Protected by Two Jaguars [The Alpha Legend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Tara Rose

  He and Micah had never had the chance to speak to their parents or Abby this morning about last night, but all three of them smelled like sex. Surely the other three had guessed by now. Did they really have to ride back home in complete silence? He glanced toward Micah over Valerie’s head, wishing that both their telepathic powers were more refined. While they were usually able to sense each other’s general emotional state, complete thoughts were more difficult to decipher.

  Some shifters, like Nevada and his mother, were able to communicate without words at all. But he and Micah had never mastered the power to any appreciable degree. Still, as he and his brother made eye contact, Stephen was quite sure that Micah understood Stephen’s general train of thought. But when Micah frowned and shook his head, Stephen was no longer sure of anything. What did that mean? That he disagreed with Stephen on this being as good a time as any to tell them about Valerie and last night? Or, had Micah misinterpreted his intentions?

  Stephen glanced away and sighed out loud, frustrated by the turn of events. He’d hated leaving Valerie alone last night, and he hated not being able to say anything this morning. They’d taken her virginity, after all. They should have waited until they were home again. Then they wouldn’t have had to leave her bed, and they wouldn’t be riding now with all this awkward silence between them.

  Stephen glanced down at her profile. It was obvious she’d been crying, and he ached right now to take her into his arms and tell her it was going to be all right. The idea that he couldn’t was absurd. So what if they hadn’t made a formal announcement yet? She was of age. They’d both made love to her. They wanted her as their sub and she wanted them as her Doms. She was upset, and if he was even half the Dom he’d shown her last night, he wouldn’t be sitting next to her while not speaking to her or comforting her.

  With one quick glance around the inside of the SUV, Stephen put his arm around Valerie and gave her shoulder a squeeze. She stiffened slightly, as though surprised by his touch, and his heart raced. Was she upset with them? But why? Stephen cursed himself once again for leaving her alone last night. He and Micah should have told Abby the truth. And then they should have woken their parents and told them as well. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d blown it already.

  “It’s going to be all right,” he said softly.

  All she did was nod, and Stephen sighed again. He didn’t know what to do or say right now. As he caught his father’s glance in the rearview mirror, icy fear spread through his veins. Unlike him and Micah, Stephen and his father could communicate quite effectively without words. Or rather, his father could communicate to his sons without words. Stephen swallowed hard at the look in his father’s eyes. Whatever was going on outside their village had to do with Valerie. He hadn’t caught anything else in that dark look, but he’d caught that much without question.

  He looked away from his father’s intense stare as her words from last night came back to him. This had something to do with her father and what she’d told him and Micah. Did she know? No. That wasn’t possible. But it did explain why his parents hadn’t said anything to her, even when she’d begged them to in the hotel this morning. They didn’t want to worry her. But she was worried, regardless. Which was worse? Not knowing, and imagining all sorts of untrue things, or knowing what was waiting for her when they returned?

  Stephen risked another glance at his father, but his attention was now on the road ahead of them. It didn’t matter what awaited them back home. He and Micah had told her that they would never allow her father to take her back home, and they’d meant it. But did she know that? Did she understand that they’d never go back on their word, or did she assume right now that they’d have no choice but to turn her over? Was that why she was so upset right now? Did she know what was going on, somehow, and thought that he and Micah were going to abandon her?

  Stephen placed two fingers on her face and turned it up toward his, so that he could look into her eyes. His breath caught in his throat at the look of pain in them. He didn’t give a shit who was watching, or that they hadn’t had a chance yet to say anything to his parents or Abby. He only knew he couldn’t let this continue. He leaned down and kissed her lips. It was just a quick kiss, but the hope it brought to her face made his heart soar.

  He’d been right. That was exactly what had been going through her mind, and nothing could be further from the truth. He would never allow anyone to take her from him, especially not now. He felt Micah’s gaze on him and glanced at his brother, who shot him a warning look. The hell with that. Stephen kissed the top of Valerie’s head and whispered close to her ear. “Everything is going to be all right. I promise you that.”

  When her body began to tremble, he knew she was crying without even looking at her face again, so he pulled her close and held her, not giving a shit who saw it, or what they thought.

  * * * *

  Micah glanced from his father’s dark gaze in the rearview mirror, directed toward him and Stephen, to his mother’s worried frown as she turned around in her seat, and then to his brother’s face. Stephen didn’t give a fuck what anyone else inside this SUV thought right now, so why did he? When Abby turned around and Micah looked into her eyes, he knew that whatever was going on back home had as much to do with her as it did with Valerie.

  Valerie’s words last night came back to him, as did Abby’s nervous behavior. Had Valerie noticed that? She probably had. She was so attuned to Abby’s moods that at times it was downright scary. The girl was totally focused on gaining everyone’s approval, including Abby’s. Her home life must have been intolerable, but surely Abby didn’t mistreat her in the same way. However, there was no doubt that something was going on with Abby right now He’d never seen her look like this.

  “Is she okay?” asked Abby.

  “She will be,” said Stephen.

  Micah put his arm around Valerie as well, and met Abby’s gaze, challenging her with his own. “We’ll make sure that she is.”

  Abby stared him down, but instead of the usual disapproval he was used to seeing in her eyes, all he saw right now was fear. What the hell was going on here? He glanced past Abby into the front seat. His father’s attention was now on the road, but his mother’s gaze was still on them. He’d never been able to sense her thoughts the way he and Stephen could sense their father’s, but he didn’t need to try and get inside her mind to know that she was very afraid right now. But why? And about whom?

  What the fuck had that phone call his father had received early this morning from Gary been about? His father shouting into the phone had woken him and Stephen. Their father almost never raised his voice, and by the time both had gone to find him, he was no longer shouting at Gary, but his tone was still brusque.

  Whatever the reason for his father’s reaction on the phone, it was time to stop playing this game. Micah and his brother weren’t children, and neither was Valerie. They’d made promises to her last night. They’d taken her virginity. He wasn’t about to lose her trust or respect, no matter what was going on at the village right now. “Father, what’s going on back home? What was Gary’s phone call about?”

  “I can’t tell you that.” His father’s tone left no doubt that the subject was not open for discussion. “We’ll deal with it when we get there.”

  “And what about Valerie? How will she deal with it?”

  “I would appreciate it if you kept your tone respectful.” His father’s voice was soft, but Micah caught the warning in it. “There are things I heard from Gary this morning that I can’t reveal yet. Valerie, I’m sorry I can’t say more right now, but rest assured that we are not going to let anything happen to you.”

  She lifted her gaze first to Micah’s face, and her eyes filled with surprise. Then she glanced toward the front and stared at his father. “Thank you.” Her voice was small, and it shook. It was all Micah could do not to kiss her, as Stephen had done. But if he did, he wouldn’t stop at a chaste kiss, and then the conversation would have to take an
entirely different turn, and he knew this wasn’t the appropriate time or place for that.

  “You’re welcome.” His father gave Micah a pointed look, and then turned his attention back to the road. Micah glanced at Abby, who stared at Valerie with nothing short of regret on her face. What the hell was going on with her? She knew something, obviously. Had she overheard the phone call, or was she involved in some other way?

  “Abby, have you ever been to the museum here in Rangely?” They were approaching the part of Highway 64 that would connect them with Interstate 40, and Micah became convinced that his mother was trying to distract Abby from what was going on in the backseat. “They have some interesting exhibits for such a small place.”

  Abby finally face the front again. “No. I haven’t.” Her voice sounded strained and as disinterested in a museum trip as all of them were right now.

  “We’ll have to come back and visit one day. Maybe we can return to Passion Peak as well, since I know you’ve never seen the town.”

  “That would be nice.”

  Emme asked a few more questions, and although Abby answered her, it was clear she was very distracted. Micah didn’t believe it had anything to do with him and Stephen. Whatever was bothering her had to do with Valerie and the call his father had received that morning. What the hell was waiting for them all back home?

  At least Valerie had stopped crying, and now she was leaning against Stephen’s torso and holding onto Micah’s hand so hard it actually hurt. He stroked her arm absently while he glanced at this brother, desperately wishing they could speak in private right now. A horrible feeling of dread washed over him, and even though he knew it was irrational, he couldn’t shake it.

  But he knew one thing for certain. No matter what they encountered when they got home, he was not about to let anything happen to Valerie. And he dared anyone—his parents and Abby included—to try and stop him.

  Chapter Ten

  By the time they approached the first checkpoint where jaguars guarded the village, Valerie no longer felt as afraid or unsure as she had when they’d left Passion Peak. Stephen and Micah had defended her and comforted her, and she felt foolish for ever having doubted them. She was determined to make that up to them at the earliest possible moment. Abby, however, had grown more distraught with each passing mile, but since no one was talking about what awaited them, Valerie could only speculate at what had Abby so rattled.

  Drake slowed the SUV and Valerie craned her neck toward the windshield, trying to see if he was stopping for the checkpoint or for a different reason, and only got as far as leaning forward to try and get a better look before Micah pushed her to the floor and told her to stay out of sight.

  She heard male voices shouting, the doors of the SUV opening, and Abby crying. When Micah left, she sat up again. The hell with staying out of sight. If her father was here, hiding wouldn’t do her any good. Abby was outside now, and it was clear that she was very upset, She was crying and gesturing like crazy, but Valerie couldn’t hear what she said. Drake, Emme, and Stephen stood close to her, and Micah was with other jaguars who wore the uniform of Gary Richardson’s team. A man stood in the middle of that group, but Valerie couldn’t see his face.

  Everybody seemed to be shouting and talking at once, and she was suddenly so damn sick of this. She wanted answers, and staying in this SUV wasn’t going to give them to her. She opened the door and climbed out, then sprinted toward Stephen. When he saw her, he frowned, but she stared him down, daring him to say anything. This obviously involved her somehow, so she had a right to be here.

  He took her arm and pulled her into the middle of the group, then spun her around to face Abby, his hands on both her shoulders from behind, as if steadying her. “Tell her. Tell Valerie what you just told us. She has a right to hear it.”

  As Valerie watched regret fill Abby’s face, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled the same way they had at Abby’s reaction when Micah told them how Kane Easton had found the Ruiz village. “Tell me what?” The question was pointless because she had a pretty damn good idea now what she would hear. It all made sense.

  Abby’s paranoia hadn’t started until after she’d returned to the hotel suite ahead of them yesterday. Then, as the afternoon and evening had worn on, her outward nervousness had grown worse. And now, she looked like an animal trapped by predators and ready to fight, but also knowing there was no hope to come out of the confrontation alive. “What did you do to me?”

  “I’m sorry, Valerie. He threatened to expose my parents.”

  “Your parents? I don’t understand.” The world started to spin again, and if it hadn’t been for Stephen’s hands on her shoulders, she’d be on the pavement right now. Her legs were actually shaking. The sounds of angry conversation from the other group faded into the background as Valerie waited for Abby to speak. “What do your parents have to do with this? What did you do to me?”

  “Valerie, I’m so sorry.” Abby was sobbing so hard she could barely speak, but Valerie didn’t care. Her entire body suddenly felt cold, and it wasn’t from the temperature outside. This sensation was inside her body, as if she’d never be warm again because the frosty air had penetrated her veins and now flowed through them.

  “They…they were in the League. My parents were in the League of Exitium. I never told anyone. I ran away and came here to live, but I never told anyone.”

  Valerie shook her head and glanced at Drake. He hadn’t known. She saw the truth in his eyes. Abby had never told them. But that didn’t mean she was part of it, did it? Not possible… “But…you’re not. Right? You’re not part of them. I don’t understand any of this.”

  “He threatened to expose the truth about her family,” said Drake, “and instead of coming to us, Abby told him where you were.”

  “Him…” She stared at Abby, still shaking her head, unable to believe this had happened. It couldn’t be true. Abby had turned her in to her father. No. That’s not what had happened. It couldn’t be. There had to be some misunderstanding. This woman had given her a home. She’d treated her like a daughter. She wouldn’t have done this.

  Valerie shrugged off Stephen’s grip and he lunged after her, but she was faster. She ran to the other group and stopped cold when she heard her father’s voice. He was here. It was him standing in the center of the jaguars sworn to protect their village and rid the shape-shifter world of League of Exitium members.

  Micah was in his face, his finger pointing as he shouted. Her father was shouting back, but Valerie couldn’t understand anything they said. This couldn’t be happening…

  Stephen pulled her back but not before her father caught her eye. The dark anger on his face nearly stopped Valerie’s heart. This made no sense. How could Abby have told him where she was only yesterday, when her dreams had begun two weeks ago? When had he arrived in town? When her dreams had begun, or today? When had Abby told him where she was? Had she told him two weeks ago? She had to know. She had to know whether Abby had started all this, or merely helped it along. “When did she tell you where I was?”

  The men stopped talking and stared at Valerie as if she’d lost her mind. Stephen gripped her shoulders again and tried to pull her back. “Let us handle this.”

  “No. I need to know. When did Abby tell you where I was?”

  Her father’s sneer sent chills down her spine. “I’m not going to tell you. Now be a good girl and come home with me. We have things to discuss.”

  She shook off Stephen’s hands again and planted her feet. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” All the fear she’d felt since the dreams started melted away. She was ashamed and embarrassed by her behavior this morning and during the ride here. She had nothing to fear from this man any longer. She was of age. She belonged to Stephen and Micah. She didn’t have to return home, and he couldn’t force her to do so. She was no longer a child, and she wasn’t going to allow anyone to treat her like one, ever again. “I belong to two alphas from this village now. You have no fur
ther claims on me. Go home.”

  The look of pride and admiration on Micah’s face nearly took her breath away, and it helped keep her limbs from trembling too much. Her pulse was racing but she didn’t care. The bravery flowing through her was like a power surge, and she clung to it. Stephen placed his hands on her shoulders again, but this time he wasn’t doing it to try and pull her back. This time it was to back up what she’d just said.

  Micah strolled away from the group, his gaze on her face, and stood next to her. She breathed in his scent, and drew more strength from both men now. Micah glanced at her father. “What she says is true. You can go home now. We don’t want you here, and she is no longer your property.”

  Drake and Emme moved next to Stephen, and Valerie didn’t need to look at their faces to know they agreed with their sons. Her father’s face filled with disbelief, and then his expression turned angry again. He wasn’t used to being told what to do, and he never gave up anything willingly. But he was outnumbered, and he had no power here. Only a complete fool would try to fight this, and her father was many things, but Valerie knew he was no fool.

  “You’re wrong. This isn’t over.” The tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. As Valerie watched him walk boldly toward her, she caught a flash of sunlight glinting off the gun he’d pulled from somewhere inside his clothing. What was he doing with a gun? No one carried guns. Not in their world. She’d never seen one, except in photographs.

  Everything happened as if in slow motion. The jaguars that surrounded him charged forward, grabbing for his clothing as he strode toward her. Stephen and Micah each tried to shield her, at the same time that Drake rushed toward her father.