by Mercy May
The door clanged open, and the scent of the two men, accompanied by Asher filled my nostrils. One of the men smelled vaguely familiar, though I didn’t have a clue as to how. That is, until he stepped into view.
For a moment, I thought I was staring at Mark. But I quickly dismissed that upon seeing the man’s stature. He had the same sharp features as Mark, but his hair was graying at the tips, and he wore a pair of bifocals. This was the man that reeked of dominance, though. This was Cyrus.
The other man, I could barely see him past Cyrus’s massive frame, had broad, but aging shoulders. He seemed frailer than Cyrus, and even though I knew it was true, I couldn’t wrap my mind around how he’d become Asher’s alpha. Asher himself towered in the background, larger than both of the men, but somehow lacking the same dominance.
“Who the fuck is this?” Cyrus asked, pointing at me and turning toward Donald.
“What do you mean?” Donald screeched. “That’s your tiger!”
Cyrus turned back to me, studying me through the cage. “What’s your name?” Cyrus asked, his tone low and dark as he spoke.
I swallowed and forced my tiger down. The last thing I wanted to do right now was get into a fight with three bears in such a small space. I was a tiger, and I had no doubt that I’d kill at least one or two of them. But going toe to toe with Asher, for some reason, had me feeling squeamish. The man was clearly a bear, but he seemed so much more.
“Zeke Kaplan,” I answered, doing my best to still my voice.
“Uhuh,” Cyrus grumbled. Then, in an instant, he swung around and grabbed Donald by the throat, shoved him against the wall, and crushed his windpipe. Cyrus released his grip around Donald and let the man crumple to the floor, his body lifeless.
Asher took a step toward Cyrus, his cold eyes sharp and piercing as if he was on the verge of shifting, but Cyrus turned toward him and shot him a quick glare. My jaw dropped as I watched Asher dip his head in respect then back toward the wall. It was baffling how such an enormous individual gave into Cyrus’s whims.
“You’ll do best to remember this, boy,” Cyrus said, still staring Asher down. “Now, where did you find this man?”
I looked at Asher, silently pleading for him to keep quiet. The last thing I wanted was for Cyrus to find Ezra. I didn’t want him anywhere near my cousin, much less Matthew and my own mate. This bear was a cold-blooded murderer.
Asher shot me an apologetic glance. “A cottage nearby. I thought he was the other one, Ezra. This one was shifted, so I just assumed…”
Cyrus stepped across the room and backhanded Asher across the face. Asher’s head snapped to one side and he froze there, as if he was waiting on an order to reset.
“This is ridiculous,” Cyrus mused. “I don’t even know why I fucking hired you people to get Ezra. Wait…” He shot a quick glance my way. “Why did you think he was Ezra?”
“It was Ezra’s cottage, sir,” Asher said, his head still turned to the side. I could make out the beginnings of fury building up in the corner of his eyes. Even with his icy and submissive personality, the bear beneath Asher’s skin was starting to boil to the surface. And he was not happy.
“Well then,” Cyrus chuckled, turning and walking back toward me. “Why were you at Ezra’s cottage?”
I bit my lip, refusing to answer. I couldn’t let him know…
“Look,” Cyrus said with a shrug. “You can either tell me, or I can go there myself and find out.”
My eyes widened at that. I couldn’t let this man anywhere near that cottage. Not with Mark there. Not while he was carrying my unborn cub. Not to mention Matthew. And there was no way Ezra could even begin to stand a chance against this monster, especially if he brought Asher with him.
Cyrus’s face morphed into something resembling glee, and he let out a deep laugh. “That’s perfect!” Cyrus shouted.
I arched an eyebrow at that.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Cyrus started. “Tigers are a very rare breed of shifters. Which means that they’re likely very protective of their own, especially their family. More than that, you stink of my son. And I know just how protective he can be.” He flashed a wicked grin in my direction before turning to Asher. “Boy, put the tiger to sleep for me. I’m taking him home.”
His son? Shit. No wonder he looked so much like Mark. He was Mark’s father!
“Wait!” I called out, surprised. “You’re taking me home?”
“Oh,” Cyrus laughed. “Not your home. Mine.”
MARK
When I’d discovered that Trounce owned a compound nearby, I don’t know what I’d been expected, but I know it wasn’t this.
I rolled Ezra’s motorcycle up to the enormous gate and killed the ignition. I hopped off the bike and took a few steps back, examining the massive wall that ran around the perimeter of the property It was constructed entirely of brick and painted white, standing at least twice my height. The gate itself was made of some blackened metal, and wove together in intricate patterns. If I’d have had any fucks left to give, I would have taken the time to admire the effort put into constructing such lovely thing. Unfortunately for Donald Trounce, I’d lost my last one on the way here.
I paced back and forth in front of the gate for a minute, searching desperately for some sort of opening or unlocking mechanism. Instead, I found nothing but a security camera blinking red as it recorded my frantic motions.
“Fuck,” I cursed before kicking the bike in frustration. I winced as it crashed the ground. Ezra would more than likely make me pay for that later, but at this point, I didn’t have the time or patience to care. I needed to get inside that gate and into the compound proper. I could make it out through the gate. It was a large house with tall, white Corinthian columns that reminded me of my home in Black Canyon. It was definitely a bear’s den.
I studied the gate for a moment then shook my head in dismay. The only way through was over, and climbing the gate was going to be one hell of a task. Still, I didn’t have much of a choice, so I walked up to the monstrosity of twisted steel and set to it. The hardest part was getting started, and I ended up having to kick off my shoes in order to get a decent foothold. After that, it was just a matter of squeezing my hands and feet in between holes and praying to Fate that I didn’t slip or lose my grip. After a few minutes, I managed to reach the top of the gate and flip over it. Once on the other side, I let myself hang down, then dropped the rest of the way to the ground.
I hit the pavement with a thud and it felt like my joints caught on fire. I forced the pain out of my mind and raced up the paved driveway toward the house, taking care to extend my senses in search of anyone who could be nearby. When I neared the compound’s door, I stopped and came up short. I heard the low groaning of rusty door hinges, then watched the largest man I’d ever seen materialized in front of me, his body back-lit by the house’s interior.
“I thought you might be coming,” the platinum-haired man said, his voice flat and without emotion. The icy look in his eyes somehow stilled the bear that had been raging inside me, and I immediately recognized him as the man from the helicopter.
“Son of a bitch!” I roared, diving at the man and driving my shoulder into his stomach.
The man buckled over and let out a low groan, then somehow managed to brace himself, reach over and around me, then lift me off my feet and throw me onto the floor inside the house. Holy shit, he was strong. He’d just tossed me aside like I was a rag doll, and I wasn’t exactly a small person. I was a motherfucking grizzly, and a pretty damn big one at that.
I clambered off the floor and repositioned myself. There was no way I was going down without a fight, and if my bear didn’t want to cooperate and come out, then I’d have to find a way to manage the guy on my own.
I scanned the area around me for anything I could use as a weapon. Instantly, I spotted a fire iron sitting beside a massive fireplace, and dove for it. Once the cold metal pressed against my hand, I snatched it up and turned back toward the m
an, poised in a fighting stance. “Come get it,” I taunted.
The man continued his cold, icy stare and shifted on his feet slightly. Before he had a chance to move, I raced toward him, holding the fire iron high above my head. I aimed at the man’s neck and slammed the fire iron downward in a long, dangerous arc. The man threw up a fist and caught the brunt of the blow on his forearm, then proceeded to wrap his wrist around my weapon, latch on with a hand, and jerk it out of my hands. The force of his motion sent me spiraling back to the floor and I slammed into the door frame hard, knocking the wind out of my lungs.
The man stalked toward me, his face still expressionless, and I struggled to get up. Before I could get my legs to cooperate, the man was standing over me, one hand outstretched as if to offer me assistance.
I stared at the man for a long moment as he stood there, my mind completely and totally baffled. When it finally dawned on me that he wasn’t planning on killing me, I took his hand and let him help me to my feet.
“What the hell?” I managed, still forcing out my breaths.
The man just shook his head. “I was trying to explain, but you assaulted me.”
“Explain what?”
“That I don’t mean you any harm, and that I know where Zeke is.”
My eyes widened at that and my heart caught in my chest. For the entire trip over to the compound, my adrenaline had been blocking out the pain of our separation, but now it came back in full force. “You mean,” I stammered, “He isn’t here?”
The man shook his head slowly. “No. He was taken from here, not long ago. I waited here, though, in hopes that someone would come looking.”
I blinked. “You…waited? What? Why?”
The man shrugged. “My alpha is dead, and no one told me otherwise.”
My mind was racing a mile a minute at this point. This guy had dropped out of a fucking helicopter, kidnaped Mark, and was now standing here offering me help? What the actual fuck?
“Let’s start over,” I managed. “I’m Mark. Who the hell are you?”
“Asher Trounce,” the man offered. “Or, rather, I was Asher Trounce. I don’t know now that my alpha is dead.”
“Wait,” I said, throwing up a hand. “Your alpha? As in, Donald Trounce?”
Asher nodded, his face still expressionless.
“Well who the fuck killed him?” I asked, exasperated. This had been my only lead. The Trounce Clan had taken Zeke, or at least I’d assumed so. If they hadn’t, I had no idea who did.
Asher cocked his head to one side, a flash of pain contorting his otherwise blank face. “Cyrus Bruner,” he spat, as if just saying the name repulsed him.
My jaw dropped. Cyrus Bruner? Cyrus Bruner?! What was my father doing here? More importantly, why was he after Zeke?
I shook my head. It didn’t make any sense. There was no reason for Father to go after Zeke. As far as I knew, he didn’t even know Zeke existed.
“What…why?” I stammered, suddenly feeling frantic again.
Asher shrugged, his face returning to its blank state. “My mistake. I was supposed to grab Ezra, but tigers all look and stink the same.”
Shit. That was it then. Father was after Ezra. Probably for ruining the prearranged mating that would have elevated the Bruner clan even further. Prearranged matings, while long outdated by humans and other shifters, was prevalent with powerful bear clans, and they were usually orchestrated for political or financial reasons.
Mating my brother off to Donald Trounce’s daughter would have given my father a power grip in the Rockies and with the Western clans, something that he needed in order to proclaim his dominance over the entire North American hierarchy and take a place on the Council. Ezra and Matthew had, unknowingly, destroyed years of meticulous calculation and planning on the part of my father. If not for his outburst following the events at Matthew’s mating ceremony, I doubt I’d have ever even known about my father’s plans. I’d just been in the right place at the right time.
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thoughts circulating inside my mind. I needed to think clearly, not focus on ruined conspiracies.
“Where is Zeke?” I asked, desperate now. If Father knew he had the wrong tiger, he wouldn’t just give up. He’d be up to something, and I needed to know what.
Asher shrugged again. “They took one of the helicopters and the pilot and left. He had me tranquilize Zeke again and tie him up.”
My heart ached at that. The thought of my mate being drugged and bound like that was almost more than I could bear. “But where did they go, Asher?”
Asher pursed his lips as if thinking. Then, after a moment of silence, he said, “Home. Your father said he was taking Zeke back to his home.”
“Whose home?” I asked, fear starting to sink in.
Asher nodded once as if realizing something. “Your father’s home.”
I blinked. Holy shit. He was taking Zeke back to Black Canyon. But for what?
I thought for a moment then it dawned on me. To send a message. Mother was there, and she had been in communication with Matthew. I had no doubt that my father knew it. Hell, that’s probably how he knew that Ezra would be at the cottage in the first place. Mother, bless her heart, still loved the man, and was still loyal to him. He was her mate, even if he himself didn’t believe it. Father would take Zeke back to Black Canyon, then use him to lure Ezra out.
Only, Ezra couldn’t go. He was busy protecting Matthew, and there was no way Matthew could make the flight. Hell, at this point, I wasn’t even sure if I could. I was only a couple weeks pregnant, and the effects on my body were already obvious. I was weaker and more emotional, my bear had even become more frantic. I could feel it in my bones.
I shook my head, dismissing the doubt. If Father was taking Zeke to Black Canyon, that’s exactly where I needed to go. It didn’t matter how uncomfortable it made me. I needed to do whatever I could to rescue my mate, consequences be damned.
I spun away from Asher and started out the door. I needed to get Ezra’s bike and get into the city as fast as possible. There were only so many planes that went out every day, and I needed to be on the first one home.
I was halfway down the driveway when Asher called out to me. “Mark, where are you going?”
I turned back to him and threw up my hands. “To catch a fucking plane!”
Asher cocked his head to one side. “I have a helicopter here, though.” He pointed toward the rear of the compound. Sure enough, there were two helicopter pads. One of which was empty, but atop the other sat a solid black chopper.
“Can you fly it?” I asked.
Asher nodded. “Yes. And it’s much faster than your motorcycle.”
I started back toward the helicopter and was soon joined by the giant of a man. “You know this thing can’t cross the ocean, right?” I asked him.
“Right,” Asher replied, offering me a wolfish grin that I didn’t realize he could make. “But my dead alpha’s private jet can.”
ZEKE
Houses - if the massive dwellings could be called that - lined the sides of the street in rows, each one more magnificent than the last. They stood with massive columns that rose up into even more massive ceilings. The entire place looked like it had been plucked out of a Roman fairy tale and dropped into the middle of backwoods-nowhere.
I didn’t know where I was, but the only thing I could smell in the air was bear. Lots and lots of bear. My tiger, still dulled by the drugs and the flight, was slowly beginning to emerge, and the sights and sounds were almost too much for it. After being bound and gagged in a crate for the better part of a whole day, just walking was a chore in and of itself. My muscles ached, my mind was a blur, and I was beginning to feel the pains of dehydration. Still, Cyrus dragged me up the street, my hands and feet chained together as he led me.
I had no idea where Asher was, but I’d hoped to see him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even smell him nearby, so either Cyrus had killed him or he’d been left behind.
&
nbsp; I could feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes. This was almost too much. I’d never expected anything like this to happen to me. For the first time that I could remember, I had been enjoying myself. I’d been giving into myself. I’d been living, happily, with the other half of my soul. My mate. And now, I’d been stripped away and dragged to God-knows-where by an angry bear with a vendetta against my cousin. Cyrus was Mark’s father, that much I realized now, but he couldn’t have been any more different from the bear I loved.
My bear was kind. He was gentle in his strength. He was quiet, yes, but when he laughed it was hearty and filled with joy. This man, though. This man was more monster than man, more devil than bear. His strength was enormous, and his ferocity was downright terrifying. I could sense the dominance emanating from his form, and it just seemed to grow more and more the further down the street he dragged me.
There was a crowd following behind me now, and I had to wonder what sort of people would just allow a man to be chained up and dragged through the streets. It was surreal, to say the least, and suddenly I realized just why Mark had been so reluctant to express his true self. If this was Cyrus’s home, it had to be Mark’s too. And these people didn’t seem like the sort who would be okay with people like Mark and me.
I shook my head, resisting the tug of my captor. Cyrus turned toward me and stared down at me, his massive frame towering over my own. He asserted his dominance and I dipped my head, not out of respect, but in self-defense. There was no way I could go against him right now. Even if I could shift, I was too weak at the moment to even begin to fight him. Never mind the fact that there were a couple dozen curious bears surrounding us. Going against Cyrus now would be suicide, and I needed to do everything I could to stay alive right now.
I needed to see Mark again. I needed to be with him, to be there for the birth of my cub, and to raise them. I couldn’t get myself killed, and I had to do everything I could to stay alive.
