Olivia and Cole laughed. Dane was easing back into his normal self. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes, and she found comfort in it. It’d been too long since he’d made her laugh, and she wanted to crack a joke with him, but she knew they needed to get to the hospital.
“Let me grab my keys,” Dane grumbled.
Olivia fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She didn’t know why she was so nervous to meet Cole’s brother, Landon. Would he understand their weird, newfound relationship? Did it matter?
The morning’s mating session had been perfect. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye. She could’ve been killed by the cartel, but instead, she found a new life with the two men who’d eaten up most of her fantasies for the last year. Even with the threesome they’d had that morning, Olivia knew what they did was right. The beast that now lived inside her was at peace. She was content with her two mates, and the thought of being with only one of them sent her heart into a spiral.
She’d felt some sort of love toward Dane and Cole since they’d worked so close together during and after the raids. Dane had been at the bar every single time she was scheduled to work. Olivia knew there were other Guardians who rotated shifts when it came to watching over The Deuce, but none of them were ever there when she was scheduled.
It was hard to separate her human feelings from the ones she was now experiencing with the panther inside her mind and body. The human part of her wanted to take things slow, but the beast was prowling around in her mind with a deep-rooted need for her forever mates. And that was exactly what Dane and Cole were…her forever. It didn’t matter how many times she’d argued with her panther about the way humans dated. The beast growled at any thought of not being with the two men. In the animal’s world, they were as good as married. She didn’t even know how she knew that, but she did.
“You okay?” Dane asked, placing his hand on her knee. Olivia cleared her throat and glanced over as he drove toward town. They had just under an hour until they arrived at the hospital in Memphis, and she wanted to talk to them about the things she felt, but didn’t know if now was the best time.
“I’m fine,” she lied, smiling wide to hopefully appease her mate.
“You’re lying,” Dane replied, slowing to stop at the next red light. “We can scent lies, Olivia.” He tapped his nose and narrowed his eyes.
“I’m fine, really,” she began, but held up her hand when he started to argue. “I just have a lot going on in my head, and I need time to sort it all out.”
“You know you can talk to us about anything, right?” Cole asked, taking her hand. She was sitting in the middle of Dane’s truck, surrounded by her mates. Their bodies were giving off so much heat, she found herself adjusting the air conditioning vents to blow directly on her.
“I do,” she told him and closed her eyes. “We need to worry about Landon and the cartel right now. The questions I have can wait for later.”
“Are you’re sure?” Dane pressed.
“I’m sure.”
Noah jumped to his feet the moment the door to Landon’s hospital room opened. He was on high alert, and no one was going to get past him when it came to the male in that bed. He’d already scared a nurse during the middle of the night, and apologized profusely when she screamed.
“It’s just us,” Dane said as he held the door for Olivia and Cole. The bartender clasped Olivia’s hand tightly, and Noah knew it was for strength. Landon had mentioned during one of their talks the night before that he was worried for Cole and the guilt that would eat at his brother over the cartel coming for his family.
Noah was happy to see Olivia standing tall next to him. The cartel was dangerous, and they all knew this wasn’t going to end easily. They were expecting a fight, and it was a fight the cartel would get. Cole and Landon, although not shifters, were a part of the pride, and they would be protected as such.
“How is he?” Cole whispered as he glanced over at Landon’s sleeping form.
“He’s ready to get the hell out of this hospital,” Landon mumbled as his eyes fluttered open. “I can’t sleep with all the poking and prodding.”
“Hey, brother,” Cole greeted. His smile was sad, but it was there. Olivia released his hand as Cole approached the bed. Landon smiled and started to struggle to sit upright without the help of the bed. Cole moved to help, but the younger Bryant brother waved him off.
“I have to move around,” he huffed.
“We are here to take you home,” Cole said, stepping to the side now that Landon appeared to be stable.
“The doc is supposed to be in soon to sign his release papers,” Noah advised them.
“Are you going to introduce me?” Landon asked, looking at Olivia.
“Landon, this is Olivia Stone, and she is my mate,” Cole announced proudly. Olivia moved toward the bed with her hand outstretched, but Dane made a huge step to block Landon’s touch. Noah cringed when he saw the sadness in Landon’s eyes.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Olivia gasped, pulling her hands closer to her body. “I forgot.”
“What’s going on?” Landon frowned. His eyes narrowed on Dane, but he didn’t lash out. Good thing, because if Landon had made a move to protect Olivia, Dane could’ve lost his temper at a male coming between him and his mate.
“You can’t touch a mated female of the pride,” Cole began and took Olivia’s hand into his. “She is a panther, and we are mated. Well, I’m mated to two of them.”
“Two?” Landon gasped, wide-eyed.
“Yeah,” Cole grinned. Noah saw happiness light up the human male’s face, and he relaxed into his seat. Their mating was unheard of, but it appeared they had worked it out. From the mating marks on their necks, he was glad they figured everything out. “Shifters find their mates by touch. Don’t ask me how it works, because I’m still figuring it out myself. I just know it’s true. I’ve seen it with all of them.”
“And how did you three become mates?” Landon asked.
“Well, the cartel chased a car Olivia was in,” Cole started to explain. The anger on his face was enough to cause Dane and Olivia’s eyes to flash amber. “They ran her off the road, and the impact almost killed her. Dane had to change her to save her life, and when they touched, he felt the pull to her as his mate. While she was going through the change, and I’ll spare you the details of that for another time, I was watching over her while Dane was unavailable. She began to slide off the bed, and I scooped her up to keep her from hurting herself. When I touched her, she didn’t cry out in pain, but she did feel the mating touch from me, too.”
“Wow,” Landon said, shaking his head. “So, you have two lovers?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Cole said with a smile.
“Are you gay?” Landon asked.
There was an awkward pause. No one in the room appeared to breathe while Landon’s question sank in. Cole didn’t look angry at his brother’s words, and Noah took that as a good sign. The three of them had a fragile relationship they needed to work through, and Cole needed the most support because he was a human mated to two shifters. It couldn’t be easy on him, at all.
“I’m bisexual,” Cole admitted, making Noah blink.
“You never told me,” Landon snarled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t,” Cole replied. “The military would’ve kicked me out.”
“Damn it, Cole,” Landon sobered. “I would’ve understood. You did it for me. You supported me when I came out to our parents.”
Noah pulled at the collar of his shirt at hearing Landon’s words. Knowing the truth didn’t upset him, but it did make him feel things he’d repressed for so long.
“Yes, I did,” Cole admitted. “You needed me more, and that’s all that mattered.”
Noah stood from his seat and quietly left the room. They needed privacy, because there was obviously some unspoken things that needed to be said, and Noah had no business being in the room.
Instead, he pulled out hi
s phone and called his brother. They were out looking for any sign of the cartel. None of their contacts in town had seen anyone who looked like they didn’t belong, and that worried him.
“Nothing,” Talon barked into the phone. “I don’t know where the fuck they are, and I’m at my wits end as to what to do.”
“Things have been quiet here, too,” Noah informed him, glancing down the hallway. “I don’t like this, Talon.”
“I don’t either,” his brother, the pride’s alpha, sighed. “Get Landon to the pride, then we are all going on lockdown. The females will guard the house while we hunt.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Noah replied, feeling his panther push at his skin.
The thought of someone getting to Landon set his beast on edge, and he was going to make sure no one hurt that male again.
Dane and Olivia made an excuse to go to the hospital’s cafeteria for food. Cole knew it was to give him and his brother some privacy.
“My life has changed since meeting Dane and Olivia,” Cole admitted, taking a seat next to his brother. Seeing the bruises and cuts on Landon’s body made his gut ache from the guilt. This was his fault. The military had warned them…even told them to lay low for a few years, but even with the warnings, it never prepared him for what had happened. Cole always knew, in the back of his mind, they might come for him.
“Do you love them?” Landon asked, clasping his hands in his lap.
“I do,” Cole admitted with a nod.
“Then why are you acting like you are ashamed?” Landon asked. Even with all he’d been through with his own sexuality, Cole’s brother had come out the other end proud of who he was. He didn’t shy away from the topic anymore, and he embraced who he was.
“I’m not,” Cole said with a frown. “There’s a lot that goes into loving a shifter.”
“So, it’s different than loving a human?” Landon continued with the questions. His brow pushed forward in thought as he struggled with what Cole was telling him.
“In some ways, yes,” Cole admitted. “Their ways are a bit different than ours.”
“How?”
“Well, Olivia cannot be touched by another male,” Cole began, trying to remember all the things he’d learned over the last few years. “If you were to touch her, it would cause her pain. I was told that it would feel like she was being burned.”
“Damn,” Landon gasped, his eyes going wide. “That’s crazy.”
“It’s a protection thing for their kind,” Cole informed him. “In their world, when they mate, they mark each other by biting their neck. It will scar over and shows the other shifters the female is mated. It’s a warning signal for the males to stay away.”
“Is that why you have two scars on your neck? Did they bite you?” Landon asked, leaning around him to peer at the mating marks.
“Yes, they marked me,” Cole replied.
“Are you a panther now?”
“No,” Cole chuckled and shook his head. “It takes a lot more than a bite to become what they are.”
“Do I even want to know?” Landon teased, giving Cole a shoulder bump. It felt good for his brother to be back to himself. Seeing him in the hospital bed, broken and in pain, gutted him.
“Not really,” Cole grimaced, remembering what Olivia had gone through and what he was asking of the pride. He wouldn’t tell Landon the details yet. He was still dealing with his own pain. He sure as hell didn’t need to know about the three days it would take to turn a human into a shifter.
A knock on the door silenced them. The doctor and nurse entered the room, both smiling. “Mr. Bryant, are you ready to go home?”
“I’ve been ready,” Landon teased.
While the doctor gave them instructions for his care and release, Cole was already planning his search for the cartel. Once he had Landon safe on the pride’s land, he could focus on his own revenge. With the death and disappearance of his other men, he was going to have to bring them down with the help of the pride. If it meant going to Columbia, he would do that, too.
“Schedule an appointment with your doctor in three weeks,” the doctor suggested and shook both their hands. As soon as the door closed, Landon reached for the bag of clothes Cole had brought the day before and began to change.
“I know I have to go to the pride,” Landon mumbled as he struggled to get his shirt over his head. Cole saw the grimace on his face when the damage to his back gave him pain. “I’m okay with that. I just don’t want to go back to the house alone.”
“Neither one of us will be going back to that house until this is all over,” Cole promised. “I’ll text Dane and have him bring the truck around.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Fuck, not now.” Liberty winced with the next contraction. She’d been having tightness in her belly for the past few days, but the last five minutes had changed everything. She’d kept it to herself at the end of her pregnancy with Ember, because Talon’s mother was dying and she didn’t want to take him away from those last moments with the woman who gave birth to him.
Liberty knew she was still two weeks out from her due date, but it didn’t matter. She was in labor. The timing worried her. Their cub shouldn’t be ready to come out just yet, but with the next contraction, she knew it wasn’t a drill.
The baby was coming tonight.
Talon and the other Guardians were away from the pride; except for Savage, who was at the gate. Hope and Evie were somewhere in the house, and she needed to get someone to find Harold. Ember was with the other children in the daycare room off the kitchen. June, the pride’s caregiver, had taken her daughter into the room to socialize with the other children and to give Liberty some downtime with the end of her pregnancy so close.
“I haven’t even picked out a name yet,” she whined to herself. “I don’t even know why they make the females name the cubs. Talon could’ve freaking helped me out this time.”
During her rant, she paced the floor of their bedroom, eyeing the door. Maybe she should just text the healer. Ow! Yeah, it was time to text someone.
She found her phone in her bag and shot off a text to Evie, asking her to come to the bedroom. While she waited, Liberty sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hands on her knees as she prepared for the next contraction.
Knock! Knock! “Liberty?”
“Come in,” she called out. When the young female entered the room, her eyes widened and she rushed to Liberty’s side.
“How far apart?”
“I haven’t timed them, but I’m guessing about seven to ten minutes,” Liberty answered. “Why do our babies come when shit has hit the fan?”
“I don’t know,” Evie laughed, easing Liberty’s fear of Talon not being there for the birth because he was searching for the cartel. “I’ll get Harold. You call Talon.”
Evie stepped out of the room as Liberty lifted the phone to her ear. It rang twice before her mate answered, “Liberty? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, um….well, no.” She paused when her mate growled. “Our baby is coming.”
“What?” he barked. “It’s too early.”
“Well, tell your cub that,” she snarled into the phone when the next contraction hit. The vice-like grip to her belly cut off any reply she could’ve tossed his way. Granted, she had a smartass comment on her tongue, though it was probably best if she didn’t speak it aloud. Talon would probably spank her ass for being disrespectful. If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d roll my eyes where he couldn’t see.
“I’m on my way home,” he said in a rush. She could hear the panic in his voice, and any anger she had toward him fled for a moment. Liberty was sure she’d hate him again in the next few hours. “Get the healer.”
“Evie is getting him,” she replied, lowering her voice. “Hurry home.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes, my queen,” Talon promised and disconnected the connection.
When Dane arrived at the pride, he was cut off by Talon’s truck and a frantic
looking Savage, who was guarding the gate. He held back and allowed the other Guardians’ vehicles to rush up the driveway.
“What’s going on?” Olivia asked. He could feel her worry, and he glanced in the rearview mirror to see Cole wrap an arm around her shoulders
“I don’t know,” Dane replied, nodding at Ranger as he pulled into the driveway. “I’ll stop and ask Savage.”
As soon as the way was clear, he put his truck in gear and eased his way up to the gate. The gravel crunched under the truck’s tires as he approached. The male’s eyes were alight, and he had a rare smile on his face.
“What’s all the fuss about?” Dane asked as he rolled down the window.
“Liberty is in labor,” Savage replied.
“Yes!” Olivia giggled from the backseat. “Hurry up to the house! I want to help.”
Savage gave Dane a nod and stepped aside so he could head up to the house. When they arrived, Dane slid out of the truck and walked around to help Landon to his feet. “Things are usually quiet around here, but Talon’s mate is in labor. There will be a lot of activity in the house for the next twenty-four hours. I believe the women have a room for you upstairs. You are more than welcome to hide up there.”
“Hide?” Landon frowned as Cole and Olivia opened the extended cab doors and hurried out. Olivia left them to rush into the house.
“The pride will gather at the alpha’s home while Liberty is in labor at our healer’s clinic next door,” Dane replied, pointing to the cabin where Harold and his mate lived and worked. “Good news is…there will be a lot of food. Our females like to cook when we have a new arrival.”
“Right now, I think I’d like a nap,” Landon said, looking tired.
“I’ll take you up to your room,” Cole said, taking his brother’s duffle bag. Dane told them to ask for Marie when they went inside and promised to come by later. He needed to get over to the healer’s home to check on Olivia and the others.
Dane (Rise of the Pride, Book 8) Page 12
