She glanced down, and her shirt was soaked in it, Sam’s blood. Her mate who was also an animal, but he’d used his own body to protect her. She stared at Sam’s large Victorian house and took a breath. The future awaited her. No matter what, her life would never be the same again.
Chapter Eleven
Gage paced in the living room as Avery watched him. Lycan enforcers crammed Sam’s large house as their healer, Chiron, worked on Sam. His mother, Evelyn, sat next to Avery with her arms wrapped around her. Helplessness and fury burned in his Lycan blood as he waited for word on his brother.
“Maybe I should go and check on Rylee,” Avery whispered.
“She’s already gone back to sleep, dear. Don’t wake her up. Tomorrow will be hard enough on her. Let her have this bit of peace.”
Gage wanted to punch a wall. Tiny innocent Rylee had awakened to the sounds of gunfire. Evelyn had tried to calm the panicking child, but the gunfire had sent Rylee spiraling into a flashback. He’d had no choice but to compel her to sleep until the healer could wake her and find some way to help her. The guilt ate at him like acid on metal. They’d meant to keep Rylee safe, not traumatized all over again because of them.
“Do you really think he’ll be okay?” Avery asked once again.
Gage nodded. “Sure, he will. He has Lycan and Vampire blood. He heals faster than most Lycans. If Chiron stays ahead of the blood loss, Sam will be fine.”
He couldn’t say the same for the bikers they’d captured. They held them in their own jail that was separate from the human’s jail. This one was completely underground and in the middle of a guarded compound. There would be no chance a human would happen upon their interrogation or hear the tough guys’ screams.
“Chiron is also an amazing healer. Even without Sam’s bad-ass Vampire blood, he’d pull him through.”
“He took all those bullets for me. He just laid over me.” Gage could see the guilt written on her face.
Gage sat down next to her and took her hand. “Of course, he did. One, he’s the Alpha and he’s very protective of everyone in his territory. Two, you’re his mate. Any Lycan worth his fur would lay down over his mate when someone is shooting at them.”
“Gage. Come on in here,” Chiron called from the room Sam was in.
“I’ll be back.” Gage kissed her lightly and then got up and walked into the room Sam was in.
* * * *
The living room was starting to lighten now that the sun was coming up. Avery could see Sam’s personality in the dark leather furniture surrounding the stone fireplace. Dark mahogany wood trimmed the doors and windows of Sam’s living room, and it all just made Avery more upset. Why was it always wrong for her? Every single time. There’d been so much blood. Surely, Gage was just being positive when he assured her Sam would be okay. Her last words to him had been harsh and filled with fear. He would die thinking she didn’t love him.
She jumped when Evelyn came over and put her arms around her. “You look as bad as Sam, dear.”
In that moment, the grief won and Avery threw her arms around Evelyn. “This is all my fault. They were here for me, and they killed Sam.”
Evelyn held her close and ran her hands up and down her back. “It’s okay, dear. It’ll all be okay.”
“No, it won’t. Rylee is worse than ever, and I killed Sam. If only I had just left after they slashed my tires. I suspected they’d found me, but I was too selfish to just leave.”
“Sam is going to be just fine. He has a lot of his father’s Vampire blood in him. He’s awake enough to take Gage’s blood. That’ll speed his healing.”
Avery let go of Evelyn. “I don’t understand any of this. People don’t get shot like that and just recover.”
“We’re not people, Avery. We’re supernatural. Lycans to be exact. Although my sons have Vampire blood, as well, they are mostly Lycan.”
“This is…just crazy.”
Evelyn gave her a small smile. “I know it’s a lot to take in all at once. My sons had planned to ease you into this a lot slower until you became a target.”
“Why me? I’m just me.”
“You are something more, Avery. The gods chose you to be Sam and Gage’s mate. “
Hanging her head, she rubbed her temples. First fate and now gods. What kind of world had she fallen into? Rylee. Dear god, you’re sitting her pining over a man, and your baby is in another room. She tried to jump up, but for such a slight woman, Evelyn had incredible strength.
“Please don’t. You won’t get far. Sam has the best trackers besides Marcus’ pack.”
Avery turned to regard Evelyn with a shocked expression. “You think I would leave my baby to run away? I just want to go to her.”
Evelyn nodded. “She’s in a deep sleep, though. To put it simply, Gage hit the pause button for her until Chiron can help her.”
“I understand.” She did. Rylee’s flashbacks were awful, and there were many times she’d wished she could just make them stop.
Evelyn let her go, so Avery ran up the stairs two at a time and threw open the first door. It was a bathroom, so she ran to the next. It looked masculine and well used. She figured it was Sam’s and moved on. It was feminine and had an old-world charm to it.
“That is my room, dear. Rylee is over here. I tried to make sure she was far away from the street, but she heard anyways.”
Avery walked into the room, and her heart melted at the sight. Rylee appeared so tiny and fragile in the large queen-size bed. She sat down on the edge of her bed and brushed her dark hair away from her face. The corners of her eyes were still damp as evidence she’d been crying.
“I wasn’t here for her. What kind of mother am I?”
“What kind of mother do you expect to be?” Evelyn crouched down close to her and placed her hand on Avery’s knee.
Avery met her gaze as her lower lip trembled. “One that didn’t constantly hurt my baby. All I do is screw up her life.”
Evelyn shook her head at her. “Why do you think our enemy trying to hurt is all your fault?”
“They were after me. It’s The Brotherhood, the biker gang Collin rode with.”
Evelyn rose to her feet, and then sat down on the bed. “Okay, there are things you never knew before. Neither I nor my sons could tell you, because you weren’t aware of us Supernaturals. My son has told you, right.”
Avery nodded. “Some.” If only she could go back to that moment and not freaked out so much. Perhaps Sam would be okay. Even though it was still shocking to her, something inside of her knew she was finally where she belonged. She’d found her place in the world with people who would never let her down. “Yes, Sam turned into a big wolf in front of me. I freaked out a bit.” She bit her lip. “I’d seen it before, and it scared me.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Where?”
“Guys that hung around Collin also did that, but they weren’t as big. Still, they changed into big dogs, and then they tore into one of the guys that came to kill us all. They shot at them, and once they were dead, they melted back into men. I thought I was going crazy.”
“No. Our enemy, Mortef, is working with some coyotes. That is probably what you saw. Sam and Gage are Lycans. They are werewolves and very different from coyotes. For one they have honor. Coyotes are cowards without any loyalty. We knew Mortef was using them and a biker gang. I think you got caught up in that. Goodness, no wonder you’re a mess, child.” She kissed her forehead. “Sam is the Alpha, and he has some Vampire blood in him, as well. I can’t tell you how many humans I’ve seen freaking out far worse than you, and they didn’t have near the crap you’ve endured.”
“You’re married to a Vampire?” Avery’s eyes widened as she thought of the popular books and movies about a Vampire family. Right now, this seemed like a better subject than her past and werewolves.
The sadness on Evelyn’s face nearly crushed Avery’s heart. The loss she witnessed was reflected in her eyes and brought tears to Avery’s. “I’m sorry.” Aver
y took her hand. She hadn’t meant to make Evelyn so sad by her question.
Evelyn’s smile was shaky as she said, “It’s okay, Avery. No, I’m not mated to Sam and Gage’s father. My mate is a Lycan Alpha. Our families arranged our mating. Neither of us loved one another.” Her face grew sad. “Both of us hurt one another, and we were rather indiscreet. I met a Vampire who was missing his dead mate. I was in a loveless marriage, and he was lonely and grieving. I got pregnant, and then not long after, his brother, Mortef, murdered him to try and gain the coven from him and his nephew, Devon.”
“That is so sad.” Avery hugged Evelyn and then let her go. “Do Sam and Gage know?”
“That they have Vampire blood? Yes. They don’t know exactly who their father was or who their half-brother is though. My mate and I both decided to keep the information to ourselves. We couldn’t see any benefit if they knew their brother.”
Avery watched her face as she told the story, and the depths of her sadness were far more than just a forced marriage. “Do you love him, your mate that is?”
Evelyn shrugged. “It wouldn’t matter if I did or not at this point. Another man fathered my children. That is unforgivable.”
“Did he say that to you?”
Evelyn shook her head no. “He doesn’t have to. He keeps his silence and protects my standing in the pack, but he will never love me.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to Evelyn. She didn’t understand these people or their culture. She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” She looked around the room. “Any of this.”
Evelyn took her hand. “You will never suffer my fate. They were made for you as you were made for them. You three will complete each other as no one else in the world ever could. They will make you happier than you ever knew was possible, but I need you to trust now more than ever.”
“Why? Why tell me now?”
“Because there is a war going on as we speak. That is what you got caught up in. That is what the car was about, the shooting, and why there are so many of his ‘friends’ around. They’re really enforcers that are like police. They protect the packs and the Alpha.”
“A war?”
She nodded. “Yes. A former coven master, Mortef, started it and it’s getting nasty. He’s no longer a coven master. The Supernatural Council put a price on his head, forcing him into hiding. The Vampire Council had no choice but to disband that coven with their ruler in hiding. With Supernaturals hunting him, Mortef has turned to human outlaws, The Brotherhood, to help him do his dirty work. The tires were a warning to Sam to stay out of Mortef’s fight with Devon. Sam is protecting Devon’s mate’s family, and Mortef wants to use them to force Devon to surrender. Sam refused, so now he’s sending a stronger message. Sam told you tonight because you are a target now, so as you can see, if anything, it is our fault, not yours.”
“So,” Avery began and struggled to settle her thoughts as the information settled, “it was The Brotherhood, but they may not realize it’s me? You know they don’t like loose ends, and we did witness a failed hit.”
“I know they are a vicious gang. Either way, you are safer here, with Sam’s pack protecting you and Rylee, than you’ve ever been in your life. They don’t adhere to human laws and limitations. They will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Trust him, trust us, and know that you are now one of us.”
Chapter Twelve
Gage held still as Sam held his arm firmly to his mouth. His fangs imbedded into his radial artery. Healer Chiron monitored Sam’s heartbeat as he drank down Gage’s blood. His brother’s color was already much more like a man instead of a bed sheet, and he could feel more strength in his grip.
“Okay, Sam,” Chiron said as he touched Sam’s forehead. “That’s enough.”
Sam released Gage’s arm and took a ragged breath. “Avery?”
“She’s okay,” Gage assured him. “Mom’s with her. She mentioned she was going to talk to her about some of the things we were going to discuss with her.”
“Rylee?” he continued and then coughed.
“She’s sleeping.”
Sam’s eyebrows lifted. “Rylee slept through that?”
“No.” Gage’s voice caught. He would never forget seeing his mom trying to calm Rylee as she clung to her screaming. Her eyes stared unseeing as he took her into his arms. “Mommy, Mommy helps me.” It was the first time Gage had heard her speak, but she was in another place and reliving a horror he couldn’t imagine. “I had to compel her to sleep. She was beside herself and having some sort of nightmare or something. She was awake, but she wasn’t with me. I couldn’t talk to her or calm her down. It was like she was not even here.”
“Sounds like a flashback,” Chiron said with a grunt. “Sam will be up and around within a half hour since nothing vital was hit. He just lost some blood, which you replaced for him, Gage. I’ll wake her up and see what’s going on.”
Gage sighed in relief. Rylee would finally get some real help instead of a greedy human who saw her as nothing but a check.
* * * *
Everything was quiet, almost too quiet. The noontime sun was high in the sky, but there wasn’t a single person out. Avery paced the living room and looked out the massive picture window again. Yellow tape surrounded her house, and every ground floor window and a couple of basement windows were all shattered. She could make out a few bullet holes in the siding, as well. Grief welled within her. Her second-chance house sat in ruins now. It was a money pit before, and now there were thousands of holes in it. No one would take the time to try and bring life back to it with all the damage. The town would probably tear it down and it would be an empty lot, or someone would build something new and modern there. Modern never appealed to Avery. There was no character, no stories within the walls, just new and efficient.
The door opened, and Sam stood there in the mahogany-trimmed doorway. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. She used to mistake that for a fear reaction and a warning to her to run away. Now, she understood it was love. She’d been head over heels in love with Sam and Gage since the first time she spotted them. Her stomach flip-flopped, and her knees went weak. She placed her hand on the windowsill as her pulse raced. Heat flushed her face as she beamed a smile at Sam. She was in love, genuine, crazy love. Not some infatuation or some fantasy that someone would care for her, but real love.
“How are you feeling?” She walked toward him to help support him.
With surprising strength, he pulled her close to him and held her tightly to him. He buried his nose in her neck and inhaled. “I’m fine. I was so worried for you. I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you better.”
“What?” Her eyes blinked in confusion. Sam thought he hadn’t protected her? He used his body as a shield to protect her. How much more protection did he think he should have used?
“I knew I should have just grabbed you after I knew you were my fated mate. I went against my own instincts and decided to do this slowly. It nearly cost you your life.”
“Sam, this wasn’t your fault.” She paused, unsure how he would react. “Your mom and I talked while your healer fixed you up.”
Sam gazed down at her and smiled. “You didn’t run.”
“No, it’s overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure I was sane for a bit, but here you are standing and healed after being shot.” She glanced at his bare chest that didn’t have a single wound. “You look perfect.”
“Yeah, Gage’s Vampire blood helped me heal a lot faster. Times like these don’t allow for an Alpha to heal the old-fashioned way.”
“So, we’re really like married now?” She glanced into his eyes, and for a moment she was terrified he’d laugh at her and tell her it was a joke.
His gaze heated and she saw the lust burning in his dark depths. “Yes, Avery. Except our mating is far deeper than a marriage. There is no divorce here.”
She frowned. “I know. Your mom mentioned something about that.”
He cupped her chin. “My mom and her mate’s
parents were cruel to force them to mate. A lot of families at least make sure they care for one another on some level. They are complete opposites that only managed to get along.” He stroked his powerful hands up and down her body. “We’ll do far more than get along.”
Avery blushed to the roots of her hair. Had anyone heard him? She glanced around, but everyone was busy. The healer had been on the phone the entire time, his voice a soft cadence that filled the room.
“Who’s he talking to?” Avery heard Rylee’s name or child come up several times. It was obvious he was talking about her daughter.
“First, he called a healer from another pack, Yerel. Then, he called a healer that specializes in human younglings. Human children are a bit trickier. They’ve been sharing information to come up with a treatment plan for her.”
“All right, thank you, Yerel. I will check the amygdala region carefully as well as the other regions we discussed.” Chiron stood up and met Avery’s gaze. “You’re the youngling’s mother?”
Avery nodded at him as Sam wrapped his arm around her.
“Good. I want you to be the one holding her when I wake her up. Gage just paused Rylee’s panic attack. It will resume, or may even be even worse when I wake her and she sees it is daylight and you’re there. She won’t realize how much time passed. I want you to be the first face she sees.”
“Okay.” Avery took a breath. Rylee could have the most frightening nightmares, and she prepared herself for the coming storm. They walked into the bedroom, and Rylee was peaceful. She wondered if she would ever have her happy little girl again.
Chiron lifted Rylee and motioned Avery to sit down. Once she was on the bed, Chiron set her in her lap. “All right. Hold her tight. It’s going to be extremely frightening for her. We’ll give her just a few moments to calm down before I try to see what is going on with her brain.” He turned to Sam. “This may be loud, Alpha. I’ll understand if you want to step out.”
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