Shared for Love: Kagan Wolves, Book 2

by Nancy Corrigan

  The sight of him tore a growl from Ethan’s chest. He pivoted on his heel and intercepted him, ramming into Noah’s wolf with his torso. Noah shifted in a blink of an eye, and Ethan grabbed his shoulders. He slammed Noah into the hard earth, and bared full fangs at him. Lover or not, Noah had endangered their mate.

  “Where’s Hannah?”

  Noah tucked his legs and used the strength in his thighs to shove Ethan back. Noah motioned toward the road. “That way. She’s hurt.”

  Ethan knew she was hurt. He felt her pain as if it were his own.

  “You abandoned her.” Ethan curled his hands, and his sharpened nails dug into Noah’s skin. Warm blood trickled down his forearms. “Left her unprotected.”

  “I didn’t. I left her with Owen.”

  “You left her with my feral brother! That’s who you entrusted Hannah with, an un-fucking-stable male who tossed my precious mate from a moving car.” Ethan was done with their conversation. Explanations wouldn’t save Hannah. He ran forward.

  “Our mate. She’s ours.”

  Alex shoved them apart. “Fight later. We need to act.”

  Ethan held Noah’s gaze. “Yes, getting Hannah back is all that matters.”

  “No. Everybody gets saved.” Nic focused on Noah. “Where’re Quinn and Sean?”

  “Following the bear shifter. He’s got Maria. We couldn’t stop him.” Noah waved toward the clearing several hundred feet away. “It happened exactly as Owen described.”

  Ethan opened his mouth to ask what Noah meant. He raised his hand. “Tell you on the way.”

  Yes, they’d wasted enough time. Nic and Alex ran in the direction Noah had come. Ethan slid behind the steering wheel of his car, while Noah got in the passenger side. He pressed the accelerator to the floor and peeled out. The landscape rushed by. Ethan scanned the road looking for any sign of Hannah.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

  “Stop.” Ethan cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Don’t care. Hate me if you will, but listen to me. I was trying to save Owen while keeping Hannah and her pack mates safe. He’s not feral, but he is altered. Stronger. Something else must’ve happened.”

  Ethan cut a quick glance at Noah. “I saw him push Hannah out of a moving car. He looked enraged.”

  Noah cursed, then ran a hand through his hair. “You didn’t talk to Owen. I did. The first chance he got, he was going to run. I had to stop him, and using Hannah was the only way I could think of doing it. He would stay to protect her. I made a choice. So did he. I won’t automatically assume it was the wrong one.”

  “How can throwing Hannah from…”

  His headlights illuminated a cheap, plastic flip-flop lying on the road. Ethan slammed on his brakes, coming to a stop inches from it. He was out of the car a second later, Noah on his heels.

  “It’s Hannah’s.” Noah snatched it, then rushed forward. “Look.”

  Ethan didn’t need Noah to point out Hannah’s blood. The familiar tang of it had saturated his lungs on the last full moon—the night he’d chased after her through the woods, another occasion Noah had put her life in danger. Ethan shut down the thought before his rage took over. Saving Hannah took precedence over his anger with Noah.

  Ethan swiped his finger through the rapidly cooling pool on the pavement. He held his fingertip near his nose and dragged in a breath, letting the smell settle over him and hoping it would trigger some instinct. Maybe a vision. He was alpha and connected to the spirit wolf.

  No insight came to him, and touching the mystical cord that tied him to her only intensified his need to seek her out. Helplessness gripped him, along with regret. It became devastatingly clear what Noah had experienced after Mindy had died. The guilt of failing her. Ethan choked on the same. It didn’t matter if they’d die together. He didn’t want that for her. He wanted her happy. Safe.

  He should’ve planned better. Anticipated what could go wrong. He…

  Ethan inwardly cursed. Second-guessing his actions would destroy him. Things had played out the way they had for a reason. He had to trust in that and in his lovers. They were his perfect complement—his gift from the spirit wolf and the gods.

  Ethan dragged his gaze to Noah. Ethan still wanted to pummel him, punishing him for endangering Hannah. The need hadn’t gone away, nor would it. They’d fight, but later, after their mate was safe.

  Noah stepped in front of him. “I’m connected to her too. I’ll hunt down the bastards who took her. You go after Owen. You might be able to reach him. Get through to him somehow. We can’t lose him. He’s been blessed by the gods.”

  Choices and obligations pulled at Ethan’s psyche. Both Hannah and Owen were important to him, but if he had to choose, he’d go after Hannah. She was hurt and vulnerable. Owen wasn’t. But…but Ethan didn’t have to choose one life over the other. He wasn’t alone. Noah was with him. He was his partner, his lover, his mate. It was only right they shared the role of alpha and faced their threats together.

  Ethan held Noah’s gaze and nodded. “Bring our mate home. We’re nothing without her.”

  Noah’s small smile empowered Ethan. He let it strengthen him and ran back to his car. He’d made the best choice for the three of them. The certainty of it radiated within him. He just didn’t know if it’d be the one that saved them.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The invisible tether connecting Noah to Hannah led him to a large clearing surrounded on three sides by trees. The fourth overlooked the river. He surveyed the area through his wolf’s eyes, then settled his gaze on Greg, who waited there with a helicopter and the Tanner pack protectors—Ron and his scarred twin, Don.

  How they were able to get away from the human agents, Noah didn’t know. They were supposed to have been taken into custody immediately after Ethan rolled out his plan to trip up Michael.

  Noah let the confusion fade. The answer wasn’t as important as countering the threat they posed. While he didn’t see Hannah, Noah felt her. She was close. He zeroed in on the helicopter, and the tug on his heart intensified. His breathing quickened with a mix of excitement and awe at the proof of their bond. He acknowledged the truth, then turned his attention to the bear shifter carrying Maria as if she were a sack of potatoes.

  Duct tape bound her wrists and ankles, while another piece covered her mouth. The bear shifter tossed her on the ground. “Package delivered. Where’s mine?”

  One the protectors stepped around the side of the helicopter. He held Hannah by a bruising grip on her shoulder. Her clothes were torn and bloody, but otherwise okay. Noah took comfort in that, but didn’t calm. The shifter holding her held a gun to her head.

  Noah scanned the area, looking for the best way to sneak up on them. He focused on the thick patch of rhododendrons on the other side. He moved toward the cover it provided in a slinking crawl.

  Motion from his side froze his steps. Quinn, Sean, and Nic, in their wolf forms, approached just as stealthily as Noah moved. Quinn took his human shape and lowered his voice to a near whisper. “There’s a vehicle headed this way. Once it gets here, we’re making our move. I’m going for Maria. Nic and Sean are taking out the guards. And Alex is leading the agents this way.”

  Noah reached for the tether to his wolf in order to shift so he could tell Quinn that at least some of the humans had betrayed them. Greg’s voice stopped him.

  “I’ve got your package right here.” Greg motioned toward Hannah, and Don, the scarred protector, led her forward. “She’s a little cut up but damn strong.”

  The guy glanced from Hannah to Greg. “I don’t give a shit about the little cunt. You promised me the Hunter.”

  “He’s coming.” Greg reached for Maria. The bear shifter dropped his booted foot on her chest. She winced, and Greg glared at the bigger male. “We had to double the tranq dose. It’s delayed them.”

 
“You’re not getting the female until he’s in my hands.”

  The sound of squealing tires broke the tense moment. The SUV Noah had driven to reach the Kagan building skidded into the clearing and hit a tree. A loud crash, and the sounds of cracking wood and smashing glass followed.

  The bear shifter turned toward the wrecked SUV, and Greg dashed forward. In one quick move, he grabbed Maria and tossed her over his shoulder. The bear shifter cursed, and Noah made his move. In his wolf’s form, he bounded through the woods toward Hannah, not wanting to attack directly for fear the shifter holding her would shoot her. The snarling of wolves coming from the clearing carried throughout the night. A peek at the fighting males showed Quinn and the others driving their targets away from Maria. Noah turned his attention to Hannah.

  The protector holding her dragged her toward the helicopter. Noah burst from the tree line behind them right as another car came to a lurching halt behind the SUV. Ethan jumped from it. His gaze collided with Noah’s. In that split second, a lifetime of love and commitment flared between them. It was all that was needed to set their path. Ethan trusted Noah to save Hannah. The knowledge strengthened him.

  Ethan faced the crashed SUV and leapt at the human crawling from the driver’s seat. A gun went off, followed by a scream. The sound chilled Noah, but he didn’t look to see what had happened. Noah believed in Ethan’s skills and his instincts.

  Noah focused on his fight. Head first, he rammed into Don’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Hannah fell too. She grunted with the impact, then shifted into her wolf a moment later, her clothes splitting with the change in shapes.

  Her snarl spoke of her rage. She lunged for the male’s throat, and he turned his gun on her. Noah drove in front of her, blocking her with his body and knocking her away from them. The bullet meant for her struck Noah’s flank, leaving a fiery burn behind. He landed in a heap next to the shifter who’d tried to kill Hannah.

  Don grinned and rose to his knees, sick triumph on his face. He reached for the gun, which had fallen on the ground. Hannah maneuvered herself between them and crouched in front of Noah, head down and fangs barred—protecting him. The sight warmed him, but no way would he let her get hurt, not because of him.

  Noah ignored the sharp pain in his hip and moved to stand, but crumpled instead. Numbness left his hind legs shaky, unable to support him. He felt them, could move them, but couldn’t get them to obey him. Helplessness and frustration gripped him. He couldn’t save himself from danger, let alone the woman he loved.

  The irony of their situation wasn’t lost on Noah. He’d failed in his role again. Curses whipped through his head. He refused to accept defeat. He dragged his body forward, snarling at the male. Planted firmly in front of Hannah, he stared down his opponent. Don’s hand wavered ever so slightly.

  A flash of white fur announced Ethan’s arrival. He collided with the Tanner male. In the next heartbeat, Don shifted into a gray wolf, more strips of clothes flying, and snapped at Ethan, who easily avoided him. Ethan hopped back, then came in from the side in a blur of motion Noah could barely follow. The two wolves fought. Gray and white fur blended in a melee of wrestling bodies.

  Unable to help as a wolf, Noah drew on his human form. The change came with a searing agony that churned his gut. He swallowed the rising bile and hooked an arm around Hannah’s wolf body, tugging her behind him and away from the fighting males. She wriggled in his arms, no doubt wanting to get to Ethan. Noah tucked her closer. If he couldn’t fight for her, he’d be her shield.

  She shifted, and her warm body pressed against his. She reached around him and pointed. “Owen.”

  Noah looked in the direction she indicated. The bear shifter who’d tossed Maria to the ground was dragging Owen’s unconscious body into the helicopter. Without the use of his leg, Noah wouldn’t be able to get to him in time. Noah didn’t bother trying to move or yell for one of the other Kagan males to help. Noah swept his gaze over the ground for the gun the Tanner protector had dropped. Noah caught a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye. He snatched it, aimed, and fired.

  A piercing scream came from behind Noah—Don meeting his fate—a heartbeat before the bullet struck the bear shifter. The hulking male fell forward, landing on top of Owen.

  Another garbled cry preceded a heavy silence. The fight was over.

  “Good aim, lover.” Ethan dropped a hand on Noah’s shoulder.

  Noah glanced at Ethan. Sweat and blood clung to his skin, but Noah had never seen a more gorgeous male.

  “Thanks.” Noah peered past Ethan’s body to the dead shifter who’d shot Noah. “Better than his.”

  “I’m glad.” Hannah squeezed his hand. “He would’ve killed me if you hadn’t knocked me aside.”

  “Yeah, well, he would’ve finished the job if it hadn’t been for Ethan. He’s the one who saved you.”

  “Not alone. It was teamwork. For all of us. Look.” Ethan motioned toward the clearing. “The packs came together to protect our loved ones.”

  Noah swept his gaze over the area, and pride swelled his chest. They’d won. Maria was in Quinn’s and Alex’s arms, while Nic and Sean hunkered down in front of Owen. The knowledge wasn’t what spurred the warm feeling. It was seeing the other shifters who’d shown up to help. Males from the Jager pack stood among the Kagans and the humans. They’d worked together.

  Noah grinned and glanced at his lovers. “Yeah. We’re better together than apart.”

  Hannah laid one hand on his cheek, the other on Ethan’s. “And I never want to be separated from either of you again.”

  “Agreed. I’ve missed waking up next to my true mate.” Ethan pressed his lips to hers, then leaned into Noah, kissing him just as tenderly. He eased back and caught Noah’s gaze. “And falling asleep in the arms of the male who holds my heart.”

  Noah pressed his forehead against Ethan’s and dragged in a breath, filling his lungs with his mates’ scents and knowing he’d found his heaven. The spirit wolf had gifted him with a second chance, and Noah knew in his heart that Mindy would get hers too.

  “Me too.” Noah grinned. “But I think we might need to postpone our night together so I can visit Riley’s Haven and get patched up.”

  Ethan gently examined the bloody wound on Noah’s thigh. The bullet had passed through his muscle, taking a good chunk of flesh with it. “I don’t think it’s serious.”

  “No, but I think I’ll ask Riley to treat it with salt.”

  “You’ll scar.” Hannah gripped his arm. “Why would you do that?”

  Noah shrugged. “As a reminder of what I survived.”

  “And the prize you won.” Hannah offered him a knowing smile.

  “No prize.” Ethan shook his head. “The gift, and we’ve been doubly blessed.”

  “Yeah.” Noah took their hands and linked their fingers. “We have.”

  Epilogue

  Colors streaked across the morning sky, harkening a new day and a new chapter for Ethan, his mates, and their species.

  Ethan propped his elbows on the railing of his deck and watched as the fiery reds faded to shades of pink before dissipating. A lifetime he’d waited to survey his pack’s lands as alpha, knowing it and every member belonged to him.

  Instead of excitement, a sense of calm settled over him, similar to the peace before a storm. The analogy his mind supplied fit. A storm was brewing, and fear would fuel it. It wouldn’t be just the humans who experienced it either. Shifters too would be just as susceptible. Change was hard. And scary. How they dealt with it would determine if they conquered the crippling emotion or allowed it to fester within them until hate ruled them.

  It wasn’t the first time his kind had plunged into the unknown. It wouldn’t be the last either. Following the Middle Ages, many packs had moved to the New World. Migration had given them a short reprieve, but there was nowhere left to relocate. The tract
of land in West Virginia that shared a border with the Kagan pack was home. They weren’t giving it up. The only way to keep it was to make a stand. He had. It just so happened his choice set the precedent for all shifters—proving they could abide by both human and shifter law.

  “It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

  Hannah’s voice drifted to him. He glanced over his shoulder. She leaned against the open patio door with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. “Yes, it is.”

  “Peaceful too.”

  “For now. We’re supposed to get some bad weather.” His thought from moments ago returned. He chuckled with the irony of it. “A storm is coming.”

  She walked across the deck and mimicked his position next to him. “We’re under a tornado warning too, but I don’t think it’ll affect us. We don’t live in an open area.”

  “That’s a myth, you know. Tornados can strike anywhere, anytime. If it does hit us, we need to be prepared to take shelter, not run from it.”

  “Do we have a safe room?”

  “Basement?” He shrugged. “I guess that’s best.”

  “I know there’s going to be one in the new Shifter Affairs’ building.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Riley mentioned it. She was impressed by the government’s foresight, but also wanted to see an emergency clinic added, just in case something happened to the Haven. It’s not as if we can go to just any hospital. We’d be outed.”

  “That’s a good idea. Are they going to add it?”

  She nodded. “Yes, and a couple of cells too. That was Nic’s suggestion. He wanted to have the option of locking up our criminals instead of following pack law.”

  Which demanded the deaths of anyone who posed a danger to the pack.

  “It’s a step in the right direction, but it won’t be a popular choice,” Hannah went on. “Many shifters will always worry that those who break our rules will act again.”