by Alana Hart
“No,” said Gavin, and he finally looked at Liam. There was regret in his eyes, but not love.
Love, Liam reminded himself, was a waste of time.
“I need to bring him to my brothers.” Gavin said. “Or they’ll never stop looking for him.”
Gavin had to know that Liam wasn’t going to keep his connection to the shifter trade a secret from the other alphas. Liam got a sick feeling in his stomach.
Anderson fingered the tablet, his eyes roving over the information there. “We could drain him first, and then I could synthesize his blood and venom for future use.”
“Fine,” Gavin shrugged. “Give me a minute.”
Dr. Anderson started giving orders to his men while Greta struggled to take blood samples from Lyss. Gavin stood before Liam where he was still held by four goons. He glared up at his uncle.
“It’s nothing personal, kid,” he said.
“Fuck you.”
Gavin’s mouthed quirked. “You know how it is being the youngest. Can’t never do nothing right.” He kicked his toe at the sand. “I was planning on bringing you in on this. Make a lotta money.”
“Do you have any idea what they do up there?”
“I know damn well what they do. Most of it was my idea. All this medical shit, though, that’s all Anderson.”
“Ronan and Cormac’ll find out what you’re doing. And then you’re fucked.”
Gavin snorted. “Boy, I won’t be here when they find out. You heard the doc; leaders of the medical world. I’ll have enough money to buy an island.”
“The pack will—”
“The pack?” He laughed, throwing his head back. “Fuck the pack, boy. You think anyone in that pack cares about me? About you?” He started ticking off his fingers. “One of your brothers is off hiding from our pack. The other been punished every time he helps one of you fools. We send you after rapists cause you can turn into a little boy!” He shook his head. “We don’t give a shit what you gotta do to get ‘em to prove they’re bad. You think you’re cared about when we do that? How ‘bout your parents? Huh? Think we cared when we sent them away?”
Liam stared, his stomach falling away. “Sent them away?”
Gavin laughed again. “God damn, you ain’t that stupid. You three were perfect to be the next alphas. Three brothers just like us. But your mama and daddy wouldn’t have it. So we gave ‘em an ultimatum; leave and don’t come back, or we kill you boys and make them watch. And then we kill them.”
Gavin leaned down, putting his face close to Liam’s. “Not one of ‘em cares about you, kid. You’re all a means to an end. A part of something greater. The bigger the pack, the stronger the alpha. Or in this case alphas, though as the youngest I don’t get as much power as them.” He straightened. “Yeah, it’s too bad we like the power so much, or you boys would’ve been alphas already.”
He shrugged, the detachment in his eyes like a fist to Liam’s heart. That’s what he got for loving something. He loved his pack, lived by the rules and ideals that the alphas had taught him. And it was all shit.
Dr. Anderson spoke from the van. “We’re ready, O’Neil.”
Gavin nodded, his eyes on Liam’s. “Load ‘em up.”
Lyss growled as the men hauled her toward the driveway, digging her heels in and throwing herself backward. Liam let the men stand him up and he walked when they shoved him forward.
No one knew they were here. No one was coming to save them.
Liam was going to be drained and killed, his body dumped at the feet of people who saw him as a tool. And Lyss, the only human—only person outside his family—he had ever felt anything for, was going to be treated like a breeding dog.
He couldn’t have that.
Taking the men by surprise, Liam swiveled, breaking free, and charged at Gavin, claws coming out. Gavin smiled and caught Liam. Both of them fought hard and dirty, growling and snarling, claws and fangs everywhere.
But Gavin was right, he was a lot more powerful than Liam. The older man pinned Liam to the ground fast, sitting on his chest, his claws around Liam’s throat. Mad delight danced in his eyes.
“We need his blood!” Anderson yelled.
“Oh you’ll get it,” Gavin smiled and pressed his claws into Liam’s throat. “I thought you were more like me, kid.” He shrugged. “Maybe you could’ah been.”
Liam struggled under his uncle, fighting to push him away. Gavin grinned as he squeezed harder.
Behind him there was a scream and shouts, the sound of guns being drawn, and then a deep, guttural, terrifying growl.
Gavin jumped up into a crouch. Liam pushed himself onto his elbows and gaped at the sight before him. At the mouth of the path Dr. Anderson screamed for his men to shoot. His men aimed shaking guns at an enormous brown bear. It roared, reared onto hind legs standing at least nine feet tall, and swiped at the guns.
Lyss’s giant clawed paws knocked down several of the men. Others ran away. Greta was crawling away on the ground, her wide eyes staring up at the beast. Landing on all fours, Lyss charged at Greta, knocking Anderson into a tree as she passed him. In a moment, Lyss’s massive jaws were clamped around Greta’s neck. Greta loosed a blood curdling scream and then Lyss bit down. The crunch was loud, and Greta went silent, her eyes staring and empty.
The men with guns had managed to get their feet again. They took aim and began shooting at Lyss. She roared again and charged at them. Gavin grabbed Liam by the throat and lifted him.
“Stop!” he screamed. “I’ll kill him!”
Lyss lumbered around, her dark eyes coming to rest on Gavin and Liam. It was all the men needed. They stuck her with electric rods until she fell, her body shivering back into a human with multiple bullet wounds that were quickly healing. She panted on the ground, blood around her mouth.
“I’m leaving,” Gavin said, his eyes wide. “He’s coming with me.” He dragged Liam around the body of Greta. “You want him alive, you leave me be.”
Liam felt Gavin shudder violently and then his grip on Liam loosened. Gavin frowned at his hand.
There was a great rustling and then nearly thirty wolves emerged from the trees. The hold on Liam’s neck went completely slack and he felt inside him a surge of power. He grabbed Gavin by the throat and squeezed. His uncle’s eyes bulged and he danced, trying to get away. Now that he didn’t have the pack’s support, Gavin was just a weak, skinny man, dangling from the end of Liam’s arm.
“I’m fucking glad I’m not like you,” Liam growled. He squeezed and lifted Gavin to his toes. The old man struggled for breath, clawing at Liam’s hand.
“That’s enough, Liam.” Ronan had shifted into his human form and stood before them. All around, wolves shifted and Liam’s pack surrounded them. They disarmed the men and helped Lyss to her feet.
Liam didn’t let Gavin go. He glared at the man squirming in his hand.
“Liam,” Cormac said, but Liam shouted.
“No, fuck you! This is your fault. Everything is your fault. He’s the fucked up one selling babies to sickos, but this is your fault.”
“Got that right, kiddo,” said his uncle Cormac. The man’s everpresent smile irritated Liam right now. “And we’re gonna deal with it right. Just let ‘em down.”
“Let’s go home, Liam,” his aunt Siobhan appeared, imploring him.
“Fuck home. Fuck this pack.”
She recoiled, and he felt bad, but now was not the time for Siobhan to play moderator.
“I’m gonna kill him,” Liam said, looking into the reddening eyes of his uncle, his face turning purple. “And then I’m fucking out of here. You all can clean up the mess. Get the pups out. I’m done. No more jobs. No more pack.”
Silence hung around him, punctuated by his uncle’s attempts to breathe.
He felt them come up behind him, his brothers, Connor and Aidan, one on either side of him. One massive and muscular, the other tall and curly-haired.
“Liam,” Aidan said. “Let’s go, brother. Leave him.
”
Connor put a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “We can talk at home.”
Liam finally looked away from Gavin, at his brothers. “You came back.”
Connor smiled sadly. “Shouldn’t have left you.”
“Come on, brother,” Aidan said and took Liam’s other shoulder.
Heart racing, Liam imagined Gavin’s crushed skull in his hand and the satisfaction that would give him. And then he let him go.
Gavin immediately tried to run, but Ronan and Cormac seized him. Gavin started snarling and struggling to get away.
“Head to the Den,” Ronan ordered, his voice not as gruff as it usually was.
Liam walked with his brothers. He looked around at all of the wolves. Some he had never seen before. Sensing his confusion, Aidan said, “Connor was staying with the Days. When we got a hold of him, his… girlfriend?” Connor shrugged. “Casey helped us find you. And we asked the Days if they wanted to help.”
“They seemed very eager,” Connor chuckled.
The Days, Liam thought, the largest pack in Ireland. He glanced at Lyss who was being guided along the path by Siobhan. She was shaking and pale. Had the shift hurt her? Connor gave his shoulder a squeeze.
At the end of their private road, there were cars and motorcycles, and clothes. Liam dressed along with the others, in jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt. Liam looked longingly at the bikes. Connor squeezed his shoulder and handed him his helmet.
“I owe you,” he said when Liam gave him a look.
Liam ran his fingers over the smooth, black helmet. All around, the other shifters climbed on their bikes, talking. Gavin was thrown into a trunk, hog-tied and gagged. One of the Days had put a collar on him.
He found her dressing in jeans and a worn leather jacket.
“Do you have another helmet?” Liam asked. Connor frowned, but pulled a second from a saddlebag.
Liam glanced at Lyss. She stood with Siobhan, glancing around nervously. She caught his eye, and he held out the helmet. Moving quickly, she wove through the packs, stopping in front of him.
“You’re well now,” he handed her the helmet. “You’re riding the damn bike.”
She nodded. “Oh sure, who doesn’t like to live dangerously?”
Liam strapped the helmet on her, and helped her climb on the back of Connor’s Harley. In front of her, Liam started the bike and it roared to life, rumbling sweetly underneath him, the acrid smell of gasoline filling his nose.
He didn’t know what was coming after this, but he wanted one ride with Lyss before they officially turned everything over to the alphas.
He peeled out, leaving the packs behind. Lyss screamed, pure joy, her arms tight around his middle. He took the long way home, riding along the coast as long as he could.
That night at the Den, Gavin was locked in the storage room, tied up, and Ronan and Cormac showed the Days some hospitality in the bar. Liam had gotten cleaned up and joined everyone there.
He accepted a beer from Aidan, his brother’s mass of curls held back by a bandana. Amidst the crowd of shifters, Liam saw his brother’s mates. He didn’t know what else to call them. Casey was human, and she wrapped her arms around Connor when he joined her and planted a kiss on his cheek. Liam’s big, bad brother blushed and kissed her back.
Aidan took a stool beside Reagan, a girl whom he had loved when they were young, and who had recently become a shifter. In her lap sat Harry, a shifter pup and the girl who had brought the trade to their attention.
He scanned the crowd and found Lyss sitting with Emmett, his cousin, in a booth. Arms wrapped around Liam’s shoulders from behind. The hugger smelled of cinnamon and cookies. He turned and kissed his aunt Siobhan’s cheek.
“I’m glad you’re okay, baby.” Tears glistened in her eyes.
He hugged her back, hard, breathing in the smell of her, the smell of the only person he had known as a mother all his life.
“I’m sorry I said—”
She shook her head, hugging him tighter. “I know. I love you.” He hugged her harder.
And then he saw his parents. They stood with Ronan and the Days’ leader, Brendan. He couldn’t face them right now. Pushing away from the bar, Liam slipped back into the house and headed out the back door.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and found Carly, a cousin. His heart sunk and he realized he had been hoping it was someone else.
She smiled at him, pushing out her breasts. “So, if my mom told me right, you’re like, a big hero.”
“Sure,” Liam said wanting to go out for a run.
“Brendan sent a bunch of his pack to take the place down. All those pups are going home, some are going with him and his pack.” She gazed up at him. “All because of you.”
No, not all because of him, Liam thought and glanced at the door to the bar where Lyss was sitting.
“What do you want, Carly?”
She pouted, but Liam had known her too long and knew it was fake. “I want to let you know that you can take me out Friday night. Dinner in town.”
Liam frowned and then he laughed. “I gotcha. My brothers are taken, so you’re into me now?”
She gave him an exaggerated pout. “I’ve always liked—”
“Save it, Cuntly.”
He turned and headed out the kitchen door. Carly shouted after him. “Well fuck you, too!”
Chapter Sixteen
Lyss sat across from the very good-looking Emmett Day. He had been explaining how everyone here was connected—blood, marriage, adoption. It seemed nice. The uncles were a little scary, but Brendan Day seemed like a happy guy. And Siobhan was nothing but sweet to Lyss.
She’d met Liam’s brothers and their—wives? Girlfriends?—their other halves, and those women seemed welcomed by the pack, though they said it hadn’t come easy and it was recent.
Reagan had said to Lyss, “They had to keep an eye on me, make sure I didn’t go all full moon and kill people—which happens. With your shift being so new—to everyone, not just to you—you’re going to have to be watched.”
And honestly, after experiencing the shift at the beach, Lyss wasn’t opposing being guarded. Yeah, she always told Greta she was going to kill her, but to actually do it, and to enjoy it—that terrified her.
She had no idea what Liam thought about all of this, and as he had been avoiding her since they got off the bike in the parking lot, she didn’t think his thoughts were very good.
Lyss glanced around the bar looking for Liam. She didn’t see him anywhere, but she did see his parents talking to Connor and Aidan, the two remaining alphas standing nearby. None of them looked happy.
Cormac, the taller alpha, leaned over and spoke to Siobhan. With all of the chatter in the bar, Lyss couldn’t hear what he said, but once he moved away, Siobhan glanced at Lyss. The woman forced a smile and then wiped the bar.
The entertaining and mingling went well into the night. There was a lot of family from each side living in different places, so they were all having a good time catching up. Liam still wasn’t back by the morning, or the afternoon. Lyss pushed some salmon around on her plate.
“You okay, sweetheart?” Siobhan asked.
Lyss smiled her best. “Course.”
Siobhan didn’t buy it. “These shifters are all a little pigheaded. Give him some time, he’ll come back,” she said smiling.
But a week passed, and then another, and still Liam hadn’t shown up. His brothers, uncles, and parents had all left as well going with the Days to take Gavin to Ireland, where he would be sentenced, as Lyss had heard. From what she understood, Gavin was going to be given an alpha’s death, whatever that was, and buried in an old cemetery.
Almost three weeks after Liam had left, Lyss knelt on the floor of the upstairs bathroom puking her brains out. Siobhan came in, knocking softly, a cool cloth in her hand. She pressed it against Lyss’s neck, sitting on the side of the tub.
“Honey,” she said gently. “You and Liam, you two were together?”
>
It took Lyss a minute, and then she blushed, but nodded.
“Baby, I think you might be pregnant.”
Lyss shook her head. “I can’t be. That place, the doctor said I couldn’t have babies, said the venom they pumped into me would kill any. I don’t know how they expected me to breed for them.” She hiccupped.
Siobhan shrugged, gently stroking Lyss’s face. “Maybe Liam’s blood fixed you? But, honey, I’ve been pregnant, I’ve cared for pregnant women. You, my dear, are pregnant.”
Shit.
When the full moon came around, which, Reagan said, was what they were waiting for, and Lyss was able to control her shift by not shifting into a bear and didn’t go on a murderous rampage through town, Siobhan delivered some good news.
“You don’t have to stay under lock and key anymore.” She smiled, a young Harry on her hip. “You’re more than welcome to stay with us, of course, but you can leave if you want to. Just,” she handed Lyss a small cell phone. “Keep in touch with me, okay? If you need anything, whether you stay or go, just give me a call.”
“Really? I thought the alphas would make me stay, or send me to Ireland.”
“Well,” she smiled. “As they are away, I am acting alpha, and I am deciding that you can leave if you want to.”
Lyss smiled her thanks.
She could feel the tiny life growing inside her. It had only been a little over a month, but since she was a shifter her pregnancy wouldn’t last as long, Siobhan had said. In about five months she was going to have a baby. It scared the shit out of her. What the fuck did she know about being a mother?
She couldn’t stay here. Everywhere she looked she felt Liam, but he wasn’t here. She missed him more than she cared to admit, and hated him for leaving her.
One morning at breakfast, Emmett offered to get her out of this place for a while. He stared into his coffee cup, his eyes dark under even darker hair.
“It’s better than it used to be, but this place can get to you if you don’t have anyone. If you want, I’m heading into Canada for a while. You can come with me. I have a cabin as a base of sorts. You can stay there, come back if you want to have the baby here, or just stay up there with it.”
