Bethany [Eminence Shifters 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Ashley Malkin

  “Are you trying to tell me how I feel, kitten?”

  “Of course not.” Michael watched her throat work as she swallowed a few times. Her eyes never left Samson’s, though. “If I’m honest, I think I love you, too.” As she lowered her gaze again, she let out a squeal.

  “Oh my God, there’s a cat on me.” She tried to wriggle free of Jason’s bulk, but his big head remained firmly on her. “If you two are here, as people, then who is that? Shit, I’m naked in front of them. Oh God.”

  * * * *

  Jason decided then and there that Samson had been correct. Bethany was indeed adorable when she babbled. He’d been in his cat form most of the night, and about an hour ago had felt Bethany’s cat finally being coaxed out of hiding. His own cat was still happily rejoicing in its return.

  He’d wanted to shift and inform his brothers that she was now simply sleeping, but feared her cat may perceive his shift as a rejection. So he’d remained immobile and allowed his own cat to enjoy what it had been craving since her arrival—the touch of its mate.

  He chuffed his response to her comment, as Michael and Samson both laughed.

  “No, kitten, that’s Jason,” Samson said.

  Jason watched her pupils dilate in distress. She struggled harder to get out from under him. He scented her fear and hated himself even more for what he’d done to her, the depth of the hurt he’d inflicted.

  He allowed his cat one more taste of its mate and licked firmly along the skin of her abdomen before shifting.

  “I’m sorry, Jason. I meant to leave. I will leave.” Bethany would have leapt from the bed if he hadn’t quickly put his hands on her hips to restrain her.

  “Bethany, please let me apologize to you,” Jason said. “I’m so sorry that my ignorance and fear has caused you so much pain and distress.”

  Samson made a scoffing noise in his throat, the scent of his anger easily recognizable in the air around them.

  “Samson and Michael are both justifiably furious with me. If you’ll let me, I’ll prove I’m a worthy mate for you.”

  “What the hell? You don’t even like me.” She pushed against his hands and he acquiesced, releasing her hips.

  “That was the impression I was striving for,” he said, “but it was lie.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” she said, looking to Samson and Michael, “but I know I need coffee.” Her cheeks colored as she looked down at herself. “And clothes.”

  “I like you as you are, darlin’,” Michael said. He kissed her, and her reply turned to a moan as the kiss lingered.

  Jason didn’t feel jealous of the trust and affection Bethany showed for his brothers. He felt like an idiot. His lifelong refusal to believe in his cat had led to his hurting his mate very badly. If he hadn’t been such an arrogant prick his whole life he would be mated to this wonderful woman already.

  “I would like to inform Finn and Shana that Bethany is well,” he said. “Can I meet you all in kitchen for that coffee?” Jason needed them to know that he wasn’t running from them. Again.

  Samson looked at him with open hostility. “We’ll be there in two minutes. You have three, or don’t bother showing.”

  He left to dress, and contact his Alpha, determined to be in the kitchen before them. All things considered, Samson must really love him, or he would have killed him already for the pain he’d inflicted on their mate.

  * * * *

  Samson ran his hands down Bethany’s back, her shiver of arousal filling his cock instantly.

  “Kitten, you’re killing me. But I gave Jason a deadline and if we don’t leave now we’ll all be late.”

  “Let’s be late,” Michael said, reaching for Bethany.

  Samson lifted her out of Michael’s reach just in time, and carried her to the bathroom.

  She giggled, and to him, it sounded like a chorus of angels singing.

  Setting her down, he checked she was steady on her feet before kissing her and closing the door to allow her some privacy to freshen up.

  He and Michael dressed swiftly and found a shirt and socks for Bethany to wear. He intended to hold her close, so she wouldn’t be cold in the chill morning air.

  When they all entered the kitchen, exactly two minutes later, they found Jason seated at the table, a pot of coffee brewing on the counter behind him.

  “It will be another few minutes,” Jason said.

  Samson had carried Bethany to the kitchen and he didn’t release her as he sat down and settled her comfortably on his lap.

  “You’ll need to get used to being carried, I’m afraid,” Jason said. “Peata and Melanie have both complained to me about it, but it seems to be an incurable affliction.” Jason smiled at Bethany when she laughed, and Samson saw his eyes sparking with his desire. A desire he no longer seemed to be fighting.

  “They’re the two new mates you were telling me about?”

  “I imagine that, now you’re awake, they’ll soon be here to meet you,” Michael said, sitting next to Samson and pulling Bethany’s legs across his lap.

  “I’ve asked them to join us for lunch in town,” Jason said. “That way, we have all morning to talk. Does that suit everyone?”

  Samson had to admit it was a good idea. Otherwise, Melanie and Peata were likely to have been here before they’d finished their coffee.

  “It’s a good plan, Jason. Thank you,” Samson said, his anger lessening slightly toward Jason. “Is that coffee done?” Samson was enjoying the feel of his mate in his arms. Jason could get the damn coffee.

  “They want to meet me?” Bethany’s confusion was evident.

  “We’re a very close pack,” Michael said. “They’ll want to make sure we’re looking after you properly. Mates are to be cherished, Bethany. Always.” He turned his gaze to Jason and Samson could see the anger lighting Michael’s eyes. His growl grew louder in the stillness of the kitchen. A growl rumbled unbidden from his own chest, too. Jason was in no way forgiven.

  Jason paused only momentarily in pouring the coffee, then placed the steaming mugs on the table and collected the cream and sugar.

  “We have a lot to learn about you, Bethany. How do you like your coffee?” Jason said. He smiled at her and Samson noted the scent of her fear lessening.

  “Cream and two sugars, please,” Bethany said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  They sipped their drinks in an uncomfortable silence until Jason spoke. “You asked when you woke what had happened to you. It was my fault. Can I try and explain what happened?”

  She nodded her head and took a deep breath. Samson squeezed her tighter against his chest.

  “I’ll forever be tortured by the sound of your pain.” Jason reached across the table and took Bethany’s hand. Samson had to fight the urge to break this outstretched hand by slamming his fist onto it.

  “I remember the pain.” Looking down, she stared at her hand resting in Jason’s. “It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

  Tilting her head to look up at him, Samson saw her eyes were a burning violet in color. “Nor do I ever want to feel like that again.”

  “We won’t let anything hurt you like that again, kitten,” Samson said, kissing her lightly on the lips.

  “My rejection of our bond hurt your cat so much, it retreated deep inside of you to die,” Jason said. “Your mind escaped the pain of that the only way it could. It shut down completely.”

  “If you hadn’t been such a prick,” Michael said, “none of our lives would have been in danger.” His eyes were still glowing with his anger at their brother.

  Bethany gasped, and Samson now wanted to punch Michael, too. She didn’t need anything more to worry about.

  “Please, I don’t understand,” she said. “What aren’t you telling me, Jason?”

  “Samson told you earlier that we can’t survive without our mates.” At her nod, Jason continued. “Because we love you so much, had you died, we would have died along with you.” Bethany pulled her legs from Mich
ael’s lap and turned to wrap her arms around him. He soothed her distress with gentle strokes of his hands down her back.

  “I feel like I’ve come into your lives and wreaked nothing but havoc and mayhem.”

  “No,” Jason stated firmly. “Those should be my middle names. My hubris caused me to ignore my cat, my better half, as it turns out.”

  The silence stretched out for a long minute.

  “Jason Havoc Mayhem Reed,” Bethany whispered, a small little giggle erupting, “that’s quite a mouthful.” She covered her mouth with her hand, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment.

  After another moment of silence, Michael added, “You’ll need to get new business cards printed.” Then he started laughing.

  “A new sign for the surgery door, too,” Samson said, joining Michael in his laughter.

  Chapter 16

  As she got her laughter and emotions under control, she was able to see that Jason was sincere in his apologies. He wasn’t laughing with them. He was staring at her with concern, his brows furrowed.

  “I understand that you’re sorry for hurting me, but I don’t feel the same way about you now.”

  She may as well have punched him on the nose, he looked so shocked.

  “I still feel drawn to you,” she said quickly, “but I feel scared, too.”

  His features relaxed a little and he appeared sad. “I did that to you. Your cat is trying to protect itself from further pain.”

  “I don’t know about any of this shifter stuff. How do I tell what’s me and what’s my cat?” She didn’t want to hurt Jason. She was just telling him how she felt.

  “It’s all you, kitten,” Samson said.

  “You’ve been understandably scared of your cat,” Jason said. “You’ve pushed it away for years. Now that you aren’t afraid, and understand what it is, it will just become another part of who you are.”

  “We’ve had all our lives, darlin’,” Michael said. “You’ve had one day. Give it time.”

  She sighed and nodded her understanding of what they were telling her. It was going to take time.

  * * * *

  They were on their second cup of coffee when Michael nervously cleared his throat. “I need to ask you why you ran away from the hospital in Claremont, Bethany. So much happened that we haven’t had a chance to ask you for the details.”

  Bethany was about to tell them when Samson spoke first.

  “What have you found out?” His tone was glacial.

  “The events of last night prevented me from telling you some disturbing information that’s come to light on Bethany’s escape from East Hills rehab.”

  Bethany was surprised to see Jason was the angriest at this news. “What have you found out? Nothing should’ve stopped you from sharing information about Bethany’s safety.”

  “We were worried she’d die, Jase,” Michael said, “so shut the fuck up.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. “Bethany, I think it’s important to hear your side of things first. Please.”

  She had been in fear of her life when she’d run away from the institution that had been her enforced home for the last six years. It had been stupid of her to think she could escape so easily.

  “He’ll kill me if he finds me.” She felt a ripple run across her skin. She looked down at her arm. “Was that…? Was that my cat?” Her arm was covered in gooseflesh, but otherwise looked normal.

  Samson growled and pulled her closer into his embrace.

  “I can feel your fear, kitten. I will kill anyone who comes here to harm you.” He kissed the top of her head and she melted against him.

  “We’ll protect you with our lives, sweetheart. You aren’t ever going back there,” Jason said. His voice was gravelly in his anger. “Our pride has a sheriff and deputy in Eminence. They’ll help us protect our mate, unconditionally, as we have protected theirs.”

  “Thank you. I don’t want anyone to die, though.” She didn’t want the monster dead, but perhaps they could stop him from hurting anyone else.

  That thought had her feeling like a coward. She should have done something sooner. “God, I should have…” A sob bubbled up and she had to stop talking as it closed her throat.

  “It’s going to be fine, darlin’,” Michael said, rubbing his hands soothingly up and down her thighs. “Just tell us what happened and we’ll help you deal with it.”

  She swallowed against the painful lump in her throat and held onto the strong arms wrapped firmly around her middle. “I was unable to sleep one night, a month ago, and went to the kitchen on our floor to make some warm milk. I had to pass the observation room. That’s where they put the high-risk patients, because it’s right next to the nurse’s station.”

  She closed her eyes, trying not to recall so vividly the memory of what she’d witnessed that night. “The nurse on duty that night was Stuart Gibson. He’s cruel. We all avoided him as much as we could. He would use unnecessary force to subdue patients, and taunt us when no other staff were around.”

  When she paused to catch her breath, a hand gently cupped her cheek. Her eyes opened and she was surprised to see the gesture had come from Jason.

  “I have seen that before in my rotations to psychiatric facilities,” Jason said, his voice soft. “They seem to attract a high number of staff who have borderline personality disorders themselves.”

  “What happened, Bethany?” Michael asked.

  “I heard sobbing coming from the closed observation room. The nurse’s station was unattended, so I opened the door to see if someone needed help.” She found it hard to put into words the scene that had emerged once she’d opened that door. Samson kissed her head again and Michael squeezed her thighs with his hands.

  “The nurse, Stuart, was raping a restrained patient.” Tears flowed from her eyes as she saw the young man’s face in her memory. It had been a picture of agony and helplessness.

  “His underwear was in his mouth, so his cries had been muffled. There was blood, too.” She looked to each of them, and saw they understood exactly what she’d witnessed.

  Jason growled again, his eyes glowing. “What did the nurse do to you, Bethany?”

  “He was fast, or I was slow. He had me pinned face-down on the ground before I knew it.” They all began growling loudly. The vibrations making her bones shake.

  “A few minutes into the beating, he was paged by the nurse on the other wing. She needed assistance with an emergency. He told me he’d be back, and that I would be his dessert for the shift.” Jason took one of her hands and stroked his thumb soothingly around her palm.

  “I was bleeding from a deep cut on my head. I don’t think he expected I’d be able to walk away, but I did.” She took a deep breath and told them the last of it. “I freed the boy from his restraints and we used each other for support as we hobbled away from that horrible room.”

  “Did you report him?” Samson said.

  “I wanted to, but the boy, Patrick, said that he’d reported it once before and no one had believed him. It had been his word against the nurse’s and Patrick was heavily medicated.”

  “So they dismissed him,” Jason stated angrily.

  “Stuart threatened to kill him in his sleep and make it look like a suicide if he said another word. Patrick said the next time had been much worse, because Stuart was angry at him for reporting it. He refused my help. He simply went back to his room.” They were all quiet for a long time.

  “So you ran?” Michael said. His eyes were still blazing brightly, but he gazed at her with sympathy. She found she had no strength left, and merely nodded.

  Chapter 17

  Michael had to take a few calming breaths and gain control of his cat before he spoke. “Then the news I have is far worse than I imagined. It’s also my fault.”

  “Just fucking tell us,” Samson said, his cat very evident in his voice.

  “When you were drugged,” Michael said, “we were desperate to find out all we could about you.” He paused and shoo
k his head, the last of the amber sparks leaving his eyes. He felt guilty for the pain he was about to cause his mate and his brothers.

  “I used all of the sources at my disposal to gather information on you, Bethany. I’m very good at my job, even without the motivation of my mate’s life being at stake.”

  “When did you become such a drama queen?” Samson said. “Just tell us, for God’s sake.”

  “I found out where you’d escaped from and made enquiries about you. As your new treating physician.”

  “I don’t mind, Michael. I’ve told you everything, anyway.”

  “I take exception to your lack of a medical degree,” Jason said, his tone clipped.

  “Sorry Jase, it was expedient. But my enquiry, and your name, Jase, have apparently found their way through the hospital’s lax security to a member of their nursing staff.”

  “Fuck,” Samson and Jason said together.

  Jason rose from his crouch in front of Bethany and strode to the coffee pot. Returning with it, he poured them all more coffee.

  “The doctor faxed Bethany’s records to me. If they trace the number I used, it will lead them straight to Hunter’s office, in the Sheriff’s department.”

  “That’s too fucking close,” Samson said. His eyes were sparking amber. “He’s going to try and find her. He won’t want a witness around that’s not under his control.”

  “Where’s the nurse now?” Jason asked. Michael could see Jason was trying to remain calm, but his eyes betrayed his heightened emotions.

  “He was caught snooping in the doctor’s office by another nurse and he hasn’t been seen since. Subsequent to his departure, a number of patients have come forward to report his abuse of them.”

  “At least he’s no longer there.” Bethany shuddered, and Michael took her from Samson’s hold and pulled her onto his lap.

  “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he said. “I was so desperate to find out everything I could about you that I acted rashly.”