by Lacey Thorn
Terror had filled her when they’d realized she was awake. The monster had been in his eyes that day. He hadn’t hidden behind a façade. He’d described in detail what he and his companions were going to do. Then they’d paraded through the male shifters they’d caught and drugged, letting her see what awaited her.
She was only part of their game, though. First, they made the males fight each other for the prize. She’d never forget the screams as two of them had turned on the third and ripped him apart. They’d been covered in blood when they’d turned to her. When they’d…
She choked back another growl as she jerked open the car door. Her animal had been drugged that day, forced to sleep inside her. There were certain things from that day she’d always remember, no matter how much she tried to nail shut the box inside her mind. The feel of the dirt under her back. The burn of the sun against her skin as morning turned to afternoon. The jeers and comments from the hunters as they’d watched. And the eyes of the two shifters who’d been forced to play a role in the sick torture that day. The sorrow and pain as they’d fought and lost against the drugs they’d been given.
I’m sorry.
Those two words had her breaking out in a cold sweat. Nausea brought bile to her throat as she fought to breathe. She hadn’t been the only victim that day, though it had taken her over a year to accept that. The three shifters who’d been captured with her, who’d been drugged and forced to commit acts they hadn’t wanted to, they’d been victims, too. And they’d all died.
She jerked as she recalled the crack of the gunshots. Their hell had ended then. She’d still had more to endure.
I’m sorry.
Daniel’s words. The first he’d spoken to her. She’d known who he was the moment she’d caught his scent. She’d wanted to run, wanted to howl at the cruel hand of fate that brought him to her when she’d just started to feel normal again. Normal around other people. Those who wouldn’t expect certain things from her. Who wouldn’t need anything from her. But Daniel hadn’t realized the ghosts that haunted her. There’d been happiness on his face when he’d looked at her, as if she were everything he’d been waiting for. That look had wrapped around her heart, and she’d barely contained the sob that had wanted to break free.
He’d reached for her, and instinct had her jerking away. She wasn’t one for casual embraces. She touched very few. Gideon, the man who’d put her back together after Thomas had taken her in then told Gideon to take care of her. Vic, Gideon’s mate, who Ariel liked to pretend was an older sister. Finn and Murphy Dockery, who’d taken to her as if she were family. And Griffin who’d also been taken in by Thomas then passed off to Gideon. They were her family within the pride.
Daniel hadn’t taken insult at her reaction to him. Not then. He’d reached out again, cupping her face and rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. She’d felt it then. A jolt at his touch. One that had her tiger stretching beneath her skin, ready to claim their mate. For the first time, she’d felt something inside her. A need that went beyond survival. One that knocked at her heart and soul, demanding entrance. She’d been on the cusp of believing she could have a life, could be a mate, take a mate. When he’d spoken two words that had slammed everything closed inside her.
I’m sorry.
And she couldn’t run far enough from him. He’d eventually left Riverton. Left his home and pride and gone on the road to chase down leads. He had been the sheriff in the small town and had walked away…because of her.
Part of her wanted to blame him. He’d left. He’d gone away and made it impossible for them to connect. But the truth was, she’d run first. Mentally. Emotionally. Setting up steep walls that couldn’t be scaled or knocked down.
And the night terrors she’d fought so hard to overcome had returned. She’d tried to hide her sleeplessness, but they’d all seen it. She’d lost weight. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes. Her cheeks had hollowed out. And she’d begun avoiding people again, clinging to either Gideon or Vic when they were around. They’d been gone when Ariel had left. Murphy and Daniel had been gone, too. Griffin had been out with Dr. Jensen, overseeing house calls for some of the shifters who lived close by and needed the doctor’s help. Finn had been preoccupied with his mate’s pregnancy. It had been so easy to slip away. Easy enough that she questioned if she ever truly belonged there.
Her phone rang again, pulling her back to where she sat. She shook her head to clear her scattered thoughts and the last remnants of sleep then reached over and did what she should have down from the beginning. She turned it off then tossed it in her backpack.
She couldn’t go back. Not yet. Maybe never. At the very least, she owed Daniel the sanctity of his home. His family. His pride. Riverton had been his home long before she’d arrived on the ranch and ripped apart his world. He needed his family, his pride. And Ariel. Well, she was used to being alone.
Chapter Two
Daniel put all his focus into one finger. Just one finger. Surely, he could make it move. But no matter how hard he tried, he remained locked inside himself, unable to reach those who were constantly in and out of the room where they’d put him. His mate wasn’t one of his visitors. He’d be a liar if he said that didn’t rip him apart. It did. How could she ignore him when he needed her most?
The door opened, and he recognized his brother in the footsteps. Gabriel had been by his side almost every moment of the day. When he wasn’t, Laura, the woman he and Gabriel had basically adopted as a little sister, was. Gabriel had pleaded with Daniel to open his eyes. At first, he’d ordered Daniel, which was just like Gabriel. Then he’d pleaded. He’d told Daniel to stop running and wake the hell up. Daniel wished like hell he could. Laura cried. She held his hand and promised him they’d figure out how to get through to his mate. But if his current condition didn’t bring his mate to him, he wasn’t sure what would. His death maybe? Would she love him then? Or would she see his death as a punishment for not being enough for him?
He hated that. Hated the way she judged herself as unworthy of him, of love, of what they could and should share. God, he’d wished a thousand times to go back to their first meeting. To cup her face and say anything other than the two words he’d murmured. Two words that had destroyed any chance at happiness he’d had. Two words he’d never utter again in his life.
I’m sorry.
Yeah, he was fucking sorry. Sorry he’d ever let those two words pass his lips. But it was too late. There was no time machine to take him back, no wishing for a do-over. No removing the horror on his mate’s face as he gave her the words she’d heard repeated over and over again during one of the most traumatic times of her life. And Daniel couldn’t spill enough of their enemies’ blood to make amends to her. Instead, his need to set things right had him running into one dangerous situation after another, dragging Murphy Dockery with him.
He hadn’t heard Murphy’s voice since he’d woken up in Riverton. Murphy was one hell of a man, and over the months they’d spent traveling together, he’d become one of Daniel’s closest friends. Murphy had Daniel’s back. Even when Daniel rushed into things blindly. Murphy protected him. Christ, Daniel would never recover if anything had happened to Murphy because of him.
“The others arrived today,” Gabriel said, reaching out and gripping Daniel’s hand with his and giving it a squeeze.
Last time, it had been Daniel who’d called Gabriel and said those words. When Tah Pearce and his group of shifters had arrived in Riverton, Oklahoma and made it home. Tah was a lion shifter, like Daniel. But Tah was the alpha. A shifter had only to be in Tah’s presence to see it, to feel it. He also had exactly what Daniel craved. Family. Not just Tah’s wife, Abby, or their daughter, Regan. He had a pride of shifters and humans with him and considered all of them family.
There was his second in command, Reno, who’d crazily enough married the daughter of Marcus Blane. Blane was the head of the largest and best trained group of hunters, a group whose sole purpose was to exterminate shif
ters as a whole. Old, young. Male, female. It didn’t matter to hunters. They killed with no remorse, believing they were doing the world a favor with every shifter they slayed. Reno’s mate, Amia, might have been Marcus’ daughter, but she hadn’t shared his beliefs. Instead, she’d sacrificed herself countless times to save as many captured shifters as she could. She was a woman Daniel respected. One he’d willingly go to battle for.
He had. He and Murphy both. Another of Tah’s pride, Zane, had called and let them know they were needed in Illinois. Daniel and Murphy had wrapped up where they were and headed out. Shit was already hitting the fan by the time they’d arrived. The woods had been swarming with Blane and his men. Daniel had little doubt the other man had been there to get his hands on Amia. Hell, he’d thought they’d captured Reno when he’d seen the white tiger they’d bagged. Nope. Apparently, the whole reason Reno and his mate had been in Illinois was because Reno had a sister. Daniel hadn’t known any of that then. He’d learned about it since he’d been back in Riverton, stuck in his own body, incapable of doing anything but listening.
“Reno’s sister and her mate arrived today. You’ll like them. Aleksy’s a black liger. Funny, huh?” Gabriel offered with a laugh. Possibly because Gabriel was the only liger they’d known of. A black liger? That would be fantastic to see. “Get this. It seems Reno’s sister, Lyra, was mostly deaf before mating.”
Daniel was mentally nodding though his body never moved. He’d give anything to be able to tell his brother what the hunters had done. Or at least, what one in particular had done before Daniel had been shot. Perhaps, there were words he wished he could take back, too. Today is a great day to die. What had possessed Daniel to say that? He wasn’t sure. But he had. He’d turned to shift and…that was the last thing he remembered. Since waking, he’d learned he’d been shot multiple times. That his lion wasn’t healing him. No shit there. Daniel hadn’t felt his animal since he’d woken up locked within himself.
“How’s he doing today?”
Daniel swore he felt the energy in the room change as Professor Mueller stepped through the doorway. Daniel had no idea where the older man got it from, but he seemed to never stop. Always researching, studying, seeking answers. The only thing that pulled him away from his work was Abby and Regan. Or any of the babies who’d been born into the pride. The professor, as he was called by most of the pride, was an honorary grandfather to all of them.
“The same,” Gabriel answered with a growl. “Have you found anything to explain why he’s not waking up? Why his lion isn’t fighting to heal him?”
“It’s what I haven’t found that most concerns me,” the professor replied.
“What is that?” Gabriel demanded.
“I’ll go over it when the others join us.”
“You can tell me now,” Daniel’s brother challenged. “I’m his family.”
“We’re all family.”
That was Tah’s voice. Daniel would bet the alpha had his wife with him, as well as Reno and Logan. The three men had been friends for a long time and spent most of their time together, usually with their mates. He wasn’t sure who else would be joining them. Maybe Gideon. The jaguar shifter knew his way around a lab and tests. And perhaps, Diane, the trusted doctor of the pride.
“I don’t think you really need me for this.”
That was a new voice. Daniel had heard many names over the last few days, though. Now, he just needed someone to match a name to the voice for him. Damn, he wished he could open his fucking eyes and see, let them know he was awake even though his body wasn’t showing any signs of it.
“Tony, I’m glad you could join us,” Tah said, and now, Daniel had a name. According to what Laura had said during one of her visits, Tony Sandoval was a multi-millionaire who also happened to be a watcher and claimed Aleksy Costas as his brother. Since Reno’s sister, Lyra, and her mate, Aleksy, were in Oklahoma, Tony was, too. Laura had mentioned he’d scooped up all the land around them and had a crew flying in to begin work on a home. Daniel wondered what Tah and the pride thought about that.
“Will Aleksy be joining us?” The professor popped the question, sounding far too eager to Daniel.
“No,” Tony stated. “And before you ask, no, you won’t be getting any blood from him. His choice, not mine. Though I agree with him. I oversee Aleksy’s care as well as his mate’s now. That’s not negotiable. I’d really stop pestering him, Professor. Trust me when I say, he’s not a shifter you want to piss off.”
“He’s a primal. I could use his blood for analysis. It might hold answers to questions we haven’t even thought of,” Professor Mueller groused.
“I’ve thought of them. Trust me.” Tony’s tone was short and clipped, as if he were tired of the conversation. Daniel felt sorry for him. The professor could be tenacious when he wanted something. He wouldn’t give up easily.
“Well, fortunately, I’m willing to share what I know,” the professor continued. “Now, that we’re all here, I’ll let Gideon tell you.”
“Daniel’s animal genetics are receding,” Gideon stated, and Daniel yelled a challenge that no one heard.
“What does that mean? How are they receding? Why? I thought you didn’t find any drugs from the bullets in his system?” Gabriel sounded furious, and Daniel wondered if anyone else realized how scared his brother was. Christ, he hated that Gabriel was worrying about him.
“We’ve run every test we can think of, multiple times. Nothing is showing up. What we are seeing is a rapid decrease in the animal DNA. Right now, his blood would make you think he’s a shifter with a recessed animal. One that had never emerged. The changes are rapid. His blood is constantly changing. Our fear is how far the recession will go.”
“What are you saying?” Laura’s voice trembled as she voiced the question Daniel screamed in his head. “Are you saying hunters have found a way to destroy the animal side of our genetics? That Daniel could lose his lion and become human?”
“I don’t know,” Gideon admitted, but even Daniel heard the fear in the other man’s voice. “We’re going to watch him closely. Blood will be drawn three times a day as long as it continues to change.”
“Why isn’t he waking up?” Laura asked.
“His body is healing much as a human’s would right now.” Surprisingly, Tony was the one who answered. “Without the animal side kicking in to expediate healing… Well, the human body can be fragile, and Daniel took multiple gunshots. We’re damn lucky we didn’t lose him in transit. Hell, we’re lucky he didn’t die in the woods where we found him. Look, even with Aleksy and his primal genetics, when he takes multiple hits like that, he can be out for hours while his body heals. Daniel, with this regression, we could be talking weeks. Maybe longer.”
“Give him my blood,” Gabriel ordered.
“I’ll give him some of mine, too,” Laura offered.
“No,” her mate, Finn, countered immediately. “Not while you’re pregnant. If needed, I’ll give Daniel some of mine.”
“You’re not seriously considering giving him a transfusion right now, are you?” Tony challenged, sounding baffled.
“No,” Gideon said. “It’s too soon to make any decisions like that. We don’t know what’s causing the change, and until we know more, we can’t make any rash choices that have the potential to make things worse. The important thing right now is that Daniel is starting to heal. Yes, it’s slow. Yes, he’s slipped into a coma. But he’s here, and for now, that has to be enough.”
“In the meantime, come in and see him,” the professor continued. “My faith tells me Daniel can hear us. He’s in there, and we need to make sure he knows how much we need him. So visit, talk, keep it happy. No stress. Let him know how much we love him. He’ll come back to us.”
“Your faith in God tells you this?” Tony questioned, sarcasm ripe in his tone.
“My faith in this pride,” the professor countered softly. “We’re family here. All of us. We won’t be losing Daniel on my watch. I’m head
ing to the lab. Gideon, bring a new vial of blood with you when you join me. I’ll see the rest of you later.”
Silence fell as the professor made his exit. They were worried about Professor Mueller. He worked long hours, putting in more time in the labs than should be physically possible. The whole pride watched him closely, making sure he ate and got out of the labs. They couldn’t force him to sleep, and Daniel knew Tah and Abby were worried about him. Abby had mentioned more than once that she was going to put in a call to the professor’s daughter, who was also Abby’s best friend. Jess also happened to be mated to the four alpha wolves. Daniel figure she must be a hell of a woman to be mated to four alphas.
Hell, he couldn’t even get his one mate to give him a chance, to give them a chance. Christ, he’d give anything to hold her in his arms and feel her breathe. To have the beat of her heart against his. He wanted to chase away all her demons. Better yet, slay them so they could never haunt her sleep again. He wanted…everything. With her. Only her. He wanted to love her. However, she’d allow him to.
“Let’s head out for now. We’ll take shifts, so Daniel always has someone with him,” Tah stated.
“I’m not leaving,” Gabriel replied.
Silence again, and Daniel easily pictured Tah staring at him as if peering inside Gabriel. Tah had a way of knowing what someone was thinking or feeling without them ever completely voicing it. Daniel felt the emptiness as those who’d been gathered in his room left. He wasn’t sure who remained until they spoke. That was when it hit him. He could no longer scent the others. None of them.
“We’re not going to lose Daniel, Gabriel,” Tah vowed softly.
“I left him here. Every time I went off to save another shifter, I left him here, dealing with our asshole father on his own.”
“Gabriel,” Laura interrupted, but Gabriel cut her off.
“I did. None of us know what hell my father probably put him through. Daniel isn’t one to say anything. He puts it behind him and moves on. He’s… Christ, he’s the best of our family. He’s the son our mother hoped he’d be. I can’t lose him. I…can’t.”
