by Jen L. Grey
"But why?" None of this made any sense to me.
"Because the Council wanted to give the illusion that they tried even though they didn't." Liam took my hand in his. "This proves that they hired them."
The gravity of what he said took a second to fully sink in. The council had tried to hurt me, possibly even wanted me dead. If they had done that, what else were they capable of?
Chapter Eight
When Liam and I headed back to my dorm, we found Bree on the phone, pacing in a circle.
Her head snapped in our direction, and she cleared her throat. "She's here. I'll see you soon." There were dark circles under her eyes, and her body appeared to collapse as she blew out a huge breath.
"Are you okay?" Something bad must have happened.
"Am I okay?" Bree's voice was low at first but got higher. "Really?"
"Don't be a bitch, Bree." There was a warning in Liam's tone as he stepped in front of me. "She's only here because she insisted."
"What am I missing?" It was obvious she was very upset.
"My brother called your parents and me to ask if we knew where you might have gone off to." Bree pointed straight at her brother. "And then, I don't hear from him for three days and can't find you anywhere." She held up a hand. "Oh, wait. No, I found your cell phone in the corner of the woods where it had obviously been dropped."
"You didn't tell her you found me?" That didn't sound right, especially if he made the time to call them in the first place.
I had just gotten off the phone with my parents, so I knew they'd been kept in the loop. Liam agreed to bring me home this weekend to see them. He didn't want to risk them coming on-site since his father was acting desperate. Max had already gotten hurt; we didn't need anyone else becoming easy prey.
"No, I didn't." Liam's eyes narrowed on his sister. "I knew she'd talk to Kai and he would let her know you'd been found."
"Had I known you were injured, I would've forced my way into his dorm." Bree's eyes were dark and filled with anger. "Kai mentioned to me this morning that you'd been shot and was wondering how you were doing. He asked if he could come by and visit you when Liam was here. So, of course, I called my brother to find out what the hell was going on. But I just kept getting his voicemail."
"Why didn't you tell her?" She had every right to be upset. Had the shoe been on the other foot, I'd have reacted the same way.
"Because she'd overreact like she is right now." Liam held his hand out, moving it up and down as he pointed his fingers in her direction. "You were hurt, injured, and needed rest."
"Had you told me that and let me peek in on her, I wouldn't be acting this way right now." Bree narrowed her eyes at him, and they took on a glow. "You still treat me like I'm a little kid that you have to keep in the dark."
"We had shit going on." Liam crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her. "Heir business."
"Stop it." I had to side with Bree on this one. "You should have told her. How would you like it if the shoe was on the other foot? She's my family now, too."
"I thought I was doing the right thing." Liam glanced at me and sighed. "You're right." He focused on his sister. "I'm sorry."
"Wait..." She took a step back, and her forehead wrinkled. "Did you just apologize to me?"
"Yeah, I should've told you. Honestly, I was so focused on Mia and keeping her family updated that I didn't purposely mean to leave you out." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's just when you get upset, you kind of get loud."
"Yes, Liam, when I was ten, I'd get loud." Bree shook her head and pursed her lips. "But I'm twenty now and have grown up from there. You probably haven't realized it since you and Dad keep trying to treat me like a little girl who needs to be controlled."
Most likely this particular conversation had been coming for some time. My kidnapping had been the catalyst to finally bring it to the surface.
"You're right." Liam nodded. "I'll do better in the future."
A genuine smile spread across her face. "That sounds like a plan."
"Who were you talking to?" Whoever it was, they had been talking about me.
"Oh, Kai." She chewed on her bottom lip. "He's on his way over here. I hope that's okay."
"She's still hurting," Liam growled as he took my hand in his.
"I'm feeling better." I forced a smile. I wasn't lying, but it wasn't like I was feeling normal either. "I'm actually hungry."
"What do you want?" Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I can order you something and pick it up."
"A pizza with all the meats sounds good." My stomach rumbled at the thought. Apparently, I hadn't eaten in four days except for toast and some saltine crackers a few hours ago.
"Okay." He stepped toward me and brushed his lips against mine. "I'm on it. Go sit down and rest." He headed toward the kitchen.
Bree watched him. "It’s like he’s a different person."
"What do you mean?" He wasn't as angry as he was when we first bonded. It was something I'd been noticing a lot more the last several hours.
"He apologized to me and was nice." Bree shook her head and then focused on my left shoulder. "Is that the one that's shot? It still smells like it's bleeding."
I was exhausted but wasn't ready to lie down again, especially if Kai was going to be here at any moment. "It is a little, but not like it was. It's starting to scab over, so that's a good thing." I should be back to normal in the next three to four days.
"We've all been worried." Bree gave me a small smile.
"I didn't mean to cause problems." I headed over to the recliner and sat in the seat. It still hurt to move; granted, it was a lot better than yesterday. I hadn't realized how often I used the muscles in my shoulders until now.
"It'll be ready in fifteen minutes." Liam breezed back into the room and stopped beside my recliner. "Do you need anything now?"
He'd been pushing me to down liquids all morning, so I wasn't thirsty. Just the thought of drinking more water right now made my stomach hurt. Honestly, I couldn't figure out how I was still hungry seeing as my stomach was filled with water. "No, I'm good. Thank you."
There was a brief knock on the door.
Liam stiffened ever so slightly as he took a deep breath. He hurried over to the door and opened it, revealing both Kai and Tripp standing there.
Tripp's eyes widened when he saw Liam. He lifted both hands in the air. "I never tried dating her."
"Really?" Kai rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're going to throw me under the bus?"
"It's not like he doesn't already know." Tripp pointed to Liam. "You openly dated his mate right in front of him."
"You know, you two are making it hard for me to not want to hurt you right now," Liam growled deep.
"I didn't do anything. It was all him." Tripp pointed to Kai and raised both hands in the air as he slid past him and into the room.
"Wow, remind me never to tell Tripp something that could get me in trouble." Bree snorted and glanced at me. "He'll rat you out without any hesitation."
"Hey, he can kick my ass." Tripp pointed back at Liam. "I'm going to make it clear that my face doesn't need any rearrangements with his fist."
A laugh escaped me, and I cringed. It hurt so damn bad.
"Knock it off," Liam growled at him. "You made her hurt."
"It doesn't take much to get on his bad side." Bree winked at me. "Especially when it comes to Mia."
"How are you feeling?" Kai stepped to the side so he could see me, but he stayed in the entryway. "I've wanted to check on you but knew it probably wouldn't be good to come until you got back here."
"I'm okay." I tried to force a smile.
"She's lying. She's still hurting like hell." Liam shook his head and looked at me tenderly. "She doesn't want anyone to worry about her." He glanced at his phone and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go grab a pizza for her. Does anyone else want anything?"
Bree's eyebrows shot up, and Kai shuffled his feet.
Why is ever
yone looking at me all weird? Liam locked his eyes with mine. I'm trying to be nice.
A huge grin filled my face. That's why. "So, is that a no?"
"Oh, uh ... I wouldn't mind a pizza," Kai spoke his words carefully as if he was waiting for some type of punch line.
"I ordered five, so we should be good." He stepped out the door and waved Kai in. "I'll be back in a few minutes." His eyes focused back on me. "Let me know if you need anything. I won't be long."
I love you. I gave him a smile. He was trying for me and leaving Kai here without being an asshole. He was putting me before his own needs.
At this moment, I think it's pretty obvious how much I love you. He shut the door, and I could hear his footsteps down the hallway.
"What the hell just happened?" Tripp looked at me and then back at the door. "He just left you alone with us."
"He wasn't thrilled with it, but he did." Bree grinned at me. "I'll be honest. I had a gut feeling that you two were mates for a while, but I was happy when he left you alone. I was afraid he'd change you. Make you into one of those elitist bitches, but I can see now that isn't going to happen. You're bringing him back down to earth."
"I haven't asked him to change." Anything he was doing was all on him. I didn't deserve any of the credit.
"I hate to agree with Bree, but maybe fate did have it right after all." Kai sat on the recliner right across from me. "I can't believe you're up today. Hell, you were shot just a little over twenty-four hours ago."
"You do look like shit." Tripp frowned as he sat on the other end of the couch. "You may be even paler than that huge heir that he hangs out with."
Bree leaned over and smacked Tripp on the arm. "That's not helping."
"No, it's fine." I didn't feel great, so I could only imagine what I looked like. I couldn't wait until my shoulder healed a little more so I could take a really good shower and maybe breathe without constant pain. "I don't feel the best though."
"How'd you get shot?" Tripp's eyes sparkled. "I've never known anyone who's gotten injured like that. I am officially a badass."
"How are you badass?" Kai scoffed and shook his head. "You're not the one who took the bullet."
"I'm a badass by association." Tripp patted himself on his chest as a proud grin spread across his face. "Everyone will fear me because they know I have an ace in my pocket."
"Oh, so we're friends again?" It sure seemed like he had been siding with Kai the last time we talked.
He grimaced. "Yeah, I'm sorry for being an ass."
I was thankful that we were fine now.
"If it wasn't for her, Micah wouldn't be alive right now." Kai gave me a sad smile.
"Wait. You saved one of those asshole heirs that beat your brother up?" Tripp's brows furrowed. "Why?"
"Because it was the right thing to do. And to be honest, everyone deserves a second chance." Maybe if he had killed my brother, I'd have felt differently … but thankfully, I didn't have to worry about that. "And he was there to save me. He could've let the wolf he was attacking get me, but he didn't."
"Only because of Liam." Kai frowned.
"Yeah, but so what? He still didn't have to come." That also applied to Simon even though he had to be half crazy. There was no telling what he had gone through while being raised by one of the council members. A while ago, I'd started to see that the heirs weren't raised by loving and caring fathers. Now that I thought about it, I'd never seen nor heard mention of their mothers. "This is kind of random, but why don't you guys ever mention your mom?"
"That, my friend, is a sad story." Bree sat back in her seat and frowned. "Mom isn't the most loving. She's either at home in her room away from us or out with her friends. The only time she comes around is for events where she is required to be present with Dad." Bree sighed. "She wasn't really around to raise us. Dad wanted the responsibility."
"Why does it have to be one or the other?" Tripp seemed to be hanging on her every word.
The heirs were viewed as strong and mysterious. We were getting a glimpse behind the veil.
"You have to understand the council members. All four of them," Bree said as she rubbed her hands together, "they refused their fated mates and forced a mate bond with women that they didn't care for. It was so the females didn't have any control over them. Most of the women, including my mother, weren't in it for raising a family. They were only in it for the benefits it gives them, and all they had to do was pop out an heir and a spare."
"I hadn't ever really thought about it that way, but you're right. It's almost like you're royalty." They'd need a spare in case something happened to the firstborn.
"Is your relationship with your mom that way?" Tripp focused on Kai.
"No, my mom is just as involved in my life as my dad." Kai shrugged his shoulders. "Even though they aren't fated, they still love each other. But I'm not an heir like those four are."
In times like these, it was crazy to think I was an heir to the council as well. I grew up so removed from this world, but I was learning more and more that was a good thing.
The front door opened, and Liam walked in, carrying the pizza with Evan right behind him.
As Liam headed to the kitchen to put the pizzas on the table, Evan closed the door and came straight to me.
"Let me take a look." His hands went to my shoulder and gently moved my shirt to the side. He looked at the bandage and frowned. "We need to change it out." Evan pulled out a bandage from his pocket and surgical tape.
Bree's mouth dropped open.
Liam walked back into the room with two plates of food and two bottles of water. He placed the drinks and plates on the table as Evan began carefully removing the tape.
"So we can touch her now?" Kai's eyes widened in surprise.
"He is helping her. However, you still have feelings for her." Liam's voice was raspy. "I really appreciated all of your help finding her, and that's why you're here. If it weren't for you, things could have turned out much differently. But let's not push anymore right now. I can only take so much."
"That's fair." Kai sucked in a deep breath.
My heart melted at Liam's words.
Soon, Evan removed all of the dressing and looked at my wound. "It's finally stopped bleeding."
"Shouldn't she be healing faster than that?" Bree leaned over so she could see my injury.
"Yeah, but it’s in the same place that Simon hurt her. Plus, we had to dig the bullet out, so it's a pretty extensive injury to a previously injured area." He gently put another large bandage over it and began taping it up.
Even though he was being careful, it still hurt as he messed with it.
"How do you know all this?" Tripp pursed his lips as he watched.
“I’m majoring in pre-med.” Evan put my shirt back in place and picked up the dirty bandage and tape from the chair. “So, I at least know the basics.” He headed into the kitchen without another word. Turning the water on, he washed his hands.
You need to eat. Liam picked up both plates from the table and handed me one as he sat on the floor next to my recliner. Do you need anything else?
No, thank you. I used my right hand to eat so I didn't move the left one quite as much.
Evan entered the room again a few seconds later with his own plate and a bottle of medicine. "Here, it's time for your medicine too. Try to eat a little bit before taking it though. Your stomach could get upset."
A grin spread across Bree's face as she sat back and watched.
I took the pill and frowned. It was both a blessing and a curse. The last time I had to drink so much coffee to stay awake. “I don’t want to get sleepy again. I feel like all I've done is sleep for the last few days.”
“You need your rest.” Evan sat in front of the table and pointed at me. “You’ll heal faster that way.”
“Fine.” The pain was coming back with a vengeance, so it didn’t take too much coaxing on his part. I popped the pill in my mouth and took a sip of water.
There was
silence until Bree stood up and waved to the guys. “I’m starving. Let’s grab some food too.”
I enjoyed the quiet of the moment as the six of us settled in for a quick meal.
It wasn't long before my eyes grew heavy and I laid my head back on the headrest.
We need to get you to bed. Liam placed his plate back on the coffee table and stood up at the same time as Kai and Tripp.
"Thanks for dinner, but I think we’d better leave." Kai smiled at me. "You look like you might pass out any moment just sitting there."
Between the food and the medicine, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. "Thanks for coming to visit."
"Let's get you to bed." Liam glanced over at Evan. "I'll be staying here tonight."
"Figured you would." Evan reached for the plates when Bree got up and smacked his hands. "Go on. I’ve got this."
As I stood, I winced in pain.
Dammit, I feel helpless. There is no way I can help you. I’m worried that I’d only make you hurt worse. He took my hand, and we headed toward the hallway.
"Thanks for coming, guys. I'll see you soon." I tried smiling, but it fell short.
Moments later, we were walking into my bedroom, and I immediately laid down on the bed. Liam shut the door and crawled up next to me.
We lay there in silence as he brushed his fingertips along my arm, relaxing me. Moments like these were rare and too fleeting.
All of a sudden, there was a pounding on the front door.
Bree opened the door, and Micah's familiar voice filled the room. "Where is Liam?"
"Where the hell do you think he is?" Bree's voice was short and sounded annoyed. "You can't just go into her room."
"It's not like they'll be doing anything." Micah banged on our door. "She's too hurt for anything like that."
"I wasn't talking about sex, idiot." Bree's voice was low and growly. "I was talking about rest."
