by Morgan Fox
Brie rolled her eyes at his comment, her gaze focused on the pool of blood she had noted earlier. “Is that Sebastian’s blood on the floor over there?”
Brie pointed towards the fireplace, and all eyes followed. Jonah took a few steps forward crossing the room. He knelt, inhaling the scent of the blood. Then turned to face the others, his face didn’t reveal his thoughts. He stared at Ryken and Luken for a solid moment before returning his gaze to Brie.
“Don’t do that,” she snapped. “Don’t talk to each other as if I’m not here. I can fucking feel when you talk to each other with that damn wolf telepathy.” Her hands sprung to her hips. “I’m starting to get a little pissed off about it, too. Now tell me what you just told those two.” She flipped her hand in the direction of both Ryken and Luken.
Jonah’s chest enlarged as he took in a big gulp of air.
“It’s not Sebastian’s.”
She arched a brow. “Then whose is it?”
Jonah hiked his shoulders. Glaring at her, he said, “I’m not a bloodhound, Brie.”
“No,” her voice raised an octave as she agreed with him, “You’re not a bloodhound. You’re a werewolf, Jonah, a werewolf with an amazing sense of smell. So stop treating me like I’m an idiot and tell me what the hell you’re thinking and what everyone else in this room apparently knows but me.”
He sighed. “Smells like animal blood, but I don’t know for sure.”
“Animal blood?” she questioned. “Like a rabbit?”
He nodded.
“Why would Sebastian hunt, Jonah?” Her gaze was tight as she asked, “Why would he want to kill?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know, Brie.”
She pressed her lips together and felt her heart retreat a little in her chest. She didn’t like that Sebastian was hurting, physically or emotionally. He was a good man, and knowing that he was in a dark place tore at her heart. Wanting to do something, anything for Sebastian, she turned away from Jonah, nibbling her bottom lip with worry, her shoulders slouched forward.
Exhaling hard, she turned to face Ryken and Luken, wolf brothers she had come to like spending time with. They were now an extension of her family, and she hated what Sebastian had just done to them. She might not be able to ease Sebastian’s pain or discover what was going on with him, but she could certainly make peace again with his family.
“I’m sorry, guys. I can’t even imagine how hard things are for Sebastian right now, but I know he didn’t mean to lash out at you.”
Ryken and Luken smiled warmly at her. Ryken explained, “You’ve got nothing to apologize for, Brie. We know Sebastian went through hell without you. I was hoping that joking around with him would be easier than coming in here, guns blazing with bad news. I should have expected what happened.”
Jonah stepped forward. “What bad news?”
Luken glanced over at Ryken. “We did as Sebastian asked. We started tracking down what pack Mason Levi belonged to, and we found them.”
Ryken took over. “They were not pleased to see us, but once we explained Mason’s condition, their attitudes changed. Strangely, they already knew he was infected.”
Brie spoke up. “But they did nothing about it?”
“They said they couldn’t track him down to subdue him, sent their best trackers after him,” Luken said.
Ryken added, “They lost his scent and don’t know where he is.”
“What is he?” Jonah questioned.
Ryken and Luken exchanged a curious glance, both saying, “He’s an anomaly.”
“What does that mean?” Brie asked wearily.
“He’s part panther and wolf.”
“Excuse me?” Jonah questioned, his brows raised. “That’s not possible. The two different DNA strands wouldn’t mix. It would be like a dog trying to mate with a cat. It doesn’t work.”
“But it did this time,” Luken stated matter-of-factly.
“He was already an outcast to his people. They didn’t want him to begin with. When he showed up as an infected were-whatever, they wanted him gone for good,” Ryken added, glancing over at his brother.
“The alpha of his pack said they planned to put Mason down. Had wanted to since his birth, but his parents took him and hid him till he was old enough to return on his own. He wanted revenge against them and came back to infect them all.”
“Mason’s plan was to infect the entire pack with his virus. Mutate them the way he had been.” Brie gasped, realizing just what a horrible and devastating outcome that would be. Hundreds of were-animals would be led to slaughter. With no antidote, others would have to kill them, hunt them down like rabid animals. The thought of that happening to the men she loved made her stomach churn with swirling bouts of acid.
“Where did this virus come from?” Sebastian’s deep voice thundered from behind her. She turned to face him and extended her hand for him to take, which he did.
“Only Mason knows,” Luken said.
“What do you want to do?” Jonah asked Sebastian.
Meeting Brie’s inquisitive gaze, he told them all, “The only thing we can do. We capture him and find a way to test his blood. We figure out what’s in his blood and what the virus really is. If he has infected anyone else, we’ll need to figure out what he truly is infected with so we can come up with some kind of cure.” He faced the twins and explained, “If Mason is a carrier and it’s mutating his DNA, it could be a million different things. We can’t risk what could happen to the were-population.”
“Would you like us to help?” Ryken asked.
Sebastian cocked his head in the twin’s direction. “Yes. We’ll need all hands on deck for this one.”
Ryken and Luken nodded.
“What about me? What can I do to help?”
Sebastian arched a dark brow, staring down at Brie. “You can help figure out the best construction crew to come out here and help repair the cabin. Also, whatever designer you wish to hire to decorate again. You decide what designs and patterns you want. Whatever you choose will be perfect.” He kissed her nose, but there was no softness in his touch, the beast was hidden underneath a thin layer of restraint.
Her brow pinched tight at the bridge of her nose. “You want me to busy myself so I stay out of your way, right?” Her harsh and accusing tone left nothing masked.
Sebastian shook his head, mouth slightly parted, looking surprised by her reaction. “No. To be honest, I can’t leave this cabin for at least a few more days. I don’t have control yet. My beast is a little wild at present.” His gaze flickered to Ryken and then back to Brie. “I won’t be able to travel back to Dallas, and if I’m not going to Dallas, then neither are you. I thought rather than live in a disaster area you’d like to help me fix up the cabin.” He smiled. “Besides, this will give us a chance to begin planning the wedding. I thought we could have the ceremony here for both me and Jonah.”
Shocked, surprised, and embarrassed, she said, “Oh.” She felt like a bitch for thinking he was pawning her off. But even with his explanation, a part of her believed he would have found something “safe” for her to do in any regard.
Protecting her had been his mission—so had Jonah’s, for that matter. She had to stop assuming he didn’t want her around. Keeping her safe was his priority, she knew that, but he promised they wouldn’t be apart again. She had to trust him.
And the idea of planning their wedding did warm her heart and ease her mind...slightly.
“Sorry,” she said, a slight frown tugged her lips down at the corners. “Old habits die hard.”
Brushing her hair back from her face, he held her gaze. “I know exactly what you mean.” He kissed her.
Ryken grunted. “Are you two done with the make-out session? If so, we’ll go ahead and head out. We’ve got a Wolanther to track.”
“A Wolanther?” she questioned, screwing up her face and staring at Ryken. “What the hell is a Wolanther?”
Grinning, Ryken teased, “You know, a Wolanther, half-wol
f, half-panther—A Wolanther.”
Luken laughed hard, a deep throaty rumble. “Holy shit, dude, you’re a genius,” he told his twin.
Nodding, Ryken agreed, “I know. It’s a curse, but I manage.”
Brie shook her head as she told Luken, “You’re not helping.”
Luken shrugged his shoulders. “He’s my twin, the other half of me. What can I say?”
Huffing out a breath, Jonah added, “Please go, before I puke.”
Chuckling, the twins left.
Brie joked, “Wow, you let them live on the McCarthy Ranch on purpose? Do you keep them hidden from normal society, or do they ever get to go out and play?”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’d like to say the sarcastic twins stay put, but that wouldn’t be true. They get into trouble at every turn and are the perfect choice for finding Mason Levi. If anyone can do it, they can.”
“Let’s hope so,” Jonah mumbled before returning to pick up more broken furniture.
Chapter Six
Sebastian punched the wall in the den, driving his fist through coarse sheet rock. With an arched brow, Jonah rounded the corner, stepping into the room to glare at his brother. He’d watched for hours upon end as Sebastian struggled to control his beast. Whatever was going on inside him wasn’t getting any better.
Sebastian spent the afternoon making love with Brie, and that alone should have calmed the beast, but instead, the moment he separated from her he’d become more agitated, aggressive to the point Jonah feared leaving Brie alone in the same room with him.
Jonah sent Brie upstairs to nap, using the excuse that she’d spent most of the day helping them clean up the cabin. Heavy-lidded eyes told him just how tired she was, but she didn’t complain once about the intense labor. Jonah promised he’d come up soon, and when he had, he’d found her asleep, so he left her there to rest.
Now, he stared at his emotionally frustrated brother, wondering why he chose to hang with him instead of lying cozy in a warm, soft bed beside his gorgeous female. Damn, he was an idiot—a worried brother with too much loyalty.
A single day had passed, and Sebastian didn’t appear any closer to easing the wolf inside him—anger skimmed the surface of his sanity. His eyes glowed silver, his claws and canines lengthened. The wolf begged for freedom, and Sebastian was barely hanging on.
“Anything I can do?” Jonah asked.
Like anything that might stop you from destroying every fucking wall in our home?
“No,” Sebastian replied in a low growl. “I’m fine.”
Leaning against the door frame of the wall, Jonah crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. “Yep, you look great, totally in control. Just ask the numerous holes in the walls.”
Sebastian glared at him, eyes narrowing into a piercing stare. “Don’t fuck with me, Jonah. Now is not the time.”
Jonah raised his hands to ward off his brother’s angry warning. “I imagine any time now is not a good time, bro, so tell me what I can do to help you. Why are you having so many issues getting under control? Even when others in our family lost control and the beast surfaced, it didn’t take them this long to regain focus. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” he roared, slamming another fist into the wall. “I don’t have a fucking clue.” His white, dust-covered hands dug into his dark wavy hair, gripping close to his scalp. “I’m just so damn angry. I feel like I’m still away from Brie. My body and mind are on fire. I want to—” He paused, cutting off his own thoughts.
Jonah’s brow furrowed.
“Maybe I just need more time with Brie.”
A sudden force of panic lurched in his abdomen. Instinct flooded his mind and body—a warning that demanded he protect Brie from his brother—her mate. What the fuck was going on?
“No,” Jonah growled. He’d die before he let his brother use Brie like a piece of meat. How could Sebastian not see that what he sought would hurt her? He could easily kill her if he lost control.
“I won’t let you use Brie like that. I won’t let you fuck her just because you can’t control your wolf.”
“Who do you think you are, telling me what you won’t let me do? I could rip your heart out of your chest without even breaking a sweat, little pup.” Sebastian’s guttural tone left an icy chill running up and down Jonah’s spine.
“You could try.” Jonah’s intense stare burned hot from his eyes. He would stand his ground, and if it meant his death, then so be it. Brie would be safe, even if it killed him.
“Are you challenging me, little brother? Do you wish to be alpha? If this is what you want, you’ll have to kill me, you know.”
Jonah shook his head, pushing his chest out, the bones in his back going ramrod straight. He said plainly, “No, I don’t want to be alpha. I’ve never wanted to be alpha. I just want to protect Brie. She’s our mate, brother. And I have just as much right to protect her as you do, and right now I’m protecting her from you.” He stepped closer to Sebastian. “I’ll fight you if I have to, but I would prefer that you realize what you were planning would only hurt her, and because you love her you’ll reconsider.”
Jonah moved to stand beside Sebastian, careful not to look as though he was coming with the intention of physically fighting him. He held his brother’s blistering stare. “If our roles had changed and I was experiencing what you are, would you let me use Brie the way you’re suggesting? Would you let me ravage her body the way your wolf would do? You are so out of control you could turn during sex and kill her. You would claw and bite her to death. Do you want to risk doing that to the woman you claim to love?”
Sebastian breathed hard, his chest rising and falling in exaggerated movements. “No,” he replied quickly, and his answer was a relief to Jonah.
Honestly, Jonah didn’t know what to do with his brother, or he didn’t know what Sebastian would do if he got close to Brie again. He couldn’t risk either one getting hurt. What Jonah saw in his brother’s eyes wasn’t normal mating heat. It was something else. His gut twisted at the thought that something awful was happening to his brother.
“What happened to you while you were away?”
Sebastian pushed passed Jonah, shouldering him out of the way. Jonah turned to face him. “Where are you going?”
“Out of here.” He mumbled. “I need to get away before I destroy everything in sight. I need to run.”
“Are you sure turning into the wolf is a good idea?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue,” Sebastian snapped. “But if I stay here, I will seek Brie out, and I will have her whether you want me to or not.” He growled, the tension of his thoughts sprawled across his face. “Her scent is everywhere, and I can’t bear it any longer.” He turned and stripped his clothes from his body.
Transformation complete, the large white wolf emerged and ran into the darkness of night, disappearing into shadows.
* * * *
Brie woke to the sound of harsh breathing, almost like a thunderous purr. The fine hair on her arms and neck stood on end. She nuzzled against her pillow, grasping the blanket tight to her chest, while her eyes sought out the noise coming from the depths of the room.
“Who’s there?” she called out, hoping that it was just her sleepy mind playing tricks on her.
Panic gripped hold of her heart. She didn’t need another attack from Mason Levi. She didn’t need to once again feel the vulnerability of being powerless, trapped at the edge of death. That was the last thing she wanted to feel.
Pushing up onto her elbows, she glanced around the room, circling the area in a strategic pattern. Her eyes swept from the door, over furnishings, seeking out every shape, until her vision settled on the massive image huddled in front of the doors leading to the balcony. Eyes rounded, mouth dry, she swallowed hard.
The sheer white curtains danced as the cool night air drifted into the room. She remembered closing those doors before falling asleep. She didn’t sleep with windows or doors open ever. Now the doors were open, and a la
rge figure filled the empty space.
Shimmering silver eyes gleamed out at her. She froze, unable to breathe. Trapped by fear, she stared back at the mystical eyes, praying she was about to wake from a nightmare—a terror-filled nightmare that brought feelings of certain death.
Then a wave of warmth surged into her body and mind, heating her up from the inside out. A euphoric sensation pulled at her heart and eased her panicked mind. She recognized the warmth and knew it instantly.
“Do not fear me, Brie.”
Sebastian?
Her heart revved up at the thought of him standing like welcoming death. Something was wrong. What was he doing here lurking in the dark like a predator? She sucked in a sharp breath. Why were his eyes glowing?
Voice trembling, she admitted, “It’s hard not to be afraid when all I can see is your glowing eyes. You’re fighting the wolf transformation, aren’t you, Sebastian?”
Large, menacing hands widened at his sides, and she took note of his knifelike claws. “Yes,” he responded, voice scraping against his throat, sounding more beast then man.
Oh God. What am I going to do? What does he want from me? Duh, what else would a feral wolf want with his mate.
Her thoughts moved to Jonah. Silently, she begged for him to come to her, help her understand what was happening to Sebastian. The man she loved, cared for—feared.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be here.” She pushed up from her elbows and sat up straight. Her breathing grew heavier.
His voice was a deep rumble as he told her, “You’re right, but I can’t make myself leave.”
Oh, shit. What the hell did that mean? “What do you want, Sebastian? Why are you standing there in the dark? How did you get in here?”
He didn’t speak. Instead, he took one step forward then froze his advancement as if resisting the urge to get closer to her. Both of his hands dove through the tangled waves of his dark hair. Shadows and light danced along the silhouette of his body.
