Ward turned around and quickly kissed Jamie.
“Be careful, okay?” his mate asked.
“I will. Promise me you’ll wait to enter and you’ll be careful too.”
“I promise. Now go.”
Ward waited for Sebastian to join him before taking off his clothes and shifting. Not everyone did, though. Dominic and a few others would remain in their human forms to coordinate the attack. They also were the first ones to enter the building and keep the doors open. Being in cat form might be better when it came to a fight, but there was something to say for having hands.
Ward had wanted to be one of the first to go in, but Dominic had put him in the second wave, the rescue team. As much as Ward didn’t like it, his Alpha was probably right. Ward would rip to pieces anyone with a lab coat right now, but they needed answers.
As they silently slid into the warehouse, Ward could see Dominic and Nate take out the first pair of guards. Two gone, twelve still to go. Two of them appeared in front of Ward and Sebastian, and it seemed that even though they guarded shifters they weren’t used to fighting them, at least not when the shifters could fight back. But it didn’t mean they weren’t able to fight, far from it. While Sebastian was taking care of the first guard, Ward turned to the second one.
He managed to paw away the gun the other man held, but the guard had already taken out a knife. They circled each other, Ward’s low growl a warning that the other man should have listened to. Tired of waiting, Ward pounced, using his weight to throw the guard down. It worked, but the man managed to keep his knife and plunged it into Ward’s neck. Ward was lucky that it didn’t go that far in and that it didn’t touch any major arteries, but damn if it didn’t hurt! With a roar of anger Ward pulled away and closed his jaws on the guard’s wrist, needing to get rid of the blade.
Knowing it wouldn’t be a fatal wound, Ward tightened and felt his teeth sinking in and almost immediately hitting bone. Blood spurted in his mouth, and while his cat roared his approval, Ward couldn’t help but be a little disgusted. The only human blood he liked was Jamie’s.
Surprisingly, the guard didn’t scream or try to pull away. Instead, he used his other hand to punch Ward in the eye, making the leopard howl in pain. Ward let go of the wrist and it took only a few seconds for the guard to get up, but Sebastian was waiting for him and took him down from behind, sitting on the man’s back. The guard tried to free himself but he wasn’t able to. Ward was surprised the man was actually able to move so much with a five hundred and fifty pound adult lion sitting on his back. The man was stubborn, because he struggled until Nate showed up in human form and took him away, leaving behind clothes for Ward and Sebastian.
Ward’s neck stung as he shifted, but once he was back to his human form, the wound was already healing. Sebastian insisted on cleaning it anyway, affirming that Jamie would have his hide if he didn’t take proper care of Ward, so Ward let him, his heart a little warmer from the thought of Jamie caring for him like that.
It was only once fully dressed that Ward really looked around the warehouse, and he wished he hadn’t. It was a sight from hell. Most of the cages were open by now, pride members helping the captives out and caring for them, but Ward could see the degradation. The cages were small, too small for the adult shifters he could see, and the entire room was dirty and smelled of sickness and animals. The shifters were so thin Ward could count their ribs and all of them had open wounds on various parts of their body, none of them bandaged.
Kneeling next to the black leopard Jamie had told him was there, Ward let him smell his hand, murmuring soft words.
“Hey, buddy. How are you doing?”
The leopard sniffed and licked Ward’s hand, obviously deciding he was one of the good guys.
“We’re going to get you out of here, okay? Just stay here a little longer so that we can be sure we can move you without hurting you.”
The leopard leaned his big head on his paws and Ward backed out of the cage, leaving the door open. He searched for Jamie and found him in a corner, holding a white rabbit in his arms and petting it slowly. When the rabbit smelled Ward approaching he panicked, his little paws sliding on Jamie’s shirt as he tried to tuck himself against Jamie’s neck, and Ward stopped, giving them space. Jamie rubbed the white fur a while longer before handing the small animal to one of the human mates of the pride.
“He’s scared of big predators. Most of them are. I think some of bigger shifters actually ate some of the rabbit shifters.”
Ward shuddered in horror. Shifters never ate other shifters because it was considered cannibalism, even when they both were in animal form. But looking at the state of the shifters, he could understand why some might have become desperate enough to do it, even if it was something they would never do normally.
Grabbing Jamie, Ward pulled him in his arms, kissing the top of his head. His mate was brave, but Ward knew how hard this was for him. Not only was this the place in which he had been kept and experimented on, but some of those shifters were his friends, or at least something close to friends.
It took the entire night to take away all the shifters. The predators would stay in the pride’s mansion for now, but Dominic had had to find an alternative for the rabbits. The Alpha had contacts with most of the state’s Alphas, and he had found a herd of mule deer who had volunteered to take them in. He would have to contact a bunch of different shifter groups to find out if they were missing members.
Dawn found everyone back into Dominic’s study, all of them tired. Jamie was asleep, snuggled into Ward’s chest.
“We have everyone settled. I’ll let you know if we find something relevant in the documents we found at the lab, but I think all of this can wait for tomorrow. We weren’t able to capture the head scientist, but it seems we have a big part of his research. It’s going to take some time going through it all, but Isaiah is already working on it.” Dominic sighed. “Go to bed, you all deserve it.” The Alpha massaged his temples as if he had a headache, and Ward couldn’t blame him. That charge brought enough responsibilities to give headaches for a lifetime.
Ward delicately took Jamie in his arms, careful not to wake him, and followed Bryce. His friend led the way to Ward’s suite, opening the doors for him. Once Jamie was tucked in bed, Ward joined Bryce in the living room, where he found the cougar sitting on the couch, staring at the empty glass in his hands. From the smell, Ward could tell it had contained alcohol.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked Bryce.
His friend looked up from the glass. “About what?”
“Come on, you know what I’m talking about. What’s going on with Finn?” Ward didn’t want to push, but he wanted to know if his friend needed help.
“Nothing. I haven’t seen him since he poofed out of Dominic’s office.”
“Why did he shimmer away? He was supposed to stay and live here for a while.”
Bryce looked at his hands as he sighed. “I guess he didn’t like the fact that I was so affectionate with Keenan. He’s my mate, Ward.”
Ward had wanted to be wrong. He didn’t want anyone hurt, but someone was going to be in this situation, and he already knew who. “What are you going to do? Did you tell Keenan?”
“No! I’m in love with Keenan, and I won’t leave him,” Bryce snarled.
“But he’s not your mate,” Ward said gently. “Finn is.”
“So what? Why would I leave a man I love and who loves me for someone I don’t even know?” Bryce slammed the glass on the coffee table and stood up, raking his hands in his hair. “Look, can we talk about this another day? I’m tired and it’s been a long day.”
Without waiting for an answer he stormed away, leaving Ward alone and wondering how his best friend was going to solve this.
Chapter Seven
Jamie was sitting in the mansion’s garden, thinking about that day he’d decided to go camping on his own. Who would have thought that only a few months later he would have been as good as married? And
that was only the personal changes. He couldn’t even think about how much his life had changed just because he had found out that shifters weren’t only stuff of romances.
The pride had taken Jamie in without questions, and he now had friends and a family. Dominic had also let the four predator shifters they had rescued from the lab stay in the house, as well as Oliver. Jamie’s heart hurt when he thought about what his friend was going through. They had found files that explained what the scientist had done to him, but they still hadn’t found a way to help him.
Oliver’s DNA had been altered by adding shifter’s DNA to it. It wasn’t like a mating, when Jamie’s DNA had been altered to give him some of the advantages of being a shifter. Jamie would never have an animal inside him, and he was grateful for that. Oliver, though, was stuck with an inner bear that he couldn’t let loose, no matter how much the bear wanted it and how much Oliver tried. He was trying to be strong, but Jamie could see that his friend was becoming more reclusive every day. He barely left his room now, and when he did it was only to eat. Jamie guessed it was too hard for him to be around shifters because of the way they lived in symbiosis with their animal, something Oliver was denied. He wasn’t a shifter, but he wasn’t human either.
“Jamie?”
Jamie jumped in surprise, his heart skipping a beat, both because he had thought he was alone out here and because he recognized the voice.
“Finn?” he asked, rising to his feet and turning around. “Oh my god, where have you been?”
The Nix seemed physically fine, but the sadness and longing in his eyes was so much that it hurt just to look at him.
“I went home.”
Jamie hugged Finn. They weren’t used to touching each other that way, having always been separated by their cage’s bars, but it was obvious his friend needed the contact.
“Why did you leave?” Jamie asked even if he already knew the answer. Ward had told him about his conversation with Bryce. “You could have stayed here with us.”
“He doesn’t want me! Why? I thought mates meant everything, I thought I would finally have someone who would love me! Why doesn’t he want me?” Finn broke right there in Jamie’s arms. He started crying, his shoulders shaking with sobs, his tears soaking Jamie’s shirt.
“I don’t think he doesn’t want you, Finn.” Jamie had to be honest. “Bryce is in love with my brother, and I think that he’s torn between that love and the mating pull he feels toward you. I don’t think it’s possible for someone to stop loving his partner just because he found his mate. Bryce will find a way, but you have to be patient.”
“But he looked at me, he knew he was my mate, and he kissed him…in front of me!” Finn hissed. “It’s your brother?”
“Yeah, Bryce is dating my brother. I think he was just shocked about finding you. I know Bryce, and he would never hurt anyone like that on purpose.”
“Why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t you be on your brother’s side?” Finn asked as he stepped away from Jamie’s embrace.
“I’m on nobody’s side, Finn. I don’t want anyone to be hurt because I love all three of you, but I know someone will be. I think Bryce and Keenan knew that someday they would have to break up, but it happened so fast…give Bryce a little time to process the fact that you are his mate to decide what to do.”
Jamie heard a gasp behind them. Turning around he realized things had just gotten even more complicated when he saw Keenan standing there.
“You’re…you’re Bryce’s mate?” he asked Finn, his voice unsteady.
“Yes.”
Jamie could see that Keenan knew what it meant for him. He thought his brother would yell, or cry, but he did nothing like that. Keenan was eerily calm, his feelings betrayed only by the way his hands were balled up in tight fists at his sides and by the shuddering of his lower lip. When Jamie stepped up to him he held one of his hands up.
“Don’t, please. I…I know what being mates means, and I always knew I would have to give up Bryce one day. I just thought…it’s like Jamie said, I thought I would have more time to be with him.” Keenan took a deep breath. “I’ll talk to Bryce. I’ll tell him that what we have is over.”
Finn’s eyes were wide. “You’re not going to fight this?”
Keenan gave him a sad smile, his eyes full of unshed tears. “Even if I fought, I would never win. It’s because I love him that I’m doing this. I know that you are the one meant to be with him, and that having met you he will never be completely happy with me. Just…take care of him, okay?” he asked before running away, the tears finally running down.
Jamie tried to stop him, to comfort him, but Keenan shook away his hand. Jamie knew his brother needed time, and he would give it to him. His heart heavy, he sat down on the grass.
“I’m sorry, Jamie. I didn’t want to hurt him.”
“I know. Can I just ask that you wait a few days before talking with Bryce? Let them…talk and clear everything.”
“Of course.” Finn hesitated. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Sure.”
Finn shimmered away. Jamie stayed in the garden, watching as the day came to an end, the light dimming. It was almost dark when Ward finally found him.
“What happened, love? I heard Bryce and Keenan fighting.”
“Finn was here. Keenan found out he’s Bryce’s mate.”
“Oh, love, I’m sorry.” Ward sat down behind Jamie, encasing him between his legs and hugging him close. Jamie leaned his head against Ward’s shoulder and let his mate’s scent comfort and sooth him. “We knew this would happen. They’ll find a way to solve this. It will hurt in the beginning, but they’ll be okay, all three of them.”
“I know.” Turning his head, Jamie reached for Ward’s lips and let their kiss push away their friend’s problems, just for now. Jamie wanted to live his happy-ever-after, and he hoped his brother would find his own, one day soon.
About the Author
Catherine lives in Italy, country of good food and hot men. She used to write fantasy as a child, but it was reading her first gay erotic romance novel that made her realize that was what she really wanted to write.
After graduating from college in English language and translation, she divides her day between writing, reading, taking care of her son and reading some more.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter or on her website: authorcatherinelievens.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
Whitedell Pride 1 - Jamie Page 12