“Ally healed you,” said Ryan, feeling her confusion. He was so relieved she’d finally woken that a breath shuddered out of him. “She had a vision that you were shot.” There was no evidence of it now. Only unmarred velvet-smooth skin. He couldn’t help remembering the warm blood flowing between his fingers and pooling beneath her. Fuck, she’d almost died right in front of him. When he thought about it too much, his chest would tighten and his throat would start to close.
She stroked his head, sensing his distress. “How long was I out?”
He slipped his arms beneath her and held her tight. “Nine hours.” It was the longest nine hours of his life. Not once had she stirred—not even when he’d stripped and washed her before dressing her in one of his tees.
She scowled as she remembered something. “Your jaw was swollen and you had gashes on your forehead.”
“They healed. None of my wounds were serious.” Unlike hers. He rubbed his jaw against her stomach. “I was scared.” It seemed okay to admit that to her. “You were slipping away from me. I could feel it. But there was nothing for me to grab on to.” Her soul wasn’t a physical thing. “No way for me to make you stay.”
Her eyes stung. “I didn’t want to go.”
“You can’t die.” He wouldn’t survive it.
She swallowed. “Come here.”
He pressed one more kiss to her stomach, reminding himself she was alive and with him. He slid up her body, kissed her gently, and rested his forehead on hers. “I would have followed you.” She tried to shake her head. “Yes, I would have. I don’t know how people carry on after they lose someone.” He wouldn’t have had the will to keep going. Not even knowing Zac needed him. It was selfish; Ryan knew that. Still, he simply would have faded away without her. Makenna was part of him. A part he needed.
She cupped his face. “We don’t have to test that theory. I’m fine; I’m not going anywhere.” She kissed him, wanting to take away the fear and anxiety that ate at him. A change of subject could help. “Well, it seems you were right. We’re true mates.”
Ryan grunted. Of course he was right.
“I don’t like your tone.” She nipped his lip. “Our scents have mixed. I like that.”
So did Ryan. Every shifter would know from just her scent that she was taken. He doubted his jealousy or possessiveness would now ease, however. He still wouldn’t like other males around her. Would always be jealous, just as he’d been jealous of . . . “I’m sorry about Colton. I know he was your friend.”
She bit her bottom lip before it had the chance to tremor. “Me too.” He’d been a good friend to her, and he hadn’t deserved what had happened to him. None of them had deserved the trouble Remy had brought into their lives. “I take it we won the battle.”
“Yes.” He wasn’t good at telling stories. “Only the Mercury wolves had arrived by the time the attack began. Reinforcements turned up no more than a minute later, which spooked the enemies. Most of them retreated, others died. Taryn’s father lost some of his wolves. Trick and Dominic almost died.”
Makenna was relieved to hear their pack was alive. As for someone else . . . “Deanne’s dead, right?”
He grunted. “Roni gutted her.” He was a little jealous he hadn’t been able to deliver that killing move himself. Then again, that would have required him to release Makenna. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to do that until they were in the infirmary, where Grace had given her a transfusion. Grace had tried to usher him out, but he’d just stared at her until she gave up with a humph.
Makenna rubbed her nose against his. “You look tired. You fed me a lot of energy.”
According to Ally, who had earlier called to check on Makenna, his mate would have died long before Ally had arrived if he hadn’t lent her his strength. “You said you love me.” Again with the blurting things out.
She smiled. “That’s because I do.”
He closed his eyes, letting that soothe him. “No one’s ever said that to me before.” He slid his hand up to span her throat, wanting to feel her pulse beating beneath his thumb.
Her brows flew up. “Never?” God, his parents were assholes. “Come inside me, Ryan. I know you want to.”
He did want to. He wanted to assure himself in the most basic way that she was alive. “You’ve been unconscious for nine hours. You need food and—”
“You. Just you.” She writhed beneath him, tempting him. “Come inside me.”
He shouldn’t. He should have some food brought in and—
“Ryan, please. I need this too.”
Fuck it. He used his fingers to ready her to take him. Then he hiked up her leg and slid inside her, groaning as her pussy contracted around him. He took her with slow, deep, deliberate thrusts. The whole time, he kissed her—sharing breaths, groans, and gasps. And when he shoved himself deep and exploded, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and growled her name. “I love you, Kenna.”
She smiled. “I know. I feel it.” It was like a glow inside her.
Without leaving her body, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.
She propped her chin on his chest as he grabbed his cell phone from the cabinet. “Who are you texting?”
“Grace. You need food. You lost a lot of blood.” He put down his phone. “Be warned, the room is going to fill up. There are a lot of people waiting to see you.” He’d been chasing them off, insisting she needed her rest. “Let’s get you showered.”
As they were dressing a short while later, a knock came at the door. “Open up!” called Grace.
Makenna held up her arms so Ryan could slip on her T-shirt. “I can go eat in the kitchen, you know.”
He shook his head. “You’re not at one hundred percent yet.”
She couldn’t deny that. But she’d be damned if she’d voice aloud just how weak she truly felt. “Okay.” She sighed as she sat, lotus style, in the middle of the bed.
“I’ll be back soon.”
She frowned. “Where are you going?”
Hand on the doorknob, he glanced over his shoulder. “To live up to a promise.”
With that mysterious answer, he left. Grace entered with a tray of food. Zac, Dawn, and Madisyn trailed behind her. Eyes teary, Zac gave her a tight hug that belied his typical teenage cool act and chatted with her for a short while. Then, complaining he had something in his eye, he left with Dawn. Madisyn stayed while Makenna ate, lecturing her for getting shot.
Each of the Phoenix wolves came to see Makenna, a few at a time. They all expressed their relief that she was fine. Rhett wanted to hear about what it was like to almost die and if she’d seen any bright lights. At that point, Grace shoved him out of the room.
Riley, Savannah, Dexter, and Kye then came inside. The kids leaped onto the bed, kissing her cheeks and showing her pictures that they’d doodled for her. Well, Dexter’s was more of a balled-up piece of paper, but the gesture was still there.
As the three children ran out of the room, laughing, Riley said, “Taryn’s offered to let Dexter and Savannah stay here permanently.”
Madisyn took a sip of Makenna’s coffee. “Really?”
Having seen how closely the children had bonded with Kye and how much Taryn adored them, Makenna wasn’t actually that surprised. “How do you feel about that?”
Riley smoothed out a wrinkle on the bedsheet. “It would be good for them, right? To have a real home.” Her reluctance to part with them was clear in her tone.
“I don’t think they’ll stay behind, Riley,” said Makenna. “They’re too attached to you. They love you.”
“Yeah, but they love you and Zac too. You guys live here now.”
Makenna patted her hand. “They love you more.”
Riley shifted uncomfortably. “Taryn said I could stay with them until they feel settled enough to stay without me. She said I could have a permanent place here too—”
“She said what?” Greta was in the doorway with Tao, whose eyes were locked on Riley with an intensity
that the raven failed to notice.
“Aw, have you come to check up on me?” asked Makenna, smiling.
Greta’s upper lip curled back. “I was rather hoping you didn’t wake up at all. No such luck. Now I’m stuck with you and her!”
Riley sighed. “Look, Gretchen—”
“It’s Greta.”
“I don’t care.”
The kids all scurried back into the bedroom, and Dexter headed right for the tray.
Riley sighed. “Dexter, don’t stuff more food in your pockets.” Her tone was gentle but firm. The toddler looked at her with an expression that said, “Why?” Then he shoved a slice of apple down his shirt. “Savannah, stop hissing at Gretchen. Or, at least, don’t hiss so loud.”
Kye chuckled and then mimicked the action, making Greta gasp in horror at her grandson. That had Savannah laughing with an evil glee in her eyes.
“That kid has a mean streak that I totally love,” said Madisyn.
At that moment, Dominic strolled inside, smiling. That smile faltered when he looked at Madisyn. He cast her a mock glare. “She still won’t tell me what type of cat she is, Makenna. No one who saw her shift will tell me.”
Makenna just smiled at him. “I heard we both had a close call.”
He waved it off and relaxed into the chair beside her bed. Then he gave her a flirtatious grin. “So, are you into casual sex or should I dress up?”
The guy really was nothing but trouble.
Minutes after he’d left his mate, Ryan stalked into the hut with Dante and Trey close behind him. The hut was where they kept any intruders they found roaming on their territory. Today, it contained a well-built male with shaggy brown hair and cruel eyes.
Despite being bound to a chair, the captive tried to stare Ryan down. When it didn’t work, he sneered, “You must be the cousin. Remy told me a lot about you.”
Ryan’s wolf snarled. “You must be the sick bastard who hurt Zac.”
There wasn’t a hint of remorse in Brogan Creed’s gaze. You could learn a lot about a person from their posture, tone, word choice, and expressions. And as Ryan looked down at him, he had the distinct impression that Brogan wasn’t like Remy. He knew what he’d become, knew it and saw no reason to justify it to himself or to anyone else. For him, abusing others wasn’t so much about sex as about having ultimate power and dominance over another person. “I’m glad you came here.”
“Really?” he drawled.
“I promised Zac you’d die if you did.” Ryan’s claws sliced out. “This saves me the trouble of hunting you down.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Standing in the forest outside the caves, Ryan watched his mate roll back her shoulders for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. “You’re nervous.”
“Well . . . yeah.”
At least she was admitting it. “You don’t need to be.”
“This is a big thing, okay.”
Fair enough, but . . . “So was our mating ceremony. You weren’t nervous then.”
“Of course I wasn’t. I was one hundred percent sure about you and how much I wanted the ceremony.”
Warmth radiated through Ryan’s chest. Their mating ceremony was short, sweet, and understated, since neither of them had wanted a huge party. Ryan wouldn’t have coped well with one, and he did not—under any circumstances—dance. Besides, he hadn’t wanted to share his mate on the night of their ceremony. He was too selfish and possessive for that.
He’d invited Garrett and the other enforcers from Ryan’s old pack to visit the next day. They all fell hard for Makenna, which probably had a lot to do with the verbal smackdown she’d delivered to his parents when they tagged along with Garrett. She’d told them in no uncertain terms that they were shit parents and even worse people, that if they couldn’t see how special Ryan was, then they were even dumber than they looked. Strangely, they hadn’t argued with that.
Feeling another spurt of anxiety rush through his mate, he said, “I know you want answers and closure, but you don’t have to do this now.”
Makenna set her jaw and planted her feet in a wide stance. “I do.” It was time to face it . . . even if her muscles were tight with tension and a part of her was dreading what was to come.
Ryan grunted.
“Well, I like being stubborn. It keeps you on your toes.”
Everything about his unpredictable, quirky mate kept him on his toes. “If they do or say anything to upset you, they’re gone.”
“I know.” She rubbed at her arm. “I’d prefer it if we didn’t have an audience.”
He frowned, glancing around the empty clearing. “You have privacy.”
She snorted. “No, I don’t. Our pack’s scattered around the forest to keep a close watch on things.” Even Zac.
“They’re protective of you.”
She knew that. It was a good feeling for both her and her wolf. Good to be a part of something. And good to know they were just as protective of the shelter as they were of her. Being equally protective, Madisyn was also hanging around the forest, even though she was still mad with Makenna for getting shot. She pretty much blamed her for it.
Makenna knew she was seriously lucky to be breathing right now. Ally was officially one of her favorite people in the world. There had sadly been some fatalities in the battle. There would have been more if Taryn hadn’t arrived—too late to heal Makenna, which had pissed her off and made her feel bad—and healed those with serious injuries. The Phoenix wolves had also helped repair the cafeteria.
At the sound of low voices, Makenna and her wolf stiffened. This was it. The moment was finally here. It was time to face her past. She licked her dry mouth. Maybe she should have waited a little longer and—
Ryan briefly squeezed her hand. “You’re safe. No one can harm you here.”
She didn’t believe her visitors would physically hurt her, but she believed the information they possessed quite possibly could. Without thinking, she hooked her finger in Ryan’s belt loop. Moments later, Trey and Taryn entered the clearing with five unfamiliar wolves. The Phoenix Alphas stepped aside, allowing the visitors to move forward.
The male in the center exuded power and confidence. He was definitely an Alpha. He tilted his head as he studied her and released a shallow sigh. “You look a lot like your mom. It’s uncanny. I’m Harlow Gannon, your uncle.” He quickly introduced his Beta and enforcers.
It took a moment for her to respond. Uncle. He was her uncle. She’d never before met any of her family, hadn’t even known that she had an uncle until Ryan told her. And now the guy was standing right in front of her—a guy who was also a part of her mother. She cleared her throat. “I’m Makenna. This is my mate, Ryan Conner.”
At Harlow’s nod, Ryan grunted. If he hadn’t tracked these wolves himself, he wouldn’t believe this guy was her uncle. They shared no resemblance whatsoever. He’d gotten a message to Harlow from Makenna, which had very simply read that she was sorry to inform him that her mother had died many years ago after a vicious attack. The male had very swiftly replied, asking to meet her. She’d taken a few days to think about it before agreeing.
On edge due to his mate’s anxiety, Ryan’s wolf wasn’t comfortable with these strangers on his territory. He also didn’t like that this male claimed to have a connection to her, even if it was familial. Typical of his very jealous wolf.
Harlow cleared his throat. “If I’m honest, I wasn’t sure you were who I’ve been looking for all these years until now. I guess I didn’t want to believe my sister was dead. There’s no denying that you’re hers.”
In his position, Makenna wouldn’t have wanted to believe it either. Pushing past her dread, she asked the question that had haunted her for a very long time. “Do you know what happened to my dad?” Watching the Alpha’s face fall, Makenna was almost sorry she asked. Her stomach knotted.
“The old Alpha hunted your parents. He found them two years later. Your mom got away with you, but he caught your dad. Killed him.
”
The news was like a hammer to the chest. “You know for sure he’s dead?” She tensed when he averted his gaze. “Tell me. I need to know.” It would be worse than not knowing, even if it would be a painful truth.
Harlow lifted his chin. “Conrad brought back his head.”
Makenna’s eyes fell closed, and she was glad that Ryan moved closer. She needed his strength right then. Be-fucking-headed . . . and all because he’d loved her mother. Her parents had both suffered awful deaths they didn’t deserve. Her wolf howled in mourning.
“If I’d been old enough to take him on, I would have.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“No, but it doesn’t take away the pain of knowing what you and your parents went through.” He did a double take as something caught his eye. “Is that a child hanging upside down from a tree branch?”
Makenna looked up at Savannah and sighed. “Yes.” The viper waved. She and Dexter were now official Phoenix Pack members. Riley wasn’t yet sure if she wanted a permanent place there, but she’d agreed to stay until the children were more settled. Greta wasn’t happy about that, which delighted Taryn.
Harlow shifted his gaze to Ryan. “How long have you and my niece been mated?”
In Ryan’s mind, they had officially been mates since he first realized what she was to him; he’d known he wouldn’t let her go. But, in reality, as Madisyn once put it . . . “She led me on a merry dance.”
Harlow grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. What happened to your head?”
Makenna inwardly rolled her eyes at Ryan’s “I didn’t want to talk about it” grunt. “It was a Frisbee. He jinxed himself by walking under a ladder.”
Harlow frowned at Ryan. “Why would you do a fool thing like walk under a ladder? It’s bad luck.”
Ryan turned to Makenna. “He’s definitely your relation.”
She laughed.
That night, Ryan sat on the edge of his bed in only a towel, watching his mate putter around in nothing more than a white partially buttoned shirt and hot-pink panties. She was talking about how nice it had been to hear tales of her mother’s childhood, to know about her deceased grandparents. She wasn’t fooling him for a second. Deep inside, she was hurting; mourning the father she couldn’t remember.