Angel of Retribution Ch. 06-11

His brain finally clicked—serum, as in injections. "You are not injecting me with that," Remi snarled, jumping to his feet, fire already licking up his legs and arms.

He glared at all of them while they just gaped at him.

"You're all full of tats and piercings. What's the big deal?" Zak was the first to speak. "It's just a little shot, bro."

"These were lasered in." Remi snapped, touching his biceps. "And the needles used for my piercings didn't involve shooting anything into my veins."

"Remi, it's safe," Devon assured. "I saw Doc take a dose himself last night."

Remi shook his head, already concentrating on his quarters. "No. No way."

The white washed dining hall melted away to the familiar surroundings of his quarters. His panic had him panting, materializing in his bedroom just in front of the doorway to his hygiene room.

He couldn't get to the shower fast enough. Without bothering to remove his white drawstring pants, he hit his palm against the panel by the shower stall and blurted "cold."

Remi's heart thumped against his ribs as the frigid water sluiced down his body, plastering his hair to his scalp and back.

Memories assailed him. He remembered it all; warm arms holding him, his baby ass swathed in soft diapers, mother carrying him to the community clinic. The world seemed like such a large and beautiful place. Everyone would smile at him and he would smile back. He'd been a happy baby...until the shots started.

The first one smarted, making him cry. After that, he remembered being acutely aware of the fabric of the diaper chaffing his skin. The clothes mother dressed him in felt like sandpaper. Everything felt like sandpaper. He couldn't stand the feel of anything against his skin, and as soon as he learned to manipulate his limbs, he took them off.

The neighbors would chase after him along with his mother and siblings as he streaked down the sidewalk without a stitch of clothing. Sometimes he would partially shift, sprouting his dragon's wings and flying off to some rooftop to huddle and cry in the shadows. Mother would usually move to another city after that.

Further shots made him start seeing things, beautiful colors floating in the air, streaks of fire. He would spin a toy and it would shoot sparks, mesmerizing him. Everyone began yelling at him afterwards. He'd be mesmerized watching the pretty colors and hands would suddenly shake him. He'd try to focus, but he couldn't understand what they were saying and then the pretty colors would mesmerize him again.

He felt lost. Everything swirled and spun around him, making him want to put it all in a straight line so he could find his way back somehow, but he never did. Remi would touch things and would no longer feel them; a fuzzy kitty, warm bread, ice, fire. Sometimes, if he squeezed a blade hard enough, at least until blood dripped from his fingers, he'd feel a tingle that would spread through his body. It felt good, let him know he was alive, but his mother didn't like when he did this. It made her cry, and Remi didn't like seeing her cry.

Remi hit his forehead against the wall, holding back the urge to cry himself, until the sight of red streaks made him frown. He blinked at the little red rivulets sliding down the pale grey wall. Turning, he slid down to huddle on the floor.

"Rowie," he called both mentally and telepathically. Where was she? Why wasn't she...

He closed his eyes with a shudder. She was far away now. She didn't love him.

Remi swallowed, turning that thought over in his mind. He stood and sauntered over to the full-length mirror by the vanity. Blood streaked his face and chest from the wound he'd caused himself in the shower. Remi stuck out his tongue to click the silver stud against his teeth, and then he ran his hands down his torso. The nipple piercings glinted in the bright lights around the vanity as water ran in streams along the ridges of his muscles. He knew he was a handsome, devilishly sexy weredragon, sweet, charming, great in and out of bed. How could she not love him? The situation was bewildering.

What if she's lying?—A little voice in his head said. He snorted, putting his fists on his hips. Of course she's lying. Who the hell gets a taste of Remien Fyre and doesn't fall in love?

Much as he hated the idea, he knew he needed to let Doc stick that needle in him.

Remi cursed with a shudder of revulsion. The things he had to do to get that woman back. He was going to paddle her ass as soon as she apologized for trying to break-up with him.

***

Remi watched Seth take the injection without so much as a twitch. The clear needle sank into his flesh and made a hissing sound as it was withdrawn. Devon stood by Seth, hovering like a mother hen.

Seth took a deep breath and looked at their commander.

"So far-"Seth stopped talking and frowned.

"Just lie down, Seth," Doc Quinn instructed.

Seth opened his mouth to say something else, but then his knees almost went out on him.

Devon gripped him before Doc or Remi could twitch a finger.

Remi felt he should step forward, but since Dev seemed to have everything under control, he stepped back, heart racing, palms sweating, and the urge to run out the door tempting him beyond all reason.

Seth's sudden gasp made Remi start. Seth gripped Devon so tight, his finger's went white. Remi felt torn between zapping out of the med unit or staying and screaming hysterically.

"Easy, tiger, I've got you," Devon soothed as Seth panted, eyes unfocused.

The blip of the monitors scanning Seth's heartbeat escalated.

Remi couldn't take his eyes off Seth, a strange anguish gripping him by the throat as the weretigri's complexion paled, his skin growing whiter than Devon's.

Seth's eyes rolled back and he began to convulse, making Remi sprint to him without even thinking first.

"Fuck. What's happening?" Remi shouted wrestling with Devon to keep Seth from hurting himself.

"He's dying," Doc nodded checking the biorhythm monitors.

Remi whipped his head around and snarled at the doctor, fire breaking out over his skin.

"Remi," Devon reprimanded.

An earsplitting roar rent the air around them. The roar of an angered tiger. Remi and Devon struggled to keep Seth's thrashing body on the examining table. Seth's skin furred over, the black and white stripes of his tiger appearing briefly before smoothing out to bare flesh once more.

The weretigri's body arched, taut like a bow, his breath rasping in and out of his body, and then he went limp, his eyes rolling back, his breath ceasing.

The monitors gave off a high-pitched sound of alarm.

Seth was dead.

"No," Remi shouted. Instinct had him pulling Seth's cool, limp form into his arms, his healing power flaring out of him in an attempt to bring Seth back to life.

"Remi, no. Let him go," Devon insisted trying to pull Seth from Remi's grip.

Remi roared, glaring at his commander, his arms banded around Seth like steel. "Fuck you. If he doesn't wake up out of this, I'm shifting and eating you and Doc."

Someone chuckled and Remi bared elongating fangs with an inhuman growl to the doctor—but Doc wasn't the one chuckling

Cool hands trailed up Remi's back, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Seth's chest rumbled with another chuckle.

Remi pulled back slowly. The first thing he noticed was the scent. Sweet. Beautiful. It made Remi think of...sex, sin...dark forbidden things. Seth's shimmering white hair felt like silk. As it brushed his cheek, it made Remi suck in his breath.

Seth drew away from him, more graceful than usual, giving Remi a good view of his face.

"Holy shit," Remi whispered.

Seth's eyes were luminous, like a brightly lit summer sky. His lips were dewy pink, tilted up just a minute fraction on one side to suggest he was trying to smile. Seth hardly ever smiled.

His muscles were more delineated, not bigger, just... more noticeable—pecs tipped with little petal-colored nipples.

One of Seth's hands drew up to Remi's cheek, making Remi raise his brow at the gesture.

"You're crying..." Seth cocked his head to the side, in a way he'd never done before, "... for me?"

Remi's jaw dropped. The kid sounded and looked just like a goddamned angel. So... so... pretty?

Seth's words finally registered into his fuzzy mind, and Remi found he couldn't get away fast enough.

"Freaky," Remi mumbled wide-eyed.

Seth didn't blink, those weird, mesmerizing orbs burning into Remi.

"For a minute there, I thought you were going to kiss me," Seth's new dripping-with-sex-appeal voice purred.

Remi swallowed, and then scoffed. "Don't you fucking wish."

Seth gave him a full-toothed smile, vampire fangs and all, and flipped Remi off.

"Shit." Remi looked from Seth to Devon. "He's almost prettier than you now, Dev."

"What'd I miss?"

Zak strolled in wearing the same pants Remi and Seth had on, bare-chested and wavy gold hair streaming down to his ass. He jumped with a start when he saw Seth and then grinned, eagerly plopping himself on the examining table next to Seth. Zak stuck his arm out and slapped his meaty bicep a few times. "Alright, Doc, make me a sex symbol like the tiger here."

Remi snickered crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't think Doc made enough serum for that, bro."

Zak's grin grew broader, his dimples more prominent as he reached down and gripped his crotch. "Bite me."

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago," Devon said to Zak, a slight frown marring his smooth complexion.

"It doesn't matter, Devon, "Doc Quinn interjected, already preparing another dose of the serum. Remi's panic level jumped another few notches at the sight of the hypodermic needle. "Seeing how Seth reacted, I think we should dose the weredragons up in the enviro-level."

Zak looked around. "What happened?"

Sweat broke out on Remi's brow. He wanted to run, get into his Viper and... but Rowie. How would he ever get her back if he didn't do this?

"Let's go. Let's do this already," Remi said through clenched teeth

Chapter Eleven

Rowie concentrated on summoning Devon. Two weeks went by in a flurry of preparations for the intergalactic tour. She felt more like a prisoner than a new rock star, Navar never letting her out of his sight. To make matters worse, Dante and Niall had appointed themselves as her personal bodyguards. The Vildminorian Master Guardians weren't as powerful as the Alpha 7 Angels, though they did think highly of themselves.

Dante continued to be cold and hostile toward her. Niall, on the other hand, seemed bored with Dante's petulant behavior.

Rowie discovered many things, like Dante's ongoing affair with the Queen of the vampires. Niall admitted that Dante was just one of many the Queen had. He'd also confessed that the Queen had flirted with the Dragon Prince, promising to let him through the portal into their realm to search for his lost son. When she didn't follow through on her promise, he'd gobbled her up to be able to cross through into their realm. As of yet, no one knew where he'd run off to after defecating the Queen on the front lawn of the castle.

Rowie also discovered that the night Imo and Myano disappeared, the full-length mirrors in their rooms had been overturned, the reflective surface shattered into tiny pieces.

Devon found that odd when she told him. Tonight, she'd found another disturbing piece of information... about her father, Drakken.

He was one of your father's protectors—Rowie projected to Devon. It no longer fazed her that Devon was the son of the angel of destruction.

She reclined on her velvet couch and pretended to nap, in case someone peeked into her room. In her mind she saw Devon clearly, his inky hair indiscernible in the black telepathic void around them.

I've heard that Davariel had a number of followers. A pair of dragons, a weretigri clan and a werewolf pack—he sighed finally looking up at her.

He didn't need to say anymore because she was thinking the same thing he was.

Just like us. A pair of dragons, a wolf, a tiger and... a vampire that just happens to be the daughter of the one that protected Davariel. Rowie thought for a second. Do you think there's a link to the others and Davariel's other protectors? I mean, my father and your father... how weird is that?

Devon's brows drew together, his sooty lashes lowering for a moment. I handpicked most of you. The day I found you, I remember that feeling of restlessness I had on Alpha 7. I had to go down to Earth that day.

Rowie smiled with fondness remembering that particular day herself. She had just turned fifteen, and had been living on the streets for five years after her mother was murdered by anti-were activists for being what they termed a vampire lover. Rowie dressed and acted like a boy to avoid drawing attention, but that day in the park, the gang of teens that skulked in the bowels of the city had come for her.

Rowie fought them off drawing on what little power she knew how to use, but when Devon and Lucien descended from the skies like a pair of avenging angels, the gang scattered like roaches.

I felt the same for Zak when I rescued him. Devon took a deep breath before continuing. Angel has had visions of Reapers living in Alpha 7 too. Our family is going to grow.

Rowie's eyes misted over. She could no longer be a part of that family... not for the next hundred years anyway.

Row, there's something I need to tell you. He nibbled the corner of his lip, as he did when he was uncomfortable. Remi, Zak, and Seth are on a new mission.

The mention of Remi's name made the center of her chest ache.

What's the mission?

They're trying to investigate Imo and Myano's disappearance.

Rowie jerked, her eyes widening even as her lips drew down into a frown. But they disappeared on planet. The portals, remember?

Her brothers told her Myano didn't run off with his lover after all. The Chidadent, Ellwood, turned up at Heaven's Pearly Gates, an intergalactic strip club, on the arm of an Arborian Lord.

The boys have been orbiting Vildminoria on a cruiser for the past three weeks—Devon continued.

Orbiting? What for? How the Hell did they get permission?

Well, Zak's standing in for Imo until he's found again, and Seth is his bodyguard...

Rowie groaned in despair before Devon could finish. Devon, Zak and Remi are dragon-kin. The war.

No one will ever know.

Rowie scoffed. Dev, vampires can scent dragons blood, never mind the pounding of their extra-loud hearts.

Devon shook his head with a smile. Doc fixed that. He developed a serum after studying your physiology that can temporarily turn almost anyone into a vampire.

His words sent a curl of fear through her. God, Dev, is that even safe?

Of course it is—he frowned—I'd never allow anything bad to happen to any of you.

Rowie digested the information. Remi was close... so close...

Wait till you see them, Row.

What do you mean?

Devon shook his head. You'll see for yourself. There's a party tonight, right? To kick off the tour? Zak said it's a really big deal.

Rowie scowled. Navar mentioned the previous evening something about a little get together. Not a party. Did you say a big deal?

***

Remi fumbled with the clasps of his left boot, his foot resting on the edge of his bunk in the star cruiser he shared with Zak and Seth.

Life was a little more complicated now since they weren't allowed to use the full potential of their powers. Devon warned them not to draw the attention of the Vildminorian Master Guardians, so now they had to manually prepare their meals as well pull their boots on.

Finally closing the last clasp, Remi straightened and checked his reflection in the full-length mirror by his bed. His long black overcoat skimmed the metallic silver floor of his quarters, the lapels wide and pointed. He'd opted to go shirtless, hanging a silver chain with a large glowing red stone pendant the lead singer from Ashtar had given him. Combing a few strands of his hair over his shoulders, he nodded, liking the way he looked. The silver buttons on the coat matched the metal on his boots and the leather pants molded nicely to his legs and bulge between.

"Are you done drooling over yourself?"

Remi turned to Zak who stepped up to the mirror and shoved him out of the way. Remi laughed, allowing the larger Alpha Angel to take his place. "I was just about to come. Looking at you saved me from making a mess in my pants, so thanks."

Zak chuckled and flipped him off. "Eat me, Red. Where's Seth? I'm dying to see what he's wearing tonight."

Remi smirked. He'd finally gotten a Playmate for Seth. They'd been virtual-chatting for the past two weeks over the star cruiser's holo-com.

Remi had specifically asked for a cyborg female with Crystalian traits. He'd been shocked to see his specifications botched up and Seth paired with a red-haired Reaper. Remi almost filed a complaint with the company until he saw the way she flirted with Seth, showing her pretty cleavage, and ruffling her breathtaking black wings as she batted long lashes and giggled. Seth finished every chat session flushed, his dick stiffer than a molecular vaporizing cannon.

Remi wondered if Seth would invite her to the gathering tonight. Some of the producers financing the tour would be present as well as off-world V-I-P.

As if summoned by thoughts alone, Seth walked into the quarters they were all sharing.

Once again, Seth was dressed head to toe in black. Seth's outfit omitted a shirt like Remi, except that the belt he wore underneath his trench coat to hold various concealed weapons crossed right over his pecs and actually made him look sexy.

Remi shook his head to clear those disturbing thoughts. He hadn't shoved his cock into female flesh for so long men were starting to look to him.

"What're you hiding under there tonight?" Zak leaned on the counter next to Remi, letting Seth step up to the mirror.

Seth smiled at them, which Remi still found disturbing, and opened his coat. Stashed just inside the coat were ninja stars, two short swords at his hips, and the handles of laser guns poking out of the holsters strapped around his chest.

"Holy shit, Seth," Remi barked out a laugh. "You look like Dante from Devil May Cry. Same haircut and everything, dude."

"Yeah, but I'm more of a badass than that wimp."

Remi crossed his arms over his chest, satisfied that at least Seth was now talking a little more like a normal guy. He was losing that stick up the ass attitude. Yup. The little guy's gonna be just right after he gets his ass laid. Remi's chest swelled with pride.

The com unit blipped just before Draco's face filled the flat screen behind Remi and Zak.

"Hey, you ladies done polishing your poles?" The vampire flashed his fangs in a grin.

"Well, shit, Drake, we were all waiting here for you to do it for us," Remi drawled.

Draco threw his head back and laughed.

His brother, Oni, shoved him out of the way, rolling his eyes. "What about Imo? Has Devon found anything out? Have any of you?"

Remi's mirth died away at the desperation he could see in the younger Teus brother's face.

"Devon's been going into different realms trying to get a fix on Imo. He picked up a scent on Megdoluc, but the devils must've moved him because the planet is devoid of anything living now," Seth said.

Iusi poked his head into the screen next to his brother, his amber eyes glowing with the same despair. "Why would they take him? What do devils want with a vampire boy?"