Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4)

by T. E. Ridener

  “Please don’t kill her,” Kia repeated quietly. “I will tell you everything you want to know, Dimitri....but you have to promise me you aren’t going to hurt her. She just needs time. Are you going to deny her the patience you’ve shown Rutley?”

  Damn it. That was a good point. Dimitri swallowed hard and glanced in his beta’s direction. Rutley’s eyes had returned to their normal color, but the blood smeared across his cheek still stirred something feral within Dimitri’s chest. He didn’t like the thought of his beta getting hurt. Rutley was his mate too. Jesus H. Christ, how did he get himself into these situations?

  “Fine.” Dimitri took a step back and released Amber. She slid to the floor and gasped for air as she lifted her eyes to stare at him. Something told him she wouldn’t be so reckless next time.

  Not if she knows what’s good for her. He let out a low breath and raked his trembling fingers through his hair.

  Now what?

  Twenty-three

  How did he always manage to get hurt? Rutley glanced down at his side through the reflection of the mirror and immediately made a face of disgust.

  “She got me good.” He commented as his eyes raked over the three deep claw marks that started just below his armpit and ran all the way down to his hip.

  “It will heal,” Kia promised as she pressed a small white cloth against the first cut. Rutley hissed. “Sorry,” she whispered apologetically. “The peroxide will help lessen the irritation and that means you’ll heal even faster. I don’t mean to hurt you.”

  “I don’t know why you’re so worried about me,” Rutley mumbled as he glanced at her. “You’re the one with a huge ass gash on your cheek. Shouldn’t we take care of that first?”

  Kia smiled gently and shook her head. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  She didn’t meet his gaze as she continued applying small dabs of peroxide to his cuts. Her tongue darted from between her lips to moisten them as she shrugged her shoulders. “It will heal as the rest have in the past. It doesn’t need any extra care.”

  What did that mean? Rutley’s eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face her and gently gripped her wrist.

  “Has someone hurt you before?”

  When Kia didn’t respond, Rutley already had his answer. It made him feel sick and a little angry. He wasn’t sure why. Why was he upset over that?

  “Who?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Kia shook her head quickly and lifted her free hand to push her messy brown hair away from her eyes. “That’s in the past now and I’d rather not revisit it, get what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah,” he frowned. He didn’t like the thought of Kia being hurt. Had her parents abused her or something? He was slowly discovering that werewolf families weren’t very different from human families-neither were ursithropes. Humanity made it come back full circle and they all shared certain attributes. “But if you ever want to talk about it....”

  “Thanks, Rutley.” Kia released a soft breath and tossed the soiled cloth into the hamper nearby. She turned away from him to grab a clean one when the bathroom door inched open.

  “Can I come in?” Dimitri asked as his head popped in.

  “Yep,” Rutley took a step back and Kia followed after him. The bathroom was pretty small, so fitting two beastly men and an equally beastly female into the tight space was a challenge. “What’s up with the mini-terror?”

  “She’s sleeping,” Dimitri replied as he shut the bathroom door behind himself and leaned against it. His hazel hues raked over Rutley’s face as he frowned. “How are things going in here?”

  “She’s getting me patched up. I think I’m going to make it,” Rutley offered his alpha a grin. “I’m sorry I had to pull you away from the meeting. What happened there anyway?”

  As Kia refocused her attention and began cleaning his wounds once more, Dimitri told them about Beau’s discovery of Sammy’s heritage and how she was Arnold Goult’s daughter. Rutley’s mouth fell open by the time he was finished.

  “No shit,” he said softly. “So what does all of this mean now? Why did her mom get killed over trying to tell Arnold about his kid? That doesn’t make much sense to me.”

  “It doesn’t make sense to me either,” Dimitri shrugged his broad shoulders as his head fell back against the door. A sigh escaped his lips and then he frowned. “Presley believes it’s something bigger and I agree with her. I think something massive is headed straight for Kadenburg and I’m pretty sure that Breslin is somehow staying one step ahead of us.”

  Both werewolves noticed how Kia visibly tensed.

  “Kia.” Dimitri’s voice deepened with a very distinct tone. Rutley liked to call it the ‘alpha tone’ and Dimitri had a tendency to speak with it when he wanted to prove he wasn’t messing around.

  The younger lycanthrope slowly lifted her light brown eyes to peer at Dimitri and Rutley couldn’t help but to wonder what she was hiding. His alpha had accused her of many things over the past month, but Rutley still held out for her. He wanted to believe she wasn’t as bad as Dimitri tried to make her. There had to be some good about her; he’d seen it in her on the night they ended up in bed together.

  “If you know something I’d really appreciate it if you’d tell me,” Dimitri said hoarsely as he cocked his head to the side. “I don’t think you realize how serious this situation is. Breslin Connor has been terrorizing this town for decades. He’s killed people that the ursithropes care about-people I care about,” his eyes moved to Rutley. “People he cares about.”

  Kia’s heartbeat reminded Rutley of a horse stampeding over the fields in his old town. It grew faster and harder as the seconds passed by and her face paled significantly as she dropped her hands to her sides.

  “What do you know, Kia?” Rutley asked in a gentler tone. He knew Dimitri could be an intimidating guy, but he didn’t want to scare her. She was trying to help them out after all. She didn’t deserve to be frightened after Amber’s little psycho-puppy attack.

  “I can’t,” Kia whispered as she bit at her lower lip. “Please...”

  “Kia,” Dimitri stepped in front of her and let his hands rest against her shoulders. “I’m not going to be angry with you. Do you understand that? There’s no reason to keep your thoughts shielded from me anymore. You have to let me in.”

  What the hell did he mean by that? Rutley scratched at the scruff on his cheek and then quirked an eyebrow.

  ‘I need to tell you something.’ Dimitri’s voice whispered in his mind.

  ‘Well get to telling because she’s about to have a panic attack. Her heartbeat is way too fast.’ Rutley’s lips anchored downwards as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his alpha.

  ‘I’m going to.’ Dimitri promised. “Kia, open your mind to me.”

  “I c-can’t do that,” she whimpered as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Please don’t ask me to do that.”

  “I thought we had to share the same bloodline or whatever to hear each other’s thoughts.” Rutley commented as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “That’s what I need to tell you,” Dimitri heaved a sigh and took a step away from Kia. “Or maybe you want to tell him.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Kia’s beautiful eyes turned to him then and something stirred in Rutley’s chest. He swallowed hard and felt his pants tighten as he held her gaze. It was weird how she still had that effect on him even though she was no longer in heat.

  “There’s a reason for that too,” Dimitri promised as he read his thoughts. “Kia?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Kia said weakly as she dropped her head in shame once more. “I never meant for that part to happen. You have to believe me,” she sniffled. Oh god, she was going to cry. Rutley couldn’t take it. It felt like his heart was breaking as her shoulders began to shake. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and I realize I was very wrong to do it.”

  “What did you do?” Dimitri probed further.
“Tell us.”

  “I....” Kia’s voice seemed to drift off as she turned away from them to face the sink. The cloth fell from her grip and hit the floor as she planted her palms against the counter.

  ‘I never meant for it to go this far.’ Her voice sounded in Rutley’s head. He damn near fell over as his jaw dropped. She was in his head-how was she in his head?!

  ‘She is mated to us.’ Dimitri replied.

  “Um, excuse me?” Rutley stared back and forth between them as shivers crept down his spine. They were fucking joking, right?

  “I am not joking,” Kia sobbed. “I’m so sorry that I did that to you. I was only trying to do a little recon.....I never meant for us to end up in bed together.”

  “Recon? Who were you trying to get information for?” Dimitri’s voice took on that low tone again and Rutley knew his alpha was getting angry again. It was becoming incredibly complicated for him because he wanted to protect Kia from Dimitri’s wrath, but at the same time he didn’t want to defy his alpha. This had gone on long enough.

  Kia slowly turned around to face them and the dull sense of her fear enveloped Rutley. The urge to protect her grew stronger and he took a step towards her.

  “Dimitri, don’t,” he said quietly. “Don’t get upset.”

  “I’m just asking a question and I want her to be honest with me,” Dimitri said calmly. “Who were you doing recon for, Kia?”

  “You already know the answer,” she whispered as she lifted her hand to her mouth and bit at her thumbnail. “Don’t make me say it, Dimitri. I am so sorry.”

  “Say. It.” His teeth snapped together with both words and Kia winced.

  “I didn’t know you then...I didn’t know any of you!” She wailed. She was shaking like a leaf and Rutley wanted to wrap his arms around her. He glanced at his alpha nervously. “I’m so sorry, Dimitri. You have to believe me. I thought you were bad people. I...I didn’t know any better.”

  “Do we look like bad people to you?” Dimitri motioned at himself before nodding to Rutley. “Does he look bad to you? We’re just like everyone else in this town. We just want to live, Kia. Is that bad?”

  “No, but—”

  “I don’t know your association to Breslin Connor, little wolf, but whatever you’ve done....it’s best to tell me now so I can deal with it. I don’t want any surprise attacks, feel me?”

  Dimitri was nose to nose with her and the combination of their heartbeats mixed with Rutley’s was deafening. His breathing became shallow as he reached out to touch his alpha’s shoulder. If he could just get Dimitri to disengage......

  “I don’t want you to hate me,” Kia sobbed. “I couldn’t take it if you hated me....”

  “Don’t you get it?” Dimitri laughed bitterly and shook his head. “I can’t hate you. It’s too late for that. It’s impossible to hate you, Kia. I may get pissed off, but I will never hate you now,” he blinked and scoffed. “Or is that why you ‘accidentally’ did it? You mated yourself to us on purpose, didn’t you?”

  “No!” She cried. The tears glistening in her eyes made Rutley’s inner wolf howl in dismay. He didn’t like seeing her upset at all. “I never meant for that to happen! It was an accident I swear.....”

  “Then just tell me why you gave him the information! Tell me why you came into OUR home and drugged US, Kia. Tell me what was so damned important that you had to steal our watches and cellphones and shake that ass of yours while Colin Grimes attacked Arnold Goult. TELL ME WHY YOU MADE IT FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO HATE YOU!”

  Dimitri’s voice echoed throughout the entire apartment and Rutley was sure he’d woken Amber. There was no way in hell the new wolf slept through that. Kia was crying, loudly, and it was all Rutley could do to maintain his composure.

  “You don’t understand! He said he’d kill me if I didn’t help. I-I...I didn’t want to disappoint him. I’ve been a disappointment my whole life. Do you understand how that feels?! And the ursithropes....they destroyed my h-home when I was a little girl and they’re so d-dangerous. That’s what he s-said. I was just trying to do the right thing....”

  Dimitri dropped his head and turned away from her. The muscles beneath his sweaty skin danced and tightened as his fist slammed into the wall suddenly. Yep. He was angry.

  “But I know better than that now!” Kia added quickly as she reached out to touch Dimitri’s back. “He’s been lying to me my entire life. The ursithropes aren’t bad and neither are you. I never should’ve done what I did and I’m so sorry. I know I can’t be forgiven, but a part of me was hoping that maybe you could find it in your heart to—Oh!”

  Dimitri moved so quickly that Rutley didn’t have time to react. Kia’s small squeak of fear died out as the alpha clamped both hands around her neck and lifted her feet off the floor.

  “Why are you lying to me?!” Dimitri asked. His eyes were wide and wild as he stared at her. “I have never seen you around the pack and trust me, I was in that pack for a long damn time. How did he manage to dig his claws so deep into your brain if you weren’t a part of his pack, huh?”

  ‘I’m his daughter!’ Kia’s voice shrieked. ‘And I hate that I am. I am so sorry. Please don’t kill me.’

  “I am not going to kill you,” Dimitri blinked back tears as the veins in his neck popped out. He instantly released her and Kia fell straight into Rutley’s arms. She sobbed against his chest as Rutley glanced up at Dimitri again. “You’ve put me in a shitty predicament here. You can’t be his daughter. You smell nothing like him. You’re not making any sense, little wolf. Open. Up. Your. Mind. Let me in. I want to see the truth.”

  ‘I am telling you the truth.’ She promised.

  “You’re still lying! I want answers and by god, I’m going to get them. If we have to stay in here all night, we’ll do it. Whatever it takes to protect this town....to protect my sister....I’m going to do it.”

  “Your what?” Kia lifted her head to stare at him in surprise.

  “My sister,” Dimitri repeated. “I’m not going to let Breslin hurt her, understand? So tell me what role you played in all of this, Kia, and be honest. I swear to God I can’t take any more deceit. Don’t deceive me. I am your mate and you need to give me some courtesy here.”

  “He wanted to know your routine. He wanted to know your connection to the ursithropes.......that’s all I know. I swear it.”

  “Bullshit,” Dimitri spat. “Why did he want to know our routine?”

  “Because he was going to send humans in to leave messages for the ursithropes. He wanted to scare them...”

  “He murdered innocent people,” Dimitri was furious. “I had to bite a kid to keep her from dying because of those –humans-. My plate got piled with more shit I didn’t need because of everything you didn’t –mean- to do, Kia. Do you think this is a game?”

  “No!” A tear slid down her cheek. “Dimitri, I’m sorry! I didn’t know you then. I didn’t realize I would fall in.....”

  When she fell silent, Rutley’s ears perked up. What was she going to say? His arms loosened around her as he gazed at her quizzically. What were the last few words of that sentence?

  “I didn’t know I would grow to care for you two so much.” Kia wiped at her eyes and dropped her head. She was ashamed. Rutley could smell the guilt rolling off her body in huge waves and it made him feel sick. She was torturing herself over caring about them?

  Dimitri was quiet as he turned his back to them. He raked his fingers through his red hair and released a noise that was a combination of pain and frustration. Rutley tried to decipher his thoughts, but that was impossible. His alpha was going to break.

  “I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through, Dimitri. I swear I never would’ve done it had I known the truth before. You have to believe my eyes are wide open now and I see everything. I’ve never seen everything so clearly before in my life!” Kia fell to her knees and all Rutley could do was stare. She was groveling at Dimitri’s feet. She was begging for forgiveness.


  “Don’t do that,” Dimitri whispered as he turned back around to stare down at her. His hazel hues were filled with tears and he wasn’t trying to hide his pain as he joined her on the floor. His arms wrapped around her and Rutley felt an inexplicable tug at his heartstrings. “Your hurt is my hurt and I can’t take any more of that right now.”

  Kia wept freely against the strained fabric of Dimitri’s shirt. Her tears stained the material as Rutley found himself wiping at his own eyes. He’d never felt anything so intense in his life. There were still so many things he didn’t understand and maybe he never would.

  “Let me in, Kia,” Dimitri repeated as he stroked his fingers over her purple and brown hair in a comforting manner. “You have to let me in.”

  Rutley joined them on the floor. He wrapped his arms around Kia from behind and rested them against Dimitri’s shoulders as he nuzzled his nose against her neck. It felt like his wolf was trying to absorb her heartache, something he’d tried to do for Dimitri countless times.

  “Let us in.” Rutley whispered.

  “I w-want to.....” Kia replied quietly.

  “Then let us,” Dimitri pleaded. Rutley lifted his head to catch his alpha’s gaze and noted the soft glow of his eyes. Dimitri cupped Kia’s face between his large palms and leaned in, hesitantly, to nudge his nose against hers. “You have to let us in.”

  “Let us in.” Rutley repeated as he inhaled the sweet scent of Kia’s flesh. He leaned down to press a kiss against her shoulder and his wolf seemed pleased. A soft gasp escaped her lips.

  ‘Let us in.’ Dimitri’s voice echoed in Rutley’s mind.

  ‘I’m afraid.’ Kia responded as she leaned back against Rutley’s chest.

  ‘Of me?’ Dimitri questioned as his fingers tangled into her hair and he pulled her closer. His eyes searched hers as his lips parted. ‘I am not Breslin Connor, Kia. You have nothing to fear from me. My wolf would never let me hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you. Don’t you understand that? As fucked up as this seems to be, the marks on your body cannot be denied. I am your mate and it is my duty to protect you at all costs.’