by Leilani Love
A shiver ran down her spine, and she rubbed her arms as the curtain above the couch fluttered in the soft breeze above him. Being careful not to make a sound, she grabbed the blanket to pull it up and cover his chest. Before she could release it, his hands grabbed her wrists and jerked her down on top of him. The thin material of the blanket did nothing to keep the heat radiating from his body from searing her skin.
A moan escaped her, and when his eyes popped open, her cheeks heated as their gazes locked. "I'm sorry. I…"
Before she could finish her sentence, he let go of one of her wrists and cupped the back of her head. With just that tiny bit of encouragement, Emily lowered her head, bringing her face to his.
The first touch of his lips against hers made her insides quiver like a nervous teenager. It had been so many years, she’d forgotten what to do and froze. His tongue swiped across her bottom lip before he gently bit her, and her lips parted in a gasp, allowing his tongue to slide in and duel with hers.
She didn't know when he’d released his hold on her other hand, just that they had managed to slide into his hair, holding him to her, wrapping her in a beautiful, sensual haze.
Liam broke the kiss, and she whimpered. His mouth kissed and gently bit along her jaw. She moaned, and a shiver ran down her back. She wiggled against him, trying to get as close as she possibly could. His hands gripped her hips, holding her still as his lips continued to tease her and work their way down the column of her neck.
"You know, if your sons are in the house, you should maybe consider moving this to the bedroom." Talon’s voice broke through her fog.
Emily squeaked as she scrambled backwards, falling off Liam and landing on the floor with an oof.
"Emily!" Liam said as he swung his legs off the couch.
In the blink of an eye, Talon was next to her, offering his hand and giving her a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He helped her up. “It’s been a long time since I’ve caught my father in such a compromising position.”
Emily felt heat in her cheeks as her eyes darted around the room. Her mind raced to come up with a reply, and her mouth opened and closed like some silly fish.
Liam stood up, pushing the blanket onto the floor. She glanced down, finding herself disappointed he was wearing a pair of sweats. "Go start a pot of coffee," Liam said while taking her hand from his son, who hadn't released it yet.
"Yes, sir," Talon replied with a quick smirk before winking at Emily and sauntering off.
Liam used his free hand to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear before whispering, "Are you okay?"
Finally raising her head, Emily’s eyes met his, and she nodded. "A little embarrassed but okay."
Liam’s lips quirked up in a smile. She couldn't help but smile back as she instinctively leaned into his warmth. His nostrils flared, and she took a step back. If his bear could smell her rising desire, his sons in the next room could, too. "Did you find anything that would help find Hunter?"
Liam face tightened, and he let out a loud sigh. "There was nothing. I could barely find a trace of you. If I hadn’t been the one who found you, I wouldn't have believed you were ever out there."
She didn't need to be a seer to feel his frustration. Her lips parted to express her sympathy as Talon showed up next to her, coffee in hand.
"We could really use your help in getting our brother back."
She smiled in sympathy and accepted the cup. "I will do what I can. The longer I am away, the more desperate they will become."
"If they’re after you, do you think they will just send him here to get you?" Liam asked, a hint of hope in his voice.
She shook her head. "Not as long as I’m here with you. Unfortunately, they will do their best to keep him away from all of you. Three humans, Hunter could easily shake, but not shifters."
"Would you be willing to walk around on your own and draw him out?" Dominic asked as he stepped into the living room.
A growl came from Liam, surprising Emily as he stared down his son. "We will not put her danger."
In two steps, Dominic was in front of his father. "She’s the only way to get our brother back. You heard what she said. If she’s right, we don’t have much time left to save him."
Emily placed her hand on Liam’s arm. "He’s right. I could help, but as long as I'm surrounded by you three, they won’t try anything."
Liam locked eyes with her. There was so much sadness in his she found herself wanting to give him comfort.
Closing her eyes, she tried to look toward the future, only to see Aura standing in front of her on a road, a sadistic grin curling her dark red lips, the wind whipping her black hair back. "You think you are actually free? That you will get to your children? Poor Emily, all these gifts and still, you’ll fail. My power is greater than yours."
Aura thrust her hand forward, sending a black wave toward Emily that shoved her out of the alternative plane but not before she saw the street sign letting her know where the witch was.
“Nebraska and 52nd,” she managed to whisper. Her eyes locked on Liam just before the world went black.
Chapter 10
"Emily," Liam all but shouted as her body went limp in his arms. He scooped her up to keep her from falling, and Talon managed to grab the coffee cup before it crashed to the ground and made a mess on the floor. Taking a few steps, Liam placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket.
"Do you think she saw him?" Dominic asked.
"You were listening. You know as much as I do," Liam said, his tone harsher than he meant.
He marveled at how much better Emily looked since he had found her. Her skin color had improved, and the dark circles under her eyes had almost disappeared. She still looked fragile, but her spirit was stronger than any bear’s he had ever met.
"If she’s right, we need to get out there and check it out right now," Talon said.
"We don’t know what exactly she meant. I won’t have you going out there all hot-headed just to end up a slave like your brother." Liam growled as he took a step away from the couch, trying to relax the hands that had closed into fists at his sides.
“What if we stay downwind and have Emily go there? There’s a diner and hotel in the area. If Hunter is brainwashed to retrieve her, there’s no way he would be able to resist being near her,” Dominic pointed out.
With a sigh, Liam hung his head. “We’ll talk about it when she wakes up—along with whatever else she saw.”
The two boys nodded and left to cook breakfast while Liam went to his room to change clothes, saying a quick prayer to the gods that Emily woke up soon.
Emily’s rose scent was everywhere. Liam approached the bed and touched the spot where her head had rested, leaving a small indent on his pillow. The picture of Debbie on the nightstand caught his eye. Emily must have looked at it before falling asleep. There was a small stab of guilt before he remembered how much Debbie loved him and would have wanted him and their cubs to be happy. It seemed fitting the woman fate brought into his life would be the one who could help save one of their children.
Quickly changing and brushing his teeth, he scrutinized his reflection in the mirror and ran his fingers along the stubble lining his jaw before giving it a quick trim. Feeling refreshed, he stepped from his room as Emily’s soft voice floated down the hall. “Thank you. Orange juice sounds perfect.”
Not wanting to look like an eager lad, he forced himself to walk casually into the living room. “You’re awake.”
Emily’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she nodded, looking away. “I am.”
Dominic and Talon came from the kitchen with a glass of orange juice and set it on the end table next to her.
“Did you see Hunter?” Dominic asked.
“Is he still okay?” Talon prompted as he took a seat on the chair closest to her.
Emily grabbed the glass of orange juice with a shaky hand. Letting out a sigh so soft Liam barely heard it, she shook her head. “I didn’t
see Hunter. I think Aura was waiting for me to reach out. She was standing in the middle of this road. It was just the two of us, and she kept the area hidden, except two street signs. When she shoved me out of the plane, her magic faltered just enough for me to see that little bit.”
Liam watched as she brought the orange juice to her lips. It was faint, but the glass shook in her hand. Her eyes closed as she took a long sip, and he notice the way his sons leaned forward, their muscles tense as they struggled not to push her for more answers.
After she placed the glass down, Emily looked at each of them in turn until her gaze rested on Liam. “I used your connection to reach out and see if I could find him. Since she knows it was you who found me, she had what we call wards in place to monitor that connection, bringing me into an illusion, if you will, of where they are. It takes a lot of power to do that and even more for her to kick me out of it. There’s a good chance she doesn’t know there was a crack in the illusion. I am not as strong as I was, but I needed her to see me as weaker than I am.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “So, passing out in our living room was part of your ploy to help me get my son?”
A small sparkle shone in Emily’s eyes. Her lips curved into a smile. “Letting my guard down enough for her to hit me came with its own consequences. I trusted you and your sons would be quick enough to keep me from getting hurt. Lucky for me, you also saved my coffee.”
Liam leaned closer to her. “Talon deserves all the credit for your cup.”
“Then you deserve the thanks for making sure I did not hit my head.” Emily’s face lit up and she smiled, making his heart tighten and his face flush.
Talon chuckled, and Liam looked just in time to catch him flexing his muscles. Liam glared before turning his attention back to Emily. “What, exactly, are your abilities?”
Emily took a deep breath as she clasped her hands together. “I am a seer. A strong seer. Even without my link to the wolf pack, I was considered gifted. Unlike other seers, I have some magic abilities that include the occasional spell.”
“Why did you want the witch to think you’re weak? Do you have a plan?” Dominic asked.
“Because soon, I will be leaving here and traveling on my own to get to my children. She needs to think I am an easy target and that we had a falling out.”
Every part of Liam wanted to shout, “No!” His bear came to just below the surface, wanting to shift and keep her safe. A hand on his shoulder told him Dominic was aware of the turmoil going on inside him.
As Liam struggled to find the words to protest without scaring her, Dominic spoke up. "We could never ask you to go on your own."
Liam nodded. "It’s too dangerous."
"I have absolute faith you will keep me safe. But as long as you are close to me, she will not let Hunter come after me."
"You think she’ll believe we just let you go?" Liam asked, his voice rougher than he intended.
Emily shook her head. "No, but tonight, when I sneak out of the house and run away, having stolen some money, she will believe I chose to go to the safety of my children—especially when your sons go out, making it the perfect chance for me to leave."
"You aren’t strong enough to be out on your own," Liam pointed out.
Emily tilted her head, lips curving up in a small smirk. "I am the strongest I've been in a very long time. Much stronger than I was when I fled from Hunter."
Liam opened his mouth to argue but Dominic interrupted. "What my father is trying to say is we don’t want you to be on your own. Let's come up with a plan and a way to track you without getting too close."
Emily frowned. "Is there a way to track someone besides their scent?"
Talon chuckled. "Nowadays, everything is set to track you. There are cameras everywhere. And thanks to our cell phones, people intentionally share everything."
Emily looked slightly confused, even though she nodded.
"We will teach you more later. I think those little tracking devices from the vet might work best. They have a decent range, and we can sew it into her shirt. I think if she took my phone, they would be smart enough to ditch it."
Dominic smirked and wiggled his eyebrows as he boasted, "The new tech there has a bit of a crush on me. Let me hit her up and get one.”
“A bit of crush? She went full-on meltdown at the bar the other night when you danced with that one girl,” Talon said with a laugh.
Chuckling, Dominic shrugged. “What can I say? I’ve got a way with the ladies. I'm going to go take a shower. She should be starting work soon."
With that, the boys got up, leaving Emily and Liam alone. He took her hands in his. "I don’t know how to thank you."
Her eyes met his. "No thanks is needed.”
Liam felt his lips twitch into a smile but then her stomach made a loud grumbly sound that reminded him of a young cub.
Blushing, she pulled her hands back to cover her stomach. "I'm so sorry. It takes a lot out of me to reach out on the spiritual plane."
Liam tilted his head as he stood. "I imagine it would."
He couldn't help but think she looked ridiculously adorable. Her eyes round, the soft blush still on her cheeks, one hand resting on her belly. Without even thinking, he bent down and kissed her cheek. "I'll dish us up some breakfast."
Emily bit her lower lip and gave a small nod, her eyes meeting his. Her pupils slightly dilated, the small increase in her pulse proved that she was no more immune to him than he was to her. Turning from her to go to the kitchen, Liam found himself smiling, thanking the fates for bringing her into his life.
Chapter 11
The day passed way too quickly. Emily couldn't believe it when Dominic came back with a small oval piece of glass and told her it would let his phone know exactly where she was.
"I feel like I've missed so much," she confessed.
Dominic chuckled. "It won’t take you long to catch on. Just promise you won’t be one of those people who spends all day trying to get the perfect selfie and taking pictures of all your food."
She shook her head, laughing. "What’s a selfie? And why would I take pictures of my food?"
When he burst into laughter, she couldn’t help but smile at him.
Liam walked into the room and glanced between them. "Should I ask what's so funny?"
"Emily apparently doesn't understand why people take pictures of their food," Dominic said, giving her a wink.
Liam frowned. "I don't understand why you think that's so funny. That one girl you dated took pictures of her cereal like she was the first person to ever try it."
"You two are perfect for each other," Dominic mumbled.
Emily blushed, ducking her head. She didn’t know much about bears, but she knew the fact that she could not see someone’s future almost always meant one of two things: fated mates or relatives. Most animal shifters recognized their mates by scent. Other than a kiss and being protective of her, Liam did not act like someone who had found his mate. Could a bear have a mate after already having one?
Liam cleared his throat, and Emily looked up to see him frowning at Dominic. "Make sure you sew it tightly into one of the seams. We don’t want it falling out and possibly losing her and your brother."
Dominic smirked, and Liam gestured toward the door. "He can finish up on his own. Why don't you and I go over the plan and a route for you to take?"
Emily stood up. Dominic opened his mouth, only to have Liam growl, "Shut it."
Dominic snapped his mouth shut, looked at Liam, and burst into laughter.
Confused, Emily wrinkled her brow in confusion, which only made him laugh harder.
Liam placed his hand firmly on her back and guided her to the door, mumbling under his breath, "Ungrateful kids. Can't wait to pay him back when he meets his—"
Unable to stop herself, Emily blurted, "Meets his what?"
Those words seemed to halt him in his tracks, and the silence that followed was almost deafening. When his eyes finally met hers, there was
no mistaking the indecision on his face.
He released her hand. "We should talk about this after we rescue my son and get you to your children." His voice was rough and deep. He turned on his heel and strode down the hall so fast, she had to almost jog to keep up.
Leading her into the kitchen, Liam pulled out a chair for her. "Here. I printed out some maps for you, so we can go over your route. I think you should appear lost. We don't want you looking up at street signs. I thought landmarks would be easy for you to remember.”
Emily agreed, and for the next several hours, they went over the path she should take, what she needed to look for—turn right at the corner house with the blue door, left at Mickey’s Mini Mart. At each turn, he made her repeat it several times then went over it again and again until she finally put her hand up. "I need a break."
Liam opened his mouth. At first, she thought he was going to argue, but then he closed it and smiled. "You do. Would you like to maybe sit on the couch with some popcorn and watch a movie?"
"That sounds lovely." The last time Emily had watched a movie had been at the drive-in. Earlier, when the boys had turned on the television and watched the local news, Emily could not believe how colorful and beautiful the picture on the screen was or how flat and large the TV was compared to what they had back before she was taken.
"Go in the living room and get comfortable. I’ll make the popcorn and join you in just a few minutes," Liam said as he dug around in one of the cabinets.
She nodded, realizing he had his back to her and knew he assumed she would follow his directions. Entering the living room, she still marveled about all the changes that had taken place over the years. She had seen small peeks, but for the most part, had been kept in isolation. After the spell was placed on the men that guarded her, they no longer had any interest in anything besides being as close to Aura as they could and following her commands. Nothing else held any interest, and eventually, they went mad.