by Lacey Thorn
She reached for Gabriel, finding his hand and gripping it like a lifeline. She was overwhelmed by her emotions, feeling a bit too much like Diane had appeared earlier. Angry at what had happened. Saddened by what it seemed she’d missed out on, what her family had been put through. Happy to find a family she wasn’t sure had existed. Afraid to trust and believe what seemed so unbelievable. She heard sniffling and turned to see Clara wiping tears from her face. Without thinking, she reached for her, grasping onto Clara’s outstretched hand with her free one.
“We’re cousins,” Clara said then shook her head. “I don’t understand why my dad wouldn’t have told me about you or any of this.”
“Thomas,” Nix told them. “He warned my dad when we left that we would be dead to him from now on.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Clara asked with a weary sigh.
“So what happened?” Kenzie asked. “Where did you go when you left Fayette?”
Nix stood up, looked around the room and tugged a chair closer to where they sat before dropping into it and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “Dad took me back to his home. Said mom would expect him to take care of me. He told me if she were alive, she’d find us, but I knew she was gone. I knew it the moment he stopped searching. His eyes dimmed. I know he felt it when she died. He’s never said, but they were mates. I’ve seen the bond mating creates.”
“Yes,” Clara agreed. “I’d know the moment anything happened to Logan.”
Kenzie nodded. She and Gabriel were still newly mated, but already she could sense his emotions. It would just be a matter of time before the bond grew stronger and stronger.
“Gideon said he met you in the labs when he was being held. He thought you were killed,” Clara said.
“Ended up on the wrong end of a drugged dart. They were always trying some new formula on one of us. My body reacted violently, sending me into convulsions. When they stopped, I couldn’t move. Head lab rat gave the order to toss me. Said they’d deal with me later. Thankfully, I recovered enough before that happened. I was able to sneak away without anyone realizing.” Nix shook his head, his eyes hooded, guarded as if he were reliving that time. What else had he suffered there?
“Did your dad know where you were?” Kenzie asked.
“Our dad,” Nix reminded her. “No. I was spending more and more time away from home then. I think he knew I was searching, but he never said anything.”
“How long were you held?” Kenzie asked.
“Too long,” he said. “The things they forced us to do…” He trailed off. “I’ll just say it changed my life.”
“I’m sorry you suffered that,” Kenzie said.
“It was worth it,” he told her. “If it’s what led me to this moment, to finding you, then it was all worth it.”
His eyes were bright, and she didn’t doubt his sincerity.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked, and Kenzie turned to look at him. He’d stayed silent beside her, offering her quiet support when she suspected he had questions of his own.
“I think so,” she said carefully. “It’s a lot to take in. A brother. A father. A cousin,” she said, including Clara. “I had no idea. I have a million questions racing through my head but can’t focus on any of them. You’re not planning on going anywhere right now, are you?” she asked Nix.
“No,” he assured her. “I’ll call Dad as soon as we finish speaking. I know he’ll be here as soon as he can.”
“You should run that past Tah, first,” Logan warned him.
“I…I can’t believe all this is really happening. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and this will have all been dream,” Kenzie admitted.
“It is a dream,” Nix said. “One Dad has held onto since the day he lost you. One I’ve always hoped would come true.”
“Go talk to Tah about calling him,” Kenzie urged Nix. “Now.” Her dad wouldn’t be real to her until she saw him.
“I’ll go talk to Tah,” Logan said, coming to his feet. He glanced at Kenzie. “I’m happy for you. Family is everything.” He squeezed Clara’s hand, bent to kiss her then left.
“He’s hurting,” Clara told them, concern etched on her face. “Knowing Laura is here and not being able to see her is tearing him apart.”
Gabriel looked torn for a minute, and Kenzie knew he wanted to follow Logan but didn’t want to leave her.
“Go,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She leaned in and kissed him. “We’ll talk later.”
He whispered at her ear. “Stay with Clara. Don’t leave this room.”
She nodded, wondering what he was thinking. Her mate obviously wasn’t very trusting, either. He kissed her again before rising and heading out the door, leaving Kenzie with Clara and Nix. Nix had wandered over to the desk and was glancing through the stuff in the box Kenzie had brought.
“Laura will come around,” Kenzie assured Clara. “Once she realizes Logan didn’t abandon or forget about her.”
“I hope so,” Clara said then focused on Kenzie. “I can’t believe we’re cousins.”
“I’m finding it hard to process myself,” Kenzie agreed. “Wouldn’t Gideon have known if Thomas and Michael had a sister named Elizabeth?”
“Not necessarily,” Clara answered. “Gideon was a teenager when he started coming around. Maybe a year before my Aunt Stella was killed. I’d tag after him when I could. He was always patient with me.”
“It seems like a lot of coincidences. Nix being related to you. Then ending up in a lab with Gideon, who was living near you guys at the time. Hooking back up with Gideon and Vic when Gideon thought Nix had died. Then heading across the country with us. Hell, even the fact that you showed up in Colorado, which brought Gideon to Colorado and led to this,” Kenzie said. Too many connections. It couldn’t all be coincidence.
“I was following Amia. Gideon was following a note Lydia left. Nix? I’m not sure what he was following. If anyone knew what was going on and had a hand in manipulating it, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was my Uncle Thomas—our Uncle,” Clara corrected then shook her head. “I still can’t believe I have cousins and another uncle. I’m not naive enough to believe my dad didn’t keep secrets. Still, one this big?”
“Thomas could always control Michael,” Nix said, startling both Kenzie and Clara by how quietly he’d crossed to rejoin them. “Dad will be so excited to see you,” he told Kenzie.
Kenzie stood, rubbing her palms against her jeans. “I’m a bit terrified to meet him.”
“Why?” Nix asked.
“Elizabeth was taken because she was pregnant with me,” Kenzie said.
“More like she only stayed alive as long as she did because she was pregnant with you,” Nix challenged. “Dad would never blame you for any of this so get that thought out of your head. He dealt with losing Mom a long time ago.”
“There’s still so much I don’t know,” Kenzie said. “I have no idea what they did to me. You saw the pictures. The wires and tubes going into my body. I’ve never been able to shift. My animal has come out more since Gabriel marked me, but it seems to have calmed down again since I claimed him.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Nix promised. “I’ll take a longer look at the papers you have. See what I can make of them. Dad will help, too. He might be able to shed more light on anything he knew about the Gestation Trials from back then.”
“Plus, we have all the papers from my dad and Uncle Thomas,” Clara added. “I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“You have papers from Thomas and Michael?” Nix asked, sounding shocked.
Clara nodded.
“I’d like to help go through them, too,” Nix offered.
“Of course,” Clara agreed, but Kenzie could tell from the expression on Clara’s face that Nix wouldn’t be seeing those papers anytime soon.
“I know Clara’s a lioness,” Kenzie said. “Does that mean I am, too?”
“Yes, you
’re animal is most definitely a lioness, just like mom.”
“Is your dad a shifter?”
“No,” Nix said with a shake of his head.
“You come from a strong line of shifters on the Walker side,” Clara informed her.
“Yes, you do,” Nix agreed.
“What’s your dad’s name?” Kenzie asked. “God, I can’t believe I didn’t ask that sooner.” She wanted to know everything about them. A million questions flew through her mind.
“Kenneth,” Nix said. “Kenneth Blackwell.” He opened his mouth to say something else when there was a loud commotion in the hall followed by a very loud roar.
“What the hell?” Clara said, and they all headed out to see what was going on.
Kenzie gasped as she took in the scene in front of her. Daniel was sitting on the entryway floor, bleeding from a cut above his eyebrow, his eye already turning black. Gabriel stood in the center of the room, chest heaving as he faced off with a man who looked so much like Daniel, he could only be Isaac. He let loose another roar as he tried to go around Gabriel and was shoved back again.
“Move aside, boy,” he sneered.
“Touch him again, and I’ll kill you,” Gabriel said.
“I’m fine,” Daniel said, coming to his feet.
“See, he’s fine,” Isaac said.
“He might not be willing to fight back to protect himself,” Gabriel said. “I have no such problem. So the next time you don’t like a decision I make, you come at me. Not him.”
“We’ll deal with this later,” Isaac stated, gaze moving around the room where most of their group had gathered. Then his gaze locked on her, and he inhaled.
“That’s what you mated?” Isaac scoffed, and every man in the room stepped forward, prepared to defend her.
“Watch yourself,” Gabriel warned. “Striking a son who still respects you enough not to hit back is different from attacking my mate, even verbally. I’ll rip your fucking throat out, and not a man here will do anything to stop me.”
Isaac glanced around again, this time, searing her with a look of such hatred she took a startled step back. Gabriel must have sensed it, though his back was to her. His chest rumbled with a throttled roar.
“We’ll discuss this later,” Isaac said.
“Nothing to discuss,” Gabriel informed his father. “It’s done. You have two choices. Accept it or move the fuck on. Personally, I’m hoping you move on.”
Isaac didn’t say anything else. He turned and left, the door slamming behind him. Kenzie started to approach Gabriel when he turned to confront his brother.
“Why the fuck would you let him put his hands on you?” he all but roared.
Daniel gazed around defensively, and Kenzie could see how embarrassed he was. Gabriel obviously didn’t.
“Gabriel,” she said.
“Why, Daniel?” he demanded, ignoring Kenzie.
“He’s our father, Gabriel,” Daniel reprimanded sharply. “What would you have me do?”
“Defend yourself?” her mate asked sarcastically.
Daniel suddenly appeared tired. “I need to head home. Sorry for the trouble,” he said, addressing the whole room before stepping toward the door.
“Why?” Gabriel asked again.
“You made your choices,” Daniel told Gabriel wearily. “Your choices took you away. I made mine, and they keep me here, dealing with things you chose not to see.” His voice was quiet but no less harsh. Having said that, he dismissed his brother and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.
“He’s a powder keg waiting to explode,” Murphy said quietly, but Kenzie had eyes only for her mate.
She moved in front of him and was relieved when his arms automatically went around her and tugged her against his chest. Not that she feared him hurting her in any way, but his gaze had been distant as if reliving something from the past.
“Gabriel?” she asked, her turn to comfort him. “Are you okay?”
“How could I not have seen what was going on?” he whispered, clinging to her. “I’ve been such a fool.”
Murphy whispered something to Tah, but Kenzie heard him, most of the room probably did. He was going to check on Daniel. Finn said he’d keep an eye on Isaac. Kenzie kept her focus solely on her mate. Gabriel didn’t move until everyone had finally cleared out. Tah had made a point to catch her gaze, and she knew he’d be there if they needed him.
“Gabriel.” She finally called his name again, easing back from his chest.
“I saw him come in, but Daniel headed toward him, and I let him. Didn’t even think about stepping in. He made a snide comment, and Daniel told him what I’d done,” Gabriel said.
“He hit Daniel,” Kenzie finished.
“Shocked the hell out of me. My father is a mean bastard who believed in firm discipline when we were kids. I’ve never seen him strike out at Daniel that way. I would have killed him.”
Which probably meant Isaac had been doing it when Gabriel wasn’t around, and Daniel hadn’t said a word. God, her heart broke for both of them.
“You can’t protect everyone. Daniel’s a grown man. You need to let him be one,” Kenzie said.
“You sound like Laura,” Gabriel said with a shake of his head. “God, I wonder if she knew.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kenzie told him. “Daniel told you he made his choice just like you did. Instead of beating yourself up over what you didn’t know about, why don’t you wait and talk to him? Man-to-man. Let him explain. Don’t make assumptions based on what you saw tonight.”
“You’re right,” Gabriel conceded and he turned his focus to her. “How are you?”
“Overwhelmed,” Kenzie confessed. “I don’t know what to think at the moment. Nix wants to call his dad and have him come here. Our dad,” she amended, but the words still didn’t seem right on her tongue.
“God, let’s hope he’s nothing like mine,” Gabriel muttered. “Come on. Let’s head upstairs, and you can tell me what was said after I left the room.”
She nodded, but when they got upstairs, it wasn’t talking they did. By the time they were both satisfied, the only thing they could manage was sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Gabriel was an early riser, always had been, and mating hadn’t changed that. It did make it hard to leave their bed though, especially with Kenzie naked and tempting beside him. He wanted to check in with Daniel, and eventually, there would be a confrontation with his father.
He left the house without saying anything, heading toward town and his brother’s house. Daniel was waiting for him when he pulled up. He opened the passenger door, climbed in and passed Gabriel a travel mug of coffee, fresh and strong. He took a drink then put the SUV back in gear. Neither of them spoke on the drive, just sipped coffee, each lost in their own thoughts. Gabriel knew Daniel was aware of where they were heading, the same place they always went when they needed time together.
Gabriel turned off onto the dirt path and followed it as far as he could until it ended abruptly inside the tree line. They both opened their doors, shedding clothes then exchanging skin for fur. Then they were running, and it was so good to release the beast inside him. He let Daniel move ahead then leaped on him, taking his brother’s lion to the ground. They tussled and played, and it proved just as cathartic as it always had been. By the time they reached the pond and switched back to skin, they were both calmer. Gabriel was trying to decide how to ask Daniel about the night before when his brother started talking.
“I didn’t realize he was going to hit me despite how it looked to you. I’ve put up with a lot of shit from him, but I wouldn’t tolerate that.”
“Okay,” Gabriel said.
“You run off and take care of everyone else, and I’m proud of you for that. I know how important you are.”
“But?” Gabriel prompted when Daniel stopped again.
“I’m the one who stays here taking care of him. The one dealing with his mood swings and his hatred. The one who p
icks him up when he drinks himself into a stupor and cries for Mom.”
“Jesus,” Gabriel said. “He cries for her?”
“She was his mate. You’re mated. Tell me what it would do to you to lose Kenzie.”
“It would kill me,” Gabriel admitted. It might have taken them both a bit to get the whole mating thing worked out with her beast not fully emerged, yet. They were mated, though, and he knew he would want to die if he lost her.
“I’m not excusing how he behaved. He could have been a better father. We lost our mother just the same as he did his mate,” Daniel said. “I’m just trying to let you see him the way I did.”
“I can’t live with his anger, anymore,” Gabriel said. “Nothing is ever good enough for him.”
Daniel laughed. “He’s always talking about you. How you’re twice the man I am. How you’re single-handedly saving the world.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me!” Gabriel exclaimed with surprise.
“Nope,” Daniel told him. “I’ve come to realize he’ll never tell you how proud he is of you, but he is. You’re everything he was too scared to be. He talks about fighting back, about getting revenge, but that’s all he does. Talk.”
“He did lose Mom,” Gabriel said. “Losing Kenzie would shut me down, too.”
“Maybe, eventually. But I can’t see you allowing anyone to live if they hurt her, much less took her from you,” Daniel challenged.
“I’d rip all their throats out,” Gabriel agreed. “I’d bathe in their blood and know she was avenged.”
“Exactly,” Daniel said. “Dad just curled up and ceased to care about much of anything, including us.”
Gabriel had to admit Daniel was right.
“Dad talks a good game, but he’s a coward,” Daniel said. “He knows it.”
“I don’t understand him,” Gabriel confessed.
“I doubt you ever will. You’re nothing alike.”
“You’re no coward, either,” Gabriel said.
“No, I’m not,” Daniel said. “I do understand him though, probably better than he understands himself. I feel sorry for him. So, yeah, I coddle him. I placate and cajole. I smooth things over when he loses his temper. He’s a sad, lonely man.”
