Fractured Silence (Talon Pack Book 5)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  McMaster stood, straightening his tie. It was time the world saw the shifters for who and what they were. And the bloodless body of Montag’s daughter would be the face of the movement.

  Revolution had never come so easily.

  Chapter Eight

  “What we’re seeing here is nothing short of murder,” McMaster said in a crisp voice as Brandon watched from his living room. “These shifters are not human. They are not like us. They need to be controlled so our children and everything we’ve fought for can be preserved. Without order, without control, these shifters will kill anyone who stands in their way of power. As you can see from this video surveillance, they attacked a lone woman walking in the forest alone. She had done nothing wrong except be the daughter of a man they hate. They ignored law, ignored policy, and took revenge into their own hands. How can this be allowed in our society? If we forsake what we know, forsake our laws and morals, would we not become the animals that hunt us like this poor woman?”

  Knees shaky, Brandon sank down onto the couch, Avery by his side. Parker sat on the other edge of the couch, and all three of them focused on the horror unfolding in front of them.

  “They think I’m dead,” Avery said after a moment. “They think a Talon member killed me for revenge.” Her body tensed next to him, and Brandon put his hand on her shoulder, taking in some of her pain. He shuddered, the intensity of her anguish a mark on his soul, but he kept going. “Stop it, Brandon,” she whispered. “You’re hurting yourself, and I need this anger.”

  Brandon shook his head. “You don’t need all of it. No one can think clearly with all of that bottled up inside of them.”

  Avery glared at him but didn’t say anything. His wolf wanted to help her more, but he held back, knowing if he did too much, too soon, he’d break the fragile trust she’d placed in him.

  “At times like these, I wish I were a Talon,” Parker said after a moment, and Brandon turned to the other man.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You two have a connection I don’t have. I’m a strange wolf in a different den. Sometimes, I miss my Pack.” He shrugged, and Brandon knew there was more than what Parker was saying. “As for what McMaster is saying…”

  “Not everyone is going to believe him, right?” Avery asked, desperation in her voice. “What if I told them I was alive?”

  Brandon shook his head. “Then you tell the world you are wolf. Is that something you’re ready for? Because you’ll be the true evidence of how shifters are made. They might think they know, but the world doesn’t know the truth behind it all.”

  “And people are afraid, Avery,” Parker added, bringing Brandon’s attention to him. “They’re so afraid of what could happen, that they’ll listen to anyone with a platform and a plan—no matter how vague or damaging it is.”

  “It wasn’t you, though,” she growled before standing up to pace in front of the screen. Brandon had muted the television right after the senator’s speech so they wouldn’t have to listen to the unending dissection of the man’s damaging words by the media.

  Brandon could sense her wolf rising, and he stood up with her so he could make sure she didn’t do anything that could hurt her. She’d only been a shifter for a few days, and there was no way she could be expected to have the kind of control she needed during a true bout of anger. That was one reason he’d siphoned off some of her rage earlier, though he hadn’t mentioned that—although he should because she honestly needed all the facts.

  “Avery,” he said slowly, the tone of the Omega in his voice. “You need to calm down or your wolf will come out and you might end up hurting yourself.”

  “He’s right,” Parker put in. “You’re not ready to do a partial shift, and I don’t even think you could if you tried at this point. So, if you let your wolf get too close to the surface, you’ll either shift fully when you’re not ready, or pass out from the pain.”

  Avery put her hands on her hips and glared at the two of them. “So I can’t feel what I need to feel now? Is that the case?”

  Brandon reached out and cupped her face. “I know you didn’t ask for this, but you live with another soul deep inside you now. You have another part of you that is vying for control, even if it doesn’t know how to do that yet. You’re going to have to control your emotions and reactions even if it doesn’t seem fair. Parker and I aren’t telling you to let this go, and we’re damn well not telling you to ignore what you’re feeling, but we want you to be aware of it.”

  “He’s right, Avery,” Parker said softly from beside Brandon. The three of them were standing close enough that he could feel their combined heat. And if he weren’t careful, Brandon would be the one ignoring reason and listening to his base instincts. “We’re going to fight this. We’ve been fighting for our people since before the Unveiling and we’re not going to stop now. You’re one of us, and that means you’re under our protection.”

  Her eyes glowed gold, and Brandon’s wolf perked up—exhausted as it was. He had a feeling once she settled into her new role, she’d be a dominant—perhaps even as dominant as he and Parker. It excited him to no end, but he put that aside, knowing it wasn’t the time. “I need to learn to protect myself,” she bit out. “I’ve been doing that for my entire life and I’m not going to suddenly want to rely on other people because they say it’ll be easier. I came to the den to help, and now I’m suddenly a shifter and locked away in a house.”

  Brandon stepped forward and cupped her face. Her cheeks heated under his palms, and he did his best to keep his libido under control. “We’re not your jailers. You have free rein of the den, though I think one of us should be with you for the time being while the others get used to you. Our Pack wasn’t always as healthy as it is now, and while you should be safe, there are those who might see you as the reason they fear.”

  Parker cursed at his words and moved so they stood side-to-side. The other man wrapped his arms around Avery’s hips, bringing the three of them closer than they had ever been before.

  From the way his dick responded, Brandon liked it far more than he should.

  “What he’s trying to say is that no den is perfect, and you’re not in jail. You’re still new, so wolves might feel the need to see who is more dominant. Those challenges happen often to new wolves or those who gain in power when their wolf is ready. It’s not just you. Believe me. And as much as I’d love for you to feel free to leave the den, right now, it’s not a good idea. No one in the Pack is safe out there, and I don’t think we will be until this whole thing comes to an end.”

  Avery studied them both before pulling away slightly. The movement ended with all three of them tangled a bit—a touch here, a caress there—but they still stood in their makeshift circle in the end. “I just hate feeling out of control. I will forever be grateful that you saved me and opened your home to me, but I might still feel a little resentful for the way things worked out, as well.”

  Brandon nodded. “We’re complex like humans in that respect—we’re allowed to feel more than one thing at a time.”

  “Shocking, I know.”

  Avery let out a shaky breath. “Holy shit, I’m not human anymore.”

  “It’ll take time to get used to,” Brandon responded. “And now you have more time than before for that to happen.”

  Her eyes widened and she leaned into Parker a moment before seeming to realize what she’d done and straightening herself. “Well, hell. I just…it’s a lot to take in, you know? I mean, it should be easier for me since I’ve been able to see the future and knew I was going to one day be a wolf, but still.”

  All three of them froze at her words.

  “You knew?” Brandon rasped.

  She swallowed hard, fear radiating off her. “Yes, but only in a blurred way. I didn’t know how or why or when. Just that one day, I would run on four paws. I’ve never seen myself in a vision before other than that, so I didn’t understand what it meant.”

  “We’re going to have to tell Gid
eon everything,” Parker said. “Kade, as well. We should have already, but we were giving you time.”

  She nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry that I kept things from everyone in the first place.”

  Brandon studied her face. “We all have our secrets.”

  She tilted her head. “And what secrets are those? Because if you’re saying I might be your mate, I’d like to know them.” She bit her lip. “I mean, if that’s still an option or something or…you know, I’ll stop rambling now.”

  Brandon traced his finger along her jaw, taking in the way she shivered at his touch but didn’t back away. He didn’t know if what they wanted would be the right thing, but then again, nothing worth having was ever easy. Yes, he and Parker each needed their mates to survive—though the other man had yet to explain why—but risking their hearts and bodies for a bond that might never come could hurt them more in the end.

  “We’re in uncharted territory here.” Brandon put a hand on Parker’s side so the three were fully connected once again. “I don’t know what the right answer is, other than I know there is something between us.”

  Parker narrowed his eyes. “And you also know that if you don’t get a mate soon, you’ll die. Isn’t that right?”

  Avery backed away, eyes wide. “What does he mean by that, Brandon?”

  Brandon lifted his chin, knowing that his secrets weren’t so secret anymore, at least under this roof. “As the Omega, I’m connected to each and every Pack member. It takes…a toll on me every time I need to use my senses to comfort or soothe high-strung emotions.”

  Avery pushed at his chest. “And yet you keep trying to make sure I feel better? Why would you do that? You need to let me be and let me learn to control this new wolf inside of me. I won’t be responsible for hurting you.” Tears filled her eyes, and she angrily blinked them back. “I’ve only spent a few days with you and Parker, but in that time, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you more and more. I don’t want to hurt the man I’ve learned to like…learned that my wolf—if that’s what I’m truly feeling—wants to know more. You guys saved my life but you also let me be. You listened to me when I was afraid that no one else would. There’s something between us, I can feel it, too, but I don’t want you to hurt yourself because you have this self-destructing need to protect me.” She looked at Parker. “I don’t want either of you to hurt yourselves doing that.”

  Brandon narrowed his eyes at her, his own wolf perking up at the tone of her voice. She wanted them, craved them, and yet they were all holding back because they were so damned afraid of hurting one another.

  “I can’t help but be what I am, Avery. I’m the Omega. I’ll always want to ensure those around me—those I care about—are taken care of. That’s not something I can control any more than you can control your temper at the moment. We’re not human.”

  “He’s right,” Parker said. “We’re not human. That means whatever we feel sometimes is a hundred-times stronger than what we would have felt if we hadn’t been born wolves. When we want someone, we take him or her because usually, the other person wants us just as much. We give in to our urges at times because not doing so would only make it worse.”

  Avery licked her lips, her gaze shooting between him and Parker, and Brandon did his best not to think about her tongue on his cock.

  “You didn’t finish what you were saying earlier,” Avery said after a moment. “What does that mean, about you being the Omega? Why do you need a mate?”

  “Because being the Omega means you give more of yourself,” Parker answered for him, and for that, Brandon was grateful. It wasn’t always easy to talk about what he did day in and day out, but Parker seemed to understand. The man had a way of knowing exactly what a person needed without asking, and Brandon had a feeling it wasn’t because of any special powers. Parker was just that kind of man.

  “And?” Avery’s voice had gone soft.

  “And if he doesn’t find someone to share the burden, he might give more of himself than he has to give.”

  “That’s not the only reason I want a mate,” Brandon countered. “It’s part of it, but I also want a mate because I’m over a hundred years old and would like to share my life with someone.” Or someones.

  Avery moved forward, placing her hand on his chest. “I’m a…foreseer. I know what it’s like to not be able to control part of yourself. I feel like my body’s out of my control, and I have to give in to what the powers that be need me to see. So I get it.” She paused. “I really do.”

  Brandon looked down at her, his body stiff. Maybe she did understand, and that scared him. He hated that sometimes he couldn’t control the wave of pain and dizziness that came with his duty to his people or what happened when he passed out thanks to a flare in the wards. Yet this woman—this female who had only just become wolf—seemed to understand.

  Pairing that with the fact that he knew something similar was happening to Parker, and Brandon felt a wave of peace wash over him for the first time in months.

  He looked up at Parker and cursed. “You’re pale. Too pale.”

  Parker coughed. “I’m fine.” Then his knees gave out. Brandon moved past Avery in an instant and caught the other man before he fell completely. Avery was right behind him and helped to get Parker sitting on the couch.

  “Okay, so we know what’s going on with Brandon,” Avery said quickly, her voice on the edge of panic. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you.”

  Parker wiped away the sweat from his face with his forearm. “I don’t know completely. Only that, like Brandon, I need a mate, too.”

  Brandon cursed. “Tell us what you do know.”

  Parker swallowed hard, and Brandon sank to his knees by the other man’s legs while Avery knelt between them, her body shaking. Brandon put his hand on the small of her back and she settled somewhat. He hoped to the goddess he never got over that thrill of seeing her calm under his touch.

  “I was in one of the European Packs’ den, and caught a disease that only runs in my line, apparently. They said if I don’t find a mate, it’ll slowly eat away at me.”

  Brandon let out a breath slowly. “Your line? As in the first hunter’s line?” The Talons knew the story of Parker’s ancestry that came from his mother. The family had originally been Talons, after all.

  “The first hunter?” Avery asked.

  “My ancestor was the hunter who the moon goddess cursed, for lack of a better word, to become the prey he’d killed. He was the first shifter.”

  “And the Talons were the first Pack,” Brandon added.

  Avery sank down so her butt rested on her feet and leaned into Brandon. “So let me get this straight. You both need mates to survive, yet the way shifters have been trying to find mates all this time has completely changed thanks to a human-made serum that was supposed to make shifters but failed horribly?”

  Leave it to Avery to put something like that into one sentence.

  Parker snorted and winced. Brandon ran his hand down the other man’s arm before tangling his fingers with his. The other man wasn’t Pack, so that meant he couldn’t find a way to Heal him, but he could at least be there for him. What Parker had said also explained why he wasn’t staying with the Redwoods. The last of Parker’s line still lived there, and Brandon guessed that no one knew how contagious he might be.

  “Pretty much,” Parker said, his color coming back. “The waves of pain come and go so I can usually hide it pretty well. Though it’s hard to do when I’m living with another person. But I usually bounce back right away, and in a few minutes, I’ll feel perfectly fine.”

  “Only you aren’t perfectly fine,” Avery countered. “Neither of you are. And now that you can’t sense who your mate will be, you don’t know what the next step is.”

  “We’ll find a way,” Brandon said softly. “We have to.”

  “How? By hoping the old ways come back?” Avery shook her head. “Or maybe you should see what happens when you take the first step
you would in a normal mating and see if something changes.”

  Brandon blinked. “Do you know the steps of mating?”

  Avery blushed. “Uh, no, but I figured it has to do with sex, right?”

  Parker laughed, and thankfully, didn’t cough afterward. The man looked exactly like he had before he’d gotten sick a few moments ago, and that worried Brandon. If he could so easily hide what was going on with him, what else was Brandon missing?

  “Sex, yes,” Parker said. “There are two parts of the mating. Sex to create the bond between the humans. A biting mark to create the bond between our wolves. For those who don’t know if they’re ready to complete the mating fully but still want each other, they forgo the mating mark until the mating urge is riding them too hard for them to hold back any longer. Either that, or they walk away, knowing they might lose part of themselves in the process.”

  “The moon goddess is never wrong,” Brandon added. “But she also gives us the option.”

  “And now you can’t hear what she wants,” Avery said. “Because of what the serum did.”

  Brandon nodded. “When we added Shane to the Pack, we twisted the way our Pack works. Or at least the ways the bonds work. It’s not like when there were demons added to the Packs—those were already paranormal.”

  “Demons?” Avery squeaked.

  “Long story,” Parker said quickly. “Long story I’d rather not get into tonight.”

  “This whole paranormal world is far bigger than what the rest of the world knows, isn’t it?”

  “Far bigger,” Brandon agreed. “But we keep things secret for a reason. You yourself have a touch of something that another human might not understand. I take it that’s why you’re not running screaming from the room when we’re talking about mates and bonds.”

  “It would be hypocritical of me to do so. And now that I literally just ran on four legs as a wolf, I really can’t hide from what’s out there.” She took a deep breath. “So I’m not going to hide from this. The three of us feel something. Maybe it’s just attraction, and I can understand that. Hell, you’re both so freaking sexy it’s really hard to pay attention when you’re in the room. And I’ve seen the way you each look at me so I know you at least find me somewhat attractive.”