Unleashing the Beast

by Lacey Thorn

  I told you I’d be better at this than you, Finn teased his brother.

  Murphy’s laugh filled Finn’s head.

  Shut up and pay attention while I show you what a real Lynx can do.

  With that, Murphy surged forward, leaving Finn to follow as they ran. They hit the patch of woods that separated the majority of the land from where Isaac’s house still stood. Instead of cutting straight across, Murphy turned so they ran the full length of the area. Here it was dense, the foliage thick. There was a coolness to the air as the sun played peek-a-boo with the deep shadows. Animal instinct took over, and the hunt was on as he and Murphy found a rhythm and moved together in perfect synchronicity. The walls Finn had struggled to build between them fell down.

  In those moments, he felt all his brother had held back from him and knew Murphy sensed the same from him. They’d always been close, closer than other siblings, closer than Finn was with his twin sister. Now that bond was forged in steel. Not only could they sense each other. They could communicate, and not in the same way as all shifters. There was a blending between them. Finn knew what move Murphy would make before he made it. It was a unique bond Finn had never heard of other shifters sharing outside of mates.

  Dusk was falling when they stopped running. They’d gone in ever-increasing circles for the last few hours. Now, there was a cabin off to the right, and Murphy turned toward it. Finn stayed at his side, the scent telling him exactly who lived there. He had little doubt Murphy knew, as well. They shifted in the backyard, and Finn reached for the door, pushing it open with ease then stepping inside.

  “How did you know?” Finn asked Murphy.

  “Tah mentioned it in passing,” Murph said. “Hers is the closest cabin to Isaac’s. Your mate chose it herself. Tah wondered if she did it to keep tabs on Isaac for Gabriel and Daniel. Tah hasn’t had a chance to talk to her yet because of all that’s going on between her and Logan.” He glanced pointedly at Finn. “And now you.”

  “I’d almost convinced myself she was an illusion,” Finn admitted with a sigh. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “I wanted to see if you’d react with anger now that you and your beast have merged. Do you still feel the overwhelming desire to rip her throat out?”

  Finn shook his head. “No. I don’t want to kill her.”

  “Tell me,” Murphy urged.

  Finn found a couple towels first, wrapping one around his waist and tossing the other to his brother. After covering himself, Murphy took a seat at the table while Finn looked around. There was a coffeepot on the counter while a teakettle sat on the stove. Did she drink both? Or was one here in case a visitor wanted it? The kitchen was clean. No dirty dishes in the sink. No clutter on the counter space.

  He took a deep breath and started talking to his brother.

  “It’s all coming back to me,” Finn muttered, rubbing his hands over his head. “I remember the call from Reno, the trip to Colorado and arriving just in time to help clean up the scum who’d tried to kill everyone and take Abby.” He paced around the kitchen. “I remember Amia. God, I was a fucking bastard, and I brought you along for the journey to hell.” He met Murphy’s gaze. “I remember taking the transponder. I wanted to lead them away from all of you, away from Colorado.”

  “The hunters?”

  “They found me in New Mexico. I knew they were there. There was no way for me to escape. I tried to hide my wallet and anything else they could use to find out who I was. To protect you. They couldn’t have placed me in Colorado, but I definitely would have led them to you.”

  “What happened?”

  “They shot me before they ever got near enough for me to see them. I saw the dart, felt the sting of whatever they injected in me then I was out cold. I came to tied to a wall, naked. I was already bleeding, but they waited for me to wake up before the real fun began.”

  “They tortured you,” Murph said. “I saw the damage. The broken bones, the lacerations, the knife wounds. I don’t need you to relive that for me.”

  “But I am,” Finn muttered hoarsely, tapping his head. “It’s all up here in vivid color. I hear the taunts, the laughter and jeers. I feel the blows, the way it felt as they broke my fingers one by one. They hooked cables to my chest and attached them to some huge-ass battery. Every question brought me a jolt if I didn’t give the answer they wanted. If I passed out, they threw water on me and laughed when it made each surge of electricity that much worse.”

  “Jesus, God! I want to kill every bastard that was there. I wish I hadn’t been robbed of that honor!” Murphy exclaimed.

  “She did it,” Finn whispered.

  “What?”

  “Laura. My mate. She killed them.”

  Murphy’s face shone with disbelief.

  “They’d pulled me off the wall and tossed me in the corner. I couldn’t move. It hurt to fucking breathe. I felt you searching for me, and I didn’t want you to feel anything I was at that moment. That’s when we heard her. This fierce growl that had the men jumping to attention. They were excited, reaching for weapons, and the leader yelled orders to take whoever it was alive.”

  “How do you know it was her?”

  “She’s my mate,” Finn answered. “I knew. I’m not sure how she did it, but she took out everyone who was outside. We heard their screams. The leader headed out with three men. He left one inside with me. That one came at me with one of the knives they’d used earlier to carve me up. He laughed and told me they no longer had any use for me. There was better prey now. That’s when he stabbed me in the stomach. The door flew open and several men ran in. They were bleeding and screaming over each other about the white beast. It was chaos. Then she stalked inside. I watched her methodically take them out. First, she incapacitated the one who’d been with me, making sure he was as incapable of attacking her as the others were. Then she went for the kill. She was ferocious, the most beautiful animal I’d ever seen. The hunter who’d been with me had managed to regain the knife. He caught her in the front paw before she ripped his throat out. My vision was fading at that point. I was dying, and I knew it.”

  “Did she see you? Did she try to help at all?”

  Finn smiled. “I watched her change. I just remembered that. I thought I’d blinked, and she was there, but I saw her the whole time. The vision of her, tangled blonde hair and big green eyes, has haunted me every night in my dreams. She came to me, crying. She used her hands to try to stop my stomach from bleeding, but it was no use. I think she felt me slipping away.”

  “So she left you there? Left her mate to fucking die!”

  Murphy’s anger poured off of him in waves as he stood, knocking the chair back and tipping it over. Finn had felt that same rage several times when he wasn’t sure if Laura existed. He’d wanted to find her and kill her. Hell, he’d told her when he’d seen her that he wanted to rip her throat out.

  “I think I did die,” Finn said. “I think you probably felt it. I’m sure she did.”

  “You were alive when Zane and I got there,” Murphy argued. “She left you there like that. She’s not a fit mate for you or any man. If you want her throat ripped out, I’ll be happy to do it for you.”

  Finn hissed. “She’s my mate. You’d be smart to remember that.”

  “I’m the one who saved your sorry ass,” Murphy said. “She’s the one who left you to die.”

  “Don’t make me choose between the two of you,” Finn warned.

  Murphy snarled. “There shouldn’t be a fucking choice to make.”

  “Murph.” Finn held his hand toward his brother, but Murphy shook it off as he tore out the back door, tossing the towel behind him. He had shifted and was gone before Finn made it to the door.

  “Fuck!” he exclaimed. The last thing he needed was a conflict between his mate and his brother. He couldn’t choose between them. He wouldn’t. He needed them both helping to figure out what was going on with him.

  Chapter Six

  “What do you mean he’s gone
?” Laura demanded.

  Gideon wasn’t looking at her, his gaze on Tah as he answered her question. “His animal has fully emerged. He shifted in the room and took off. Murphy followed him.”

  “Three guesses who brought the beast out of recession,” Reno said, and Laura didn’t have to look to know they all stared at her.

  “I’d like to ask you a few questions, Laura,” Gideon said.

  “Don’t you think I should be out there? Searching for Finn?”

  “I think you’re the last person he needs to see right now,” Gideon admitted. “Plus, I’m fairly certain Murphy isn’t a fan of yours right now.”

  She understood why they were reluctant to let her leave. They were afraid Finn would be even more of a threat to her in his animal form.

  “Do we need to keep her away from Finn and Murphy?” Logan asked.

  “No,” she said before anyone else could. “Finn’s my mate. I understand that you all have concerns about that, but I don’t. We just need to deal with stuff, and we’ll be fine.”

  “Which brings me back to my questions,” Gideon said. “I know you found him when he was with the hunters. I gather from what was said that you found him after the hunters had left him for dead. Where was he?”

  “In a cabin of sorts,” she whispered, closing her eyes and feeling as if she were right back there, experiencing it all again. “I went to him. I felt him slipping away from me.”

  “Did you know he was your mate?” Tah asked.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “I placed my hands on his stomach. There was so much blood there, more than anywhere else on him. I saw the cut. I knew it was deep. I tried to stop the bleeding, but I couldn’t. He was dying.”

  “Were you injured?” Gideon asked.

  “A few cuts and bruises. Nothing like him. He was…broken. They’d…done things to him. The marks, the blood, so much blood.”

  “Why did you leave him?” Diane demanded. “When my mate’s life was on the line, I knew I’d give anything to keep him safe. Why did you leave Finn when he needed you most?”

  “He died. I swear. I felt him slip away from me. I felt him die, and it nearly broke me. His bleeding grew sluggish. His heart—” Her voice broke on a sob that she struggled to hold in. “His heart stopped beating. I gave him a kiss and forced myself to go. I didn’t…” She shook her head and wiped furiously at the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I left to continue my search for a missing girl.”

  “Did you find her?” Tah asked softly.

  “Yes. I found her and two others, both males. I was able to help them.”

  “I need to check a few things,” Gideon said. “I’m going to grab the Professor and go over this with him. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Diane said.

  “Me, too,” Abby agreed before heading to her mate. Tah stood when she crossed to him. “I’m going to leave Regan with you.”

  Tah wrapped Abby in his arms and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her lips despite everyone who stood there. So much love radiated between the two. Laura wanted that with her mate. She could only pray she hadn’t destroyed any chance of it.

  “She’ll be fine. Her two godfathers are both here, as well,” Tah said.

  Abby laughed. “She already has the lot of you wrapped around her finger. You guys spoil her rotten. You don’t have to jump every time she whimpers.”

  “Yes, we do,” Logan retorted. “I’ll slay all the dragons. Every princess has a guard. We’re hers.”

  Laura remembered a time when she was little, maybe six. Logan would have been fourteen. She’d had a nightmare and refused to go back to bed until her dad checked for monsters. Her father had belittled her and ordered her back to bed. She’d gone back upstairs and sat quietly outside her door, crying as softly as she could. Logan had walked over, scooped her up and swung her onto his back. Then he’d gone in and checked every inch of her room. He’d also stayed with her, vowing to slay any dragons that might come after her in her dreams.

  “You were always good at slaying dragons,” she admitted and saw the surprise on his face at her words.

  He didn’t say anything, maybe sensing her chaotic emotions and not wanting to upset this new turn. Gabriel nodded at her, and a smile ghosted across his lips. Her life was such a mess right now. A mate who wasn’t a mate, a brother she wasn’t sure of, a friend she’d wounded earlier with her display of temper. Hell, after what she’d done with Finn, she wouldn’t be surprised if she was asked to leave. She wouldn’t blame them either.

  “Laura,” Tah called her name, and she blinked, realizing Abby, Diane and Gideon had left while she’d been lost in thought.

  “I’m so sorry,” she swore.

  “No one blames you for what happened,” he vowed. “We’re just confused. Finn lost his memory and wasn’t able to tell us anything. You didn’t share because you thought your mate was dead. I imagine you were grieving.”

  She had been. She’d felt broken inside, caring little whether she lived or died, and as Gabriel had mentioned earlier, her actions had shown it. She’d taken huge risks and almost wound up killed. If Gabriel hadn’t come after her, if he’d stayed with Kenzie, Laura would have died. Yet, she’d thrown the fact he’d left his mate in Gabriel’s face earlier. She was a menace.

  “Do you think Finn will ever forgive me?” Laura asked.

  “I think there are a lot of things mates can deal with and still come out okay.” Reno’s mate, Amia, was the one to answer. She rose from her seat and crossed to where Laura stood. “There’s a reason the two of you are fated to be together. Trust in that.”

  Laura nodded, though in all honesty, she wasn’t sure what she trusted anymore.

  “I need to head back into town,” Daniel interrupted. He hugged Laura close, kissing her brow. “You’re going to be okay. Promise. Just hang in there.”

  She nodded, soaking up his warmth.

  “Any more information on those files you found?” Tah asked him.

  “Still looking into them,” Daniel answered, continuing to hold her close. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything.”

  “What files?” Laura asked, greedy for a distraction.

  “Ones we came across while going through Dad’s stuff,” Daniel said. “I was planning to show you but haven’t had time yet.”

  Because she’d been a coward. First, she’d hidden from Logan, not wanting to see her brother, much less talk to him. Now, it was Finn.

  “What’s so interesting about them?” she asked.

  “It’ll be easier if you look at them,” Gabriel said. “I’ll bring them over first thing tomorrow. See if you can figure out any of it. Most of it is written in some type of code. Dates, numbers and letters. He had them all in a safe we didn’t even know he had.”

  “They must be important then,” Laura said.

  “We’ll get it figured out,” Daniel said. “You should head home. Have Gabriel walk you over. Get some rest.” He ran his thumb under her eye where she knew the circles had grown darker with each restless night.

  “I don’t need anyone to walk me to my house. I know where it is, and I’ll be perfectly safe getting there,” she retorted.

  “Don’t take any chances,” Daniel said.

  “I’ll walk her,” Gabriel said. “We can walk out with you.”

  “Going home sounds like a great idea,” Tah said. “Just make sure you stay there. I’d feel better if you didn’t go looking for Finn on your own. He’ll be back when he’s ready. Give him the time to link with his beast and create the bond needed.”

  “I’ll wait for him to come to me,” she promised.

  “Laura,” Tah called as she turned to leave.

  She faced him once more and lifted a brow in question.

  “No matter what happens between the two of you, you’re still a member of this pride. I don’t want you to think otherwise,” he told her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, afraid she might break dow
n and cry in front of them. She clutched the hand Daniel held out to her as if it were a lifeline and followed him out the door and down the hall toward the front door.

  She and Gabriel stood by Daniel’s county sheriff’s car. Daniel looked around, and she knew who he was looking for though he never said a word.

  “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

  “I’m fine,” he said with a smile. “You just concentrate on making sure you are.”

  She nodded and gave Daniel a peck on the cheek.

  “I’ll see you later in the morning,” Gabriel told Daniel. The two brothers shared a look she was certain had to do with her then Daniel got in his car and pulled away.

  “I don’t need you to walk me to my house,” Laura said when she and Gabriel were alone.

  “Maybe, I need to,” he said, walking away from her.

  They walked in silence for a few beats before Gabriel stopped and turned to stand in front of her. “Do you want this man as your mate?”

  She gave him a startled look. “Yes! God, yes! Why would you even ask me a question like that?”

  Gabriel snorted. “You never mentioned him. Not even once. Plus you ran as soon as they arrived and didn’t come back until after Finn had left to check in with the Holloways. Then today. Your mate stated for everyone to hear that he planned to rip your throat out.”

  “I left,” she emphasized the word, letting him know how much she didn’t appreciate his choice of statement, “because Logan was here and I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing him. I needed time. I had no idea my mate was here, or I would never have walked away. He’s my mate. I didn’t just leave him there to die. I felt him die. I swear it.”

  Gabriel nodded. “I don’t know Finn or his brother very well. I do know they’re very close. They share a bond that mirrors the one formed between mates. They can feel each other. It’s how Murphy was able to track and find Finn.”

  “What are you saying?”