Unleashing the Beast

by Lacey Thorn

  “Whatever Diane wants,” Tah said with a snort.

  “And Abby?” Finn asked. “What does she think?”

  Tah smiled. “She’ll do anything for Diane. The Professor’s agreed to be there, just in case. Dr. Jensen will stick close by.”

  “What’s your take on the doctor?” Murphy asked.

  Dr. Jensen was one of the doctors who lived on the ranch. He’d been gone when they’d all arrived from Colorado. Apparently, he’d returned a week after they’d buried Isaac, Gabriel and Daniel’s father. Dr. Jensen cared for all the shifters in the area, no matter the breed, and more often than not was traveling from group to group.

  “He seems knowledgeable,” Tah said. “Gabriel trusts him. The doctor was visibly upset when he found out about Isaac. He’s been sticking around since he arrived, only taking shorter day trips.”

  “Do you trust him?” Finn asked.

  Tah looked thoughtful. “I trust him not to betray us. He has a genuine affection for everyone he’s worked on. You can hear it in his voice, see it on his face when he talks about the people he’s met. He hates hunters. God knows, he’s saved many a life that might have ended if he hadn’t been there.”

  “But?” Murphy prompted.

  “I get the impression he’s waiting for someone or something,” Tah admitted. “Abby says he watches Isaac’s house as if he expects someone to show up there. He’s worried. I can sense it every time I’m around him.”

  “Anything we can do to help?” Murphy asked.

  Tah shook his head. “Not until he fills us in. Gideon and Vic are both keeping a close eye on him.”

  “Let us know if there’s anything you need us to do,” Murphy offered.

  “We’ve got a reprieve right now,” Tah said. “I don’t know that it will last long. Let’s focus on getting everyone healthy and strong while we have the chance.”

  “I should make a point of checking on my favorite tigress before I head to the labs,” Finn said. “Know where she is?”

  “Ariel stays close to Gideon or Vic lately. Since Vic went into town to pick up some stuff she had delivered to Daniel. I’d bet Ariel’s in the labs with Gideon,” Reno said.

  “Is she okay?” Murphy asked.

  “Something has her spooked,” Tah stated, and Finn got the impression Tah had some suspicions on what that might be.

  “We shouldn’t have brought her here and left her the way we did,” Murphy said. “The lass is hungry for family, even if she won’t admit it.”

  “You needed to go,” Reno told them. “Ariel… Ariel needs to be here. She just doesn’t realize it yet.”

  Finn knew how much Ariel wanted a family to call her own, a place to belong. The young woman had had a rough life. He didn’t know all of it, but he knew she’d almost died. Clara’s Uncle Thomas had found her, but it had been Gideon who’d really saved her. Holding her while she’d cried after waking from nightmares. Finn had seen the fragile woman hidden behind a bravado of anger she used like a shield to keep people out. He’d seen it and thought of another angry, young woman. One he and Murphy had left behind in Ireland. One his soul longed to see again. He shook away those thoughts but knew from the look Murphy tossed his way that his brother had already picked up on them.

  “I’ll head over to the labs with you,” Murphy said, and Finn nodded.

  Reno clapped Murphy on the back with one hand and squeezed Finn’s shoulder with the other one. “It’s good to have you both back.”

  “I want to hear more about Holt and this new mate of his,” Logan said.

  “Jaeda,” Murphy replied.

  “She’s a fireball,” Finn added. “She shook things up and had the Holloways in an uproar. They weren’t pleased with her choice in mates either.”

  “She chose Holt the moment she arrived on their land,” Murphy said. “I was there. She had eyes only for him.”

  “He sounded happy when I spoke with him,” Tah told them.

  “He is,” Finn said and felt an ache in his chest. He wanted that happiness, wanted to taste it deeply instead of the fleeting promise he’d been given before his mate had slipped away and left him to die.

  “That’s all that matters,” Reno said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sudden need to see my mate and remind her why she loves me.” He gave a grin that had them all chuckling.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Tah agreed. “I could do with some snuggles with my girls.”

  Finn hadn’t seen Abby or baby Regan since he’d been back. Tah’s mate was an amazing woman. It was through her that Tah had learned who he really was. She’d awakened the beast inside her mate and started them all on this journey. There were times when she was the glue that kept them all together.

  “I’d say that’s my cue to head over to see Gideon and find Ariel,” Finn said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Murphy said once more. “You want to walk with us, Logan?”

  “I’m good, but thanks. I’m supposed to meet Clara soon.”

  They walked together into the main part of the house then scattered in different directions. Murphy stayed at Finn’s side as they headed away from the house toward the labs Gabriel had built on the property.

  “Have you heard anything about her?”

  Finn didn’t need Murphy to clarify who the her was. He knew his brother was talking about Brenna. He shook his head. “You?”

  “No,” Murphy admitted. “She’s been on my mind a lot lately, though. We should call and check on her. Unless… Are you feeling something?”

  “You know she and I have never had the same connection I have with you,” Finn reminded his brother. It was funny how Finn shared a deep connection with a brother eleven months older than him instead of the twin with whom he’d shared the same womb. That didn’t mean Brenna wasn’t always on his mind, though.

  He could still picture her back then, red curls bouncing around her face as she’d fought to get to him and Murphy. She’d sobbed and screamed, biting and scratching at their father as he’d held her back. He’d shed a few tears himself as they’d carried him to the car that would take him and Murphy away. His leg had screamed with pain, the broken bone causing his pulse to throb there, but his heart had ached the most. That was the last time he’d seen his twin. Their father had made sure neither Finn nor Murphy could speak with her. Fortunately, they’d found someone who would sneak messages to her and pictures to them. She’d grown into a beautiful woman, but the pictures showed a coldness to her that hadn’t been there before they’d parted. It made them worry what hell she might have lived through.

  “We couldn’t go back,” Murphy reminded Finn.

  “No,” Finn agreed. Their father had seen to that. Brenna had been a pawn in a game none of them had understood, but the threat had been clear. If Finn or Murphy set foot in Ireland again, Brenna would die.

  “We’ll get her out soon,” Murph vowed. It was a promise they’d both made the day they’d left. Unfortunately, the old bastard kept her fairly secluded and out of the reach of those who would help Finn and Murphy.

  They dropped the conversation as they entered the building that housed the medical facilities.

  “You’re back!”

  The feminine cry reached their ears, and Finn looked up with a smile as Ariel left Gideon’s side and barreled across to them. She launched herself at Finn first then gave Murphy a hug. Finn immediately noticed two things. She was thinner, and her eyes and face showed a lack of sleep. He pulled her back to his side.

  “Looking good, little tigress,” he lied. “What mischief have you been up to while we were gone?”

  “Nothing,” she swore. “I’ve been good.

  Gideon met his gaze and gave a slight shake of his head though a smile remained on his lips. He knew something. Finn planned to find out what.

  “Good to see you both,” Gideon said. “I’ve got orders for a full work-up on both of you.”

  Murph grunted and scowled.

  “I want to introduce you to D
r. Miles Jensen, as well. He’s downstairs. He’s a good guy. Human but knows his stuff when it comes to shifters. He started out as a small-town doctor here and ended up doubling as a vet when needed. Now, he treats mostly shifters.”

  “How did Gabriel find him?” Murph asked.

  “Actually, it was Isaac who brought him here. It seems they were friends. Miles was devastated when he found out Isaac was gone,” Gideon said.

  “And we’re trusting this guy?” Finn questioned.

  “Give him a chance,” Gideon suggested.

  “Well, let’s get this started,” Murph said then turned to Ariel. “You going to hold my hand, lass, while they take my blood?”

  “As if you need me to,” she said with a snort of humor. “I want to hear all about the bears though. I’ve never met a bear shifter.”

  “I’ll tell you all about the Holloways,” Finn said. “First, I want to hear what you’ve been doing since you got here.”

  She made a face but walked at his side as they moved deeper into the building. Finn stopped suddenly, sniffing the air, body tensing. The beast inside him pressed hard, demanding a release Finn was incapable of giving. Despite what the others thought, his beast wasn’t repressed. Instead, it felt as if it were leashed, and Finn hadn’t discovered how to unleash it. A rumble filled his chest, and he knew from the looks the others were giving him that the growl filled the air.

  “Where is she?” Finn demanded, the words warbled as he tried to speak through a clenched jaw.

  Gideon shook his head. “Who?”

  A door opened and a man stepped out, stopping abruptly as he took in the group in the corridor.

  “Miles,” Gideon greeted.

  Miles Jensen was medium height, maybe five nine, with dark hair and brown eyes framed by glasses. His smile vanished as his gaze met Finn. Rage consumed Finn. Without thought, he backed the doctor against the wall and snarled in his face.

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t—”

  His denial changed to a yelp when Finn grabbed him by the throat and lifted him onto his tiptoes. Finn’s canines descended as he growled in the doctor’s face.

  “I can smell her all over you. You have ten seconds to tell me where she is before I rip your fucking throat out,” he warned.

  The doctor jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “She went out the back. She was looking for her brother.”

  With a leap, Finn was gone. He heard the yells behind him, knew his brother was rushing to follow, but his mind was on her. She was here.

  I would have loved you.

  She might get the chance to show him that, if he didn’t kill her first.

  Chapter Four

  Laura headed out of the main house. She’d been looking for Logan, but he hadn’t been there. She wanted to let him know she’d seen Dr. Jensen. The doctor had taken several vials of blood and even taken swabs from the inside of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what that was all about but had been willing to do whatever he asked if it would help her brother. Gabriel was right. She needed to work on building a bridge instead of a wall. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she owed it to herself as well as her brother to try.

  She had just rounded the corner of the house when a roar rent the air. Something about the sound froze her in place while her heart galloped in her chest. Her animal stretched inside her, pushing at her skin as if seeking control. She shook it off. Nothing here would hurt her, and she needed to find Logan.

  She continued walking, and another roar echoed behind her, though the sound was much closer this time. There were shouts, and the sound of running feet, making her turn to see what was going on and if she could help.

  That’s when she saw him. Her lungs seized. It wasn’t possible. She’d been there as he’d taken his last breath. She’d felt him slipping away. She wouldn’t have left him otherwise. How was he alive?

  She drank in the sight of him. His hair was red and looked so lush she wanted to run her fingers through it. Blue eyes glowed bright, pulling her gaze there and holding it captive. Alive. He was alive. Tears of joy and disbelief and startled surprise trickled from her eyes, and she took an excited step toward him, stopping at the rumble of displeasure he gave. She forced herself to focus in on his face and his manner as he approached instead of the giddy euphoria that tried to fill her. Still, the same phrase repeated over and over in her mind. He’s alive! My God, my mate is alive!

  His face shone with fury, and it was directed completely at her. He prowled toward her, almost stalking her, and a trickle of fear raced up her spine. He looked as if he were ready to kill her. She opened her mouth and shut it. She didn’t even know his name.

  “You left me to die,” he growled as he continued stalking toward her, and she began taking a step back for every one he took forward.

  “No,” she denied, shaking her head quickly. “You were…” Dying. He’d been dying. But he hadn’t. He was here, in front of her, appearing to want her blood when all she wanted was to touch him, to hold him.

  “Alive. I’m alive, and I’ve been looking for you, mate.” The last word was a sneer of anger, holding a wealth of promise, and none of it good.

  There were people around them. Gideon was there, along with Ariel, the girl who often shadowed him. Dr. Jensen was there, along with another red-haired man who looked too much like her mate not to be a blood relation. She imagined they were brothers, perhaps even twins. All of them seemed startled by this turn of events, and she didn’t see any help coming from them.

  “I…” She couldn’t seem to finish a sentence, couldn’t breathe as he finally closed the distance between them. Her back was snug against the house while he loomed over her, blocking her from everyone else. She shook with the need to reach out and touch him again. He was…beautiful. Healthy and healed when the last time she’d seen him his features had been distorted, his bones broken, his body and face covered in blood while he’d knocked at death’s door. “How did you survive? I saw you die. I felt it the moment you left me.”

  “No,” he whispered, leaning close and scraping his teeth at her neck. “You left me.” The brush of his canines had her jerking away from him. This wasn’t the touch of a mate, and it scared her.

  His eyes changed in front of her. They glowed then faded a bit then glowed almost neon again. Something was wrong with him.

  “Finn!”

  She jerked her gaze from her mate and looked over his shoulder. Tah was there now, as were Reno and Zane.

  The man she thought must be her mate’s family moved closer to them. “Step away from her, brother. Whatever you’re thinking, don’t do it.”

  So the redhead was her mate’s brother. Finn. Her mate’s name was Finn. A growl at her throat turned her attention back to her mate. She finally gave into temptation and lifted a hand to touch his chest, resting her palm over his heart and feeling the steady beat there. She heard his indrawn breath, felt the jolt of electricity coursing between them. He was warm and vibrant. She shook her head. It wasn’t possible.

  “You’re dead,” she whispered. She’d been there. She’d pressed her hands against the bleeding wound in his stomach, unsuccessfully trying to staunch the flow of blood. She’d failed.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m very much alive. I’m not so sure how long you will be. I want to rip your throat out,” he warned with a growl.

  It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They were mates, destined to love only each other. She’d thought that was lost to her. Yet, here he stood, but it was all wrong. She wanted him, but not like this. Never like this.

  “Finn.” His name was a whispered plea from her lips. “Please.” She swallowed, fear almost choking her.

  “I can taste your fear,” he murmured. His eyes were a bright, neon blue. His canines were fully extended, and his body trembled where he held her caged in.

  “Finn, are you okay?” She kept using his name, trying to initiate the bond she’d never thought they’d get the chance to form.

>   “I’ve been dreaming of you. The way you walked in and found me. The touch of your hand, the kiss you gave me and the whispered lie that you would have loved me.”

  “I—”

  “You don’t get to whisper any more lies to me,” he snarled in her face. “Let’s see how things go if the tables are turned. What do you think? Will I leave you to die if you’re lying there bleeding? Or will I stick around and see if I can save my mate?”

  She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, trying to hold back the sob building in her chest.

  “It wasn’t like that,” she pleaded. “I would never have left you if I’d known you were alive.”

  “Likely story now,” he rasped.

  Heat poured off his skin. He shook, his whole body trembling. He kept gritting his teeth as if he were fighting something.

  “Finnion!” His brother was closer now, almost beside them.

  She looked past her mate and saw the stunned looks on the faces around them. She’d said nothing about meeting Finn, and it was obvious he hadn’t either. Would they all hate her as her mate did? Could she blame them?

  He leaned into her face again, his breath hot on her skin, his lips peeled back in a snarl. He rolled his head jerkily back and forth on his shoulders, and she had the distinct impression he was fighting with himself. What was wrong with him? What was going on?

  “What’s wrong?” she asked Finn. Her animal butted against her control, pressing to be given the lead.

  “Would you?” he demanded.

  She shook her head. “What?”

  “Would you have loved me?”

  She swallowed. “I will love you. You’re my mate, my other half. I swear I felt you die.”

  His hand gripped her throat, fingers tightening around her windpipe, and she gasped, her hands coming up to pull at his hold. There was noise around her. Shouts and movement, but she barely caught any of it. Her vision grayed, and all of her attention focused on Finn. She’d brought him to this, brought them both to this.

  “For…give…you…” she managed to gasp out as everything dimmed, and she felt herself slipping away.