Tamian

by Faith Gibson

  “This is the fucker who has the hots for Lucy?” the redhead asked.

  “Andrea,” the man by the door chastised.

  “No, Vitto. This is my brother’s mate we’re talking about. You know as well as I do how shit like this gets all convoluted, and everyone takes sides until we’re bickering back and forth and not accomplishing anything. The way I see it, we need to get to Lucy before Tam does. If he finds her with Monk, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

  “Are you saying your brother will kill Monk?” Ryker hissed.

  “I’m saying, if you don’t have a mate of your own, you couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like. The force drawing Tamian and Lucy to one another will be strong even though they haven’t officially completed the bond. “

  “She’s not wrong,” Kaya said. “When I met Rafael, I couldn’t stay away from him no matter how hard I tried. Even before we completed our bond, I would have gone through hell and back for him.”

  “And you did,” Rafael whispered before pulling her hand to his mouth and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

  “What about the tracker you put on Lucy,” Andrea said, getting them back on task.

  “How do you know about the tracker?” Mav asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

  “Lucy told Tamian about it. Have you tried locating it?” she asked.

  Maveryck sighed, scrubbing a hand through his long blond hair. “Spyder says it’s static just outside the lab. She must have dropped it when she shifted.”

  “If she shifted,” Ryker said. “The agents searching for her found blood. If it was substantial enough they could trace it in the dark, there must have been a lot of it. If that’s the case, Lucy might have been stuck in her human form.”

  “Since neither Lucy nor Monk were in the area, we need to go with the assumption he got her to safety. Where would he have taken her?” Rafael asked.

  Ryker rolled his head on his shoulders, stopping to stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know.” When he met Rafael’s gaze, he vowed, “But I will find out. One way or another.”

  Drago sat at an oceanside bar with Audrey, the blonde he planned to mate with, and her friend Lacy. Both women laughed and flirted with him, but it was Lacy who blatantly mentioned getting together with Drago later that evening. Audrey cast glances at him, shyly smiling and looking away. He didn’t mind her playing hard to get. He rather enjoyed it. The chase made the hunt all that more interesting. But he needed to get her alone, without her forward friend coming between them. He’d learned over the years how humans tended to take a step back if their friend wanted the same thing they did. Honor was rare, but it seemed Audrey felt it toward the other woman.

  Coming up with a plan, he excused himself to the restroom. When the women were out of earshot, Drago called Arden and explained what he needed. Twenty minutes and a fresh round of drinks later, Arden walked out onto the deck of the bar where they were seated. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, sitting in the seat Drago had made sure to leave vacant next to Lacy.

  Both women turned their attention to the other male. “Ladies, this is my business partner, Arden. Arden, Lacy and Audrey.”

  Arden smiled at Audrey, offering hello, and then he gave his undivided attention to Lacy. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. The brunette giggled and batted her eyelashes like a bad actress in an even worse romantic film. Not that Drago watched that many bad romances, but living as long as Gargoyles did, they were bound to become bored at some point. With Lacy no longer vying for his affection, Drago ran his fingertips along Audrey’s arm and smiled when she shivered.

  “Tell me about yourself,” he encouraged, scooting his chair closer to hers so his bare knee brushed against hers. Drago had never been so drawn to a female before. Sure, he’d bedded hundreds, but none had meant anything more than release. He’d always gone back to their place so he could leave after they fucked.

  “Let’s see. I’m from a little town in Alabama. My parents own a nursery, and I run the floral shop. I like to read.” Audrey shrugged, glancing down. “I’m rather boring.”

  “I doubt that. What brought you to the beach? Just time for a vacation?”

  Audrey squirmed in her seat, running her finger along the rim of the glass, which held some fruity concoction. “Uh, not exactly. My husband texted me that he wanted a divorce. So, I packed his things, set them outside, changed the locks, and decided to get away while he came back to get his stuff.”

  Audrey was married? And the idiot texted her he wanted a divorce? What kind of loser did something like that? A coward. Drago’s beast encouraged him to get the guy’s name and beat the shit out of him. It was apparent Audrey felt bad about the situation. He needed to tread carefully. She might be his mate, but if she was an honorable woman, she might not give in to the urge to be with Drago as long as she was married. It had been a long time since Drago had been anything other than the hardened warrior Alistair demanded of all his males.

  “What’s your husband’s name?”

  “Why?” Audrey asked, looking into his eyes. Her brown ones pulled at him, pulled at a heart he thought was long dead.

  “Because I would rather put a name to the man when I curse him for his stupidity.”

  “Oh. Well, uh, his name is Burt.” Audrey had already offered her last name in previous conversation, and now Drago had the human’s full name. Burt Hughes. It didn’t matter why he wanted the divorce. Just the way he’d gone about it showed he wasn’t worth breathing the same air as Audrey. Drago would do some digging and find this moronic human. The world would be better off without him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tamian didn’t go far. Perching on a branch high above the men, he watched as they searched the area for his mate. While he waited for them to give up, he called out to Lucy in his mind. He received no response, and his beast raged inside for him to take to the ground and tear the humans apart. The Gargoyles were supposed to protect humans, not tear them to pieces, but they had shot at Lucy. If she jumped from the window, that meant they’d shot at her from behind while she was running for her life. Fucking cowards. Maybe he should let the beast loose.

  Yes!

  Not yet. We can’t make the situation worse by causing more destruction to the scene.

  We can get rid of them another way.

  There’s too many of them. If there were only a couple of humans, Tamian could urge them to go away, but he’d counted seventeen. Deputy Director Phil Ramey had yet to stop yelling his threats. If any of them were going to feel the wrath of Tamian’s beast, it would be him. He was responsible for this shitstorm, and Tamian would see to it the man paid. Life behind bars was what he deserved, but Tamian wouldn’t take the risk on the man being released, or worse, never going to prison at all. Men like him had pull. Too fucking bad it wouldn’t help him now.

  The beast nudged him again. I scent our mate.

  Which way?

  To the west. It’s faint, but I smell her.

  Tamian inhaled deeply and caught the scent. He made his way through the treetops, following the tang of copper along with another familiar scent – Monk. As furious as Tamian was that his mate was no longer in the area, Tamian thanked the gods she wasn’t alone. The Hound had been there to watch over Lucy, and if what Rafael said was true and the male cared for Lucy, he would do whatever it took to keep her safe and tend to her wound.

  He fucking better.

  As each agent got farther from the building, Tamian waited until he could get them alone and urge them to give up on their search. One by one, he sent them away until there were only a handful of men doing as Ramey instructed. When Ramey finally noticed the others had disappeared, Tamian thought he’d seen the worst of his wrath. He’d been wrong. Ramey pulled his gun from its holster and picked off one after the other until he was the only one left standing. Before Tamian could reach him, Ramey rushed to his Mercedes and sped away.

  As badly as he wanted to search the building, Tamian couldn’t ri
sk being caught on the security cameras. Taking a good look at the outside, he saw surveillance equipment mounted to each corner. Pulling out his phone, Tamian dialed Julian.

  “Hey, Brother. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m texting you coordinates to the lab. There are cameras on the outside of the building, and I need you to work your mojo and make sure the feed isn’t destroyed. Lucy’s boss just murdered six men, and if he gets to whoever he has working surveillance, we could lose the evidence of what he did.”

  “Shit, Tamian. Okay, I have the coordinates, and I’m plugging them in now. Is Lucy okay?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure what exactly happened before I showed up, but it looks like she jumped out of a window then disappeared.”

  “Holy gods. Are you all right?” Julian asked as his fingers flew across the keyboard. “Scratch that. I know you aren’t. If anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s me.”

  Tamian couldn’t argue. All of the Clan who’d recently found their mates had dealt with one traumatic event after another. “Why can’t we just find our mates and ease into a life of love, happiness, and lots of babies?”

  “I think the fates want us to appreciate what we have more. Going through all the shit makes us hang on that much tighter,” Julian responded.

  “The fates can suck it, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Julian chuckled while typing. Tamian believed Julian to be one of the Clan’s biggest assets. “Got it. I’m downloading the feed, and, since I finally know the location of the lab, I’m tapping into the cameras inside the building as well.” Tamian remained silent while Julian worked. “Holy fucking hell, Brother. That’s some B-movie, science fiction, horror shit. That’s what your mate was working on?”

  “If it looks like Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, then yes. What’s even worse is Lucy found the same type of horror in a secret room below her house.”

  “Dear gods. And here we thought Flanagan was a monster when he created the Unholy. At least he recruited willing participants.”

  “Thus, the reason I needed you to get all the proof against her boss. There wouldn’t happen to be sound to go with those videos, would there?”

  “As a matter of fact, there is. I’m downloading everything I can. I’ve also cut the feed both inside and out, so you can walk around freely without anyone capturing you on video. Now, let’s just hope your mate was smart enough to mention she was there under duress.”

  “Let’s just hope I can find my mate. We’re pretty sure one of the Hounds got to her and helped her escape from the area.”

  “Pretty sure? You don’t sound pleased with that.”

  Tamian’s beast growled. “I’m not. The male has a thing for Lucy. For his sake, he better be tending to her wounds and nothing more.”

  “And the saga continues. Have faith, Brother. Even if the Hound likes Lucy, she’s not going to let that get in the way of what you have with her.”

  “We don’t have anything. Not yet. One meeting with me disguised as a neighbor and a few mind-to-mind conversations.”

  “If you can speak to her in your thoughts, the bond is already strong. Remember that, and again, have faith in Lucy.”

  “I’ll do my best. Thanks again for everything, Julian. When all this is over, I’ll send you and Katherine to the chalet in Italy for a nice vacation.”

  “That sounds like a deal. Now, go find your mate.”

  When the phone disconnected, Tamian closed his eyes and let the image of Lucy settle into his mind. Her telling him she wanted to give them a try washed over him, blanketing him with an iota of peace.

  Lucy? Are you there, Sweetheart?

  Tam... Tamian... Ow!

  Lucy? Lucy!

  Tamian couldn’t hold back the roar when his beast expelled the anguish.

  Lucy cursed when she lost her connection to Tamian, but the needle going through her shoulder as Monk stitched her up was painful, to say the least. She was barely able to remain conscious. She had no idea where they were or how he had found the necessary equipment to tend to her gunshot wound. Hissing through the agony, she tried her best to contact Tamian, but her brain was too focused on the pain.

  Something wet and stinging splashed over the wound, and the tugging started up again. She couldn’t hold her head up to see what was going on. Monk was a blur, which told her it must be bad if her eagle couldn’t clearly show her the male. Another wave of nausea washed over her, and Lucy didn’t fight it. Monk turned her onto her stomach, her head hanging over the bed so she could vomit onto the floor. A cold, damp cloth met her forehead and the back of her neck. As much as she appreciated the care he was giving her, Lucy wished it was someone else there with her, wherever she was.

  “Monk...” Lucy knew he couldn’t talk to her, and she wouldn’t be able to understand if he signed to her, so she decided to save her strength. Once he finished patching her up, she would fight through the pain and the sickness to get some answers.

  The next time Lucy woke, she tried to look around, but the room was shrouded in darkness save for a dim light coming from another room. Concentrating on her body, the pain in her shoulder had subsided into a dull ache. The little pinpricks all over her face were still there where the glass had shattered as she dove through. If she could shift into her Gryphon, the injuries would heal quicker, but she didn’t want to be naked in front of Monk when she shifted back. Speaking of the male, Lucy raised her head up to see where he was.

  When she didn’t find him in the room, Lucy took in her surroundings. She was on a soft, musty-smelling bed in a small bedroom. The walls were made of rough, pine logs, so she figured she was in a cabin of sorts. What was a cabin doing in New DC? Was she even still in the city? Fighting against the weakness, Lucy used her good arm to push herself up into a sitting position. Footsteps sounded against the wood flooring in the other room. Seven steps, a pause, then seven more. The sound repeated, so Monk was pacing the floor.

  Thirst and hunger overrode the pain in her body, so Lucy attempted to stand. As soon as her feet hit the floor, Monk was there in the doorway, his large body blocking the light. Seconds later, he was at her side, his strong arm around her waist. When his hand met her flesh, she looked down to see she was only in her bra and panties. Realistically, she knew he had to remove her clothes to tend to her shoulder, but that would only require him removing her jacket and blouse. “Where are my pants?” she demanded. Even without much lighting, she could see Monk blush. Maybe it was the heat she felt indicating he was embarrassed.

  “Let go of me,” she said, trying to move away from his hands. He firmed his grip before picking her up and carrying her into the next room. She had no choice but to hold on. Monk placed her gently on an old sofa and covered her with a crocheted afghan. Lucy pulled the cover up under her chin, hiding from his eyes, which had been focused on her chest. The movement drew the male out of his gazing, and his eyes met hers.

  “Where are we? Where are my pants? Have you contacted Mav? How did we get here? Where did you get the materials to stitch my wound? How did you even know how to do that? Talk to me, damnit!” Monk began signing, and Lucy blew out a breath. He knew she couldn’t understand him when he communicated that way. “Stop! Text me your answers.”

  Instead of pulling out his phone, he held his hands up, palms empty. “Please tell me you have your phone,” she begged. When he shook his head no, she said, “Damnit! We have to tell the others where we are!”

  A dark shadow crossed Monk’s face before he turned his back on her and stalked to the kitchenette. Monk turned the faucet on and filled a glass with water, bringing it to her instead. Lucy greedily drank, liquid spilling over the sides of the glass and down her chin. When the glass was empty, she held it out to him. “More.” He refilled it, and this time, she drank slower. Her stomach wasn’t pleased, but she bit back the bile as it tried to climb her throat.

  While she appreciated being away from the lab, Lucy didn’t feel much safer in her cur
rent predicament. She was Zeus knew where with a male she couldn’t communicate with. Her family trusted him with her safety, but they weren’t there. They didn’t know where she was as far as Lucy knew. If she hadn’t woken up practically naked, she wouldn’t worry as much. Taking a deep, calming breath, Lucy looked up at Monk and asked, “Is there any paper around here where you can at least write me a note?”

  Monk hesitated before searching the small cabin. There had to be some way to let her family and Tamian know where she was. They had put the tracker in her ring, but when she held her hand in front of her, she let out a soft shudder. It wasn’t there. She’d been wearing it when she ran from the lab, but if she’d shifted at some point, it would have fallen off. Lucy vaguely remembered trying to shift after being shot, but what happened after was a blur.

  Her eyes grew heavy waiting on Monk to find a scrap of paper, and Lucy fought sleep, but the events of the night were too much. She didn’t want to be any more vulnerable than she already was, but if Monk was going to take advantage, he already would have. Succumbing to the pull, Lucy rolled onto her side, making sure the afghan covered her fully.

  With the beast under control, Tamian searched the area. He started at the base of the building below the broken window and followed the blood. When he reached the last discernable drop, his own blood ran cold. Lucy’s clothes were on the ground. Tamian knelt down and picked up her red-stained blouse. Bringing it to his nose, he inhaled deeply. Pushing past the coppery scent, ignoring the floral deodorant, he found what he was looking for – Lucy’s essence. It was subtle, but it was there. He clung to it so he wouldn’t lose his shit, knowing his mate was somewhere in only her underwear. The only explanation he would accept was she had shed her clothing so she could shift. Anything else and the beast would take over.

  Before he stood, something shiny caught his attention. An onyx ring was half-hidden beneath her suit jacket. He slid it on his pinky finger. It was a tight fit, but he wouldn’t leave it behind. Somewhere his mate was without clothing, and that wouldn’t do. Instead of taking her ruined suit, Tamian made his way to the building. He reached out with his shifter senses to make sure there were no humans left in the area. Once inside, he found the door to the stairwell and began his descent. When he reached the basement, Lucy’s scent was strong.