A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer

by Anya Byrne

  A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer

  Lone Wolf Pack 5

  Copyright 2014 Anya Byrne

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  All Romance Edition December 2014

  All Romance Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please forward them a link to buy their own copy, or use the gift function available on your All Romance account. Thank you for respecting the hard work and livelihood of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction, not to be confused with fact, advice or suggestion. The characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is purely coincidental. Cover art is for illustration purposes only.

  Blurb:

  Erdi is a silencer. His life is one of blood, duty and shadows, and he has resigned himself to his role—until a mission leads him to Jensen Moore.

  Erdi's heart and his instincts know the truth—that Jensen is his other half. But silencers don't have mates, and Erdi knows he doesn't have the right to even desire Jensen. He is both relieved and crushed when, after the mission, Jensen doesn't remember him at all. Given a chance to start over, he sternly reminds himself that, no matter what, he will never deserve Jensen.

  But Jensen is nothing if not very determined, and very curious. His friend Parker's abrupt departure leads him to start digging—and soon, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of the werewolf world, meeting Erdi for a second time.

  The attraction between them is impossible to suppress, but guilt, pain and sorrow still weigh heavily on Erdi. And the surprises aren't over yet. Between Jensen's sudden bouts of nausea, and an unexpected threat from the past, can the couple, and the Lone Wolf Pack, truly start over?

  Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this document contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of twenty-one, and are willing participants.

  41,999 words

  Table of Contents

  A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer

  About the Author

  Other titles by Anya Byrne

  A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer

  Lone Wolf Pack 5

  Anya Byrne

  Copyright 2014

  Chapter One

  Erdi had been waiting for what seemed like ages. The silver burned through his veins, enough to torture him, but not knock him out. After all, it wouldn't be a punishment if he wasn't conscious to feel it.

  He was very distantly aware of the cold tiles under his paws, the smell of his own blood filling the room, the burning pain over his back and head. But oddly, it didn't frighten him. He had no regrets. He'd been given a gift, one he didn't deserve after the life he'd led. He'd accepted it and made a choice. Under the circumstances, his path could only end here, in a dungeon, bleeding to death after being scourged by the Malik he'd once seen as a brother.

  An image floated at the back of his mind, that of a brave man trying to hold his own against the werewolves attacking his home. Erdi would have probably smiled if his facial muscles had allowed it. A gift, yes, that he'd even gotten to meet him, that he had been there to save him the fateful day of the attack. The human would never know who Erdi was, but that was the way things needed to be. Silencers didn't have mates. They didn't love. It was a law as strict as the Secrecy Accords.

  Despite that knowledge, Erdi clung to the memory, until it was the only thing that existed other than the pain. When he heard the cell door open and the approaching footsteps, he couldn't help but flinch. He didn't want to let go of the image yet. It might be cowardly, but he wanted to live, if only to remember his mate.

  A rough, but familiar hand landed in his fur and pulled. "It looks like you have as many lives as Dean Simmons," his brother—no, his Malik—said. "Rejoice, Erdi. You'll soon become a member of the Lone Wolf Pack."

  Baqir's voice held both anger and satisfaction, and Erdi knew that he wouldn't like what came next. The chains holding him down came off, but Erdi didn't get the chance to enjoy his new freedom. "But first, I think you need a little reminder. You might have stopped being a silencer, brother, but we'll be watching."

  Erdi didn't acknowledge the words. He didn't even have the energy to whine in pain as his Malik started to whip him. He just clung to the beautiful memory and told himself he would live through this. If not for himself, for his mate. For the beautiful human who had made him see the truth about himself. For Jensen. Regardless of the fact that he and Jensen would never be together, Erdi refused to let go of that memory.

  As the whip fell again and again, Erdi took refuge in the recollection of the day when he'd stepped out of the darkness and into the light.

  From his hiding spot, Erdi watched Mario Adler enter the small bed and breakfast where Finn Simmons had driven his mate. He checked his gun and waited for a few moments to make sure he wouldn't be spotted.

  Traveling through the shadows, he made his way toward the building. His mind was already in mission mode. As tasks went, it was pretty easy. Get in, take out the targets, get out. The Alphas of the enemy packs would lose their sons, but they'd also receive a warning that was long overdue.

  Really, Erdi had expected he'd have to do something like this soon. The Simmons pack had steadily become a source of disquiet for the entire werewolf world, and it didn't take a genius to realize the Gathering would ask a silencer guild to intervene. Erdi's was among the most efficient ones, and Erdi knew the area, so it made sense that he'd be the agent who'd have to handle it.

  He couldn't even bring himself to hate it. His was a dark life and a dark duty, but someone had to do it. If at some level, he loathed himself for justifying it... Well, that was something that would only come to him in his nightmares. Not now.

  There was no doubt in his heart when he entered the building, no doubt as to his duty and his course of action. And then, something inside him faltered. His regularly set train of thought came to a grinding halt. There was someone here, someone important for Erdi... Someone he needed to protect. A lingering scent awoke Erdi's wolf instincts, buried deep underneath his silencer training. Mate.

  He didn't even have the time to process the impossibility of the situation. He just shot forward, a shadow that not even other werewolves could see and feel. The corridor was crowded with Adler's men, an obstacle between him and his goal.

  The first two fell before they could even realize he was there, twin bullet holes through their foreheads. The next turned toward him, but werewolves or no, they didn't have a chance. Erdi took out a couple of them with steady shots that even shape-shifters couldn't avoid. When he emptied his clip, he snarled in frustration. Normally, he would have just replaced it—it wouldn't have taken him too long—but now, he didn't have time.

  Instead, he retrieved his long silver blades and jumped into the fray. It was messier than he'd have preferred—clean, painless kills were always better—but the clock was ticking in Erdi's mind, and the countdown made him angrier, more and more aggressive.

  He reached the room that was his target just in time to see a werewolf grab a human man from the floor and pick him up by his throat. "Back off, silencer," the werewolf said, his claws against the human's throat. "Back off or he dies."

  A different time, Erdi would have sneered and said he didn't care, but his mind quickly calculated all the variables of his current situation. The way his opponent was holding the human meant that Erdi shooting or stabbing him could lead
the man's claws to slitting his captive's throat. Also, his hold on the human was so tight that he might even fracture the human's spine if he jerked while dying. After all, humans were so fragile, ridiculously so. A chill went down Erdi's spine just at the thought of allowing this particular human to get hurt.

  The man's fair skin was already slightly bruised, his blond hair matted with blood. He was alive, though, and his green eyes were strikingly clear when he took in Erdi's appearance.

  Erdi was acutely aware of the picture he must make, covered in blood, holding his still dripping blades. The hate that he'd tried to bury under a million justifications shot to the front of his consciousness, and the bitter taste of self-disgust nearly choked him. His mate's captive didn't notice, or if he did, he interpreted it in a different way.

  "I mean it," he shouted, his hold on Erdi's mate tightening even more. "Back off."

  Blood trickled over the human's throat, and Erdi barely managed to suppress the white hot anger inside him. He slowly set the blades down and lifted his hands. "There. Now release him."

  The werewolf laughed. "Do you think I'm a fool? Those blades are the least dangerous thing about you. Slide them forward. Everything you have."

  Erdi used his foot to shove his blades forward. They left a sickening trail of blood on the floor, and Erdi's stomach roiled when he saw the human's gaze follow it. He mentally shook himself, because now was not the time to be distracted. His mate might loathe him for being a silencer, but those skills were the only thing Erdi could rely on to save the human.

  He complied with the other werewolf's demands and left all of his weapons on the floor. His mate's captor shot him a bemused look. "So... What's this all about, silencer? Were you instructed to keep collateral damage to a minimum?"

  Erdi just gave the man a cold look, and the smile on the other werewolf's face died. "Leave now," Erdi said, "and you might just survive."

  That was highly unlikely, since Erdi's wolf was more inclined to tear apart the person who'd dared to touch his mate. Maybe his opponent knew that—or at least guessed a part of it—because he shook his head. "I don't think so."

  Out of nowhere, the werewolf retrieved a gun and pointed it at Erdi. Several options flashed through Erdi's mind, but in the end, he didn't have to choose any of them. The werewolf's hold on the human had faltered slightly while he changed positions, and Erdi's mate took advantage of that. He head butted his captor so hard the werewolf actually groaned in pain. Of course, that probably hurt the human too, but it gave Erdi the chance to shoot forward, grab one of his daggers and throw it at the other werewolf. The blade struck his opponent's throat, and his hold on Erdi's mate loosened. The human staggered away on shaky legs, and Erdi used the opening to deliver the finishing blow with one of his larger blades.

  As the corpse of the werewolf who'd defied him landed on the floor, Erdi turned his attention toward his mate. "Thank you," the human said, sounding dazed. "You... You saved my life."

  Erdi's fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to touch his mate, but knowing better than to do so. "Why are you thanking me? I'm a killer."

  He didn't know what he'd expected, but it definitely wasn't a smile. "Yes, you are. But people are rarely one single thing. And I think you're... so much more than that." His eyes widened, as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh my God, Parker. Parker and his friend. They were just here. The men must have gotten to them."

  Erdi couldn't say that the whole point of this had been to kill Parker Knight and Finn Simmons, and that Erdi had come here for the same purpose. His mate grabbed his arm and gave him a pleading look. "Please. Please help them."

  "I can't just leave you," Erdi protested. "You're hurt."

  "I'll be fine," his mate replied. "Trust me on this. Go."

  Everything inside Erdi screamed to stay. But his mate smiled at him again, and Erdi knew it wasn't him the human needed. He went.

  He'd saved both Parker and Finn that day, although he'd been forced to call medical help for both of them—and, as it turned out, for his mate. In the end, he'd learned Jensen—because that was his mate's name, Jensen—had ended up with a concussion that affected his short-term memory and had made him forget the entire thing, including Erdi.

  It was for the best, Erdi thought as he bled on the floor. It was for the best, because Erdi had no right to even want a mate. The human would go on to find a lover who deserved him, and Erdi... Well, he'd just have to endure.

  Baqir continued to beat him until Erdi's consciousness threatened to drift away. After that, he lost interest and dumped the still blood-stained whip next to Erdi.

  "I trust you'll remember this, Erdi. You failed me, and I don't take kindly to people who fail me."

  Anger bubbled inside Erdi, fueled by the memory of what he would be forever denied. He hadn't asked to be a killer. He'd followed his brother because he hadn't known any better, because at the time, he'd been young, foolish, and alone. But now, he had to wonder if there hadn't been a better solution—if he could have kept both his life and his soul, if he could have endured an existence of a lone wolf long enough to meet Jensen.

  The doubt was enough to force him past the pain and into his human form. He shouldn't have been able to shift, not with all the damage that had been done to him, but he was a silencer, and more resilient to torture than most.

  "You're the one who brought me in the guild," he snapped, hating the croaked sound of his own voice. "The fault lies with you, not just me. I wanted to be a werewolf, not a silencer."

  Baqir clenched his jaw and gripped Erdi's chin. His fingers dug into the scourging mark on Erdi's cheek—the scar Baqir himself had left and one Erdi would carry for the rest of his life as proof of his disgrace.

  "I know," Baqir said, his voice scathing, but his eyes strangely soft. "That's why you're still alive."

  He leaned over to whisper in Erdi's ear. "You have a way out now, brother. Don't waste it. I cannot give you more than this."

  Before Erdi could even figure out what that meant, Baqir shoved him away. His chains rattled and pain exploded through his body once more. He melted back into his wolf form and fell to the floor, panting.

  He heard the door open and close as Baqir left, and for the first time, he allowed himself to hope. He might survive this yet.

  ****

  Jensen rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he analyzed the data on the screen. The capture screens from the few cameras that had caught Parker's face told Jensen very little of what was going on. In the images, Parker seemed happy, even enthusiastic, but Jensen wasn't convinced.

  He wasn't an idiot. Parker would have never abandoned his job for some guy he'd just met. Helping others through social work had been Parker's strongest desire, ever since they'd been two kids, just old enough to have dreams that could take them beyond the walls of their orphanage. Jensen still had moments when he felt guilty for leaving Parker behind, but he knew his friend didn't really blame him. Even now, after all this time, they were still very close.

  That made Parker's abrupt departure even stranger. And there was something more, something that frustrated Jensen beyond belief. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what was bothering him, but it was a futile effort.

  The concussion he'd earned from the attack on the Amaretto had effectively wiped all memory of what had happened. He just had a feeling something very important had slipped his mind. It was very strange, because forgetting something should have, by its nature, canceled that kind of uneasiness. After all, the tricky thing about amnesia was that you couldn't remember what you'd forgotten.

  He shook himself and opened his eyes. This wasn't helping. He would not be able to remember even if he forced himself, but if he tracked down Parker... Perhaps he could at least encourage his memory.

  Just as he thought this, Jensen's phone rang. He considered ignoring it—it was the customer line, not his private one—but in the end, he decided against it. He wanted to make a decent, honest living, and to do so, he needed busi
ness.

  With a sigh, Jensen abandoned his reviewing of the files and picked up the phone. "Amaretto Bed and Breakfast. How can I help you?"

  He tried to sound welcoming, but he must have only half-successful, because when the answer came, it sounded a little uncertain. "Err... I'm looking for a... Mr. Jensen Moore," a woman said at the other side of the connection.

  Jensen blinked, disquiet stirring in his heart. He didn't know why. He didn't recognize the voice, and really, the woman could be anyone at all and have absolutely no suspicious intentions. Hell, she could truly be a customer, although that didn't explain how she knew his name. In any case, if Jensen's past had taught him anything, it was to be cautious.

  More grateful than ever that he'd been wary enough to link his land line to the rest of his systems, Jensen typed a few commands on his computer and activated the tracking application.

  "This is he," he said slowly as the program did its job to figure out the caller's location.

  "My name is Alicia Cook. I'm a friend of Parker's. Parker Knight."

  Jensen remembered Parker mentioning Alicia, the mother of two that Parker had been helping when this whole thing had exploded in his face. "Hello, Mrs. Cook," he replied, even more interested than before. "What can I do for you?"

  "Well, I was actually wondering if you've heard from Parker. Given his abrupt departure, I was concerned."

  Jensen stole a look at the screen, noting that the program had already pinpointed the caller's location and identified the number as belonging to Alicia Cook. Deciding that, for the moment, this sufficed as precaution, he replied, "Well, I was actually looking into that too. I'm afraid he didn't tell me much before he left."

  "Oh." Alicia sounded disappointed. "I... just... I'm very worried, Mr. Cook, for Parker, and for my son. You might be aware that Parker recently befriended my eldest, Gavin."