by Marla Monroe
“You heard Levi, Evan. You can’t go back on his orders.”
“He’s not our Alpha yet.”
“He’s our oldest brother.”
“He can’t interfere with a mating. Not even the Alpha can do that.”
“He’s going to be pissed.
“Are you going to tell him, Lee?” Evan turned toward his brother and bond mate. “We’re in this together. My mate is your mate, and your duty is my duty, first and always to our mate.”
“You’re right, but I don’t have to feel all warm and fuzzy about it. Levi will kill us regardless. Like you said, he isn’t our Alpha—yet.”
They continued in the direction of their mate’s alluring scent. Evan wanted to meet her, learn her name. He didn’t like remaining in the dark about her when she was destined to be his and Lee’s.
I know she’s somehow mixed up with this group, but she’s innocent in this. She has to be. I couldn’t stand it if she were just as guilty as they are of killing our kind.
They turned a corner, and there she was. Her long, sable-brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her luscious body encased in the bulky sweater and jeans suggested she hid it from others. He’d thought the same thing when they’d run into her at the grocery store. She dressed more like an adolescent in things a size too large for her. Why would she hide the curvy body he sensed beneath those horrible clothes?
She’s trying to keep anyone close to her from finding out she’s all woman. I bet Charlie has tried to touch her or something. I’ll tear off his arms and feed them to him if he’s hurt her.
“You’re growling, Evan. What is it? I don’t sense any danger close by.”
“Look at how she dresses. She’s trying to keep her body hidden. Someone is bothering her, and I bet it’s that Charlie guy. I’ll make him die slow and hard if he’s hurt her.”
“I bet she’s got curves for days. I can’t wait to explore every one of those curves. I wish she didn’t have her hair pulled back. I love the color.” Lee steadied himself with a hand to Evan’s shoulder. “Can you imagine those pretty brown eyes staring up at you when you’re holding her?”
“Why is she out walking all alone like this?” Evan stepped off the curb to follow her.
“Where are you going?”
“To follow her home. Then we’ll know where those men live and I’ll know she’s safe.”
“Don’t let her see us, brother. We can’t allow the bond to grow any stronger until we know what is going on.”
“If you don’t want to watch out for her, Lee, you can return home. I’ll run home later.”
“Fuck, Evan. You know I’m not leaving you. I don’t want to hold back with her, but I’m not as convinced as you are about the mating. I don’t know why.”
Evan stopped and turned on him. “It’s because you don’t allow your wolf more control. You keep him so caged that he can’t even tell you when you’re in danger sometimes. It’s stupid, Lee. Stupid and deadly. Let go of some of the power. Then you’ll know she’s our mate.”
He left Lee staring after him as he continued following their future.
Chapter Four
Someone was following her. She didn’t hear them, or even see them when she turned to look, but she could feel them. They didn’t feel dangerous or even frightening, but she knew they were shifters. She thought they might be the same shifters she’d met at the grocery store. Why would they be following her? Did they know that she knew what they were?
It took every ounce of control she possessed not to quicken her steps or break into a run. She still had a couple of blocks before she would be home, or at least the house they were calling home for now.
If they aren’t a threat, why do I feel so aware of them? Why is there an urgency to hurry? I want to stop and ask them why they’re following me, but part of me won’t allow it.
Shay was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she completely missed the step down to another level of the sidewalk and fell, landing on her knees and both hands before rolling over to her shoulder. At least her head didn’t hit the ground.
Before she could assess herself for any damage, the two men from the store knelt down next to her, checking her hands and the rest of her body even as they asked her all sorts of confusing questions.
“What happened? Did you fall? Did someone push you?” one asked.
“Did you hit your head?” the other asked.
“I’m fine. Thanks. I just skinned my hands and my knees, I think. I’m good. Let me get up.”
“Don’t try to stand just yet. If you hit your knees, they’re going to be sore and weak for a few seconds.” The dark-haired man stared into her eyes with so much intensity it paralyzed her, freezing her to the spot as if she’d been Gorilla-glued there.
“Evan, ease up, man. She’s okay. Let’s let her stand and see if she’s able to walk.” Lee reached down to support her under her elbow so as not to hurt her hands.
“Sorry. I saw you fall and it scared me. Here you go.” Evan looked down at her arm and supported the other arm allowing her to move once more.
“Thanks, guys. I think we ran into each other at the grocery today, didn’t we?” she asked.
“Yea. I’m Lee and this is my brother, Evan.”
She stood up with their help but had to lean on them for a few minutes until the pain in her knees eased up a bit. She’d probably skinned them. When she looked down, it was to see blood on both of them.
“I’m Shay. Looks like I scraped my knees, as well. I better hurry home and clean up before my father and the others get back.” She looked up at the two men. “Thanks so much for helping me. It was good to meet you even if I had to fall to do it.”
She couldn’t believe two shifters were being so kind to her. Didn’t they know she was dangerous to them? It also surprised her that they weren’t going crazy over the blood on her hands and knees. Didn’t blood drive them into a killing frenzy like her father had told her?
I haven’t really believed much of what he’s told me in a long time. I know he’s lied to me about things to keep me scenting the shifters for him. I’m not doing it anymore.
“Let us help you home then. You can’t walk very well if your knees hurt half as bad as I bet they are. I hope you don’t need stitches.” Evan wrapped one arm around her waist while his brother, Lee, put an arm around her shoulders with one hand just under her arm.
Together they helped her hobble toward her place. They only had a few more blocks to go. Once they reached the dilapidated dwelling, Shay reached into her pocket to retrieve her key.
“Thank you both for helping me. I’m fine now. I’ll clean up the scrapes and be as good as new.” She smiled, making sure they knew she was grateful.
“It was our pleasure to help you. Are you sure you can handle cleaning your knees? They’ve bled quite a bit, Shay. I’m still worried you might need medical attention,” Evan said.
“We can take you to the hospital. Our truck isn’t far from here. I can go get it and pick you up in less than a minute.” Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys.
“No. I’m fine. If it looks like I need stitches, I’ll get my father to take me when he gets home.”
Shay worried a little now. Were they trying to take her, or did they really only want to help? Her instincts were all screwed up where they were concerned. Part of her wanted to go with them, and part of her felt as if she’d known them all her life. It didn’t make sense. She’d only exchanged a few sentences with them. How could she feel so close, so attached to them in such a short period of time?
“If you’re sure. I hate leaving you here without knowing that you’re okay.” Evan stepped back, waiting on her for something.
Oh, they were waiting on her to open the door and go inside. Something was holding her back. It was if she didn’t want to leave them. What was wrong with her? She forced her hand to insert the key into the lock and turn it. Once the door was open, she stepped inside, wincing at the pain in
her knees. She turned back toward them, and a piece of her twisted when she saw their hurt expressions.
“Thank you again for all of your help. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Shay.”
“Goodnight.” Lee took a step back without turning away from her.
Evan remained where he was as if intending to watch her until the door separated them. The instant she closed and locked the door that twisted piece inside of her broke off, ripping a slice down the inside of her as it fell.
I’m going crazy. Just closing the door nearly made me sick. When I locked it, it felt as if I’d locked out a part of myself.
She had to push herself to walk across the room and down the hall to the bathroom. She needed to hurry before everyone made it home. She didn’t like the idea of being vulnerable in the bathroom when that happened. It couldn’t be long now.
She shut the door and ran cold water over her skinned hands. It stung enough to bring tears to her eyes, but it wasn’t until she started peeling her jeans off that the real pain took a bite out of her. She didn’t even try to stop the tears as she stepped out of the pants and surveyed her torn-up knees. They didn’t need stitches but not by much.
It took her thirty minutes to clean them up and apply salve and bandage them. Then she took her bloodied clothes to her bedroom and shoved the dresser in front of the door before slipping carefully between the covers.
“Why were they so nice to me? I thought all shifters were arrogant assholes who enjoyed causing pain and fear.”
It didn’t make sense. Not only were they kind to her, but she actually liked them—a lot. Maybe too much. She was afraid she was even a little attracted to them. Wouldn’t that be a laugh? The shifter tracker attracted to a shifter. She might even be attracted to both of them. Evan called to her in such a way she felt tied to him, while Lee gave her a feeling of ease and comfort.
Shay lay awake waiting on her father and the other two men to make it home. She prayed they were all too drunk to try her door. She prayed they believed her asleep. She’d have to get up early in the morning and wash her clothes before they found out she’d hurt herself. She didn’t trust that Charlie or Jack Jr. wouldn’t take advantage of her limited ability to fend for herself.
The sound of the front door opening followed by the stomp and slide of feet as the three men entered the house cut off her breath like the slamming steel door of a bank vault.
* * * *
“I told you to stay away from her.” Levi’s tone snapped with electricity as he paced.
They hadn’t woken him the night before when they’d returned home. Instead, they’d met him and Aaron in the office early the next morning. Levi hadn’t liked their report one bit, but then Lee knew he wouldn’t.
Evan had rested fairly well despite his worrying all the way home about the condition of Shay’s knees. Lee, on the other hand, hadn’t rested well at all. He’d been up pacing most of the night, thinking about his brother’s declaration that Lee kept his wolf too tightly bound. He’d felt more comfortable with his wolf locked away unless he needed him. Evan knew why.
“So, despite ignoring my orders, you did manage to gain some insight on what we’re up against. You believe HAS and this group of three aren’t affiliated yet but that it could change.” Levi sat back in his chair behind the large desk and drummed his fingers on the blotter. “They still claim to have some sort of magic. Do you think they are bluffing since we have Sienna, or do they have something else we don’t know about?”
Lee didn’t wait for Evan to say anything. “I think they’re bluffing. There wasn’t an attitude of smugness. They seemed to be trying to draw the other three to them. They probably want to use them since they think this smaller group has something that is working for them.”
“The three of them will join with HAS. They want any chance they can get to find a shifter. They relish killing just as much if not more than the two HAS members who were talking to them.” Evan cocked his head. “HAS is worried. We took out some of their men and stole their ace out from under them.”
“You’re probably right.” Levi looked over to where Aaron leaned against the window sill, staring out at the mountains.
“I agree. I’m going to talk to Sienna to see if she got any indication that they had someone else helping them. I think if they did, she would have said something, but it won’t hurt to ask.” Aaron pushed off the wall with one foot and walked out of the room.
“Do you still feel as certain that this Shay female is your mate as yesterday?” Levi asked.
“Yes. Even more so. She reacted to us, as well,” Evan said.
“Lee?” His older brother waited for his answer.
“Yes. She’s our mate. I’ve worried that maybe I was wrong, but after last night, Evan’s right; she’s ours. I’m a little stumped as to why she reacted to us when she’s human, but maybe the draw is more intense with Evan being more entrenched with his wolf than some of us are. The wolf may pull on her.”
“I want the two of you to watch her, but don’t interfere until we know her part in this group’s activities.”
“He’s her father. She’ll be supportive of him for the most part. We can’t hold that against her,” Evan said.
“Still, until we know more about what they are up to and how they interact with HAS, it is imperative that you refrain from mating her or even explaining your attraction to her. Try to act human with human interest. Find out everything you can.” Levi stood up and leaned over the desk. “Do not put our pack in danger over her. We will salvage her since she is your mate if she’s tied up in all of this, but don’t do anything stupid until we talk. Understood?”
Both he and his brother nodded.
Dismissed, they left Levi’s office and subsequently the house. Evan’s wolf was pushing at him. Lee could feel him. He didn’t feel his wolf at all. Knowing now that Evan thought Lee treated his wolf unfairly, he second-guessed everything he did in relation to his animal. Maybe he was too controlling. How could he allow the wolf a little more freedom without it taking control over Lee?
“I need to run. Are you coming?” Evan’s declaration startled him, and he hesitated a second too long. “Fine. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait. I’m coming.” Lee undressed, neatly folding his clothes and setting them on one of many chairs left around the yard.
Evan had already changed by the time Lee had undressed. The other wolf’s clothes lay in a pile on one of the chairs. It struck him again how different they were yet they were mate-bonded. It seemed like a cruel twist of fate at times while at other times, it worked perfectly.
As soon as he’d shifted into his wolf, Evan bucked and raced in circles, prancing around as he waited on Lee to transform. They always looked out for each other and especially since the rise of HAS and their newly developed awareness of how witches and others could help them attack the shifters.
Lee let Evan lead for the first few minutes, then he released some of the hold he kept on his wolf and let it take the run from the other wolf. He could feel the animal’s joy in being given free rein over the run. Maybe they’d both grown stronger and more in control over the years, and Lee could allow the wolf more leniencies. It had been a long time since he’d almost killed the human. That in and of itself wasn’t the issue; it was that it was an innocent human, a child like himself.
Evan’s wolf had grown tired of trailing after Lee’s. Evan’s wolf bumped his and drove ahead. They scared up a rabbit, but since they’d eaten earlier, they only chased it a short distance before turning toward the scent of a mule deer. That would be a more challenging chase. He pushed his wolf to take over the run once more and the shifter surged forward. They jumped the deer but didn’t harm it. The three of them raced around the mountain before Evan suddenly skidded to a halt and sunk low to the ground.
Lee’s wolf scented the enemy seconds later and joined his brother. Humans were in their woods. He didn’t scent gunpowder or lead, but he smelled three distinct
scents. They weren’t any he’d smelled before.
Evan growled but kept it low. He stalked closer to the humans without making another sound. Lee followed. The three males didn’t have firearms or knives that he could see. They were carrying notebooks. What the hell were they doing?
“Okay. This plant is indigenous to the area, but I don’t see nearly as many as I would expect. That bothers me. We need to talk to the land owners to find out if they’ve cleared them out or if there’s a nutritional issue going on.” This was from the slightly older male.
He and Evan exchanged looks and slowly backed away from the males as they continued to talk about the plants they were looking at.
Back home they changed and dressed. Evan huffed out a breath and shook his head. “Botanist? What are they doing on Shoewater land?”
“We’d better tell Levi or Aaron before they just show up on our doorstep. I can hear Levi’s roar now.” Lee chuckled. “I don’t fancy explaining to humans that we don’t know anything about any missing scientists.”
“I guess harvesting the natural flora for medicine and such has drawn attention to us. Maybe we should talk to our healer about replanting.” Evan’s face contorted into a sneer. “Nature always protects what is important without our help, but if it means keeping humans off our back, I can hear Levi and Aaron ordering us to replant the various plants.”
They strolled inside their home and started down the hall to report their run-in with human scientists to their older brothers. Before they made it to the office, Kindle nearly ran into them as he scrambled down the hall to beat them to the office.
“What is that all about?” Lee said.
“Let’s find out. It looks a little more important than our news.”
The first thing they heard when they walked into the office floored them, their hearts jerked into their throats.
“Ariel and her sisters are missing!”
Chapter Five
“Why are you limping?” Shay’s father scowled as he followed her progress to the kitchen.
