The Liger's Mark

by Lacey Thorn

  “We’ll talk more later,” Tah said. “Go ahead with what you found.”

  “We went back to South Dakota, first,” Vic said. “Fayette.”

  Kenzie glanced toward Clara. Fayette was where Clara was from. The way she nodded, Kenzie got the impression she’d known what Gideon and Vic were doing.

  “Dillon made some pretty bold statements before he died,” Gideon stated. “I wanted to see if we could find anything to tell us if there was any truth to what he’d said.”

  “He alluded to the fact he’d killed Thomas Walker in order to save everyone,” Vic clarified. “He painted quite the picture of Thomas as a manipulative bastard with an agenda.”

  Kenzie watched Clara and saw sadness fill the other woman’s eyes. Logan wrapped his arms around his mate.

  “He was, and most likely did have an agenda,” Clara agreed. “I just don’t know if it was as Dillon painted it. My uncle isn’t a bad man. He’s not always a good one, either.”

  “Few of us are all one or the other,” Murphy said. “We’re more of a combination of both.”

  There were several nods of agreement. There probably wasn’t anyone in the room who hadn’t done something at one time or another that might be construed as bad under a certain microscope.

  “What Dillon didn’t know is that there were places where Thomas hid things. I didn’t check them before I headed to Colorado. I was in too much of a rush. Plus, the house was ransacked, and I didn’t know who if anyone might be watching,” Gideon said. “So I wanted to go back and take a look. I found boxes of papers, which Vic and I brought back with us. Research, not just what he and I were working on, but other things, side projects he was investigating, and things from before I joined them. I’m not even sure of all of it.”

  “I’ll help read through his notes,” the professor spoke up.

  “Me, too,” Abby added. “I’m sure Diane will want to pitch in, also.”

  Gideon nodded. “Vic’s already started reading. We also brought back some boxes of personal stuff we found hidden by Thomas. Pictures and letters and a box marked with Michael Walker’s name.”

  Clara nodded. “I’ve been going through that one today. I thought I’d lost everything when Gideon said the house was destroyed, but this box contains things I’ve never seen before. Lots of pictures. Journals my dad kept. I haven’t read them all, yet, but it’s a lot to take in.”

  “Thomas also kept journals,” Vic said. “I’ve been skimming some of them. He and Clara’s father were most definitely searching for someone, a woman named Elizabeth. Her name is mentioned several times. How he needs to find her. How sorry he is. However, he never goes into detail about what happened or who she is.”

  “I’ll search for any mention of her in my father’s papers,” Clara said.

  “See if she’s mentioned on any of the pictures,” Gideon urged.

  “There are several women in the pictures I’ve seen, but few of the photos have anything written on the back of them,” Clara informed them.

  “What about Thomas?” Tah asked. “Do you think he’s dead?”

  Gideon shrugged. “My gut says no.”

  “He’s more than capable of taking care of himself,” Clara agreed.

  “Clara and I spoke about something else,” Gideon announced.

  “The child?” Abby asked, and he nodded. “I know Dillon tried to say Thomas’ child might be alive, but Clara watched what happened.”

  “I did,” Clara agreed. “Logan and I walked through my memory. I was young, only five when the hunters attacked. I saw what they did, but there were moments when it was too much, and I looked away. There were also a few moments when my view was blocked by one of the hunters. I knew what was happening. I could see Aunt Stella’s face. I did watch them…” She paused and swallowed. “I saw what they did to the baby, but I can’t verify for sure if it was the same one they took from her or not.”

  “So it’s possible Thomas does have a child out there?” Reno said.

  “It is,” Gideon said. “I spoke to some people I know. They’re checking into it for me. If the possibility exists, there will be rumors of it somewhere.”

  “The child would be around nineteen at this point,” Vic said.

  “And could have spent their entire life in the hands of hunters,” Tah said furiously.

  “I’ll let you know when I hear anything,” Gideon assured them.

  “Anything else?” Tah asked.

  “I left messages with a few people on the way here, dropping word of what I was searching for but also letting them know where I was headed. I’m hoping one of them takes me up on the offer to stop in. I believe they have knowledge we could use,” Gideon said.

  “So do you,” Abby said. “With Diane not herself lately, the professor and I could really use you. Griffin is a huge asset, and we know you trained him.”

  “Diane isn’t feeling well?” Gideon asked.

  “No,” Zane admitted. “Pregnancy hormones are taking a toll.”

  “Has she been given a transfusion of your blood, yet?” Gideon asked.

  “Her symptoms aren’t physical,” the professor told them.

  “Shifter pregnancies are just like human ones,” Gideon said. “In the sense that each of them is different. Symptoms may vary, but in our case, the treatment is always the same. Give her the transfusion. I’d be surprised if it didn’t have her back to normal within a few hours.”

  There was confidence in his voice, and Kenzie knew he didn’t think there was a chance of it not working. She hoped so for Diane’s sake. She’d seen how exhausting the emotional surges were for her friend.

  “The professor and I also have news,” Abby said. “We’ve been able to contact someone we think might be able to step in and help with some of the research.”

  “She was one of my students who went with us on our trip to Africa,” the professor added, speaking of an archeological trip he’d organized and taken Abby and his daughter, Jess, on.

  “I contacted her,” Abby said. “She’s willing to come meet me in Riverton when she wraps up her current project in a few months. I can’t see her being anything but an additional asset we sorely need right now.”

  “We’ll meet her and see what we think then,” Tah said. “Thanks to Gabriel, we have a state of the art facility to work in.”

  “I only apologize you didn’t know of it as soon as you arrived,” Gabriel stated.

  “That’s my fault,” Daniel spoke up from beside Kenzie. “I should have thought of it instead of getting distracted by other things.”

  Kenzie wondered what had distracted him. His father, Isaac, maybe? She still hadn’t met him, yet. It was sure to be interesting, especially since Gabriel believed his father wouldn’t be happy about them mating.

  “You’ve been very busy, Daniel, and still found time to check in and make sure we were settling okay. I’m sure your job as sheriff is very demanding,” Tah assured Gabriel’s brother.

  Daniel nodded. “It helps me stay informed of everything going on. Not just in Riverton, but all over.”

  “Let us know if you ever need help from us,” Tah offered. “You’re part of our pride, now.”

  “Thank you,” Daniel said, and Kenzie could tell how much it meant to him.

  “Now, why don’t you tell us what you found out, Kenzie,” Tah said.

  “I want to apologize, first,” she offered. “For leaving without letting you know in advance.”

  “We were worried about you,” Abby said. “You’re family, Kenzie.”

  “I needed to find some answers, and after Tah’s threat to send someone after Diane and I when we went after Zane, I wasn’t sure how it would play out if I told you what I planned to do,” she said honestly.

  “My mate has pointed out that I seem to be more protective of the female members of our group, and she’s right. Not, however, because I see you as weaker,” Tah informed them. “I know you can hold your own. I’ve fought beside you and Vic, both. I
know your strength. I’ll still worry, and I’ll still want to protect you. Maybe it’s the beast inside me. Maybe it’s just the type of man I am. I won’t lie and say it will change, but I will tell you, I’ll try. My mate will make sure of it,” he assured them with a look at Abby, who just smiled.

  “Bet your ass I will,” she agreed, making him shake his head.

  “I didn’t go alone, but I do take full responsibility,” Kenzie added.

  Holt snorted. “Like you had a choice in me going with you. No way I was letting you run off alone. Someone had to watch your ass.”

  Gabriel growled, and Holt laughed.

  “Too easy, man. Way too easy,” Holt teased.

  “Some of you know I was adopted after spending some time in foster care,” Kenzie said, ignoring Holt and Gabriel. She knew Holt would keep teasing her mate as long as he knew it was getting to Gabriel. “You also know my animal was recessive most of my life, and I never knew why.”

  “Did you find the answers you were looking for?” Tah asked.

  “Some, but it only led to more questions,” Kenzie admitted.

  “Sounds about normal,” Reno said with a sigh.

  “What did you find out?” Abby asked.

  “The family who ended up adopting me, the Marshalls, are gone. They left shortly after kicking me out. No one knows where they went. Ms. Karsey, the social worker who checked on me and made sure I was informed, is dead. She’d given me the name and address of who I thought was my biological mother when I turned eighteen—a cougar shifter named Meara.”

  “What do you mean she kept you informed?” Clara asked.

  “I think she knew I was a shifter and arranged outings for us where I could see or hear things to help me realize that. She met with Meara on several occasions. I overheard them, saw Meara shift once. I knew,” she told them. “So that was my next stop. I went to the place I’d last seen Meara and her family. They weren’t there, but someone else was. The chase was on as we went from location to location. Finally, Holt and I arrived at a house where we were given a box Meara had left for me. She wasn’t my mother or even related to me as far as I know.”

  “I put the box behind the desk,” Gabriel told her. “In case you wanted to show them anything.”

  Kenzie nodded and let her mate lead her to where he’d set the box. She reached for it, but he beat her to it, lifting it and sitting it on the desk.

  “You didn’t find Meara?” Abby asked once Kenzie was facing the group again.

  “According to the woman who gave me this,” she said, waving toward the box. “Meara and her family are dead.”

  “The woman blamed you?” Tah guessed, and Kenzie nodded. “What did she leave you in the box?”

  “More research, I’m afraid,” she said. “There’s not much to go on in here, though. Lab reports with notes jotted on them in some type of code I don’t know how to interpret. Pages taken from a journal with notations about subject eight three one five. And pictures.” Her breath caught again just thinking of the photos. The cage, the baby and all the tubes and wires. It was hard enough to see it, but knowing it was her took it to a whole other level.

  “Kenzie?” Tah said while Gabriel wrapped his arm around her, offering her his warmth and strength.

  “The pictures are self-explanatory,” she said, opening the box and removing them without looking.

  Tah crossed to them, and she handed the photos to him, watching as he flinched when he shuffled through them.

  “The baby is me,” Kenzie admitted softly.

  His horrified gaze jerked back to her, but she could tell he’d already figured that much out.

  “Apparently, I was part of an experiment conducted in one of the labs run by hunters. The notes mention them as the Gestational trials,” Kenzie said.

  “From what we can tell, it was experiments conducted on captured mates of shifters,” Gabriel said. “Pregnant mates. They seemed to prefer human women, though according to the letter Kenzie was left, her mother was a shifter.”

  “Oh, God,” Abby exclaimed.

  “I’m the only one who survived,” Kenzie said. “I overheard a conversation when I was taken in Colorado. One of the hunters made a call to let someone know they’d found me. He was excited. Then, while I was searching for answers, we were attacked by hunters trying to take me. They spoke of a doctor wanting to get his hands on me because I was the only one who survived.”

  “Did they mention the doctor’s name?” Gideon asked softly.

  “Dr. Talbot,” she said. “Have you heard of him?”

  Gideon nodded. “I’ve seen references to him and some experiments he carried out in some of the paperwork I’ve looked at. It appeared Thomas was interested in him. As soon as we’re done here, I’ll search through the stuff we brought with us and see if I can find anything mentioning Talbot or the Gestational Trials. You know chances are you only survived because your mom was a shifter.”

  “Yeah,” Zane agreed. “Your mother’s body would have fought to heal anything they did to you. Human mates wouldn’t have had the same ability.”

  “Logan and I will see if my father mentions that name anywhere,” Clara offered as she reached out to take the pictures Murphy passed to her.

  “A fucking cage,” he snarled, eyes flashing fire. “A wee baby placed in a cage. I’d like to rip them apart for that alone.”

  “Oh, my God!” Clara suddenly said. “I’ve seen this woman.”

  “What?” Kenzie exclaimed.

  “In the pictures,” Clara explained, shaking her head in confusion. “There were several of her with a man. Some with both my dad and my Uncle Thomas. With other people. She was in a lot of them.”

  “Do you know who she is?” Tah asked.

  “I don’t remember ever seeing her in person,” Clara said. “I have no idea.”

  “Let me see,” Gideon said and walked over to take the photo from Clara. His gaze immediately flew to Kenzie.

  “I’ve seen a picture of this woman before,” Gideon said softly.

  “Where?” Kenzie questioned.

  Vic peered around her mate and nodded in agreement. “Nix has one of her. He carries it in his wallet.” Her gaze met Kenzie’s and held. “He said it was a picture of his mother.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kenzie was anxious to drag in Nix, to see what he knew. The woman was his mother? Did that mean she wasn’t Kenzie’s? Or did it mean Nix might be her brother? She shook her head. It was too much to process.

  “What did he say?” Kenzie asked as soon as Gideon stepped back in the room.

  “He’d like to speak to you and Clara alone,” Gideon said.

  “Me?” Clara asked, looking completely surprised.

  “I’m not leaving my mate,” Gabriel growled.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to,” Tah said. “Logan, either. I’m guessing Nix said it was private?”

  Gideon nodded.

  “Then I guess the choice is up to Kenzie and Clara,” Tah said.

  “He’s definitely got my interest,” Clara admitted.

  “Kenzie?” Tah prompted when she didn’t immediately say anything.

  “I’d like to hear what he has to say,” she agreed.

  “Then we’ll leave you alone,” Tah said. “He’ll have to accept your mates won’t leave. We won’t be far, either.”

  All Kenzie could hear was a rushing in her ears.

  “Breathe,” Gabriel whispered at her ear, his hands rubbing up and down her arms. As the room emptied out, he tugged her away from the desk, leading her toward the couch where Logan and Clara sat.

  “It’s just the four of us,” Logan said when Nix entered the room silently. “What is it you need to discuss with Clara and Kenzie?”

  Nix pulled out his wallet and removed a picture. He walked over and handed it to Kenzie.

  “Is this the woman you’re searching for?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Kenzie admitted. “Who is she?”

  “Gideon said
you had pictures of her?” Nix questioned. “May I see them?”

  At Kenzie’s nod, Clara handed Nix the pictures. His face paled. His hands shook. “The baby,” he whispered, glancing from the photo to Kenzie. “Is this you?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  As if something broke inside Nix, he fell to his knees in front of them, reaching for Kenzie’s hand. Tears pooled in his eyes and slipped free.

  “I’ve searched my whole life for you,” Nix said. “We thought you were dead.”

  “For me?” Kenzie asked. “Why?”

  He touched her softly on the cheek. “Because you’re my sister,” he said. Then added more. “And Clara’s cousin.”

  “What?” Clara said. “That’s not right. I’ve never met you. My dad would have told me if I had a cousin.”

  Nix shook his head, but his gaze never left Kenzie’s face, as if he were drinking her in.

  “My mother was Elizabeth Walker Blackwell,” Nix stated. “She had two younger brothers, Thomas and Michael. Neither of them were mated when I was born.”

  “The Elizabeth they were looking for,” Logan murmured.

  “I was three when my mother was taken. She was pregnant at the time, with you. Dad nearly got himself killed searching for her, for both of you,” Nix told them.

  “Is he still alive?” Kenzie asked, but Nix seemed lost in the story.

  “The three of them tried to find her,” he continued. “Followed every lead, no matter how insignificant. Dad said he came home from tracking one clue and couldn’t find me. He went crazy until he finally discovered me curled up under his bed with mom’s quilt. He said he knew then what his priority had to be. Mom had been missing six weeks at that point, and they were no closer to finding her. Dad and Thomas argued. Next thing I knew we’re packing up and leaving. When I asked dad what was going on, he said he needed to do what my mother would want and not what her brother thought was best.”

  Kenzie shook her head, unable to sit back and listen any longer. She leaned toward Nix, forcing him to move back to make room for her to scoot forward. “Is your dad still alive?” she asked.

  He nodded, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth. “Very much alive. He never gave up hope of finding you.”