Craig interrupted before she could begin. “I think everyone should hear this.”
Bethany tensed in his arms. “Everyone?” Fear strained her voice and he didn’t blame her in the least. She was a woman alone with strangers. And if she’d been kidnapped and held with Chris, as she claimed, then God only knew what she’d been through these past few weeks. What Chris had been through these long months.
His arms tightened reflexively around her and he had to force himself to relax. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to relax his knotted biceps. “It’s okay. They’re friends and they want to help.”
He knew Isaiah and the rest of them had been listening, waiting for their cue when he heard footsteps on the stairs. They all filed into the room and were an intimidating group, large and lethal. Bethany sidled a bit closer to him. Pleasure at the small action filled him even though he knew it was only because he was one of the two people she knew so he was better than nothing.
“I’m Isaiah Striker.” Isaiah studied Bethany and the way she was sitting in Quinn’s lap. Quinn didn’t care. Crazy and irrational as it was, he’d staked his claim and wasn’t about to take a step back. “Welcome to Haven. Our home.”
Bethany fought to keep from being totally overwhelmed by the group of people surrounding her. There were seven men and two women, besides Quinn, in the room. They were all tall and moved with grace and ease. But it was the big man in front who scared the crap out of her. He reminded her of Brian in the way he moved, in the animalistic grace of his movements. A sense of power, of barely leashed strength surrounded him.
She took a deep breath and froze. Terror flooded into her veins as a musky scent filled her nostrils. He was one of them too. A werewolf. She sniffed again, certain she had to be mistaken. How many werewolves could there be running around the city? Many scents struck her at once, all individual, and only some were partly human. There were several more of them who had the same underlying natural perfume to their skin that Brian had.
All of these people were werewolves, or at least part. She frowned and sniffed again. Except for maybe Craig. She didn’t get the same scent from him as she did from the others. He smelled totally normal. Totally human.
And the fact she was now smelling people for identification and could differentiate between human and nonhuman told her she was in very unfamiliar territory. She’d never done anything like this in her life, at least not on purpose. Not until Chrissten had nagged her into trying. She’d humored the other woman, putting off the difference in scents between them and Brian and the doctor as normal, even though she’d never smelled anything like it in her life until then. She’d always had a keen sense of smell but hadn’t thought anything of it until two weeks ago.
The big man with the shaggy brown hair was still waiting patiently for her reply. “Thank you.” What else could she say? She was beginning to think she should have done all of this over the phone.
No. That was the cowardly way. She had to make certain they rescued Chrissten. This wasn’t about her.
She looked down at her lap, at her clasped hands, and launched into her story. “I was taken about two weeks ago by two men—Doctor Phillip Morton and Brian. I don’t know his last name. They used some sort of drug to knock me out and when I came around I was in a room with another woman. She said her name was Chrissten Lawton.”
“Chris.” The word was barely a breath on Quinn’s lips, but Bethany could hear the depth of emotions, the love that existed between brother and sister. It gave her the courage to continue sharing her horrific memories.
She told them about the testing and how the doctor had kept them both weak, practically starving them. She didn’t talk about the rapes that Chrissten had been subjected to. That was Chrissten’s story to either tell or to keep to herself, as she chose.
“How did you escape and not her?” The question from Isaiah was mild, but she flinched, sensing the anger, the mistrust beneath it. She did not want this man for an enemy.
“Bethany?” The quiet questioning in Quinn’s voice gave her the courage to continue. He deserved to know about his sister.
“The doctor came to take blood from both of us, but Brian was agitated. He had…other things on his mind.” She didn’t want to tell them that he’d wanted Chrissten and her. She shivered at the memory. Quinn’s arms tightened around her, warming her chilled body.
A low growl came from one of the males. “He’s a werewolf, isn’t he?”
“Michael.” Isaiah snapped at him and the male subsided.
Bethany nodded. “You have to understand. Until two weeks ago I had no idea there was such a thing as a werewolf, or a half-breed, for that matter. Chrissten talked about such things but I figured she’d been held captive so long she was beginning to believe the crazy doctor.”
“You didn’t know what you were?” The disbelief in Quinn’s voice slammed into her, hurting her more than she’d thought possible.
Something inside her snapped and she bolted from the dubious safety of his lap. The shelter, the support he’d offered her wasn’t real. All he wanted from her was information. If she hadn’t been so tired and confused she would never have forgotten that. She’d had enough of this interrogation, this mistrust. She’d been through hell. Had lost her entire life. Her identity.
“How could I have known?” She stared at them all one by one. “My entire life my mother dragged me around from city to city, never settling, never staying. I’d never lived anywhere longer than six or eight months until my mother died six years ago. Maybe she knew something I didn’t, but she never told me anything. She wouldn’t talk about my father at all. Forgive me if I never figured out I’m supposed to be a half-breed werewolf, whatever the hell that is.”
The last of her anger drained away and, with it, her energy. She swayed but stepped away when Quinn reached for her. She couldn’t depend on anyone else for help. As always, she was alone. She locked her knees and stood straight, facing all of them. Who the hell were they to judge her?
“Things got out of hand. The doctor was forced to shoot Brian. It was a tranquilizer and it took him down hard. Chrissten lunged for the doctor. He got off a shot. The dart grazed her.” The memory still hurt her to think about. Her friend had sacrificed her freedom so Bethany could have hers. That’s the only reason she was here—she owed her life to Chrissten.
“I checked the gun but it was empty. I rolled the doctor into the cell and slammed the door shut. I didn’t have the keys and could only use one bar to secure it. I thought we’d have time to escape.”
Bethany couldn’t help but think about Chrissten. What must she be going through? Had she waited for help that never arrived? Did she believe Bethany had abandoned her?
Her legs and arms trembled, but she kept on telling her story. Better to get it all out at once. “I dragged her up the stairs, but we could hear Brian tearing through the door of the cell. She made me leave.” Bethany looked at all of them, willing them to understand. “She made me. I tried to get her out. But it was either just one of us or we’d both go back.”
“You did what you had to do.” Quinn offered her his hand. She stared at it but didn’t take it. She didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust any of them.
“I ran and ran and ran. I had no idea where I was, what city I was in.” Those terrifying hours came back to her in a rush. “When I couldn’t run anymore, I collapsed in a vacant store front and really started studying my surroundings.” She swallowed hard, remembering her burning lungs and aching legs, the darkness that had threatened to take her under.
“I knew I couldn’t go to the police.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Who would believe me? I’d have ended up on the psych ward of a hospital or worse.” She could feel all their eyes on her, watching, listening, judging.
“There was a chance the doctor might find me if I ended up in a local hospital. I don’t know if he’s actually a real doctor or not. But if he is, he might have used his credentials to get me back. I have no family, no one to
fight for me.” Bethany shivered at the thought of being that vulnerable.
“I didn’t know where else to go, so I found a homeless shelter.” She didn’t tell them about the men who’d tried to catch her, their intent to do her harm obvious in their taunts. Or about the people who’d stared at her like she was something they needed to scrape off the bottoms of their shoes. Oh, she knew many of them thought she was a drug addict or a crazy person off her meds. It didn’t take a genius to figure that much out. Not with the way they’d shied away from her, getting as far away as possible as quickly as they could. Not that she blamed them. Not really. She’d have probably done the same thing.
“I was only wearing a thin cotton pants and top, I had no money and was half-starving and nearing exhaustion. I’d only planned on eating and having a short rest before I called.” She made herself look at Quinn then, willing him to believe her. He looked so big and powerful looming next to her.
“She made me memorize your phone number. Chrissten told me you’d help if I contacted you.”
“She was right. I’ll find her if it’s the last thing I do. No matter how long it takes or what it takes.”
She believed him. The conviction in his voice was rock solid. What must it be like to be loved like that? Bethany tried not to be jealous but it was incredibly hard not to be. Chrissten had family who loved her. She, herself, was alone.
“Where were you? What landmarks did you see?”
Bethany closed her eyes and answered Quinn’s question, forcing herself to think back when she’d much rather forget. Slowly at first, but then more surely, she described everything she remembered, the first street sign she’d seen. She talked and talked, answering questions when he asked them. When she was done, her voice was slightly hoarse and she was mentally and physically exhausted.
She opened her eyes, ignoring all the raised voices around her. They were already planning to launch a rescue. She prayed they’d be in time to find Chrissten, that the doctor hadn’t moved her. Worry gnawed at her gut, but there was nothing more she could do to help.
Her job here was done. It was time for her to leave.
Bethany gathered the last of her strength and headed toward the door. The sun was beginning to rise on a new day. She had the rest of her life ahead of her. She just had to figure out what the heck she was going to do with it.
She’d taken two steps when a pair of heavy, masculine hands came down on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. “Where are you going?”
She knew it was Quinn from his touch and his unique scent—woodsy and warm and tinged with his own masculine spice. His low, deep voice simply confirmed it. She shrugged. “Home, I guess.” Even as she said it she knew she couldn’t go back to her apartment. The doctor and Brian knew where she lived. No, her home was lost to her forever. She’d never feel safe there again.
She’d have to see if any of her things were left or if the landlord had disposed of them all when her rent had come due a week ago and gone unpaid. Maybe she could salvage some of her belongings. Then she’d find a new home and a job. There were so many things she needed to do, not the least of which was how in the heck she was going to get back to Detroit to get her things if the landlord hadn’t already tossed or sold them. The task seemed daunting, but she knew she could do it. There was no other choice.
Quinn whirled her around to face him. The harsh lines of his face seemed carved from stone. “You can’t do that. It’s too dangerous. They know where you live.”
She knew that. She might not be thinking as clearly as she normally did, but she wasn’t stupid. It was easy for him to tell her what she could and couldn’t do. He had a home and a life and family and friends. She had none of that. Frustration and exhaustion pulled at her. She hated that she felt weak and wasn’t anywhere near to her full strength. If that wasn’t bad enough, the strange unsettling heat was back, rippling just beneath her skin, making it extra sensitive. “What else am I supposed to do?” she snapped, finally reaching the limit of her patience.
“Stay here.”
Chapter Three
Quinn couldn’t believe Bethany thought he’d let her walk out the door or that any of them would let her go. She was a female half-breed, she was alone, and if the sexual attraction tearing through him was any indication, she was also pretty close to going into heat.
He glanced around and found Michael staring at her from beneath hooded eyes. All the other unattached males were watching her with lustful stares. He drew her beneath his arm and glared at all of them. He hadn’t really understood what this situation was like for both the males and the females in the pack—the overwhelming urge to mate, to claim. Not until Meredith had sat down and explained it to him. He’d never had this problem with Chris because they were siblings. The males who already had mates were similarly unaffected.
Quinn didn’t like the way the other males were staring at Bethany with hunger in their gazes. His protective instincts rose to the fore and he tucked her nearer to his body, ready to defend her if necessary, which was crazy considering he’d just met her. But reason had no place here, only instinct.
“I can’t stay here.” She was once again trying to pull away from him while he was trying to keep her close.
“Of course you can.” She could stay in the apartment he and Chris were currently sharing. Kevin, one of Meredith’s adopted sons, had graciously given up his apartment and was currently bunking with Hank.
“We’ve got to search the South Side.” Isaiah rummaged behind the bar and pulled out a map of the city. He spread it out on a table and they all gathered around.
“That’s a big area to cover,” Michael pointed out.
“We’ll have to split up.” Benjamin stood next to his brother and studied the area.
Quinn could sense the exhaustion tugging at Bethany, as well as her unease at being around the others. She kept casting nervous glances at the other males, who were continuing to stare at her, even if not quite so blatantly as before.
It would take her time to get used to them, to him. But she would. He’d make sure of it. He eased her closer and placed his hand on the back of her skull, urging her to lean on him.
She resisted, but he persisted until she at last gave a sigh and let her cheek rest against his chest. Satisfied, he gave his full attention to the map. Isaiah was already tracing the area that was the most likely. “We need to search the entire area. We can’t afford to miss even one building.”
Hank nodded, his gaze intent on the map. “If we break it down into grids it will make it easier to split into groups.”
Quinn agreed. “With all of us looking, we should be able to sniff them out, if nothing else.” The other males quickly concurred.
“I think if I see the area I’ll be able to find something familiar.” Bethany lifted her head and pushed away from Quinn and rubbed a hand over her face. There were dark circles under her eyes but nothing but determination reflected in them. “We need to get moving.”
“You’re not going.” The order was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He slammed his jaws shut before he said anything else stupid. What the hell was wrong with him? He needed her to go with them, should be thrilled she was volunteering to do so. That way he didn’t have to try to convince her. The urge to tuck her safely into bed so she could rest was pulling at him. He fought it. Plenty of time for Bethany to rest and recover her strength once Chris was found.
She frowned at him. Next to him, Michael groaned while Isaiah chuckled.
“Yes, I am.” She turned to Meredith, ignoring the males. “Do you have a bathroom I can use before we go?”
Meredith nodded, shooting him a questioning gaze before turning her attention back to Bethany. “Of course. It’s right this way.” Meredith led Bethany to the ladies’ room on the far end of the bar. Neema took one look at the males and followed the women. All the males watched them walk away.
“She’s not going.” It was totally irrational. Quinn should be the one drag
ging her out the door to look. After all, it was his sister that they were searching for—the one he’d spent the last year and a half of his life looking for.
“Yes, she is.” Isaiah held up his hand to stop Quinn before he started on a tirade. “We’ll all protect her.” He pinned the other males with a stern glare. “You know she has to go.”
Quinn dragged his fingers through his hair. He wanted to slam his fist against the nearest wall even though he knew Isaiah was right. “Yeah, I know.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Craig rested his hand on Quinn’s forearm, his expression one of worry.
“I don’t know.” That wasn’t true, but he didn’t want to get into it. Not in front of the others. Not that he was going to be given much choice in the matter, judging by the looks on their faces.
Isaiah chuckled. “You know well and good what’s wrong.” He looked at all the unattached males. Michael, Benjamin, Hank and Kevin were all watching the bathroom door Bethany had disappeared behind. Teague was the only other male with a smile on his face. The bastard had Neema, so he was immune to Bethany.
“It’s instinct,” Isaiah informed Craig. “You’ve read about it but you don’t truly understand it. They all sense Bethany is close to going into heat, ready to make the change for the first time in her life. It’s the most potent time in a female werewolf’s life. They all want to bed her and mate with her.”
“Shit.” Craig took in the tension pervading the room and slowly shook his head. “This isn’t good.”
“It’s fine.” Quinn glared at the other males. “Because no one is going to bother Bethany.”
“Speak for yourself.” Michael stepped forward, his gaze flitting to Quinn before tracking to the back of the bar where the women had gone. “She’s a beautiful woman. Brave too.”
Quinn saw red. Literally. He didn’t think, he simply reacted and lunged at Michael, wanting to tear his head off and stomp it into the ground. Isaiah and Hank had anticipated such a move and managed to grab him in time. Barely.
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