Unbound (The Captive Series, Book 7) Read Online Free

have pierced through his chest. He handed it to William who set it against his bow and fired to take out a vamp leaping at Xavier. The vamp fell and Xavier tore the arrow in his throat free. Blood pooled from the hole in his throat as another arrow pierced through his shoulder.
    “Xavier!” Aria’s hands slid under his armpits to catch him before he crumpled to the ground.
    “Arianna!” Braith shouted and lurched toward her when two other vamps ran at her.
    Red filled her blue eyes, and she fell back as the vampires grabbed at her arms. Braith grasped the arm of one, placed his foot into the vampire’s chest, and tore back with enough force to rend muscle and bone from the vampire who howled his agony. Braith used the arm to bash in the cheek of the next one, before thrusting his hand into the vamp’s chest and tearing his heart free.
    Xavier stumbled to his feet, wrapped his arms around Aria’s waist, and launched them both backward into the snow seconds before the tip of a sword would have sliced her head from her shoulders. Braith thrust his hand out to grip the blade of the sword; he ignored the biting sting of the metal cutting deep into his palm as he jerked it from the vampire’s hands.
    Blood reddened the snow around his feet as he whirled the sword around and sliced the vamp’s head from his shoulders. “Braith, look out!” Aria screamed.
    Turning, he swung out with the sword, separating two more vampires from their heads as more arrows were loosed into the air. Something slammed into his back; the impact knocked him forward a step. Braith gritted his teeth against the pain blooming over his back and spun to face the next vamp charging at him. An arrow struck the vamp through the cheek. Braith turned to see William only feet away, his reddened eyes glaring at the squirming vamp as he lowered his bow.
    A break in the line of white-cloaked vamps had appeared behind William. The last thing Braith wanted to do was retreat, but they were vastly outnumbered, badly injured, and he had to get Aria out of here.
    Braith took a step toward Aria as she rose to her feet just as a fresh wave of arrows released. He realized this time, they had all marked him as their target. Darting to the side, he dodged the first wave. Three of the arrows pierced through the forearm he flung up to batter the rest away, and one caught him in his chest, just off his heart.
    When the arrows stopped flying, he launched toward Aria, determined to get her and the others to safety. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he lifted her off the ground. Ten feet away from them, Jack and Ashby battled back the vampires enclosing them. Jack limped as he moved. Ashby had blood streaking his cheek and a hole in his shirt as he tore the heart from the chest of another vamp. They were vastly outnumbered and steadily losing ground as they sought to protect Melinda and Hannah.
    Charging forward, Braith lowered his shoulder and curled his arm protectively around Aria’s head. He barreled into the wave of vamps pushing against Jack and Ashby, flinging them all backward. Jack’s reddened eyes met his before he grabbed Hannah and lifted her off the ground. Melinda flung herself into Ashby’s arms.
    Setting Aria down, Braith positioned his body in front of hers before clutching the cloaks of two vamps and plucking them off Daniel and Max. Both their faces were already bruising. They had bite marks on their necks and blood staining their clothes, but the vampires deciding to feed from them before killing them had saved their lives. They would survive, if he could get them out of here.
    He tossed aside the two vamps as Timber stumbled toward them and fell into the snow. His shoulders heaved; his shirt was covered in blood, but he wasn’t as badly beaten as the other two. Not yet anyway. Braith spun back to Aria and lifted her into his arms once more. Her mouth pressed against his neck as he held her flush against him.
    “This way!” Braith shouted to the