by Morgan Fox
Rounding, Ryken froze. His body filled with an enormous amount of tension. His jaw squeezed tight enough to grind his teeth into powder, shoulders hunched forward. Wide-eyed, he glared. Knelt on the ground at the giant’s feet was Luken. A razor-sharp blade was pressed against the bronzed flesh of his brother’s neck.
“No, don’t hurt him,” Tabitha begged, running up behind Ryken. He grabbed hold of her arms just in time to keep her out of the giant’s reach.
Gripping her upper arm, he whipped her around to face him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ryken growled. His eyes pierced into hers with more fear than he had ever felt. The need to protect her rose inside him like the blazing of fire from the pits of Hell.
She pressed her hands against his chest, eyes pleading and drenched with fear. “Ryken, do something.” She shuddered, voice scraping against the back of her throat. “Don’t let him kill your own brother.”
“Yes, Ryken.” The giant lycan snickered. “Listen to the pretty lady. Don’t let me kill your worthless piece of shit of a brother.”
His venomous gaze jumped to stare at the giant. “Go fuck yourself, asshole,” Ryken shouted, pushing Tabitha back behind the seat, keeping himself between her and the man he assumed was one of Mason Levi’s goons.
“Stay the fuck down, until I say otherwise,” he warned her. “Got it?” His words were not really a question and the words left his mouth so fast he could have cared less if he pissed her off or not. As long as she stayed safe and out of the way, he could focus on his brother.
He glanced away from her, but could still feel the heat of her body and lethal gaze at his back. Yep, he’d pissed her off all right. Then again, when did he not?
Luken groaned as the giant’s knife dug into the flesh of his neck. Blood oozed down his strained throat. “Give me the bitch and I’ll let your ugly twin live,” roared the giant lycan through grit-tarnished teeth.
Ryken shook his head and chuckled as if unaffected by the warning comment. “Look here, Tiny, I don’t think you understand what you’re asking me. See that little lady.” He hiked his thumb over his shoulder in Tabitha’s direction. “She’s my mate, and he’s only standing in my way. You’d be doing me a huge favor by ripping his ugly head off his shoulders.”
Luken’s eyes widened. “You stupid son of a bitch, what the fuck are you doing?”
“Now, is that any way to talk about mom?”
“Fuck you,” Luken muttered.
Meeting his brother’s freaked-out stare, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I can’t have her if you’re in the way.” Ryken’s fingers twisted around the hidden blade at his back. “I’m sorry, bro, but you can’t expect me to share the woman destined to be mine forever. How could I allow it? She’s everything to me and well…you’re just my brother.”
“Ryken!” Tabitha screamed.
She was clearly horrified by what he was saying, but it was all part of his plan. He always had a plan.
The knife flew from Ryken’s fingers and lodged in the forehead of the mammoth lycan, his large body dropping to the ground. Infected virus or not, a knife to the brain could kill anyone. Luken was free and at Ryken’s side in seconds, both grabbing hold of Tabitha as they launched themselves out the door of the moving train.
Ryken tucked Tabitha in the protection of his arms and legs as they hit the ground, absorbing the brunt of the impact. Luken stood first, pulling her to her feet, charging in the opposite direction of the train. Dipping into the security of the woods around them, they headed full speed into the thickening darkness.
Luken glanced over his shoulder at his brother. He told him, “We need to get out of here and fast, find a car, something to put some distance between us. We can’t smell them, but they can sure as shit smell us.”
“I know.” Ryken frowned. His wolf nose caught the scent of something through the thick foliage. He inhaled deeply. “I smell something up ahead.”
Both Ryken and Luken moved in closer to Tabitha, sliding up under her spread arms, practically picking her up off the ground to help her run faster. She was fast, but not fast enough. The goons following them were swift and deadlier than anything they had ever faced, and that said a hell of a lot about them.
“There, Luken.” Ryken pointed at a rust bucket of a car parked alongside a hole-in-the-wall bar located in the middle of nowhere.
“You must have picked up on the delicious urine smell?” Luken snickered sarcastically. “What a dump.” Glancing over the car, he asked Ryken, “Can you hotwire that piece of junk?”
“What do you think?” Ryken smirked, tossing back a grin, knowing damn well he could hotwire a space shuttle if needed.
Hauling a very frightened and confused Tabitha into the backseat of the car, Ryken got to work. After a few seconds of mucking with wires, the car fired up. Luken was at his side, his hand resting on the 9mm on the bench seat.
Gazing down at the gun, Ryken asked, “You didn’t think to pull that out when we were fighting Mason’s morons?”
Luken shrugged. “Sorry, I was a little distracted.”
By Tabitha, Ryken groaned to himself.
Ryken asked, “Where to?”
“Anywhere, but here. Find us a hotel. Somewhere off the beaten path would be perfect,” Luken replied. “Somewhere we won’t be found unless we want to be.”
Ryken glanced at the rearview mirror and sucked in a breath as he stared at the absent look in Tabitha’s eyes.
It was going to kill him, but he had to do it. For her, he would do anything. “Luken?” Ryken called to his brother, his voice a cold rumble.
“What?”
Meeting his brother’s curious gaze, he told him. “Take care of Tabitha. I’m sure we’ve lost them for now.” He looked back in the mirror again. Her lips were trembling, tinged a pale blue. “She’s in shock. She needs to be cared for.” He paused then added, “She needs you.”
Instantly, Luken twisted in the front seat, glided over the seat, and slid into the back alongside Tabitha. Settling his arm around her, he cradled her body against his. She was stiff and a little resistant to him.
Tabitha’s negative reaction to Luken pleased him at first, but he pushed aside his pride again because he knew she needed the connection that his brother could provide. He had no choice but to allow Luken to touch her if they were going to help bring her back to the real world. She was too important to let a little thing like mating heat stop him from looking out for her best interests.
Chivalry sucks, he inwardly muttered.
Groaning, he told his brother, “Use your body heat to warm her. Talk to her, Luken. Reassure her that she’s okay.”
Luken wrapped his other arm around Tabitha’s front, pulling her up against his chest and into the warming comfort of his body. He stroked up and down her arms in a soothing caress.
“Since when did you become ‘Mr. Emotional’—so in tune with a woman’s needs?”
“Since I discovered that the woman in your arms was my mate,” Ryken said matter-of-factly.
Luken growled. “We’re going to have to discuss this, you know?”
He shook his head. “No, we’re not. What’s to discuss, brother? You say she’s your mate, and I know she’s mine. The only thing left is to see who she chooses.” His gut churned with rolling, bubbling acid. He knew the obvious choice for her was Luken because he infuriated her as she did him—unless she chose neither of them. “It won’t really matter what we discuss if she doesn’t want either of us.” He exhaled harshly. “Right now, I only want to get her to safety. The sooner we get to McCarthy Ranch, the better. At least then we’ll have Sebastian, Jonah, Reyes, and Dominic to back us up.”
Ryken stared out the windshield, while his brother held and soothed the woman he desired. There was an attraction that burned inside him, and for so many reasons that he didn’t understand, he truly cared for her. She consumed his every thought, both waking and sleeping. Not that he had slept much since collecting her from Seattle,
but the catnap he had managed to take earlier left him with more arousing need.
Why did just seeing her enchanting face awaken something so amazing and frightening inside him? He had never been afraid of anything in his life, but he was terrified of both losing and possessing her…Tabitha Burns, his mate.
Chapter Seven
The moment Luken had crossed the threshold of the dingy hotel room with Tabitha cradled in his arms, it seemed a little less dark and gloomy. He gently placed her on the bed closest to the bathroom. He didn’t want her stumbling through the room when she finally came around. One thing he had learned over the years was that a woman cherished the bathroom, like it was some private sanctuary where magical things happened. He didn’t understand it, but he would accept it.
And truthfully, did he have a choice?
Tabitha had not spoken a word since they fled like bandits from the train car, but just having her close soothed his beast, brightened his spirit if even just a little. He hated that she was so lost inside herself. He could feel her retreat further into the shell of her mind. Resisting the changes in her body was no longer a choice for Tabitha, and the sooner he could draw her out of her fractured state, the better off they all would be.
“Tabitha, sweetheart, can you hear me?” He brushed her blonde hair away from her face, his fingers playing in the silky strands. He loved the feel of her hair teasing between his fingers.
In the best reassuring voice he could muster, he whispered, “We’re safe now. You’re safe. Ryken and I brought you to a hotel where those men won’t be able to track us. You can rest without worry. I promise, we’ll watch over you. We’ll protect you, Tabitha.”
Blinking, her eyes watered, before her incredulous gaze rose to meet his. Voice shaking, she asked, “Weren’t you supposed to protect me before?”
Luken swallowed the rising bile that filled his throat. The shame of his failure slammed into him. “Yes, I was. I’m sorry we let them get that close to you. It will never happen again.”
At least that was his wish. He would protect her with his last breath. That was what his gut told him, and his mind and heart agreed.
“They were more than close, Luken. They could’ve killed me at any time.” Her voice dipped low and hoarse as more tears filled her eyes. “I had a knife held against my throat.”
He stroked her damp cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry they hurt you. I promise I won’t let it happen again.”
He knew his reassurances meant nothing to her if he couldn’t live up to his word, so he had no other choice but to prove to his mate that he would do as he promised. She would never be that close to danger again. No matter what he had to do to ensure it.
“Luken?” Her raspy voice brought him out of his deep thoughts and back to her tear-streaked face.
He held her gaze as she asked, “Those men…were they even human?”
“What makes you think that?”
She shrugged slightly. “Something about them wasn’t right. I could sense it. They moved so fast, I didn’t even see them coming up on me. The strength they possessed wasn’t normal. I was helpless against them.” Cringing, she shook her head. “I’ve never felt so vulnerable in my life. So afraid I was going to die.”
Her hard, heavy sobs stripped him bare. He wanted more than anything to ease the pain ravaging her mind, to eradicate the memory. She needed to know what was happening to her, had to know that what she was about to experience as a lycan would change her life forever. “Tabitha, there is so much I want to share with you, but I’m afraid now might not be the best of times.”
Her body trembled as she closed her eyes. One final tear slid down her pale cheek as sleep won over. She was no longer responding to the heat of his touch or the comfort of his voice, so he wrapped her shivering body into the warmth of the blankets, securely tucking her in.
Ryken had disappeared outside, scanning the layout around them, securing the perimeter for the night. There were only a handful of hours left before sunrise, but a few hours of rest were better than none.
Luken turned off the light beside the bed, kissed her forehead, and vanished into the bathroom. He was desperate for a shower. Blood stained his hands and neck. The fear that blazed inside Tabitha started because of the men who had attacked them on the train. Watching Ryken slice through the neck of the assailant had to have been the reason for her mental breakdown. The blood spatter alone was enough to shock and horrify the most battle-trained beings. Not to ignore the little-known fact that her once fragile body was now being ravaged by an aggressive lycan DNA.
When she finally came fully around, he didn’t want her staring at his blood-soaked clothing. He did not want her to remember what they had done to escape the situation. It was horrible enough that she had been present to begin with, that they had allowed her to be manhandled by Mason Levi’s men.
His need to protect her was fierce as was his need to make love to her. Some men waited a lifetime to find their mates, the one truly meant to soothe the beast inside. He had to figure out a way to make things right with her, had to find a way to convince her that they were meant for each other.
Holding Tabitha in his arms had never felt so right. She was a perfect fit for him and he would do anything for her to see that. Except one thing—he didn’t think he could destroy the bond with his brother just for the affections and love of a woman. No matter how much he wanted Tabitha. No matter how much it would destroy him to lose her.
Luken needed to talk with Ryken, needed to figure out what they were going to do about their little love triangle. Ryken always had a plan, and maybe they would be lucky enough for him to have one now.
* * * *
The squeaking of the shower faucet and the pounding of water against the wall of tile in the bathroom yanked her out of the trance she had somehow been submerged in. She could hear the water banging against the tub. Inhaling a lungful of air, she caught Luken’s scent. Ryken was not in the room. Freeing herself of the tight confines of the blanket, she tossed the covers to the side and sprung off the bed. She snaked the cell phone off the nightstand and tiptoed to the door with a purpose, quietly opening the door and exiting the room.
She stumbled, arms pumping like pistons. Her legs were on fire. She ran in the direction of the woods. She had to get away from them so she could finally have a moment to herself to think. Her first thought was that she had to speak with Brie, and above all things, she had to know that the strange situations she had been experiencing were not some figment of her imagination, and that she could truly trust the men accompanying her. She wanted to believe that, more than anything, but trusting and believing in the brothers was nearly impossible after what she had witnessed with them—a night filled with passion and blood was not exactly the lasting impression she had hoped for.
She had run as far as she could before feeling the first wave of nausea twist in her gut, and she abruptly stopped to catch her breath, leaning over, hands resting on her knees. She felt the bulge of the phone in her pocket and grabbed it. Opening the phone, she discovered that the last name dialed belonged to Sebastian McCarthy. That was the name Brie had given her the other day. McCarthy was soon to be her married name.
Her fingers quivered as she dialed the number. A brusque, commanding voice charged through the phone. “You two get out okay?”
“Who is this?” Tabitha demanded with as much gusto as she could muster. “Where’s Brie?”
“Tabitha?” the thunderous voice asked. “Tabitha Burns?”
Surprised to hear him say her name, she squeezed the phone tighter and questioned, “How do you know me?”
“My name is Sebastian McCarthy. Brie is my fiancée.”
Her gut knotted. Panic assailed her. “Where is she? I need to speak with her.”
“Tabitha, is something wrong?” he asked, his voice oozing with concern. She didn’t want his concern. She wanted to speak to her best friend, and she wanted to do it now.
Heart pounding, her words charged from her mouth with strong inflection. “Damn, dude, are you deaf? I said I wanted to speak with Brie, not you. Now get her on the damn phone before I get really pissed off.”
Sucking in a gulp of air, Tabitha waited as the line went silent. As she listened, she heard rustling in the background. Brie’s voice was faint, but recognizable. She was there. Tabitha’s heart beat faster with hope.
“Tabitha, what’s wrong?” Brie’s voice eased through the panic filling her head even though there was a tone of worry woven in her words.
“Oh, God, Brie, please help me. What’s going on? What’s happening to me?”
“Calm down, honey. Tell me what happened. Are Ryken and Luken with you?”
Sobbing, Tabitha took a seat on a log nearby. She wheezed, “No, I’ve run away.”
“You what?” Brie all but screamed the words into the phone. “Tabitha, you’re in danger. Mason Levi’s men are tracking you to get to me. You must return to Ryken and Luken. They’re there to protect you. I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid you’d freak out and not come to McCarthy Ranch. I couldn’t take the chance that you would come willingly, especially when I shocked you with my sudden news. Sending Ryken and Luken was truly our only option to ensure that you were kept safe.”
Sniffling, Tabitha sat down on a stump. “Oh, I believe you.” She paused, sucking in a deep, calming breath. “We were attacked on the train. Two very large, very strange men tried to kidnap me, which seems odd to me now considering that’s what I thought Ryken and Luken were trying to do.”
Brie sighed, explaining, “No, honey, Ryken and Luken are friends of mine. They’re my fiancé’s cousins.”
