by AJ Jarrett
In the distance he could hear his brother’s cries as he begged to say goodbye to him but the alpha refused. The door banged shut and Carl lay there numb, unable to move a finger to help his brother. He began to gag on the coppery taste in his mouth.
Images of what they left behind ran through his mind like a bad movie. The beatings, the things they were forced to do. But Carl had gotten off lucky. It was only the alpha that was allowed to touch him, but Casper? He was a toy the alpha’s men passed between them.
Oh god I need to get to him. Carl tried again to will his body to move but it was useless. A tear leaked out of the corner of his swollen eye to mix with the blood drying on his face. This had been his entire fault. If he could only have loved Tobias none of this would have happened.
Chapter Five
At daybreak Jake was up and out of bed dressed and ready to leave before Seth and Holden had even woke up. Jake kept rousing them to hurry up as he followed behind them, trying to get them to move faster.
Earlier that morning he woke up in a cold sweat with a feeling of dread weighing down on him. He tried to blame it on a nightmare but he had a sinking suspicion that wasn’t it.
“Slow down,” Seth called out to him. “You’re going to fall and break your fool neck.”
Once they started out that morning Jake ran ahead and Seth and Holden could barely keep up. The ground was uneven and surrounded by trees of all sizes blocking his path. At times he felt like he was in a pinball machine dodging obstacles as he trudged through the woods.
Thirty minutes had passed when the rundown cabin came into view. Holden had raced up to catch him before Jake could reach the house.
“Maybe we should make our presence known,” Holden suggested. “Make some noise, call out our names. You know something like that so he doesn’t shoot at us.”
“Good call.” Jake took a deep breath to calm his thudding heart. “Hello. It’s me, Jake, from the other day.” He looked over to Holden who nodded his head in encouragement and he called out again. “Are you in there? Can we come inside?”
He waited but no answer followed his questions. The setting seemed to quiet. He glanced over at Seth who stood with eyes narrowed examining the house.
“Something’s not right.” Seth started toward the house.
“I agree.” Jake took off for the front door. He could hear Holden running along behind him. When he reached the cabin door he turned the knob. It was unlocked and he stepped inside. He looked around at the shabby living quarters and gasped in horror when his eyes landed on a bloody figure balled up on a blanket on the floor.
“Fuck!” He fell to his knees. Blood mingled with the sweet scent of his mate. Very gently he rolled the man to lie on his back. His mate’s body went willingly. Rage pumped in his veins when he caught the first sight of his mate’s beautiful face. It looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to it then used the bat on his body. “Baby, can you hear me?” He brushed his mate’s hair off his forehead, trying to rouse the man.
“Does he have a pulse?” Seth knelt down next to him and placed his fingers on his mate’s neck. Jake resisted the urge to growl at Seth. The man only wanted to help. “I can feel it. It’s strong. He must just be sleeping. Damn someone really did a number on him.”
“Where’s his brother?” Holden asked.
“You can’t possibly think his brother did this to him?” Jake couldn’t believe that. He had two brothers of his own and no matter how mad they got at one another they would never take it so far as to harm the other.
“Casper,” his mate said weakly. “I need to find Casper.”
Jake pulled his mate close to him and rested the man’s head in his lap. “We will but we need to help you first.”
The sound of his voice must have startled him. His mate propped up and crab walked until his back hit the far wall. “Stay away from me.” One eye was swollen shut and the other bloodshot as he stared at Jake.
“It’s okay.” Jake softened his tone. “We’re the men from the other day.” He paused for a brief moment, giving the man the opportunity to remember. “I swear we’re not here to hurt you but we need to know what happened.”
“Th–th–they came and took him,” his mate stuttered.
“Who’s they?” Seth asked.
“Our alpha.” His mate’s eyes darted from him to Seth. “I have to get him back.”
“We will.” Jake reached out his hand then quickly pulled it back, thinking better of it. He didn’t want to frighten him more than he already had. “Can you tell us what happened here?”
* * * *
Carl tried to piece together what had taken place. His head hurt like hell and he couldn’t see out his right eye. Every time he blinked his one good eye pain shot through his face. If he felt this bad he could only image what he looked like.
“Kid, what happened?”
Carl’s head snapped up as he looked at the visitors from the previous day. The man, who he had shot, Jake, squatted down in front of him with sad eyes racking over his face. As he gazed into Jake’s bright-green eyes the fear he felt started to drift away. He couldn’t explain it but he knew deep down Jake wouldn’t hurt him. The man had kind eyes and kindness had been something Carl hadn’t experienced much of in the past three years.
“Baby, please talk to me. Why would your alpha do this to you?” Jake whispered and Carl found himself leaning forward to try and capture the warmth coming from the man.
Did he just call me baby? Carl’s brain snapped back to attention at that one word. He pushed away from the man and overcompensated the distance between the back of his head and the wall and slammed against the unforgiving surface. Stars flashed behind his clenched eyelids.
That word brought back to many bad memories. Tobias had called him that.
Stop! Jake isn’t like him. Carl willed himself to relax.
But how do you know? A little voice in his head whispered a warning and it was right. He needed to keep his guard up if he was going to find his brother.
“Get away from me now,” he growled at Jake. Carl didn’t know him and he could be just like his alpha, wanting something from Carl that he wasn’t willing to give.
“I’m just trying to help you,” Jake started to explain but Carl didn’t want to hear it and turned his head away. “Us being ma—”
“Jake, now isn’t the time.”
Carl looked at the tall man with blond hair standing in the corner. His eyes held a warning and Jake stopped talking.
“What’s your name?” the dark-haired man who talked to him yesterday asked. “I’m Holden. You remember us, right?”
“Yes, I do.” Carl nodded his head. “My name is Carl.”
“Carl,” Jake said his name real slow and Carl found himself wanting to lean closer to him again but stopped himself.
“Well, Carl, this is Seth.” Holden pointed to the man standing in the corner. “And you remember Jake, he’s the one you shot.” Holden turned his finger to point at Jake. “As you can see he pulled through just fine.”
Holden rested his hand on Jake’s shoulder and Carl could feel a growl rumbling in his chest. He didn’t like Holden touching Jake. But why? There were so many questions and no time for answers.
Carl brought a hand up to his face and used his fingers to feel around his puffy eye.
“We need to get out of here before whoever messed him up comes back,” Seth ordered.
“I can’t leave.” Carl started to panic. “What if Casper gets away and comes back. I need to be here.”
“Listen, kid.” Seth kneeled down next to Holden and Carl felt surrounded by the three men. “I’ve seen your brother, I don’t think he’d be able to overpower anyone.”
Carl had to agree with that assessment. Casper and he had grown thin and weak over the past three years but even more so once they left the alpha’s house.
“Look, we’ll help you find your brother but you need to come with us.” Seth said it as an order.
&nbs
p; “But why do you want to help me? What do you want in return?” He had to ask because he’d learned everything came with a price.
“Nothing, Carl.” Jake reached out his hand but hesitated in touching him. Carl could see his fingers trembling. “We want to help you because it’s the right thing to do.”
Carl sat there silently debating what to do. He did need help. Getting Casper back from Tobias would be hard just for him alone. They barely escaped the first time and now he was on his own without Casper.
He took a good look at the three men. They were bigger than him and looked stronger too. If it came down to a fight these men would be able to help.
Seth had a lethal look to him that frightened Carl, yet he’d never admit it. His broad shoulders and thick arms looked like he could do some damage to another person’s body. Holden looked just as strong but something about him didn’t scream that he was a violent man. He looked trustworthy and sympathetic. He had been kind to Carl even after he shot his friend.
His eyes slowly moved over to Jake and his heart started to pound in his chest. There was something about Jake that made Carl want to, well, want. The man had a strong and muscular frame and the golden skin tone made him beyond handsome. His eyes shined like stones and his full lips glowed a warm pink. He didn’t think it possible to be attracted to another person after what Tobias had done to him. But as he stared into Jake’s green eyes he wanted to have a future beyond the nightmares that haunted him while awake and asleep.
“Okay but it won’t be easy.” He needed to warn them what they were getting themselves into. “My alpha is ruthless and he doesn’t care who he hurts.”
“We understand.” Jake stood up and held out his hand for Carl to take. “And that’s why we are going with you.”
Carl’s hand shook as he reached out to take Jake’s. When their fingers connected a shock of electricity prickled against his skin and he gripped Jake’s hand tighter, allowing the man to pull him to his feet. Jake smiled down at him and Carl quickly let go and took a step back.
“If there’s anything here you need grab it and let’s get out of here. We’ll head back to my house and get my Jeep.” Seth walked out the front door, leaving it open for them to follow.
Carl looked around the small room and nothing stuck out as something he had to have. They had left everything they owned behind when they escaped but even then that wasn’t much. Tobias had taken all their possessions and destroyed them.
A shiver rippled over his skin at the memories of being held captive. The small jail cells they were forced to live in. Carl had never committed a crime yet he had been forced to live like a criminal. He could still feel the cold steel bars as he gripped them night after night praying for the strength to break free.
“Carl, you all right?” Jake asked. “You’ve gone pale like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine.” He blew off Jake’s concern. He didn’t need this man to feel sorry for him. “Let’s go. There’s nothing for me here.”
Carl followed Holden out the door. His body ached all over and he had a slight limp as he walked. He held a hand to his left side as his ribs pulled tight with every step he took.
They walked into the trees with Seth leading the way. The sun broke through the clouds but did little to keep him warm as they walked through the dense forest. Carl pulled his shirt tighter to his body wishing he had a heavier coat to wear.
It seemed like they had been walking forever when they finally came to the back of a much nicer cabin than he and his brother had been living in.
“Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.” Jake gently touched his shoulder. “Are you hungry?”
As if on cue his stomach growled loudly. Carl brought his hands up to cover his stomach, embarrassed by the sound.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jake smiled as he walked past him. “I’m starving too. In the rush to get back to you I totally skipped breakfast.”
He was taken by the man’s omission and stared up at him. “Why did you want to get back to me? I shot you. Don’t you hate me?” Carl asked.
Jake spun around and grabbed him by the shoulders. “I could never hate you. You were afraid and did what you thought was best to protect you and your brother. I would have done the same thing.”
Carl couldn’t move. His was held captivated by Jake’s handsome face and his words. The man didn’t blame him or hate him. “Thank you,” was all Carl could say.
A small grin turned up the corners of Jake’s lips, easing the stress lines around his mouth. Jake wrapped an arm around Carl’s shoulders and guided him into the cabin. Holden stood at the small stove making something that smelt delicious. His stomach rumbled again and Jake nudged his shoulder and laughed.
“Sit.” Seth pulled out a chair at the table and Carl sat down. Taking orders was something Carl had grown used to over the years. He didn’t think Seth would take a whip to his back if he refused but best not to find out. “Your face looks better. That eye isn’t as swollen.”
On the walk over he hadn’t noticed when he was able to start seeing out his right eye. He had too many other things running through this mind to notice. Besides worrying about his brother he couldn’t concentrate with Jake so close to him. On the hike over he kept stealing glances at the man. Every now and again rays of sunlight would bounce off of Jake’s hair creating a halo-type effect. Carl’s fingers itched to tunnel through the thick, silky locks.
Jake caught him looking and grinned at him. Carl was surprise to see the man blush. A pretty pink brightened Jake’s cheeks and Carl couldn’t help but stare. The sharp lines of his masculine face softened, almost making the man look childlike. Carl thought it was a good look for the tall man.
Carl took notice of his hulking shoulders. A dark-gray pullover hid the shape of Jake’s body but when the man would raise his arm or flex his muscles, Carl could see the strength the cotton material kept hidden.
“Here you go.” Holden sat a plate of eggs with some bacon in front of him and the delicious smell distracted him from his thoughts about Jake.
Carl smiled his thanks but waited until the others had food before he dug in. He might have had to live like an animal over the past few years but he still remembered the manners his mother had taught him.
They ate in silence. Every now and again he’d catch Jake looking at him and he had to swallow down a giggle as the man’s cheeks became flushed. Being around Jake, even Seth and Holden, almost made him forget the past or that his brother had been taken.
But like always reality came pounding down on his shoulders to remind him how fucked up his life had become.
“Can you tell us exactly what is going on here?” Holden asked when they finished eating. “How did you come to live here and what are you so afraid of?” Holden pointed at his face. “By the looks of it you have every right to be.”
Carl stared down at his empty plate and swiped the fork over the surface. Warm fingers wrapped around his wrist and he stopped playing with the fork.
“Let us help you.” Jake slid his hand down to entwine his fingers with Carl’s.
The contact had Carl gasping on the inside. The rough callouses on Jake’s palm told a story of a man who worked with his hands but in that masculine strength held a gentleness that had Carl wanting to melt at his feet. He didn’t feel afraid to tell Jake what had happened to him and his brother. Carl prayed his instincts were right and that he could trust Jake.
“So much has happened. Where do I start?” His voice cracked and he could feel the tears pool in the corners of his eyes.
“From the beginning,” Jake gently said. He then cupped his other hand over Carl’s.
“My brother, Casper, and I grew up in Edgerton. It’s a small town in Vermont. It’s kind of like here.” He motioned toward the window. “Secluded and faraway from the city. We loved it there. We were so far from town our mother homeschooled my brother and I. Our only interaction with other kids was when we attended pack meetings.” Carl’s
eyes stung as the memories of the past floated to the surface.
“I don’t mean to be insensitive but you need to get to the part that tells us how and why you came to live on my property.” Carl looked up at Seth and the man waved his hand around signaling for him to get on with it.
“A week before my eleventh birthday our alpha was murdered by hunters. The wolves that were with the alpha said they were out running in wolf form when it happened. Tobias was the second-in-command and naturally he took over.”
“Tobias?” Jake asked. “This is the current alpha, I take it?”
Carl nodded his head. “Yes and it didn’t sit well with my father. See him and the deceased alpha were best friends and my father had reservations about being under Tobias’s rule so he had made arrangements for us to move. A few days later Casper and I were home alone when Tobias came by. He explained to us that our parents had been in a car accident and died. I was only eleven and Casper nine.” His throat began to burn at the memory. It was the darkest day of his life. “We had nowhere else to go and Tobias took us in. I had been so grateful for that. It kept Casper and I together.” Carl swiped his hand under his eye to wipe away a tear. “He was always so nice. I didn’t have a clue what he was capable of.”
“What changed?” Seth prompted.
Carl didn’t want to tell them. He’d been so stupid. He fell for every lie Tobias ever told. They would think him foolish and just a dumb kid but he had to be honest with them. These men were willing to risk their safety to help him. He at least owed them the truth. “I stopped sharing his bed.”
“Excuse me?” Jake shouted. Carl tried to pull his hand free but Jake wouldn’t let go.
“Jake, calm down.” Holden touched Jake’s forearm. Carl watched as Jake turned to Holden. When the two men’s eyes met the pressure on Carl’s arm loosened. Holden smiled at Jake and Carl lost it.
“Would you please stop touching him!” he screamed so loud that even his ears began to ring. His fist balled up and he banged them on the table top. Here he went making a fool of himself again in front of complete strangers but damn it, he hated seeing Holden touching Jake. It drove him crazy and he didn’t know why and that just made him even angrier.