The Four Protectors

Five

3rd Person POV

"Could you walk any faster," Desmond snapped.

Cassius quickened his pace slightly, a frown marring his face. They were all worried since Catherine hadn't woken up yet but she was in good hands. Azriel was probably the best hands she could be in right now.

But if Desmond had been a grouchy before, he was now a complete asshole.

"I'm concerned too Desmond," Cassius started.

"I'm not concerned. I don't care. I just want to get done with this and get back home," Desmond snapped.

"So what? We recover the two hostages and you're leaving? What about the vampires that almost killed Catherine, killed Ruby," Cassius argued.

Cassius' heart stopped beating as Desmond suddenly appeared before him. His blue eyes were murderous. Cassius swallowed, throat suddenly dry as he looked down at the fuming vampire millimeters before him.

"None of us are going anywhere near those vampires again," Desmond said lowly.

Desmond intimidated Cassius. He always had. However, Cassius wasn't going to back down on something as important as this.

"You can be a coward if you want to but you don't make the decision for me," Cassius growled.

Cassius maintained his glare, eyes fixed on the vampire. He was the Alpha's youngest son and his older brothers had pushed him around all his life. He was used to caving for them.

But damn Desmond to hell if he thought he could do the same thing.

Desmond conceded, eyes lowering as he stepped back. Cassius' hammering heart finally came back to its steady rhythm, despite the tension that still lingered in the air between them. For a second, he could hardly believe it. The asshole actually let him win.

"I didn't think vampires feared dying so much," Cassius joked to ease the tension.

"I'm not afraid of dying you moron," Desmond snapped.

Before Cassius could think over that more, Desmond was racing off again and Cassius was forced to pick up his pace. They'd managed to sneak past border security, but the main pack house was still a long walk away through pack territory.

They passed several werewolf houses, but considering they'd gotten past border defenses and Cassius' scent masked Desmond's vampire identity, the pair didn't raise much alarm.

The only problem now was that they'd have to pick up pace if they wanted to get back before sunrise.

"What are you doing," Desmond asked.

He'd turned to see Cassius in his wolf form now, bright green eyes and pitch-black fur that blended into the night. Cassius came forward and nudged at Desmond's legs. The vampire got the message.

Desmond was off at his vampire speed, Cassius nipping at his heels.

It was a risk but one they'd have to take. There was nothing that would raise an alarm about having a vampire on pack territory, if they'd passed through border security instead of sneaking in. Laws had been passed that ensured peace between all supernatural species.

Yet, laws or no laws, a vampire still caught attention and if word travelled, they'd have a problem.

While Cassius mulled over this, Desmond decided to turn their run into a race and was clearly pushing himself to go faster. Cassius grinned, tail wagging as he chased after him. As Cassius ran at his side, matching his speed easily since Desmond was still holding back, he noticed the smallest of smiles on the vampire's face as they glanced at each other.