Alex and Butler stood ready to support and help the members of their pack. Once Randall’s threat to the pack was eliminated, and Carter and Drew’s mate was rescued, all of them would breathe a sigh of relief.
“Jace, I know Alpha Randall has a few cabins on the outskirts of his pack land,” Mitchell spoke up, stepping forward slightly. “Last month he moved Susannah to one of them. Sometimes I was able to sneak away to visit with her, but she was always well guarded.”
“Could you give us directions to that cabin?” Jace asked him, looking at Carter and Doc as they stepped toward the young man.
“Yes, but I don’t know if she’ll be there. He might have moved her.”
Mitchell looked at Carter and Drew, realizing that these men were his sister’s mates. He was glad that she had chosen them. They had been great to him since he had come to Jace’s pack. He knew they would take care of Susannah and protect her so Randall couldn’t hurt her anymore.
“All the more reason we need to get the information today and go and get her,” Jace told him, nodding. “We can’t risk Randall moving Susannah to a place where we won’t be able to find her.”
“He’s hurt her before, Jace,” Carter spoke up, barely able to control his wolf. “We have to get her and bring her home.”
Drew stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his triad partner. He could feel the pain that was burning bright inside Carter. He was feeling the same pain, and it was nearly consuming him.
“I’m afraid Randall might kill her,” Drew said finally. “He got us to leave fifteen years ago by hurting her and threatening to kill her unless we left the pack. He said if we ever tried to come back to get her he would kill her mother, or kill you, Mitchell.”
“My mother died two winters ago,” Mitchell told them, sadness obvious in his voice. “And I’m here now. Alpha Randall won’t be able to use us to make Suzie stay with him anymore.”
“If Randall thinks we’ll be coming back to get her, there’s nothing to stop him from carrying through with his threat to kill her,” Drew said quickly, speaking aloud the fear that he and Carter had. He looked at Mitchell with agony in his eyes. “If she no longer has the ability to guide him with her dreams as you said, Mitchell, I’m afraid she is of no value to him any longer.”
Mitchell nodded, turning to Jace for guidance. “I agree,” he said softly. “When Suzie told me to come here to you, she said you would be the one to help me find my destiny. She also said you might be able to finally help free her.” Mitchell hesitated, his voice hoarse from the emotions he was trying to keep under control. “She’s been sad for a long time, Jace. Alpha Randall kept her apart from the rest of the pack. He eventually had her isolated in a cabin away from the rest of us. The last time I saw her, she was in a lot of pain. She’s been forced to wear a silver collar around her neck for a very long time. I tried to get it off of her, but I couldn’t.”
Mitchell hesitated, overcome with emotion. Dean stepped forward to stand beside him. Mia soon joined them and reached out to hold Mitchell’s hand. The support and concern the two had for him gave him the strength he needed to continue.
“Suzie never told me that she had mates,” he said softly. “She always told me she was destined to be alone. She said she would be used up by the time she was thirty, and then she would be ready to die.”
“No,” Drew gasped, unable to hold back the pain.
Carter reached out and clasped his hand on Drew’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. The worry and pain that filled both men bled through their link. It was all Carter could do to refrain from speaking, but he couldn’t stop the low growls of anger that were rumbling from him.
“That’s what she said,” Mitchell told him gently. “She said it was her destiny to guide me here then give up her gift. I think that’s why the dreams are coming to me more often now.”
Jace faced the young man silently. He could feel the sorrow and confusion emanating from him, but it was nothing compared to the agony he could feel Carter and Doc experiencing. His wolf was pacing restlessly, demanding to be released to help and protect the members of his pack.
Jackson stood beside him, his presence supportive as always. Jace could feel Jackson’s wolf ready to be turned loose and gain retribution for the interrupted triad mating of Carter, Susannah, and Doc.
He turned and looked at Jackson, unable to push down the anger that was surging through him. He didn’t think even Laurie’s calming influence could ease his fury.
“We need our Suzie,” Carter finally spoke up, his voice rough with emotion.
Jace looked at Carter and nodded. “And you shall have her,” he promised. “We’re going to go and get her and bring her home.”
Carter pulled his truck into the small area of open land just inside Randall’s property. He parked behind Jace’s truck and shut off the engine.
“Do you think we’ll find her, Drew?” he asked, turning toward his triad partner, surprised to see the smile on his face. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because, we’ll be holding Suzie in our arms before the night is over,” he answered confidently.
“Let’s hope you’re right,” Carter muttered as he opened the truck door and stepped down from the cab.
Jace waited until they joined him at the tailgate of his truck. “Mitchell said there are three cabins that Randall uses to detain troublesome pack members,” he told them quietly, anger filling him at the thought of anyone, especially a woman who should be cherished, treated with such cruelty. “Butler and Alexander have already taken that path looking for Nikki,” he told them, pointing toward the left. “Is there a path that calls to either of you?”
“The center one,” Drew answered immediately. “I know we’ll find our mate there.”
Carter watched his partner silently. Drew had been able to instinctively know things since they were children. His instincts had always proven to be correct, and he had no doubt in his mind that Drew was accurate in his choice now.
Jace nodded and turned toward the right path. “Jackson and I will head up the right path. If we find anyone being held there, we’ll give them the choice to come with us.”
“We’ll meet you back here,” Jackson added quietly.
Carter and Drew nodded and rushed away, running up the center path. Their hearts were guiding them. Something grew stronger within them as they traveled deeper up the path. It was as if they could sense the life force that they had missed so badly—the life force that belonged with them and made them feel whole.
“Drew!” Carter whispered excitedly, grabbing for Drew’s forearm as he saw the one person he had never expected to see again. Their Suzie was exiting the cabin about fifty yards from them.
“Suzie.” Drew barely got out the word, his voice hoarse with emotion as the woman they loved walked down the porch steps and paused at the bottom to raise her face to the sky.
Both men ran forward at full speed, their strong sense of smell letting them know that there was no other wolf or human close by. They were determined to grab their mate and get the hell out of there as quickly as they could. They weren’t going to breathe a sigh of relief until they were securely inside their truck and driving their way home to Beckett’s pack land where they knew they would be safe.
Suzie stepped out onto the narrow porch of the cabin that had been her prison for the past month. She could feel the heat of the early afternoon sun and took a moment to turn her face up to welcome the warmth of the ball of fire that she had been deprived of for so long. Opening her eyes slowly, she reached out to hold the railing before her as she stepped down off the porch. She breathed a sigh of relief as her feet made contact with the soft earth.
Taking in a deep breath, she rubbed at her eyes tiredly before she turned toward the distance. She was about to head out to the furthest cabin Randall used to detain those who had lost favor with him where she knew her best friend Meeka and Meeka’s son Eric were being held when two large bodies slammed into her.
She gr
owled and struggled against the arms that wrapped around her, kicking and scratching with every bit of strength she had. She was not going to be put back in that cabin. She would not survive another visit from Randall. She could not let him touch her. She could not stand to have any man ever touch her again.
“Let go of me!” Suzie demanded, kicking out at the two men who held her. She didn’t know who they were, and she didn’t care. She just wanted them to take their hands off of her.
Suzie’s chest heaved with exertion as she fought to breathe through her fear. These two massive men held her tightly, and she knew her strength was no match for theirs. The years of wearing the silver collar had slowly drained her of her wolf abilities. She didn’t have her usual strength, her quickness, or her sense of smell that being a shifter had gifted her with at her birth. She could barely walk some days. She tried to pull out of their arms, but they held her firmly between them.
“Let me go,” she told them again firmly.
She was surprised when their hold on her relaxed and she was able to take a step back away from them. Lifting her chin defiantly, she faced them.
“Who are you?” she demanded, her focus on them never wavering. She reached out and swung at them again.
“Suzie! Stop!” Carter growled.
“It’s us, baby,” Drew added quickly, glad when their mate froze in their arms.
They released her reluctantly and took a step back from her. They watched as she struggled to take in each breath, sensing the anger deep within her.
Drew looked down at their mate as she lifted her head to face him and Carter and saw that her eyes were a faded blue instead of the hazel eyes with flecks of blue in them that they usually were. His heart slammed against his chest as he realized that she honestly didn’t know who they were.
Drew. She doesn’t know us.
He could feel the instant pain Carter was feeling.
It’s worse than that, Carter.
How could it be worse?
Drew lifted his hand and passed it in front of Suzie’s face a mere three inches from her eyes. She didn’t react in any way.
Carter. Our Suzie is blind.
Chapter 9
“Suzie,” Drew began gently, his voice choked with emotion.
Carter saw the way Drew struggled and knew a clear moment of panic. If Drew couldn’t handle this, how in the hell could he?
“Suzie, it’s us,” Carter spoke up, touching Drew’s shoulder lightly as they both took a step toward their mate. “It’s Drew and Carter.”
Suzie stepped back and raised her hands, balling them into fists. The instant growl that she emitted carried loudly in the silence of the clearing.
“My Carter and my Drew are dead,” she told them angrily. “How dare you say something like that to me?” She took a step back, never lowering her hands. “Get the hell away from me.” Her words were cold and deadly as she faced the two men.
“Who told you we were dead?” Drew demanded, beyond furious at the lie.
“Suzie Q, it’s us,” Carter tried to explain again softly.
Suzie hesitated at use of the pet name that only Drew and Carter called her. Lowering her hands slowly, her forehead briefly furrowed in confusion before anger filled her and she raised her hands and clenched her fists once again.
She swung out in anger, her fist striking one of their chests. The slight oomph she heard when she connected gave her great satisfaction. She didn’t much care which one of them she hit, she was just glad that she had hit one of them.
“Suzie!” Drew gasped, grabbing for her arms and tugging her into his embrace. “You can be as pissed off as you want to be, but whatever you have to say to us you can do it in the damn truck! We have to get the hell out of here!”
Suzie struggled with every bit of strength she had left. She kicked and bit and scratched, knowing she hurt whoever held her and not caring one damn bit that she did. She was glad that she had hurt them. She wanted to hurt them.
“Let go of me,” she demanded. “You lost the right to ever touch me again when you walked away and left me to suffer for the last fifteen years.”
Drew released her slowly, stepping back as she stood before him, her chest heaving with effort. He saw the hurt on her face, and it pained him clear down to his soul.
“How could you leave me and never try to come and save me?” she whispered. “I thought we were mates. I thought we would always be there for each other.”
Carter stepped forward and stood beside her. “It was my fault, Suzie,” he told her softly.
“No,” Drew stopped him. “It was my decision. I take full responsibility for walking away. I know you can never forgive me, Suzie, and I don’t blame you one bit.”
“Drew,” Carter growled. “Don’t take this on. It’s not right.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Suzie interrupted them. “I don’t care.”
Both men froze at the sincerity in her words. She couldn’t have hurt them more than if she had shot them dead at that moment.
“I need to get out of here, but first I have to get Eric and Meeka,” she told them with determination. “Will you help me, or do I need to do that on my own, too?”
“We’ll do whatever you want, honey,” Carter told her.
“What I wanted was to be with my mates,” she snapped.
“We wanted that, too, honey,” Carter responded vehemently.
“Yeah, right,” she dismissed him. “That’s why it took you fifteen years to come for me. That’s why I was a prisoner in my own home and was only allowed to speak to my mother, my brother, and my friend Meeka. That’s why I was forced to wear this collar, lost all my wolf abilities, and was robbed of my sight.” Her voice was escalating in volume and close to being hysterical. “And that’s why I was put in that damn cabin, shackled to a wall, and cut off from everyone—because you wanted to be with me.”
Drew’s face was a mask of despair. He had no words to tell Suzie how much her suffering had weighed upon his mind and his conscience. Nothing he could say or explain would ever make up for the time she had lost or the way she had suffered.
“I can only say that there was not a moment of every day that we didn’t want you with us, Suzie,” he told her calmly. “Please don’t dismiss Carter. He wanted to come back for you. I was the one who wouldn’t let him.”
“Drew,” Carter growled.
“No, Carter,” Drew stopped him. “Suzie is right. We should have figured something out. It’s my fault that we didn’t rescue her.”
“Okay then, I’ll hate you a little more than I hate Carter. Satisfied?” Suzie asked, her anger filling her and spilling out with all the years of loneliness and fear she had suffered being away from the two men who still held her heart despite her words.
She hates us, Carter.
I know. I don’t blame her.
Drew nodded, his expression beyond sad. He watched as Suzie turned and started walking away from them. He hesitated only a moment before he followed her.
Her strides were strong and held purpose as she walked the dirt path. She stumbled slightly when her foot turned on a rock. They reached for her to steady her, but she pushed their hands away angrily.
“Please, Mate,” Carter begged her.
“I don’t need you to help me,” she told them firmly, righting herself quickly and continuing to walk away from them.
“How are you able to walk the path accurately, Suzie?” Drew asked her quietly.
“I still see shadows,” she told him gruffly. “As long as the sun is out, I can pretty much maneuver around. Once it gets dark, though, I’m unable to see anything. I’m not of any use.”
“Where are you going, honey?” Carter asked from his place at her other side.
“I’m going to the cabin about a mile from here. I’m going to get Meeka and Eric. I already told you that.” Her tone was clipped and angry as she spoke to them. It was obvious she had no patience for them.
“Who is Eric?” Carter aske
d her, daring to engage her in conversation. “Is he Meeka’s mate?”
“Eric is three years old,” Suzie told him, exasperation evident in her voice.
“He’s just a cub?” Drew asked, surprised. “Who does he belong to?”
“He belongs to me.”
Chapter 10
Drew reached out and grabbed for Suzie’s right arm just as Carter grabbed for her left. Between the two of them, they jerked her to a stop and dragged her back to turn her around and face them.
“What do you mean, he belongs to you?” Drew yelled, growling.
“Let go of me,” Suzie demanded, twisting her arms to try to remove their hands from her forearms, but it was useless.
“Hell, no!” Carter yelled. “Who dared to touch you? You bear our mating mark. No wolf should ever touch you.”
“A mating mark doesn’t mean anything if your mates are dead!” Suzie shot back, ignoring their questions. She didn’t have time for any discussion. She had to get to Meeka and Eric.
“We’re not dead!” Drew yelled back, his face mere inches from hers.
“Well, Randall told me you were, and everyone here believes that you are. So you are!”
“Damn it!” Carter yelled. “You’re our mate, Susannah Robinson. It doesn’t matter what the hell anyone else believes. You belong to us!”
“Not anymore, I don’t,” Suzie insisted. “You haven’t claimed me in a long time, Carter. I belong to myself now.”
Drew’s growl came from deep within his chest. His wolf was clawing to get out. His eyes were completely golden, and his canines had dropped. Their mate was denying them. That would not be tolerated. The past fifteen years be damned! She belonged to them, and she was going to understand and accept that right now.
“Drew, stay in control,” Carter warned him, his own wolf close to the surface. His blue eyes had changed as well, the deep golden color striking and beautiful as he looked down at their Suzie. “This is really not the time for this discussion. We don’t know how long we’ll have before Randall or his men will return.”
Susannah's Saviors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 11
