Revealed by Desire

by Melissa Stevens

  Teya watched her a moment. Rachel had the feeling that Teya was looking past the obvious and trying to see something more, something Rachel might not be ready to share.

  “You seem to be spending a lot of time with the were alpha, and I know not all of it is spent hunting.” Teya winked, and a hint of a smile crept across her face. “Is it convenience, distraction, or something else?”

  Rachel stared down into her coffee for several long seconds. “He's my mate.”

  Teya's brows shot up, but she stayed quiet.

  Rachel struggled with what to say. She sighed. “I like him. It's working between us, but I'm not sure how things will end up. It's crossed my mind that you might not want me to stay on as your assistant if he and I stay together. I didn't like that idea, so I've avoided thinking about it.”

  “Why wouldn't I want you to keep working with me?” Teya frowned.

  “I'm afraid working for you, while mated with the alpha of the werewolves and I assume living at the Lunar Obsession, would be a conflict of interest.”

  Teya pursed her lips as she thought about it.

  “I see why some people might see it that way, and how it might become one if your Chris turns out to be more like his predecessor than we would like.” Teya fell silent for a few seconds. “You said he’s coming over tonight?”

  “He said he would, but he may change his mind.”

  “Why don't the two of you come have dinner with Jericho and I? In our apartment, not upstairs. I'll have food brought down, and we can have a quiet dinner. I can get to know him better, and we can discuss the possibility of an alliance between our two Fractions. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds good, but I need to check with him before I say yes. He had quite the shock this morning, and I'm not entirely sure he'll even show tonight.”

  “All right.” Teya stood. “A quiet evening at home sounds good either way, so I'll go arrange to have dinner sent down. You talk to your Chris and let me know.” Teya bent and hugged Rachel before straightening again. “I'll see you later.” The Fraction leader left, closing the door softly behind her as she left Rachel sitting on the sofa, hopeful that things could possibly work out between her and Chris.

  18

  Chris was on the treadmill, lost in thought as he jogged, when the music in his ears stopped and the phone supplying it started ringing. He hit the button to slow the machine then reached up and hit the button on his headphones to answer the call.

  “This is Walters.”

  “Chris.” The single word was enough to send a wave of delight through him. He loved hearing his name from Rachel's voice.

  “Rachel. Is something wrong?” Chris glanced at the clock hanging on the wall across the room. Four forty-eight PM. Still hours before the time she'd said he could come by.

  “No, nothing is wrong.” Her sigh echoed over the line. “You and I were invited to dinner, and I wanted to check with you before I accepted. It's all right if you don't want to go, but my Alpha wants to meet you.”

  “Well, I was hoping to show you the information the shifter Alpha sent me, but we can do that.”

  “Bring it. Teya and I were talking about Ricky and my search for him today. She may have some input on what you've found out. She's led our Fraction for more than thirty years, let’s take advantage of any insight she may have.”

  “Sounds good.” The treadmill slowed to an easy walk and Chris with it. “Did she happen to say why she wanted to get together?”

  “She said something about getting to know you some and the possibility of discussing an alliance between the two Fractions.”

  Chris's heart thundered in his chest, more than his running could account for. An alliance between the weres and dragons? Not only would that help make his hold on the weres more secure, but it would also let him have a relationship with Rachel. He knew a lot of shifters mated for life, but he didn't know any weres who had. Well, his father had found Tiffany and they claimed they were mates, but their lives weren't bound together in the same way many shifters were. He would be happy if Rachel agreed to be with him long term.

  “Sure. Let's do the dinner thing. I'd like to discuss an alliance.”

  “Great.” Rachel sounded excited that he'd agreed. “You still planning on seven?”

  “I was, but I could do six thirty, if you'd rather.”

  “Either is good. I'll see you when you get here.”

  “All right. I'll call you when I get to the casino door.” He hated having to disturb her to let him into the elevator, but he understood it and at the same time, was thankful that security was good and Rachel was safe.

  After hanging up with Rachel, Chris shut off the treadmill and stepped off without waiting for it to stop. His mind still spinning with possibilities, he headed for the shower. He wanted Rachel with him, always.

  Chris didn't care if it was here or at the MesoAmerican. An alliance between the Fractions would make that possible. His pack wouldn't like him being in a permanent relationship with someone not a were, but he was certain he could convince those that mattered. Chris was sure he could get his major supporters in the pack to see the benefits of having such a powerful and long-standing ally.

  While he showered, Chris continued to think about his situation with Rachel. As much as he wanted to make things more official with her, she was too engrossed in her missing brother right now. Chris needed to wait until something was determined about Ricky, one way or another, before he approached Rachel about their being mated. That meant they needed to find Ricky. His mind went back to the file Dennis had delivered and tried to remember if there was anything there that might help.

  After dinner, they were sitting in the dragon alpha's apartment discussing the best way to find their missing people and the illicit market of human meat when Rachel's phone rang. She frowned as she stared down at the screen.

  “I don't recognize the number, but it's local.”

  “Answer it.” Teya said.

  “Hello?” Rachel put the phone to her ear.

  “She's dead, Rach. She's gone.” Chris's enhanced hearing picked up a voice he didn't recognize sobbing on the other end. He watched Rachel's face for some sign of who it was. Shocked disbelief was her only expression.

  “Ricky?” Tears pooled in her eyes. “Is this really you?”

  “It's me Rach, but she's dead.” There was a ragged intake of breath. “I don't know what to do now.”

  “First things first, where are you?” While tears streamed down her face, Rachel's voice was amazingly calm. She spoke to her brother for a couple of minutes, and then ended with, “Just stay there, I'll be there to pick you up as soon as I can.” Hanging up the phone, she looked at him first. Relief and joy shined in her eyes. “He's alive. Oh my god. He's alive.” She stood up and scrambled to gather her things. “I have to go get him.”

  “Hold up,” Chris stood. “You're not driving anywhere in this state. Tell me where you need to go, and I'll take you.” He turned to Teya. “Thank you for dinner, and I'd like to continue our talk about how our Fractions can help each other, but I've got to go just now.”

  Teya waved one hand. “Understood. You go take care of Rachel and Ricky, and we'll talk more later.”

  Chris herded Rachel out the door and down the hall to her apartment as she muttered under her breath.

  “He's alive. I have to go get him.” She kept repeating the same words, and Chris understood her shock.

  “Where is he?” He waited while she collected her jacket and purse then he stopped her at the door. He put his hands on her shoulders and waited until she stopped muttering and met his gaze. “Rachel, where is Ricky?”

  “The dam. He's at the dam.”

  “Okay. Good, we can get to the dam. How do you get to the tunnels from here?”

  Rachel looked at him wide-eyed and lost for a moment. Then he saw something in them click. She turned around and grabbed a set of keys off the hook behind the door.

  “The elevator.”


  The elevator ride seemed to take forever and opened into a tiny room, just a waiting room for the elevator. Rachel pushed out the door and stepped out into the dark cavern. As Chris followed her, lights flickered and lit the area. Rachel hurried a few steps down the enormous tunnel and pressed her hand against a scanner. After a few seconds, a large garage like door started rolling up. Once it was a few feet off the ground, Rachel ducked under the door and into the garage beyond.

  “Here, you drive.” She tossed the keys she'd taken off the hook at him and went to the passenger side of one of two small SUV's parked inside. The shock of Ricky's call seemed to be wearing off, but Chris was going to keep an eye on her just in case. He slid in behind the wheel, started the car, and eased out of the garage and into the tunnel. It was the occasional moment like this that Chris was glad he'd prowled these tunnels for hours and days on end as a teenager and knew them well. Hitting the gas, he sped off to retrieve his mate's brother.

  19

  To Rachel, the trip through the tunnels to the Hoover dam seemed to take hours, but according to the clock on the dash, it was just under twenty minutes. Chris slowed the car to a more normal speed and glanced around.

  “Where is he? Did he tell you where exactly?”

  “No, he just said the dam, maybe he's on the surface?”

  “We can check there.” Chris sped up slightly, turning a couple of times down narrower, but still wide, tunnels as if he knew exactly where he was going.

  Rachel was lost. She used the tunnels in town on occasion but had never been this far. After a few minutes, Chris pulled up and stopped in front of a wall, which seemed solid. After a few seconds, the wall started moving. As the door rolled upward, it revealed a dimly lit parking garage. As Chris eased the car into the garage, Rachel scanned the area, looking for Ricky. Chris seemed to know the area well as he headed straight for the exit. They were almost out to the narrow, two-lane road, which crossed the dam in both directions, when Rachel spotted Ricky.

  There he was, running toward them.

  “There.” Rachel pointed toward her brother.

  Chris stopped the car, and Rachel hit the locks and got out. She hugged Ricky as he fell against her. She could feel his bones through the dirty, torn clothing.

  “We've got to hurry. They're right behind me.”

  “Who?” Rachel opened the rear door for him and followed him in, slamming the door shut. “Go. He says they're right behind him.”

  Chris jerked the wheel and turned back into the garage, avoiding the few cars inside as he went back to the door leading to the tunnels they'd just come through.

  “Who's following you?” Chris's voice was calm as he handled the vehicle with practiced ease.

  Ricky was breathing hard, as if he had been running for some time. “A werewolf named Kyle, and the demon he's working with.” Ricky gasped.

  A growl trickled from Chris's throat.

  Ricky's eyes went wide. “Holy shit, sis. What are you doing with a were?”

  “I met him while I was searching for you.”

  “You said she's dead.” Chris looked at them in the rearview mirror once they were back in the tunnels and the door closed behind them. “By she, do you mean Emily?”

  Tears pooled in Ricky's eyes. He nodded slowly then turned to stare out the car window at the dull cement walls of the tunnel. Rachel watched him, glad he was back. Her heart ached for what he was going through, but she was thrilled to have him beside her in the car. She couldn't think past that right now.

  It took them longer to get back to the MesoAmerican than it had to get to the dam. The urgency was gone, and Chris drove at a normal speed. Rachel spent the entire trip checking every couple of minutes that Ricky was still there.

  20

  Chris pushed the ache in his chest out of his mind as he drove. He slowed the car as they got close to the MesoAmerican.

  “Where's the remote?” He had to ask twice before Rachel realized he was talking to her.

  “Sorry, what?”

  Chris asked again.

  “There.” She pointed to a small cubby under the stereo that he'd missed. He hit the button and swung the vehicle around so he could back it into place once the door rolled open.

  Chris watched as Rachel and her brother exited the car, then followed them into the main tunnel, not sure if it would work, he pressed his hand against the scanner panel. The door started rolling shut. Good, he wouldn't have to call Rachel back to do it. He noticed Ricky constantly looking around anxiously. Not that Rachel was any less uneasy, but she kept checking to make sure Ricky was still there.

  Chris couldn't fault her much for that. He'd only witnessed a few days of her month-long search, but he knew she had missed her brother. Rachel pushed open the door, which led to the waiting area before the elevator. The small space seemed to amplify the musty, dirty scent that clung to Ricky, far more than Chris had noticed in the car, probably because the air in here was still. Chris hit the call button while Rachel wrapped one arm around Ricky and hugged him again. The short wait for the lift car only seemed to make Ricky more nervous. When the elevator arrived with a soft ding, Ricky jumped and gasped.

  Ricky jumped again, though not as badly, when they reached the floor with Rachel's apartment. Soon, the three of them made it into Rachel's apartment, where Ricky seemed to relax a little. Rachel fetched several bottles of water from the refrigerator in her small kitchen and handed them out before retrieving a blanket and wrapping it around her brother as she walked him to the couch and sat down.

  “What happened to you?” Rachel sat on the couch beside Ricky.

  Ricky sighed and seemed to deflate, as if someone had let out all the air that had been holding him up. “What hasn't.” He glanced at Rachel then his gaze settled on Chris and stayed there. “I started out looking for Emily.” He paused as if waiting for something.

  Chris nodded, hoping to get him to go on.

  “It took me a while to find her because she was hiding.”

  “Hiding from who?” Chris frowned.

  “A were named Kyle.”

  “Why was she hiding from him? Do you know?”

  “I never got a clear answer.” Ricky gave his head a slight shake. “He seemed to think she owed him something, but I never figured out what. She apparently didn't have whatever it was to give though. I found her the same time he did, and he captured us both.” Ricky shuddered at the memory.

  “He locked us in a dark room for a long time. I don't know how long. They fed us sometimes, but there were no windows, and the only light we saw was when he visited.” He fell silent for several long moments “He tried over and over to get Emily to contact her brother, to get him to retrieve whatever he was after, but she refused.” Ricky's gaze dropped, and he stared at the floor. “I didn't even know she had a brother.” His voice had gone soft as he spoke that last bit to himself.

  Chris's chest ached with the loss of the girl he'd watched grow up, and he regretted that he'd been a stubborn kid who had always refused to call her his sister. At the same time, he was proud that she'd managed to stick to her convictions and not give him up. Although, depending on what Kyle had wanted, Chris wished she had. Kyle was muscled, but he was weak; someone who took orders rather than give them. This time however, he'd chosen to take them from the wrong person. Chris would see to it that this was one of the last wrong choices he made.

  “How did you get from you both imprisoned to Emily dead and calling me?” Rachel's voice brought Chris back to the present. Ricky let his head hang. He muttered something Chris couldn't make out, even with his superior hearing.

  “What?”

  “They beat her to death,” Ricky said, louder this time.

  Chris blinked, sitting back in his chair as Ricky's words sunk in. It took a lot of work to beat a were to death. Far more than a normal human, which was no mean feat.

  “They beat her to death?” Chris had to make sure he'd heard the other man right.

  Ricky
nodded. “Not all at once, it took them a while. They would drug our food. We knew it was drugged, but we were too hungry to refuse it.” Ricky rolled his shoulders. “Sometimes we woke tied to chairs, but not always. They would set us facing each other and use us against each other. You know, hurt one of us to get what they wanted from the other.”

  “So, they beat you too?” Rachel peeled back the blanket wrapped around her brother, then lifted his shirt revealing dark purple bruises covering his abdomen.

  Ricky fumbled as he pushed her away and covered himself again. “That doesn't matter. What they did to me was to get her to talk, when they realized it wasn't working, they just tortured her.” Silent tears flowed down his face as he stared unseeingly into the distance.

  “She never did tell them. She never broke. After she died, they seemed to lose interest in me. I found my way out of the room, and then I found a phone.” He turned to Rachel. “That's when I called you. I tried to stay out of sight, but they found me, and I was certain they were going to catch me. That I would be killed just like Emily. So I ran.” Ricky turned to meet Chris's gaze. “There aren't a lot of places to hide on the dam, but there are a few ways to avoid getting caught.” The tears flowed unchecked down his face as Ricky looked at Rachel. “I can't believe she's dead.” The silent tears became quiet sobs as Rachel wrapped her arm around her brother, and he buried his face in her shoulder.

  “I'll leave the two of you.” Chris stood.

  “Wait.” Rachel's voice stopped him before he reached the door. He turned to find Rachel standing as Ricky scrubbed his hands over his face. “Are you going to tell Emily's mother?”

  “No.” Chris gave his head a slight shake. “I'll wait on that until I know more, maybe have some kind of proof, or have taken care of Kyle.”

  “I'd like you to stay.” Her voice trembled slightly, and she glanced down at her brother.