Val balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she picked out food from the store.

"I didn't know you could pull groceries out of your ass, Kai."

She heard the man child grumble on the other end of the phone. She quickly interrupted him.

"And don't bring up takeout cause no one else can get in with the god damn ward."

"We need food babe, I don't need you looking at me like I'm your next meal." As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them.

"Valencia you're always my next meal," he practically growled into the phone.

Even from a couple miles away Kai could tell his mate was beat red.

"Shut it," she stifled her bashful giggles.

"I'll shut it when you get your ass over here."

"I'm on my way now- you worry too much."

She heard Malakai sigh heavily, "Come... please."

"Since you asked so nicely I guess I have to."

~

Valencia held bags of groceries as she approached her apartment building.

The streets were surprisingly empty, the sun setting.

She missed Kai during the silence, but was glad he was out of view from the millions of cameras in Endorphin.

Val glanced behind her and saw a familiar physique trailing her.

Pierce gave a sly grin, her heart stopped momentarily.

Valencia didn't hesitate to drop her bags, reaching for the loaded gun the back of her waist band.

She snarled as she took aim and began shooting at the vampire and her men that seemed to come out of the wood work.

People in the streets screamed, attackers obliterating anything in their way. They backed her up and Valencia cursed as her gun clicked, signaling an empty clip.

She reached into her pocket and slid the ammo into her weapon.

"Fuck!" She cursed as she realized once she entered the ward, there would be a window of time for someone to follow her through. She panted and saw them trailing behind her. Once she crossed the threshold she began firing to try and stall them from following her.

Bullets only did so much to supernatural beings though.

Her eyes focused on Pierce while she fired. Her pupils shrunk in fear when she saw what seemed to be a bomb in her hand.

Pierce walked forward despite the bullets now fired at her, multiple sinking into what would be her vital organs, to toss the magically charged bomb towards her.

She booked it and slammed into her small lobby. The explosion sounded and the force of it sent her into the nearest wall.

"Malakai!" Val screamed as she saw men scaling the balconies. She heard her mate already sprinting towards her.

The nymph watched her the hound fly down the steps to meet her, Kai stomped over and snatched her into his body.

"How many?" Kai snarled as he pulled her into the apartment.

"A lot," she panted. "Couple dozen, it's Pierce."

Malakai's gaze hardened and he grabbed her two hand guns. He pushed one in the usual spot in the back of her pants and slapped the other in her awaiting palm.

"You're leaving." He announced.

Valencia's jaw dropped.

"I'm not leaving you alone with these guys!-" she was interrupted as bullets flew through her window. Kai dragged her down to the floor and covered her body with his own.

He shoved his teleportation device into her grasp.

He pressed the green button in the small center and it flashed brightly.

Malakai grabbed her face and brought her into a long kiss. Their first actual kiss.

"Don't come find me, I'll be okay. I love you," he rushed out to her before she was swallowed by the portal. She cried out in shock while trying to grab his hand only to be ripped away. Before the portal closed she saw a swarm of elves and Pierce surrounding him.

Valencia screamed as she experienced the oddest sensation. If falling in space were possible, this would be it.

She saw too many colors to even comprehend as her body was in free fall before a portal opened under her and she plummeted into the grass.

She hit the ground so hard the wind was knocked out of her. She coughed and laid there for a moment as reality set in. Tears gathered and she choked on a sob as she tried to catch her breath. Her guns falling a few feet away from her.

"No, no, no," she muttered as she turned on her stomach to push herself up. She covered her face as her chest ached, being so far from Malakai felt like her heart was ripped away from her just like he was.

Her wide dark eyes looked frantically around her. She was in what seemed to be a modern village, she was on top of a hill overlooking cottages and shops protected by a large stone wall. Behind her was a huge house overlooking the terrain.

He said he loved me, Valencia couldn't gather her thoughts as her world around her spun. Her knees weakened as she stood haphazardly.

Before she could even begin to organize them, cold metal was pressed tightly to her throat.

The knife pressed to her jugular was placed precisely and she was knew one moved would surely end her life.

"Who the fuck are you?" A feminine voice rasped.

"I-I'm... Valencia... please he needs help-!"

The woman holding the knife cut her off, "Nevermind I'll figure it out myself," before Valencia could try and gather her shaken thoughts the butt of the knife was bashed into her skull.

Her body fell to the ground in a heap, her eyes catching sight of long curly white hair that reminded her of a certain hound.

"Kai.." she muttered as she fell into unconsciousness.