Blinded

by E. M. Leya

  I looked up at Brett as everything became clear. "You thought Bridger was beating your sister?"

  "He was. I saw the bruises. He tried to choke her." Justin glared at me.

  "Bridger didn't do anything to Mary she didn't ask for. She was his submissive. She asked him to choke her during sex. Bridger was trained in autoerotic asphyxia. Mary wanted to explore those things. She requested to be tied up, whipped. You killed him because he and your sister had a kinky sex life," Brett screamed. "Maybe that's why she wouldn't talk to you about it. It's not something brothers and sisters discuss."

  I reached over and rested my hand against Brett's leg.

  "Even then, you don't kill over it. You report it to the police." Brett shook his head. "I lost my sight because you assumed to know something?"

  "I didn't know," Justin cried.

  "How did you find out Bridger was a shifter?" I asked.

  Justin shook his head. "I started to follow him around. I wanted to know what he did, look for ways to ruin his life. I ended up seeing him go into the woods one night a few weeks ago. He was alone, but I saw him. He shifted into that monster."

  I rolled my eyes. "Wolf, not monster."

  "It's not natural."

  "Shifters have been around longer than humans. We lived in this world long before your kind walked the earth. So, in that sense, you are the one who isn't natural." Justice stepped forward. "You don't recognize me, do you?" He leaned in close. "Maybe this will remind you." Justice suddenly shifted, his clothes ripping from his body as he fell to the ground in wolf form.

  Justin screamed, jerking back, but with nowhere to go, all he could do was cry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He shook his head in a full panic.

  I slipped my knife back into place. I wouldn't have a need for it anymore. I'd let Justice do the dirty work. "So, Justice and his friend Preston." I gestured to him. "They were the second wolves you attacked. I think it's only fair that they get a little revenge, don't you?"

  Justin's eyes went wide as he stared at Justice's wolf. "I'm so sorry. I was scared. I didn't know."

  "Didn't know what? That there was a person you were injuring? Should that matter? Do you go out beating and killing animals all the time?" I stared at him in disgust. "You knew the wolf you killed was Bridger. There is no doubt in my mind that is why you sliced his neck, why his attack was more violent than the others. It was pure hate. Don't you dare tell me you didn't know."

  Brett stepped forward and pulled the patches from his eyes. "Why me? Why my eyes?"

  Justice turned his head, unable to look at Brett.

  "Answer him." I slapped Justin's face hard, causing his lip to bleed.

  Justin still wouldn't look at Brett. "You're like him. Before you shifted I watched you and you talked about how you loved the look of pain. You said it turned you on. I figured if you couldn't see it anymore, you might stop."

  "Bullshit. You left me to die. I'm lucky they found me before I did." Brett turned away.

  I sent Brett support through our link, but I didn't dare go to him. I needed to finish with Justin. "So, you ready to tell us who your partner is?"

  "No!"

  Justice growled, then bit into Justin's leg, tearing it open.

  "Fuck!" Justin screamed.

  "He can do this all night. I think he should go for your balls, just like you did Bridger's." I reached out and ran my fingers through Justice's fur. "What do you think, Just, you hungry?"

  Justice growled again and nipped close enough to Justin's body that a single red scratch mark from one of his teeth appeared along the shriveled cock.

  "No!" Justin fought the chains with all his might. "Please, don't do this!"

  "Tell us who helped you and how much he knows. Remember, we can smell a lie." I glanced over at Brett, finding him leaning against the cage several feet behind us.

  Preston stepped forward. "I think Brett should take his eyes."

  I paused, realizing that Brett really could use his eyes. We were going to kill Justin anyway. We could use his eyes for Brett's transplant. I stood. "Don't touch him for a minute. I need to talk to Brett." I walked over to where he was leaning and lowered my voice. The other wolves would be able to hear, but Justin wouldn't. "Babe, he's got two healthy eyes. They would work for the transplant." I didn't need say more. He understood.

  Brett pressed his lips tightly together and shook his head, then reached out, touching my chest. "No. I can't. I don't want his. I couldn't live my life waking up every day to stare at his eyes in the mirror. I'd rather be blind. I don't want the memory of him. I don't want any part of him inside me."

  I gripped Brett's arm in my hand. "Okay, but I had to ask." I leaned in and kissed him. I didn't like his choice, I wanted him to see, but I did understand it. I didn't like the idea of looking into Justin's eyes the rest of my life either. "Do you want anything from him?"

  "No, let the others have him." Brett bowed his head.

  "I love you." I kissed him softly once more before turning back to Justin. I walked up to him and met his stare. "You have five seconds to give me the name of your partner or Justice will bite your balls off."

  "I can't. It wasn't his fault. He didn't know."

  "He knows about shifters?" I asked.

  "No!" The smell of Justin's lie was strong.

  "Time's up, what's his name."

  Justin turned his head, his lips trembling as he stayed silent.

  "Your choice. Preston, Justice. Do what you want with him. We'll find his partner on our own. Just remember to leave something for Bridger's family to enjoy." I turned and walked to Brett. "Let's get out of here."

  As I opened the door to step outside, Justice growled again.

  Justin's scream echoed against the walls. "Mark. It was Mark."

  I didn't look back as another scream filled the cell. I didn't need to see what they were doing. It was enough to know he would die. The only thing that mattered now was my mate and making sure he was safe. I'd do whatever it took to protect him. We had one more person to find, then just maybe we could enjoy our lives together.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  BRETT

  Justin's screams cut right through me. I thought I'd be happy to see him suffer and die, but as Bayne held me in his arms as we waited outside, I didn't feel at peace. No matter how much Justin suffered or even when he died, it wouldn't bring Bridger back. It wouldn't make me see again.

  I'd felt Bayne's letdown when I'd said I didn't want Justin's eyes. I just couldn't do it. It might have given me sight, but it would have taken much more than that from me. I needed to try and put all this behind me and that wasn't going to happen if I was looking into the eyes of the man who'd tried to kill me. I just wanted to go home, curl up on the bed and sleep for days. I was mentally and physically drained.

  Again, I'd done nothing to wear myself out, but I could hardly keep my eyes open as I listened to Bayne's heartbeat as I leaned against his chest.

  "He's all yours." Preston walked out in human form with Justice coming behind him still in wolf form, blood dripping from his jaws. They walked over to Bridger's parents and led them inside.

  It was only a few seconds later that Justin screamed again. It was different this time. It was a death scream. My hold tightened around Bayne as I imagined Bridger's father tearing out Justin's heart and offering it to his wife.

  I never understood the history behind eating your enemy's heart. I mean, it made sense in an old historic way, but it didn't work for me now. I couldn't have done it. Tear it from their chest, yes, but eat it no. Again, I didn't want any part of that asshole inside me, even if it was eating his heart.

  I wanted to leave, but wasn't sure if Bayne had more to do. This was important to the pack, and we needed to finish what we started. There would be a body to get rid of and a story to start passing around to cover up why Justin was missing. Not to mention finding his friend Mark.

  Bayne pulled back a bit, lifting my head with his fingers under my chin so he could brush
his lips against mine. "Let's get out of here. They can handle the rest."

  "Are you sure? If they need you…"

  "You need me. They've done this before. I don't need to be here." He took my hand in his. "Kurt, we're leaving. Call me later with an update."

  "And you call if either of you need anything," Kurt called to us.

  I smiled, glad that he wasn't going to ask Bayne to stay. I was so done with the whole day. I don't know if it was the short length of time I was separated from Bayne, but I was restless. I just didn't feel like myself, but couldn't figure out why.

  "You okay?" Bayne asked as he opened the passenger car door for me.

  I nodded. "Just tired. I didn't think this would be so hard."

  "Not a lot of satisfaction in it, is there? The only good thing about the whole day is that we won't have any more attacks now. The wolves are safe. It doesn't take away the pain of what is already done." Bayne shut my door and went around to get in the driver's side.

  "I can't imagine what Bridger's family is feeling."

  "Me neither." Bayne started the car. "You know, I always thought I'd like a couple kids, but after all this, after seeing parents go through losing one, I'm not sure I could handle it. I'm not the type who could handle a loss like that."

  "You wanted kids?"

  "I thought about what it would be like. Honestly, I never saw myself settling down to have kids. I never dreamed I'd find a mate." He reached over and gripped my thigh. "Did you want kids?"

  "I never really thought much about it. I love the kids I teach. I guess I wouldn't mind my own. Maybe someday if the opportunity presents itself." The only way we'd have kids would be to adopt. In the shifter world that only happened if the parents died. It was rare. I'd only known of one instance where a child lost both parents. "I'm happy with it being just us."

  "So am I." Bayne sent a wave of love to me.

  I sent it right back, enjoying that we could say so much without saying anything out loud.

  "You're not mad at me that I didn't take Justin's eyes, are you?"

  "No, it was your choice. I understand why you couldn't do it. Cohen will find another donor in time. I just didn't want to pass up the chance if you wanted it."

  "Even if he doesn't, blindness is better than having his eyes. I couldn't live that way, being reminded of all this each time I looked in a mirror." I leaned my head against the side window. "What will they do to his friend, Mark?"

  "I'm not sure. I guess it depends on how much he knows. How big a part he played in everything? Kurt is fair, but you know how dangerous it can be to have any human know about us. He's a liability."

  "This is so stupid. All this because he didn't take the time to talk to his sister and just assumed Bridger was hurting her. If she had bruises, it was because she wanted them. Bridger didn't leave marks unless his partner asked him to take things to another level."

  "Was he really trained in autoerotic asphyxia?" Bayne asked.

  "Yeah, we both were. It's dangerous and my ex back then was way into it. I refused for a long time, scared something would go wrong. I researched it and found a small group, I guess it was like a class, but it wasn't anything official. Bridger took it with me. They taught us how to be safer about it, things to watch for, ways to read our partner's body language, rules for doing it somewhat safer. I mean there is always a risk, but at least being informed I was able to feel safer about it. I also learned that with wolves, when it would get to the dangerous point, my partner's wolf would force a shift. It was an extra safety measure that helped reassure me I wasn't going to kill him."

  "Is it something you got off doing?"

  "To a point. I didn't like taking it as far as he wanted. I loved the power and feel of having my hands around his neck, holding him down so forcefully, but when I saw that his color would start to change, he was fighting to stay conscious, that freaked me out and took all arousal away for me, but he would come so hard there was no denying that it was what turned him on." I turned my head toward Bayne, even though I couldn't see him. "Does the idea turn you on?"

  "I don't know. I have always loved being held down, all control being taken from me. I love when hands are around the back of my neck, holding me hard so I can't move, but I've never been choked. I'm not against trying it."

  The thought should have had my cock rock hard, but it wasn't. Something was wrong with me if thoughts of holding Bayne down didn't turn me on.

  "What's wrong?" Bayne asked.

  I shrugged. "It's just I keep feeling more and more like something is off. That should have had me turned on and ready to throw you onto the bed the moment we got home, but it didn't. I think of bed and all I think of is sleep."

  "I'm calling Cohen when we get home. He might not be able to see us today, but we need to get you in as soon as we can. At first, I thought it was just stress making you tired, but now, I'm not so sure. I can feel it through our link, but can't put a word to the feeling."

  "Exactly. It's just different. Like I'm fighting off exhaustion all the time."

  Bayne stopped the car. "We're home. Let's go in and get something to eat. I'll call Cohen, then we can let our wolves out and rest all night." He got out of the car.

  A second later he was at my side as I got out, his arm around me to lead me inside. "Thanks for everything today. I know it can't be easy for you to torture someone."

  "It's usually not, but today, it wasn't too hard. He was the man who hurt you, that made me want to tear him apart. He got off a lot easier than I wanted him to. I'd gone in planning on spending hours making him hurt, but it didn't go that way. I guess I'm glad it was over quickly, I know you didn't feel right being there."

  "Like I said, it doesn't change anything. Doesn't bring Bridger back." I sat down at the kitchen table, stretching my legs out. "Is that what you do normally for the pack?"

  "If Kurt needs information from someone he usually calls me. It doesn't happen often. I usually just help with security if we have to hold someone in the cells or have a problem with a wolf. If it bothers you, I can tell him I won't do it anymore."

  "No, I'm okay with it. It's not like it's random. I know enough about your pack that I know if you need to torture someone, it's deserved."

  "Oh, shit." Bayne was suddenly kneeling beside me. "I almost forgot. Hell."

  "What?" I didn't like the wave of anxiety I felt coming off him.

  "Pete called Kurt right after you joined our pack. He was pissed. Said he was going to fine your parents for you leaving the pack. Kurt said to call your family and get them here as soon as possible. He can pay to fly them out or help them pack and drive out. Whatever they want. We can go help them if you want, but if they don't want to stay there, they shouldn't. Pack Authority is on their way to investigate Pete, and that's only going to upset him more. I'm sure he'll know that Kurt called them and will blame you and take that out on your family too."

  I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I hadn't been using it because I couldn't see to punch in a number or read a text. "Turn it on and call Mom in my contacts."

  Bayne took my phone and a second later he handed it to me. "It's ringing. I'll go shower while you talk to them." He kissed my cheek and left me alone.

  For a moment I didn't think that they would answer, but finally, I heard my mom's soft voice answer.

  I smiled as she asked how I was. I reassured her that I was fine, and quickly told her what Kurt had said and offered. After talking to her for a few minutes she passed the phone to my dad, letting me explain everything to him.

  It was a relief to hear they'd already decided to move here and had started to slowly pack. Kurt was right, and Pete had called my parents almost as soon as I'd cut my link and joined a new pack. He'd threatened them with fines and tried to insist they would have to do more work for the pack to make up for the way my sister and I acted.

  I was furious. If it wasn't for being blind, I would have been on the first flight out and handled Pete myself.

&nbs
p; I talked for several more minutes, making them promise to call my sister so she knew what was going on. The last place I wanted her was around an angry Pete. Who knew what he'd try to force her to do. The sooner they broke ties with the pack, the safer they would all be.

  I hung up after promising to start looking for a house for them. I'd tried to explain about the pack house where they could stay while they looked, but I don't think they understood what it was like here. They were thinking about what they were used to, and Kurt's pack was nothing comparable.

  "Everything okay?" Bayne walked into the kitchen, smelling like soap and shampoo.

  I reached for him. "They are going to leave in the next few days. They promised to call if they need any help, but my dad seems to think they've got it handled. He asked if I'd look for a house for them, but I'd almost rather wait and let them find what they like."

  Bayne sat down on my knee, wrapping his arms around me. "I know of a couple places that are perfect for them. We can drive out and look at them tomorrow if you want. They aren't too far from the pack house, and one even connects to the land we own so they could shift and run from the house if they wanted to."

  "I'd like to see them. It's going to be a big adjustment coming here, and Dad's worried about a job, but I figure there should be something for him. Hell, he could retire if he wanted to. I think he only keeps working for something to do. It's not as if they need the money now."

  "Will your sister be okay with the changes?"

  "Yeah, Cathy will love it here. I'm sure she'll be calling soon. If she's modeling, she might not come home for a while."

  "I can't wait to meet her." Bayne nuzzled my neck. "You hungry?"

  I shook my head. "Not yet."

  "Then how about we shift and let our wolves have some time together?" Bayne stood.

  "Sounds good."

  "Let me toss a couple steaks out. That way we don't have to shift back if we don't want to." Bayne walked across the kitchen and I heard the fridge open. "I called Cohen. He said to drop by tomorrow afternoon and he'd be around. He isn't too concerned. He's thinking it's stress as well."