Chapter Twenty-One

“Kill her! Let me kill her!”

“No, you have to stop this. We need her alive to tell us what happened.”

Blythe woke to voices. How much time had passed? Her neck was sore and it hurt to swallow. She rubbed it gently, feeling its tenderness. She sat up and leaned back against the wall. Her head hurt and she felt the room sway. Blythe closed her eyes until she felt that she wasn’t going to throw up.

“She killed her! My beautiful Carrie,” Walker cried. “She’s gone! This bitch murdered her! She needs to die.”

“Enough! I will take her away and get some answers. Then I will decide what is to be done.”

“No! I don’t want to know how she killed her! Just let me rip her throat out! Then she will be no more!”

“Carrie would want you to know the truth!” Tristan shouted. Walker seemed to hesitate a moment and Blythe’s eyes flew open. Walker saw her move as she struggled to get to her feet. With a roar, he tried to get at her again. Tristan hauled him off and punched him square in the face. Walker stumbled backward and then turned toward his brother. Tristan blocked Blythe with his body.

“Get out of my way or I’ll kill you too,” Walker snarled. Tristan laughed.

“You could try,” Tristan taunted him. Walker darted forward with a roar and Tristan punched him again. Walker stumbled and then fell to the ground. Tristan kicked him right in the jaw, sending Walker flying backward where he stayed. He turned toward Blythe and grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her after him while she held her head and tried not to throw up at the movement.

She didn’t pay attention to where they went. They were in the hallway and then they weren’t. They were in the infirmary, but no one else was there. Tristan picked her up by the waist and set Blythe on one of the beds. She held her head in her hands a moment and then looked up at him. He was staring at her, trying to read her.

“He really wants to kill me,” she murmured. It was still hard to believe. Walker had gone crazy with grief. She’d done that. She’d caused him to turn into the man he was now. She felt tears prick her eyes. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill her.”

“Tell me what happened,” Tristan demanded. When Blythe didn’t speak, instead giving into sobs, he rolled his eyes and gripped her shoulders. “I don’t have time for your tears. My brother will wake up and come looking for you. I need answers now!”

“What do you want to know?” Blythe sniffed, trying to stop her tears. Seeing Tristan looking at her like this made her want to let Walker kill her. Maybe she deserved it after leading Carrie to her death.

“Why was Carrie on the roof? She never mentioned going there to Walker,” Tristan snapped.

Blythe flinched and then answered, “She wanted to see the sun. I talked a guard into letting us go. He said that he’d take us. I even talked him into letting Killian go too.”

“Why wasn’t Killian there when all of this happened?”

“Ben, that’s the guard, he locked Killian out. I was too excited to feel the sun on my skin to even notice that something was wrong. Carrie was the one to notice and point it out to me. Ben drew his gun and handcuffed Carrie to the side of the roof. He returned to me and made me strip. I told him no, but he threatened to shoot Carrie or me.”

“Did you strip? Did you show him your body?” Tristan snapped.

“Yes. I had to! He was going to shoot us,” Blythe cried.

“How did you stop him?”

“Carrie got out of her handcuffs and snuck up behind him. She attacked him from behind, jerking his arm in the air. He shot into the air and then I came at him from the front. I managed to get the gun from him and aimed it at him. I had no idea how to use it. That was the first time I’d even held a gun.”

“Next,” Tristan pressed.

“Carrie walked around him, but he grabbed her. He wrapped his arms around her and headed toward the edge of the roof. He told me to let him go or he’d throw her over the edge. Then he confused me. He mentioned a safety catch and that I had to turn it off to shoot. I looked down at the gun and he took his chance. I was stupid. He threw Carrie to the side and tackled me.”

“What happened to Carrie?” he growled, grabbing Blythe’s shoulders and shaking her.

“Get off of me,” Blythe cried, trying to shove him away. He took a few deep breaths and then released her. He backed away a few steps and then looked at her.

“I’m sorry. I need to know what happened. That was my sister-in-law and she was pregnant with my nephew.”

“I understand. I’m trying to tell you what happened,” Blythe replied. “While Ben and I struggled with the gun, I saw Carrie fall out of the corner of my eye. Ben had thrown her crooked. She tripped and went backward.”

Blythe stopped and closed her eyes. She could still see it all happening in her mind. It replayed over and over again. If she hadn’t been so stupid and knew more about guns, then Carrie would still be here and Ben would be dead.

“Thank you,” Tristan said after some time.

“For what?” Blythe asked. She opened her eyes to find them full of tears. She wiped at her eyes and looked up at Tristan. He was watching her sadly.

“For telling me what happened. I had to know. Walker isn’t safe right now. He’s mad with grief and I can’t let you tell him what happened. I’ll wait a while and relay the story to him. This wasn’t your fault. I know you think it is, but based on the facts and your lack of knowledge around a gun, it’s not. You have to believe me on this.”

“I’m trying,” Blythe admitted.

“Let’s get you those supplies and then you can go save someone’s life.”

“Thank you,” Blythe sighed. Tristan had believed her. Maybe Walker would too. Maybe then he’d forgive her and she could forgive herself. It would take time but she had plenty of it.

***

She had claws and a whole other form, yet she didn’t know how to shift and he was still stronger. He knew how to fight and how to win. He was good at it. He hated her for fighting back, yet it excited him. He’d taken her roughly last night. She was still sore, even though her body healed faster now. She’d have no proof to show anyone that her mate was abusing her.

“Shannon, go shower. You smell awful,” Leo scolded her. She flinched when he grabbed her chin and his eyes darkened. “Do it now.”

“Yes, sir,” she told him. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

“Good girl,” he released her and sat on the bed. He pulled his shirt over his head as she disappeared into the bathroom. She shut the door, but didn’t lock it. She knew the repercussions of doing such a thing.

Glancing into the mirror, she almost didn’t recognize herself. How could this be her? She looked so frail and tiny. She’d lost so much weight that she could see her ribs. Leo fed her, but then he beat her and she was too sore and tired to eat. Then he’d get mad because she didn’t eat and beat her more. It was a never-ending thing. She could never please him. But now her body healed faster and he beat her more often. He hated seeing her bruises and would normally lay off for a couple days after one of his tempers. Now that the bruises healed overnight, he did it more often, sometimes more than once a day. It was getting worse and she didn’t know why.

The bruises were always on her face, arms or legs. He hit her around her shoulders and back, but he avoided her stomach. Every now and again he’d forget and hit her stomach, but he normally avoided it. Shannon knew it was because he wished that his son grew inside of her.

Turning toward the shower, Shannon looked away from her form. She turned on the water and stepped under the icy spray. She shivered and hugged her arms around her chest as she adjusted to the chilly temperature. She washed her hair and body quickly. Then she stood under the spray. Maybe she could stay here forever. Maybe the ice water would chill her heart enough to make it stop and this suffering would end.

A knock on the door had her turning off the water and stumbling out of the shower to grab her towel. “Just a second.”

“Hurry up,” Leo called. He sounded tired and Shannon had hoped that he’d go to sleep.

“Coming, dear,” she answered.

Shannon knew that she should hurry, but she wanted to linger in the bathroom. It was a little chilly in the small room from the water but she didn’t want to enter the bedroom and face Leo. She took her time drying off and brushing her long hair. She kept her eyes averted from the mirror, wanting to forget what she looked like. Finally, when she was dressed and knew that she couldn’t waste any more time, she opened the door.

Stepping into the room, she noticed that soft snores filled the air. She held her breath, hoping for the best. She looked around and saw that Leo was asleep on the bed. He was completely naked and she knew his intentions were to sleep with her. She shivered and eyed the door. Shannon’s belly rumbled and she knew that she needed to eat. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if it was worth trying to sneak out.

She inched her way to the door, though several thoughts of killing Leo filled her mind. All it’d take was turning her hand into claws and slicing his throat. If only she knew how to shift. She felt her animal half inside of her, urging her to fight back, but she’d never tried to take over and shift her body into animal form.

The door was in front of her when she heard Leo snort and then move. She froze, wondering if he’d woken up. She glanced over her shoulder to find him still asleep and facing away from her. She sighed and then opened the door. She slipped outside and then closed the door as softly as she could behind her. She glanced both ways down the hall and saw that it wasn’t as crowded as she knew it could be. There was a guard walking toward her and she quickly pressed herself up as far as she could against the wall, letting him pass. He eyed her strangely, but didn’t talk to her. She hurried down the hallway toward where she knew the cafeteria was.

She didn’t run into any shifters in the halls, but when she opened the door to the cafeteria, there were a few inside. They stopped talking and eyed her up and down before sniffing the air. They seemed to realize that she was mated because they started talking and eating once more. She sighed in relief and walked to the long table that held several dishes of food. She wondered if Blythe or Shayne had cooked and immediately recognized Shayne’s work. Blythe was more artful and tasteful when she cooked meals. Shayne kind of threw things together.

Scooping up a big spoonful of mashed potatoes, she plopped it on her plate. She added some cooked carrots and some greens. Next was a slice of chicken that smelled kind of bad. She wrinkled her nose and almost didn’t grab it. But thinking of her hungry stomach, she took it anyway. She walked to the far side of the cafeteria, far from anyone else and the door. She ate silently, keeping her head down. It was for that reason that she didn’t see anyone approach and didn’t notice him until he sat down across from her.

Her eyes widened and she almost choked on the bite she was eating. In front of her was Leo and he looked seriously pissed. No one else could see his face and the promise of pain she’d endure later on. She swallowed the bite in her mouth and tried to smile at him.

“I was going to bring you something,” she attempted to placate his temper. His breath came out in a whoosh and she heard a slight growl.

“You are in serious trouble. Tonight, I’m going to have to punish you,” he whispered so only she could hear. Shannon shivered and felt panic well up in her gut. How did no one else understand that this man in front of her, her mate, was a monster?

“I’m sorry,” Shannon muttered.

“Finish eating. You’re going to need the nourishment,” he told her. She nodded and choked down the rest of her food. She kept her eyes down, not wanting him to think she was challenging him.

“I’m done,” Shannon said after a while. She pushed her plate away from her and Leo stood. She followed suit and grabbed her plate. She met him at the end of the table and Leo placed his hand on her lower back. He pushed her toward the tub they filled with their empty plates. She placed hers inside and then let Leo lead her out of the cafeteria and back down the hallway.

She knew that she should hurry her pace, but she found herself trailing behind. She was scared of what Leo was going to do to her. Why had she been so stupid as to believe that she could sneak away?

“Hey, Leo,” a male’s voice caused her head to jerk up. The voice sounded familiar and she realized that it was the doctor. She’d forgotten his name. It was dangerous to know people and make friends. Leo could hurt them because of her.

“Seth,” Leo nodded his head. So that was the doctor’s name, Seth.

“How are you feeling today? No accidents as of late?” Seth turned his attention to her. Her face heated with embarrassment, though she didn’t know why. She didn’t have accidents. Leo abused her. But she let the doctor think that she was clumsy.

“She’s fine. We just came from eating. We’re heading back to the room to take a nap. Excuse us,” Leo told him, grabbing Shannon’s arm and jerking her along. Seth watched them go and Shannon caught his eye. Hers filled with panic and he seemed to see it. His face turned down into a frown, but he turned and walked away.

Leo opened the door to his room and threw her inside. Shannon landed on the ground and bounced. She rolled to her back and then crawled away from her mate. He snarled at her and his eyes reflected his animal side. Shannon had never seen Leo’s animal form, but she knew it was feline.

“You left the room without my permission. Why did you do that, Shannon?” Leo asked, his voice unnaturally calm. Shannon shivered and stared at the floor.

“I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again. Please forgive me,” she begged. He liked it when she begged. It sickened her to lower herself in that way, but she would get on her hands and knees if it kept him from killing her.

Shannon believed she was pregnant. She believed she’d gotten pregnant before her shifter transition. She wasn’t sure if the baby survived, but she knew there was no way she’d get to see Seth without Leo being there. Leo wanted a baby so badly, but what if she said she was pregnant and then wasn’t? He’d kill her for lying to him and getting his hopes up. But what if it kept her alive?

“You must be punished,” Leo started forward. He jerked his leg back and she knew that he was going to kick her. She gasped and covered her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she took the plunge.

“Leo, don’t! I’m pregnant,” Shannon cried. Leo froze.

“What?” he said, lowering his foot back to the ground. His eyes widened and he dropped to his knees. He crawled to her and placed his hand on her stomach. Shannon tensed but didn’t move. He laid his head on her stomach and closed his eyes. “Baby.”

“Leo?” she said uncertainly.

“I hear two heartbeats. You aren’t lying. How is this possible?” Leo jerked back and stared down at her. “We must go to the doctor. He needs to check you over! My son! My baby boy!”

Leo picked her up and carried her out of the room and down the hall.

***

Seth took his clenched fist and slammed it down on one of the beds in the infirmary. Carter was lying very still, but he could hear his breathing and knew he was still alive. Killian had brought him some supplies and then disappeared to go find Blythe. Seth had been stupid to let her go. He’d forgotten all about Carrie and Walker. Walker was probably keeping Blythe against her will and heaven forbid if he was. Killian wouldn’t let that go over well.

Sighing, Seth hated that he didn’t have enough supplies to save lives. Just then the door burst open and two men carrying a stretcher came flying into the room. They took in the scene and moved straight toward Carter. They quickly transferred him over to the stretcher and then turned to Seth.

“We can take it from here,” one said. Seth nodded and let them take his patient away. He wasn’t sure that Carter would make it, but he hoped that he would. He’d saved his brother and then protected his sister-in-law. They owed the man.

Seth threw himself on one of the beds and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and wondered if he’d get any sleep. He was just about there when his doors flew open again. He growled and got to his feet. He took in Shannon in Leo’s arm and almost lost it.

“I just saw you like five minutes ago. What’s happened?” he snapped.

“She’s pregnant,” Leo burst out. Seth’s eyes widened.

“Is it true?” Seth looked at Shannon.

“I think I was pregnant when Leo turned me. He told me that he could hear two heartbeats. I’m not sure how far along I am,” Shannon replied. Leo set her on the closest bed, staying clear of the bloodstained one where Carter had been.

“Let me see what we can find out.” Seth turned to gather some meager supplies, all the while thinking this might be what Shannon needed. If she was indeed pregnant, there was no way that Leo would keep abusing her, would he? Seth wasn’t too sure, but he hoped so. He’d make up something to keep Shannon coming in every week and keep an eye on her. He wouldn’t let Leo kill his future son or mate.