“Fuck,” Mitchell growled. “I thought you were making sure they listened to us and worked with us rather than doing their own thing.”
Ryder flipped him off. “I’m mated to a damn witch, but I’m not a damn witch—their words. They’ll only take what I have to say so far. And, hell, because we have so many young and we’re not just one Pack, but representing many, our hands seemed tied to the outside world who think they know us.”
“They don’t know us at all,” Mitchell whispered. There was something in his cousin’s tone that made Brandon look over and focus. For the second time in just a few short days he saw behind the mask and almost fell to his knees.
And fuck, the pain the other man held inside…
It was as if a raging inferno engulfed the other man daily before ramping up again to burn the flesh from his bones and the ache from his heart. Brandon honestly had no idea what had happened in Mitchell’s past to cause him this much pain, but if he could help in any way, he would.
So he did the only thing he could do as an Omega and tried to take at least a fraction of the pain within him.
It burned. The agony arching up his spine so quickly that tears sprang to his eyes. His wolf howled and twisted the emotion around itself before letting it dissipate through the bonds Brandon held.
Mitchell’s gaze shot to his, pure rage spiraling through the other man’s eyes. “Stop.”
And with that one word, Mitchell stood up, tightly locking down his emotions before storming away, leaving the others in mid-conversation.
Brandon let out a shaky breath, his already weakening body that much weaker. He knew without a bond he might not be able to help anyone soon, but he wasn’t about to rush Avery and Parker when he still had a little bit of time.
But he wasn’t sure Mitchell had as much.
“He never asks for help,” Max said softly, breaking the tense silence. “No matter how much I try to annoy him into yelling at me and spilling his guts, he doesn’t ask for help. I don’t know what happened, but thank you for taking some of his pain. He won’t thank you, but I will.”
And that was why Brandon loved Max so much. The man put everyone else ahead of himself, even to his detriment.
Gideon cursed under his breath. “Our family’s breaking again, yet, as always, I need to push that aside and worry about the health and safety of the Pack as a whole. What kind of Alpha does that make me that I have to worry about the humans attacking our people rather than what secrets our family holds so close to the vest that it’s destroying them slowly day by day?”
“An Alpha with a group of people around him that he trusts with more than his life,” Ryder said simply, though his statement was anything but simple. “You trust us to make sure we’re doing our part. That’s the sign of a healthy Pack, even if it doesn’t look like it. I know you want to go claws out at the humans for hurting us again and again, and each time they attack our den, we defeat them. But it’s taking its toll.”
“But we’re going to win,” Brandon added softly.
“Because there isn’t another option.” Kameron’s voice once again held the hint of a growl. “We have the wolves we need in Washington. This battle isn’t fought with tooth and claw, at least not right now. We aren’t politicians, and they know it. But others are, and they’re the ones fighting with words and on paper. I’d rather smash my fist into someone’s face than have to do a speech about how wolves are people too, but that’s where we’re at. And when this McMaster makes another move and attacks our den like Montag did, then we’ll fight. We’ll fight because they’ve looked at our Pack and decided we’re the ones to take down first. If we fall, then other Packs will have to take our place.”
“It’s not just us,” Gideon corrected. “We have the Redwoods, as well.” He glared. “I thought we’d have the Aspens, but now that we killed one of their missing wolves, they’ve decided to hold back on help.”
Brandon’s gaze shot up. “What? They aren’t actually blaming us?”
Gideon cursed. “They’re blaming both the Redwoods and the Talons. It doesn’t matter that their rogue attacked us first. It seems this wolf had been missing for over a year.”
The hairs on the back of Brandon’s neck stood on end. “Who had him all that time?”
Gideon’s eyes glowed gold, his wolf at the surface. “That’s what I intend to find out. Because all of this screams that there’s a ploy at work.”
“Montag’s cages were all empty when we got to the compound,” Ryder bit out. Montag had been torturing wolves for who knew how long to find out the shifters’ secrets. But even with the man’s death, it didn’t mean everyone was safe.
“We all knew the general had to have an accomplice,” Gideon said. “And I have a feeling we’re watching him at work every time he smiles to the cameras.”
“McMaster.” Brandon let out a growl of his own. “What is the senator playing at?”
Gideon shook his head. “I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out. Because our Pack won’t be safe until the humans stop looking at us as predators on the loose, but rather as shifters with rights of our own.”
Brandon fisted his hands at his side, aware that the time would come when they’d either be seen as safer in the eyes of humans, or all would truly be lost. Shifters might be able to change into animals, but that didn’t make them animals. If the humans didn’t realize that…well, then it would be the end of the Packs themselves.
Their wards were failing. Their people were too confined within the dens after years of living in secret. Hate crimes were skyrocketing against those the humans thought were different—even if they weren’t a witch or a wolf.
They were on the edge of a mass shift in what it meant to be a part of humanity.
And Brandon wasn’t sure if any of them would survive to see the outcome.
Chapter Eleven
Parker peeled Tatiana off his side, annoyed, tired, and emotionally wrung out. He didn’t have it in him to deal with…whatever this was right then, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. They were now relatively alone except for the two sentries who stood by on guard. Neither he nor Tatiana was Pack, so Parker didn’t blame the two guards one bit for staying near.
He’d rather be with Avery and Brandon, working out exactly what was going on between them, but, apparently, that wasn’t going to happen right now.
“Tatiana,” he said in a clear voice. “What are you doing here?”
She frowned. “I came to see if you were well after your illness.” Her voice held the slight lilting accent of her place of birth, but he didn’t find it tempting. She was a beautiful woman who would make someone very happy in mating one day, but she was not his woman.
“I’m doing much better,” he lied. It wasn’t fully a lie since meeting Brandon and Avery had put new life within him, but he wasn’t recovered yet. The dizziness and pain spells still attacked him out of nowhere, and according to Tatiana’s elders, he wouldn’t heal fully until he found his mate.
He hadn’t taken them at their word, of course, but had gone to one of his own elders, Emeline, to ask what she knew. She was one of the oldest wolves in the Redwood Pack, but since she’d newly mated a wolf about thirty years ago named Noah, she also was more down to earth than many of the otherworldly elders he’d met in his travels.
“I’ve heard of the spear of the first hunter,” Emeline had said when he’d given her his secrets. He’d kept everything so close to the vest, but he’d needed to tell someone. He knew she’d tell her mate, of course, but Noah wouldn’t tell another soul unless it was harmful to the Pack.
“What do you know of it?” Parker had asked.
“All I know is that the spear was the one that killed the wolf during the man’s hunt. The moon goddess broke the blade off the tip of the spear and threw it deep into the forest.” Emeline had smiled at him softly. “This is all legend, Parker, you know this. But you’re also of the line of the hunters, and as the moon goddess talks to us on occasion,
we know that legends are born of truth. I don’t know how the spear ended up in the hands of a Pack so far away, but it could be true. You see, long ago, when the first hunter came back to his people, he made more wolves. It was a viscous time, as you know, making so many wolves, but his own wolf needed a Pack of its own so he would not live so long alone. I don’t know if the moon goddess planned that, but she has her reasons for everything, so I wouldn’t be surprised. The first hunter made three wolves at first, using his three closest friends.”
“And then the three men made more and so on,” Parker had continued for her. “I remember this story now. My mother told it to me as it was told to her.”
“She’s of the first line, as well, so she would want your history to be carried on. The sons of the first set of wolves eventually moved away to create more Packs. From there, we now have the Packs within our country and around the world. It could be that one of those sons took the spear with him to Europe and formed a Pack there. We might not ever know. But if you’re this sick from a disease that only hurts your line, I would think this could actually be true. And I might not know exactly how to heal you, but I do know that mating bonds are the strongest bonds there are, even stronger than that of an Alpha with his people. If anything can soothe the ache and heal the heart, it’s a mating bond.”
Parker had said his thanks after they’d finished talking and moved out of the Redwood den the next day. He hadn’t known he’d find his potential mates so quickly, but he’d known he couldn’t risk hurting his family.
But before he could deal with any of that, he needed to make sure Tatiana knew exactly what was going on.
“I’m glad to hear you’re better,” the woman said with a small smile.
“You could have called,” Parker said, slightly annoyed. “You didn’t need to fly across a freaking ocean to see me. What is really going on?”
She sighed and pressed her lips together. “I thought…I thought there was a connection between us.”
He held back a curse. “There wasn’t, Tatiana. You know this.” And while things with finding potential mates might have changed, Parker would have felt some sort of attraction if she were indeed his intended. He knew at least that much remained the same, as was evidenced by what had happened between him, Brandon, and Avery.
She closed her eyes, and he felt like a jerk but he couldn’t help it. She wasn’t his mate, and while she might be attracted to him, she was still so young when it came to emotions and the way the world worked. Why her Alpha had even let her come to a strange den on her own, he didn’t know, but he’d be having a talk with the other man soon. He hadn’t liked him to begin with, and now, he really didn’t.
“I found my mates,” he said after a moment.
“Mates?” she said with a smile that confused him. “Truly? You found more than one?”
“Yes…”
“The two that were here and looked like they wanted to hurt me for daring to touch you?” She sighed. “You are truly blessed to find these mates. I thought…well, I thought there might be something between you and me, but I was clearly wrong. Please forgive me for making things awkward. And I hope I didn’t harm the bond you hold with them.”
Off-kilter, he didn’t mention that he hadn’t actually bonded with Avery and Brandon yet.
“I also came for another reason,” she said quickly, making his wolf perk up to attention. “My Alpha does not want to become public, even though many humans around the den have already guessed what we are. There will be no hiding soon, but he doesn’t see that. I want to help fight on the front lines. I’m a stronger fighter than people give me credit for because of the way I dress and how small I am, but I don’t want to go into the next century—if I’m blessed to make it out of the war alive—and know I didn’t do everything I could to protect my people. My Alpha sent me this way because he didn’t want to deal with my whining anymore, and that is fine. I will do what I can to make sure that all wolves have a fighting chance.” She winced. “I kind of used you to get out here. And for that, I’m sorry.”
Parker blinked at her before barking out a laugh. “You knew we weren’t mates and yet you told him we might be so you could leave your Pack and head out here to help us fight?”
She bit her lip. “Well, I didn’t know if we could be or not. I’ve never felt a mate before, and for all I knew, you could be it. So that was the truth, if not all of it.”
He shook his head. “Okay, then. I guess I need to see what Gideon has to say about that.” He paused. “No, Kade. Let’s go to my Alpha and see what he has to say.” That way, she wouldn’t be anywhere near his two mates just in case there were any issues. He had a feeling Tatiana wanted to do more with her life than be the soft-spoken aide of the elders, but he still needed to be careful.
After all, every wolf was more than they seemed—this young maiden from a far-off land included.
By the time he got back to the Talon den, his head ached, but at least Tatiana was safe with the Redwoods. They had cautiously welcomed her, all the while giving him a look that said they would be expecting him to explain in full later. And he knew they were right to worry. He hadn’t been honest with them about what had happened, and now that was going to bite him in the ass. Brandon and Avery knew, but not his parents or Pack. That would have to change soon, and he had a feeling Tatiana would change it for him if he weren’t careful.
He was on his way back to Brandon’s when his phone buzzed. With a sigh, he answered and kept walking.
“What do you want, Blake?”
“So, this girl just shows up out of the blue with big eyes and long, flowing hair and you say you had nothing to do with her? I mean, she followed you across the damn ocean, and you’re just leaving her with us? And don’t even get me started on the whole thing where she says she healed you because I’m about to kick your ass for failing to mention that you almost fucking died over there.”
Parker pinched the bridge of his nose, thankful that Blake was on the phone rather than in front of him. He wasn’t sure he would be able to deal with his brother face-to-face at the moment.
“I didn’t touch her, and I’ll talk about everything else soon. I promise. Now, go be the good son and take care of Mom and Dad while I deal with my own problems.”
“You’re an idiot, big brother. You’re always the good son.”
“I love you, too, Blake.” He smiled despite everything going on around him because his brother could always make him laugh.
“Love you, big brother. Now, go get it on with those two wolves that you’re going to mate, and let me see what I can do with this sweet new wolf in our den.”
Parker barked out a laugh and hung up, aware that Tatiana was probably going to end up in over her head if Blake had set his sights on her. He’d just made it into Brandon’s house when the scent of home, heat, and pine surrounded him. He turned as Avery and Brandon walked into the house, their faces carefully blank.
Fuck. He’d been the one to make them hurt, and he needed to fix it. What they had was fragile as hell right now, and just one mistake could shatter it all.
“Tatiana is with the Redwoods,” Parker blurted out. Avery raised a brow, and he held back a curse. As usual, Brandon didn’t do a damn thing but look at him, his emotions locked down tightly. “She’s from my past, not my present, and definitely not my future.” He cursed again at the look on Avery’s face. “Tatiana and I were never together, but she was there to help me heal enough to come back to the den. She’s a sweet girl, but not for me, and not my mate. I’m sorry if her being here hurt you in any way.”
Avery winced before coming up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, I’m acting like a jealous girlfriend instead of being an adult about the fact that, hey, you do have a past and have probably had sex with other people.”
“I never had sex with Tatiana. Not even close,” he interjected.
“Be that as it may, my wolf is riding me hard.” She looked back and scrunched he
r face. “At least, I think that’s what’s happening. I’m not sure what is going on exactly, but I’m really new to this whole thing and not acting like myself.”
Brandon chose that moment to move forward and place his hand on Avery’s back. “I think we’re all feeling the mating heat, and our emotions are running a little high right now.” He looked directly into Parker’s eyes. “And I do believe you. It was just a little shocking to see her jump into your arms after our night together.”
“But that’s on us, not you,” Avery added. “And we’ll do better.” She looked at Brandon. “Right?”
Brandon smiled softly before kissing the tip of her nose. Parker’s wolf perked up, enjoying their interaction. “We’ll try.”
Avery snorted, and Parker squeezed her hip. “It’s so weird that I’m perfectly fine with you two getting it on, but the idea of anyone else near one of you makes me want to use my claws.”
Parker shook his head. “Not weird at all. Triads aren’t that much different from other relationships. Instead of two, there are three, so there shouldn’t be jealousy within the relationship.”
“And even though it’s a relationship of three, there are also connections between each of us as pairs,” Brandon added. “That’s why some of the triads I know are the strongest matings I’ve ever brushed up against. It takes more effort, and far more communication for it to work, but in the end…if this mating is what we want, then we’ll thrive.”
Parker swallowed hard, his wolf at the forefront. “I…I hope that’s what we do.”
Avery looked between them. “I’m not ready for that kind of bond yet,” she whispered softly. “I know you both need it, but I need time to get to know you guys.”
Fractured Silence (Talon Pack Book 5) Page 12