by Elle Lincoln
I bite my lip, unsure if I should tell Ash, but I hold back. “Thanks.”
“Why, Bean?”
For the first time in my life, I lie to her. “No reason.”
Chapter 19
I dress in jeans and a simple silk shirt that hugs my body. My hair tumbles down my back in silver blond waves, pieces of it sticking to my arms and wetting my back. Inside, hope flares to life, giving me new meaning and purpose. My mind settles on making the best of my circumstances, though it drifts to the life I’d leave behind. Teaching, family.
Yet if I know one thing, it’s that my family won’t stay away for long. They will weasel their way out here. Just as my cousins dare to do now. But I don’t mind that invasion, I welcome it.
Smiling, I make my way over to the kitchen just as an alarm blares through the house, penetrating my ears with a screech. Slapping my hands over my ears before they bleed, I turn to the windows as a trembling noise resounds throughout the structure. Eyes wide, I watch as what appears to be internal blinds fall from the ceiling between the glass panes. My eyes snap to every window as they do the same. Every little square frame.
The blaring slows to nothing more than a beep that emits every few seconds like that of a smoke detector. Frozen, I stay in place, confused and unsure. I don’t have time to process anything as banging begins on the door.
My heart leaps in my throat as I suddenly realize the genuine danger I could be in. Dad had security in place. It just wasn’t activated on the night of his death. Adrenaline and fear clog my throat, closing it off as the emotions bleed into my veins.
Right now, I can’t decide who I should fear more—the rival pack or the unknown entities Dad had labeled on those weapons. I stall, irritated for a mere moment that I didn’t grab one of them and keep it on me.
I even left Ash’s gun in the wheel well.
Swallowing my fear, because surely the guys didn’t leave me completely alone, I turn away from the pounding on the door and retrace my footsteps toward the staircase to the lower floor. Quiet as I can, I pad down to the landing that still shields me from the wall of doors.
“Why the actual fuck would he have a wall of glass doors?” Cursing my father, I plaster myself against the wall as my palms sweat and my fight or flight gets stuck on a cycle. Over and over, adrenaline pumps into my veins as fear courses through my body to raise my heart rate.
Ever so slowly, I peek around the corner, my stomach churning.
I cross my fingers, hoping the blinds cover those doors.
How the doors would have shutters as well, I’m not sure. The mechanics make little sense. But as I peer around the corner, the adrenaline flees upon seeing that the shutters cover the doors and windows.
Quiet as can be, I walk around the couch, my heart thumping as I near the doors to get around it. Outside, I can’t hear a damn thing, and I almost wish I could hear something, anything at this point.
A thump sounds from above, and I dart to the armory. I punch in today’s date, the lock clicking over. Flicking on the switch, I run to the gun case, grabbing one of the labeled “Lycan” and G-4 for bullets.
My hands stall over the silver bullets, knowing that if the guys catch me with it, I’ll have to explain this room, everything. I can only hope that they give me time to speak before freaking out.
Blowing out a breath, I grab the gun just as another thump sounds from upstairs. Adrenaline surges through me, my fingers shake as I try to remember how to load a gun. Tears spill over my lashes as I feel useless, helpless, weak.
No, dammit, no, you aren’t useless!
I check the chamber, finding it already loaded, and silently thank whatever gods Dad was working with because screw this feeling. I pocket the other small pack of bullets.
Just flick off the safety, aim, and shoot.
When this is all done, I swear on my father’s ashes I will never allow myself to be weak again. Never allow fear to dominate my thoughts. But can I kill someone?
Yes, you can!
Another thump sounds from upstairs, and I sniff away my tears before stepping out of the armory and onto the cold tiled floor once again.
Everything stills. The world around me stops, pauses. The whirling of the air shuts down with slow ticks. The buzz of the lights freezes. Everything around me holds its breath for the next moment.
Swallowing, I peek into the pool house where heavy shutters block out everything. Even the skylight sports those shutters.
If Dad had this set up, perhaps he has video somewhere. A shaky sigh flutters over my lips as resolve settles in the pit of my stomach. Get to Dad’s room.
No one is in the house.
They couldn’t have gotten in.
Because fear is an asshole, I hop over the back of the couch and walk across the brown leather, heading to the first carpeted step. Above, the thumping continues, and I begin my ascent upstairs.
I feel as though I’m in a horror movie. The ones where the woman runs to her death instead of away from it, while everyone in the audience yells at her to go the other way. They can see what is about to happen, and dammit, I’m convinced she knows too. Yet she still runs straight into danger.
I’m that chick right now. That’s me. I could hide in the armory, and a part of me yearns to flee back down there and do just that, but something in my gut draws me upstairs.
At this point, I’m betting that the guys ran off to the cave, all of them leaving me alone. Their frustration driving their steps away from me. Inside, I still feel that pull toward them, but it isn’t like an internal GPS telling me exactly where they are. Only that they exist.
A shiver splits my body in two, racing up and down my spine with brief spikes of electricity. Above me, the door rests against the jam, not shut. Sinking down, I peek below the door, looking for shadows that tell me if anyone is there.
When nothing jumps out at me, I rise and push through the door then run to Dad’s office like the hounds of hell are chasing me. I skid to a stop, punching in his code, and as soon as that blessed click sounds, I jump into the room and slam the door shut, my heart beating far too fast in my chest.
I lean back against the steel door, sweat pouring down my face to stain my shirt. I pat the gun I slid into my pants. This is ridiculous. Just because some weird shutters fell down inside the windows doesn’t mean I’m in danger.
But it might.
The gun in my pants feels heavy, and I set it on Dad’s desk, eyeing it with a sneer. A red light from within Dad’s closet catches my attention. I step toward the large double doors and yank them open with a clatter.
In front of me are four monitors, sitting on a wide desk built just for the closet, and on them sit multiple views of the cabin from each direction. North, south, east, and west. Their blank screens stare at me mockingly, making me think I’m freaking out for no reason.
The screens change. One shows the porch above, another displays the porch below, one a cave entrance, and the other inside the cave.
These aren’t blank.
My heart trips in my chest as Athos bangs on the front door again, while Liam stands behind him scanning the woods. Below, Nix and Christian appear to argue with Christian throwing his hands in the air.
Every ounce of adrenaline leaves me, and I stumble backwards as I flop on the bed. My head falls to my hands as a sob rips from my throat and a hot wash of tears runs over my palms.
The banging picks up, and with a sniffle, I peek at the cameras where all the guys stare at the cabin in defiance. Again, that blinking light draws my attention to a small box that looks like a remote control, its white labels gleaming at me.
On shaky legs, I lift up and look at the console. The red light blinks in the center of a button labeled “Release.” Because I can’t help myself, and I’m hoping it unlocks the door, I jam my pointer finger onto the button. At once, the shutters rise and locks click. There must be extra locks on everything, which makes me feel a little better and safer if that ever happens again.
As soon as they rise, the door slams open and the guys spill into the house.
“Sabina!” Athos roars, sounding just like Zeus defying the heavens. Or at least what I believe Zeus would sound like.
His footsteps stomp down the hall, Liam close behind him, and all I can do is slouch on the bed.
I didn’t face any amount of danger, and I’m not only exhausted, I’m bone weary. Everything flees me, leaving me a shell.
“Sabina.” Athos steps into Dad’s room, his large frame coming to kneel before me. His eyes assess me from head to toe, searching. When he’s finally appeased that I’m all right, his shoulders relax and the tension falls from his face. Moments later, the others pile in, each with relief written across their features. “Little cub, what happened?” His large palms engulf my face, tilting it up a fraction higher.
“The shutters dropped, and it scared the shit out of me.” I shake my head, licking my lips. “I didn’t know what happened, and you all left me.” I don’t mean it to be the accusation that it is. Yet my tone drives that emotional nail into the coffin, and Athos’s face drops just a fraction.
None of them apologize for leaving me, which twists my gut. They don’t truly need to apologize, but I expected it all the same, and what kind of person does that make me? I’ve relied on these men from the moment I got here because they stomped into my life and refused to leave. Then when they do leave, I’m off kilter.
“What is this?” Christian snarls, as his fingers push the gun to the side of the desk where it spins. Good thing I kept the safety on. His nose wrinkles as he sniffs the air. “Why are there silver bullets in that gun, Damsel?”
Adrenaline sweeps through my body, fleeing just as fast, leaving me fatigued. My shoulders slump as the fight leaves me and tears blur my vision. “I thought I was in danger.” I fling my arm to the window. “The shutters, why did he have shutters?”
“Steel shutters,” Athos adds with a frown, still crouched as he turns to me. “Where did the gun come from, Sabina?”
I swallow, looking from him to the others. My eyes finally land on Nix, his head tilted to the side as his eyes roam over me. I can’t look away because, in that moment, I need him to feel for me, to help me understand what’s going on and why. I need that assurance I know he can provide.
Resigned, he walks forward, his hand reaching out for mine. “Come on. Let’s get you fed and we can talk.”
Placing my hand in his, I follow him into the kitchen where he points to a stool, and I fold myself into it. My elbows hit the countertop, my palms pressing into my eyes hard enough for little stars to dance behind them.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened when we left?” Nix takes the chair beside mine, his presence like the sun on a summer day, his voice soothing.
“Can you tell me about the cave?” I counter, remembering the camera display in Dad’s closet. That damn cave is important somehow.
“I don’t think it’s time for you to negotiate, Damsel.” Christian flops himself on the couch, knees spread as he glares at the ceiling.
“Fine.” I lean back, watching as Liam moves around the kitchen. Athos stands at the front of the hall, his arms crossed and a mask upon his face. Unreadable. Even his eyes hold a cold harshness to them that wasn’t there before. “My cousin called me.” Rubbing my temples, I ease the ache settling in my head. “She knows everything. Dad got her a job with the government on their supernatural team, she also told me that the women in our family aren’t cursed, we are goddess blessed.”
“Which goddess?” Nix inquires, his voice like warm chocolate. I turn to face him because his soothing nature is what I need right now more than the brooding silence and anger of the others.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. Only that our blood line is blessed.”
Nix glances over my head before he nods for me to continue.
“I found—” I swallow past the lump building in my throat. They will either hate me after this or, well, they may just hate me. “My dad has a room. Downstairs. He told me once that I’d need it. When I did that would be the first day. I unlocked it.” I falter, my eyes staying on Nix as I struggle to find inner courage.
“What’s in the room, Sabina?” Athos’s voice holds a command, wrapping around my voice like a vise and squeezing. I can almost feel his power encircling my neck, forcing me to speak.
I gasp, rubbing at my throat, but no one tells him to stop. “An armory.” As soon as the words leave my lips, I turn in my stool and slide down to walk over to him. Anger flares in my gut, and before I can think better of it, my palm flies across his face.
Gasps release all around me, and powerful arms pull me back away from Athos who just stands there staring at me. He allowed it. I know he did. There’s no way he would permit me to smack his face otherwise.
“I don’t care who you are. Alpha or not. Never, and I repeat, never use that power against me. If you want me. Me. Then you will respect me for the woman I am. Flawed. Broken. Maybe a little crazy. I will push your buttons because that is who I am.” I slam a hand against my chest for emphasis. “This is me, Athos. Honor that.”
Something flares behind his eyes, appreciation for my fight, for the bite in my words and the steel in my voice. “That woman,” he growls, and I prepare for a fight, “is the woman hidden beneath all the fluff. The goddess hiding in a human’s skin. The mate we desire.”
Tension thickens the air, stealing my breath. “Don’t test me, Athos.” I break out of the arms holding me. The scent of bread tells me it’s Liam. “I don’t know why he has an armory. Only that he told me in a letter I’d need it. He claimed I’d be safe with you, that my mates would protect me. But you know what I realized when those shutters fell and fear gripped me?” Tears blur my vision again, pissing me off as I swipe them away.
“This should be good,” Christian taunts, but it doesn’t hold the heat and snark it usually does. No, this time his tone is full of curiosity.
“I’m weak. I’ve spent my entire life just floating along. Going through the motions. I don’t even know how to shoot a gun. I don’t know how to protect myself, and from the labels on the weapons down there, there are far more creatures in this world than I’m ready for. And know what? I can’t even fight back because I’m in this mortal shell.” I spin around, slumping in my chair.
“Two of us will be with you at all times, Sabina,” Athos swears. “Tell us about the armory.”
I flutter my hands. “I’ll show you.”
“Eat first.” Liam sets a plate of eggs and avocado toast before me with a fork.
I pick it up, bringing the cheesy eggs to my lips. “Why did the shutters trip?” They all glance at each other, their lips tightly compressed. “Dad has surveillance of the cave and the house.”
Athos nods like that makes complete sense. “The cave is empty, just a cave that goes in about fifty feet, leading to nothing. But it smells of the gods, your dad, and wolves.”
“Not ours and not Shadow’s.” Christian stands up and paces around the room. It’s the same path he often takes, and soon he will wear a track there in the wood.
“Sabina, I know you aren’t sure about this entire mate thing, but we want to keep you safe,” Nix murmurs from my side. “For your own protection, it’s best if we seal the bond so that we can communicate telepathically.”
I take a bite of my avocado toast, chewing thoughtfully. The food is fueling more than just my belly, but my mind as well. Easing and comforting me. I seriously have a marriage with food. “What does that entail?”
“Fucking, Damsel. You fuck us.”
“Do you have to be so crude, man?” Liam snaps.
I hold up a hand. “It’s okay. I asked.”
“Exactly,” Christian continues. “Then we bite you, baby. Think you can handle that?”
I sigh, my shoulders sagging for a moment before I spin around to glare at him. “I don’t think you can handle me,” I challenge, making his eyes flare with lust.
<
br /> “Enough.” Athos breaks the tension. “It’s best we continue as we were.”
“Obviously the no touch rule didn’t work.” Liam laughs, his mood back to normal.
“Can we circle back to what set the shutters off?” I plead. “You guys get distracted too easily.”
“Can you blame us?” Nix retorts, his tone full of heat. “You call to us like a temptress. Stealing our logic and everything we trained to be.”
I lick my lips and turn away from him. The depth of Nix is like an epic fantasy I can’t wait to read. “I can roll back the security tape.” I hop off the stool, moving through the maze of men and punching in the code.
I push through the door, snatching Dad’s chair and rolling it over to the cameras where I plop down.
“You know what you’re doing?” Nix stands behind me, his hand on my chair.
“I’ve got an idea. I took as many tech classes as possible, although it doesn’t make me a whiz. Before I landed my permanent teaching position, before I even graduated, I knew online work may become a possibility. I didn’t want to look like a noob trying to navigate online teaching.” I tap away, bringing up the security footage file and rolling it back.
“Do you miss it?” His heady scent of chocolate wafts around me. “Teaching, that is.”
“I miss my little humans. Their hugs and their laughter. The pictures they’d draw me. The innocence in their minds that always gave me back a perspective I lost.” I smile sadly, knowing the school currently has a substitute. My little creatures are learning from someone who isn’t me.
“It suits you.”
“Thanks.” I beam up at him. “I thought I’d be going back there after a few weeks of being here, but now I’m not so sure. I don’t know who I’d miss more.” I look back down at the screen.
“You love teaching.” It’s a statement, an observation.
“I do.” I sigh, rolling through the footage. “I told them stories at story time, I didn’t read them stories. If I went back, I’d have some amazing tales to tell them. Even if I’m not taking it well.”
