the plane, and there were three humans on it. My breath picked up as Abuela pushed me in the back, and I almost stumbled over my cane. “Keep going, Elena. They can smell fear. You might get them wound up.”

I quickly took my seat. My heart raced, and I could feel the sweat building on my forehead. Meanwhile, Luis took a seat beside me, his eyes glued to the scene outside. He watched the other planes landing and taking off.

“Mama?” he asked, and I tried to put on a brave face. I had been quiet for the ride over. I needed to be strong.

“Yeah, what is it, mijo?”

“Why are the other planes getting checked and not ours?”

I leaned out the window, and Luis was right. A plane beside us had a team checking the wings and the tires. When we arrived, there was no one filling our plane with fuel, no one checking the outside. Our plane was already moving and backing out of our parking space.

While I hadn’t been on a plane, I would have thought an engine so large would make noise. I turned in my seat, seeing the rest of the passengers walking around, getting comfortable. Nadia sat on Bear’s lap, his arm wrapped around her.

What was up with these people sitting on laps? Were they couples?

I unbuckled my seat belt and stood, still not feeling the vibrations of the plane. Something was off.

“Need something, Elena?” Anaki’s smooth voice asked. He had appeared before me, and those eyes dug deep into me. How dare he make me freeze in my tracks like that?

“Ah, well. I just, I’ve never flown before and…”

“Are you scared? Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” He sat across from me. The table in front of us gave us enough space. “Don’t forget to buckle up. I can do it for you if you like.” He sent me a wink that made my tanned face flush. I quickly buckled so he wouldn’t dare come over .

“They didn’t check the plane!” Luis panicked. “They checked the others. Why not ours?”

Anaki chuckled and leaned his head back on the cushion. “Don’t need to. Ours is a special plane,” he said in an excited, childlike voice.

Luis narrowed his eyes. “How is it special?”

Anaki rolled his eyes. “Magic, duh.” He bit his lip to suppress a smile.

Luis scoffed. He was a smart child. While he had seen a vampire and Anaki’s pupil-changing eyes, none of us had yet to see any magic.

Even that felt far-fetched.

Abuela held onto her purse, nudged Anaki, and shook her head. “They are non-believers. I’ve been telling them for years.”

Anaki gasped in mock horror. “I think we need to bring in the pilot, Tajah, the club sorceress. She will be very disappointed in both of you.”