by R. E. Butler
Neil said, “Do you know what he was doing at the tattoo shop or where he was planning to go next?”
She shook her head. “I passed out after he got me to safety, and I didn’t wake up until a little while ago.”
“He said your name. He was worried about you. We believe that seeing that you’re safe is going to help him get the beast under control. Once he’s sane, he can talk to the bosses,” Simon said.
“Then I can take him home?”
“That’s the plan,” Isaac said.
She sat back in the seat and looked out the window. She had no idea where she was. She’d always been a homebody, never traveling much outside of the occasional family vacation somewhere sunny. Coming home had always been her favorite part, though. She liked being away, but she liked coming home even more. Her life wasn’t exciting by any stretch, although Brynn always thought being a wolf shifter was exciting enough on its own. For Mia, it was just a part of her life.
And then there was Lucian. He joined the military at eighteen and disappeared, occasionally coming into town to talk to Mal once their business had started. She wasn’t sure when exactly she’d fallen for him, but a part of her felt like she’d loved him from the moment he came to live with his human grandparents in Wilde Creek.
He’d always kept everyone at arm’s length, but Mal had befriended him and they’d been close all throughout school. With Mia tagging along, hoping Lucian would ask her to prom or homecoming, or even out on a date. She’d always felt a little pathetic, but her wolf had been enamored with Lucian from the beginning. Now, she understood why. Truemates were special, but Lucian had obviously been keeping his berserker under wraps for so long that he hadn’t felt much for her. She didn’t think he’d intentionally been cruel, but his life was clearly dangerous and he’d been trying to protect her.
The SUV stopped at a large gate. She peeked out of the window at the tall stone walls. There was a guard tower with men inside, and there were men walking along the top of the wall with rifles.
Simon said, “We’ve got Lucian’s mate.”
“Come to the back entrance,” a male said through the speaker. “Geflin will be waiting.”
“Who’s Geflin?” Mia asked as Simon put the window up and the big gate creaked as it opened slowly.
“Our direct boss,” Neil said.
“I…should call Mal,” she said, her throat going dry at the thought of meeting Lucian’s boss and helping him.
“Here,” Neil said, handing her a cell phone. “It’s encrypted so it’ll show up as a private number. Don’t take long.”
She dialed Mal’s number and it rang only once before he answered. “Who is this?” Mal demanded.
“Hey, Mal. I’m okay.”
“Where the hell are you? Why did you take off?” he demanded.
“Calm down and let me talk. I don’t have long. I left because I needed to find Lucian. He’s my mate, Mal. He saved my life and I’m carrying his child.”
The silence stretched for a long moment and then Mal exhaled with a growl. “Nila told you to stay put. Where are you so I can come get you?”
“I’m not anywhere you can get to me. I’m going to help Lucian. He’s in trouble, and as his mate it’s my responsibility to do what I can for him.”
“I think your wolf is fucked up in the head.”
A few smart retorts flashed through her mind, but she didn’t want to get into an argument with him. “It doesn’t matter what you think. We’ll tell you everything when we can, but for now I just want you to know that I’m safe. Will you tell Mom and Dad?”
“They didn’t go on their vacation because they were worried about you.”
“I understand. But I really am fine now.”
“You were drugged into a mating heat and raped. There isn’t anything fine about what happened to you.”
She rolled her eyes so hard that they ached. “I didn’t ask for your approval, Malachi. Get your head out of your ass right now. If you want to be part of our lives going forward, you better change your tune right the hell now. Lucian is mine, and I’ll stand by his side no matter what comes. If it’s just me and him at the end of the day, then that’s your own fault.”
Pressing the button to end the call, she poked it a few more times and growled for good measure, and then handed it to Neil.
The interior was quiet, and she looked at the three males who were Lucian’s friends and teammates. They were staring at her with curiosity.
“What?”
Isaac shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just surprising. Lucian is a damn lucky guy.”
“I’m lucky, too.”
They got out of the SUV and walked with her to a black metal door. It swung open and an older man wearing jeans and a button-down shirt stood in the doorway. He folded his arms and looked at her sternly.
“I’m Commander Geflin. You the mate?” he asked.
“Yes. My name is Mia Slattery.”
“Did you know he was a monster?”
Her wolf stiffened, her hackles rising at the insult. “He’s a berserker, sir.”
Snorting, he said, “You need to calm him down. He owes us an explanation for his behavior.”
“If you’ll take me to him, I’ll see what I can do.”
She wasn’t sure what she could do, actually, but her wolf was entirely certain that just seeing him would be enough to settle him. Where that positivity came from, she didn’t know, but she was going to rely on her wolf and go with the flow. It didn’t really matter what happened as long as Lucian was safe and free. She wasn’t going to leave without him.
Hell or high water, Lucian was hers, and she had the marks on her neck to prove it.
Chapter 10
Lucian tugged on the restraints, his arms flexing and the berserker pulsing under his skin. He couldn’t change back into his human form if he wanted at this point; all he could feel was the monster’s rage. He wanted to kill anything and everything in his path to get back to Mia. If he could only break free of the chains.
Whatever they were made of, they weren’t showing any signs of weakening. There were heavy shackles around his wrists and ankles, with chains that were secured to thick bolts in the ceiling and floor. His clothing had gotten torn in the melee, so he felt like an utter lunatic, and he was certain he looked like one, too.
He was fucking exhausted. The tattoos hadn’t worked, so he’d planned to go to his father’s and find out how he’d managed to keep the monster so tightly leashed without magic. Then hunters had shown up. They weren’t his team, and they hadn’t wanted to talk nicely to him at all. He knew he’d hurt a few of them badly, but he didn’t care about that right now. Mia was probably awake and wondering where he was, and Mal was so super-pissed that he could be filling her head with any number of terrible things.
The rage boiled over again and he roared, wrapping his hands around the chains attached to his wrists and pulling. His vision hazed to red and strength surged within as he pulled harder, willing the chains to break. When his strength dissipated, he was left panting for breath with his berserker banging around in his skull like an out-of-control RC car. He dropped his head to his chest and closed his eyes.
He just wanted Mia.
The lock on the only door in the room clicked open. He didn’t lift his head because he knew it would be either Geflin or one of the other commanders or a handful of hunters. They wanted him to calm down and return to normal, but the truth was he didn’t have a clue how to. If they’d let him talk to his dad first, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
A soft feminine gasp of alarm reached his ears, and his head snapped up.
“Mia?” He blinked; his eyes watered and the red haze intensified for a brief moment and then went away.
Neil, Isaac, and Simon were in front of her, blocking his view. The monster went crazy, and he grabbed the chains and rattled them.
“Okay, so this isn’t working,” she said, pushing her way between the three males. “Holy hell
, Luc.”
All three men shouted at her to stay back, but she stormed right up to Lucian, placing one hand over his pounding heart and the other on his cheek. That was all it took. Everything in him quieted, the berserker practically purring at her soft touch. He sagged to his knees, wanting to hold her but unable to with the chains. She looked down at him with a sad smile.
She ran her thumb over his lips and then lowered her head, kissing him gently.
He jerked against the chains on his wrists, but she stilled him. “I’m right here. You don’t have to keep struggling.” Holding his gaze, she said, “Get these chains off him.”
Geflin’s voice came from a speaker in the ceiling. “He’s clearly dangerous.”
She growled and looked over her shoulder at his teammates. “You can tell he’s okay now. How about I promise to stay by his side like glue. Or you could handcuff me to him. That might be fun.”
Neil snorted. “Man, she’s awesome.”
Lucian leaned to the side and glared at Neil. The berserker didn’t much care for anyone thinking his mate was awesome. Especially not unmated males.
Mia tapped his cheek lightly. “Hey, eyes on me. See this mark on my neck? You did that. That means I’m yours, and I’m not going anywhere without you. So tell the boss that you’re fine.”
He hadn’t done much but roar and growl since he’d been taken, but now the monster inside him was content. He didn’t know how long it would last, but as long as Mia was with him, he felt like he could keep his emotions under wraps.
“I’m fine.”
The speaker crackled and went silent. Mia murmured, “I can still smell you on my skin. I didn’t get a chance to take a shower, and it’s driving me insane.”
She tilted her head and showed him the mark he’d made. It looked like little stars. He’d never seen anything like it. His monster rumbled in happiness. She was so fucking theirs.
“Mine.”
She laughed, and he straightened enough to kiss her neck, licking her throat and tasting the sweet saltiness of her skin.
“I already said I was yours,” she said.
“I was telling the berserker that.”
“Oh. I guess I’m both of yours.”
“Just mine,” he said. “Unless your wolf likes me, too?”
“Of course she does. She’s the reason I could never move on. You’re it for me, Luc. If you walk away from me again, there will never be another male for me – human, shifter, berserker, or otherwise.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I know you don’t trust me.”
She kissed him. “I do trust you. But you have to trust me, too.”
“I do.”
“Then why did you leave me at Mal’s?”
He settled back on his heels, his arms aching from the weight of the chains.
“I wanted to get my tattoos redone so I could be safe for you.”
Her mouth opened, then closed, and then she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
He explained about the magical tattoos. She looked down at him, her brows drawn. Then she gently pulled the tattered shirt from his body and peeked inside.
“They’re all gone? Your berserker did that?”
“I think he didn’t want to be caged again.”
“You got the tattoos before you even had a chance to know what he would be like, though? Why didn’t you ask your dad to help you learn how to handle him? I can’t imagine locking my wolf up like that.”
“You don’t understand. I don’t have a fuzzy wolf that wants to chase deer on the full moon, okay? I have a monster. A fucking monster, Mia.”
She locked her fingers behind his neck and moved close, her nose almost touching his. “You stop calling him a monster this instant, Luc. I’m alive because of him.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said simply.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“I think you should be.”
She growled sharply. “Fine. So after we leave here, we’ll go see your dad.”
Before he could say anything, she pressed her finger to his lips. “Don’t even think about telling me I can’t go with you. You’re paper, I’m glue.”
“Mia, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“You can make it up to me later. I like chocolate and orgasms.”
The berserker sat up with a purr. “You still want me?”
“I’m entirely yours.” She slid an arm around his shoulders and moved as close to him as she could, and then she addressed his teammates. “How about we get these chains off. My mate’s got a date with me, someplace not so prison-like.”
Geflin walked into the room flanked by several hunters. “If he so much as scratches the floor, I’m going to lock him up again.”
“He’s on his best behavior,” she said.
The shackles were released, and the chains fell to the tile floor with a thud. Mia plastered herself to him as if she was concerned he’d lash out at his captors, but it was the furthest thing from his mind. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her stomach.
“I told you he was fine. I think he could use some clothes.”
Simon disappeared. Geflin said, “I’ll expect you in my office in ten minutes.”
Lucian nodded, his throat clogged with emotion. He had no idea how Mia commanded such respect from his boss. Geflin was a notorious hardass. She scratched her fingernails against his scalp lightly and then curled herself around him, blanketing him in her sweet scent.
“What do you think will happen when we see your boss?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m most definitely fired.”
She snorted. “I hated this job anyway.”
He tilted his head to look up at her, and she leaned far enough away that she could see him. “Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous. The ravens probably weren’t even the most dangerous shifters you ever went after.”
He’d seen a lot of dangerous shifters in his years on the job. Although the ravens were a special kind of dangerous – criminal intentions mixed up with scientific research and a liberal dose of crazy.
Simon came into the room with a stack of clothing and a pair of military boots. He and the others left, and Mia slipped from Lucian’s arms and picked up the clothes. “I’m ready to talk whenever you are.”
“I know. Let’s get out of here first, and then we’ll talk.”
She smiled, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Through their connection as mates, he could tell that she was happy, and his berserker was happy because of that. He couldn’t keep from reminding himself that his parents had been happy at one time, too, though. And then he’d buried his mother and shut his father out of his life. He had to get the beast under control. Maybe his father had learned over the years how to do that. Maybe Mia could really be safe.
There was no other option.
* * *
Mia sat next to Lucian in an office. Behind the mahogany desk, Geflin was ranting about all the damage Lucian had done in the span of twelve hours. Lucian hadn’t cared about the fallout, because only Mia’s safety had mattered. He still felt that way. He would die to keep her safe.
“My hands are tied,” Geflin said finally.
Lucian looked at Mia, and she blinked at him in confusion and then looked at Geflin. “Sorry, I blanked out. What are your hands tied about?”
Geflin cleared his throat. “Lucian’s been fired.”
“Yeah. And?”
“You do understand that this is a branch of the military, yes? He’ll never be able to get decent work again with a mark on his record like this.”
Shame settled on Lucian and he didn’t want to look at Mia. She pressed her fingers to his chin and tugged until he faced her. His berserker was hovering under the surface, and he heard her wolf hum.
“I love your eyes,” she whispered. “Fucking sexy as hell.”
He frowned. “Mia.”
<
br /> She grinned. “Sorry. My wolf is making all sorts of inappropriate comments in my head. You told me in the nest that you were going to be fired for sure.”
“I know, and I’m not surprised, I’m just worried.”
“About what?”
“Being able to be a good mate to you. How can I take care of you if I can’t get a job?”
“What about the security company?”
He sighed. “Mal hates me right now. I don’t know that anything will ever be okay between us again, including the business.”
Resting her forehead against his, she whispered, “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together. I’m yours and you’re mine. The hunters were a big part of your life, and I know it sucks so hard to lose that. But I get you. And that’s all I ever really wanted anyway.”
Geflin made a noise of disapproval, and she turned her attention to him. “You don’t understand because you’re not a shifter, but when a supernatural creature finds his or her truemate, anything else is just background noise. I know this organization was his whole life, and losing that – no matter how noble the reason – is going to leave a mark.”
Geflin stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he said, “You’re right. I don’t get it. But I don’t have to. Lucian, you lied about your genetics when you signed on with us, which means that when you leave today, you’ll be forbidden from ever working for the government again in any capacity. It’s only because of your service that you’re not being court-marshaled or sent to prison. And it didn’t hurt that you took out an entire criminal organization without costing the government a penny.”
Lucian stood and pulled Mia up next to him. “I’d like to say goodbye to my teammates.”
“You’ll have an armed escort. You can clean out your desk. I’ll give you thirty minutes.” Geflin extended his hand, and Lucian shook it.
