by Joyee Flynn
“Ya would pick him over me?” he whispered, and I could hear the pain in his tone.
“Why does it have to be one or the other? I’m not picking him over ya! I’m going to help our mate. Ya should be, too.” I left him standing there and took the quickest shower ever. Hell, I didn’t even wait for the water to warm up. I grabbed a towel and started drying off on the way back to our room, not caring if anyone saw me naked. Time was of the essence, and I wasn’t going to waste any more of it.
“Ya are right and I’m sorry,” Banning said softly, grabbing me arm as I walked past him. “Don’t leave without me.”
“Never, me twin,” I whispered as I pulled him into me arms. “We can fix this. We’ll get our mate. But we need to work as a team, okay? No more of this him versus ya shit. It be the three of us against the world.”
“I’ll try.” That was the best I was going to get from him, and I would take it.
“Hurry up now. I’ll pack for both of us.”
“Right.” He jogged off toward the bathroom, and I quickly threw on some clothes. I just grabbed the first thing I saw, which ended up being an old blue T-shirt and some faded jeans. Banning just walked back into the bedroom, freshly showered, as I finished packing a couple of bags with the basics. I’m sure in me confused daze of worry and apprehension I forgot half of what we’d need. But it wasn’t like we couldn’t buy basics in America if we needed them.
Five minutes later we were both ready and running back out to the car. Our das were in Greece helping Caleb and our brothers out. So I couldn’t help but feel bad bailing on our ma when she needed us on the farm. But it was like she guessed what I might say.
“Go to ya mate. I’ve been running a farm long before ya both came into the world. Dillon and your brothers will come help, too,” she said firmly, giving us both a kiss and a hug. “Ya only get one mate, lads. Don’t fuck up this time and make this right.”
“Aye, we’ll fix what we broke,” Banning replied sheepishly. “Ya know we didn’t mean to though, right?”
“It be hard when dealing with matters of the heart. But ya both be men and dense, so I’m sure none of ya did the right thing and were too stubborn to go to the other one. None of that should ever matter. Ya mate need ya both and ya go. He be family and nothing would ever make ya walk away from any of us no matter what we said. Ya remember that and ya both be fine.”
“Love ya, ma,” I said, swallowing back the lump that had formed in me throat. She was right. We walked away too easily no matter what we thought Zane had said. I just hoped he would forgive us. I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t, but I really prayed he was a better man than we had been. Otherwise, we were screwed.
We finished our good-byes and hopped in their rental car. The air was thick with tension as we drove to the airport.
“Umm, I just realized something. Don’t we need to be booking flights?” me twin asked after several miles. “Did ya think we would agree so fast and you have seats on a flight soon? Or do we have to change your tickets, too?”
Rory turned around and gave us a wink. “Isaac has his own jet. We took it here. I can’t say I don’t want to spend more time in Ireland. It’s a beautiful country. But we need to get home to Zane. We hoped you’d be coming with, but if you wouldn’t, we still have to get back to him. I don’t like leaving him alone.”
“He’s not alone,” Isaac replied, slipping his hand into his mate’s. “Besides, it’s not like we can watch him at the warrior compound anyways. When I was there the other day, all he did was grunt at me.”
“He no longer be living with ya both?” I asked, me eyes going wide.
“No, he moved out a few months after you both left,” Rory answered with a weary sigh. “He said he was tired of us hovering and pushing him. We were trying to get him to go to Ireland or at least take better care of himself. It backfired and now he avoids us. The only time we get to see him is when he’s injured and lying in the clinic.”
I felt me eyes burn at the pain our mate must have suffered. Isaac was right. We didn’t deserve Zane. Why had we ever left?
“Don’t worry, we can fix this,” Banning said as he took me hand.
“I hope so,” Isaac mumbled from the front seat. “Zane’s had a hard enough life. He deserves to be happy, and after what he did for me, god knows I would do anything for him.”
“What did he do for ya?” I asked, wanting to learn as much about our mate as I could.
“He saved my life. I did a lot of bad shit in the name of trying to keep my family together, but it all ended up backfiring on me. I broke when I had to kill my father and was trying to let myself die from an injury I got in the fight. He saved me and made me see there was life beyond an old promise I made.” He glanced at Rory before focusing back on the road. “I owe him everything. He put me on the path to finding the love of my life.”
“He sounds like a good man,” Banning said quietly.
“He is. I hope that part of him hasn’t completely died after what you did. If you can’t bring him back, I’m scared he’ll be lost forever. And the person he is now isn’t good.”
“We can fix this,” I whispered, more trying to give myself a pep talk than believing it. I wasn’t sure we could. But I knew we had to try. What other choice did we have? He was our mate, and we wouldn’t be walking away from him again.
Chapter 2
Zane
“Hey, buddy. We brought you something,” Isaac said hesitantly as he showed up in the doorway of my room. I watched for a moment as his eyes darted around my room, taking in the piles of dirty clothes and uneaten food that surrounded my bed and dresser. Normally I kept my room immaculate, but I saw no point in keeping it clean now.
I know Isaac was probably thinking about how this room was very different from the one I had been using at his house. It was small and cramped since it was pretty much just a single’s dorm room. The furniture was old and worn, having been used by who knows how many people before. Yeah, there was no denying it was pitiful in comparison to the huge, lavish suite I had been staying in at Isaac’s.
“You might as well return them and see if you can get your money back,” I grumbled. I didn’t even bother glancing at him, Rory, or my mates, my eyes never leaving the stupid Xbox game I was playing.
“Zane, just hear them out. Please?” Isaac begged.
“Nope.”
He sighed, and I heard him step into the room. “At least you’re out of the clinic. You look good.”
I stared at him as if he’d grown a second head and then let out a bark of laughter. “I look like shit and we all know it. Thanks for the lie though.”
“You look good compared to the state you were in when you got back from your mission,” he growled. I winced. Yeah, that was true enough. Since I had practically been on death’s door, anything would be better than that.
“The demon said I was cute, so I figured I’d let him play.” I shrugged nonchalantly as if I didn’t care. “It wasn’t my fault his idea of foreplay involved my guts on the outside of my body.”
Isaac growled and Rory let out a soft gasp at my offhanded comment. Good, be shocked. Just leave me the fuck alone.
“Can we talk to ya, Zane?” one of the twins asked me.
“No,” I replied in a deadpan tone even as I felt anger stirring inside of me. Looking at the twins, I noticed they were even more beautiful than I remembered. Although they didn’t seem to have put much thought into what they were wearing, since their clothing looked all wrinkled. And I did notice that they both had dark circles under their eyes. “I tried to talk to you, but you didn’t want to hear a goddamn word I had to say. That was eight months ago. All I have to say now is go fuck yourselves.”
“Hey, is Zane in?” I heard Darcy ask from the hallway.
“Yeah, come on in. I didn’t invite these people over,” I called out, wanting my guests to take the hint and leave.
“Excuse me,” Darcy purred as he slid past everyone. He moved closer, st
opping when he was in front of me, blocking the TV. “Heard you got hurt. What’s up with that?”
“Nothing doing. I’m on the mend,” I answered with a wink. Yeah, I was a being a douche, but my mates deserved it.
“Fair enough. I’m being sent out in a few hours and I wanted to see if you felt up to playing until then.” His brown eyes twinkled with mischief and lust.
“Yeah, I’m in.” I shut off the TV and tossed my controller on the bed. Darcy grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. I made sure to look at Brian and Banning as we walked by. “Hours of hot sex is just what I need right now. You always know how to satisfy me, Darcy.”
I felt like a royal ass when I saw tears fill up their eyes, looking as if I’d just kicked them in the nuts. I shouldn’t have cared after the way they treated me, but I did.
“Don’t do this, Zane,” Isaac begged, glancing at my mates. “There are some things you can’t undo no matter how sorry you are later.”
“I have no reason to be sorry later,” I growled, my hackles going up at the accusation. “They rejected me, remember? They left without letting me get two sentences in. As far as I’m concerned, I have no mates. And thanks for being on my side, my friend.”
Isaac stared at me with that soul-searching look that had had my knees melting once upon a time. “Where has my best friend gone? I want Zane back.”
“I am Zane. The new and improved, fuck-everyone Zane.”
Darcy glanced at me with a funny look, and I nodded for him to go. We left everyone in my room, not bothering to lock it up. I didn’t care. I didn’t have anything worth taking anyways. It was just stuff.
We didn’t say a word on the walk to his room. It wasn’t far, just down the hallway. The moment we were alone in his room, I went and collapsed on the bed.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Darcy asked gently as he sat down next to me and pulled my upper body onto his lap.
“Nothing, let’s just have sex,” I answered but didn’t even move.
“Yeah, I can so tell we’re going to get it on.” He snickered. “You might have fooled them that you were going to get laid, but I know you better than that, Zane. The only reason I went in there was because I was walking by and heard how upset your tone was. We’ve not fucked around since Isaac met his mate. I thought it was because you still had feelings for him and were mourning his mating, but now that I see the two hot redheads staring at you like you are a god, I know there’s more to the story.”
“Those are my mates. They rejected me and left. I’ve not seen them in eight months. End of the short story,” I whispered.
“Oh, buddy,” Darcy whispered as he lay back on the bed, pulling me up onto his chest and holding me tightly. “Is that why you’ve been treating yourself this way? Zane, love, you deserve so much better than this. Why didn’t you let me help you?”
“Darcy, all we ever did was drink too much sometimes and fuck. If I showed up here, sobbing my mates didn’t want me, you would have held me as I cried?” The implied yeah, right in my tone couldn’t have been missed.
“I’m doing it now, aren’t I?” he replied gently as he ran his fingers through my hair. “We were friends long before we ever had sex, Zane. I’d be here for you just as you would for me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe that.” And I was because I should have. Darcy was a great guy, always understanding, and the one person most warriors could go talk to. He never judged or talked shit behind anyone’s back. He was easy to be around, a great listener, and truly a nice person.
Why couldn’t fate have given me him as a mate? Things would have been so much simpler then.
“They didn’t want me,” I whispered, my body starting to shake with silent sobs.
“They’re here now though. Maybe they realized they missed the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said gently. I shook my head, not willing to jump back in the snake pit and see if they bit me again. I just couldn’t handle that. I knew I wouldn’t survive it.
* * * *
Banning
“Fuck this,” I growled after a few minutes of us all standing in shock and stormed after me mate. “There’s no way I be standing by while he fucks another man.” I was tired and irritated. We had been traveling for a long time and now we were in this huge warrior compound that was totally foreign to me.
When we had driven up to it, both Brian and I had been amazed by the enormity of the building. It was made entirely out of stone, and as soon as we had entered, we were faced with a labyrinth of hallways and doors to choose from. I was glad Isaac was with us. Otherwise it was a sure thing we would have gotten lost.
“You lost the right to get upset about it when you left,” Rory pointed out. He was right, and that just made me want to throttle him even more.
“Banning, ya going to make it worse,” Brian pleaded as he ran after me. I shook my head, not thinking there was any way to make this worse. He grabbed me hand seconds before I could knock on the door where our mate’s scent ended. “Listen.”
“They didn’t want me,” Zane said so quietly that even with our advanced hearing we could barely hear him through the door.
“They not be having sex,” I whispered, feeling even more like an ass that we were all listening on what was obviously a private moment.
“Oh thank god,” Isaac sighed as he wiped his hands over his face in relief. “Then some part of Zane is still in there. He might have lashed out and wanted to make you hurt as much as he was hurting. But he couldn’t be that big of an asshole and actually go through with it.”
“What do we do now?” Brian asked, his eyes so full of sadness that I pulled me twin into a hug.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. We’d decided to come so quickly that it wasn’t like we had time to formulate a plan or anything.
“I think we’re going to have to go to the desperate-measures plan, Isaac,” Rory said with an exhausted sigh. “I can’t think of any other way to get through to him. Can you?”
“No, but he may never forgive me.” Rory rubbed his hands over Isaac’s chest in a comforting gesture. “But I’d rather him hate me and live a real life than be the shell of a man he’s been.”
“I know, my love. Once he sees reason, he won’t stay mad at you.”
“What ya both be talking about?” I asked, all for some type of plan.
“Let’s get out of here before we get busted. We’ve got a lot to do if we’re going to make this work.” Isaac glanced around, and sure enough, there were several warriors in the halls casting glances our way.
None of us said a word as we headed to the front hall where we’d come in. Isaac stopped by an office and left a letter on a desk. Now me curiosity was eating me alive. We rushed out to his car, all climbing in quickly.
“We built a cell in the basement,” Isaac said once we were driving again. “Zane could get out of a normal room simply by breaking down the door or punching through the drywall. But I had a solid steel room built that he can’t get out of, especially in his weakened state.”
“Ya want to kidnap our mate and lock him up?” Brian asked, his eyes going wide with shock.
“I’m up for other suggestions,” Isaac growled. “He’s slowly dying, and after this last mission, now people know something’s up and he will become even more reckless. If we can’t get through to him in his grief and anger, then I’m going to lock his ass up and force him to eat and get the blood he needs until he sees reason. I’m not going to chain him to the wall or anything. We would even give him a bathroom.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I agreed, given how badly our mate looked. Gone was the blond Adonis I remembered. Zane looked like a human cancer patient that was riddled with the disease. His skin had almost sickly gray tones and was practically hanging off his bones. His shiny hair was dull, his dark green eyes sunken in his head, having also lost their sparkle and vitality. He did look like he was knocking at death’s door, begging to be let inside.
; It scared me enough to agree to any crazy plan that had half a chance of working.
“He might hate us, too,” Brian replied, nibbling on his lower lip.
“Aye, but he’ll be alive. Even if he never forgives us, I can’t live with the idea we destroyed him,” I whispered, me eyes burning in grief. “I’d rather set him right and send him on his way to that Darcy man just so he leads a happy life. If he can’t forgive us, then we have to let him go, but we can’t just leave him be as he is.”
“I told you anyone related to Shane and Sean had to have good hearts,” Rory said with a smile as he turned to look back at us from the front seat. “You’re still assholes for walking away like that and not coming right back. We shouldn’t have had to come to you out of desperation eight months later.”
“Aye, ya be right, cat,” Brian agreed with a nod, shooting me a nasty glance.
“Don’t ya dare be blaming me. I didn’t tie ya down in Ireland. Ya wanted us to go, and I said no, I wasn’t going. Ya still could have come on ya own.” I was tired of taking the blame for that one.
“Aye, ya right,” he sighed as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck in agitation. Then he glanced back at Rory. “In our defense, we thought he not want us. If we had even the slightest idea that Zane be suffering, we would have dropped everything and come back.”
“Which is the only reason I let you on my plane,” Isaac said, glancing at us in the rearview mirror. “If you had been dicks in Ireland, we would have told you where to shove it. But it only took us two minutes to get you to come with us. All’s not forgiven, but that said something for your character.”
“Fair enough,” Brian replied as he glanced out the window. “So where we be going? We need help kidnapping Zane, right? And what was that letter?”
“We’re going to the Marius compound to get a few of those knockout darts Riley has,” Isaac explained as we sped along. I had a feeling he was breaking every American law on how fast the cars could go. “The letter is from Desmond. I begged him to write orders that Zane was going to Greece to help Caleb with something. Hopefully that way no one will know he’s missing and his standing as a warrior won’t ever be questioned.”
