Control (Blood & Bone Enforcers MC Book 1)

by Grace Brennan

  Noah’s our friend, but he needs to hurt for that offense, his lion spat, urging him on.

  But before he could get far, a hand wrapped around his elbow and yanked him back. “This needs to happen. I understand that it goes against your instincts, but I won’t have you stopping it. If you can’t handle it, get your ass inside.”

  Blake’s words were hard and demanding, and it was obvious he meant them—and clear that he’d force Luke inside if he didn’t go willingly. But there was a thread of compassion woven through his tone, and it was enough to make Luke lock his knees so he’d stop moving.

  He squeezed his eyes shut. His animal was demanding he watch, but he thought it might be better for his sanity if he didn’t. The Enforcers gathered around wouldn’t let anything happen to Tarun. And Noah wouldn’t hurt her. He knew that. So, while he couldn’t make himself leave, maybe he should stop torturing himself.

  “I’ll behave. I just fucking hate this. I hate that she’s fighting Noah, I hate that she feels like she has to know how to fight a lion, and most of all, I hate that it’s my fault.”

  “Don’t be a dumbass. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for any of it, and this is all because of the actions of another. Not you. Open your eyes, Luke.”

  “Nope. If I can’t see it, it’s easier to resist stepping in.”

  “Luke. Open your fucking eyes. See what I see.”

  Exhaling heavily, he reluctantly opened his eyes, body freezing at the scene playing out in front of him. Noah, one of the best fighters he knew, was going at Tarun full force. But she wasn’t giving him an inch. He watched, amazed, as she dodged every swipe and darted out of the way of every pounce, all the while getting in hits of her own. And then, she jumped out of the way as Noah charged, throwing him off balance, and a moment later, she had him pinned with her powerful jaws locked around his neck.

  “Holy shit,” he breathed.

  With a growly huff, she let Noah up, nodding at him to go at her again. And Luke was mesmerized as the fear for her safety slowly eased out of him. She was magnificent. Her tiger was large—not quite as big as Noah’s lion, but still a substantial size. Her black striped orange fur gleamed in the sunlight, her long, razor-sharp claws digging into the dirt with each step. And even from the distance between him and her, he could still see her bright green eyes clearly.

  She was gorgeous—and, as he watched her come out on top of every clash with Noah, he couldn’t deny that she was fierce, as well.

  Damara walked over, nodding toward Tarun. “Your mate is a badass. Even without training, I think she could have done just fine. I know you’re gonna worry no matter what, but I really don’t think you need to.”

  Cocking his head, he studied Tarun’s every move while she fought. Maybe Damara was right. Tarun could clearly handle herself.

  Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep trying to protect her, though, especially once the pride showed up.

  Another half an hour went by before Noah shifted back to human form, panting as he stood. Glancing at Tarun with admiration, he then turned and sought out Luke. “She did amazing. You saw, right? At the end, I wasn’t holding back at all, but she never let me find a weakness. She countered every move I made and bested me. Me.”

  A smile formed on Luke’s lips at Noah’s incredulous tone as he grabbed Tarun’s clothes and walked over to her. She was still in animal form, sitting on her haunches and staring at him with what he swore was a grin. Stopping next to her, he wrapped an arm around her, loving the way she felt as she leaned her body into his.

  “You’re really something else, you know that? I need to learn to stop underestimating you. That was… I’m not sure I can even find the words.”

  Turning her head, she licked his arm, her scratchy tongue rasping against his skin. Backing away, she hunched over, quickly shifting back to her human form. He held out her clothes and she took them, rushing to pull them on.

  For most shifters, nudity was a way of life and not a big deal. But she’d been raised with the War Cats, and they’d suppressed their women—until Kian became Alpha and changed the rules. She wasn’t used to shifting around men, and he knew she wasn’t that comfortable with her nudity yet.

  Part of him wanted her to get used to it, because he hated her feeling uncomfortable for any reason. But a bigger part of him was totally okay with her rushing to get dressed after a shift. He didn’t mind at all that other men didn’t get to see her naked.

  If it were up to him, he’d keep it that way for the rest of their lives.

  Once she was clothed, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He meant it to be short and sweet, but it quickly turned into more as his blood heated, his lion purring deep in his chest. Her tiger answered the call as she pressed her body into his, arching her back and moaning into his mouth.

  “Get a fucking room,” Liam muttered with disgust, his accent thick, as he walked by them.

  Tarun giggled as she pulled away, lips swollen and hazel eyes shiny with happiness as she stared up at Luke. “Is he always so grumpy?”

  Laughing, he shook his head. “He’s quiet, for the most part, but I wouldn’t say he’s grumpy. He just feels most at home in the kitchen or when we’re on missions, and he gets annoyed more easily when he’s not doing either.”

  They began slowly walking back to the clubhouse, fingers entwined. “Where did you guys get the name Blood and Bone from? I did a little research and saw that there are a few other Enforcer groups, but everyone has different, unique names.”

  “Blake was an Enforcer with another group for his training, and when he was given the go ahead to start his own crew, he came to us. We’ve always been close—more like siblings than friends, so we all joined his crew without hesitation. We tossed around a few names before we came up with that one. Actually, it was Damara who thought of it. She said we were so close, it was like we shared the same blood, the same bones. And from that, we came up with Blood and Bone. It illustrates what we are to each other, but also, it sounds kind of badass. And that’s what we wanted people to think of us as. A group of Enforcers they wouldn’t want to cross. And we’ve maintained that reputation, because generally, if someone messes with us, that’s all that’s left of them. A little bones, a lot of blood.”

  Tarun laughed as he held the door open for her. “That’s not boastful or anything.”

  He shrugged as he followed her inside. “It’s not, not really. It’s just the truth.” Pausing, he turned toward her as he searched her eyes. “And if you decide to join us, I think you’ll fit right in with our motto.”

  Her eyes lit up and she went up on tiptoe to kiss him again. He pushed her up against the wall, sliding his tongue into her mouth, intent on devouring her.

  He was just getting started when a throat cleared impatiently from the other end of the hallway. “All right, you two. Put a hold on that and join us in the bar. We have shit to set in place.”

  Luke smiled against Tarun’s mouth, nipping her bottom lip, before turning to nod at Blake. The last thing he wanted to do was stop, but they’d have plenty of time for kissing later.

  Hopefully, fingers crossed, another sixty or seventy years worth of time.

  The loud rumble of a truck pulling into the parking lot, gravel crunching under big tires, hit Tarun’s ears and she smiled. She knew the sound of that truck.

  Jumping off of the stool where she’d been sitting as she talked to Damara, she rushed to the door, throwing it open and walking onto the porch as she watched Jameson climb out of his jacked up red Chevy. Vynn and Karis also climbed out, and she threw a wave in their direction as she rushed to her brother’s side.

  He swept her up in a hug when she reached him, and she held him tightly, something inside her easing at his touch. She and Jameson had always been close. Their parents had been worthless, and they’d clung to each other growing up. He was basically her best friend, and she hadn’t gone a day in her life without seeing him until she left to warn the Enforcers.

>   There was a tiny part of her that was saddened that her mate wasn’t a War Cat. She loved the Enforcers, and she absolutely loved Luke, but they were based in Nevada. It would make seeing her brother a much rarer occurrence.

  Still—if the choice was staying in Durga or being with Luke, her mate won every time.

  Jameson pulled away, ruffling her hair. “It’s good to see you, brat. I’ve missed you.”

  “Jerk,” she muttered affectionately, pulling away from the hand that was still messing up her hair.

  “Don’t tell me you turned into one of those women who obsess over their appearance now that you got a man.”

  She turned around at Karis’s teasing, hugging him tightly. Pulling back, she glanced at Vynn, unsure. He’d changed a lot since finding his mate, but she didn’t know if it was enough to make him a hugger.

  But he surprised her as he wrapped his arms around her briefly. “It’s good to see you, Tarun.”

  Her eyes began misting over and she blinked rapidly. It wasn’t just because Vynn hugged her, although that was some of it. She just hadn’t realized how much she missed the War Cats until some of them showed up.

  She heard the door open behind her just as she saw Jameson stiffen. Her eyebrows rose before furrowing, glancing between him and Luke, who was walking out to meet them. Her brother had always been laidback, more so than anyone else in the tribe. And he’d always liked Luke. It couldn’t just be because she found her mate, could it?

  “Jameson, Karis, Vynn. It’s good to see y’all. Thanks for coming.”

  Jameson nodded stiffly, not replying, and her frown deepened as Luke begun talking to the others. Grabbing her brother’s hand, she dragged him away, stopping once they were standing by the tailgate.

  “What the hell is your problem?” she hissed, glaring at him. “You like Luke.”

  “Not anymore.”

  She didn’t say a word, just continued to glare, and he exhaled as he ran a hand through his hair.

  “You’re in danger because of him, kid. Did you really think I’d be okay with that?”

  “That’s bullshit, Jamie.”

  His eyes narrowed. “And just listen to you. You never used to curse.”

  “Yeah, because that must be his fault too, right?” she asked sarcastically. “Did it ever occur to you that I can be me here more than I ever could in Durga? And he’s not putting me in danger. This isn’t his fault, and besides, he’s told me to leave multiple times. I refused every time.”

  He blew out a breath, rolling his eyes up to the sky. “That, I can believe. You’re one of the most stubborn people I know.”

  “Don’t hold the fact that I refuse to leave against him. And please understand that this isn’t his fault. He didn’t ask for this.”

  “I get it, Tarun. I do. I’ve been blaming him because I needed someone to blame for this situation, and I guess I got used to it.”

  “Blame the asshole doing this. Not Luke.” She studied him for a moment, relieved that he didn’t look pissed off anymore. “So you’re not mad at him anymore, right? You’re gonna be civil?”

  Her eyes narrowed as he hesitated. She was just opening her mouth to let him have it when he finally spoke. “Maybe it’s not his fault. You’re right about that. And before you bring it up, I know he cares about you. You’re his mate—he’s hardwired to care about you. And you’re right about me liking him, too. I know he’ll take good care of you.”

  Cocking her head, she searched his eyes, confused. “Then what’s your problem?”

  “He’s the reason you won’t be coming home.”

  “He won’t keep me from visiting, Jamie. You know him better than that.”

  “I know you’ll visit. But you won’t live there again. He’s basically taking you away from me, kid. I don’t like that, at all.”

  Her heart warmed as she stared at him. Lord, she’d won the freakin’ jackpot when it came to brothers. “It’s not like you won’t be busy. You’re the head trainer, and you have Cady and your cub. You’ll barely even notice I’m gone.”

  “You know that’s not true.”

  “Think of it this way. Would you rather have me mate a War Cat?”

  He shuddered. “Hell, no. None of them are good enough for you. I would have rather you stay at home, single forever.”

  Pursing her lips, she cut him a look. “Would you really?”

  “Fuck. No, you know I wouldn’t. You, more than anyone, deserve to be happy. I just hate that you have to be happy hundreds of miles away.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “Look, you know I’m happy for you, right? Just let me enjoy being a dickhead for once. I rarely get to be one, and it’s a nice change of pace.”

  Chuckling, she bumped her shoulder against his, glancing over as the other Enforcers trickled outside. “Fine. But only with me. You be nice to Luke, got it?”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  Rolling her eyes, she led the way back to the front of the truck, meeting Luke’s smiling eyes. She knew he heard her conversation with Jameson, but he didn’t act like it, reaching out his hand to her brother. She held her breath, letting it out with a whoosh as Jameson didn’t hesitate, grasping it and giving it a quick shake.

  Luke wrapped his arm around her waist as they all stood outside, talking and laughing. Her heart felt impossibly full—everything was as close to perfect as it could get in that moment.

  If only there weren’t a madman out to kill her mate. It was the one thing marring her happiness, and obviously in a big way. She couldn’t relax, and she noticed that everyone was on high alert, their eyes constantly roaming their surroundings, searching for a threat.

  Everyone was as ready as they could be to take it on. They just didn’t know when it would come—only that it would.

  Luke laughed at something Noah said, the arm he had wrapped around Tarun’s waist tightening just a bit. They’d eaten dinner a little bit ago, and everyone was in the bar, talking as night slowly fell.

  Tarun was sitting in his lap, and he looked over just as Jameson glanced their way, the sour expression on his face making Luke chuckle internally. They’d come to an understanding over the course of the day, but Jameson was clearly still trying to reconcile himself to his little sister finding her mate.

  Luke wasn’t upset about her brother’s reaction—on the contrary, he was happy she had someone in her life who loved her so much. He liked to think he’d be the exact same way with Lara if she were still alive. He was pretty sure he would be. They hadn’t had many years together, but he’d loved his sister with everything in him.

  Glancing around the room, he took in his friends and family. The only one who wasn’t in the room was Dmitri. The griffins had amazing sight, during the day as well as at night. Probably because of the eagle in their blood. He was outside at the moment, sitting on the roof, searching for anyone coming near the clubhouse.

  It was a good thing they weren’t very close to town and were situated off of a little used highway. A man sitting on the roof of a bar would probably be a cause for concern with the humans.

  God, he wished the whole fucked up situation was over. It felt so different than the missions they went on. They were the hunters then. They were the ones willingly going into danger. The ones who were in control.

  It was a thousand times different than being hunted by someone else, threatened by someone else. Not knowing when they were going to strike or how much damage they’d inflict.

  Tarun turned to face him just enough to kiss him and he was more than happy to oblige. Kissing her was always amazing, but in that moment, it had the added benefit of getting his mind off the situation.

  His phone vibrated on the table beside them and she pulled back with a wink, turning to answer a question Liam asked. Luke picked up the phone, frowning as he saw it was a number he didn’t recognize.

  “This is Luke Carlisle.”

  “We have you surrounded, you know.”

  The voice was easy, even almost friendly, but it made
his blood ice over in his veins. “Who is this?”

  “Oh, don’t play those ridiculous games. You know who it is. I’ve learned a lot about you in the last few months, Carlisle, and stupidity wasn’t mentioned in any of those reports.”

  His hand tightened on Tarun’s waist, but she didn’t react in any way. She was barely even breathing, and he knew she was listening. He hoped she didn’t let on to anyone else what was going on. If everyone got quiet, it would clue Jerry in, and he wanted to try to keep that element of surprise.

  “Why are you doing this, Jerry? I don’t want the pride. I never have.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Jerry laughed, the bitterness in the sound coming to him clearly, even over the phone. “But even if I did, I’d still kill you. See, as long as you’re alive, the pride holds out hope that you’ll return. For sixteen years, I’ve led them, yet many still refuse to pledge their allegiance to me. They won’t accept me as the alpha. Not while you still live. So, just like the rest of your family, you have to die.”

  “So you’re trying to kill me because not everyone wants to follow you?” He stiffened, the rest of Jerry’s words sinking in. “What do you mean, the rest of my family? My dad lost his footing on a cliff and fell. It was an accident.”

  “It’s almost cute that you still believe that, even knowing what I did to your mom and sister. Mike didn’t fall. I came up behind him and broke his neck, then threw him over the cliff to make it look like an accident. I had no intention of killing the rest of you. I tried to woo Tia, but she was lost to her grief over Mike and I couldn’t make any progress. If she’d accepted me, I could have had the pride through her. Since she didn’t, I had to take her and you brats out. You got away, and I wasn’t happy about that, to say the least, but I would have let you go, if the pride had accepted me. But some still resist, so this is where we are.”

  “You’re fucking insane, and you’re dead when I see you,” he bit out, barely able to speak through his fury.