Mandy stretched and blindly reached across the bed for Glacier. She had a mate. It was an odd but wonderful concept.
All she felt were sheets and an empty space next to her.
She snapped her eyes opened and sat up. The soft murmurs of male voices came to her. Two of them belonged to her mate and Pest. The other one wasn’t familiar. She slid out of bed and headed into the bathroom since there were no sounds of fighting.
Curiosity had her hurrying her shower. The black dye ran down her wet body. She grimaced as she shampooed and conditioned her hair, wondering if it would all wash out. It didn’t take long to find out when she exited the hot shower and wrapped a towel around her waist, staring in the steamed mirror. The color had faded but it wasn’t back to blonde just yet. She shuddered, hoping she never had to use that canned stuff again.
She left the bathroom and put on the clothing from the day before. Once dressed, she approached the window and carefully pulled back the drape, standing out of the way of the sunlight that streamed in. She shoved her free hand into the light. It didn’t burn. Her skin didn’t even tingle.
“Shit.”
The voices silenced from the other room and seconds later, the door opened, admitting Glacier. He closed it behind him and smiled. “Are you alright? We heard you moving around, the shower coming on and going off, but then you cursed.”
She opened the drapes all the way, standing in front of the window to peer out. The view of the buildings and homes, lots of land in the distance where the population hadn’t spread, was beautiful. Her vision wasn’t as hazy as it had been the day before. The details were clear and crisp. She just couldn’t see as far as she could at night. “I’m fine. Just stunned.”
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her back against his front. His chin rested on the top of her head. He inhaled. “You smell better.”
She grinned. “Yeah. Shampoo and conditioner are a wonderful thing. That hair color stuff wasn’t. The pillow is stained from my head where I slept. I noticed that as I got out of bed.”
“It doesn’t matter. How are your eyes doing?”
“Much better.”
“Daily doses of my blood should help a lot. You’ll adjust over time.”
“I don’t need to feed every night.”
“You will while we’re traveling. I won’t have you susceptible to the sun, baby.”
“This is so weird, Glacier. It still freaks me out a bit. Yesterday, I was mostly in shock over the fact that I was outside in the sun and worried we’d be attacked. My focus was on you. Today, it’s just kind of hitting me full blast. I’m standing here, not burning, and seeing this view in real life. Not on some television screen.”
He turned her in his arms. “Look at me.”
She peered up at him, placing her hands on his biceps.
“Get used to it. This is your new normal. I won’t have you vulnerable to being burned. We’re mated. That makes us a team. My blood is yours. You will take it to keep yourself strong and without weaknesses.”
She nodded, not willing to fight with him since she had no urge to do so. “It’s a miracle though. That’s how I feel. Who’s out there? I heard a voice I don’t know.”
“My two other brothers arrived about twenty minutes ago. They’d like to meet you.”
She felt her guts twist.
“It’s okay.”
“Are they upset? I mean, over what I am?”
“No. They are happy I have a mate. It’s what every man hopes to find.”
“You never slept with the same woman twice. They must be shocked.”
“You’re special to me though. They’re aware of that.”
“How can you say that? You don’t know me all that well. I changed a lot after becoming a Vampire. Yesterday was so frantic, and now that we’re safe…do you regret it? Feel forced into mating me since it was the only way to save me?”
“Never. No regrets, Mandy. You’re mine. You’re still a sweetheart, just tougher. I think you’re perfect. We’re going to make this work. I was always drawn to you in ways no one else made me feel. It was a sign. Now that I’ve found you again, I’m never letting you go.” He paused. “As a matter of fact, I’m grateful that you’re not human anymore.”
That surprised her. “Why?”
“I feared my life would horrify you if you ever found out I wasn’t human. That if I let you in, you’d want to flee the second I told you the truth. Some humans break mentally when they learn that they aren’t the only thing walking this Earth or, in my case, sometimes flying over it. I’d have had to call in a favor from a VampLycan friend to wipe your memories to keep you safe before I walked away. Now I never have to let you go.”
She blinked back tears. He was the sweet one, not her. “We’re in this together for life. It’s my vow.”
“Good. Now come meet all my brothers. We could use your input.”
“On what?”
“How to scare the shit out of your council. We don’t want them to go after the Lycan pack since I wiped out that nest.”
“I don’t think they will.”
“I’m not willing to risk it. They need to know what went down wasn’t acceptable. Lycan kids died. If you were right, and someone in the council was protecting Marco, they also need to know about it.”
She understood. Someone had sent her and Olivia to kill the enforcer they believed was taking out Marco’s nest. That never should have happened if someone had investigated what was really going on. Marco had earned a death sentence. No one else. “I have an idea.”
“So do we.” He hesitated.
“What is it?”
“I have no plans to hurt your friend Olivia, but I’m guessing she’s still in New Mexico looking for your killer. I wouldn’t let that go if someone took out one of my friends. She’ll have a number for the council. I want to call a meeting with them. My brothers and I will capture her to take her phone.”
She bit her lip. “I can call her.”
He cocked his head slightly, frowning.
“I don’t remember all the phone numbers on my cell but Olivia is different. We memorized each other’s numbers in case of emergency. You don’t need to hunt her down. Just give me access to a phone.” She needed to say it. “Thank you for not going after her before, when I know you could have.”
“You never asked me if I saw her.”
“I was afraid of the answer in case you had gone to her hotel. I wanted to pretend she was fine.”
“The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, Mandy. Killing your friend would put a wedge between us.”
“I’d have understood though.”
He cupped her chin, leaned in, and brushed his lips over hers. “Thank you for that. Now, my brothers are waiting.”
He released her, stepped back and offered his hand. She clasped it, feeling a bit nervous. She might be mated to a GarLycan but it was still a frightening concept to be in a room with four of them. Pest seemed to like her though. He’d been kind overall, but she wasn’t about to forget how he’d said he’d take her out if he felt the need.
Glacier opened the bedroom door and led her into the living area.
Pest sat at the small table and two big men were seated on the couch. She could see the family resemblance, with their size and black hair. Some of their facial features were the same as well. Both men stood, showing off their impressive heights, just like her mate. The one with the longer hair smiled.
“I’m Creed. You must be Mandy. Welcome to the family.”
He didn’t offer his hand but then again, he wasn’t a human. She just smiled back. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”
“She’s really a suckhead.”
Glacier tensed at her side and released her hand, stepping forward. “Neb. She is my mate. Be nice, damn it.”
Neb’s eyes seemed to lighten as she watched. They went from a murky blue with what appeared to be some purple, to a paler shade. He stared at her mate grimly. His gaze met hers next. “My apologies. I mostly take out bad nests. It’s my main gig. Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you. I’m not a huge fan of Vampires, either. I always say I only like one out of every ten that I meet. I totally get it. Some of them are pure assholes with a God complex.”
His eyebrows arched.
“I’m serious,” she admitted.
He slowly let his gaze roam down her body before meeting hers again. “I take it that you didn’t ask to be turned?”
“No. I didn’t. I was grabbed to be some sicko’s newest addition to a harem of female sex slaves he kept locked up in his basement. My friend Olivia and I were the newbies. The council, who wiped out that nest, decided we hadn’t been tainted yet and put us through their assassin training. Olivia has assured me many times that they did us a favor. She was turned a week before I was. I’ll take her word for it, since the master never got his hands on me. She wasn’t so lucky.”
Glacier put his arm around her. “I’d have gone hunting for you if I’d known a nest had taken you.”
She turned her head, staring up at him. “It’s okay. Let it go.”
“I should have checked on you when you didn’t come into work.”
“The Vamp who snatched me took my car. I saw it parked outside when the council led us out of the building we were kept in. You would have known something was wrong if he’d left it behind Bucket. It’s done and over with.”
He didn’t look happy but gave a sharp nod.
Neb cleared his throat. “I have some questions for you, Mandy.”
She looked at Glacier’s brother, tensing. It had been a lot of years since she’d dated, but she remembered meeting the families of a few men. They always wanted to ask about her family and upbringing. She’d dreaded it every time. Things hadn’t changed. “Alright.”
“I want you to tell me everything about assassins. How many. Where they are. What kind of training they have.” He paused. “The rules they follow, or if they feel they are above the law.”
“Come on, give her a break, bro.” Pest stood and walked over to stand on her other side. “She’s our brother’s mate. Not someone for you to interrogate.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She held Neb’s gaze. “You said your main gig is killing Vampires. It’s important information for you to learn. I’m more than happy to answer your questions.”
“Later. First, we need to deal with the council.” Glacier let her go and withdrew his cell phone, pressed his thumb to it, and held it out. “Will Olivia answer her phone during the day?”
“Yes.”
He hesitated, searching her eyes. “Are you certain you can trust her not to reveal that you’re alive to the council?”
“She’d die before doing something like that.”
“You can’t tell her everything.”
“I know.”
“It’s a death sentence,” Neb rumbled. “You tell her drinking our blood can make her withstand sunbathing and she’s toast. I’ll personally hunt her ass down to take her out.”
She glanced at him. “It would put my mate, your brother, in danger. I’d never do that.”
Glacier pressed the phone into her hand. “I want a number for the council. Do you mind making the call in here? I trust you. My brothers are going to have to get to know you better. They’ll worry like little old ladies.”
She grinned, accepting the phone. “No problem.”
Mandy felt nervous as she dialed Olivia. It rang three times before it was answered and silence greeted her. Seconds ticked by.
“It’s me.”
“Oh my fucking God!” Olivia burst out. “You’re alive?”
“Why didn’t you say hello?”
“Unfamiliar number. Hello. I can’t believe you’re alive! How? Why? Where the hell have you been? Shit! I told the council you were dead. I found your tracker in a pile of ashes and your phone a few feet away under a dumpster. What the fuck, Mandy? I’ve been crying my eyes out and grieving you!”
“It’s a long story. I’m sorry. I’m alive, but the council can’t find out. You know what will happen.”
“They’ll have you hunted and kill you in ways that’ll be epic horror tales to share for centuries with other assassins. What in the hell were you thinking? You can’t get away with something like this. Someone will see you eventually. We can fix this! We’ll think of something. Like the Werewolves tortured you and faked your death so they could keep you longer. Something. I won’t let you die! Where are you? How could you plan this without telling me? We never keep secrets.” Olivia gasped in a deep breath and then began to cry.
Mandy felt like shit. Glacier stepped behind her, putting his arms around her. She knew he and his brothers could hear the phone conversation clearly, even though it wasn’t on speaker. Their hearing was great, and Olivia wasn’t exactly yelling, but she wasn’t whispering either in her upset state.
“It’s okay. It’s complicated. I’m so sorry, but none of this was planned. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“What happened? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Safe. Tracker-free.” Mandy leaned back against Glacier’s solid, warm body, taking comfort in her mate. “You can’t tell anyone I’m alive.”
“No shit!” Olivia sniffed, seeming to pull herself together. “They’d have you tracked down to the ends of the Earth! No one escapes the council. I’m not losing you again. I’ve been a fucking mess since I found those ashes, thinking you were dead. I damn near walked myself up to the roof that morning to meet the sun. We’re partners. Then I imagined what you’d say if I took the easy way out. I knew you’d have wanted me to hang in for twelve more years to join that nest in Los Angeles.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“What happened? Where are you? Whose ashes were those that I found?”
“The asshole Vamp tracking that kid.”
Olivia snorted. “I knew you were going to kill him. So…what? You took out that prick and decided hey, I’ll rip out my tracker and fake my own death? Why didn’t you tell me first? I would have helped you. I always have your back. Even when you do really stupid shit.”
Mandy twisted her head, peering up at Glacier. She didn’t know how much she could tell Olivia. He released her waist and cupped the hand holding the phone, lifting it a little.
“Hello, Olivia. My name is Glacier. I’m a GarLycan. I’m the one who removed Mandy’s tracker.” He paused. “We knew each other when Mandy was still human. I took her from that alley and she’s been with me ever since. This was the first time I gave her my phone to call you.” He tapped the face of the phone. “You’re on speaker. It’s safe to talk. I’m not going to allow anything to happen to Mandy. She’s my heart.”
“Holy shit,” Olivia muttered. “For real?”
“It seems GarLycans do leave Alaska after all,” Mandy mumbled.
“Wow.” Olivia sounded stunned. “Okay. Hello, Glacier. Did my bestie tell you we’re owned by the council for another twelve years, and they never let us go early? They’ll have everyone and everything tracking her. No way are they just going to let her go. It would encourage more of us to run. They can’t have that.”
“She did. It’s not going to happen. They will believe she’s dead. Even if they find out, I’d never allow them to hurt her. She’s my mate.”
Olivia gasped. She recovered fast though. “Wait—if you knew her when she was human, why didn’t you mate her then? I mean, I don’t know much about mating but races with mates usually get instincts about that shit, right? Mandy? Why didn’t you mention this guy to me?”
“I did.”
“Uh, no. I’d remember a name like Glacier.”
“He used to go by the name Ice.”
“Shit!” Olivia muttered. “Bingo. We have a winner. Hot bouncer dude. Man, she talked a lot about you. You’re the one with the amazing ass, but who was a total manwhore who wouldn’t give her the time of day. What the hell is up with that if she was your mate?”
“Okay. That’s enough reminiscing,” Mandy blurted.
Glacier chuckled. “You liked my ass, huh?”
“She said you had buns of steel,” Olivia added.
“Shut it,” Mandy ordered.
Olivia sighed. “Thank you for letting me know you’re alive. Shit has hit the fan here. I needed good news.”
Mandy tensed. “What’s going on?”
“Someone—your mate, is my guess—took out the nest. The council sent reinforcements to make an example out of the pack. Right before dawn, a team of six showed up. I was given no warning until they called to hold a meeting. Vasquez is in charge. Tonight, we’re supposed to do recon on the pack, and the night after, hit them hard. It’s all kinds of fucked up, Mandy. The only thing I’ve accomplished was talking them out of killing any of the kids or civilian pack members. I pointed out to the asshole that it would enrage the VampLycans when they heard. It’s one thing to take on an alpha and his enforcers. Something entirely different to kill women and kids. He actually listened for once.”
“Who is Vasquez?”
“He’s in our group,” Mandy explained to Glacier. “Total prick. Ice cold. Talk about a God complex. He’s a textbook case. We hate him.”
“To put it mildly,” Olivia murmured. “He’s one cruel bastard. Rumor has it he asked to be turned just to become an assassin. It’s like it’s his goal to be the most brutal killer of all to impress the council. And he’s their favorite pet. They assign him to lead missions when a larger team is needed. He seems to get off on it.”
“We need a few numbers to reach your council,” Glacier informed Olivia. “Not only Corski’s, but Mandy mentioned something about having a secondary number in case she wasn’t able to get ahold of him. It’s got to be another council member, right?”
“No. The other number belongs to Robin. That’s Corski’s second. I had to call it once when he wasn’t picking up. Mandy had the same numbers I did. Why do you want to reach out to council members?” Olivia paused. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
Mandy glanced at Glacier. He nodded, letting her know she could share that detail with her friend. “We were sent to kill a Werewolf enforcer, but the truth was, Marco and his nest had been abducting and killing pups, Olivia. That’s why Glacier was there.”
“Holy shit!” Olivia’s shock was obvious. “What the fuck? The investigator should have presented that to the council. Our orders…” She went silent.
“You’re thinking what I did,” Mandy sighed. “Someone lied to the council. They would have ordered us to wipe out Marco and his nest for killing Werewolf kids. Says it all, doesn’t it?”
“Corski gave us those orders. Damn. Why would he take a master’s side? Were they lovers? Friends? Family?”
“Who knows? His orders might have come from the council and it’s possible he wasn’t involved. We don’t know who lied.” Mandy leaned back against Glacier once more. “We were hoping that secondary number was to another member of the council in case it was Corski, though.”
“Someone was protecting that nest. No way would the council have sent us to take out an enforcer if they knew the truth.” Olivia hissed. “What a mess.” She was quiet for a moment. “Do you know who would have other council numbers, though? Vasquez and the assassins he’s leading. Corski didn’t send him here. Someone else on the council did.”
Mandy was surprised. “Are you sure? I’ve never heard of that happening before. We always get our orders from Corski.”
“Um, yeah. I’m certain,” Olivia confirmed. “Corski contacted me this morning to see if I’d found out who’d killed you, and to ask if I’d heard anything from Marco. Let’s just say he didn’t sound happy when I informed him Vasquez was here—and five assassins from a different house were with him. I also had to inform him Marco was dead.”
Mandy was dumbfounded. “I assumed the team was from our house.”
“Nope. Only Vasquez. I didn’t have a chance to chat with the others to see where they’re based. When I began to protest about attacking the entire pack, Vasquez grabbed my arm and marched me to another room to listen to what I had to say. When we were done, he ordered me to leave. He and his team aren’t staying at this hotel, but one down the street. Which is also weird. We usually get rooms grouped together. I even asked if he wanted me to switch hotels, and he said no. I was hoping tonight, when we do recon, that I’d get a chance to find out where the other team members came from and how they ended up under Vasquez for this assignment.”
“That is weird,” Mandy admitted, staring into Glacier’s eyes. “We always sleep close together, usually on the same floor, to cover each other’s asses if shit hits the fan. Especially if we’re dealing with a large group of whatever the hell the threat is.”
Glacier scowled. “Olivia, I want you to do me a favor.”
“Alright.” She sounded a bit hesitant.
“Tonight, when you meet up with this team, tell them you were left a message by the GarLycans at the hotel desk. Act confused as to how we learned who you are and where you’re staying. I’m going to send you a location where we want to meet your team. Give it to them while they’re together. And I’ll word it strongly, so they can’t refuse.”
“Okay. Um, are you planning to kill us?”
“Not you. Maybe them. We’ll see how it goes. You’ll be safe though. I give you my word.”
Mandy knew her best friend well. She’d be scared and leery. “Glacier means it, Olivia. You can trust him.”
“Alright. I trust you, Mandy. I’ll be sure to stop at the desk before I leave. We’re supposed to meet up at seven.”
“The message will be waiting for you,” Glacier promised. He nodded at Mandy.
“Get a disposable phone, Olivia. Text this number with it. I’ll call you again soon. Love you.”
“Love you, too. I’m so glad you’re alive.”
Glacier ended the call and turned to his brothers, releasing Mandy. “We’re traveling back today. Creed, you’re staying here to keep Mandy safe.”
“Damn.” Creed frowned. “I left Alaska to see some action.”
“Action would mean my mate is under attack.” Glacier shook his head. “You do whatever you must to keep her safe.”
“I swear,” Creed promised. “Why me though? She’d probably feel safer with Pest.”
Pest chuckled. “Our bro here wants her left with a mated GarLycan. He doesn’t care that I gave my word not to hit on short stack. He’s all protective instincts and irrational thoughts right now.”
Glacier flipped him off before turning to face Mandy again. “I’m going to have to leave you. I hope to return by morning. I’m sorry.”
“You need to take care of this. I’m going to miss you but I understand.” She did. Someone on the council had protected Marco and his nest. It couldn’t happen again. Werewolf pups had died as a result. More could have been killed if Glacier hadn’t been called in and she didn’t have her morals intact. Vasquez, for example, wouldn’t have cared about pups. He’d have just followed orders and left town as soon as he’d taken out the threat to the nest. “Just be safe.”
“Always. I have you to come home to.”
She didn’t care that his brothers were watching as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. “I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her tight. “I love you too, baby.”
Pest snorted. “I’m never taking a mate. Ever.”
Nebulas chuckled. “That’s like begging fate to hand you your ass. Say it again. Hey Creed, want to place a bet that Pest is the next one to be mated?”
“No way. I’m not a sucker. He just fucked himself.” Creed laughed.
Mandy smiled against Glacier’s chest. She liked his brothers. They were funny.
“Screw you all,” Pest muttered. “Neb’s going to need a motorcycle since we’re day traveling.”
“Rent me one too.” Glacier released her, holding her gaze. “We can drop them off at the rental place once we enter Kevin’s territory. I plan to fly back to you tonight as soon as this is finished.”