by Kelex
Kai shrugged and tried to look uninterested. “Doesn’t matter that much.”
“Yes, Royce—can you ask? Please?” Lane asked. “That way your brother can’t use some shit excuse to avoid this man we met earlier today.”
A smile spread on Royce, Jared, and Carson’s faces.
“Who’d you meet today?” Judah, Royce’s eldest, asked as he colored his spot on the tablecloth.
“No one important,” Kai said, cutting off Lane’s answer.
Lane only sighed at his side.
“A shifter, hmm?” Royce asked, one brow rising. “Back at home, in the very place you’ve been avoiding. What are the odds?”
Kai’s hackles rose. “Don’t.”
Royce lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. I’ll put in those calls, and we can put your concerns to rest. Hopefully.” Royce leaned his elbows on the table. “Anyone I might know?”
“Not unless you have a few vagrants that you call friends,” Kai muttered.
Royce sat back, frowning. “Vagrants?”
“He didn’t look well,” Lane said. “Hair grown out, wild beard. We only saw him for a split second before he took off. He looked afraid.”
Royce scrubbed his jaw. “I know Declan opened up some rooms at the hotel for some overflow from the base—but I don’t know if I like the idea of a disheveled monster running around our city.” Royce looked concerned. “If he’s dangerous—and those creatures can be—we might need to get him checked.”
“He was an omega,” Lane said. “So he might be less of a threat.”
Royce winced. “Those omegas, man—they really went through it.”
“How so?” Kai asked.
Royce cast a look down the table. “Boys. Hands on ears.”
Kai watched as all three boys covered their ears.
Royce then leaned in closer to Kai and Lane. “The humans apparently wanted to breed shifters so they could control them from birth on. The ones they were abducting were proving harder to control. From what I heard, the omegas were impregnated and forced to carry babes—and then the cubs were taken from them and raised in a lab.”
Kai sat there, numbness filling him.
Had their mate been forced to carry a child he didn’t want, and then had that babe taken away to be experimented on, as well? He couldn’t imagine what they might’ve done to the man.
“You call them monsters,” Lane murmured quietly. “Sounds like these humans were the true monsters.”
“They were,” Royce said. “And if your friend went through even a piece of what I suspect he did—you can understand why he might be on the edge.”
“Sounds like he needs some help,” Carson murmured. “Someone to bring him back from the brink. Someone he can finally trust.”
Kai met Carson’s stare and sensed the human was right.
Royce motioned that the boys could remove their hands from their ears.
“Of course, we can’t be sure who he was after a single meeting that lasted seconds,” Kai murmured lowly.
That was a lie.
He knew.
He knew exactly who that male was.
Their mate needed help.
Kai turned to gaze at Lane.
“We need to find him,” Lane murmured, a knowing look in his eyes.
Kai nodded. “Yeah. We do.”
Their waiter arrived at the table, setting down drinks before everyone but Kai, Lane, and Royce. “Glad you could join us,” the cougar shifter said. “Can I get you gentlemen a drink?”
“Sweet tea,” Royce answered as the little one that had crawled into his lap whispered that he was hungry.
“Double shot of Maker’s. On ice,” Lane said.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” Kai said, angling his thumb toward his brother bear. “Add in a beer. What’ve you got on tap?”
“There’s a new brewery in town,” Jared interrupted. “Good local bear-made beer.”
“I’ll have one of those,” Kai told the waiter.
“I’ll get that right up for you,” the waiter said before turning to Royce. “It’s busy tonight. Maybe I can get some fries for the cubs to keep them busy?”
“Yes, please,” Carson said, eyeing the smallest cub with a smile.
“I’ll get that right in,” the waiter said before leaving them.
“How long are you guys planning to stay?” Jared asked once the man was gone.
Kai turned to Lane, knowing their trip had just had a massive wrench thrown into it. Lane said nothing—not with his mouth. But his eyes told Kai all he needed to know. They’d stay—as long as they had to. He turned back to Jared. “Not quite sure. At least through the unveiling ceremony.”
They continued to make small talk as they awaited their drinks, but Kai’s mind was elsewhere. He stared toward the big picture window at the front of the restaurant, knowing they needed to be out, searching.
Once the waiter returned with their drinks, he downed the bourbon and looked at Lane. “We need to go,” he whispered.
Lane nodded.
Kai rose, Lane following. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to take a raincheck on dinner.”
“Oh, is everything okay?” Carson asked, frowning.
“They’re itching to find their mate,” Jared murmured. “Let ‘em go. They won’t be good company until they do.”
“They have a mate?” Judah asked. “Who?”
“Good question,” Kai answered his nephew. “We’re about to go find out.”
“Kai,” his brother said.
Kai looked at Royce, who shockingly, didn’t look pissed.
“Be careful out there, okay? Remember he’s been through a lot. Don’t be too aggressive, okay?”
Kai nodded, shocked by the advice.
“Can you guys come up to the inn tomorrow morning?” Royce asked. “About seven?”
“Why?”
“Just some things I wanted to show you,” Royce said.
Kai cast a look at Lane.
“We can, but I need to go see my papa around eleven,” Lane said.
“We shouldn’t be all that long,” Royce said. “I’ll see you there.”
* * * *
As soon as they were outside the restaurant, Lane felt as if he could breathe easier. From the moment he’d heard what their mate might have endured, he’d felt half sick. The cool night air on his face helped soothe him, but only so much.
“Where do we start?”
Kai turned in a semi-circle, scanning the street. “We saw him at the hotel. We go there. Ask questions. See what we can find out.” Kai scrubbed at his lips. “Maybe we get lucky and get a scent there.”
“I didn’t smell anything when we got to the room,” Lane said. “And trust me, I scented every step of the way.”
“Me, too.”
Lane took a step closer. “So, even then, you were looking for him?”
Kai caught his stare. “Of course I was.”
“All the naysaying?”
“He’s not exactly what I was expecting,” Kai mumbled, looking a little embarrassed.
“Me either, but if he needs help, I want to be there for him.”
“Let’s go,” Kai said, nodding his head. “Let’s find our mate and see what we can do. If we can do anything at all.”
Chapter Nine
Turi stared at himself in the mirror, not recognizing his own face. He’d taken that first step in the opposite direction of the hotel, searching for the men he’d met. Along the way, he’d seen the looks from others as he’d passed. People had crossed the street away from him, parents holding on to their cubs tightly.
When he’d gotten a good look at himself in one of the plate-glass windows he’d passed, he realized the doc might have been right. He’d stopped and stared at that reflection, seeing the wall he’d built to protect himself from people. Turi couldn’t recall the last time he’d even glimpsed at a mirror. He ignored the one in the bathroom at the hotel and had a blanket draped over the
one in the main room.
He had no desire to see what was left of himself.
During his stroll around the city, he’d happened upon a barber’s shop, so he’d stopped and took his therapist’s advice, for a change. He got a cut and a shave.
Hours later, he still wasn’t familiar with the face looking back at him.
The experiments had changed him. He was omega, but no longer looked like one. When he’d been captured, he’d been shorter, leaner, and had less muscle. Now, he looked more like a beta, but he was still smaller than the other beasts Zed had made. The beta monsters were now huge and towered over other average betas.
And he’d aged.
Not as much as he knew he should have. Shifters aged slower as it was, but he should have more than the tiny bit of salt and pepper showing up in his dark hair. A few crinkles showed at the corners of his eyes, but otherwise, his face didn’t show much else.
Again, he ran his palm over his smooth cheek, the sensation so foreign to him.
A knock at the door came and he froze, one look over his shoulder. He hadn’t ordered dinner yet. Who else would be knocking?
He looked back into the mirror as the second set of knocks came.
Turi slipped out of the bathroom and moved closer to the door. He peeked through the spyhole… and gasped.
They’d found him.
He drew in a ragged breath, fear spiking in his veins. After all his searching that afternoon, he should’ve been glad they were there, but there was another voice in his head, one that told him they wouldn’t accept him once they learned what he’d been through.
Why bother getting my hopes up?
Still, he had to know more. Through the fear, through the denial, he still wanted to at least know who these men were.
A couple of names.
Some scents.
A maybe.
He carefully opened the door to the two men.
“I’m sorry, I think we have the wrong roo—” one of the men started to say but stopped short, his eyes widening.
Both men took a deep inhale before their eyes lit up with preternatural light.
“You got a haircut,” the other one said.
Turi lifted a hand to his nearly bare head. The barber had cut it too close.
“It looks good,” the first man said, his voice low and deep. “Real good.”
Turi lifted his stare to theirs, letting his hand fall away. “It was past time.”
The male closest to him flared his nostrils some and lifted his chin a bit. My gods, he is handsome. Those shining aqua eyes were enough to ensorcel him completely. Dark hair and tanned skin helped those eyes seem even brighter, if that was possible. But it was the slow, liquid smile crossing his lips that threatened to drive Turi over the edge.
“My name’s Kai,” the blue-eyed god said, offering a hand.
Turi took it and felt a blast of heat wash through him, just as before when they’d touched. Lust also slammed into him, his omega side screaming in his mind to let them take him.
He yanked back his hand, as if burned.
Turi wasn’t ready to be taken. He wasn’t ready for much more than a hello. He looked up and saw a frown marring all those good looks.
“I’m sorry if I upset you,” Kai murmured. He turned and looked at his companion. “This is Lane, my brother bear.”
Lane, the golden-eyed male, offered his hand.
Turi met that stare and sensed something different from this bear. Kai was the stronger of the pair, the alpha-leaning. Lane was the true beta. Turi sensed comfort emanating from Lane. Reaching out, Turi took the bear’s hand.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Lane said softly.
“Likewise,” he said. “I’m Turi.”
“Bear?”
Turi frowned, pulling his hand from Lane’s. “No… lion.” Although, he’d had a lot more added on while imprisoned, so maybe he was part bear now.
“No,” Kai said. “Turi means bear. I believe it’s Dutch… maybe Swedish. I can’t recall.”
Turi smiled. What were the odds? “I had no idea.”
One of Kai’s brows rose a bit, his smile returning. It flashed, and Turi found it hard to breathe. It drew his stare to the firm lips surrounding those teeth, and the desire to lean in and taste the man nearly overwhelmed him.
“Can we come in?” Lane asked.
Turi looked over his shoulder. The place was a wreck. He hadn’t let the cleaning crew in for a couple of weeks. And it wasn’t like he’d felt much like doing anything. Now he felt shame reddening his face. “It’s a mess in here.”
Kai and Lane looked over his shoulders, embarrassing him further.
“Have you had dinner?” Kai asked.
He’d been just about to put in his nightly room service order. “I will soon.”
“You could join us,” Kai said. “We were about to go get a bite ourselves. Maybe we could get to know one another a little.”
Turi contemplated their offer. His curiosity was at war with his need to stay put and not leave that room. Already he’d canvassed the city that afternoon, and his body was still in shock from that.
I survived it.
Nothing bad happened.
He opened his mouth to agree… but then another thought hit him.
What if they want more than I can give them? What if they push? What if…
“No, no, I can’t go tonight,” Turi murmured, hating himself for being that afraid. He looked at the floor, unable to look either of them in the eye.
“We won’t hurt you,” Lane said in a low voice.
He lifted his stare and met the beta’s. Lane held it and smiled softly.
“I promise you—we won’t harm you in any way.”
Turi frowned. “Why did you say that?”
What did they already know?
“You… ah… you… looked afraid the first time we saw you,” Lane answered. “And you look afraid now, too. There’s no reason to fear us.”
Bullshit. They knew.
Panic hit him, making it hard to breathe. Had they found out who he was and what had happened to him? Did they know about Zed? Did they know about the babies and the males forced on him?
Did they know he’d been used and spit out?
“I can’t,” he cried, slamming the door.
He rested his forehead against the wood, gasping for air.
“I don’t know what we did to frighten you, Turi, but I’m sorry,” Lane said on the other side of the door. “We’re sorry.”
“Go away,” Turi cried.
He could still sense them on the other side of the door. They remained for far too long. Maybe a little piece of him wanted them to fight, to demand he open the door, but he also knew that would only make matters worse.
When he finally heard them leave, he backed away from it and fell onto his bed, his heart still rocketing in his chest.
What was the point of spending any time with them if they were only going to pity him?
He lay there another few minutes and realized something.
How could he expect them not to pity him when he pitied himself?
Turi looked about the unkempt room and slowly rose to his feet. He began cleaning up, getting his room back into some semblance of order. When he was done, he stood back, happy with the results.
Too bad it’s not this easy to clean up my mind.
Why wasn’t it? Pick up one piece at a time and fix it until it’s a little neater.
But was he doing it for him… or for them?
Turi pulled the blanket off of the hotel’s mirror and took a look at himself. Whatever the spark was that urged him on didn’t matter. For the first time since before Zed had taken him, he felt alive.
Light danced in his eyes as he stared at his reflection.
Hope.
He looked away, knowing too much hope could be a bad thing. After a moment, he slid open the sliding glass door and walked out onto the balcony. The moon rose just behind the one mas
sive peak—the spot where the doctor had recommended he go for a hike. His animals roared within, called by the sights of the moon and the mountain. The woods. Outdoors… where he longed to be.
Maybe I need to take that hike after all.
* * * *
The following morning…
Kai dragged ass the following morning. They’d had to get up at o’dark thirty to get to the inn at seven. They’d met up with Royce and Jared, who gave them a tour of the old family business.
While some of the cabins looked to be recently renovated, they were in rough shape already. Others were just rough and old.
The place had been the gem of Bear Mountain. Cabins nestled in the wooded mountain with pristine views and glorious hiking trails. Humans had once come in droves to the mountain.
“Why did it get to this point?” Kai demanded.
“When the wall went up,” Jared said. “The humans stopped coming. We were in danger here. No income. But then the troops started coming in and they needed housing before they built that base of theirs. So we housed them. And a bunch of soldiers living here for an extended time was rough on the place. We had some of them three to five to a cabin.”
“And with Declan appointing me mayor, I was spending more and more of my time in the city, overseeing the day-to-day operations. Jared was left to man this place on his own.”
Jared growled. “To be honest, it got away from me. As soon as I would fix something, these damned soldiers would tear something else up. They drove their big old army trucks up the lane, destroyed much of it. I’d get the potholes filled in and new ones would pop up somewhere else. They wreaked havoc in the restaurant—that place needs a whole new overhaul.”
“If the soldiers did this, they should play a part in fixing it,” Kai said. “Their war is over, right?”
Royce turned to Kai and Lane. “They’re ready, willing, and able to come fix it all up. But I’m not here and Jared’s been made supervisor over at County Works. He’s managing all the projects Declan has for the new roads and power grid.”