by Leilani Love
“Just over fifty years,” Emily whispered as she peered outside, clasping her hands in her lap.
Lately, the bear and man in him had not seen eye to eye on many things, but right now, they both wanted to comfort Emily and kill anyone who had hurt her. Liam very much wanted to take her into his arms and tell her no one would ever harm her again. If he hadn’t needed to get his son from the witches’ control, he would have taken her far from here. As it was, he already felt the sting of guilt for needing her to help rescue his son. Her body was riddled with scars and bruises. Some were so deep, he wondered how she hadn’t bled to death.
“You said you were a seer. Is that why they took you?” Liam asked.
Emily kept her gaze outside. The only sign she had heard him was the way her shoulders pushed back and she sat up taller in the seat. Finally, she said, “That was one of the reasons.”
Liam nodded, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Seers were rare, especially ones mated to shifters. He could only imagine the ways in which the witches believed they could use her. His first mate had been a bear shifter. Debbie would have towered over Emily. Despite that, Emily had a strength he had to admire. She’d found a way to survive and escape. Not only from the witches but also from his teenage bear shifter son.
“Would you like to stop at the store and pick up some clothes before we get to the house?” Liam asked. “There’s one in town where we can get you everything you need. Let me go inside and get some shoes for your feet first.”
Emily nodded, back to being quiet as she longingly looked out the window. She seemed to shrink a bit in her seat at the mention of going into a store. It was a small town, but she had only been around her captors for so long, he imagined this might be slightly overwhelming.
“You don’t need to go in if you don’t want to, Emily. I can buy what you need and bring it to you,” Liam offered.
Emily turned and gave him a soft smile. “No. After you get me some shoes, I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t spend too much time trying on all the clothes.”
He chuckled. “You don’t need to rush. Later, I promise I’ll take you to spend all day to get some clothes—when I don’t need to get back to my other sons and fill them in on what’s going on with their brother.”
“How come they didn’t come with you?” Emily asked, leaning against the car door as she watched him.
The corner of Liam’s lips turned up as he thought about his older two sons. “They think I can be overprotective and that their brother just went out to have a good time with some girl he met at the bar.”
She laughed, and the sound was music to his ears. There was always a sense of worry that seemed to surround her, but in that moment, it melted away. “When my kids were little, they used to tell me they were too big for someone to watch them. They were three and a handful. They’re twins and in their fifties, now, but there’s not a day that has gone by I haven’t worried about them.”
“My oldest two are in their twenties. The one you met, Hunter, is my youngest. He’s only nineteen. He wasn’t even supposed to be in that bar that night.” Liam left out how he and the owner had exchanged more than a few words after what had happened.
Emily was sitting comfortably in the seat next to him, her shoulders relaxed, when he pulled into the little shopping center. There was a discounted shoe store, and he went there first to get her a pair of sandals.
When he showed up at the passenger door and handed her the bag, she smiled, and that made him want to go back and buy her all the shoes in the store. “I didn’t know what size you were, but I figured these would work for right now, and we can pick you up something better when you can try them on inside.”
Liam pulled out a pocketknife and cut the weird plastic thing they used to tie shoes together. Shoes and kids’ toys were always secured better than diamonds in a jewelry store. Emily turned in her seat so she could slip on the shoes, and he stopped her. “Here. Let me.” He slipped on the sandals.
When he looked up, he saw she was blushing. He resisted the urge to run his hand up the baggy sweatpants to her calf and massage it.
“Thank you,” she whispered after he put both shoes on and offered a hand to help her down.
With his hand, he guided Emily into the store and over to the women’s section. Like a kid in a candy store, she walked through, touching the different materials. When she got to a mirror, she stopped and scrutinized herself. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted as she regarded her reflection. Her hand came up and touched her face and hair as her shoulders slumped. That joy she felt a moment ago was gone. She picked up a shirt and pair of jeans, holding them against herself to see if they were long enough. She was so thin, he doubted pants were made small enough to fit her waist. She grabbed a nice shirt, and she blushed as her eyes glanced at the lace undergarments.
She paused, as if debating, before picking up something more sensible than the ones she was just admiring. Liam stood back, giving her some privacy as she picked up a few women’s undergarments before crossing to where the shoes were. Liam couldn’t help but notice all the looks she got as she bit her lip. The sweats she was wearing were several sizes too big. Since he’d found her on the bank of the river, he expected she looked cleaner because of it, but her hair needed to be washed. The way the women in the store pointed and whispered, he didn’t even have to eavesdrop to guess the snide comments they were making about his Emily.
His Emily. She wasn’t his yet, but his bear didn’t seem to know that. It wanted to protect her from everything, including the women in the store. When the busybodies caught him staring, he glowered, which made them blush at being caught.
Liam should have taken Emily home and let her shower first. He could have driven early this morning and picked her up some clothes while she was still sleeping, but when he walked out of the cabin, he saw bear tracks and knew they were his son’s. He’d tried to follow them but after a mile or two, started feeling anxious to get back to Emily. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling Hunter was trying to lead him away from her. He’d hurried back, and when he opened the cabin door, he’d half expected her to be missing. When she’d jumped, he’d felt a sense of relief she was there and guilt for having scared her.
That was when he’d decided not to leave her side. He would need the help of his two older sons Dominic and Talon to keep her safe and rescue Hunter. If what she said was correct and Hunter was stronger because of the witches’ spell, they would be the only ones he would trust not to harm him.
When Emily showed up with an armful of clothes, he smiled at her. “Would you like to try those on?”
With a shake of her head, she looked down and checked out the haul. “No. We should go now.”
Liam frowned, wondering if that was a seer comment or the fact that the rent-a-cops were starting to circle around them. Liam slid a finger under her jaw and forced her to look up at him. “I will keep you safe, Emily. I promise.”
He took the clothes from her arms and stopped to grab a belt as they headed up to the checkout. Liam greeted Jenny with a nod when it was their time to be helped. Jenny plastered a large fake smile on her face and continued to eye Emily. Jenny had worked here for years, supporting herself and her two small kids while her boyfriend often spent the weekends trapping. They were friendly, but Jenny loved to spread rumors, so Liam kept his mouth shut as Emily pretended not to notice the looks she was getting.
Jenny’s eyes twinkled, and her voice was louder than necessary when she asked, “Where are the boys?”
“They’re probably still in bed,” Liam answered. Even though Jenny was with someone, she had tried to hook up with them on more than one occasion. His boys were known for being wild, but they wouldn’t “hook up” with a girl who had a partner.
Once Jenny was finished ringing them up, Liam paid then led Emily out and walked her to the truck. He opened the door for her before setting the stuff in the back. He began to think of all the other stuff she would need. A toothbrush. Soa
p. Shampoo. He pulled up to the drug store and saw a look of worry cross her face about having to get out again. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. I just want to grab a few things.”
Chapter 5
Emily watched him walk into the store, grateful she didn’t have to go in. She’d heard the women talking about her earlier. Her hair felt like straw. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d brushed it or her teeth. They had all been wondering who she was and how she ended up with Liam. She overheard two women joke about how his sons were known for being horn dogs and maybe the reason they never saw Liam with someone was because he liked the white trash from other towns.
Liam had glowered at them, and they had quit talking and walked away. For some reason, she liked the idea that he wasn’t known for sleeping around but was curious what had happened to his mate. All shifters were faithful, so the fact the women hadn’t mentioned her piqued Emily’s interest.
Liam walked out of the store, and his gaze instantly went to the truck. When he saw her and their eyes met, his shoulders relaxed and he slowed his walk. He appeared almost surprised that she had stayed. But she had promised to tell him how to save his son.
They drove the rest of the way in silence, leaving what she assumed was the downtown area and turning onto a street where the houses were farther apart. She smiled at kids running around, playing in the yards. It had been so long since she’d seen or been around children.
“Looks like neither of my boys came home last night,” Liam said, frowning.
“You said they’re in their twenties. You should be happy they come home at all,” Emily replied, trying to sound reassuring.
“I told them both to stay at the house while I searched for their brother. They think he just went off to…” his voice trailed off, and she grinned at the slight flush on his cheeks.
“Sow his wild oats. Kids still do that, right?” She thought about her own son. Her ability allowed her peeks into the lives of her children. Her daughter, Hope, had often called her brother a man whore. He was happily mated now and expecting a baby. Before that, man whore probably summed it up pretty well.
“Yeah, they still do that,” he grumbled as he opened his door.
Emily opened her door and slid out of the truck. When she walked around, he was already at the front of the truck holding the bags. He led the way up the walkway, and she looked around as she followed him. There appeared to have been a vegetable and herb garden that was now overgrown, the plants choked by weeds that had taken over.
She stepped into the house, noting that it was clean but needed a woman’s touch. A few abandoned beer bottles lay scattered on the tables, but the floor was vacuumed, and everything was dust-free. Even with the bottles, it was the cleanest house she had been in in…she couldn’t remember how long.
“If you’d like, you can take a shower. I bought some shampoo and a toothbrush for you.” He handed her the bags.
“Thank you. I would like that.” Emily followed as he led her to a room at the end of the hall.
“You’ll have more privacy in here than the other bathroom. Here’s a clean towel. I think I got everything you need.” Liam offered a smile. “Just holler if you need anything. I’ll leave you to it.” He made his way back through the space, giving one more quick glance over his shoulder before shutting the bedroom door behind him.
Emily closed the bathroom door and went through the bag of stuff he’d bought her. Popping the top on the shampoo, she squeezed the bottle just a bit and inhaled the scent. Strawberry. She smiled, feeling warmth bloom in her chest. It was ridiculous how much she missed these things. Going to the shower, she played with the knobs, pulling on everything until she figured out how to turn the water on and get the temperature right.
As she stepped under the stream, she let out a happy sigh, and the tension in her shoulders began to ease. The water felt so good massaging her back, she tipped her head to enjoy it against her scalp.
Emily stood like that for a few minutes before finally deciding she’d better wash up. She took her time washing her hair and body, reveling in the perfumed soaps coating her skin and hair. Her hand glided over battered ribs, and she winced at the tenderness. Bruises littered her skin, and she had lost too much weight. A frown formed on her lips before she could stop it. Then she reminded herself she was free. She could dwell on the past and feel sorry for herself—or she could be grateful it was finally in the past. She decided to focus on the latter. And the fact that soon…soon, she would see Damien and Hope.
As she tilted her head back to rinse the conditioner from her hair, an image flashed through her mind. A man kissing her. His lips soft, sensuous, yet hard and demanding. Awakening that part of her that had been buried for many years. First, she thought it was just a memory. Until she realized the shoulders she was holding were too wide. The hair that was tickling her fingers was too long and thick to be her husband’s. It was her and her rescuer. She shook it from her mind. Fantasizing about the sexy bear shifter was all well and good, but he needed to save his son, and she wanted to see her children. She didn’t have time for romantic thoughts. Besides, she was about to be a grandmother.
Washed and rinsed off, she grabbed the clean towel and inhaled. She’d missed the smell of clean clothes and soap. Dried off and dressed, she felt better than she had in more years than she could count. She brushed her teeth first then her hair. For years, she’d felt like she was covered in layers of dirt. Her eyes and cheeks were still pretty sunken, and her skin had lost its glow, but she felt clean—and that was amazing.
Emily’s stomach grumbled, and she almost laughed out loud. Apparently, getting to eat made her stomach want more. When she stepped from the bathroom, she could hear talking from the other room. Liam’s sons must be home. Before she could open the door, someone asked, “Are you sure? I’ve never heard of a shifter ever getting a second one…”
Emily found herself interested about what he was asking when a low growl caught her attention. Curious, she listened at the door.
“Isn’t it time we greet our guest instead of making her uncomfortable with our family squabble?”
She knew she was caught eavesdropping, and she blushed as she left the bedroom. The walk down the short hall wasn’t enough time for the heat to leave her cheeks. Liam’s sons were actually bigger than he was. Liam, if she had to guess, was just over six feet tall, and his two older sons were a few inches taller.
All eyes on her, Emily started to feel a sense of panic until Liam came and stood before her, drawing her eyes to him, making her feel safe again. They must have sensed how she was feeling because his sons both looked away at the same time.
“Emily, I would like you to meet my sons. This is Dominic and Talon,” he said, pointing to each one.
Dominic was the oldest of the three. His long, sandy blond hair was pulled back. Unlike his father, who had just a hint of a beard peppered with gray, Dominic’s beard was a bit longer and had the same hints of blond as his hair. He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and reached out to her. She offered her hand in return, and he gave her a smile as they shook. When her eyes met his, she noticed how his hazel ones seemed to twinkle. “Emily, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Before she could reply, the younger of the two, Talon, stepped between them and looked her over before winking, and his lips curved in a flirtatious grin she bet melted many female hearts. His thick brown hair had a nice wave to it and hung past his shoulders. Like his brother, he also sported a short beard. His eyes were a dark brown framed with beautiful, thick lashes she envied. “Emily.” He practically purred her name. “I hope my father has been treating you right.”
“Talon, behave,” Liam said through gritted teeth.
Talon smirked before bending down to kiss her hand, which made her giggle.
“I bet you have all the young girls chasing you.”
Talon winked before whispering, “Not just the young ones.”
Liam moved to Talon’s side
and elbowed him. “No manners whatsoever. I thought you might be hungry and made you some lunch.” His fingers brushed against her arm, a silent request to follow him toward the table. A big sandwich came into view, and her stomach rumbled in anticipation. Emily blushed as she put her hand over her belly and glanced at Liam from under her lashes. Liam frowned.
“Thank you. I haven’t eaten that much, and apparently my stomach has decided to be greedy,” she admitted.
“I should have offered you something before your shower,” Liam said as he pulled out a chair for her. “Give me a minute. I am going to talk to my boys outside while you eat.” He pushed in her chair.
The three of them walked out of the house, leaving her alone. She would have to be blind not to notice this was a very attractive family. Picking up her sandwich, she glanced at the door, wishing she could hear what they were saying about her.
Chapter 6
Liam closed the front door then leaned against it while his boys leaned against the porch’s posts.
“You didn’t mention she was mated to a wolf,” Dominic said, a growl to his tone.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you everything in the two minutes I had before she stepped out of the shower. I also didn’t tell you she’s a seer I found crawling out of the river after running from your brother—who she tells me was put under a spell by some witches,” Liam snapped.
Talon ran a hand through his hair and scoffed. “How do you know she’s telling the truth? She could be the witch for all you know.”
The look Liam gave his son would have a smaller man cowering. But Talon wasn’t a smaller man. The most Liam got was Talon lowering his gaze in a small show of submission. “She has scars and bruises all over her body. You can still see the imprints of her restraints from where they bound her. She is so thin you can count all the ribs on her body. She also has a few cuts that are similar to those you would use to drain the blood of an animal. Wherever she was, she was not treated well.”