Startling Revelations

by Becca Van

  He was only about twenty yards from the boat now and was glad he hadn’t kept on his direct path toward the back. He’d arced further to the left and was coming at the step from an angle.

  Beck had done the same from the right.

  It was only Bas who hadn’t changed course.

  Byron hoped that the assholes onboard weren’t too perturbed when they spotted a huge-ass polar bear-like creature swimming toward them. In fact, he hoped that they weren’t going to bother raising the dingy onboard the yacht at all.

  When he felt determined resolve flow into his heart, he glanced at his brothers and looked inside at the thread binding him and his mate together. There was a slight glow to the strand, and he almost sighed with relief when he realized that their mate was awake.

  “Krista, can you hear me, sweetness?” Byron asked. He pushed all the love in his heart through their connection and waited for a response.

  “Byron?”

  Her voice was weak as if she was coming to him from a long way off. Or maybe it was because she was hurt.

  “Hold on, mate. We’re coming.”

  “Is everyone all right?” she asked.

  “Everyone’s safe, baby,” Bas answered.

  “Oh!” She sobbed. “Thank God. Bly, is she okay?”

  “She’s with Kiana, darlin’,” Beck replied.

  “I love you all, so much,” Krista said.

  Byron’s heart stuttered and his breath hitched in his throat when all of a sudden Krista jackknifed upright and threw herself onto the deck. She scrambled to her hands and knees just as Byron gripped the edge of the step to the boat with the claws on his right paw. He managed to plant the pads of his front paws and heave himself up, but before he could lurch toward the bastard with the gun standing over his mate, he pressed the barrel to her stomach and fired.

  Byron’s wrath consumed him to the point of madness. With a roar he charged forward and ripped the fucker’s flesh from his body with his claws. The painfilled screams didn’t disturb him in the least. All that mattered to him was avenging the death of his mate.

  His brothers let loose with loud growls as men came running toward Byron from every direction, but the men in white kept back with horrified expressions on their faces.

  Bas slammed the back of his paw into another human male holding a gun after firing another bullet into Byron’s side, but all he felt was a slight sting. He was so full of adrenaline, fear, and anger that nothing and no one was getting in the way of his kill.

  “Byron, stop!” Cam commanded in a voice so forceful there was no way he could ignore his pack leader.

  He blinked the crimson haze from over his eyes and was shocked to see body parts, blood, and guts all over the deck. When his gaze landed on his mate, he sabear whimpered and sank away from the dominant position.

  His muscles and sinew began to move, and within the blink of an eye and a blinding flash of bright white light, he changed.

  Tears rolled down his face as he crawled closer to Krista. Beck and Bas were already at her side trying to stem the flow of blood, but Byron thought it was already too late. Blood was pooled underneath her, and no matter how hard Bas pressed on the bullet hole in her stomach, it just kept flowing.

  He was vaguely aware of Cam and the others gaining the deck and dealing with the crew of the yacht, but he only had eyes for his woman. His friends had jumped into two sleek motorboats docked at a pier close to the shore. Byron hoped like hell Granger and his brothers had brought their medical equipment because Krista needed it.

  Her heart was laboring and her breathing was so shallow he couldn’t take his eyes from her chest as he willed her to keep breathing. Byron brushed the hair away from her bruised forehead, and he gasped when her eyelids fluttered open.

  She gazed up at him from pained blue eyes and smiled.

  When the light started to dim from her gaze, he sobbed and cradled her face between his blood-soaked hands.

  “Stay with us, sweetness. Don’t you dare fucking leave me.”

  “S-sorry,” she stuttered softly. “Love…you…all…”

  “Noooo!” he yelled when her heart beat once and then stopped, along with her breathing.

  Granger shoved Beck aside without a word, hooked an IV with universal plasma into her veins to begin a transfusion, and started CPR on their mate.

  Gideon pulled equipment from the medical bag while Garth opened the defibrillator case. Granger ripped Krista’s shirt down the middle and tugged her bra in half before slinging it aside. Byron was too upset to care that his friends were seeing his woman’s naked breasts.

  Garth charged the paddles, placed them on Krista’s chest, and said, “Clear!”

  Although he was aware that his brothers had tear tracks on their faces, Byron never took his eyes from Krista. As soon as she flopped back onto the deck after jerking hard, Granger once more started CPR.

  “Again!” Gideon demanded.

  Garth nodded, glanced at the digital monitor in the defibrillator case, and said, “Now. Clear!”

  Again, Krista convulsed as electricity shot into her body.

  Gideon checked her pulse and shook his head. Granger frowned with worry but once more started CPR.

  And then a miracle happened.

  The air right next to Byron glowed with a golden light, and Wakanda appeared kneeling at his side. Granger and his brothers backed off, and Bas removed his hand from Krista’s wound when Wakanda made a shooing motion.

  The native woman placed one hand over Krista’s heart and the other over the gunshot wound. Her hands began to glow brightly with a mix of golden and white light.

  Byron held his breath and pleaded with the deities in the heavens to save his mate.

  It felt as if it took forever before the bullet was magically drawn from her flesh and the gaping hole in Krista’s stomach began to close up. He gasped when her heart thudded once, twice, and then again. Her lips parted as she gulped for breath. When her chest rose up and down steadily, he thanked the gods, pressed his forehead to hers, and bawled like a baby. His brothers tried to stifle their sobs, but every single one of their friends would have heard them. Wakanda placed her hand over Krista’s leg and since the wound had been through and through, the flesh knitted together faster.

  When he had himself under control, he raised his tear-stained face toward the Bear Mother Spirit.

  Wakanda blinked the opaque whiteness from her eyes and removed her hands from Krista and turned toward him.

  Byron clasped both of her hands in his. “Thank you. It’s not enough but, thank you.”

  Wakanda squeezed his hands and smiled. “Yes, it is.” She met each of the other sabear shifters’ gazes, then glanced at the yacht crew. “Your secret is safe. They won’t remember what happened here today. Three of the other fishermen in town will be on this boat in an hour to head back to their homes.”

  He felt warmth flow from her hands to his, and when he gazed down at his body, he realized that Wakanda was healing him. The bullets he’d taken popped out of his body and pinged onto the deck, and then his wounds closed up faster than ever before. His flagging energy from blood loss waned and was replaced with grateful vigor.

  Byron heard Cam and a few of the other men sigh with relief regarding Wakanda’s last statement. He was also glad that he, his brothers, and his friends no longer needed to worry about their secret becoming fodder for the media and the world.

  With a flick of her hands, the bloody carnage was no more and the four sailors looked as if they were in a trance. “You have fifteen minutes before they awaken. Take care of your women and have lots of cubs.” With a soft laugh, Wakanda’s form started to fade as she began to glow a brilliant bright gold, and her laughter lingered for nearly a full minute as she disappeared from sight.

  Byron turned to Krista, and while her eyes were still closed, he could hear the steady beat of her heart and her deep even breathing.

  Everything was going to be all right.

  Epilogu
e

  Twenty-four hours later

  Krista bolted upright with a gasp and stared around the bedroom in wonder. Her memories after being shot were hazy, but she was sure she’d dreamt that the Native American woman in the store had healed her wounds.

  She was alone, but the scent of her mates’ delectable fragrances were strong in the room, and she inhaled again and again. Even though they were no longer in the bed with her, she had a vague recollection of them holding and hugging her throughout the night. She shoved the covers down and stared at her abdomen and leg, but there were no injuries, scars, or marks to indicate she’d been shot.

  She scrambled to the side of the bed and headed to the bathroom. After using the facilities, washing her hands, showering, and brushing her teeth and hair, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were a healthy pink and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle from within. She could also feel her mates through their bond. They were happy but impatiently excited, and she knew they were waiting for her to wake up. She frowned over that and wondered why they couldn’t feel that she was already awake. With a shrug of confusion, she turned toward the bathroom door and stopped in front of it, eying the robe hanging on the hook on the back.

  Desire to celebrate life hit her like a ton of bricks. The lust started as low simmering embers but quickly surged into a leap of flames. This time instead of fighting her hunger, she embraced it.

  Dismissing the robe, she exited the bathroom after discarding the towel she’d wrapped around her body and walked along the hallway toward the living room, kitchen, and dining room. She halted at the end of the hall, listening intently to make sure no one else was in the house, and when she’d ascertained that her mates were alone, she sauntered across the warm hardwood floor and paused outside the kitchen doorway.

  Krista had no idea how they knew she was there, but the deep rumble of their voices faded and then stopped completely. When she heard the scraped of chairs over the floor, she smiled and stepped into the kitchen.

  All three pairs of eyes met hers before taking a leisurely journey over her naked body. None of them had risen as yet, but one by one they stood and strode toward her.

  Krista moved forward and stopped at the end of the kitchen counter.

  “How are you feeling, baby?” Bas asked.

  “Fantastic,” she replied honestly.

  “Are you sure, darlin’?” Beck asked hoarsely, his eyes pinned to her hard, throbbing nipples.

  “I’m sure.” She shifted her gaze to Byron’s. “Thank you all for saving me.”

  Byron shook his head. “We weren’t fast enough.”

  Krista stepped closer and cupped his cheek in her hand. “You did the best you could and you took out the threat. Thank you.”

  Byron stepped back, once more shaking his head. “I don’t deserve your thanks.”

  “Yes, you do,” she stated emphatically. “You all do. What happened wasn’t your fault. None of you held a gun to me and pulled the trigger. You helped to save me, as did all your friends.”

  “How can you be sure of that?” Beck frowned.

  “Because I could see you all. I was floating above myself and saw everything. The Bear Mother Spirit might have healed my wounds, but if you all hadn’t ripped those bastards apart, they would have just kept shooting.” Krista paused to take a shaky breath. “I had a glimpse for a few minutes into the future. One of those bullets would have gone into my brain. There would have been no chance to save me.”

  “Not even with Wakanda’s help?” Byron asked, his voice cracking on the last word.

  “Not even,” she replied softly.

  Byron sobbed, stepped closer, and pulled her into his embrace. His arms were so tight around her she had trouble drawing a deep breath, but there was no way she was about to complain. She was back where she belonged. In the arms of the men she loved and loved her in return. When he loosened his hold, she drew back slightly and swiped the tears from his face. He bent down and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. “You won’t ever have to worry about the gang coming after you again, mate. Cam took photos of what was left of the men who’d come after you and emailed them to the assholes. We don’t know who replied, but they said they didn’t give a shit about revenging their fellow members’ deaths.” He paused to suck in a breath, then said, “I love you, sweetness.”

  “I love you, too, Byron.” She smiled softly up at him, letting him see and feel what was in her heart. She was free. Krista no longer needed to be scared that the gang members would be coming after her. Her mates and their friends had seen to that. She was so happy she felt giddy.

  He smiled and released her.

  Beck clasped her hand in his and gently yanked her against his body. He palmed her cheeks between his hands. “You’re the light in my life, darlin’. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Beck.”

  He kissed her chastely on the lips, but there was so much emotion in that action she was the one blinking back the tears. He removed his arms from around her waist, clasped her shoulders, and turned her toward Bas.

  Bas opened his arms, and she didn’t hesitate to step into them, looping her own around his waist. “I love you, Bas.”

  “I love you, too, baby.” He sighed with happy contentment as he held her tight.

  After a few minutes, Krista stepped out of his hold and met each of her mates’ gazes. “I want to make love with all of you.”

  Bas glanced at his brothers, held up his finger, and said, “Hold that thought, baby.”

  He spun around and raced away.

  Krista gaped after him, and when she realized her mouth was hanging open, she pressed her lips together.

  Bas was back before she could get over her shock of him asking her to wait. Beck and Byron smiled and winked at her as they passed her by and then stood on either side of their brother. She wondered what was going on and was about to ask, but before she could, all three of them sank to their knees in front of her.

  “Please, will you marry me, darlin’?” Beck asked.

  Krista smiled with joy as her men’s love skittered to her heart through the mating bond.

  “Marry me, sweetness?” Byron quirked a brow at her.

  “You’re our world, Krista. You’re our sanity, happiness, and the love of our lives. Please, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” Bas asked.

  “Yes,” she said, with an enthusiastic emphasis she couldn’t contain.

  Beck laced his fingers with her right hand, and Byron clasped her left wrist.

  “This was our mom’s engagement ring, and I, we, know she would have been ecstatic to see you wearing it. She would have loved you like a daughter.” Bas opened the jeweler’s box, and she gasped. There was a solitaire diamond ring set in eighteen karat yellow gold. It was simple but stunningly beautiful. Once more, she found herself blinking back tears and sent up a thank you to a woman she’d never met. A warm wind breezed over, and she was sure she felt a hand caressing her back.

  “I’ll treasure it always,” she said in a husky voice.

  Bas slipped the ring onto her finger, and all three of her mates gained their feet. Bas lifted her into his arms and slanted his mouth over hers. She hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him back with all the love and passion running through her.

  She squeaked with shocked surprise when her bare ass landed on the cool timber dining table. Bas broke the kiss, stepped back, and started shucking his clothes. Byron and Beck were nearly naked, and she figured they must have had a head start in stripping while their older brother was kissing her.

  She leaned back on her elbows and watched the sexy show.

  Byron was naked first, and in the next second, he was sitting on a chair between her legs, with his arms wrapped around her thighs as he feasted on her pussy.

  She moaned as her arousal ratcheted up higher and higher with each flutter of his tongue over her clit and each lick to her folds. Krista was on the edge of orgasm within minutes.

 
Byron gave her a last lick, stood, shoved the chair back, aligned his dick with her entrance, and plunged into her hard and fast. As soon as he was embedded inside her soaked pussy balls deep, he easily hefted her into his arms and turned.

  “You have such a sexy fucking ass, baby,” Bas rasped out as he caressed and squeezed her butt cheeks.

  Krista groaned.

  Byron moved one of his hands to her ass while the other remained on her hip. Bas gripped her other cheek and parted them. She shivered with a hunger so intense she wanted her mates inside of her now. She didn’t want any build up, and there was no need for anymore foreplay since she was dripping with need. Thankfully, her men seemed to be of the same mind.

  She had no idea where Bas got the lube from but didn’t really care. She was more than happy to hear the pop as he opened it, and then he was pressing the tip of his lube-covered cock to her pucker.

  “Do you want me, baby?” Bas asked hoarsely.

  “God yes. Fuck me. Please?”

  Bas groaned and then he was stroking into her. Her ass burned, but the pain was pleasurably intense and her insides grew hotter. She was so full and yet not quite complete.

  She glanced about for Beck and sighed with relief when she spied him standing on one of the dining room chairs. Krista couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. He was so tall he was bent over so he didn’t hit his head on the ceiling. In fact, his shoulders were pressed against it.

  Bas and Byron groaned when her inner muscles clenched around their hard dicks with her laughter. Her humor quickly died as they maneuvered her closer to Beck. As soon as he was within touching distance, she grasped the base of his dick, pumping her hand up and down his erect shaft.

  Beck growled, and although it looked difficult because of his awkward position, he canted his hips toward her.

  Krista leaned to the side and took him into his mouth, suckling and lapping at the nerves on the underside of his cock.

  Bas and Byron started rocking their hips forward and back, sliding their cocks in and out of her ass and pussy.

  Krista bobbed faster, taking Beck into the back of her throat and swallowing around the head.