by Lacey Thor
“And you loved him.”
She ran a finger over Emery’s arm, loving that she could touch him now. Hold him now. See his perfection instead of merely imagining it. Perfection Lander would never get to see for himself.
She moved her gaze around the room, taking in everything and nothing as her mind drifted to another room in another facility where a man had become a friend. A friend who’d asked her for a favor that still haunted her every day of her life. She couldn’t let her dad believe they’d been more than friends, though.
“I didn’t. Not romantically. I felt for him. I wanted to help him. Would have given almost anything to free him. But I couldn’t. I thought there was nothing more Talbot could do to hurt me when I lost Lander, but Talbot always finds a way. He did when he put a baby inside me. Any threat to my child and I did whatever I was told.”
Anything she was told. He’d manipulated her into doing what he wanted, using the same threat. She still had nightmares about waking up but being unable to move while Talbot worked over her stomach. Sometimes, he’d tell her that he was taking her baby, that her child was already gone. Then he’d laugh as she cried.
Her father brushed tears from her cheeks she hadn’t even realized she was shedding.
“I’ve never hated another being as much as I hate Talbot. Not even the men who killed your mother, and trust me when I say, I hate them. But Talbot? I wish they would have killed him instead of capturing him and bringing him here. Even under lock and key, he’s still managing to hurt you.”
Her keeper had certainly managed to get inside her head to the point he was still there even when he wasn’t around her. It was terrifying. She went through every day as if she were waiting for something to happen. Something he had set in place. Not knowing was as scary as the physical changes taking place within her.
“I don’t…”
Her words trickled off as a knock sounded at the door.
Diane poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, guys, but Tah and the others are here and ready to talk.”
“Give us just a second, please,” Quinn asked, and Diane nodded before ducking back out.
“We’ll finish our talk later. There’s so much more I need to say to you. So much I want you to understand.”
“You’re home,” Miles said as he dropped a kiss on her head the way he had so many times when she’d been a little girl. “That’s all that matters. I love you. Everything else is merely semantics.”
“I love you, too. Why don’t you take your grandson and watch over him while I speak to the alpha and whoever’s with him?”
“I’ll stay with you,” he offered. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
She hadn’t planned to. She’d hoped Mitch would be back at her side as she shared things with the pride. Things she didn’t want to hide from her father but still didn’t want to say in front of him. There were things a father never needed to hear about his daughter.
“I’d rather not have Emery here for this. He easily picks up on my emotions, and I don’t want him upset. He just ate. He’s probably ready for a nap. And what could be better than bonding time with his grandfather?”
Her father wasn’t fooled. She could tell by the look in his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, biting her bottom lip when he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead again before cradling Emery closer against his chest.
“You know there’s nothing you could share that would make me feel anything but proud of you, right?”
She smiled, unable to articulate her feelings. How did she tell him there were things that would bring her shame no matter how many years passed? That there were bloodstains on her hands that went soul deep? How did she tell him the man he thought she’d loved had died while she stood there and watched?
Chapter Eight
Mitch heard yelling as soon as he hit the farmhouse door. Loud, booming voices with growls thrown into the mix. He had no idea what to expect, but nothing could have prepared him for the faceoff he walked in on.
Reno stood on one side of the room with Logan in front of him. Tony was on the other side with Aleksy in front of him. Jonah and a few of the other guys stood on the fringes, obviously ready to step in as needed while two women stood directly in the middle. Reno’s mate, Amia, and Aleksy’s mate, Lyra. Lyra also happened to be Reno’s long-lost sister. This couldn’t be good.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded as he moved into the thick of it.
“Did you know?” Reno bellowed, turning his rage toward Mitch.
“Know what?” Mitch asked, but he had a feeling he knew what Reno referred to. Seemed news traveled fast within the pride.
“That Talbot is his family,” Reno sneered.
“No, he didn’t,” Aleksy answered before Mitch could. “No one knew but me.”
“And me,” Lyra added softly, sharing a look with her mate.
“Because he’s not family,” Aleksy continued. “Tony didn’t know about him until Talbot left him a fucking calling card.”
“No,” Tony warned, but Reno cut him off.
“I don’t care what he left. Do you have any fucking idea what he put my mate through?”
Now, it was Amia’s turn to interfere.
“Don’t make this about me, Reno.”
He sent her a tortured gaze. “Some nights, you still wake up in a cold sweat, feeling as if you’re trapped. He did that to you.”
“My father did that to me,” she countered, reminding them all that her father was Marcus Blane, the other main person in the force they battled.
“Talbot created it. Gave them the tools to build it. How do you think that makes us feel? To know we’ve trusted someone who shares his blood.”
“The way I share blood with Marcus?” Amia’s question was like a bomb going off in the room.
“It’s not the same.” Reno shoved Logan out of the way and reached for his mate. “You hid nothing from us.”
“Look at how we met, Reno. There was no opportunity to hide the blood in my veins. But I’m no more my father than Tony is his uncle. You know that. We both know that. You’re just hurt that he wasn’t honest with us.”
Amia was right. Mitch was hurt, too. He’d known Tony for a lot of years. Fought with him. Hunted Talbot and Blane with him and never once known there was a blood connection between them. Tony could have told them. Not a single one of the men in the room, the ones who’d fought and stood beside Tony every day, would ever judge him. Not for something out of his control.
“People are entitled to keep their secrets,” Aleksy said. “Especially, when they don’t affect anyone else, and despite what you might think, this one doesn’t.”
“I have as much reason to hate Talbot as any of you,” Tony said, finally rejoining the conversation. “My reasons are my own.”
“No apology for not letting us know?” Reno charged.
“No.” Tony’s answer was short and to the point.
“Let it go,” Amia urged her mate. “Please.”
Reno growled, but his gaze went to his sister. “Don’t step between us again.”
So that was what had happened. It made sense, though. Tony and Aleksy were like brothers. They shared a special bond. Aleksy also shared a unique bond with his mate. Thus, the trio were quite close while Lyra was still finding her way with her brother.
“Don’t make her,” Aleksy said, defending his mate.
Reno growled again then pulled his sister to him and hugged her close. “I lose my head when it comes to my mate’s safety.”
“We all do,” Aleksy agreed, then his gaze locked onto Mitch. “Speaking of, I thought you were with Quinn.”
Mitch didn’t bite the bait Aleksy had thrown out. Despite signs to the contrary, Quinn was human. Same as Mitch. Humans didn’t mate the way shifters did. Even if he wished they were mates. Wished he could claim her as his and only his. It would at least explain how quickly she’d come to matter so much to him. He’d ba
rely been apart from her since they’d first met. They’d had quiet conversations and sat in easy silence. A lot of silence. Yet, they’d formed an attachment to each other. One that continued to grow stronger every day.
“I called in reinforcements,” Jonah offered with a shrug.
“Called me claiming someone was going to kill Tony. Didn’t sound like you were here to protect him.”
“I don’t need either of you to protect me. I wasn’t in any danger here.”
Tony threw a glance toward Jonah, who merely shrugged again. “He was definitely on the way to killing you.”
“I was,” Reno agreed with Jonah.
“In your dreams, tiger man,” Tony assured Reno.
“Don’t start it up again,” Aleksy warned before Reno could say anything back to Tony. “Besides, we were talking about Quinn. How’s she doing now that she’s awake? How’s the baby?”
“She’s healing. Her son’s a little warrior. Crazy strong and alert. I’m not knowledgeable on shifter babies, but seeing him, I’d never have believed he was born early.”
“There’s something that doesn’t add up.” Tony threw out the comment, and Mitch wanted to ignore it, but Reno decided that was the bonding point for his former combatant.
“Definitely something going on,” Reno agreed.
“If there is, she didn’t have a choice,” Mitch reminded everyone, feeling his temper rise.
“I agree with you there.”
Tony’s words surprised Mitch, and it must have shown on his face.
“I operated on her. I saw firsthand some of the things Talbot’s subjected her to. Not my place,” he said when Logan opened his mouth. Whether he’d been about to ask what Tony had seen or not, Tony made his position clear. “That girl went through hell. And survived. No easy feat for even a shifter, much less a human woman. She’s got a story to tell. When she’s ready.”
Mitch agreed with Tony. “She was going to talk to her father when I left, but she’s agreed to talk to Tah.”
“Surprised you didn’t stay for that. I’ve noticed how close the two of you are.”
Mitch ignored Tony the same way he’d ignored Aleksy earlier. His relationship with Quinn wasn’t up for discussion. He’d get with Jonah later to go over her moving into the cabin. Or maybe, it was time he moved into one by himself. It had never mattered before, but if things went the way he hoped, Quinn and the baby staying with him wouldn’t be a temporary thing.
“I told her I’d be there when she spoke to Tah and whoever else,” he told them. “I’ve got some other things to do first if we’re all good here.”
He glanced back and forth between Reno and Tony. Reno glared at Tony then jolted when his mate threw an elbow into his stomach. He glanced down, tugging her firmly against him before dropping his head and nuzzling her neck. Her hands were clenched in the fabric of his shirt at his sides. When he finally lifted his head, his mate ducked hers against him, hiding her face in his chest.
“We’re good,” Reno said with a nod toward Tony. “For now.”
The testosterone levels in the room went up with those two words. Hell, if Tony wasn’t stirring shit up in one way, he was in another. The man couldn’t do anything the easy way. He shoved his way in then watched and waited while the fallout happened. Then he picked his way through again, choosing what he wanted and discarding the rest. Mitch had often claimed Tony had tunnel vision when it came to Dr. Victor Talbot. Jonah referred to it as Tony having a hate-on for the doctor. Either way, it made sense now. Mitch hoped he’d find out the rest of the story from Tony one day. Like what calling card Talbot had left for him to find.
“If we’re good, I could use your help with something, Jonah,” Mitch said with a nod to his friend.
“I’m all yours for…” He glanced at his watch. “The next hour.”
“Do you need—”
Numerous phones went off before Tony finished his sentence. Mitch didn’t need to glance at his to know what was going on. Another breach. They’d all been programmed into the secondary warning system. One put in place in case the men trying to free Talbot made it past the initial security.
Mitch’s men hit the doors at a run, heading toward the back to gear up and head out. They’d fan out and cover the perimeter of the main house, medical center, and the buildings closely surrounding the two. Tah’s group would cover the interior sections. The coyotes would take the outlying perimeter. Men would be stationed at Tony’s with Talbot and the place would be locked down. There would be no way in or out from the hidden rooms where Talbot was their unwilling guest.
Mitch headed toward Quinn. No way he was leaving her alone or trusting another with her care. He’d slip inside the med center, get to her room, and move her and her son to the sublevel where they’d be easier to protect. It would be even better once they finished installing the Tony-level of protection safe rooms in the med center and the main house where Tah and the main pride members lived. Tony didn’t fuck around when it came to protecting those he cared for, and despite his surly attitude at times, he cared a hell of a lot for the pride led by Tah.
“Logan!”
The other man’s mate, Clara, came tearing through the farmhouse, shoving aside anyone who didn’t move fast enough to get out of her way. The lioness looked sick.
“What is it?” her mate demanded.
Logan and Reno were both at her side in an instant, but the whole room seemed to hold its breath as they all waited to hear.
“Hunters. They’ve breached our security. They’re attacking on all fronts. A large group of them managed to break through and headed straight for the med center. I don’t know how the hell they bypassed our perimeter alarms this time, but they did.”
“Fuck!” Mitch yelled. “I’ve got to get to Quinn!”
“It looked like a twelve-man team,” Clara warned then focused on Logan and Reno. “Tah’s there. Abby, Professor Mueller. Diane. Vic and Gideon. They were going to meet with Quinn.”
They were after her and her baby. Mitch had no doubt in his mind why they’d gone straight to the medical center. Now, they’d have not only Quinn and her son, but the alpha, his mate, and the three main medical figures in the pride. Four, actually as Quinn’s dad, Dr. Jensen would be there also.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Reno thundered. “They’ve been testing our response times. Watching to see how quickly we react and how we respond. They’ve triggered the alarms on purpose so they can map where they are. Those teams were disposable. They were never meant to get away. They were meant to relay information for the bigger purpose.”
“Getting Quinn and her baby,” Tony stated. “They’re going to kill them.”
“Why? Why go through all this for one woman and her baby?” Logan asked.
“Because she’s not just a woman,” Tony offered. “Not anymore. I saw her. I opened her up and saw what that monster did to her. Hell, her son is probably Talbot’s greatest creation, and yes, that’s what I mean. I’m not sure even Quinn understands her son’s true biology. Or her own for that matter.”
“They’re going to kill more than Quinn and her son,” Reno stated. “If they can take out Tah and Abby, they’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“And it would strike a huge blow,” Jensen Holloway stated, and Mitch wondered when the other man had slipped into the room. The man had an uncanny way of hiding in plain sight. Mitch wasn’t sure if it was a bear shifter thing or a Jensen Holloway thing. “This pride is the link between most of the other alphas. The bears. The wolves. The coyotes. You guys have connections in all the factions. All of us uniting together? Not something they want to deal with.”
“Why the fuck are we still talking? Let’s get moving,” Logan ordered, but Tony caught Mitch’s arm before he could leave.
“What?” Mitch demanded.
“I need you to keep a level head and not go kamikaze on me.”
Mitch nodded but couldn’t force acquiescence past his lips. When it came down to it, he’d do whatev
er it took to protect Quinn and her son.
Chapter Nine
Quinn did her best to remain calm as more people came through the door. She’d expected the alpha and his mate, and Tah and Abby were the first to follow Diane into the room. Professor Mueller was with them, giving a nod toward her before taking his place by Abby’s side. Gideon’s mate Vic was next, though Gideon wasn’t with her. She was a tall, leggy blonde who’d fought with Tah in the Marines then rejoined him when the pride had been in Colorado. That was really the extent of what Quinn knew about her, except that she was close to Ariel and a force to be reckoned with. Not a woman Quinn wanted against her.
Gabriel Ericson followed slightly behind Vic. He was one of the pride members Quinn did know a lot about. They’d met. After all, Gabriel’s father had been the one to recruit her father then later her, as well. Isaac had always spoken of Gabriel as the Angel or dropped the fact his son was a liger shifter, a rarity among shifters even though there were two within the pride now. She hadn’t realized Gabriel had a brother until she’d briefly met Daniel when she’d stopped at the ranch with her dad. Isaac hadn’t wanted anyone to live on their land back then. He must have thrown a fit when Tah and his pride had moved in.
The door to her room closed with a firm snap that seemed to echo around her, bringing tension to her frame as she tried to brace for what the next few minutes would bring. She glanced around, taking in the others in the room. It surprised her that neither Reno nor Logan were among them. They were the alpha’s two closest friends, and she’d rarely seen him without one or the other close by.
Mitch wasn’t there, either. She was coming to realize just how much she depended on him. He was always there for her. She knew something must have held him up or else he’d be with her now, but she couldn’t use him as a crutch. She was a woman. One with a child who depended on her to keep him safe. She couldn’t fail them both.
“I’m going to head out,” Diane said before the interrogation could begin. “I’ll head down and take over baby duty from Gideon.”
Quinn wondered if her father was taking Emery to join Abby’s daughter, Regan, and Diane’s daughter, Amala. There was also a set of twin boys in the pride, the children of one of the male shifters named Calloway and his mate, Darby.
