With the element of surprise, the advantage was mine.
Ryleigh stirred, and I pulled myself toward her ear. Moving risked exposure since the bastards could come in at any time. But a far worse scenario involved her rolling over me or thrashing thinking critters crawled in her hair.
I held onto her earlobe and leaned close. “Lia? Wake up. Please?”
She mumbled, and I sensed her awareness return.
“Hey. Don’t squish me, okay?”
“Darian?” She groused. “Shit. Where am I?”
She turned her head and I almost lost my grip.
“Don’t move. And don’t give me away.”
“Why can’t I find you?” Her initial panic receded as she looked around the room.
“Right now I’m four inches tall.”
She moved again, and I tugged a fistful of curls to stop sliding.
“Stay still! Pretend I’m not here.”
“But, I wanna see.” She pouted.
“Yeah, about that. I can’t change with my clothes. Being cold ain’t got nothing on standing at four inches and freezing. I’d rather keep my dignity, thank you very much. No peeking.”
Her shoulders shook, but she managed not to laugh too loud. “There’s a tiny naked man on my shoulder?”
“Emphasis on tiny. Har har. You ready to escape?”
I struggled to remain upright when she sat up.
“All right, Peter Pan, how’re we going to do this?”
ChapterTwenty
Darian
My pulse raced as I surveyed the locked room. At least the area wasn’t warded to block magic like the Elitist prisons, or I couldn’t Shapeshift. It made me feel more in control.
Plus, staying near Lia kept me calm.
At last, the guards admitted the Bargas brothers into the building. As their footsteps neared, Ryleigh tensed, and I prepared myself. Intarans sensed one another in close proximity, but my size wouldn’t be noticeable next to her unless someone searched for me.
I needed to keep the element of surprise.
The moment the latch on the door unlocked, I launched off her shoulder. By the time my padded feet hit the filthy concrete floor, her captors had filed inside. In my lion form, I weighed over five hundred pounds, and my claws were as sharp as my teeth.
I didn’t give them the opportunity to react.
Kevin and Frank still stood in the doorway, but the two mercenaries had already come inside. With a short leap, I pounced on the first and heard his ribs crack as he landed beneath me. His injuries wouldn’t kill him, but he’d be uncomfortable for a while.
The second mercenary stumbled back into the brothers.
“Shit. No one told us the girl had a Setah!”
Shocked, I prowled toward the three men. The way they looked between us, the man meant Ryleigh and me. Did Lukas know? It explained a lot.
How the hell had I not known?
In my distraction, he pulled his weapon. I charged him and raked my front paws down his chest. He raised his arm in defense.
Fire ripped through my forearm as my talons tore through his flesh.
The acrid stench of gunpowder and blood filled my nostrils, but the pain paled in comparison to my rage. The second mercenary wasn’t as fortunate as the first. He fell dead at my feet as I launched myself at Frank. Kevin ran for the door as my teeth clenched around his brother’s throat. I didn’t enjoy the bloodshed, but it was over within minutes.
Then again, the bastards expected to find a helpless female, not a Shapeshifter.
“Darian?” The weakness in Ryleigh’s voice snapped my attention back to the room behind me. She’d freed her hands and ankles, but wavered as she clutched the wall. At first, I thought the violence shocked her, but a blossoming red stain spread over her right shoulder and down her blouse.
My molecules shifted before I’d taken a single step forward, and I swept her into my arms.
She refused to pass out, though. “You’re hella’ scary, you know that?”
I huffed, too worried to laugh, but pleased to see she wasn’t afraid of me. The remaining lackey reached for his cell phone and I kicked him in the temple. He wasn’t unconscious, but he stopped moving. I snatched it and dialed Lukas as I repositioned Lia in my embrace.
He answered on the first ring. “Yes?”
“It’s me. Can you get Jason to trace this number?”
“Yeah, hold on.” He covered the receiver and talked to the people in the background. As expected, he’d mobilized everyone. Seconds later, he came back on the line. “Looks like you’re close to the hotel. We’re on our way.”
“We need a medic for Ryleigh. She’s wounded.” I interrupted.
“Why the hell didn’t you say something?”
“I’m fine.” She mumbled.
I checked her injury. The bleeding wound paled around the edges. “She’ll need a transfusion.”
“Knowing Mimi, the supplies are already set up.”
“That’s so eerie.” Lia whispered.
Giving in to my despair, I kissed her hair. She smiled up at me, but her eyes closed, and pain etched deep lines around her mouth. We both tensed as heavy footsteps ran through the warehouse. I prepared to scoot her aside if needed. Sensing Dean and Mimi beyond the walls, I met them at the door.
“One’s still alive.” I told Dean over my shoulder. “I doubt you’ll get much from either of them, but try anyway.”
He let me pass and went inside to deal with our prisoner. Mimi walked with me, found Ryleigh’s vein and prepped an IV on the move. By the time we left the building, she held a bag of fluids and hurried me along.
Two mercenaries sat tied up outside, and a second truck arrived to help contain the scene. Mimi pushed me into the backseat with Ryleigh on my lap, and Lukas peeled out of the lot toward the hotel. He was right; we were less than a mile from where they’d tried to take her on the first attempt.
“You didn’t tell me she was my soulmate, too.” I almost shouted. “You explained about the Setah bond, but you knew. You both knew, dammit!”
Lukas and Mimi exchanged a glance, but they ignored my accusation. She tore Lia’s sleeve and probed the area. The bullet had to have gone through me and hit Lia, since only the one shot fired.
“The bullet didn’t penetrate any bone or arteries, thank the gods.” She pronounced.
The vehicle lurched to a stop outside the back entrance of the compound. He ran around and yanked open the door. Though I remained angry with them both, I handed her to him.
“You guys have some explaining to do.” Ryleigh whispered.
“Shit. You heard?” Lukas cringed.
I thought she’d passed out. She hadn’t made a noise when Mimi poked at her injury.
“We’ll all talk later.” I glared at Lukas. “Right now, let’s get you comfortable.”
Lukas
My mind raced between worrying about Ryleigh’s health to wondering what Darian thought. He’d stalked away to dress the moment we entered Thane’s underground safe house. He radiated fury, but I didn’t think he’d leave.
Dammit, why hadn’t I Dreamed any of this?
Mimi barged into the room several minutes after we arrived, but I focused on the pale woman resting on the silken sheets. Her blood soaked through the blouse. When he returned, he wouldn’t meet my eyes and sat on the opposite side of the bed.
Mimi tugged off Lia’s shirt and worked in silence as she washed the injury. She stitched the wound on both sides and messed with the IV, adding things as she mumbled to herself.
Her anger was palpable. It didn’t matter now. We were here together, and everything would work out.
It had to.
As soon as my grandmother stepped back, I slid onto the mattress and drew my soulmate into my arms. Her skin chilled mine and she didn't react to my presence. Pain and fatigue lulled her into unconsciousness. I stroked her hair as I met Darian’s glare across the comforter. A sharp stab of terror ripped through me at the thought
of losing Lia.
By the panicked look on his face, he realized the same thing.
“Are you going to run away, now?” I whispered. “She needs you, too.”
Mimi’s head shot up and she looked between us in fear. Darian pulled her into a hug.
“Why didn’t you guys say something?” His anguished voice tore at my heart. “You usually keep tight-lipped. But this? I deserved to know. She’s my Setah, too?”
Mimi cupped his cheeks. “Yes, she is. And right now, she’s hurt. She lost a lot of blood. So climb up there and hold her. You’ll sit down and discuss this with your mate once she wakes up.”
Darian looked shattered, but at least he didn’t appear ready to bolt anymore. I lifted the blanket and held it open for him on the other side of Ryleigh. He refused to budge.
“Hurry up.” I snapped. “She’s cold. We need to warm her. With the two of us, she’ll heal much faster.”
He slipped under the blankets.
I already felt her pull from my strength. This was the best part about the Bond between humans and Intarans. When injured, our human mates drew from our natural abilities. He looked at me over her head with a sense of wonder. He’d noticed the subtle drain on his energy, too.
Ryleigh would recover, but we’d all need a few days to recuperate after this.
Mimi shut off the lights and looked back at us with a soft, sad smile. She’d worried about our relationship for years. Each new Vision changed the future based on personal choices and things beyond control. Darian had always been on the edge of staying or leaving. I knew if I didn’t fix this fast, we’d lose him.
And if I lost either of them, I would lose myself.
ChapterTwenty-one
Ryleigh
Soft caresses trailed down my forearm, tickling me into the semi-lucid state where I wasn’t cognizant, but not sleeping, either. Warmth cocooned me on both sides, and I snuggled deeper into the blanket, not ready to move. A male chuckle vibrated on my other side and I cracked an eyelid.
"I thought you were a morning person?" Lukas whispered into my hair.
My eyes flew open, and I snapped wide awake. Darian stroked my arm in lazy patterns and I blinked at them both in confusion. A twinge in my shoulder and the lingering burn from the ropes reminded me how close I had come to being a victim. Again.
Dammit, this would not become a habit.
"How..." My voice crackled and I grimaced at the croaking noise.
Darian slipped from the blankets and walked over to a covered dish set upon a dresser across the room. He wore nothing but a pair of boxers. Lukas leaned up to watch him with as much appreciation as I did. Both of them must have stayed the night with me.
Awkward didn’t cover this.
Darian brought the tray over to the bed and gestured for me to sit up so he could place it on my lap. Stunned, and more than a little confused, I waited until Lukas moved before I took it. Darian smiled as he sat back on the mattress.
Was I still dreaming?
When he lifted the metal dome, the luscious scents of bacon, pancakes and orange juice filled the air. Ravenous, I tucked into the meal, ignoring their amused glances as they ate at a sedate pace. The plate held enough for all three of us. I looked at Darian with curiosity as he picked up a slice of bacon and bit into it.
“Did I miss something?” I asked.
This whole situation seemed too weird. Having them both here with me in bed was more than a dream, it bordered on fantasy. I’d had some kinky dreams since meeting the two men. But this proved better; it delivered breakfast.
Lukas rolled up a pancake and devoured it plain. They grinned at me with content looks on their faces. Lukas stroked my arm, and my cheeks warmed as the other man watched.
“There’s a lot to discuss.” My lover said. “I know you have questions, but you need to replace the energy spent healing.”
Darian lifted the sleeve of my shirt, and I blushed harder as I realized it was one of Lukas’. He traced the puckered round scar on my shoulder with his fingertips. It didn’t hurt, but it felt sensitive. My fingers bumped his as I touched the wound, and my blush deepened.
“How long did I sleep?” I whispered.
Lukas leaned against my side, and I allowed him to pull me into his arms as his companion cleared away the tray. As soon as we all settled again, I squirmed between them, comfortable, if a little unnerved at my acceptance of our unusual arrangement. Darian played with my hair as Lukas spoke, and I enjoyed feeling the rumble of his voice against my back.
“We’ve recuperated in here for the last thirty two hours.”
“Wait, we’ve lazed about in bed the whole day?” I asked. “Don't you two have better things to do than watch me nap?”
“We’ve all been recovering, love.” Lukas stroked my back like he couldn’t stop touching me.
My eyes shot to Darian since I couldn’t see Lukas as well with him behind me. “You guys were wounded?”
Darian smiled as he showed me his right forearm. “Mine mended when I shifted back. Healing you took more energy than we all anticipated.”
“I didn’t think you healed others?”
"You were seriously injured and lost a lot of blood.” Darian continued. “It’s true neither of us can heal another, but the three of us share a special bond which gives us a certain advantage. There is nowhere else we could be while you recovered."
"Oh." I opened my mouth to ask my other questions, but Darian silenced me with his lips. I gasped in shock, and his tongue slid along the parted seam. When I sighed, he explored with deliberate care, and I forgot everything for a few minutes as he lingered.
Breathless, he rested his forehead on mine and smirked. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for days.”
Stunned I looked over my shoulder at my lover, worried how he’d react, but he appeared pleased. “This is freaking me out a little. Why are you both here in bed with me? And why aren’t you upset he kissed me?”
“Are you upset he kissed you?” He asked.
“Honestly, I’m overwhelmed right now. One of you better start explaining. Now.” I pulled away from them both and sat up until my back hit the headboard, hugging my knees with my arms. I couldn’t think with them touching me. Neither spoke and it frustrated me.
“Do you believe in soulmates?” Darian queried before I lost my temper.
“I’m not sure.” I frowned, wondering where this was going. “It’s a common theme throughout history, but there isn’t enough data to prove it. Why?”
“Humans may not claim concrete proof that they exist, but we live so long many of us have seen evidence of them firsthand.” Lukas added.
“And both of you think I’m your soulmate?” My voice raised an octave, but when Lukas tried to calm me, I shot out of the blanket and paced. “But if we were soulmates, wouldn’t we discern it right away? Wouldn’t there be some cosmic fireworks to let us know we’d found someone so rare and significant?”
Like the kind I’d experienced the second I’d run into them both at the club?
“Did you feel anything the night you met Lukas?” Darian asked.
“Yes, I felt something.” I whispered. “With Lukas and with you.”
I swallowed hard, finding it difficult to breathe. “Wait. So are you guys soulmates, too? Don’t bother denying it; I can tell there’s attraction between the two of you.”
“It’s complicated.” Lukas reached for me, but I pulled away. He sighed and looked at us hesitantly. “Let me explain. Yes, we are also Setah.”
Darian stood, his movements slow with shock. He seemed torn between escape and anger.
Lukas ran his hands over his face as he met Darian’s glare, looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen the man. “Look, I Dreamed so many scenarios when I first bumped into you. Had I pursued our relationship at any time before Ryleigh arrived, you’d have left. Can you tell me you wouldn’t?”
Darian’s shoulders stiffened, but he shook his head. “Why didn’t anyone comment on it
? Are they all in on the secret? It’s not like it’s easy to hide.”
“No.” Lukas slid to his feet. “Mimi helped me conceal the signature, but encountering Lia weakened the spell. The intensity of both your emotions during the abduction dissolved the rest. No one else knows, and my grandmother disagreed with my decision. But it was necessary.”
“Why?” Darian’s voice cracked, but he didn’t look close to tears. He teetered on the edge of violence.
Lukas glanced between us before facing him again. “In my Vision, you ran the moment you discovered the truth. If I went after you, Ryleigh either died, or they took her. If I let you go, you perished. I did everything I could to make sure you both stayed safe.”
“You Dreamed about me?” I asked. “How long have you known all this?”
He turned to me, and joy lit his expression. “I Dreamed of you for years before I met Darian. I knew you’d come, and we’d be together.” His gaze shifted to the other man. “All of us.”
“So you think Dreaming about me gave you the right to control me?” Darian snapped.
“Of course not.” Lukas walked toward him. “I did what I had to do.”
“No, you manipulated me.” Darian clenched his fists and stormed out the door.
When we were alone he reached for me, but I stepped back. “You should have told us. It would've been nice to know why I've felt so conflicted.”
“If I’d informed you before you were ready, you’d have left, too.” He watched me with a combination of stern command and uncertainty, but his eyes pleaded with me to understand. “I wouldn’t risk losing either of you.”
This whole situation was a mess. Part of me wanted him to hold me and tell me it would all be fine. But I seethed with anger, too. Denying the urge to curl on his lap, I took another step back. “I need some time to take this in. Give me that much.”
He nodded and departed without arguing, though desperation clung to his tense shoulders. The moment the lock clicked behind him, I collapsed on the bed. I didn’t cry. Was there anything to cry about? I should be overjoyed to discover I had a soulmate. But what was I supposed to do with two?
Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set Page 137
