Bailey Bradford - Southwestern Shifters 06 - Reverence

by Bailey Bradford

  “You can, I just didn’t think you ever would.”

  Nathan laughed. “Geez, Marcus, they sound like you and Aidan!”

  “They do,” Val added. “Must be a brother thing, which, being an only child, I would know nothing about.”

  “Same here,” Nathan said.

  Harley looked at him. “I take it Aidan is Marcus’ brother?”

  “Identical twin brother,” Val clarified.

  “But,” Marcus held up a finger, “I am the oldest.”

  Nathan nodded. “Yeah, those twelve or thirteen seconds made alllllll the difference.”

  Marcus growled and Nathan laughed. “Anyway, back to our reasons why you three should come back. There’s the medical help, the support of your AA and myself, and I think, all things considered, it’d be great for you, Harley, to live with us and not feel you were being kept as a prisoner. We really would love to have a chance to show you how vicious we aren’t—and earn your trust, like Ryder would have to do with us, too.”

  “Why the hell would I want to come live with a bunch of shifters?” Ryder asked, anger tinting his voice. “Look what one of you did to me!”

  Marcus cocked his head and scowled. “Not one of us. That was no one from any of the packs I lead. Believe it or not, I know who our members are. Being tortured and almost killed taught me the value of knowing who I’m leading. The men Val said you described? I am very eager to find them and have them tell me where they came from, and, of course, to put a stop to what their leader, this Drake fool, is doing.”

  “You’re going to kill them all?” Harley asked, a sick sensation bubbling in his stomach.

  Marcus considered the question before hitching a shoulder. “Drake, almost certainly. I can’t imagine what justification he has for what he’s doing. In fact, there is none. There could, of course, be extenuating circumstances, like he was raised in a twisted shifter cult in the Andes mountains and never learned that turning people unwillingly was wrong—although, even that will be hard to forgive. Still, I will listen to his explanation, and his victims aren’t necessarily guilty of anything, considering what’s been done to them. I don’t think I’m an unfair man, Harley, but I will do everything necessary to protect my packs, which in a way includes you, as Val is one of my favourite members.”

  Val snorted softly but didn’t argue. Marcus zeroed in on him. “You don’t believe me?”

  Val shrank down in the chair. “I just don’t understand the reasoning.”

  Marcus gave him a half smile. “Always tactful, something too many people lack. Val, you are one of the strongest men I’ve ever met. You should have died, according to Shania, but you didn’t. You didn’t wake up from the coma you were in and start bitching and crying. Sure, you probably felt sorry for yourself, but you didn’t roll in it. You got up. You built your strength back, and you accepted the limitations that couldn’t be changed, and worked on the ones that could. What’s not to admire about that? Of course I consider you one of my favourites, though,” Marcus sighed and rolled his neck, “I really shouldn’t have favourites. But the fact is, I need friends, so does Nathan, just as any other normal person does. I consider you a very good one, Val, and if Harley would learn that I don’t bite unless forced to, perhaps he and I could be friends as well.”

  Harley was more than a little stunned to hear that Marcus wanted to be his friend. Was it really only his own fear that was keeping him from being comfortable with Marcus? As he examined the man, Harley realised that yes, it truly was him putting up walls. He would have to work on that. He tuned back into what Nathan was saying.

  “—because Ryder is definitely an alpha, one of the strongest we’ve met in a while, and what we do know about alphas, Ryder, especially strong ones?” Nathan scooted to the edge of the chair’s arm. “We’ve come to understand that without a pack and guidance, without a commitment to follow good men like Marcus, a strong alpha tends to be trouble. Lost, angry, alone—not something any alpha handles well.”

  Ryder looked contemplative as he sat on the couch. He didn’t say yes or no, but he was listening.

  “So, come back with us, and let us help you learn what being a shifter means, and how to be a leader that others will respect and follow. Who knows, you might end up Alpha Anax of South America or something. There’ve been rumours of a coup there, too, haven’t there, Marcus?”

  “Yes, there have been. The economy tanking and the stressors in the world don’t just affect humans, they hit us, too. Like any governing body, we face challenges and sometimes those are things, situations, and other times, they can be fights to the death.” Marcus shrugged. “It’s part of an AA’s responsibility, and why an AA must be concerned with the safety and care of his people as much as he’s concerned for his mate’s safety and care.”

  “I don’t understand a lot of what you’re talking about,” Ryder admitted, “but maybe… Maybe I’m tired of being alone and, God, I fucking hate to say it, but I’ve been scared for so long, longer than I’ve been a shifter.” He looked at Harley, and Harley nodded. He’d go, if it helped them all, and he believed it would, actually. “I think I’d like to give it a shot. I’m tired of being a dick to cover for everything.”

  “A wise man doesn’t worry about admitting to fear. Fear makes us sharp, attentive, stronger. To not fear anything means a person is arrogant, and arrogance means one is a fool, and doomed to failure.” Marcus stood and stretched, and that wave of power rippled through the room again. “I don’t think any of us wants to fail.”

  Nathan stood as well and smiled brightly. “So, why don’t you two pack some clothes and stuff, and Ryder can go scrub himself with a bottle of bleach?”

  “What about the shifter who turned me?” Ryder asked.

  Nathan’s smile stretched wider and took a mean turn to it. “You didn’t think we only brought the four guards with us, did you? There’s a dozen more rounding up Drake and his victims right now. In fact…” Nathan took his phone off his clip and hummed. “Yup. See, I told Kelly to text me when she had them all, and since my phone buzzed a few minutes ago, we have some people to interrogate.”

  “Do I get to help?” Ryder asked, cracking his knuckles.

  Marcus looked very much like he wanted to roll his eyes at the macho display. “No, you don’t, but I will consider letting you sit in on the questioning if you can refrain from acting like a twit.”

  “A twit?” Ryder parroted. “I’m—”

  “Shower,” Nathan ordered, “And scrub everything at least twice with soap. If I smell anything foul on you, Marcus and I will hold you down and scrub you ourselves.”

  “Yes, we will.” Marcus grinned and cracked his knuckles, mimicking Ryder’s show of machismo from a moment or two earlier. Ryder ran into the bathroom. “He doesn’t take jokes well, does he?” he asked Harley.

  Harley swallowed down a giggle. “To be fair, you’re scary as hell when you’re joking, apparently. You should work on that.” He took Val’s hand and, feeling extremely brave, winked at Marcus and Nathan before leaving them to pack his and Val’s clothes.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It happened when they were on their way to the private jet Marcus had waiting. The prisoners would be driven to Marcus’ packlands, while Marcus, Nathan, Ryder, Val and Harley flew. The van in front of them, carrying the shifter Drake and his ready-made pack, suddenly veered off road.

  “Fuck!” Keegan shouted. “That’s not an accident!” “Stay on them,” Marcus ordered. “Everyone except Ryder and Harley, get ready for a fight.”

  “I can fight,” Ryder argued. “But Harley needs to stay here.”

  Val held onto Harley’s hand. “Please, don’t argue, Harley. If you’re out there with us, I won’t be able to concentrate on anything but your safety.”

  “That’s how it is with mates,” Nathan said.

  Harley glared at them both. “Then how in the hell am I supposed to sit here while my mate is out there fighting?”

  “You’ll do it
because he can’t stay here, it’s against his nature and is part of why he is such a good guard for me.” Marcus leaned across the seat and Harley got to see what it felt like to have his big hand on his nape now. “You’ll do it because you want him to be safe, and he can’t do that when he’s looking out for you. So you’ll stay, and Ryder will stay with you to make sure you’re protected, and the two of you will run over any shifter that isn’t one of ours if they get away. Got it?”

  Harley nodded. “Yes. Got it.”

  “Ryder?”

  “Sure, Marcus. I’ll protect my little brother.” Ryder didn’t even sound angry about it.

  “Good.” Marcus let go of him and faced the front of the vehicle. “Stop, Keegan. They’re about to hit those trees. Let’s go. Ryder, hit the door locks as soon as we’re out.”

  “Please be careful,” Harley murmured, then he kissed Val and let go of his hand before he could talk himself out of it. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  “And I’ll come back to you,” Val promised. He got out with the others. Ryder locked the doors and they moved to the front seat as shifters began exiting the other van.

  “That’s him, the fucker,” Ryder growled, pointing at a shortish dark-haired man with a pixie face. “He might look like a sweet kid, but he’s not. Those are the two who helped him, and—I guess the other one, the guy I didn’t see, is still in the van.”

  “Guess so,” Harley agreed. He watched as Val, Keegan, Nathan and Marcus went after Drake and the other two escaped shifters. Perhaps because he knew who Val was, having spied on them in Sedona, Drake pivoted and dived right at Val, using his shoulder to catch Val hard in the stomach. Harley started to shout but kept silent, just as he forced himself not to run to Val’s aid. He had to show that he had faith in Val, and besides that, Nathan and Marcus were nearby.

  Val cursed and his fists were blurs of movement as he and Drake swung at each other. Harley heard the contact as punches landed, but it was Drake’s head that rocked back, not Val’s. Val hit Drake again, tumbling him onto his back, then he straddled Drake. Harley saw Marcus and Nathan each lunge and go after one of the twinks who had tried to run off with Drake. He didn’t watch them, knowing Marcus and Nathan would quickly overpower their prey. He thought Keegan had gone to the van but didn’t want to spare a second to look and check.

  Drake bucked and slammed a fist against Val’s left thigh. Harley hissed as Val’s complexion turned a shade lighter. Val didn’t let the pain distract him, though, managing to keep Drake beneath him as the smaller man went wild, kicking and punching and shouting. Val caught at his hands, or tried to, but Drake was fighting like his life depended on it. Harley supposed it did. He’d broken the one rule almost certainly guaranteed to cause his death.

  Then Drake began to shift, in seconds turning from man to wolf, and Val was thrown off by the change and the squirming, powerful beast Drake had become. Drake reared up, his muzzle seeming to Harley to be more teeth than should have been possible. Val stood and stumbled back, pressing a hand to his left thigh. Harley’s pulse raced as Val gave the snarling wolf a smug grin and gestured for Drake to bring it on.

  “What is he doing?” Harley muttered.

  Ryder put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s pissing Drake off so he’ll be careless.”

  “Val can’t shift,” Harley told him.

  “He’ll be all right. I think you have a tough guy there. Smart, too. Look.”

  Harley was looking, and he saw how Val turned just the slightest bit so he was braced on his right heel. When Drake leapt at him, Val spun and leant back at the same time, so that he followed Drake’s trajectory as Drake sailed by him. Val reached out and had his arms around the wolf in the blink of an eye. He took Drake down hard, throwing his weight on Drake. Harley heard the yip of pain from Drake, then Val was shaking the wolf until Drake shifted again into his human form.

  “Can I go to him now?” Harley asked.

  Ryder squeezed his shoulder briefly. “No, just wait. He’s still got to put that asshole back in the van, and I bet there’s going to be some major restraints used. Guess the fuckers slipped the cuffs or something.”

  Harley grunted and the next five minutes had to be the longest of his life as he waited for Val to return. When Val finally began walking back towards him, Harley slipped out of Ryder’s gentle hold and got the door unlocked. He was out and running to Val’s side then, and Val stopped to hold out an arm to him. Harley didn’t barrel into Val like he wanted to, knowing Val’s leg had to be hurting him. He fitted himself to Val’s front gently, and framed Val’s cheeks with his hands as he examined Val’s face for signs of pain. “Are you okay?”

  Val grimaced and rubbed one hand down Harley’s back while using the other to grab his own thigh. “Sore. Drake knew just where to hit me. He’s an observant punk, I’ll give him that.”

  “I’ll give you the best massage ever if you’ll get in and sit by me again.”

  Val’s grimace turned into a cute grin. “Like I’d be willing to sit anywhere else.”

  They walked back to the vehicle and got settled. Marcus and Nathan joined them a minute or two later.

  “Keegan and all the other guards will be riding with them since Matty was careless with Drake’s cuffs,” Marcus snarled as he got in. “Val, I expect you to teach Matty the error of his ways, and how not to let an innocent visage fool him again. Otherwise, I will strip him of his position.”

  “He’s young, Marcus, and didn’t know better,” Nathan offered. “I’m sure Val can make him into a great guardsman for us.”

  “Sure.” Val sat in the back and Harley climbed over the seats to join him. “See, it wasn’t a big deal.”

  “I’m glad it wasn’t.” Harley snuggled up to Val’s side. “I guess the fourth guy was smart enough to stay in the van.”

  “Fourth guy?” Marcus asked. “No, didn’t we tell you? The guards only found Drake and his two twinks. The fourth guy you said was there, but you didn’t see, Ryder? They say he doesn’t exist.”

  “Bullshit! I know what I saw!” Ryder started to stand, whacked his head on the interior roof, and sat back down. “I saw a man running out of the room they dragged me into. I know I did!”

  Marcus patted his shoulder. “And we believe you, but the guards couldn’t find him. They did catch his scent and followed it. Unfortunately, it just vanished. Best guess is he took a cab or someone picked him up. I’ll send some guards back to look for him, but right now I want to get home and find out just what Drake thinks he’s doing.”

  “Is he from the Andes?” Harley couldn’t help but ask.

  Marcus snorted and shook his head. “Damn man doesn’t have a South American accent at all. Sounded more like a Texan to me. Reminded me of Gabe’s accent, didn’t it, Nathan?”

  Nathan hummed and tapped his chin. “Yes, he did. Maybe it’s just because we’ve been around Gabe so much the past few days, though. His voice tends to stick in your head.”

  “You’re not kidding.” Marcus thumped Ryder’s shoulder. “What are you waiting for, man? Drive.”

  Harley didn’t miss the way Ryder sat up straighter or the almost glow he had to him as he did what Marcus told him to. For the first time, he wished he had some of Marcus’ mojo, because Ryder, although Harley loved the hell out of him, had never listened to him like that.

  “It’s a talent,” Marcus said as he sat across from Harley. “Maybe someday you’ll develop it as well.”

  Harley wondered if that ‘someday’ meant when he was a shifter. If he ever was. “Can you tell us about this medical treatment you have for Val now?”

  Marcus and Nathan both shook their heads before Marcus spoke. “No, I think it’d be best to wait until we can show it to you both. It’s…it’s honestly dangerous stuff, we believe. If it fell into the wrong hands, well, I’m just going to say I’m glad it’s only available in limited quantities, and once it’s gone there will never be any more of it.”

  “Yeah, what he said.” Nathan
rubbed Marcus’ thigh.

  “I’m not sure I want to try it.”

  Harley looked at Val, who cleared his throat. “Why not?” Harley gave Marcus a narrow-eyed stare. “Is it dangerous?”

  Nathan nudged Marcus, seemingly pushing an answer out of him. “I wouldn’t recommend it for humans. It’s very rough on them.” He nodded and something clicked in Harley’s head. He opened his mouth but shut it rather than ask, because Marcus clearly didn’t want to spell it out when Ryder was able to overhear. Harley knew they could trust Ryder, but understood Marcus and Nathan didn’t so easily accept others, and for good reason, he supposed.

  “It’s a very painful way,” Nathan said later as they pulled up to the private airstrip. “More, I’ve been told, than the commonly known method for doing it.”

  “Fuck,” Harley muttered. Val grimaced and crossed his left leg over his right. Harley knew how he felt. “That’s gotta be really bad then.”

  “Yeah, and for all we know it might be deadly for some humans. Our friend might just have been lucky.” Nathan stood and opened the door. “Maybe you and Val can meet him and his mate. They’ll be staying with us for a while. Todd needs the medical care Shania can give him.”

  Harley ran the names through his head and landed on one. “Adam, is he the human— ?”

  “Was.” Nathan pressed a finger to his lips. “Ryder, you need help with the bags?”

  “Maybe. I’m still hurt.” And he sounded pouty about it. Harley couldn’t imagine his brother being an AA like Marcus. Hell, when he pouted like he was doing, Harley couldn’t imagine him being an alpha at all!

  “I’ll help him.” Marcus’ grin gave him an almost feral appearance as he headed over to Ryder.

  Nathan started walking towards the jet. Harley was shocked. Yeah, he’d heard them talking about a private jet, but actually seeing it was another thing entirely. He’d never even been on a regular plane before. Now he was getting in something that cost more than he could imagine.