by Donna Flynn
“He’s not the only one who has been shot.” Alec told them as strode into the room looking slightly rumpled and worried. It had taken only a short time to get Lane home, but it had seemed an eternity knowing Mercy was there without him after such an experience. He had checked on her immediately upon his return to find her still sleeping peacefully, then on a hunch went to the office to make some calls.
“What’s going on son?” Gregory asked looking concerned.
“I spoke to a few of the other pack Alphas, two have lost their heirs in the last month, one managed to find a healer to save his. All shot the way Kirk and I were, but no one was aware of the poison, except for the one who survived. Like us, they thought it was just someone out for revenge, but it seems this is not random or only concentrated here. Someone is trying to weaken all of the packs by killing their heirs.”
“But why, what could be gained by this?” Jared asked disturbed by the fact his own son had been a target.
“I am not sure, but I intend to find out,” Gregory answered sharply. “Whoever started this has a plan and I intend to find out what it is.”
“I’m going to make more calls, but I want to check on Mercy first,” Alec said concerned she might have woken in his absence.
“Go on, we can make calls, you keep your eye on her,” his father, told him sensing his unease about leaving her alone.
“Thanks,” Alec said already at the door anxious to get to his mate.
“Anything I can do to help let me know,” Jared told Gregory rising and clasping his hand. “Is it safe to move him?” he asked Nina.
“I would like to leave him here for the night, if that is not a problem.” She looked to Lucan who nodded agreement. “Would it be alright if I stayed also, I do not want him to awake alone?”
“Of course it is no imposition,” Lucan told her trying not to let his eagerness that she would be in his home show.
“Nina that would not be proper, you’re a young single female, I will stay with him,” her father said.
“You are needed at home and I am old enough to stay where I please,” she responded defiantly.
“You are not going to let me win this are you?” He chuckled when she nodded then kissed her cheek. “Good night my dear, I will be back in the morning. Gregory, may I speak to you for a moment before I go?”
“Lucan, I will talk with you later,” Gregory said walking out with Jared.
“Thank you for letting me stay. I would not feel right leaving him here without family.” She sat next to her brother and placed her hand on his forehead. “I think by morning he will be healed enough we can out of your hair.”
“It is no problem, besides with Cade gone it gets kind of lonely here at night. It will be nice to have another adult to talk to.”
“This is nice of you. I know you are not happy about Kirk dating Mercy and for the record I did not agree with my father’s tactics for forcing this on you.” She blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment.
“I suppose he wanted the best for his son and it isn’t that I do not like Kirk, as a matter of fact I think he is a good kid, but …” He stopped unsure if he should share that Alec was Mercy’s Bond Mate.
“But Alec is her destined mate and this only complicates things.” She smiled when he blew out the breath he had been holding. “Kirk is young, he does not understand the pull of a Bond Mate yet, but my father should know better. I guess the idea of joining with your pack is just to alluring for him. We are a small in number, so to have Gregory’s protection would be a relief to my father, especially in light of all that is going on. He will be more worried than ever now that this has happened. Kirk is the only son, if he does not step up and become Alpha his legacy dies with him.”
“We have always been friendly with your pack, Gregory would help your father without going to such lengths,” he assured her.
“That is good to know. I must say though, I am afraid Kirk is going to get his heart broken when Mercy chooses Alec.” She looked at her brother sadly her face filled with compassion.
“Nina, Mercy does not know any of this. She does not understand what she is or will be.”
“I would never say anything,” she told him sincerely.
“She would never willingly hurt anyone, especially someone she cares for if she could help it.” He moved to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. It was meant to be reassuring, but when she looked up he was lost and they both felt the pull of their destiny.
The sound of footsteps outside had him pulling his hand away quickly, but they both looked flustered when Gregory walked in. Thankfully, he was too concerned about more pressing matters to notice the tension in the air.
“Luc I am heading home for the night. Alec is with Mercy, she’s still sleeping it off. Send him on home when you tire of him.” He looked to Nina and smiled. “I’m glad your brother is going to be alright.”
“Thank you,” she answered shyly awed by the Alpha before her. Gregory was the stuff legends were made of and his son seemed destined to follow in his footsteps from what she had heard. It was unfortunate for her brother he choose the wrong girl to have his first real crush on.
“I’ll see you out.” Lucan walked to the door behind his leader giving Nina one last lingering look over his shoulder before closing the door.
*****
Just down the hall, Mercy woke unsure where she was, but instinctively knowing who was holding her hand. Alec was always there when she needed him, something she had never before really thought about. “Alec?” she said softly her voice tired and worn.
“Take your time,” he said caressing her fingers with his own.
“What happened?” She sat up groggily resting against the headboard.
“Kirk was shot, but you healed him.”
Her face turned ashen as the events of the night ran through her mind. Her first instinct was to vault from bed to find Kirk, but Alec immediately put a stop to that.
“Easy you need to rest,” he told her pressing her back against the pillows.
“Kirk, he’s alright?” She clung to his hand desperately praying it was true.
“He’s fine, his sister is with him now in the guest room. She said he will be good as new in a few days.”
“Who did this Alec? What is going on? First you get shot, then Kirk, I don’t understand any of this.” Her eyes filled with tears that he swiped away with the tip of his finger.
“My father and Lucan are working on it. You just rest and let them handle everything.” He brushed her hair back from her forehead worried about the questions he knew would come. Mercy might be naïve, but she was not stupid and she would want answers he was not sure he could give her.
“We should call the police, they need to be looking for this maniac before someone else gets shot,” she persisted.
“How could we explain to the police that we were shot and healed so quickly?” She bit her bottom lip as she thought about his words. He hated the look of despair on her face knowing she was once again thinking of her talent for healing as a curse rather than the gift it was. “Listen to me you saved us. Kirk and I, are more grateful than you could ever imagine, but if the world knew what you could do, people would never leave you alone. We can’t take the chance of anyone finding out, not because it’s bad, but because you would never know a moments peace if word of your talent got out.”
She let out a long sigh and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, my gift causes trouble every time I use it.”
He sat next to her on the bed holding her in his arms as he had done a thousand times since meeting her. Her head rested on his chest and her hand in his trembling slightly. “No it does not, you need to see the good it brings and forget about everything else.” The smell of her hair teased his senses and the feel of her so close made it hard to resist kissing her, but he had promised he would wait until she begged and he would keep that promise even if it made him uncomfortable.
“Thank you for being here, I know
we have argued a lot lately, but it feels good to have my best friend comforting me.” She snuggled closer wanting solace, but finding something far more intoxicating.
His body was warm against hers, his fingers drumming slowly on her hip brought heat to her insides, and his breath so close to her ear drove her to the brink of insanity. All she had to do was turn her head and their lips would meet. She wanted his kiss so badly it hurt, but there was another person to consider.
Kirk she reminded herself. Kirk who was shot and almost died, he was her boyfriend. It was he she should be with not Alec. Alec hugged her closer and her heart beat wildly all thoughts of Kirk vanquished with that one movement.
Who was she kidding? She wanted Alec to kiss her, to be the only guy in her life. She had always wanted him, but he wasn’t good for her, he made her feel things that were frightening and had the power to be her undoing.
Alec felt her indecision, knew she was analyzing everything, but he said nothing letting her sort it all out. If she wanted more, she would have to ask, he was not willing to strain their relationship further because of his baser instinct to be close to his mate. As much as he wanted to reassure her that she was the only one for him, he knew if he told her it would only bring questions he could not answer. She turned to stare into his eyes, the confusion she felt so easy to read, but still he kept silent waiting for her to decide her fate.
Mercy stared at Alec as if she had never truly seen him before, questioning everything, she thought she knew about him. Why had she never noticed that his warm chocolate brown eyes had flecks of amber in them or that when he held her, his body fit so perfectly against her own? Why did it feel so right to be in his arms and why did he always seem to be the only one who could calm her fears? How could she not want to kiss his perfect lips or run her hands through his thick soft hair? Her heart called to his, she always felt it, but her brain, the part that was logical told her it was not possible. After years of letting her brain control her actions, her heart finally took over and before she knew what she was doing, she let out a feral growl and flipped him so her body straddled his.
Her face was only inches above his own as she stared into his eyes watching as they became more amber than brown. Something instinctive told her not to panic, she continued to stare watching the amber flecks become more fluid, swirling and mixing until the amber completely overtook the brown. He growled softly as she reached out placing her hand on his cheek and lowered his head, closing his eyes, blocking them from view.
“Don’t,” she whispered lifting his head with her hand. He opened his eyes and she gasped. The brown had once again taken over and all traces of amber were gone.
Neither spoke both too consumed by the overwhelming emotion between them for words.
The look of desperation on her face made him want to ease her fears, but he held firm letting her find her own way. He wanted her to choose, to be the one in charge, to be the one to say what he knew they both were feeling. She was so close, her warm sweet breath teased his lips, her body draped over his pressing him to the bed, as she contemplated what to do next.
He was absorbed with her nothing else registered until Lucan knocked on her door startling them both. “Alec?” Lucan called out knocking again.
Mercy gave a startled gasp, their arms and legs bumped as they scrambled to achieve the more appropriate position of her on the bed resting against the headboard and he on the chair next to her.
“Come in,” Alec said in a husky voice every different form his normal tone.
Lucan opened the door glancing between them his jaw clenched, but said nothing.
“How’s Kirk?” Alec managed to ask despite his heart racing more rapidly than ever.
Lucan raised an eyebrow hearing clearly the fast-paced rhythm of his heart, but did not call him on it. “Fine, Nina is spending the night with him in the guest room. I thought I should come and say goodnight to Mercy, it is late and she needs to rest.” He looked pointedly at the clock and Alec knew he had worn out his welcome and was being tossed out, although be it politely.
“Goodnight I will see you in few hours,” he told Mercy brushing his lips on her forehead before taking his leave.
“Thank you Alec, for everything.”
“I didn’t do anything you are the one who saved Kirk,” he reminded her as he shut the door.
“How are you doing kid?” Lucan sat in the vacated chair and she turned to him her eyes filled with confusion.
“I’m fine, it was Kirk that got shot,” she said her hands clenching the sheet nervously.
“That was not what I meant and you know it.” He reached out and took her hand. “You and Alec have been fighting a lot lately, would you like to talk about what’s going on?” She stiffened and her hand shook slightly in his a dead giveaway she was upset.
“I can’t….” She bit her lip. “I don’t… understand it yet myself.”
“I am here when you’re ready to talk.” He placed her hand back on the bed and stood sensing she was not going to confide in him at that moment.
“Luc.” He looked down and smiled. “Is Kirk really alright?”
“He will be right as rain in the morning, you can see him then.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead as he had done every night since she was six then pulled the blanket over her. “You get some rest, let us worry about all of this.” He turned to go, but she grabbed his hand and he turned back to look down on her.
“Have you ever been in love?”
“I have not really had the time, but I imagine if love is meant to be between two people it will happen whether you want it to or not. Is that what is going on with you and Alec?” He had only just recently found out she was Alec’s Bond Mate, but already he felt as if he were losing her and the pain was unbearable. His little sister grown into such a beautiful young women and he wondered how long it would be before she no longer wanted his help or advice, but turned to her Alec for it instead.
“I don’t know,” she whispered scared to acknowledge out loud he was more to her than just a friend.
“You do not have to make any decisions now, if it is meant to be it will wait until you’re ready. Alec has not been pushing you has he?”
“No!” She sat upright and pulled her hand from his outraged he would even ask. “Alec would never force me to do anything, you should know that.”
“Calm down, I know how much he cares for you. I wasn’t accusing him of anything.” He noted how easily she defended Alec, how instinctive it was for her and felt a moment of extreme dislike for the young man that would take her away. It was stupid, he really liked Alec and knew he would be a good mate for his sister, but the idea of not seeing her first thing in the morning and last thing at night made him morose. Since the day they had taken her in, she had become his life and now he felt like that was ending. “Mercy you need rest, stop worrying it will all work out.”
“Thanks Luc you’re the best brother ever.” He hugged her close then let her fall back against the pillows. “I am so lucky to have you and Cade I don’t know who else would put up with me.”
“I am sure there is someone out there who can handle your craziness,” he teased.
“But no one who would love me the way you do,” she answered as she snuggled under her blankets. “Good night.”
“Good night.” He turned off the lights and closed the door leaning against it for a long time, hearing her shift and move in the bed as sleep evaded her. It was only matter of time before she gave in to the instinctive call of her mate, but what would happen then was an even scarier thought.
Chapter Fifteen
As she dressed for school the next morning, Mercy reminded herself of all the reasons she had to keep her emotions in check. One, Alec was her best friend, two, he was not exactly a one-girl kind of guy, and three the most compelling reason to ignore her feelings was that Kirk would be hurt if he knew how she felt. It was better for everyone if she just forgot about the night before and continued on the way t
hings had been. With that idea firmly in place she left her room and headed to the guest room where Kirk was recovering.
He was sitting up looking extremely healthy, eating breakfast when she walked in. His smile was bright and warm as she came to his bedside making her feel even worse for contemplating breaking up with him.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” She asked sitting in the chair next to him. Automatically he reached for her hand and she gave it to him willingly hoping for some spark that would persuade her she had made the right decision, but none came.
“I’m good thanks to you and my sister.” He pushed he tray away, tugged her hand, so she moved to his side, sitting on the bed next to him. “A good morning kiss would certainly make my day though.” He had woken with very little memory of the night before, but one thing he knew was that he did not get his goodnight kiss, something he wanted to remedy immediately.
Mercy bent to him finding his kiss warm and nice, but nothing like Alec’s whose incited a riot of emotions inside her and made her long for more. She reminded herself to forget about Alec and concentrate on Kirk, but unconsciously she had already begun pulling away and when she sat back, Kirk looked bewildered by her hasty retreat.
“I need to eat it’s almost time to head to school.” She told him rising from the bed and grabbing her things before he could react. “I’ll call you later.”
She rushed out of the room and headed down the stairs to the kitchen surprised to find Lucan sitting at the table with a stunning woman who could only be Kirk’s sister. They were both smiling happily, his hand on top of hers as they spoke, making her uncomfortable, but before she could back away, Lucan looked up, saw her.
“Good morning how are you feeling?” He rose from the table and pulled a plate from the oven placing it on the table in front of an empty chair. “I made your favorite.”
Mercy placed her bags on the counter and walked to the table feeling sick to her stomach, but unwilling to hurt his feelings by not eating.
