by Davis, Lia;
A sharp pain hit the back of his right thigh then spread up his side, causing him to fall to the ground. He reached back and felt a dart sticking out of his leg.
Fuck.
He started to lift himself from the ground, but his limbs started to shake, and his vision blurred as fear burned in his gut. Tranquilizers. The dart had to have some kind of sedative. The last thing he saw before giving into sleep was a large black jaguar skidding to a halt in front of him.
***
If cats could howl, Cameron would have done it out of anger and pain to see Graham hurt and helpless. When he fell into unconsciousness, her heart stopped for a brief moment. She walked closer and nudged him with her nose then rubbed her head against him.
Footsteps came up behind her, and she let out a growl in warning. In her mind, she knew it was only Alec. She’d scented him before he approached, but in jaguar form, her possessive nature took over. Her cat didn’t want anyone near her mate. She let out a soft yowl and lay down beside Graham.
A moment later, Alec called out for Blaine. Then strong fingers stroked her fur. “Cam, baby, we have to move him. Let my brother and father take him home so we can kick rogue ass.”
She snarled at the mention of the rogues. Yes, those bastards would pay for what they’d done to Graham. Rising to her feet, she nuzzled him one more time before rubbing her large feline body against Blaine.
“I’ll go back with him.”
Blaine cocked his head but didn’t argue. He just took her head in his hands and kissed the top of her head. “Take care of our mate.”
She smiled, knowing that to him it looked like a show of fangs and teeth. “You go kick rogue ass.”
Twenty extremely long minutes later, Cameron was back in human form and sitting in a chair next to Graham’s bed in the medical center. Worry ate at her as she waited for him to wake up from the tranquilizers the rogues had shot him with.
Dani said he had several broken ribs to go with the bruises on his torso and face. The Healer healed what she could, saying that once he woke, he could shift to speed up his natural healing abilities.
She checked in with Keegan to see if they needed any more men in the field. He told her to stay put, that they were cleaning up the rogue garbage and should be heading in soon.
Graham groaned, and she sat up and ran her fingers through his blond hair. “Graham? Can you hear me?”
His eyes fluttered open and focused on her. He smiled, but it faded when he tried to sit up. Cameron stood over his bed and gently pushed him back down. “Just rest for a little longer.”
He brushed his fingers down her cheek. She looked into his blue eyes, wanting so badly to tell him she wanted to mate, to forge the bond that would forever bind her to him and Blaine. Yet, this wasn’t the time or the place. She didn’t want to do it inside a hospital room, and she wanted Blaine to be here when she dropped the news.
Graham frowned as if sensing her mood, but she bent down and pressed her lips to his, silencing him from asking her what she was thinking about. He would find out soon enough. Like when Blaine got back and they took him home.
She pulled back and gasped as a surge of power arched through her. The wards. Shit, someone had triggered the wards. Luna’s voice entered her mind. “Cam, meet me at Addyson’s and hurry.”
Cameron stepped away, only to have Graham stop her with a hand on her arm. “What is it?”
“Someone broke through the wards. Stay here.”
She ran out the medical center before he said another word. As she reached the Scribe’s large home, Tanner, Luna’s youngest son, and a couple of other enforcers met her at the driveway. Tanner tossed her one of his 9 mms when he noticed she wasn’t armed. She caught it and led them around to the back yard.
Cameron stopped dead when she saw a boy standing in the middle of the yard, eyes wide and his too-thin body trembling. He looked to be about nine years old. Then again he could have been older. It was hard to tell in his sickly state. The sound of Addyson’s back door opening caught Cameron’s attention.
Addyson stepped out of her sunroom and gasped. She started jogging toward the boy shouting, “Don’t hurt him.”
What? How could she possibly think they’d hurt a child?
Cameron didn’t have time to question the female before about a half dozen rogues charged at them. Fuck. “Addyson, grab the boy and go inside. Now!”
The Scribe had her gloves on, along with the cloak she wore in public to keep from accidently making skin contact with anyone. She must have been on her way to the market, Cameron decided, and ran toward the group of rogues.
She met the first one with a kick in the stomach. When he bent forward, she brought her knee up to slam it into his face. He howled in pain and dropped to the ground, blood running from his nose. Cameron aimed her gun and fired a bullet into his head.
Luna flew by her and tackled a rogue male three times her size to the ground. They rolled until the male straddled her. Luna smirked and thrust the heel of her palm into the rogue’s throat, throwing him off balance and making him gasp for air. Luna scrambled to her feet, went to the male, and took his head in her hands. Luna twisted his head with quick accuracy and dropped his lifeless body to the ground, then stepped over him to charge at the next one.
Cameron thrust out an arm to clothesline a rogue as he ran by her. He landed on his back, hitting the ground hard enough that Cam heard bones snap. “That hurt,” she mused right before she shot him between the eyes.
The sound of a female scream froze Cameron’s blood. Twisting around, she saw Addyson running toward the house with the little boy tucked to her side as they ran. A mutant that Cameron hadn’t noticed before was a few feet from Addyson.
Cameron took off, running as fast as she could to reach the Scribe before the half-wolf monster could get her. Adrenaline pumped in her veins, fueled by rage and a need to end this crazy rush of attacks. There had been too many people hurt over the past few days, and Cameron was beyond sick of both it and the bastard-ass Onyx Pack.
She slammed into the mutant with enough force that it made her teeth hit together painfully. The creature only staggered a few steps then turned his attention to her. Good. “Addyson, run!”
Cameron heard someone scream at her at the same time the rogue’s large, clawed paw swiped across her face and chest. Sharp stings from the claws slicing into her flesh barely registered as the rage built inside her at the violence around her.
She pulled her gun up, pressed it to the mutant’s forehead, and fired, twice.
When the piece of shit fell in a heap on the ground, she stepped away and instantly was overcome with dizziness.
What the hell?
Her vision grew dark as she felt the world tilt, and then her cheek hit the ground as everything around her disappeared.
***
Blaine screamed Cameron’s name, but knew she was too far into the fight for it to register. He ran forward with Graham close behind.
When the mutant swiped its claws at Cameron, fear pushed him faster. Then everything seemed to slow down. Cameron shot the animal then staggered and fell. He was there the next moment, rubbing a hand over her hair and down her back.
“Please, Cameron, be okay.” He scooped her up in his arms and glanced at Graham. “I can only teleport one at a time.”
Graham nodded. “Go. I’m right behind you.”
God, he loved that male. With a short nod, Blaine flashed to the medical center. When he took form in the waiting area, he called out, “Sasha! Dani!”
Both females rushed out of different rooms. Dani cursed and waved him to the only empty room left thanks to the rogue attack in the area where they’d found Graham. They’d lost another enforcer, and five others were critical.
Following Dani inside the room, Blaine laid Cam on the bed. When he got a good look at her, his heart skipped beats before hammering inside his chest. Her shirt was soaked with blood, and she had deep gashes on her cheek and chest.
Dani cut Cameron’s shirt off and started healing the worst, but Blaine could tell the healer was running out of steam. She was just beginning to regain her powers and some of feeling in her right hand.
After several moments, Dani sagged. “I’m wiped. The only thing you can do for her now is take her home and start the mating bond. The triad bond will give her enough strength to heal the rest of the way on her own.”
Blaine studied his mate. “If I don’t?”
Dani sighed. “I wasn’t able to close all the wounds. I’ll have to stitch them, but she’ll grow weak and could get an infection and die.”
Blaine traced Cameron’s cheek with his fingers. She let out a small sound and nuzzled his hand. “Do what you can. Graham and I will start the bond and heal our mate.”
Chapter 16
Keegan burst through Addyson’s back door with one purpose. Find the female.
When he’d heard Luna’s telepathic call that the rogues had entered into Addyson’s backyard, he’d panicked. The thought of Addyson falling victim to those rogue bastards again burned his insides and made his leopard claw at him to protect the female.
Yes, he knew that was yet another sign of finding a mate, but he didn’t care. He just needed to see that she was all right.
“Addyson,” he called out as he reached the oversized kitchen.
Luna was the one to answer. “In here.”
Keegan entered the living room, and his heart dropped to his stomach. Addyson’s gloves and cloak were strewn across the floor as though she’d torn the items from her body in haste. But it was the sight of Addyson sitting in the middle of the floor, cradling a small boy to her chest, and rocking back and forth while singing softly into his hair that gave him pause.
Addyson was such a private person and due to her inability to shield her gift she rarely made skin-to-skin contact with anyone. He fought the urge to go up to her and take to boy, but he was unsure if he was causing her pain or not.
Stepping in closer to stand next to Luna, he asked, “How long has she been like this?”
Luna lifted her shoulders. “I’m guessing since the fighting started. I’ve never seen her like this.”
Neither had he, but he kept that to himself. “Luna, leave us. Please.”
The Alpha wolf gave a short nod then left. After the back door shut, indicating that he was alone with Addyson and the boy, Keegan took a couple of steps toward them and sat on the floor, facing them.
After a few moments, Addyson met his gaze. Tears streaked down her cheeks. He wanted to kill everyone responsible for putting those tears in her exotic violet eyes.
“He’s like me.”
Keegan frowned and peered at the child. His skin was pasty white, unhealthily so, and he held on to Addyson like a lifeline. The boy looked at Keegan with wide chocolate-brown eyes that held way too much fear for Keegan. “What do you mean?”
Addyson ran her hand over the boy’s hair in calming strokes. “He’s a Scribe.”
Surprise hit Keegan hard, and he was glad he was sitting down. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “His name is William, but he likes to be called Will.”
Keegan studied Will again, wondering how the Onyx could neglect the child so. Did they not know what he was? “Will? How old are you?”
He lifted his head to peer into Addyson’s face as if unsure. When Addy nodded, Will looked at Keegan and said, “Thirteen.”
Fuckin’ rogues.
Keegan closed his eyes briefly to keep his tone as gentle as possible before asking, “Did you escape from the Onyx?”
The boy’s fear drifted off him and filled the space between them. Addyson kissed his temple and said something too soft for Keegan to catch. After a few hesitant moments, Will said, “No, they gave me this.” He held up his hand to Keegan, showing him several fibers of hair.
Frowning, Keegan picked up the hair, careful not to make skin contact with Will. Keegan wasn’t sure if his ability would be blocked like Addyson’s was with him or not. He really didn’t want to take the risk and find out right now.
Keegan brought the strands of hair to his nose and stiffed. Fuck. Graham. The damn bastards used Graham and the boy to find and breach the central den of Ashwood Falls. Scribes could track people if they were close enough through personal objects and, in this case, hair.
Offering Will what he hoped was a tender smile, Keegan asked, “Are you hungry?”
Will’s eye grew round, and he vigorously nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Keegan stood and backed away so Addyson and Will could do the same, and then he watched as she directed the boy down the hall to the bathroom to clean up. Keegan knew by the way Addyson spoke to Will that she’d want to care for him and protect him.
Keegan might be an Alpha, the fierce leader of Ashwood Falls, but that didn’t mean he was heartless. The boy needed love and a Pack that could help him thrive and grow.
Keegan wouldn’t deny Addyson what she wanted. However, the Onyx was arrogant enough to expect the child to return, most likely with information. That was something Keegan couldn’t and wouldn’t let happen. No, Will would stay in Ashwood where Keegan could keep an eye on the boy.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Keegan wouldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow Will to be subjected once again to the rogues’ sorry-ass excuse for a life.
***
Graham watched with a heavy heart as Blaine carefully removed the rest of Cam’s clothes and laid her on her bed. Blaine pulled the covers over her, then ran his knuckles down her cheek.
She looked so fragile lying there, pale and unmoving. That was something he’d never thought to see from this female. He stepped closer and rested his palm on Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine covered his hand with his own and gave a little squeeze.
“She’ll be okay. She’s a fighter,” Blaine said as though he was trying to comfort both of them.
Graham closed the small gap between them and hugged the male close. “Of course she is. How do we do this?”
Blaine leaned into Graham and shook his head. “I’m not sure. She’s so weak.” He winced at the last statement. Cameron was far from weak, but right now, her life depended on the mating bond. Taking a deep breath, Blaine shrugged out of Graham’s hold and moved to sit on the bed. “We’ll have to try to connect our cats with hers and hope her jaguar finishes it. If that works, then we can complete it by merging our human halves together when she’s stronger.”
Graham walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to Cameron, stretching out beside her. Blaine did the same, sandwiching her between them. Her body relaxed, and she let out a soft sigh as if comforted by their touch. She then mumbled sleepily, and that eased some of Graham’s worry.
Blaine brushed her hair from her neck and kissed her forehead. Lifting his gaze to Graham, he reached over and cupped his cheek. “I’m not much on sharing emotions and crap.” He looked back down at Cameron then lifted his gaze back up to Graham. “I felt the pull toward you the first time we met. I knew Cameron did too, even though she tried to deny it. I’m falling in love with you and want to mate with you and Cameron.”
Graham’s chest tightened. He took Blaine’s hand in his, pressed a kiss in his palm, and said, “I never thought I’d find one true mate, but now I have two. And I have fallen hard. I offer my body and soul to you and Cameron till death parts us.”
Graham sucked in a breath as energy flowed from Blaine’s hand into his, forming the first thread of the mating bond. The thread traveled through him, touching each fiber of his human half and his mountain lion half.
Blaine took their connected hands and laid them on Cameron’s chest. Out of instinct, Graham pushed their combined energy into Cameron, feeling Blaine do the same. Graham leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m not letting you go, Cam. I’m here, and Blaine’s here. Come back to us.”
A few moments later, she gasped and flung open her eyes, moving her gaze from Blaine to Graham. Surprise
lit up her gold and brown gaze, and then realization filtered in. Graham braced himself for her anger, but it didn’t come. Instead, small tears rolled from the corners of her eyes.
Blaine frowned. “Cam, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I…wait!” She felt her face, tracing her fingers over the now quickly fading scratches. She moved her hands down to her torso, but Blaine stopped her.
“You were dying,” he choked out.
She peered over to Graham. “And, you two saved me by starting the mating bond?”
Graham nodded, sat up, and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Cam. I can’t see a future without you and Blaine in it.”
Her eyes shone, and she turned to study Blaine. The male gave her a wide smile and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You know I love you, always have.” He glanced up to meet Graham’s stare. “I love you both.”
She was silent for far too long, and if it hadn’t been for the bond they all now shared, Graham would have thought she was about to tell them both to go to hell. After a few moments, she smiled and wrapped an arm around both their necks and pulled them to her. “I love you too. I was going to tell you both that I was ready to bond. I’m not sure what took me so long to commit.”
Blaine chuckled. “You were waiting for our third.”
Her smile widened. “Yes, I guess I was. Now let’s complete the mating bond.”
***
Blaine thought he’d never hear Cameron say the words. If that meant he’d need to share her with another male, so be it. In just a short time, Graham had become a big part of his life and Cameron’s. Blaine knew deep in his soul that it would take a long time before she tried for another baby, but really, that didn’t matter. They had Max and Sammie and a whole lifetime to try again.
