Chapter 10
Brin felt the time of their mating draw to a close. The twenty-four hours in the den had passed swiftly, as they loved their mate thoroughly. She wore their marks, and the combined scent of their passion was heavy in the air. They’d done their best to take good care of her, but all that loving – no matter how gentle the caresses or how carefully they prepared her – had been hard on her body. Her skin was lightly bruised from their holds, the mating mark on the inside of her thigh was raw from friction, and he could tell by the way her face pinched when she moved that her entire body ached.
He maneuvered his arms under her and lifted her gently from where she was caged between his brothers.
“Has it really been twenty-four hours?” she murmured, her voice rough from the passion-filled screams she’d uttered.
“Yes, love,” he said. “How do you feel?”
“Tired. Sore.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Well-loved.”
Quill got up and pulled one of the panels aside, making a way for Brin to carry her out.
“How about a hot shower?” Brin asked as he carried her to the master bathroom.
“Sounds heavenly.” She yawned, her jaw cracking with the motion.
He would have preferred to draw her a hot bath so she could soak her sore muscles, but the bathroom didn’t have room for a big tub, and at least the glass-enclosed shower was large enough for almost all four of them.
Ian slid past him and turned on the shower. Brin leaned against the counter, enjoying the feel of Angel in his arms. He kissed her temple and inhaled her scent. His beast rumbled out a contented sigh, and she shivered in his arms and lifted her head from his shoulder.
“No sexy sounds,” she admonished with a teasing glimmer in her eyes. “You promised I could rest.”
“My hyena just wants you to know how crazy I am about you.”
She grinned. “I’m crazy about you.”
Hearing her say she loved him had been one of the sweetest things he’d ever heard in his life. Ian held the door as Brin stepped into the shower and set Angel gently on her feet. She groaned softly, straightening and leaning against him. His brain flashed images of the last time they’d taken a shower together, but he knew now wasn’t the time to get sexy. She was human, and didn’t have the luxury of their fast healing. No matter how much he craved the intimacy of their relationship, it wasn’t fair to push her. Even if she was willing.
He and Ian helped Angel wash up, and then she stepped into the back of the shower and watched them clean up. When they’d all taken turns, Brin got out and pulled towels from the cabinet, wrapping one around her body and then tucking one around his own waist before handing the others to his brothers. Together, the three of them dried off their sleepy sweetheart. Then Brin applied a healing balm that had been given to them by Richard’s clan to her healing mating marks, which had been rubbed raw with friction, as well as her tender pussy and bottom.
He looked up at her from where he knelt at her feet and smiled. “Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “Just tired.”
Ian carried her into the bedroom while Brin cleaned up and then joined them in bed. His brothers had claimed Angel between them, but it brought a smile to his face when she reached a hand across Ian and found Brin’s. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
She peeked over Ian and smiled sleepily. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“It’s my honor, sweetheart.”
He linked their fingers and settled back on his pillow. It had been an amazing twenty-four hours, and a most incredible start to their lives together. They were forever linked now, Angel to him and his brothers. No matter what had come before them, she was their whole world now, and he didn’t think anything could be sweeter than that.
* * *
It was nearly two in the afternoon when Quill woke, Angel draped across him like a warm blanket. He glanced to the side and saw Ian on his back, his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Brin was gone, but it took only a moment for Quill to hear him in the kitchen and know he was preparing a meal for them. They’d eaten and drunk during their mating time, but he was starving and he was sure that Angel would be too, when she woke.
He lifted his hands and looked at the tattoos on his ring fingers. Angel was truly theirs now, and he felt like the hell of the last few years had been erased just by her presence.
Angel stirred, making a soft, snorting sound. Then she lifted her head, brushed her hair from her face, and smiled sweetly. “Morning.”
“Afternoon, actually,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “What day is it?”
“Monday, sweetheart. We needed the rest for sure. There was this little hellcat in our den, making all sorts of sexy demands.”
“I don’t know about that version of events. I’m pretty sure that we were all enjoying the den.”
“Definitely,” Ian said.
“Hey, you’re all up,” Brin said as he stuck his head in the door. “I’m finishing our meal. Who wants coffee and who wants juice?”
All three said coffee, and Brin laughed. “I thought so. I’ll be right back.”
“Do you need help?” Angel asked.
“Not even a little, love,” Brin called.
“What’s the plan for today?” Angel asked, sliding off Quill and settling in the space between him and Ian. She stretched fully and then sat up, turning to face them.
“No plans, just hanging out and enjoying being mated to the sweetest human on the planet,” Quill said. “We can go out to eat if you’d like. We haven’t taken you out yet.”
“That would be cool. It’ll be like a date,” she said. “Did you guys date a lot before me?”
“Hardly ever,” Quill admitted. “Our dad didn’t like us dating, so we had to sneak around. Which is fun when you’re a teenager, but not so much when you’re an adult.”
“Do you think he would’ve liked me?”
His heart panged. He hated that he knew exactly how Davion would’ve reacted. His obsession had been so deep that he never would’ve accepted that they’d found their true mate, and it wasn’t the female he’d attempted to kidnap as a toddler.
“I want to tell you that he would’ve liked you, but I don’t believe he would have. Maybe, in time, he would’ve come to accept you, but the truth is that I just don’t know.”
Ian sat up and hugged her. “It’s got nothing to do with you, sweetness, you know that, right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I don’t know what possessed me to ask a question I already kind of knew the answer to. I wish I’d known him and your other parents before everything went so terribly bad for you.”
“Us too,” Ian said.
Brin came into the room with a picnic basket and a black plastic carafe. He set the basket down on the end of the bed and opened the lid, pulling out coffee mugs and filling them from the carafe. He handed the mugs out as he filled them, and then set the carafe down on the dresser before returning to the basket. He’d prepared subs for them, with meat and cheese piled high on long buns. Angel’s was the smallest of the sandwiches, and she still seemed surprised at how big it was.
She peeked into the basket. “Chips?”
Brin smiled brightly and lifted a bag of honey barbecue chips from the interior. “Oh, yay! You remembered,” she said.
“Of course I remembered,” Brin said as he passed out the sandwiches. “I had to make sure that we had everything we needed to make this the best time for you.”
“It is. I’ve never been treated so well,” she said.
Quill could tell by the shit-eating grin on his youngest brother’s face that he was happy she was happy. Hell, they all were. He’d always cared about his brothers. As the eldest, it was his responsibility to ensure that they were all making the right choices for their future. But now, he felt the weight of that responsibility even more. Not only was he the leader of his brothers, but also of his mate and their future children. He welcomed it, though. He couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring. Beautiful little girls with golden hair and blue eyes, a laugh like Angel’s that lit up the room. And handsome young males who would grow up as close as Quill and his brothers were.
Angel nudged Quill. “What are you smiling about?”
“The future,” he answered.
“Oh? What do you see?”
“A long and happy life.”
“Kids?” she asked, her eyes glittering with happiness.
“Of course. Little Angels, Quills, Brins, and Ians all over the place.”
She hummed. “Sounds like a wonderful life.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I know it will be.”
When the meal was over, Brin cleaned up, and Quill didn’t feel a bit bad about not offering to help. They spent the afternoon talking about everything and nothing, and when it was time to get ready for dinner, she shooed them from the bedroom so she could get ready and surprise them. And man, had they been surprised. He and his brothers had opted for dress slacks and button-down shirts, and Angel had come out of the bedroom looking like a true angel in a white sundress, her sun-kissed shoulders bare and just begging to be kissed. Her hair was curled at the ends and pulled over one shoulder, and her lips were a glossy pale pink.
“You look amazing, sweetheart,” Brin said.
Quill and Ian echoed the sentiment.
“Ready for dinner?” Quill asked.
“Yep. Where are we going?”
“There’s a Mexican place in the next town. They have amazing enchiladas,” Brin said.
When Brin had asked where he should make the reservation, Angel had requested her favorite type of food – Mexican. He and his brothers enjoyed it, too, and although he’d thought she might request a more intimate, romantic restaurant, he knew that wherever they went, they’d have a wonderful time because they were together.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Ian said. He handed everyone their phones. “I thought it would be weird to go so long without phones, but even after we woke up today I didn’t turn it on.”
Angel put her phone down on the coffee table. “I don’t want to turn mine on just yet.”
“Oh?” Quill asked, stopping before he turned on his own.
She shrugged. “It just seems like turning it on takes us back to reality. I’m not ready for reality; I like this private time. Besides, if anyone needed us, they would’ve knocked on the door.”
Quill and his brothers put their phones down. “Good point. I like our private time, too,” Quill said. “Reality can wait for later.”
“Much later?” Angel asked with a purr to her voice.
“Much,” he promised.
* * *
After dinner, Ian and his brothers had taken Angel out for ice cream, and then they’d found a park and taken a long stroll. When the fireflies came out, they dotted the air like little green stars, and she declared that it was a perfect end to their mating time. By the time they reached their cabin, she was yawning. Although it would’ve been fun to play again, they had to work in the morning, and they couldn’t stay up all night making love like they were independently wealthy.
Ian grabbed his cell from the coffee table and turned it on, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge while he waited for everything to load. He saw that he had text messages, and opened the app.
He frowned. Brierley had sent him a text on Saturday night?
He opened it, and his stomach felt like it was suddenly filled with lead. “Shit. Quill!”
His brother raced into the kitchen, skidding to a halt. Ian handed the phone to Quill, who read out loud, “Wallace is holding me captive. If you don’t show up to fight on Friday night, he will kill me. I’ll be safe until Friday. Don’t let me down.”
Angel let out a strangled cry, and Brin hugged her close. “What?” Angel asked. “I don’t understand.”
“How did he even know about Brierley?” Quill asked. “It’s not as if she’s in the phone book. This place is a maze unless you know where you’re going.”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that Brierley was taken, and I’m going to get her back,” Ian said.
“Not alone,” Quill said.
He nodded. If Wallace had kidnapped Brierley, then he had to expect that Ian would try to rescue her, which meant he’d have increased security.
Angel moved from Brin to Ian, and he hugged her tightly. “I’ll get her back, I promise.”
“What if he hurt her?” Angel asked, her voice catching as a sob wracked her.
“He said he wouldn’t. Hold on to that hope. He wants me to fight. If he hurt or killed her, I wouldn’t fight. I want to talk to Richard. I think we could use some extra hands,” Ian said.
Although it was after midnight, Ian didn’t want to wait another minute before trying to get Brierley back to safety. If he had to promise to fight to set her free, he would. And then he’d fucking kill Wallace. No one harmed his mate’s sister.
An hour later, Ian was driving the SUV that belonged to Richard’s clan. When he’d called Richard and explained what happened to Brierley, the whole baro had rallied together to get her back. Although they weren’t trained fighters, Ian knew that having more males at his back was better than facing Wallace and his cronies alone. He’d left Angel with Ally and Brin at Ally’s home, along with Blake. Richard, Troy, and several of their sons and nephews had come along, some riding with Quill in the truck behind him. Ian’s nerves were frayed. He couldn’t get over the guilt that fighting had dumped on him. If he hadn’t ever stepped foot in that warehouse, Angel wouldn’t have been in danger and Brierley wouldn’t have been kidnapped. He was thankful that Angel was safe, but he knew he was entirely responsible for whatever had happened to Brierley.
Troy cleared his throat. “We’ll get her back.”
“I know,” Ian said.
“And you’re not going to be on the hook for fighting any longer,” Richard said.
Ian knew that if he said he wasn’t going to fight that Wallace would never stop coming at him. He’d have to fight him.
“I wish I’d never done it in the first place,” he said.
“Wishing doesn’t fix what happened. You wanted an outlet for your pain and rage at your past, and you found one. No one should believe they can kidnap an innocent female to force someone to fight,” Richard said. “You’ve got us at your back.”
“Thanks.”
When they turned into the warehouse parking lot, he saw that Wallace’s car was still there.
“I think it’s a good sign that Wallace’s car is here,” Ian said. “That means Brierley should be here. I’m going to call and tell him I’m here.”
Before he could locate Wallace’s number, Richard said, “Hold on. That’s Brierley!”
Ian’s head snapped up. The door to the warehouse had opened and Brierley, wearing a man’s plaid shirt, stood in the doorway. She smiled and waved.
They rushed from the vehicles and suddenly Brierley disappeared, pulled inside the warehouse and blocked from view by Axtyn. The male had a scowl on his face a mile long, and his massive arms were crossed over his chest.
Ian slowed to a stop, alarm bells going off in his head. “Brierley? Are you okay?”
She peeked around Axtyn and said, “Yep. Sorry, he’s kind of crazy possessive.”
The male growled, the sound louder and more menacing than anything Ian had heard before. It sounded otherworldy.
“Hey!” Brierley said. “Stop growling at my friends. We talked about this already. I told you they’d come here for me, and they did.”
“Brierley is our friend,” Richard said. “We’re not trying to hurt her.”
Axtyn slowly walked from the warehouse and drew Brierley against his side. “She’s mine,” he said.
Ian’s brows arched so high it made his head hurt. “What?”
She grinned. “Crazy, right? Sorry I couldn’t get in touch with any of you. Axtyn doesn’t have a cell, and I didn’t have anyone’s numbers memorized. Plus, I knew you’d see the text that was sent from my phone when you were finished with your mating.”
“You could’ve called information for the campground, found a phone somewhere, or flagged down a car,” Troy pointed out.
“I was a little busy,” Brierley said. “Besides, we couldn’t really leave with the way things are inside.”
“How are things inside?” Richard asked.
“Dead. I mean, the place is full of bodies. We weren’t sure what to do.”
They followed them into the warehouse and down the steps. Although there were no bodies, there was blood everywhere, splattered from the ceiling, down the walls, and across the floor, as if someone had gotten crazy with red paint. It smelled heavily of blood, a tangy copper scent that was so strong he could almost taste it.
Axtyn said nothing for a long moment, staring at Ian in silence. Then he said, “Wallace kidnapped Brierley to force you to fight. She and I had shared a dream about each other, and when I met her I knew she was mine. Wallace refused to let her come to me, and when I pushed for her release, he tried to kill me. My beast doesn’t like being told no when it comes to my woman.”
Ian could relate.
“Where are the bodies?” Quill asked.
“This place was a meat packer’s at one time. There are several walk-in freezers down in the lower level. I put the bodies in one and locked it. Everyone is dead.”
“He’s wicked good with a sword,” Brierley said. “If you want to see the bodies, help yourself. I’m not going down in the sub-basement. It’s hella creepy.” She shivered, and Axtyn drew her close.
Ian looked around the warehouse. “I planned to kill Wallace if he wouldn’t let Brierley go and release me from fighting for him. I’m sorry you were taken, Brierley.”
She shrugged. “I let myself be taken.”
“What?” Ian demanded.
“When Wallace broke into the cabin, I had a chance to flee. I could have opened my window, shifted, and flown to safety. But something kept me in place, and when I scented Axtyn on Wallace’s clothing, I knew that he’d lead me to my mate. I would gladly be kidnapped a hundred times if it brought us together.”
Axtyn snarled. “You’re not putting yourself in danger anymore.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. Promise.”
“I can’t believe this,” Ian said.
Brierley said, “Fate’s got an interesting sense of humor.”
Snorting, Ian agreed. Brierley wouldn’t go down to the freezer, and Axtyn wouldn’t leave her side, so Ian, Quill, Richard, and Troy went down, leaving the others in the main area. Although the freezer was working, Ian could still smell the death, and a hint of rot. Pulling open the door, he let his gaze roam over the bodies until he found Wallace. His head was partially smashed in, his mouth open in a permanent, silent scream.
Ian closed the door.
Quill asked, “What should we do with the bodies?”
Richard looked at his brother and then said, “Let’s call in an anonymous tip.”
“Anonymous?” Ian asked.
Richard nodded. “I don’t know what the hell happened here, but Axtyn clearly went on some kind of rampage. I don’t see how he could get out of this without being in some kind of trouble. Not only did he kill everyone, but he hid the bodies for a day.”
“What is he, anyway?” Troy asked. “He smells odd. Like sand and leather.”
“I don’t know what he is. I know he killed a few fighters, and after that Wallace wouldn’t allow him to fight again. Brierley’s not afraid of him, though. And he did help me out with a warning when I fought on Friday night.”
“We need to discuss things, but I’m prepared to bring him home with us, at least until we figure it all out,” Richard said.
They headed upstairs and Richard explained that Axtyn could stay in the cabin with Brierley until things were sorted out.
Brierley grinned and looked up at her mate. “I told you they were good guys.”
“First, though,” Troy said, “we’d like to know what you are.”
Axtyn’s whole body tensed, his tendons standing out on his arms. Brierley made a hooting sound that was soft and sad. “They’re my friends, it’s okay,” she murmured.
He inhaled and relaxed a fraction. Then he shifted, but only partially. His body lengthened until he towered over them. Dark fur covered him, thick horns curved from the sides of his head, and his face transformed into an odd combination of man and bull. He’d been barefoot, and Ian could see that he had hooves now.
“He’s a minotaur shifter,” Brierley said, never losing her hold on his waist even though he was two feet taller than her. “He can shift entirely into a bull, too.”
“Fuck me,” Richard said under his breath.
“He’s only dangerous if someone threatens me, which you may have gathered from all the bodies in the fridge.”
Ian glanced at the others and said, “If Brierley says he’s not dangerous, then he’s not. Angel trusts her implicitly, and so do I.”
“Agreed. Can you shift back, or are you tied into the shift for a while?” Troy asked.
Axtyn transitioned back into his human form swiftly, looking entirely normal. Ian had a million questions for the unique shifter, but instead he focused on the one main issue. “We need to get on the road so I can call Angel and let her know you’re okay.”
“He’s already packed,” Brierley said.
“Do you have a vehicle?” Richard asked.
He shook his head.
Quill said, “You can ride in the truck with me.”
“Thank you,” Axtyn said.
When Axtyn and Brierley returned from his room, he was carrying two duffel bags over one shoulder and holding her hand. They left; Brierley and Axtyn in the truck with Quill, and everyone else in the SUV with Ian. They stopped at an all-night diner, Richard asked to borrow the phone while they got coffee to go, and he called in the tip to the police. Axtyn said there was no reason to worry about the physical evidence linking him to the bodies. Because the fights were illegal in the first place, it would be unlikely that anyone would volunteer that they were taking part in them and knew who his people were. Ian called Angel on his cell and explained that Brierley was okay. Within minutes, they were on their way to the campground. After dropping off the new couple at Brierley’s cabin, Ian thanked the hyenas for coming with him and Quill.
“I’m glad we didn’t need to fight. The situation resolved itself really unexpectedly,” Richard said.
“I appreciate your support,” Ian said.
Angel rushed from the cabin with Brin on her heels, and grabbed hold of Ian, hugging and kissing him. “Are you okay? What happened?” She reached for Quill, and drew him close.
Troy chuckled. “See you guys tomorrow. Sounds like your mate is anxious to hear everything.”
They waited until they were in the cabin to explain the events of the night to Brin and Angel.
Ian said, “This night could’ve ended so differently.”
“It’s weird that Brierley found her mate, and he ended up fixing everything. Do you think he’s trustworthy?” Angel asked.
“I think so, but I never heard anything about him aside from him being dangerous. We need to get to know him, especially if he’s going to be staying with Brierley.”
Quill yawned. “What an exciting way to end our mating time.”
“I’ll say. Now there’s no more threats against any of us, my pseudo-sister has a mate, and we’re officially mated.”
She wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck and whispered, “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“I promised I’d come back to you.”
“I know. I’m just glad you were able to keep your promise.”