Birthrite (Legacy Series Book 2)

by Max Ellendale

  "I see how it is. Now you two are going to gang up on me when I'm not here. Last night you were archenemies and today you're best friends." Just the thought of the two of them talking made me happy.

  "Yes, the best of friends. We even built a fort," Mal jested.

  Vanessa's laugh sounded gravelly due to her intense purring. I couldn't help but laugh as well. Mal wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. I could feel his smile on my skin.

  The evening news interrupted our fun when a reporter announced that there were still no leads on the people who had disappeared from the area. Hank's brother was one of the police officers that the reporter interviewed. All Steven was able to say was that there were no leads to the whereabouts of the people and a phone number to call if anyone had any tips. I could sense Mal's disappointment tinted with an angry flavor as he picked up the remote and changed the channel.

  "Even if there were leads, I doubt they'd be reporting them," I reassured him.

  "I know. It just feels like we should be doing more," he said, his hand wandering along the waist of my jeans.

  "That's what Xany keeps saying," I said.

  "How do you feel about it?" he asked.

  "I feel a bit helpless about it too, but I try not to think about it too much because then I start wondering what's happening to the people who were taken and I get scared for them," I said and glanced to Vanessa who was listening to us in silence. "Sometimes I can't think about the bad things that could be happening to people."

  "Yeah, me either," he said. The tips of his fingers dipped past my jeans enough so that I could feel his fingertips grazing the top of my scar. I tensed and held my breath for a second. Mal seemed dazed until he felt my reaction. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. Nothing," I said.

  I hadn't thought about it until just now, but I didn't want Mal to see my hideous scar. I drew my eyes away from his and glanced to Vanessa who watched me with a risen brow that translated into something like don't be silly.

  "She's worried about her scar," she burst forth, revealing my shame.

  "Vanessa!"

  "What scar?" Mal asked.

  "The one she has on her stomach that she hasn't told you about," she added. I frowned and my stomach lurched with anger. She didn't like her secrets exposed, nor did I.

  "Vanessa, it's not your job to talk about all the things that make me uncomfortable."

  "Yes it is. I saw it in your face. If you started obsessing about it like you were doing a second ago you would have had a panic attack. It's better this way," she said with a finality that left me speechless.

  "Were you really worried about what I'd think of your scar?" Mal asked. When I didn't return my gaze to his, he put his finger under my chin and guided me to look at him.

  "Yes. I just... It's not just the scar," I stuttered.

  "Let me see it."

  "What? No... It's... Why?"

  I saw a reddish flash of emotion roll across his eyes. I sucked in my breath and sensed his rage. A rage not directed at me. I knew at that moment he picked up on some information that was driven by my fear.

  "Let me," he repeated, his voice more stern than ever. I glanced to Vanessa who gave me a firm nod. Despite feeling a little ganged up on, I sat up and moved so that I was straddling Mal's lap, my eyes on his the entire time. In a strange way, I took comfort in his aggression, which I was starting to notice lately. His gentle hand caressed my cheek and I leaned into his touch. He dragged his hand down the center of my body to rest on top of mine as I unbuttoned my jeans. It didn't feel strange or scary. Maybe the fact that he wanted to see it made it easier to deal with. Or maybe the fact that I was curious to see his reaction. I'd already told him about my infertility and he hadn't rejected me; why would I even think he would reject me because of what might've caused it?

  I tugged down the top of my jeans and panties to show him my scar. The pinkish flesh glared at me like the chronic reminder that it was. I bit my lip and he waited until I exposed most of it to him. With a delicate finger, he traced it, which made me squirm a little at the tickling sensation. Without warning, Mal leaned me back and kissed my scar. By the time I realized what he had done we were sitting back up and he was smiling at me. His hazel eyes returned to their usual coolness. He cupped my face and kissed my lips in the same fashion. It took me a second to return his kiss as I was still surprised.

  "Every bit of you is perfect. Every bit of you is mine," he said.

  A sudden rush of something ran through my body and my eyes welled with tears. I had no words to match his, so I leaned my forehead against his. He put his hand flat against my scar and kept it there as he kissed me again. Suddenly I had an incredible desire to push his hand lower until I remembered that Vanessa was sitting beside us. I broke the kiss and looked over at her just as Mal pulled me into a hug. She was wearing a rather impish grin.

  I sat in Mal's lap for what seemed like ages while he kept his hand over my scar. He watched me quietly, and would occasionally kiss me. Even though he was only touching me in two places, I could feel him inside me, as if his blood were swimming with mine.

  Suddenly there was a sharp pain in my chest. I flinched and I heard Mal gasp at the same time. "Caden!" His voice traveled on a growl.

  I hopped out of his lap and zipped my pants quickly, nearly colliding with Vanessa who seemed to react faster than I did. Mal leapt off the sofa and bolted toward the door. I clutched my chest as the pain continued to throb somewhere to the right.

  "What's going on?" Vanessa asked.

  "I think something bad happened," I said, and struggled to catch my breath. Mal threw open the front door and Hank rushed into the house.

  "Don't panic. He's a'right, he's a'right," Hank announced as Xany and Caden moved into the house together.

  "Easy there, TB. You'll have to walk in sideways, there you go," she instructed as she guided Caden into the kitchen. Xany's expression was constricted by the emotion she tried to suppress. She glanced at me and my stomach tightened. At first it looked like nothing was wrong until I saw a huge arrow shaft sticking out of Caden's right bicep. Blood trickled down his arm and left a trail on the floor.

  "I'm all right, Precious." He grunted as he entered the kitchen, though I could have sworn he was laughing. Mal looked paler than death as Caden plopped down in a kitchen chair and looked right at me.

  "What the hell happened?" Mal's voice was deep and guttural.

  "Yer mates here had a run'in with a rogue arrow," Hank politely summed up. I rushed over to Caden as he took off his shirt with Xany's help.

  "Xandrea Wade! Did you shoot our Alpha?!" Mal roared.

  "It was an accident!" she shouted though her bottom lip trembled.

  "She didn't shoot me, bro, relax. She had a hard time reloading it. I reached to take it from her and triggered the recoil thing," Caden explained.

  "Yeah, see!" Xany defended. "I didn't shoot him. Nee, can you fix it?"

  "This is ridiculous," I said. "Yes, he'll be fine." I stood beside Caden and examined his wound. Despite the fact that he was probably in a fair amount of pain, he was laughing on and off.

  "Stop it. It's not funny," I lectured.

  "It's kind of funny." He smiled at me. "Especially when I've got you here to fix me up. I'm not worried. Ain't no wooden arrow ever taken out a wolf," he joked and glanced at Hank.

  "Yer lucky it was a wooden shaft, ya big galoot," Hank said and thumped Caden on the back. Despite Caden's laughter, Mal roared angrily at Xany.

  "Watch it, bub," she said and jabbed her finger into his chest.

  "You watch it." He growled.

  "I'm tired of you getting on my ass about every little thing!" she bellowed and continued to jab him in the chest. Mal snarled and grabbed her wrist, giving it a reprimanding squeeze before letting go. Xany turned her nose up at him and went back to tending to Caden.

  "Wooden or not, I'm still going to have to pull the arrow straight through his arm. It's not going to tickle," I said.
I located the tip of the arrow that bulged from the skin at the back of his arm then gripped the shaft.

  "It's probably healed around it some," Caden said. "And it's through the muscle."

  "I see this." I frowned and knew full well I wasn't going to have enough strength by myself to push the arrow through his arm.

  "Mal." I turned to look at him. His body was tense and his shoulders were raised as he fought the urge to change and tear the place apart. When I called his name, he turned to me and as soon as he met my gaze, I watched his body relax.

  "I need your help," I said. He took a deep breath and stood beside me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. "You have to push this arrow through his arm. We can't pull it out or it will tear him up. I'm not strong enough to push it." I kept my gaze on Mal's. My stomach churned. Werewolves didn't take well to their Alphas being hurt, even if the wound was as serious as a hangnail in werewolf terms. Caden had already started to heal around the arrow, which complicated things a bit. Had the arrow passed through his arm, there would barely be a mark on him at this point. Werewolves heal at a faster rate than humans except if they get wounded by silver.

  Mal took a few deep breaths and gripped the shaft of the arrow. He looked to Caden for the go ahead.

  "Just do it, bro, like a bandage," Caden said, urging Mal to do it quickly. Xany stood by Caden's side with her hand on his shoulder until Hank guided her away from him.

  "Best stand back here, Miss Xany. He might want to take a bite out of ya," he warned. Xany seemed put off by the insinuation.

  I took a step back while Hank moved in to keep Caden's arm steady, and without hesitating, Mal shoved the arrow right through Caden's bicep then switched when the arrowhead poked out. He yanked it the rest of the way through. I flinched when a gush of blood hit the floor, though it stopped abruptly. I expected Caden to at least growl but all he did was grunt. I put my hands around his arm, and felt his wound begin to close naturally under my fingertips. As soon as my skin touched his, the heat burst against my palms followed by the familiar indigo glow. I gasped at the fact that I had put no effort into the heal. The glow faded quickly and Caden's arm was as good as new.

  "Well, there we go. Crisis averted." Caden grinned then leaned over to nuzzle my shoulder. His affection surprised me so I patted him on the back awkwardly.

  "I'm sorry, TB. Did it hurt?" Xany asked as she walked over and sat in his lap. He accepted her immediately as he shook out his arm before wrapping it around her middle.

  "Nah, takes more than that to take me out. Now, if it went through my head that would be a different story." He chuckled.

  "Caden, don't even joke like that." I gripped my chest as my brain tossed me an image of what it might be like to pull an arrow out of my Alpha's skull. I shook it off as Mal grabbed me into a rough hug.

  "He's a tough boy there, Miss Shawnee. He'd be a'right," Hank said and thumped Caden on the back again. "I best get back out there a'fore the next patrol takes over."

  "Thanks for your help, Hank. If you could grab the crossbow from outside, I'd appreciate it," Caden said.

  "Not a problem." He grinned and bade us farewell as he ducked outside.

  Vanessa had gone back to lounging on the sofa once the emergency was over and I watched Caden to make sure he really was okay.

  "Why the hell would you grab a crossbow like that?" Mal erupted suddenly, his voice booming over my shoulder.

  "The recoil could have sent it backwards." Caden's explanation was vague.

  I didn't really understand what he was getting at and I don't think Xany did either. Mal nodded to him and finally seemed to relax, despite the tight hold he kept on me. I rubbed his arms and felt the thick hair that had sprouted when he fought the change disappear. Werewolves often thrive on the touch of their pack, particularly their mates after they've chosen one, to help soothe them or keep them calm. I don't think it works the same for Breeders but it certainly doesn't hurt.

  "C'mon, precious, a shower is in order." Caden patted Xany's hip and stood with her.

  "You got it, TB. I'll take good care of you," she said and tugged his arm as she led him into the bathroom.

  "They have the strangest nicknames for each other," Vanessa commented as they disappeared into the bathroom.

  "No kidding," Mal said as he guided me back toward the main room.

  "What did Caden mean by the recoil going backward?" I asked Mal as I sat in his lap again, sideways so that I could see both him and Vanessa.

  "He grabbed the crossbow away from Xany because he saw that the arrow wasn't in it properly. It could have slipped backward and got her," he explained.

  "Oh...that would have been very bad." I gulped.

  "Very." He brushed my hair aside to kiss my neck. Our mate bond tugged and swirled inside me, which told me Mal was still upset. The prospect of his Alpha or his sister getting hurt was almost too much for him to handle. I pressed my lips to his and he responded by nibbling mine.

  "It would have sliced through her like butter," Vanessa said.

  "Thank you for that graceful elaboration, Ness," I said.

  "It's the truth." She seemed offended.

  "Some things are better left unsaid." I broke the kiss to look over at her.

  "You said to tell the truth." A confused huff accompanied her voice.

  "We need to help her grow a filter," I told Mal, who laughed.

  "It probably won't work, but it'll be fun trying." He smiled at Vanessa, though it seemed more affectionate than usual. She smiled back at us and hopped up when she heard the Chinese food delivery before the man even got out of the car.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A week passed without a tip or lead about the missing people. The Sept was growing increasingly frustrated. The only noticeable difference was that there were no new disappearances. I walked in on Caden and Mal discussing just that.

  "Hank thinks that the disappearances have stopped because the perps know we're onto them," Caden said.

  "It makes sense. The trails are still crazy though. Even with Vanessa's advice to retrace our steps, it's been fruitless," Mal said, his voice tangled with defeat.

  "I've talked to Hank about addressing the other Alphas to allow her to join us on patrol..." Caden trailed off.

  "Let me guess, half of them said that they couldn't guarantee her safety," Mal said.

  "Yup." Caden rolled his shoulders. It was the first time I'd ever picked up on an ounce of anger from him.

  "Progressive enough to have female Alphas, not progressive enough to accept help from other werecreatures." Mal shook his head. "Even if it's at the expense of one of their own."

  "They really won't let Vanessa help?" I asked.

  "Nope. June pretty much threatened to attack her on the spot," Caden answered. Mal wrapped his arm around me when I sat beside him.

  "What kind of Alpha promises something like that? Where's Xee?" I asked.

  "One who thinks she has a lot to prove. She's out back by her herb garden," Caden said.

  "Vanessa would wipe the floor with June," I said and took the piece of sandwich that Mal offered me.

  "I have no doubt about that, we just can't risk it," Caden said.

  "Look at us—venturing out as lone wolves only to be in another pack with a Sept and not so lone anymore," Mal said and shook his head.

  "And dealing with damned politics," Caden responded.

  "Now you guys think of this?" I laughed. It was partly my fault that Caden and Mal ended up in another pack and Sept. When they first presented their plan to rescue Lost Ones, I advised them that their plans were faulty without the backup of a pack.

  "Hey, we're slow learners." Caden chuckled.

  "It's worth it though," Mal said and pulled me into a hug. I leaned into him and he lifted me into his lap.

  "Mal and I are on patrol this afternoon so you and Xee will have to hold down the fort," Caden said.

  "We can handle it as long as you don't give Xany a crossbow for protection."
I grinned. Both guys laughed.

  "She's got a point there, bro," Mal said. Caden grumbled.

  "Dinner out tonight when we get back?" Mal whispered in my ear.

  "Just us?" My brows flicked upward.

  "Just us."

  "Okay." I smiled. "Maybe we can spend some time by the lake afterward."

  "I'd like that," he said and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

  Mal and Caden left when Barron showed up. I was surprised to see that Hank didn't accompany them. Barron seemed distraught so I wondered if Hank had recommended that Barron join Caden purposely. Most of the Alphas knew of Caden's powerful dominance. I could tell that he was more dominant than Barron the moment the Clash began. I couldn't help but wonder if Caden was even more dominant than Hank.

  Xany came inside just as I was ordering some work scrubs and art supplies on the internet. She peeked over my shoulder before she took off her gardening gloves and tossed them in the basket beside the door.

  "Is Vanessa still at work?" she asked.

  "Yeah, I think it's another recital night."

  "Oh. We should go watch sometime," she said then retrieved a huge hunk of meat out of the refrigerator and placed it on the counter. "Did Caden say when they'd be back?"

  "No, but the patrols have gotten shorter lately, so probably a few hours," I said and clicked the checkout button on the website.

  "Cooking can wait then. Want to go for a swim while we wait for the guys? I'll go crazy just sitting here not being able to help."

  "All right, but only if you promise not to bring the crossbow." This was becoming my new favorite condition. Xany giggled and hopped over to smooch my cheek.

  "We should bring something with us though, just in case," she said, and peeked over at me as she slunk off into Caden's room. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge to take with me. Xany bounced back into the main room holding a backpack.

  "Do you want water, too?" I asked her as I stood by the fridge.

  "Huh? Oh, sure," she said and opened the bag for me to drop the bottles in.

  She packed beach towels and a blanket for the ground. On the way out, I grabbed my mobile phone and pocketed it just in case Vanessa should call. We locked up the cabin and out we went.