Primal Heat 05 - Darkness Reborn

racing—
    "Stop it!" Ryland roared with fury and yanked them apart. "Just fucking stop it!"
    Kane whipped out his flail and Ryland called out his machete, and they locked weapons instantly, both men tense with the need to kill.
    Sarah froze, afraid to move and trigger them. Kane. He didn't hurt me. It's okay. She could feel Kane's intensity raging though him, his instinct to protect her, which was great, of course, and far better than an instinct to kill her, but there was so much violence laced through his energy that she knew there was serious danger going on.
    "Hey, old guys." Thano moved between them, but she could see he was moving with caution, and he was keeping his hands free to call out his weapons if he needed to. "We all know you're both fucked up, but the angel that we've all sworn to protect is going to get killed if we don't all play nice with each other and take out the bad guys instead of the team."
    Ryland swore, and his gaze went to Sarah. Not taking his gaze off her face, he sheathed his weapon, making it clear to all of them that it was Thano's reminder of Sarah's situation that had brought him back. He wasn't doing it for Kane.
    Kane, however, didn't stand down. "Do not covet my woman," he said, his voice rippling with such anger that chills popped up over Sarah's skin. "Unless you want me to kill you."
    Thano set his hand on Ryland's shoulder. "You know he's right," he said quietly. "There's no Calydon alive that could watch another male with a hard-on for his female and not react. What the fuck are you doing, man? She's his sheva. You shouldn't even be able to notice her as a woman, let alone want her."
    "She's an angel," Ryland said, his voice grim.
    "So?" Thano asked.
    Ryland finally looked at Thano, and there was something in his eyes burning so fiercely that Thano actually lifted his hand to call out his weapon. "So, she is my salvation. She's my only chance."
    "No." Kane stepped between them and carefully placed the flail at Ryland's throat. "She is my salvation, Ryland. Not yours. Never yours."
    Ryland's eyes flashed. "No one claims an angel for their own."
    "No?" Kane grabbed Sarah's arm and shoved up her sleeve, showing Ryland her brand. "Those are my marks, Ryland. No matter what you think about how the world should be, destiny has chosen her for me. That doesn't mean she doesn't serve the greater good, because we all do that every damn day. But as a woman, she is not available, and if you can't get that, we have a major problem because I'm no damn saint, Ry, and we both know it."
    Ryland stared at her arm, his lip curled in a snarl. Sarah felt a brush of darkness from him, something evil, something terrible, and then he spun away. "Let's go then," he snapped, striding down the slope straight toward the crevasse.
    For a moment, no one moved to follow him.
    "Hell, man," Thano said. "It's impossible for him to want another male's sheva . How is this happening to him?"
    "I don't know." Kane slipped his hand around Sarah's and gripped tightly. "But it has to stop or we're all going to be in serious shit."
    "I'll talk to him. Later." Thano moved ahead of them, striding to catch up to Ryland.
    Kane didn't hesitate, pulling Sarah quickly along to catch up to his team. Without a word passing between them, Thano and Ryland parted, allowing just enough space for Kane to push Sarah between them. Kane locked down her back side, setting up the triangle of protection once again.
    But this time, the tension rippling between the men was so thick she could almost touch it. How in heaven's name were they going to be able to fight?
    Because we have one mission, Kane said. To protect the greater good from rogue Calydons. Whatever these bastards are, they're a threat against innocents, and we are sworn to protect that. You included. Everything is secondary to that.
    Sarah glanced back over her shoulder at Kane, and he flashed her a grim smile. In the shadows of the moon, in the darkness of the night, he loomed huge and muscular, a force powerful enough to destroy anything that came at him. Including her. How are the scars, Kane?
    He didn't look away from her. They're still fading, Sarah.
    Fear rippled through her, and she touched the bruises on her neck. Then, there was a flash of black light and a crack, and Kane's weapon appeared in her hand. She jerked back, startled, and Ryland shot her a look of such agonized yearning that her heart broke for him.
    No. Kane's voice eased through her mind as they