Yes, they may be immortal, and hard to kill, but they could be killed, or hurt. She shivered as she thought about the captives, and Sami’s woman. What did the Ilyium want with all the Supes, and the homeless they were capturing?
She could feel Jax’s eyes boring into her and contemplated how to explain. Finally, she sighed. “Yesterday sucked.” Pursing her lips, she stared down into her mug. Suck it up, do not cry.
“No one should be treated like Thaniel, or those captives, and you’re right, the Ilyium aren’t going to stop.” Jax’s anger tingled over her skin as he agreed with her.
Tierney took a sip of coffee to compose herself. “We saved who we could, but everything we witnessed, we’ll never be able to erase from our minds. I feel like we’ve let Sami and Kyrian down.” She closed her eyes for a second, then peeked at Jax. “After they tossed Sami’s female on the fire, I wanted to rip them to itty-bitty little pieces and make it hurt.”
“Me too,” Jax said quietly and glanced at her. Then he shook his head. “Damn, Tiern, when you stopped and went back—fuck!” He turned away and sniffed. “Shit, I—”
Tierney bit her lip, she hadn’t meant to scare or worry him. “One of the guards screamed. I needed to see what was happening.” She glanced at Jax. “Soroyan knocked one guy down, and then ripped the other guy’s throat out.”
“Tiern—”
“No.” She cut him off. “I was glad.” She stared into Jax’s brilliant blue eyes, and waited for him to say something, but he didn’t say a word. With a nod, she continued. “Soroyan, he ripped that man’s throat out and blood sprayed everywhere, and I was glad,” she repeated, heart pounding, afraid he’d think she was a monster.
Instead, he surprised her. “I get it.”
Staring into the depths of his gaze, Tierney realized he did understand. She closed her eyes for a moment, grateful as she struggled with her feelings about what she’d witnessed.
Jax sighed, lay his head back and she watched his eyes close, but a few seconds later he opened them and studied her. His eyes had darkened from their normal brilliant blue, and now the faintest light filled them. “Damn Tierney, first Serena, the bitch, almost kills you. Then those men start shooting at us. My power fails, and you stop and go back—” At the horror in his eyes, her heart sped up. “You really scared me,” he finished, sending a thrill through her. Could he care more than she thought?
“I’m sorry, Jax,” she whispered.
Jax nodded, licked his lips and glanced up at the white billowy clouds.
Tierney sighed and stared out over the lake. Gods, her emotions flitted from one extreme to another.
“We did save Thaniel, and Mark, and many others,” he said, startling her out of her reverie, and when she glanced at him, the intensity in his eyes made her shiver deep inside.
“Yeah, we did, didn’t we?” she said.
A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, and the desire in his eyes set her body on a slow burn. Licking her bottom lip, she waited, anticipation fluttering inside her as he leaned close. Then sweet, demanding lips met hers, and nothing she’d experienced before tasted so wonderful. Caramel coffee and Jax’s own unique masculine scent, set her pulse racing. Heady with desire, Tierney moaned as his tongue delved inside her mouth, touching, tasting, claiming her.
The sound of a floorboard squeaking drew them apart, breathless with passion, as Thaniel stepped onto the deck. They glanced up, flustered at the interruption as the Were-leopard gazed out over the valley below
“Oh wow,” he whispered, inching further outside and while his timing sucked, and ended a wonderful, toe-curling kiss, Tierney smiled at the wonder on his face. The dark, cloudy evening before had prevented him from seeing the view until now.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” she said.
Thaniel jumped, then turned pale blue eyes on her and Jax in alarm. “Ah, yeah, ah, I’m s-sorry to bother you.”
“You’re not bothering us,” she said, but felt her face turning red at the thought of the kiss she and Jax just shared.
“No, you’re good.” Jax cleared his throat and nodded, agreeing, though Tierney sensed his eyes on her.
Although she planned to give Jax time, the surprise kiss had thrown her, sending her in a tailspin of hot and heavy emotions. She still wanted to take things slow, but at the same time she wanted more—now. But like a low flame on simmer, she waited while they cooked and ate breakfast, satisfying herself with sneaking peeks at Jax instead.
As Thaniel helped them clean up, Tierney couldn’t stop thinking about getting Jax alone, and continuing where they left off. To hell with waiting. His kiss proved he felt something for her.
Distracted at the sight of muscles flexing in Jax’s back as he put the peanut butter in the cupboard, Tierney let a plate slip out of her hand. “Shit!”
“Got it.” Thaniel grabbed the plate before it could shatter on the floor.
“Good reflexes,” Jax remarked, grinning, as Thaniel placed it in the dishwasher without saying anything.
“Thanks, Thaniel.” Tierney’s face reddened in embarrassment, and she turned away, but not before she caught his perplexed glance.
“You okay?” Jax asked and Tierney glanced up at his shit-eating grin.
Oh crap, he knows I was staring at him! “Yes Ja—” She rolled her eyes and started to say something sarcastic, when Kyrian’s voice popped into her head.
“Tierney, we have a problem. You need to come outside.”
“What’s wrong?” Jax asked, seeing the grim look on her face.
“Sure, give me a minute.” she said to Kyrian, then met Jax’s worried gaze. “Somethings happened. Kyrian wants us outside—” she said as Sami rushed into the kitchen, eyes red and puffy.
Sami pulled a hand through his hair and snatched up a mug. “Surveillance vids show wolves pacing around outside.” He poured some coffee, then, without looking at them, took a gulp and strode to the mud room to put on shoes.
Outside, they found Kyrian and Mark in human form, surrounded by fifteen wolves, with Soroyan standing a little distance away from everyone. “Kyrian, what’s happened?” Tierney glanced around.
“I’m afraid we have a problem,” he repeated his earlier words, clearly unhappy.
“What?” Panic started to build, they so didn’t need more bad news.
“A dead Were-wolf is lying behind your barn,” he said.
“What?” Crap!
“Come, I’ll show you.” Kyrian turned to lead them to the body.
Tierney shivered with dread as she stared down at the dead Were-wolf. He lay gutted in human form, behind the old barn not two hundred feet away from the house, and they hadn’t known anything was going on.
“You’re sure he’s a Were—” Jax asked, right before they caught a whiff. “Right, forget I asked.”
“That’s—” Mark started to say when Thaniel, staring at the body, interrupted him.
“Daven.”
“You both knew him?” Tierney glanced from Mark to Thaniel, worried when he nodded and turned away, but not before she caught the hatred in his eyes.
“He’s one of Arlow’s buddies. Kissed Arlow’s ass, did whatever Arlow wanted,” Mark sneered.
Kyrian, in a silent conversation with his brother, finally nodded, and Tierney frowned when she saw Soroyan walk away. “Soroyan caught the scent of another with this one, he’s going to track the scent trail,” Kyrian told her when he caught her staring after his brother.
“Oh.” She scanned the forest surrounding them with new eyes.
“Don’t worry. I have set some wolves on guard duty,” Kyrian said.
“Thanks.” Relief filled her at the news.
“What happened to him?” Sami asked dispassionately as he studied the corpse.
“This isn’t a wolf or animal attack,” Kyrian said.
“You’re sure?” Tierney almost wished otherwise. Did this mean the Ilyium had found their home?
“Yes, I’m sure. Those are kni
fe wounds,” Kyrian explained.
“The Ilyium use knives and swords,” Tierney murmured, unhappy at the turn of events.
“Don’t forget tranquilizers and guns,” Jax added. Mark nodded agreement.
“Yes. Though I don’t understand what they gain in killing one of their ally-soldiers and leaving him here,” Kyrian contemplated.
Tierney frowned. “A warning maybe?”
“Maybe.” But he didn’t seem convinced.
“Well, we ran into this girl yesterday.” Tierney glanced at Jax, wondering how to describe Genna, but Jax just shrugged. His eyes lingered on her a second and made her blood heat.
“She’s not human.” Tierney thought about how Genna resembled Jax.
“More like a mouthy she-devil,” Jax remarked and then grimaced.
“Genna said someone called the Master wouldn’t be happy that we freed everyone,” she said, wondering who the hell this Master, was.
“Yes, I am aware of the Master.” Kyrian’s eyes narrowed and something told Tierney if he ever met the Master, things would not end well. Then he changed the subject. “Would one of you be able to take Soroyan back to the city, to the club you visited yesterday?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” Tierney said, when Sami interrupted her.
“I’ll take him.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind,” she said.
Sami shook his head. “No, I’ll take him. I need to pick up some more surveillance cameras.” At her frown, he waved around them. “I didn’t catch this. We have too many blind spots.” He turned and headed back toward the house.
They watched him for a moment, then Tierney turned to Jax. “I’d take him.”
Jax shrugged. “I think he needs to get out, take his mind off things.” Jax watched Sami walk away. “Anyway, I guess we need to bury the body.”
“My wolves will deal with him,” Kyrian said.
Tierney thanked him, then she and Jax started back to the house with Thaniel trailing behind them. Tierney slowed and waited for him to pull up beside her. “Thaniel, are you okay?”
“Daven, he—” Thaniel glanced at her, started to say something and lowered his eyes in shame, his hair falling into his face again.
“Thaniel.” His pain settled on her like an immense weight. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. We understand,” she whispered. From his reaction, she figured Daven had been one of the guys that had hurt him.
“Am I bad if I’m happy he’s gone?” Thaniel peered at them nervously, as if afraid they’d stop liking him.
“Hell no,” Jax stated, but Thaniel’s question broke Tierney’s heart.
“No, I think anyone would feel that way about someone who did what they did to you.” Once again, she ached to hug him.
Thaniel stared at them a second longer before lowering his head again. “I think I’ll stay outside for a bit.”
“Well, we’re here for you, okay?” Her heart ached as she watched him wander over to the picnic table and sit down.
“C’mon.” Jax slung an arm around her shoulders and led her inside, and although she knew Kyrian’s wolves stood guard around the property, she still hated leaving Thaniel alone. Her protective instincts seemed to have kicked into high gear, as if she’d claimed him as one of her own. Now the demand that she protect him was overwhelming. Holy ancestors, now I’m thinking like the wolves with a pack. Still, she couldn’t stop worrying about Sami and now Thaniel, and she hated that they were hurting.
When he came down stairs a little later, Sami looked agitated and she nodded at where they sat. “Come, sit with us. We need to talk.” As much as she wanted to soothe him, she realized that nothing she said would help. “Sami, did you get any sleep at all?” she asked when he sat down on the couch beside Jax and across from her.
Sami just shrugged.
“I don’t mind driving Soroyan to the club,” she offered again, but he shook his head.
“No,” he said without looking at her.
“All right.”
“Where’s Thaniel?” he finally asked with a frown, as he glanced toward the kitchen.
“He needed some time alone. I think Daven was one of his torturers,” Tierney said, and Sami pursed his lips.
“That’s some shit—one of the assholes who hurt him, ending up dead behind our barn,” Jax said and they nodded. “So, I’m sure Mark will be gone once he’s regained his strength, but what are we doing about Thaniel?” Jax looked at the both of them.
Sami shrugged. “I like him. Too bad we didn’t find his friend.”
Jax nodded.
“Thaniel needs us. He’s been through a lot. He’s scared and uncertain and I—” Tierney blushed. “I find myself wanting to protect him,” she said, embarrassed. Gah, what’s with all this blushing?
“I feel the same.” Jax gave her a tiny smile, making her heart patter in her chest.
“Yeah—” Sami tensed up and then fists clenched before his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Oh shit, Sami!” Tierney jumped to her feet and hurried to his side.
“No, don’t touch him,” Jax warned. “I think he’s having a vision.”
Settling in on either side of Sami, they waited, and after a couple of painfully long seconds, they relaxed when his eyes went back to normal.
“Sami?” Tierney rubbed his back worriedly.
“They’re coming for Thaniel and Mark.” he said, shaking.
“What? Who’s coming?” she and Jax asked simultaneously.
Sami sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Arlow and his pack, they’re coming for them.”
“The Pack? Thaniel’s not even a wolf.” Tierney didn’t understand why they’d even bother.
“They want Mark, and believe that Thaniel’s theirs.” Anger flashed in Sami’s eyes.
“No!” she snapped. They couldn’t have him, she wouldn’t let them take him back.
“When?” Jax growled.
“Not sure. Days, weeks. I’m sorry, I don’t know.” Sami dragged a hand through his hair.
“Is the Pack aware that they’re here?” Jax asked.
Sami shook his head. “Not yet, but they’re looking.”
“They can’t take them,” Tierney said adamantly, looking at the both of them.
“No, they can’t,” Jax agreed, his anger joining hers and Sami’s on a slow simmer.
“Mark should challenge Arlow—take over,” Jax growled. Tierney nodded but Sami shook his head.
“You’re forgetting, Arlow didn’t become Alpha by challenging Justin, as he should have, but rather by having the Ilyium kill him, which would happen to Mark as well.”
“Hades,” Tierney sighed, frustrated.
“Well, Arlow shouldn’t be running the pack,” Jax stated, and though they all agreed, there wasn’t much they could do about it.
“So, back to Thaniel—he stays, if he wants to, right?” she asked, hopeful. Jax and Sami both nodded and after a moment, Tierney got up and began to pace. She had just sat back down across from both men, when Thaniel walked in.
Tierney gave him a tiny smile and patted the couch beside her. “Thaniel, come, sit with us for a minute, please.”
“Is everything o-okay?” He sat gingerly on the edge of the couch, his eyes big with worry.
“We want to talk to you. Are you okay?” she asked and he nodded, his long silky hair covering most of his face. Tierney felt a strong desire to run her fingers through his hair and pet him, but forced herself to keep her hands to herself. “We don’t want to worry you but, Sami just had a vision.” Thaniel’s blank stare made her chuckle. “Yup, we’re full of surprises. Anyway, it seems Arlow and his buddies are looking for you and Mark.”
She wanted to kick herself for blurting it out when panic flared in his eyes and, without thinking, she reached out and rubbed his arm. The burn scars under her fingers saddened her, but she didn’t say anything about them.
At first, Thaniel started to pull away, but then he relaxed and let her tou
ch him. “You’re okay. We won’t let them take you,” she said, trying to reassure him, but Thaniel turned fear-filled eyes on her, and the pulse in his throat raced. “Shit. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare or upset you.” She drew on her power and sent some soothing compulsion at him and while he continued to stare at her, she could feel him calming ever so slowly.
“We want you to stay here, live here. With us,” Jax said.
Tierney glanced at him gratefully, loving him even more.
Surprised, Thaniel blinked at Jax. “For how long?”
“As long as you want,” they all said at the same time.
Thaniel’s fists clenched in his lap as he eyed each of them, before lowering his gaze. His intense yearning to belong, combined with all his doubts and apprehension, swamped her and tears filled her eyes. Tierney strengthened her shields against the onslaught of his emotions to keep from completely breaking down.
“This will be your home. You can come and go as you please, and if you decide you don’t want to stay here, we’ll help you get set up wherever you want to go—with no strings attached,” she said and slowly, he turned and peered through his silky hair at her.
“Why?” he asked, breaking her heart with his question.
Tierney studied the beautiful, sweet young man beside her sadly. She hated how his mother and the man he thought of as a father had turned on him, and the only friends he’d ever made had left him. It didn’t matter that they didn’t leave by choice. She wanted him to know that the three of them here wouldn’t leave him, but words didn’t mean anything. Only time would prove it to him.
But if he ran because he was scared to trust, Tierney knew he’d leave a deep void inside her. Somehow, she’d created a bond or connection to him without even trying, and seeing him upset, scared or sad, made her hurt deep inside. “Thaniel, our life, though very different from yours, hasn’t always been easy either. We’ve lost people, our home.”
Thaniel glanced around the great room, and Tierney gave him a sad smile. “We didn’t always live here. Anyway, we understand a little of what you’re going through. We want you here, with us, as part of our family, because, well, this is who we are.” Then she added, “But either way, we aren’t letting the Pack take you, no matter what we need to do.” Thaniel swallowed. “Will you think about our offer?” she asked.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 24
