Susannah's Saviors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynnette Bernard

“Why are we running?” Dean asked, grabbing Suzie’s hand and keeping her between him and Mitchell.

  “Our old alpha is here,” Mitchell told him, never breaking stride. “I can scent him.”

  Dean didn’t waste any more energy talking. He knew all about Alpha Randall. Mitchell had told him how he had been abused by the sick bastard. And now he knew how Suzie had suffered under his hands. He didn’t know if they could outrun the man, but he was going to make sure they gave it the best shot that they could until they were able to get help.

  “We can’t let them take us,” Suzie called out as they ran.

  They could hear the thud of feet behind them and knew they weren’t going to get far. Suzie smelled five distinct scents. One belonged to Randall. Two belonged to Randall’s enforcers Simon and Warren. The other two scents she didn’t recognize. Suzie knew it was an exercise in futility to try to escape them. They were strong men who would easily overpower them, but she had to do all that she could to protect Mitchell, Dean, and the baby she was carrying.

  The three of them were grabbed from behind, jerked to a stop by strong hands that pulled roughly at their bodies and hair. Suzie let out a small cry as she struggled to remain standing.

  She turned as much as the steel band of powerful arms surrounding her waist allowed. She saw the man who held her and relaxed just a fraction. Simon Morrow was a strong enforcer who followed Randall’s orders, but he held at least a semblance of fairness. Warren Conway, the man who restrained Mitchell, was the same. Both men’s strength had enforced the laws of the pack, but they had never been abusive.

  She thought back to Drew’s story of being stabbed by Simon’s silver blade. Knowing that Simon had intentionally missed any vital organs gave Suzie hope that he really didn’t intend her any harm. She also remembered how Simon and Warren had never participated in the cruelty that Randall invoked upon his pack.

  “If you struggle, Susannah, the human will die,” Randall told her, growling as he held Dean in his powerful grip. His hands were morphed into claws and digging into the bicep of Dean’s left arm, drawing blood.

  Suzie went still immediately. She looked at Mitchell and saw the anger on her younger brother’s face. She knew he was fighting to control his wolf.

  “I’m not going to fight you,” Suzie told him calmly. “There’s no need to hurt Dean.”

  “Oh, but see, that’s where you’re wrong, Susannah,” Randall told her calmly, dragging his claws down Dean’s left arm, smiling as Dean cried out in pain as his flesh was torn open. “I think there is a need to hurt this worthless human. You need to learn your lesson.”

  “What lesson is that, Randall?” Mitchell spoke up, his eyes flashing golden as he fought to control his wolf. “We already know you’re a poor excuse of an alpha. We’ve seen what a good alpha is. Jace Beckett is far above you in all that he is. You. Are. Nothing.”

  Randall lashed out and punched Mitchell in the stomach with a closed fist. He doubled over, coughing as he fought for breath. If it weren’t for the arms of Warren Conway surrounding his shoulders, Mitchell would have collapsed to the ground.

  “Mitch!” Dean called out, trying to pull away from Randall to go and help his friend. Randall’s hold on him only increased, sending his claws deeper into Dean’s arm and ripping into his muscle.

  “The only reason you’re alive, Mitchell, is because you’ve inherited the sight that your sister no longer has,” Randall told him, his voice deceptively calm.

  Randall unhooked the silver collar that was attached to his belt and threw it at Simon, who caught it easily. It was then that Suzie realized that Simon’s hands held scars from the burns he has sustained over the years from handling silver. She could see that the collar was burning him even now, but Simon didn’t even flinch.

  “Put that on her,” Randall ordered.

  “No!” Mitchell yelled, trying to wrench free of Warren’s grip, but he barely moved the big man.

  The two younger men that Suzie didn’t recognize were not as tall as Simon and Warren, but they looked equally as strong. Both of the seasoned enforcers were powerhouses. Simon was heavily muscled, as was Warren. Simon was six feet five inches tall. His hair was completely white and was always kept in a military cut. His hazel eyes had flecks of brown in them, and Suzie had always thought his eyes held sadness. Warren was six feet four inches tall. His dark brown hair held a liberal sprinkling of gray in it. Its cut was also military in style. Where Simon’s eyes held sadness, Warren’s blue eyes held anger. Suzie had always felt sorry for both of them.

  Simon worked the collar open one-handed and was about to place it around Suzie’s neck when he caught her scent. He tugged on her arm gently and looked down at her, surprised to see the clearness of her eyes.

  “You can see?” he asked her quietly.

  Suzie nodded.

  Simon inhaled deeply, his eyes flashing golden as he drew her scent deeper into his lungs. “You are carrying,” he stated.

  Again Suzie nodded. She prayed to the Fates that this man would understand that if he put the silver collar on her, the poison would invade her system once again and kill her unborn child.

  “Alpha, Suzie is pregnant,” Simon told him calmly, never taking his eyes from Suzie’s face. “The collar will make her lose her cub.”

  “Do it,” Randall demanded. “She will have no one’s cub but mine.”

  “No,” Mitchell moaned as he struggled to get out of Warren’s hold so he could protect his sister.

  Warren looked at Simon, his eyebrows raised at his triad partner in question. This was wrong. He watched Simon as he shook his head slowly and tugged at Suzie’s arm so that she stood by his side.

  “No, Alpha,” Simon said calmly. “I will not.”

  “You will do as I command,” Randall told him viciously. “Do it now.”

  Simon looked at the man who had been his alpha for the past twenty years and realized he could no longer follow his orders. It was time to take a stand. If he and Warren had to go rogue, then so be it. It was better to be without a pack than to be with a pack that promoted cruelty and injustice.

  He dropped the collar to the ground. “I will not be the cause of her cub’s death,” he answered with certainty.

  The sound of vicious growls filled the open area. Suzie almost dropped to her knees with relief as she saw her mates, Jace, Jackson, Alexander, and Butler racing toward them in their wolf forms. She smiled in satisfaction, knowing this would soon be finished. They all would be safe within minutes. Covering her belly with her hand, she closed her eyes and said a prayer of thanks to the Fates that the child within her would be safe after all.

  She opened her eyes and watched as the blue swirl of magic surrounded the members of her new pack, and the massive wolves shifted into their human forms. Suzie had never been so happy to see the mass of muscle and power that faced her. She felt a sense of satisfaction knowing Alpha Randall’s reign of tyranny was about to end. And she was going to be thrilled to be witness to it.

  The power that exuded from Jace filled the area. He stepped forward, Jackson to his right and Drew and Carter to his left. Alexander and Butler took their places beside Dean and Mitchell.

  “Come here, baby,” Drew told her, holding out his hand to her.

  “Right now, Susannah,” Carter told her firmly, his eyes hard as he stared at Randall.

  “She’s not going anywhere,” Randall told them, stepping in front of Suzie and dragging Dean with him as he stood facing the men with his back to Suzie.

  “Suzie and Mitchell are part of my pack now, Randall,” Jace told him calmly, folding his arms across his massive chest. “Dean is my son. You will release all of them. Do it now, and I may give you the chance to live.”

  Despite the pain Dean was in from his wounds, he couldn’t help but stand tall as Jace claimed him as his son. He knew that both he and Jackson had welcomed him and Mia without hesitation when the men had mated with their mother, but to hear Jace proclaim paternal ownership
in front of everyone filled him with pride and happiness.

  “I’d heard your pack was diluted with the stench of humans,” Randall sneered.

  Jace lowered his arms and took a step toward Randall. “I challenge you for the right to have Susannah and Mitchell as members of my pack family,” he told him, his voice deep with power.

  “I’ll not fight you, Beckett,” Randall told him firmly. “The two of them belong to me.”

  “No. That’s where you’re wrong, Randall,” Jace stopped him. “Susannah and Mitchell belong to themselves and the mates they have committed themselves to. You have no authority over them.”

  Randall clenched his teeth, his hold on Dean tightening and digging into the wound that was bleeding profusely. Dean moaned as pain ripped through him.

  “Let go of my son.” The deadly tone of Jace’s voice was unmistakable.

  Randall pushed Dean from him, swiping at his shoulder and opening up a fresh, deep wound as Dean fell forward. Jackson reached out and caught Dean before he hit the ground, gathering him in his arms and pulling him close, covering Dean’s wounds with his hands to try his best to stop the blood flow.

  Jace reached out and wrapped his right hand around Randall’s throat, lifting him effortlessly until his feet dangled a good foot off the ground. He shook him slightly before tightening his grip on him.

  “I officially challenge you,” Jace snarled, his voice barely human as his wolf fought for control.

  “Take him down!” Randall yelled, pushing the power he had as alpha toward his men.

  The two younger enforcers looked to Simon and Warren for guidance. The power that Randall pushed at them sent such incredible pain through them, they would do anything to be free of it—including challenging Alpha Jace Beckett.

  “We will not aid you in this,” Simon called out, speaking for himself and Warren, looking at his triad partner to be sure that he was in agreement.

  Warren nodded and pulled Mitchell to stand next to him. He looked down at the young man who had been the object of so much abuse within Randall’s pack. He felt shame that he had stood by and allowed it to happen. Well, he wasn’t going to stand by and allow it anymore.

  He turned to Eli and Maxwell, two of the newest enforcers of Randall’s pack, and growled in disgust. “You must choose your side right now,” he told them firmly. “We will not stand by and allow any more abuse to take place. How will you choose?”

  Both men looked at each other then returned their gazes to Simon and Warren. They tipped their heads to the right, showing submission to them.

  Simon turned to face Jace and nodded his deference to him. “The four of us respectfully offer you our aid, Alpha Beckett. We no longer belong to Randall’s pack. Please allow us to stay on your land until this issue has been resolved.”

  Jace nodded once, his gaze never leaving Randall’s face. “You have to the count of five to shift and accept my challenge, or I will kill you where you stand.”

  He threw Randall to the ground, shifting to his massive, black wolf form in a swirl of blue magic. He stood before the downed man, his teeth bared and snapping as angry growls erupted from him.

  Randall looked at the men who no longer were a part of his pack. “Cowards!” he yelled at them, scrambling back and fighting with his clothes as he struggled to call upon his magic and shift.

  The moment his brown wolf appeared, Jace attacked. There was a flurry of movement as the heavy bodies slammed into each other. Jace was relentless in his attack on the man who had caused such sadness and pain to the people Jace cared about. He held no mercy and no hesitation in his attack as he scented the blood that was permeating the air—the blood of his son.

  Randall ran at him full force, butting his nose into Jace’s side and causing him to stumble slightly. He bit into Jace’s rear left leg, holding on with all his strength to try to take down the powerful wolf.

  Jace whipped his head around, biting at Randall’s hindquarters until Randall released his hold on his leg. Jace used his massive body to push the wolf down to the ground, opening his jaws and clamping down on Randall’s neck and holding him in place. He exerted just enough pressure to puncture and draw blood, not moving until Randall whined his submission.

  Releasing his hold on him, he stepped back and looked down at the bested wolf, growling a warning. When he saw Randall lower his head to the ground, he was satisfied that the challenge was over. Turning, Jace started to stalk away, determined to go to his pack family and see to their care.

  Randall stood slowly, looking at the back of Jace’s wolf as he walked away. Anger built in him to a blinding fury. Without another thought, he ran toward the alpha and pounced on his back, opening his mouth and biting down in an attempt to sever his spinal cord.

  Jace growled in outrage, whipping his body around and throwing Randall off his back. In one quick move, he pinned him to the ground, clamping down on his throat and ripping it out in a clean execution.

  The swirl of blue magic surrounded Jace’s wolf, pulling him back to his human form. He stood, his chest heaving as he looked down at the body of Randall’s wolf. He wiped at his face with the back of his hand, pushing away the blood that filled his mouth from the kill. It was a clean kill. It was a necessary kill. He felt remorse for taking a life, but he did not feel remorse for taking this life. Randall had ruled as an alpha with cruelty and intimidation. He had been challenged according to pack law and had fought following the guidelines of all shifters. The fact that Randall had fought dirty and had attacked once the challenge had been completed was the determining factor in the outcome. Randall was responsible for his own death.

  “How’s Dean?” he asked immediately, turning and stepping toward the circle of his family.

  “We need to get him back to my clinic,” Drew told him quickly. “He’s lost a lot of blood. I’ll need to stitch him up. He’s got some pretty deep wounds, but I think he should be okay.”

  “I’ve told Laurie,” Jackson spoke up as he lifted Dean in his arms and started walking toward Doc’s clinic. “She’s going to meet us at Doc’s. Nikki will be there to help.”

  Jace nodded and walked over to Jackson, reaching out and touching Dean’s head lightly. “Are you doing okay, son?” he asked him gently.

  “I’ve been better,” Dean told him weakly, smiling despite the pain he was in.

  “I’m proud of you,” Jace told him sincerely.

  “You’re a brave cub,” Jackson whispered, rubbing his face against the top of Dean’s head, making sure his scent surrounded their son.

  Dean smiled. As he drifted into unconsciousness, the last thought he had was that he was glad that Jace and Jackson were his dads.

  Drew’s clinic was filled with worried members of their pack family. Nikki and Carter were beside Drew as they worked in the sterile room used for surgery and deliveries. Drew had quickly reassured everyone that Dean would be fine before ignoring them and concentrating on making that a certainty.

  Everyone waited nervously in Drew’s outer office while they worked on repairing the injuries to Dean’s arm and shoulder. Jace held Laurie between him and Jackson, trying his best to send her soothing thoughts as her worry for her son overwhelmed her. Jackson covered her belly gently, rubbing it softly as he tried to soothe their mate and their cub.

  Mia stood between Lucian and Cole, nervously twisting her hands together as she leaned into both men. For now, she put aside her determination to remain distant from them. They were solid and warm as they supported her, holding her gently. She was never more grateful for their presence. Their scent called to her and settled her. She realized that she didn’t want to be away from them—especially now when she needed them to help her stay strong for her brother.

  Suzie stood beside Mitchell and Janine. Sensing her brother’s worry, she reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it lightly.

  “He’ll be fine, Mitchell,” she reassured him. “Drew and Carter are skilled healers. Dean will be better in no time. Yo
u’ll see.”

  Mitchell nodded, unable to speak. He didn’t know what he would do without Dean. In the short time they had spent together and had gotten to know each other, they had bonded as deeply as any triad partnership could.

  Even though Janey denied being their third, he was thankful that she was beside him waiting for news on Dean. Her scent calmed him and called to him, and he knew it did the same for Dean.

  He and Dean had talked about it at length. Despite the hurt that filled both of their hearts that Janey wasn’t open to being their mate, they were still hopeful that someday she would realize that their future would be so much better if they experienced it together.

  Alexander and Butler stood on the front deck by the open clinic door with the group of shifters that had come to their land with Randall. They had wanted to leave once Jace had defeated Randall, but Jace wouldn’t allow it. He said he would speak to them once his son had been taken care of, and they had naturally conceded to his rank and power.

  The inner office door opened, and Drew stood there with Carter and Nikki beside him. All three of them looked tired. Everyone’s attention was drawn to them as they waited for news about Dean.

  “Drew?” Laurie’s voice was filled with pain and worry. “How is he?”

  Mia drew up beside her and grasped her mother’s hand. They were a team. They always had been. It had always been the three of them against the world. Now, it seemed, they were surrounded by members of the pack who were there to support them, care about them, and love them. If Mia wasn’t so scared at that moment, she was sure she would be overwhelmed with the emotions she was feeling.

  “Dean did very well during the surgery,” Drew told them tiredly. “I was able to repair the damage done to his shoulder and the muscle of his arm, but he’ll require some physical therapy to regain full mobility.” He turned to look at Mitchell and smiled. “It’s a good thing you’ve been bonding with him over the last few days, Mitchell. Your bite will help him heal faster. The only thing that would be better would be if you had found your third, and she had claimed him as well.”