by Toni Griffin
Liam had taken Declan to meet his parents. As nervous as he'd been at meeting his mate's family, he enjoyed the night immensely. Judy and Henry Anderson were wonderful people and if Declan's parents had survived, they would have liked them. Declan also met Liam's younger siblings, Christopher and Lila.
One of the few times Declan had seen Liam laugh during the week had been when Sam told Liam he couldn't play poker with them unless Declan brought some dessert or other confection. The game had taken place at Sam's and Declan made a choc-hazelnut swirl cheesecake along with lemon and raspberry tartlets.
The desserts were deemed worthy, and the guys questioned him about what would be on next week's menu.
Of course he refused to tell them.
Declan spent most of his days in the kitchen, while Liam worked on some building site. He had long ago realised he felt happiest when he could create some sweet or another. Liam always complimented the aromas wafting through the house when he arrived home. He never got angry when Declan ran out of ingredients and asked him to stop off at the store after he finished work. Declan also managed to win the hearts of Liam's workers by sending the various cakes, slices, biscuits, muffins, whatever took his fancy when he started cooking, with Liam when he left for work each day.
Right in the middle of sifting the self-raising flour for the chocolate slice he had decided to bake, the house phone rang. Declan hadn't seen the point in getting another mobile as he had a perfectly good one back in Cairns. He just couldn't get to it at the moment.
He stopped and picked up the phone, glancing at the display. Tommy's mobile. He clicked the green talk button and rested the phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could continue working
"Hey, Tommy, I'm in the middle of making your favourite slice." He started sifting flour again.
"Really, and what would that be?" The deep voice of his Alpha came through the line.
Liam dropped the sifter and watched in a haze when flour exploded everywhere. The image of the last time Declan had seem Alpha Wallis flashed through his head, the sickening sound of the gun going off set on replay, accompanying the images like a twisted soundtrack.
"Where's Tommy?" he asked quietly, nearly on the verge of tears.
"He's right here with me."
"Like I'm going to believe you," Declan said with more gusto than he felt.
The snarl on the other end of the line probably would have had Declan cowering if he had been in the same room with the man. "Fine, here."
A loud cry of pain echoed down the line as the phone exchanged hands. "Dec, I'm so sorry."
"Tommy," Declan yelled, but Alpha Wallis's laughter greeted his words.
"Now do you believe me?" he asked smugly.
"Yes," Declan croaked and tears started falling.
None of this would've happened if he hadn't left Tommy alone. He should have gone back and gotten his brother sooner instead of leaving him there unprotected.
"You just couldn't keep your fucking mouth shut, could you?" Alpha Wallis growled.
"I didn't tell anyone, I swear." Declan hoped it sounded like the truth.
"Don't fucking lie to me. Do you think I don't know about the wolves that have been poking their noses into my business? Huh?" The man sounded pissed and it would only be a matter of time before Alpha Wallis lost his patience. "I'll make you a deal."
Whatever the man said Declan more than likely wouldn't like it.
Alpha Wallis continued. "You get your ass back here and face the music, or your brother will. You have until six o'clock." The phone went dead in his ear.
Declan collapsed to the ground, uncaring of the flour everywhere, and sobbed. Alpha Wallis had Tommy.
He couldn't let his little brother get hurt because of him.
"Honey, what's wrong, I can feel your pain. What's happened?" The soothing tones of his mate's voice floated through his mind.
Declan sobbed again before he could gather himself together enough to answer his mate. "Alpha Wallis has Tommy." He hiccupped and tried to calm himself down.
Falling into hysterics would not help Tommy.
"I'm leaving now. I'll call Ben on my way. I'll be home soon."
"Hurry, I've got 'till six tonight to get there before he kills Tommy."
"Hold it together, honey, Tommy needs you. I'll see you in five minutes."
Declan pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, trying to calm down. He couldn't lose Tommy. It had nearly killed them when their parents had been shot by poachers when they were out running together. He didn't think he would survive if Tommy was taken from him as well. Liam would do everything within his power to help him.
Declan had no idea how long he'd been sitting huddled on the floor when a hand landed on his shoulder.
Declan cried out looking around wildly, until his gaze settled on his mate.
"Shhh, honey. Everything's okay. We're going to go get Tommy. Come on."
Liam helped Declan from the floor and pulled him tight to his chest. The scent of his mate surrounded him and did more to calm him than everything else he had tried since the phone call. Liam's strong arms gave him a feeling of utter safety and Declan never wanted to give them up.
"I love you," he blurted.
Declan had no idea the words were going to come out until it was too late. Embarrassed at his case of verbal diarrhoea, Declan buried his face in his mate's shirt.
Liam didn't laugh. Instead, he eased Declan back and lifted his head until he could look him in the eyes. "I love you too, Declan. Nothing and no one is going to take you away from me. Okay?"
Declan nodded and Liam laid a gentle kiss against his lips.
"Let's go get your brother and bring him home, hmm."
"Yes, please," he whispered.
"Then we can all come back here and watch you clean up the kitchen. Damn, babe. It looks like a bag of flour exploded in here," Liam said.
Declan laughed as he looked around the room. Liam had it right. Flour covered just about every surface within a fairly large radius of where they stood.
"Thank you," he said.
Liam had taken his mind off Tommy for a moment and he appreciated it.
"You're welcome. Now let's go. Hopefully Ben should be out the front waiting for us by now." Liam took Declan's hand and they walked through the house and out the front door, which Liam had left open in his obvious haste to get to Declan.
Liam locked the door behind them and they headed to the big SUV Ben sat waiting in.
"Where to?" Ben asked when Liam climbed in to the front seat and Declan got in the back.
"Umm… he didn't say. Just that I had until six to take my brother's place." Declan looked at his watch. It had just gone four so they had time. "Knowing how much of an ass the man is, he probably thinks it's fitting to go back to the place where I witnessed Nigel's murder. So I guess that means the pack grounds in Cairns. Do you know where that is?"
"Yeah, Brad reported its whereabouts after his and Corey's scouting mission." Ben put the car in reverse and left the driveway.
As they drove, something Alpha Wallis said registered with Declan.
"He knows." He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Liam asked him.
"Who knows what?"
"Alpha Wallis, he knows about Corey and Brad. He told me on the phone about the wolves poking around his pack."
"Doesn't matter now. Everything's going to come to a head this afternoon. Alpha Wallis's time is up. Frank, Glen and Adrian should be arriving in the next day or so anyway so this wouldn't have gone on for much longer."
The anger in Ben's voice was clearly evident.
Declan processed what Ben said and settled back against the seat as they headed towards Cairns.
He hadn't slept, but Declan must have zoned out because the next thing he registered, the car pulled to a stop in his pack ground's car park.
Declan exited the vehicle. As soon as his feet touched the ground he started shivering. He had no idea why,
the temperature felt pleasant, by no means cold yet.
Liam wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. "Everything's going to be fine. Tommy will be fine.
We'll go get him, kick the Alpha's ass, and go home.
Okay?"
"Yeah." That sounded really good, in fact.
Ben came round the front of the car and waved his hand towards the trees. "Can you lead us to where everything went down?"
"Yeah." Declan didn't look forward to going back there.
Hell he didn't want to walk back into the stretch of trees full stop. Liam never let go of his hand as they headed into the bush.
Declan glanced down at his watch. Half past five.
Shit, it had taken them longer to get here than he thought.
They needed to move. After traipsing through the trees for maybe fifteen minutes, the sound of a gun reverberated through the silence. Birds screeched and took flight above them.
"Tommy!" Declan shouted, yanking his hand away from his mate's and racing through the trees.
He didn't care if Liam and Ben were behind him or not, once again thankful for his speed. His heart pounded in his chest and he pushed branches out of his way, ignoring the stinging cuts to his skin when he had been unsuccessful in moving them in time.
Declan finally broke through the edge into the same clearing he had witnessed Nigel's murder. Time seemed to slow down as he came to a halt. Gregory and Barry held Tommy between them just as they had Nigel that night.
Tommy sagged, naked; his body covered in bruises, his left leg broken, the bone sticking out through the skin. Declan couldn't see Tommy's face with his head slumped forward.
Hell, he couldn't even tell from where he stood if his brother was alive or not.
He turned to face the Alpha, fury rolling through him. Before he could so much as utter a sound, the gun in Alpha Wallis's hand went off again and fiery pain pierced Declan's left shoulder. The force of the impact knocked him backwards to the ground. His head landed hard against a rock, black spots danced before his eyes.
Twin howls rent the air when Liam and Ben burst through the tree line in their shifted form. If Tommy still breathed, Liam would rescue him. His last thought before he let the darkness take him.
Damn, but his mate could really run. Liam's heart nearly stopped when another gunshot rent the air. Fire rolled through his body. Not his own pain. Declan had been shot.
Shifting, Liam howled and broke through the tree line, Ben right beside him. Alpha Wallis stood in the centre of a clearing, the gun now pointing in their direction. Liam lowered his head down and put on a burst of speed. He might not be near as fast as his mate, but he could still run with the best of them. Ben easily remained right beside him.
Alpha Wallis seemed to be having trouble deciding who to shoot at first, finally deciding on Liam. He pulled the trigger again. At the last second, Liam veered to the left and headed to the Betas who were holding up Tommy between them.
As much as Liam wanted to take on Alpha Wallis, it would be better all-round if Ben did the honours. Liam liked being a Beta. He didn't want to be Alpha, and if he beat Kegan Wallis, and he would with the way he felt right now, he'd become Alpha of the Cairns pack, and he didn't want that. He'd discussed the possibility at length with Ben over the last week. As much as he wanted to be the one to take out the man who had caused his mate so much grief, he couldn't.
He'd promised Declan he'd get his brother and he planned to do exactly that. When the two Betas saw him heading directly for them, they took one look at their Alpha currently engaged in a fight with Ben and dropped Tommy to the ground and made a run for it.
Cowards. Liam watched them disappear into the tree line. He had more important things to do than give chase. They'd be caught eventually and held accountable for their crimes. At the moment he had other things to worry about. The sounds of fighting carried on behind him.
Liam had no doubt Ben would come out of the encounter the victor.
He shifted and knelt down beside Tommy. Even through all the bruising he could see the resemblance. Liam breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Tommy's pulse beating under his skin. He didn't know where to touch the young man, his body a mass of bruised and broken flesh, afraid no matter where he placed his hands it would cause Tommy more pain. Probably a good thing Tommy had passed out.
Liam tried to be as gentle as possible, but his breath caught in his throat when the mate threads of Declan's younger brother and Ben joined in his mind. Fuck! Not good. Declan would have a fit when he found out. Declan had nothing against Ben, but Tommy being Declan's much younger brother would have all of his protective instincts coming out. Liam and Declan had talked at length about his little brother and how Declan had raised him after their parents passed. He didn't know if Declan could let go of that mindset, especially after what had just happened.
Looking down once again at the bruised and battered body of his mate's brother he had no idea how his friend and Alpha would react either. It would have to wait, though. At the moment, he needed to get back to his mate and make sure he was okay.
Liam picked Tommy up in his arms trying not to hurt the young man any more than he already had been, and started back across the field towards where his mate lay.
"Honey, come on, wake up, please," Liam asked soothingly as they got closer. He didn't receive any response.
The fighting had diminished and when Liam laid Tommy beside Declan, Ben made his way over to them.
Liam checked out his mate. The bullet had made one hell of a mess of his shoulder. But it looked like a through and through, thank God. They wouldn't have to go digging around to remove the bullet. As bad as the wound looked it would have been worse when it first happened.
Liam wished the healing could go faster, but he'd be happy with whatever he got.
Ben arrived and crouched on the other side of Liam.
His muzzle and back left leg were both covered in blood and he had a large gouge in his flank.
"Shift, Alpha," Liam said quietly to his friend.
As soon as Ben realized his mate had been found, but remained gravely injured, he'd lose his shit. And Liam needed him to keep it together. Ben's head snapped up and he sniffed the air several times before he made his way to Tommy's side. Ben lay down and licked Tommy's face before raising his muzzle and howling the most haunted sound Liam had ever heard.
Liam watched in wonder when Tommy's faint mate thread seemed to strengthen simply with the Alpha being so close to him. Every time Ben nuzzled Tommy the partially joined threads pulsed with energy and Liam held out hope for the future. The threads wouldn't join completely until after the pair had claimed one another, but that could happen later. Now, they needed to get Tommy and Declan somewhere they could heal in peace.
"He's alive, Ben. Now shift and we can get them out of here," Liam said sharply.
Liam held back his surprise when Ben obeyed him immediately. The tall, macho Alpha seemed to crumble when he took in the extent of his young mate's injuries. Ben picked Tommy up in his arms with more care than Liam had ever seen the Alpha use.
Liam did the same with Declan and the pair was soon on their way back through the trees. Ben didn't say anything the entire walk, too busy paying attention to the man he held in his arms, not that Liam blamed him.
When they exited the tree line, Liam opened the passenger door and settled Declan in, strapping him in place with the seatbelt. Liam then opened the back door so Ben could lay Tommy down before he headed to the rear of the SUV. Opening up the back, he pulled out the bag Ben always kept with spare garments of all sizes. Shifters never knew when they would be in need of more clothes.
He threw Ben a pair of jeans and a shirt.
Unfortunately there were no spare shoes in the car. Theirs were back in the forest somewhere and Liam didn't plan to go looking for them. Liam pulled on a pair of sweats and a shirt before he threw the bag in the back and closed the door. Ben climbed awkwardly into the backseat so he could be
with his mate. The man stood six foot six and was not really built for backseats.
Liam got in the driver's side and after checking on his mate headed the car in the direction of home.
The drive home went as quietly as the walk back to the car. About fifteen minutes from Atherton, Liam decided he better broach a subject he really didn't want to.
He cleared his throat. "Ben?"
Ben grunted.
Figuring that would be the best he'd get, he continued, "You realise Tommy won't be going home with you? Right?"
"Excuse me?"
The low rumbling growl from his Alpha had Liam's hairs standing up all over his body. Liam had to grit his teeth not to bend his head and expose his neck.
"Ben, he's young. Ten years younger than Declan.
And he's just been abused. The last thing he needs is to wake up in a strange house with a strange man. He needs his brother. Please understand." Liam hoped he could get his Alpha to see reason. He hated having to be the one to keep his Alpha from taking his mate home, but he honestly thought it for the best.
Ben snorted and went back to caressing Tommy's face. Liam knew Declan would have a fit if Tommy went home with Ben at the moment. He had no idea how his lover would deal with the situation but he thought it best for all involved if Tommy came home with them to begin with.
Liam handed Ben his phone from the centre
console. "You might want to call Dr Carter and have him meet us at my place."
"Shit," Ben muttered before placing the call. "He'll meet us there in ten," Ben said as he ended the conversation.
Liam nodded and quickly looked at his mate again.
If not for the blood soaked shirt, one could think he slept peacefully. Waking up this morning, Liam had no idea of the shit fest this day would turn out to be. He was glad his friend and Alpha had finally met his mate, even if they did have a long road ahead of them.
