“Why what?”
“Let’s start with why are you here? What led you to this point? You didn’t act like the others.”
“I’m here because I was ordered.”
“Ordered by whom? If you were ordered, why didn’t you attack like the others?”
“You already know by whom. I didn’t attack because none of this is about me. I didn’t have anything to do with it and didn’t want to be a part of it. I have nothing against you and see no reason you should be killed. Yes, I know his reason for it, but then he should be doing the dirty work, not sending others out to do it.”
“If you don’t believe in the cause, then why are you out here fighting for him?”
“Because I have no choice.”
“Everyone has a choice.” She could feel his sorrow mix with anger.
“I didn’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story.”
“She is trying to save your life, and you don’t even have the decency to answer her questions. Answer her or the guards will escort you to your cell while we decide your fate,” Ty growled, his patience growing short.
“One of his…Pierce’s followers murdered my mother a few years ago. He took me under his wing and gave me a place to live. I knew someday there would be a price to pay for it, but I never expected he would want me to kill someone for him.”
“What about your clan?”
“Mom was sort of a lone wolf.”
She finalized realized what she smelled. “You’re a wolf.”
It was more of a statement than a question, but still, he answered it with a nod.
Ty took a step forward, earning him a look from Tabitha.
“Wolves are a dangerous breed,” he said as if that explained the step.
“I know some find my kind to be unstable, but I mean no harm to anyone. I tried to find a way out of the situation, but they were under the order to kill me if I didn’t complete the assignment. I thought I could find a way to get away from them, but up until we entered the bedroom, I was smashed between them.”
His words vibrated the truth through the room, touching her core. Ty didn’t seem convinced, or maybe he wasn’t taking any chances, but he still had his body angled in front of her, ready to protect her.
“You had to know Pierce was dangerous before now. Why stick around him all these years?”
“Dangerous, yes, but all shifters are dangerous to a point. Certifiably insane is a whole different ball game.”
“Why did you stay?”
“It wasn’t until recently I understood how crazy he is. I had a job offer and was supposed to leave a few weeks ago. I thought I would have been done with him then.”
“Then why are you here?” Ty growled.
“When I told him about the job, he nearly killed me. I just recovered.”
“What can you tell us about Pierce’s plans?” Tabitha touched Ty’s arm, trying to calm him.
“I don’t know what you did to him, ma’am, but he will stop at nothing to see you dead.” Sorrow shone in his eyes.
“I didn’t do anything to him personally. It is more about who I am.” Ty shot her a warning look, and she knew better than to go into details. “What are his plans? Where is he staying?”
“He didn’t tell me his plans. Only that he wanted you dead. They’re staying in a cabin on the mountain.”
“Give us directions. We need to locate him.” Ty motioned to Raja, who seemed to understand the silent communication.
Raja grabbed a pad and pen from the desk and handed them to Connor. “If you make any attempt to escape or to place any of us in danger, we will kill you. There will be no questions.” Raja un-cuffed his hands, allowing him to write the directions down.
“Understood,” Conner said as he rubbed his wrist before picking up the pen.
Will going after Pierce and his team threaten the family I found? Will someone die in my place?
Chapter Twenty-Five
“The men are on their way to the location. They’ll call when they have the suspect in custody. Connor, if this lead is the truth, you might have earned your freedom,” Ty said as he and Raja returned from the debriefing conference room.
Connor stayed silent as if he were considering his own fate. Tabitha knew he was wondering if he was going to die that night. He didn’t have family or friends who would miss him, but he had dreams that he wanted to accomplish before it was his time.
“Connor, I want you to shift into your wolf…” Tabitha didn’t get to finish, as Ty cut her off.
“Absolutely not!” he shouted at her.
“Ty—”
“There is no way that is going to happen. He’s more dangerous in animal form. I will not have it, not with my mate in jeopardy.”
She moved closer to him so they could discuss it calmly between themselves. “Ty, I might be able to sense more than he could tell us. Something that only his subconscious knows.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“He won’t harm us.”
“You don’t know that. This could all be a trap.” Ty stood with his arms across his broad chest, staring down at her.
“I can feel that he is telling the truth. He means me no harm. You know this could help us. Let me do it before it’s too late, before Pierce has a chance to escape or make a move.”
“You are my mate. I’m supposed to protect you at all cost. This isn’t protecting you.”
“You trusted me with Lukas; trust me now. We can take precautions if that makes you feel safer.” She laid her hand on the arm still crossed over his chest. “I wouldn’t put myself in danger for the hell of it.”
“Raja, Felix.”
The men came to stand next to them.
“Against my better judgment, I’m allowing this. We will stand in front of her. If he makes a move, kill him.”
The men nodded, and Ty turned around to face Conner. “Go over to the corner over there. I want you far enough away from her. When you shift, lay on the floor. If you make a move, you will die.”
Connor moved into place, removing his clothing when he reached the corner. Ty touched her cheek. “My mate, I love you.”
“I love you too.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him as he wrapped his arms around her.
“We’re ready,” Raja said from behind them.
“Let’s do this before I change my mind.”
“Shift when you’re ready.” Tabitha stood protected by the men. She had a spot between Raja and Ty that she could see through, but it was like being behind a wall and only being able to see through a small window.
The magic gathered in the air as the boy transformed in front of them. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw Connor’s life play out before her. Ty watched her from the corner of his eye but when she nodded, he turned his attention back to the wolf.
Tabitha closed her eyes, giving full attention to the memories of his life. It wasn’t until the recent memories of Pierce that she could feel his anger. Not at Tabitha and her men, but at Pierce. Pierce tortured the boy at every turn, making his life hell. She finally understood why he’d stayed. No other pack would allow him in now that he was associated with Pierce, for fear of problems.
She saw his memories of what happened before he came to the compound. Everything he’d said to them was true, but seeing them, she was able to realize things he didn’t. There was a suitcase sitting by the door in his memory.
Any idea where he is going? she mentally asked the wolf.
She didn’t get a sense he understood what she meant. His memories continued to play out before her, leaving her the impression that he didn’t see the suitcase.
“Pierce is gone. You won’t find him at the cabin. He left some of the others behind but took his key people with him.”
“How do you know this?” Ty asked.
“There’s a suitcase in his memory, next to the door. When Connor walked in, there were bits and pieces caught. I don’t think he put them toget
her, but I did.”
“So he told us the truth about his involvement?”
She didn’t answer, just nodded as she saw another house in his memories. This house had bad memories, and she could tell he didn’t want to go back there.
“Whose house is that?” Then she saw both his mother and Pierce. “You can shift back.”
But nothing happened. Connor laid there in wolf form, not moving.
“He can’t,” Raja said as she began to wonder what had happened.
“Oh, hell. I forgot you mentioned weaker shifters aren’t able to shift back. Why was he so willing when he knew this would happen?”
“I don’t think he thought he had a choice. You’re an Alpha. Even outside his pack, he understands authority. I’m sure if he didn’t know it before, once Pierce came into his life, he knew it,” Ty said, moving to give her a little more room to see between him and Raja.
“But I have questions I want him to answer.” She sighed. “It’s different than with us. He has to think of the image or memory.”
Ty gave a little squeeze to her hand, letting her know that she shouldn’t go on. “It’s the best we can do right now. He won’t be able to shift for at least another few hours.”
She sat down on the couch and ran her hand through her hair. She was drained, and it was going to take time and patience to get the answers she wanted.
“Connor, you showed me a picture of Pierce and your mother. I don’t understand how they owned the house. Was there something between them?”
He shook his wolf head and showed her his mom, coffin and then Pierce.
“Pierce took it over when your mother died.”
He let out a howl, as if to tell her yes.
“How did your mother know Pierce? She had to know him to leave him the house, and for him to take you in.”
She wanted direct answers, but all she was getting were bits and pieces of things. Her brain was too tired to put the puzzle into a whole. She rubbed her temples, trying to figure out how everything went together.
“Tabby, why don’t you get some sleep? You can question him more when he changes back.”
“What will happen to him while I sleep?”
“He will be made comfortable. Once he shifts back, he will be tired and need to rest also. But when he wakes, you can continue this. This is not helping you when you’re tired. You’re just going to stress yourself out.” Ty sat down next to her.
“I don’t want him in the cells,” she whispered.
“Tabby…”
“No, they know where the cells are. I won’t risk losing him back to their hands.”
“He isn’t a stray dog that you can find a new home for,” Ty said roughly.
“I never said he was. He needs help to get out of the situation, and I want to help him. He is giving us information. It’s the least we can do.”
“Least we can do.” He snarled. “Did you forget he was on the team that came here to kill you?”
“No, I didn’t forget, but he didn’t. He surrendered to Marcus.”
Ty let out a deep growl. “Woman, you’re going to be the death of me.”
“Just put him up in one of the guest rooms with guards, then we will both be happy. He’ll be secure and comfortable.”
He just stared at her before nodding. “Raja, arrange it.”
“You won’t do anything stupid that makes me regret this decision, will you, Connor?” His mind told her his thoughts were already on a nice, comfortable bed. “Connor, focus one more time. There was another man with you tonight. Who was it?”
She saw a picture of an older man with gray hair and a limp. The man lived a hard life, and if the memory was correct, didn’t look as though he had long to live.
“Any idea who it was?” Ty asked.
“I see the man, but I don’t know who he is. I’ll ask him about it later.”
“They are ready for him,” Raja said, getting off the phone.
“One last thing. Did you know Chris?”
Nothing came to his mind. “Ty, do you have a picture of Chris? Maybe he doesn’t know Chris by name but by face.”
He grabbed the picture of the clan from a nearby shelf. “Last one, second row on the right. But you’re not getting near him to show him.”
She grabbed the picture out of his hands and set it on the floor, halfway between Connor and the door.
“On your way out, look at the picture.” She moved to Ty’s side.
The wolf trotted toward the door, stopping at the picture. Memories flooded her mind, of him and different people, but she couldn’t make sense of it.
“Think about it and we will talk about him and everything else when you wake.”
He howled in frustration. She could tell there was something he wanted her to know, but he couldn’t get it across to her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next morning, Connor woke feeling refreshed. He hadn’t slept that well in ages. For the first time in a while, he didn’t have to worry about someone coming in to kill him while he slept. He wasn’t constantly checking over his shoulder for Pierce. There was a weight lifted from his shoulders, allowing him to breathe easier, even if it was only for a bit.
He wasn’t an Alpha and never had the desire to be. After his mother’s death, he’d wanted the comfort and security of a pack but because of Pierce, no one would accept him. He was a lone wolf, and lone wolves didn’t survive long.
Pierce took him in, gave him a place to sleep and put food in his stomach, but Connor never was a part of the pack. Connor did it out of loyalty to his mother. Loyalty. What does Pierce know about loyalty? More like guilt. Guilt over getting her killed.
He lay in bed, knowing there was a guard just outside his open door to make sure he didn’t try to escape. Whatever they do to me, it’s better than what Pierce would do if he found out I was still alive. How will I ever get myself out of this situation? Maybe if I can help them… He racked his brain, trying to figure out a way to help.
The man in the picture from last night, he recognized him. Chris. He got wrapped up in this mess to save his stupid sister. Didn’t they say he was taken from one of the prison cells?
Knowing Pierce, that meant Chris was dead. He wouldn’t let someone survive who could hold something over him. Without Chris, his sister didn’t stand a chance.
Chris? Maybe he is the key to all of this. If he was anything like his sister, he would have kept records.
Jumping out of bed, he slipped into his jeans that someone had remembered to grab. Zipping up, he found the guard standing in the doorway. “I need to speak with your Alphas.”
“They will speak with you when they’re ready.”
“Trust me. I have information they need. Please, just tell Tabitha I asked to speak with her.”
The guard unclipped his phone from his belt and hit a button. “It’s Adam. He’s awake and demanding to speak with her.” He ended the call. “She will get the message. Just hang tight. There’s a television out here if you wish to watch some while you’re waiting.”
He hated waiting. It made him want to climb the walls, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Forcing the situation wouldn’t help.
* * *
“He’s awake and wishes to speak with you,” Felix said, filling Tabitha’s cup of coffee.
“Finally.” She let out a sigh of relief.
“Finish your brunch, mate, and then we will have him brought in.” Ty eyed her over his e-tablet as he read the reports from the guards.
She was still in her plaid pajama bottoms and tank top as they enjoyed their brunch. Ty had kept her in bed long after they woke. She’d enjoyed the early morning sex and cuddling, but she wanted answers. Rolling her eyes, she popped another strawberry in her mouth. “I’m done.”
“Mate, you are the most impatient woman I know.” Ty shook his head. “Have Raja escort him in.”
She stood from the kitchen barstool and moved closed to him. With his attention still on the
reports, she kissed his neck. “We have a few minutes,” she whispered after getting the soft purr she loved.
“I need more than a few minutes. You will get your answers, and then you’re mine for the rest of the day.”
“Maybe I have other plans.” She took his earlobe into her mouth, gently sucking on it.
“You’ll forget all about them. Remember what I told you about mating heat. I can’t get enough of you. I walk around with a constant hard-on. I need you.”
She could smell them coming down the hallway. “Soon, baby, soon.” She leaned down and kissed him.
“Not soon enough for me,” he rumbled.
After a quick knock of warning, the door opened. Raja ushered Connor to the couch.
“Morning, Connor. I hope you were able to sleep well,” Ty said as they joined him, sitting on the opposite couch.
“Very well. Thank you.” He ran his hand over his knee. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to convey the message you wanted last night, ma’am.”
“Jumping right in, I see. Good. The man in the picture…from your reaction, I assume you know who that is.”
“Chris. Yes, I know of him.”
“Of him?” she questioned.
“To be clearer, I met him only once, but I knew him through his sister.”
“When he joined our clan, he told us he had no siblings,” Ty stated.
“Then he lied to you. His sister got wrapped up in some bad stuff a few years ago: drugs and what have you, but then she got with Pierce.”
“Got with Pierce? What do you mean?”
“It’s unusual for shifters, but you could say she is his girlfriend.”
“Shifters don’t really date like humans do. They might go out on a date or two while waiting to find their mate, but it isn’t the same as when humans date. Born shifters have mates. When we find our mate, we know it and pursue it. But before that, there is no reason for a relationship. We can get our needs met or go out, but relationships are something that is rare. Mainly for the reason of why do it if there is no future for the two of you,” Ty explained.
“But Pierce isn’t a born shifter.” Tabitha said, trying to understand how that would relate to Pierce.
“True. There are very few bitten shifters, so it isn’t a proven fact, but it is believed that they do not have mates. They are just like the rest of the human population. They have to find the one they want to be with.”
“Okay, but what does this have to do with anything? We’re after Chris.”
“I think the reason Chris betrayed you is for his sister. She mentioned to me before that she wanted to get away from Pierce but couldn’t. I believe Chris and his brother, Mike, thought he could exchange the information about you for his sister,” Connor said.
Tiger Time Page 11
