by Morgan Fox
Reyes nodded, but Jonah could sense his reluctance. “You know, kid, I think your brother’s leadership skills are rubbing off on you. I’d have done the same thing.”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Hearing Reyes compliment him was a huge honor. The man didn’t discharge compliments easily. Reyes was revered by so many high-ranking leaders in the were-community.
The statement meant a great deal to Jonah. “Thanks. Reyes, you haven’t called me ‘kid’ in a long time. You sure you’re okay? As you can see, I’m not a kid anymore, and I’ll help you work through any troubles you’ve got. You can trust me like you would Sebastian.”
“I know, ki—” Smiling, he corrected, “Jonah. As much as I think it’s a mistake, I’ll help the doc, but don’t expect anything more from me than that.” Reyes turned away from Jonah. Grabbing his towel, he wiped the sweat from his face and neck, and murmured, “At least where she’s concerned.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jonah didn’t understand what he meant. Regardless, Reyes was going to help him, and that was all he needed. And for the moment, that was all that mattered.
* * * *
Brie was lying on the bed, curled up into a tight ball when she heard Jonah return. Her body shook as if she were freezing. He approached her, his hand sliding over her hip. She whimpered, shocked to feel his touch.
“Shhhh, baby, it just me. Are you feeling okay?”
She gasped for breath. “No, Jonah. I need you. I need Sebastian. I feel...different. I feel—” She turned to the side and lay flat on her back, her hand trailed over her breast and down the flat of her stomach to the apex of her sex, and she cupped her panty-covered pussy. “I feel a yearning, a need for you both. I feel so empty, alone. I can’t explain it. I need you and Sebastian. Now, Jonah.”
How do I explain to him that I’m dying? How do I get him to believe me? How do I tell him about the strange power that is thriving inside me?
He smiled, stroking her hair. “But Sebastian’s out cold, honey. He’s been sedated.”
“No, he’s not, Jonah. He’s been awake for a while. He and I have been talking.” His brow furrowed, and before he could get angry with her, she said, “I know, I should have told you sooner, but it’s not what you think.” She chewed her bottom lip nervously. “I’ve been getting new powers since Sebastian’s return. I can hear really well, and I can read—” Her throat moved up and down vigorously as she swallowed, struggling to finish her thought. “I can hear yours and Sebastian’s thoughts. Jonah, I can hear what you hear.”
Sitting up straight, he stared at her, his lips slightly parted. His eyes drifted over her face as if he were trying to put each detail to memory while putting the pieces of her words into coherent thoughts. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No. I was afraid to tell you. I was worried that if I told you I could read your mind you would think I was nuts.” He frowned at her. “I liked this new power. It allowed me access to your thoughts and conversations, but when Sebastian started intruding into my own mind...well, as you can imagine that was a little freaky.” She sniffled. “He’s been lying awake up there, begging for me to come to him.” She rolled to her side to face Jonah, gripping his shirt in her small hands. She buried her face in his shirt.
“That’s not possible, Brie. Dominic has been checking on him every thirty minutes.”
Inhaling Jonah’s woodsy scent, she eased back to look up at him. “He’s faking it. He closes his eyes and pretends he’s asleep.” Her eyes screamed for him to believe her, and she prayed that he’d hear the truth in her voice. “I swear, Jonah. I’m not making this up.”
“I didn’t think that, honey. I just think that the stress of everything is getting to you. You need some rest.”
Damn it, he’s not listening. “No, Jonah,” she yelled, with more passion in her voice than she meant to demonstrate. Calming, she expounded, “I need to get to Sebastian. Jonah, you must let me be with him, with you. I need you both now...together.” Tears filled her eyes, and her voice trembled with emotional cries. “Please, I don’t understand what’s happening to me, but it has something to do with the connection I share with you and Sebastian. I know it.”
“Brie, it’s not safe,” His eyes held fear. The lines around his eyes and mouth deepened.
“I don’t care, Jonah. Sebastian needs me. He needs us.” Reaching for his hand, she begged, “I need us. Figure something out, please. I swear if you don’t, I’ll find a way by myself no matter how stupid and dangerous that might be.”
“Brie, you’re acting crazy, irrational. You know what you’re asking of me is just too dangerous. Please, don’t make me have to sedate you as well.”
A deep, frustrated growl thundered from deep in her chest as she moved into a sitting position. Her face hot with anger, she snapped, “I expected you to understand. I expected you to be different. I expected my mate and father of my child to do whatever I needed, but you’ve only managed to disappoint me.”
Eyes wide, the registration of her words moving from behind his eyes, he gasped. “Wait, what did you say?”
Oh, shit. She’d told him, and she hadn’t meant to. Damn it, her emotions had let that little detail she’d been hiding slip. Her chest felt so tight she couldn’t breathe.
Shaking her head, she told him, “Nothing, Jonah. It’s not important.”
“The fuck it’s not.” He grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her towards him and dragging her back over the bed. “You just told me you’re pregnant. I think that’s very important.”
Stiffening, she growled through clenched teeth. “No, I didn’t. I said ‘I expected my mate and father of my child to do whatever I needed.’ It doesn’t surprise me that you only heard what affects you directly.”
“Brie—”
“Don’t, Jonah.” She pushed away from him, flipping her legs over the side of the bed, her back to him. “I want Sebastian. I need you to take me to him. This is his child, too, Jonah. I don’t care if everyone in this house has to be present to ensure my safety, but it’s urgent I see him.” She inhaled deeply, running her hands through her messed hair. “I need you to be there with me, Jonah. And no matter what, you can’t leave.” She cocked her head, glancing at him from over her shoulder. “I don’t know how to explain what I’m feeling, but I know that once we’re all together again, I’ll be able to.”
Creasing his brow, he begged her to allow him to understand. “How?” His deep, raspy voice poured over her skin like warm molasses. Even with the heavy concern filling his voice, he could make her feel so loved and adored. She knew he felt the same about her—their special connection.
“A bird flew into the window before you came in here. I picked it up and healed the bird with a simple touch. A warm, soothing power fled from me and into the dying bird. I don’t know exactly how I did it, baby, but I did.” She rubbed a hand over her stomach. “Jonah, I know something is wrong and until the three of us are reunited, I’m going to keep feeling like a part of me is dying because without Sebastian, a part of me is. These new powers of mine mean something. Maybe I can use them to heal Sebastian, too.”
Standing, she cleared her throat and moved to stand between his legs at the edge of the bed. “If you need proof, consider what I’ve told you already. My first powers appeared after the three of us made love. These new powers showed up right after Sebastian did. Do you think that could’ve been just a coincidence? I’m almost thirty, and never in all my years have I ever had any indication that I was special.” She pressed a gentle hand against his cheek, stroking the coarse whiskers along his jaw. “I met you and Sebastian, fell in love, and suddenly...there’s something amazing and different between us. Something that can’t be explained, but something we can feel and touch deep inside us. Tell me you understand what I’m saying, that you’ve felt what I’m talking about, that you believe what I’m sharing with you.”
Glancing down, he shook his head. “Brie, you’re an attorney. You know that everything
you’ve said and feel is circumstantial and none of it would hold up in court.”
She forced his chin up, returning his gaze to hers, her lips pulled into a soft smile. “Well, lucky for me, we’re not in court, and I’m the only witness in this case, and you’re the only one who needs to be convinced.”
He exhaled a husky sigh. “Brie, I don’t know. What if you’re wrong and you go in there and he does something to you? What if he hurts you or gets you sick?” He cupped her face in his hands. “I couldn’t live without you. It’s killing me to be without my brother. I won’t survive if I lost you both.”
She pressed a kiss to his lips, a deep, seeking kiss that warmed her straight to her toes. The caress of his lips had her moaning, yearning for more—a fire building between them. They’d been so consumed with everything surrounding the virus and Sebastian they hadn’t had time for each other.
Jonah’s eyes watered. He glanced up to avoid making eye contact with her. He was hurting, and she knew it, but she had to keep forcing him. She had no other choice. “I love you, Jonah, and I wouldn’t want to risk hurting us anymore than we’ve already been. Please, trust me on this. I know it’s strange, but I think being together, the three of us, will make a huge difference.”
Frustration blazed out of his eyes, his mouth tensed, and he argued, “Difference? What goddamn difference? My job is to protect you, and you’re asking me to let you walk right into the pits of hell. What kind of mate would I be if I agreed to this?”
“A mate who trusts me?” She kissed him again, her fingers digging into his honey-brown, wavy hair. “Trust me, Jonah. I know what I’m doing.”
The earth stood still for what felt like an eternity as she waited for Jonah’s response. Even though in her heart, she knew what she requested of Jonah went against everything he believed. Time was of the essence, and he would eventually agree to allow her to see Sebastian. She knew it. Out of everyone residing in the cabin, Jonah knew better than everyone how hard it was on her to be without Sebastian. She felt Sebastian’s pain, but she also felt Jonah’s, and knew that he needed his brother just as much as she did.
“Brie, if we do this, I’ll need to ask that Dr. Shaw be present. If something happens, it only makes sense to have a doctor on standby. I don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby. Besides if something goes wrong, it would be wise to have another...” Jonah’s voice trailed off.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her soft breast up against his hard steel chest. A smile in her voice, she said, “Agreed. Now, take me to Sebastian so that I can finally make love to my wolves.”
Chapter Thirteen
Jonah was going to be a father. Him? A father? Holy shit, his mind roared. If becoming a father was such good news, then why did his head feel numb and his abdomen suddenly ache like he’d eaten too much candy?
His thoughts should’ve been on how he was going to keep Brie safe while she made love with Sebastian, if that was even possible. He was still unsure that what Brie shared with him was true. Even so, he couldn’t shake the newfound fear blistering his mind.
A father, who’d of thought?
In a selfish way, he’d hoped that during the time that Sebastian had been away, he was the one who impregnated Brie, securing him as the true father of their child. He’d love the child regardless, no matter if he or Sebastian had fathered it. But being the one whose seed took inside her first, well, that was more than he’d ever dreamed possible.
Megan stared at Brie, arms folded over her purple cardigan sweater, the material pulled tight over her supple breasts. “I’m sure I don’t have to be the one to tell you just how stupid this is, right?”
“Megan?” Jonah warned. His mind might’ve been on other issues, but he could still hear better than most, and Megan’s condescending tone was pretty damn hard to miss.
“I realize I’m only a doctor and I know very little about the contagion of diseases,” she mocked, eyebrows pinned high on her forehead, “but this is just beyond crazy. I don’t even know how the virus is spread, or what kind of virus it is. Putting you both in there is dangerous, especially if the sedatives are no longer working.”
Holding his hand up to the irate doctor, he didn’t argue her point. He simply said, “I know the risk and so does Brie, but she’s made up her mind, and I rather do it this way than to see my stubborn mate do something really stupid like go in there alone.”
Huffing out a breath, she spat, “Fine, but before you go in there I’m taking blood samples from both of you. I want a baseline.”
“For what reason?” Jonah’s brow furrowed.
“So that I can compare your blood and check your stupid asses out after this stupid, hormonally charged sex-capade is over.” She grunted, turning to grab a small black case from her bed. She pulled out a syringe. “You do realize how stupid I think this is, right? Have I made my stance on this subject clear enough?”
Brie meet Megan’s gaze and said matter-of-factly, “Actually, no, I don’t think you’ve used the word ‘stupid’ enough to truly emphasize your feelings on the subject.”
Megan glared at her. “Whatever, it’s your life.”
She grabbed hold of Brie’s arm and prepped her for the blood draw. The needle broke through the skin quickly at the crook of her arm, and the vial filled with rich, red blood. Megan extracted the needle and replaced the spot with a cotton ball, forcing Brie to bend her arm and hold the cotton in place.
Turning to Jonah, his arm was already outstretched and ready. Without prepping him, Megan jammed the needle into his vein. The sharp sting of pain faded quickly as the vial filled with his blood. He held his mouth tight, grinding his back teeth together.
Damn, sometimes he really hated the women from his past, especially ones armed with needles.
“Thanks for being so gentle with me, Dr. Shaw. Your bedside manners are that of legends.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Go fuck yourself, Jonah. I just hope you know what you’re doing.” She pulled the needle from his arm.
Jonah’s heart squeezed in his chest, and his stomach rolled with uncertainty and fear. He murmured, “Me, too.”
* * * *
Megan finished taking all the samples she needed, leaving Brie feeling like a pin cushion. Megan had taken hair and skin samples, blood and urine. The doctor had a way of getting what she wanted, no matter how much she or Jonah had protested.
Biting her bottom lip, Brie found herself unable to move, standing like a statue in front of Sebastian’s door that lead to the area that had once been the entertainment room. Her mind, body, and spirit had promised her that everything would be all right once she was able to see him, once she felt his masculine touch upon her skin.
Hovering there in the unopened doorway, she suddenly had second thoughts. Was it the mating heat driving her irrational behavior, or was it something else? Something that burned deep inside her soul.
Her tummy fluttered as she stood, hands sweating, brows pinched tight. She should’ve already opened the door and charged in to be with the man she loved. But she couldn’t. Struggling with emotions, she needed help getting past the threshold—getting past the melodramatics that didn’t belong to her.
The sentiments of Jonah and Megan smacked her in the face like a rushing southern wind. Her mind and body were feeding off of their fears, and she couldn’t let that happen. Holding true to her own beliefs and thoughts was all that mattered. Saving Sebastian was her number one priority.
Her powers were migrating from Sebastian and Jonah. Her empathic abilities now included Dr. Megan Shaw as well.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she called, “Jonah?”
Stepping alongside her, Jonah asked, his voice hopeful, “Having second thoughts, Brie?”
“No, but I’d like for you to hold my hand.” She extended her hand, and the jolt of his touch made twisting the knob a cinch. He filled her with strength and courage. The distraction of their touch was all she needed to clear her
head and move past the blockade of emotions they had built up around her.
The three of them, Brie, Jonah, and Megan, entered the room. The moment the door closed, Sebastian’s eyes opened to gaze up at Brie. She smiled at the sight of his normal eyes filled with the color of warm, illustrious honey. His sweet, alluring gaze melted her heart.
“You came?” he breathed. “I knew I wasn’t dreaming. I knew you could hear me. I prayed I wasn’t delusional. Prayed there was still enough of me left to know you, feel you.”
“Sebastian?” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, tears filling her eyes. He laid on the uncovered mattress, sprawled out, arms and legs bound by chains and bars. “I did hear you, baby. I wasn’t sure at first, but it really was you. You did call for me.”
Swallowing, he cleared his raspy throat. “Yes, sweetheart, it was me.” His smile grew as he shared, “I learned a lot about my beautiful bride while I was in Scotland. Learned so much about your past and all the wonderful things you’re capable of doing.” His eyes sparkled with warmth as he looked at her, speaking about her past with so much love and adoration.
Then, as if on the winds of change, an overwhelming sadness washed over his face and darkened his eyes. “I’m just sorry I screwed up. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner that I was infected. That I’d come into contact with Mason, but I couldn’t risk Jonah keeping you from me.” His eyes watered, and he turned his gaze away.
She didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that Sebastian’s emotional display was difficult for him to bear—to reveal to others. A man who had always been seen as a strong, authoritative leader now wept on the ground at their feet. The sight was enough to rob her body of breath and render her veins frigid as ice. All the blood that once pumped with wild abandon now chilled her to the bone. He felt shame, and that meant she felt it, too. They were uniting, almost completely.
