Two for Protection

by Marissa Dobson

  “There’s no risk. I told you shifters are nearly impossible to kill, and all of us, including the twins, are trained for this. We know the threats against our kind from a young age, and almost from the time we can walk we’re trained to protect ourselves and our kind.” Courtney’s fear might’ve been gone for the moment, but Tad’s anger was rising to an all time level. If he got his hands on Jeffery, he’d kill him just for terrifying Courtney. The need to protect a mate rose above all else.

  Unlike the tigers, Tad’s sleuth wasn’t as strict about protecting their home. Since they were surrounded by water on all sides, and only family members lived on the island, they hardly needed to worry about it. Until the Alaskan Tigers and Kodiak Bears joined forces, the Browns pretty much stayed out of things, keeping to their island. When bears mated, they rarely had feelings of divided loyalties between their clan and their mates like some other shifter groups did.

  “I’ll make breakfast while Tad calls his brothers.” Milo leaned into her, kissing her briefly before standing up and grabbing his clothes as he left.

  Tad admired Milo for being strong enough to walk away from Courtney. He wanted nothing more than to snuggle against her body until he could make love to her again. Almost as if by command his shaft hardened, forcing a groan from him. Oh, how he wanted her again.

  She turned to him, sliding her hand down his body. “I’m ready again if you are.”

  “Oh, darling…” He claimed her mouth as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, he lightly ran his teeth over it before letting it go. “There’s no doubt that I’m ready, but your safety is more important. I need to call Turi and Trey.” He forced himself to move away from her and grab his jeans. Slipping them back on, he found they had dried some by the fire while he was otherwise engaged.

  “Spoil sport.” She tugged the blanket around her body, covering up her nakedness. Humans were never as comfortable about their naked bodies as shifters.

  “Here.” He tossed his shirt to her since he didn’t see hers anywhere in sight. “The hot water is hooked up to the generator if you want to take a shower.”

  “That would be perfect. I cleaned most of the soot and dirt from the fire off in a gas station, but a real shower would make me feel better.” She slipped his shirt over her head and stood. “Care to join me?”

  His bear roared within in, demanding he join her. “I’ll take a rain check until there’s enough hot water that we don’t risk standing under a cold shower.” With a quick nod she left him standing there, watching her hips sashay away from him. Itching to follow her, he forced himself to pick up the phone and call his brothers.

  * * *

  Bacon sizzled in the skillet, pancake batter sat to the side waiting to be put on the griddle, and Milo was cracking eggs for omelets when Tad came into the kitchen. The connection between Tad and him had been a little surprising. He remembered Taber and Thorben had mentioned being able to feel each other’s emotions, and they knew each other’s next moves. Some of that was because they were twins, and the rest came from mating with Kallie, but there was no other connection between them.

  Milo felt drawn to Tad, not in the same way as Courtney, but in a deep almost loving way. The love between them was strong, sharing the common bond of their mating with Courtney, even if their relationship wasn’t sexual.

  Tad leaned against the counter, his brow furrowed in thought. “I’ve spoke with Turi. Trey’s out dealing with a few things because Dad’s off the island. With Dad gone, he’s staying, but Turi will be here within the hour.”

  “There’s more, isn’t there? I can feel it.”

  “There was blood in the air when I was outside…and this.” Tad pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket and laid it on the counter. Blood soaked the beige material. “It’s not his, there’s a different scent to it. A call came through for a search party…a plane had a rough landing in a field not a quarter of a mile from here. If I had to guess, the blood would match the pilot. We can add another body to Jeffery’s count.”

  “Devon’s been searching for the plane Jeffery was seen boarding. It’s going to lead him straight to Jeffery and us.” Milo frowned, tossed the last eggshell in the trash, and washed his hands. “Is there any way to let Devon know who they’re up against in case they find him before we do?” From what Courtney said, there was no doubt Jeffery would kill again. He wouldn’t go down without a fight.

  “Turi’s going to try to find him before heading for us. In the meantime we need to be ready. We’re sitting ducks if they come after him here. Being on the hill provides us a little advantage but I’m going to call Hazel and Tate and get them over here with an assault rifle or shotgun. Our handguns won’t take him out long distance if we need to save any of the search team.”

  “We’re going to have to tell Courtney.”

  Tad poured a cup of the coffee Milo had brewed and nodded. “I’ll do it, and then I’ll call Tate. I’ll also have Hazel prepare something if we need to wipe the memories of the search team or police. Will you update Ty and Quinn?”

  “Yeah.” Milo flipped the bacon before looking back at Tad. “She can do that?”

  “She’s an exceptional witch.”

  “It’s a skill my clan could benefit from. Do you think she would be interested in teaming with us occasionally?”

  “She prefers her privacy here, but I believe she would be willing as long as she was able to remain here. This is her home, where her son and husband are buried.” Tad set the coffee aside. “Hazel took Tate in when he was just a cub. His family disappeared, leaving him behind. She’s always had a special connection to shifters because of her abilities, so she claimed Tate as her son. She’ll do what she can for our kind. She feels it’s her duty for being given Tate. Before him, she was a mess, her family was killed in a fishing accident. Tate was her second chance, and she never took it for granted.”

  “If she isn’t interested, I won’t push her. Courtney is the most important thing right now, and any help they’ll give us will be appreciated.” Milo grabbed the tongs and pulled the bacon from the skillet, placing it on a plate with paper towels. “I’ll make the calls, then finish breakfast.”

  “Easy for you, I’ve got the hard part…telling Courtney.”

  Milo let out a deep laugh and set the plate of bacon aside. “I don’t envy you there. She’s a strong woman, but it might be enough to bring that fear back. No matter what she said this morning, she’s not willing to give up her fight. She’ll bring Jeffery down if she can do it. Though I’d prefer we do it, and save her the trouble of a trial.”

  “A man like Jeffery has connections. As long as he’s alive, he’s a threat to her. The only way to eliminate the threat is to eliminate him. If he’s out of the picture, he can’t order a hit on her or anyone else.”

  “Then that’s settled. Let’s just keep it from her and Quinn for now. I don’t believe Courtney would agree with our stance, and I know for damn sure Quinn won’t. If he thought as a shifter, he would…but being raised without any of our kind around him, completely in the human world, he thinks too much like them.”

  They shared a brief look, letting each other know they were on the same page. Then Tad made his way back to the bedroom where Courtney was showering.

  With the thought of calling his Alpha, Milo rolled his shoulder to check the progress it was making. In just twenty-four hours, his shoulder was already nearly healed, or at least as healed as it would ever be. He considered the fact that within the next forty-eight hours the blizzard would pass and the airport would reopen. He was expected to return to the compound. The time was limited for them to convince Courtney she needed to go with them.

  No wonder some of the shifters envied the Kodiak Bears and other less organized groups. They didn’t have the same division of loyalties the Alaskan Tigers went through. They never had to choose between their mate or their clan or have to balance the two. Milo was one of the Elders guards, but he wasn’t
as high ranking as Felix and Adam were. Somehow, they still managed to balance their mates and their duty to the clan. Hopefully, Milo would be able to find that same balance.

  Chapter Seven

  Courtney sat surrounded by more men than she ever been around at once. As a journalist, she worked alone and rarely had to go into the office; all of her assignments were emailed in. She had lived a life of near solitude. Milo and Tad were on either side of her, and Tad’s hand was on her thigh while Milo had his around her shoulders. Their touch calmed her, kept her focused on what they were discussing.

  Turi, Hazel, and Tate sat across from her. Turi was so much like Tad except his hair was a lighter brown, and full of sun kissed highlights; he put her at ease. Hazel made her uncomfortable. She was too silent, as if she knew something was coming but wouldn’t say it aloud. Did she know something the others didn’t? Could she see the future?

  Tate sat there quietly, his dark eyes watching intently. His shoulder length hair was silver. Not gray, but shiny like sterling silver, highlights that sparkled when the light hit it. The flannel shirt and jeans added a country appearance to his otherwise unusual looks.

  “Dad is going to search this way,” Turi said. “Hopefully if Jeffery gets this far, Dad can detour the police and search team until we’re able to deal with the situation. Then we won’t have to erase their memories.” He grabbed another muffin off the tray Milo had provided.

  “If things can be avoided, I prefer it.” Hazel rose from her seat. “Messing with someone’s memories is something I’d rather not do. But to keep us safe, I’ll do whatever is needed. I’ll be ready if and when you need me. If you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare.”

  Tad nodded. “If you go down the hall to the second door on the right, that’s Lisa’s study. I have a fire going in there for you, it should be warm enough now. Please let us know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” She disappeared down the hall.

  “Please excuse my mother, she’s usually more friendly,” Tate said once Hazel was out of hearing range. “She’s focused on trying to sense what’s going to happen. She’ll give us whatever warning she can before he gets here. The ritual to remove someone’s memories is demanding, so she’ll need whatever time we have to prepare herself.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. You’re both doing me a huge favor. I’ll be in your debt.” Tad’s voice was clear and full of authority, but there was also a softness to it, conveying just how thankful he was for their help.

  Tate shook his head, his silver hair sliding forward. “You know that’s not how we are.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t change anything. When you need anything, know the Kodiak Bears will be at your back.”

  “As well as the Alaskan Tigers,” Milo added.

  “Thank you.” Tate smiled.

  A few days ago, his smile would have made Courtney weak in the knees, but now that she had Tad and Milo she barely noticed. Nevertheless, she was sure he was a heartbreaker with the girls.

  She couldn’t offer her strength like Tad and Milo could, so she offered her talents instead. “I’m extremely grateful too, but in a fight…well, I doubt it needs to be said I wouldn’t be much help. However, I’m one hell of a baker. If I make it out of this alive, you’ll have an endless supply of sweets whenever you like.”

  “A baker? Tad, it looks like you’ve found the perfect mate.” Tate chuckled, glancing at Courtney. “Tad’s got the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know, and that’s saying something with my love of sweets. Not to mention his family is a bunch of hungry bears. You might have your hands full trying to keep him supplied, but I expect to at least get a sample from time to time…or I’ll have to kill him for it.”

  “We’ve been down that road before, wolf. You, my friend, have the scars to prove it,” Tad teased.

  “Because you took a cheap shot.” Tate rubbed his side.

  “It will be nice to have others I can bake for,” Courtney interjected. From how quickly the store bought muffins had disappeared, she suspected she’d be baking a lot. Thankfully, Milo could cook, which would allow them to split the duties and she wouldn’t be in the kitchen from sun up to sun down trying to feed both of her hungry men.

  The thought of splitting the duties with Milo made her realize she wanted to live. It was strange to think she had accepted Tad and Milo, but part of her couldn’t stand the thought of being away from them. It had to be the mating they’d told her about, because the rational part of her knew it was too fast and told her to run for the hills.

  Milo leaned close to her until she could feel his breath on her cheek. “You can bake for me anytime, sugar.” He kissed her before she could say anything.

  “I think you have more on your mind than just her baking.” Tate laughed at his own joke.

  “I’m just glad to see my older brother will be well cared for by mates who can cook. He’s helpless in the kitchen.” Turi smirked at Tad and popped another piece of the muffin in his mouth.

  “I’m not helpless,” Tad insisted.

  “Not helpless, my ass.” Turi and Tate both erupted into raucous laughter, and Milo chuckled.

  “Don’t worry, love, you’ve got your own talents.” Wiggling her eyebrows, Courtney tried to let him know what she meant. She’d rather have Tad and Milo in her bed than in the kitchen.

  The realization of what she had said hit her full force.

  Love.

  It was all happening so fast, but even though she’d deny it to anyone who asked, she was falling in love with them. Falling hard for both of them. What if something happened to them because of this mess with Jeffery? Just like that, her fear seeped back in. She didn’t want to lose them.

  “I’d like a moment with my…sister-in-law.” Turi scooted his chair back from the table and stood.

  Tad growled, but Courtney squeezed his hand and met Turi’s gaze. “A bit presumptuous, aren’t we?” she asked.

  “I don’t believe so. You’ve mated with Tad and Milo, I can smell their mark on you. That makes your family. A wedding is a human thing. Though some shifters, especially those with human mates, do have them. Now, may I have a moment alone with you?”

  She nodded. Milo removed his arm from her shoulders, letting her stand, but Tad wouldn’t let go.

  “I’ll only be gone a few minutes.” She leaned down and gave him a quick peck before strolling out of the room with Turi hot on her tail.

  For total privacy, she headed for her mother’s bedroom. Being at the back of the house it would be the coldest room, but it was also the farthest away from the others. It was the best they could do for privacy without going outside, though shifter hearing meant they still would be able to hear whatever was said.

  She took a moment to look at her mother’s room. Nothing had changed in all the years she been gone. Even the same yellow and white comforter covered the bed, making the room bright even in the dead of winter when it was dark most of the time. A picture of her and her mother at her graduation sat on the nightstand. She longed to see her mother again. Was her mother protected? Did it even matter if Jeffery was in Nome?

  She pushed the thoughts aside and turned to Turi as he shut the door behind them.

  “What did you want to see me about?” she asked.

  He stood there, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, just staring at her as if he wasn’t sure where to begin.

  “My bother…he’s a little…let’s say over the top. Especially when it comes to the protection of women and children. As his mate you’re going to get hit hard with that and I reckon very soon. I wanted a moment to ask that you give him leeway. He’ll do it so he doesn’t lose you as he lost…”

  “Turi!” Tad bellowed. Loud footsteps could be heard in the hall seconds before the door flew open to reveal a very angry Tad. His fingers wrapped around Turi’s neck and pushed him against the wall. “You have no right.”

  Seconds passed while she stood there in shock. “Tad…” She started to go towa
rd him, her arm outstretched to touch him, but thought better of it at the last second. The anger poured off him in hot waves. If she touched him, it could easily be turned onto her. Instead she moved around him, leaning against the wall next to Turi’s body so she could look Tad in the eye and put as much authority in her voice as she could muster.

  “Stop. This is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves.”

  “He had no right to mention Rosemarie.” Even as Tad spoke she could see his grip relax.

  Turi didn’t fight or even move, he just stood pressed against the wall and waited for his brother to calm down. “With what’s happening, she needs to know. She can’t be expected to follow your overprotective orders if she doesn’t completely understand. Are you willing to risk the safety of your mates because you’re stubborn?”

  “Stop this, both of you. This is insane.” Courtney was hurt he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about this Rosemarie, and that Turi had tried to. It was irrational since there had to be plenty of things she didn’t know about him, just as he didn’t know things about her. For Turi to risk his brother’s anger, this had to be worth it.

  She turned away. If they were going to fight it out and see who won, she wasn’t willing to watch. She hadn’t heard anyone come down the hall, but Milo was standing in the doorway appearing confused.

  So I’m not the only one being kept in the dark.

  It made her feel better about the situation for a moment, especially when Milo held out his hand to her. She went to him, pressing herself against his chest, comforted by the warmth of his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her. The only thing missing was Tad’s touch to complete the trio.

  Milo ran his hand down her back. “Courtney’s right, Tad, this isn’t the time for this. We can’t fight amongst ourselves when there’s danger lurking nearby. If there’s one thing I know about Turi, he wouldn’t risk your anger if he wasn’t adamant it was for the best.”

  “Rosemarie has nothing to do with what is at hand.” Tad growled.