by Lia Davis
"How?" My voice cracked and tears of relief rolled down my cheeks. Thanks to the gods!
Our lead enforcer stood on the other side of the room, collecting evidence, and heard me. "There was a survivor. The mom. She and her mate fought them off. He was killed in the end, but the humans were too injured to try to fight her off as well. Apparently they'd heard about the attacks and had installed an alarm on the driveway and yard. If something bigger than a small dog walked across the property they were alerted inside. They sent the kids out the back door to neighbors at the north end of their property—who are lycans as well."
"What the hell? Why are we just now hearing this? Where is she?" We needed to question her extensively.
The enforcer wasn’t fazed by my outburst. Most of them were used to me stepping in as alpha when my dad wasn’t around. He answered while still gathering fingerprints. "She's with the kids at her dad's place. We've called a witch to come put her in a trance so she can answer questions without the emotional trauma."
My shoulders slumped, relieved. "I'm glad to hear that."
The enforcer lifted his gaze to me and nodded once, then glanced to Kane, frowning. "What's a vampire doing here? Also, how is a vampire here in the daylight?"
"He's here to help investigate. You know the coven was also attacked." My voice turning from kind and friendly to frosty and authoritative. It wasn’t his place to question who I brought with me to a crime scene.
The enforcer, who I was pretty sure was named Colin, snapped to attention when he heard my tone. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, and he damn near saluted. He probably remembered I hated being saluted and stopped himself in time. He definitely would've saluted my dad.
Keeping my alpha tone, I said, "Report to me as soon as you have her statement. Find out every detail you can about the men that were here. How they looked, smelled, their uniforms, what they said."
"Yes, ma'am," he repeated, then left the room.
I focused my senses, drawing up the ability to see the reflections of the past again. I shuddered as I felt the shadow of the men attacking and the parents fighting them off.
Voss
Jillian's eyes weren't closed, but they weren't focused either. She wasn't seeing us around her as we tried to get any information or evidence from the scene. She was seeing the fight that happened in the night. Her head jerked back and forth, following the movements that only she could see.
Each painful expression on her face made me want to scoop her up and take her out of there. That would piss her off. She used her gift to help the pack, no matter how much pain and grief it brought her.
Her shoulders grew more hunched the longer it went on, and all I could do was watch her. I assumed the fight took a while. A strong alpha male and his mate could do a lot of damage to a human, but these were armed, trained assassins. They wouldn't be as easy to take down.
"She kicked ass," she whispered. "She took down more of them than he did, but I think he took a bullet."
"He did," Quin said quietly. "The report just came to my email. That's what killed him in the end."
"Where was he shot?" she looked around, as if searching. "I can't tell."
"It was a gut shot," Quin replied.
"Shit," she said. She backed up, against the wall, and drew her head as far back as she could, then inched to the right. "I have to get out of the way."
We all moved to the other side of the room, guiding her around the biggest puddles of blood. She wasn't seeing them at all.
She frowned, her nose crinkling. "I can see more now. They've trained as a group. They fight together, as a unit."
"I didn't realize humans trained that way," I said. "We do, but I'd never heard humans doing it. The Vikings favored it, but that was a very long time ago."
"We don't even train that way," Kane said, stepping closer to Jillian.
This scene wasn't as bad as the other two, but I could see it was taking its toll on Jillian. She had her arms wrapped around her middle, and her skin was deathly pale. I moved closer to her, to support her, but Kane beat me to it.
She leaned into him, accepting his support. She should've been accepting my support. My temper flared, but I pushed it down— a little. I wanted to be there for her and shouldn't have to wait my turn because a fucking vampire got to her first.
Would I always be third in line? Behind the vampire and her best friend? A growl rumbled in my chest. Taking a breath, I pushed the thoughts away. Jillian wasn’t like that.
I took her hand, giving her a small tug to try to get her to come toward me. The urge to comfort her was strong. My wolf wanted to wrap himself around her and make sure she was safe. "Are you okay?"
She squeezed my hand slightly. "I'm fine. It's just draining, you know that."
She didn't stop leaning on Kane. He'd already fucked her, did that mean she'd show him more affection than she would Quin and me?
"Come here, lean on me," I said, ignoring Kane.
"She's fine," he said testily.
Quin looked up from the corner of the room where he was bent over. It looked like he was trying to discern a smell as he narrowed his gaze at me. I ignored him.
"She's not fine," I said, unable to hide the anger in my voice. "She looks like she's about to pass out."
She straightened and glared at me. Why was she glaring at me? He was the one hogging her. Turning away from both of us, she tiptoed her way across the room toward the front door.
"What the fuck is your problem?" Kane rounded on me.
"I don't have a problem, I just wanted to make sure she was okay." Maybe I was being too pushy, but it was hard to stop. My wolf screamed to claim Jillian, protect her. She was mine.
"She was fine. Just because you're not the one holding her doesn't give you the right to try to jerk her out of my arms." Kane’s face reddened.
"Hey," Quin said sharply, crossing the room to us. "She's gone, and you two need to remember that you signed up for this. I'm not sure which one of you got jealous first, but both of you need to end it. If we fight, she'll call the whole thing off. Do you want to live a life without your fated mate, or only seeing her every few days?"
Fuck. He was right. I hung my head. "Sorry, man. It's not easy."
I jumped and nearly snarled when Kane clapped me on the arm. "I get it. I really do. We gotta try to be patient with each other and let her take the lead whenever possible."
He held out his hand, offering peace again. I shook without having to think about it. We had to try to work together, and forgive each other when we slipped. I was glad he'd been able to be the gracious one.
"Are we done here?" I asked.
"I think so," Quin said.
"Good, let's go find Jillian."
She was in the SUV, sitting in the back seat with her head laid back. She didn't even open her eyes as we climbed into the car. "You two done with your pissing contest?"
I turned toward them, and Kane nodded his head at me. He wanted to switch seats and let me sit with her. I got out and as we passed around the car, clapped him on the arm the way he had me in the house. "Thanks."
She rolled her head as I slid in beside her and gave me a dirty look.
"I'm sorry," I said earnestly. "I was a dick."
"Yes, you were."
"I'm sorry," I whispered as I slid toward her. I took her hand, and she leaned her head on my shoulder. The tension eased from my body, and I slipped an arm round her.
Jillian told us everything she saw as we rode back to Kane's apartment. We really didn't learn anything useful at the scene. Kane texted his contacts again. Still no coven attack had been reported. All we could do now was wait and see if they attacked again or if one of the hackers got through their systems.
4
Jillian
After I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the shower, dried my long brown hair, and then dragged my feet getting dressed in my most boring pajamas. I was a mix of hesitation and dread. Plus, I needed to calm my annoyance before I searc
hed for Voss. We needed to have a serious conversation about this relationship, but I didn't know how he'd react.
One thing I’d noticed about him was he was guarded. If I didn’t word things just right, he’d get offended or misunderstand what I wanted. I didn't want him to get pissed and leave. My heart already belonged to him whether he realized it or not. It wasn’t just because we were fated mates, but because I genuinely liked him.
I tapped quietly on the door to his bedroom, glancing nervously down the hall to the half of the basement Quin occupied. I needed to have this conversation with all of them, eventually, but I preferred to do it one on one.
Voss answered the door quickly, surprising me with how fast the door opened. I opened my mouth, a little startled, then laughed at myself. I probably looked like a fish out of water with wide eyes and my mouth in an O. It didn't hurt that he was just wearing jeans with the top button undone.
Fuck, he was cut. He had washboard abs and broad shoulders and a light dusting of hair across his chest. I’d seen him shirtless many times, but somehow now I couldn’t look away.
"Hey, what's up, Jillian?" He appeared surprised to see me at his bedroom door.
I never invaded their spaces. Of course, I hadn't been their mate before, just their alpha. Their apartments were their own, and I didn't want them to think they had to do as I said in the comfort of their own domains.
Not that they ever really did what I said, anyway.
"Can we talk?" I rubbed my hands on my soft, velour pajama bottoms when I'd rather have rubbed them on the soft skin of his chest. They were a little tight, left over from my velour phase in high school. I used to wear them everywhere as pants not pajamas. Thank fuck I outgrew that phase.
"Of course, come in."
He stepped back and I finally got a glimpse of his room. I'd always been curious about him and Quin. Were they slobs or neat? I had an idea that they were both fairly neat, but was happy to see for myself.
His room was tidy, as I'd suspected. "Wow," I said as I walked toward the shelves he had lining one wall. They were full of records and CDs. "This is impressive."
"Thanks," he said. "I love music. All kinds, really, but especially seventies rock."
I thumbed through the records, impressed by the range of the collection. I even saw some old school country in there. My dad loved that shit.
"I knew you liked music, but not like this. Do you play an instrument?" I asked, realizing how little I really knew about him.
He shrugged and shoved his hands in his front pockets. "Only a little. I love listening to music, but never really wanted to make a career out of it. I always knew my place was in the pack hierarchy."
"Was that your choice?" I'd heard a lot about his dad, and from what I'd heard, Emerson was a real hardass.
He looked sharply at me as if he knew what I was asking. "Yes, it was."
He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. Maybe one day he'd want to share more with me, but I wouldn't push it. Not until he was ready.
"So, listen. Today..."
"I know. I'm sorry," he said before I could figure out exactly what I wanted to say.
"No, it's not that. I don't know what I'm doing. Kane reached for me, so I took advantage of his comfort in a situation that was horrible. I've had sex with him already, repeatedly. I've talked more to him, and feel like I already know more about him than you. Maybe not more than Quin, but I've known him longer."
His face fell. "So, you prefer them over me."
"No!" I started to reach for him, but when he didn’t move toward the door to leave, I relaxed. "No, I'm explaining this all wrong."
I walked over to his neatly made bed and sat in the middle, legs crossed. "I don't want to give any one of you more time over the other. I've been ignoring and fighting the pull to you for a year. It's been exhausting, and Dad says I've been crabby. Probably because I wouldn't even acknowledge the mating cry."
He watched me carefully. "Why didn't you? I'd been wondering how you were ignoring it. I figured maybe I was crazy or imagining it because I wanted it so much."
"I don't know," I said. I really didn't. I was hell bent on remaining free, and unchained, as long as possible. "It seemed so important at the time to be free."
"What was it about Kane that woke you up?" He averted his gaze. For such a tough alpha male, he sure looked vulnerable.
"The same thing that happened with you. Except maybe I'd been fighting it so long the addition of Kane overwhelmed me? I don't know. I just know that once I smelled him and was near him, I couldn't ignore my mating call with any of the three of you. It was like my circle of…whatever this is, was complete. Like Kane completed us."
A soft sigh escaped him and he sat beside me on the bed.
"Voss, I need to know, for sure, if you're all in. Are you with me for the long haul?" My anxiety reared its ugly head from the uncertainty in my gut. "I don't know if I can survive you leaving, though. I really think the four of us are meant to stay together. If you can't be all in, you can't be my sentry any more. I can't be near you constantly and not be with you."
He opened his mouth to speak, but I was too freaked out that he might say something I didn't want to hear. "Maybe we could send you somewhere tropical to lead. Like down in Florida or something. You like being outside in the summer. Do you like the beach?"
My mind took off. I was normally so sure of myself, and kind of a hard ass. But the thought of losing Voss was torture. Then the panic increased at the thought of him leaving.
"Jillian!" He grabbed my shoulders and yanked me toward him, knocking both of us over in the process. He rolled, pinning me to the mattress and claimed my mouth in a raw, unforgiving kiss. Surprised, I stiffened at first, not expecting the speed of his movements. Desire flared in my core, and I relaxed against him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I slid my tongue inside his mouth, searching for his. A low grow rumbled from him and he deepened the kiss.
My wolf rejoiced and all my doubts washed away.
Breaking the kiss, he pulled back and stared down at me. "I'm all in, Jillian," he said.
Hooking my legs around his waist, I pulled him closer and kissed him, pouring all the passion, restraint, and frustration of the past year into it. His bottom lip slipped slightly between mine, and I pulled it in, sucking slightly.
His moan told me he liked it.
He rolled his hips, pressing our fronts together. My breasts, braless in the pajama tank, pressed against his chest. I arched my back as his hands slid down my side and inside my pajama pants and panties onto my ass. He squeezed hard, his fingers wrapped all the way around to the bottom of my cheeks. The sensation of his pressure drove straight to my clit, lighting me on fire. My wolf howled in pleasure.
I jerked my pajama tank off, wriggling under his embrace. His hands pulled out of my pants and squeezed my breasts as my nipples tightened, aching for attention. He backed away from my mouth, and I moved to give him better access to my nipples. I marveled in the direct connection from my nipples to my clit. As his tongue worked it's magic on my top, my bottom became more and more inflamed.
Voss tugged my pants down before climbing off the bed, admiring me as he removed his pants. A groan tore from my throat as his thick cock sprang free. Heat filled my entire body and my pussy throbbed with need.
When he didn’t move right away, I growled at him. "Voss."
He chuckled and his wolf blazed in his golden eyes as he eased down over me. "You’re so beautiful, my mate."
Yes! "Then make me yours."
He growled out a string of curses and claimed my lips once one, then entered me with a quick thrust. I cried out in pleasure and scored his back with my nails. We moved together in a sensual dance like we’d always belonged together. Maybe we had.
Tucking his arms under my legs, he lifted, making him go deeper. Sensations overwhelmed my body as he curled his hips, slamming into me over and over. Pleasure built, threatening to push me over the edge of bliss.
Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly climb any higher, Voss bit down on the bend of my shoulder where it met my neck. Pain shot through me, mixing with the pleasure. Stars flashed behind my eyes, and I screamed his name while my body jerked in release.
He soon followed over the ledge with his own orgasm. He wrapped his arms around me and held my body tight against him as the last shudders left our bodies.
I smiled as the tiny threads of a mating bond formed between us, mingling with the link I had with Kane.
After a few moments, Voss lifted his head and grinned at me. "I feel Kane. It’s weird, but it…works."
Happiness like I never felt before filled my heart. "I’ll bring Quin in the mix soon."
Voss pulled out of me and laid beside me, drawing me into a hug. "For now I want you all to myself."
"Ditto." I sighed and snuggled into him. This could work. Together, the four of us could overcome anything the humans threw at us.
5
Voss
I bolted out of bed to the sound of someone beating on the outside door to the gym. Who the fuck was banging? Why were they hitting it so hard to wake me out of a dead sleep? The door was reinforced steel, and had a damn doorbell. There was no reason for anyone to knock so hard. I ran through the gym, half hopping as I jerked my sweatpants on.
"Who's there?" I asked roughly through the door, not even sure if they could hear me.
"Your father," the shout came back. "Open the damn door!"
Son of a bitch. I threw back the deadbolt and jerked the door open. "What the hell do you want?"
He pushed past me into the gym. "To make sure you do your damn duty." He stalked toward my bedroom. "I can smell her."
Jillian appeared, wearing nothing but one of my old T-shirts, in the doorway my father was walking toward. "Emerson," she said in sleepy surprise. "Is there a problem? Are you okay?"
My father stopped short and turned slowly to look at me. "It's about fucking time. What is wrong with you?"