“I was,” Logan agreed.
“But you haven’t mated yet?” Tah asked.
“No. She’s not ready. She’s holding back, fighting the need building between us. I have no idea how, but she is,” Logan admitted.
“And you? How are you holding up?” Reno asked.
“I’m one giant fucking boner,” Logan said with a shaky laugh. “She’s consumed my thoughts. I’m a walking hard-on, and she’s the only cure. But the lady says no, and that’s that.”
“Maybe we should pull you from rotation,” Tah said.
Logan snorted. “And replace me with who? Finn, Murphy and Zane are all still gone. We’ve got no one else.”
“Speaking of them,” Reno said, turning to Tah. “Have you heard from anyone?”
“No word from Finn still. I’m going to kick his ass when he gets back here for not answering. Zane checked in last night. They were following a trail into New Mexico. He didn’t say much, just that they were still tracing Finn’s steps and hoped to find him in the next day or two.”
“But?” Logan asked. “I see the hesitation in your eyes, Tah. What’s up?”
“I don’t know. I just feel like Zane was holding something back. I got the feeling he didn’t like something.”
“So you think Zane and Murphy are keeping information from you? Why would they do that?” Reno asked.
“To protect the rest of us,” Logan said. “Jesus! We need to stop trying to shield each other so much and start trusting each other to be able to deal with shit. This keeping stuff in order to protect each other is how people get killed.”
“Do we go after them?” Reno asked.
“No,” Tah said. “I can’t risk it right now. I’m distracted with worry for Abby and the baby. Logan’s distracted by Clara. We’re already under-manned, and all of this isn’t helping. We’re going to have to trust Murphy, Finn and Zane to know what they’re doing. I have to believe if they need us, they’ll let us know.”
Reno and Logan both nodded.
“So how do you want to handle talking to Clara?” Logan asked.
Tah sighed wearily. “Let’s bring her in here. We’ll keep it to the three of us for now. I’ll talk to the Professor, see if he wants to join us. He’s read all those journals just as Abby has. I’d prefer he be here instead of my mate,” Tah admitted.
“I can’t promise you Amia won’t want to listen to what Clara has to say, and I won’t keep anything from her,” Reno said.
Tah sighed. “And what Amia knows, Abby knows.”
“Afraid so,” Reno admitted. “Those two are thick as thieves.”
“It’s a good thing,” Logan stated. “I’ve noticed them with Kenzie. They seem to be bringing her out of her shell more. You know, in all the time we spent with the unit, how much do we know about Kenzie?”
“She doesn’t have any family. She’s quiet.” Reno fired off a few things.
“She’s a hell of a fighter,” Tah added.
“But think about it. We all meshed together perfectly. We worked so well together that it made sense to call everyone in when this all went down. But other than their fighting abilities or weapon specialties, what do we know about Zane, Kenzie, Holt, Vic, Murphy or Finn?” Logan asked.
“You’re right,” Tah said. “We need to remedy that. If this is a pride, a family, then we need to act like one.”
A knock on the door interrupted further conversation, especially when the Professor poked his head in. Seeing the three men inside, he seemed to think nothing of interrupting them. He just walked in, hands full of papers, glasses looking precariously close to falling off the end of his nose.
“Just who I’ve been looking for. Look at all this.” He shook the papers, dropping a few onto the floor. “It’s going to take weeks to go through all of this. I’d give them to Abby, but—” The Professor broke off at Tah’s low rumble and shook his finger at the pride leader. “Don’t take that tone with me, young man. I said I would, but she’s in no state to be focusing on anything but the baby, and we all know it.”
“What is all that?” Reno asked.
“More research, more information to sort through and see what answers we can find,” the Professor mumbled. “And this isn’t all of it. The printer was still spitting out pages when I left to find you.”
“Where did you get it from?” Tah asked.
“Jess,” the Professor said, and his eyes watered just a bit.
“Is she all right?” Reno asked immediately.
“She’s fine. Still flitting here and there with those mates of hers on whatever quest they have.” He wiped his eyes. “But you can’t blame an old man for missing his only child every now and then.”
“I’m sure she’d come visit again if you ask her to,” Tah said.
The Professor shook his head. “She’s a married woman now. Her mates come first.”
“Not at the exclusion of you,” Tah countered, and Logan wondered if he realized he was showing the affection he felt for the Professor.
The Professor shrugged off Tah’s words. “This is all the information Jess had on hunters in general, and the Blanes, specifically. There’s a lot to read through. It’s going to take me a while.”
“Amia and I can help,” Reno offered.
“I just might take you up on that,” the Professor said with a nod. “Diane offered to help, as well.”
“Do you think the hunters have anything to do with what Jess and her wolves are dealing with?” Logan asked. If they were fighting the same battle, why not join forces?
The Professor looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think any shifter will always have to worry about hunters and people of their ilk. But I think whatever Jess and the boys are dealing with is more central to them.”
“You don’t know for sure?” Reno asked, echoing Logan’s surprise.
“I know whatever it was, Jess and her mates faked my death to protect me from their enemies. Jess wouldn’t tell me everything. My daughter has a need to protect those she loves.”
“I can’t imagine where she gets it from,” Tah said.
The Professor smiled. “It was good hearing from her, even if it was only briefly. Now I better get back. I have a long night of reading ahead of me. And I want all of you down in the labs. I need some blood samples. Saliva, too.”
They were all groaning when the Professor got to the door and turned back around. “I’ll want some samples from Clara, as well. And Logan, I’ll want another complete work-up on you in the next few days.” With that parting shot, the Professor walked out, closing the door once more behind him.
“Fucking Vampire King,” Logan muttered.
“I heard that, boy,” the Professor called from the other side of the door. “Just get down to the labs before the end of the week and give me what I want.”
Reno and Tah snickered as Logan went red.
“I swear he has ears like a bat,” Logan grunted.
“A vampire bat,” Reno said, and he and Tah started laughing again.
Logan shook his head but couldn’t hold back a grin of his own. It was hard not to like the Professor, despite his constant harassing for blood. What the hell did he do with all that blood anyway?
* * * *
Murphy growled with frustration as he and Zane got back in the Jeep. Zane understood where his buddy was coming from. They should have caught up to Finn by now. Zane knew Murphy had a bad feeling deep in his gut. Murphy kept muttering about it every few minutes and rubbing at his skin as if he could feel something there. They needed to find Finn…soon.
“You sensing something?” Zane asked as he got behind the wheel. He’d taken over driving at the first stop, telling Murphy they wouldn’t be able to help anyone if they were being scraped off the highway. Murphy was obviously so wrapped up in whatever he was intuiting in connection with his brother that he hadn’t realized how fast he was going. They were damn lucky a cop hadn’t come across their path.
“Relieved now that my bladder is empty,” Murphy answered and Zane turned to stare at him.
“It unnerves me when you look at me that intensely. You’re eyes are all weird, glowing yellow and shit,” Murphy snapped. “So just ask what you want and let’s go.”
“I know you’re getting antsy, and it seems to be getting worse. I won’t be effective help if you keep me in the dark,” Zane said. He ignored the jibe about his eyes. He’d heard some variation of it all his life. He didn’t give a shit.
“I…I’m sorry, man,” Murphy said with a grunt and shake of his head. “I have this really bad feeling, and I can’t shake it. I can feel Finn in here.” He thumped a fist against his chest. “I feel pain. God, my skin is fair to crawling with dread.”
“You shouldn’t have asked me not to say anything when I called Tah,” Zane said with a grumble. “Especially knowing Finn was taken.”
Murphy reluctantly nodded. “Someone took him at that spot where we found his phone outside of Santa Fe. Makes sense it was hunters following the signal the transmitter was putting out.”
Neither of them mentioned the fact the device was turned off when Finn took it. It was understood Finn would have turned it back on as soon as he was far enough away from them. Zane just hoped they found Finn in time to tell him how stupid he was.
“The campsite we found. I could smell the mixture of scents there. Sweat laced with hate. Blood.” Zane met Murphy’s gaze without flinching. “You know what I am.”
“I suspected,” Murphy agreed with a nod. “What’s your spirit?”
“Panther,” Zane answered. “My uncle, too.”
“Bet those eyes look just as eerie on a panther,” Murphy said.
Zane paid no attention to the remark he was sure Murphy had intended to lighten the conversation. They were past that. There was heavy-duty shit going on. They needed honesty and communication. He was willing to hold some things back out of respect for the man he’d fought with as a Marine, but only if he knew why. “What I can’t figure out is what your spirit is.”
Murphy sighed. “Let’s just focus on getting to Finn.”
“You can’t run forever,” Zane warned. “At some point you have to claim a home. You know Tah will always see you as a member of this pride we’re creating.”
Murphy nodded. “I know, and I really hope to be a permanent part of it. But right now all I can think of is my brother out there. I promised to keep him safe. I promised.”
“Talk to me, Murph,” Zane pleaded as he started the engine and shifted into gear.
Murphy blew out a puff of air and finally began to talk. “Finn was born the same year I was. I came in January, and he followed in December. We’ve always been close.”
“You’re brothers,” Zane said. “Family, and family guards each other’s backs.”
“Not always,” Murphy muttered then shook his head as if that was something he didn’t want to discuss.
Zane wondered at the story behind that comment.
“Finn decided he needed to look out for me,” Murphy continued. “I kept telling him I was the older brother, and I was supposed to do the watching over. He never understood that.”
“He took the transponder as much for you as to make amends to Reno and Amia,” Zane stated. He’d wondered why Finn would feel the need to make amends like that. But protecting his brother? That was something Zane could definitely see Finn doing. Hell, the two brothers were always tripping over each other, trying to keep an eye out for the other.
Murphy nodded. “Probably more for me than to make any amends. He sees his actions as justifiable in the moment. As far as he’s concerned, he did what he was told, and he refuses to believe anyone can hold a grudge when he pours on the Irish charm.”
Zane smiled. That sounded just like the Finn he knew. “You Dockerys can be all charm when you want to.”
“It’s come in handy a time or two,” Murphy said. “Finn has such an easy smile. He’s always been a happy guy. Christ, I just want to see that grin of his again. Soon. And when I find him and know he’s safe, I’m going to kick his fucking ass for putting me through this.” Murphy gasped and grabbed his chest. “Ahhh, God. The pain. Jesus, my chest is burning.”
“What’s the matter?” Zane demanded, swerving to the side of the road.
“No,” Murphy yelled. “Keep driving. I can sense him. God, my body feels like it’s been set on fire. What are they doing to him? Jesus. What are they doing?”
“You’re linked?”
Murphy groaned. “Yes. We have been since we were just boys. When I was…” He gritted his teeth and swallowed then started again. “When I was forced to leave, he came with me.”
Zane said nothing for a while. He could tell Murphy wanted him to let it go, but he couldn’t. He was keeping secrets from his alpha. The least Zane deserved was some honest answers. “What happened?” Zane asked long moments later.
“Hunters,” Murphy said, his voice sounded bitter as if there was a hatred that burned deep inside him he couldn’t contain.
“A Blane?” Zane questioned as things began to click into place in his head.
“No, but a hunter is a hunter,” Murphy stated.
“That explains Finn’s reaction to Amia. Why didn’t you tell anyone you’d had a run in with hunters before? You know Tah needs information.”
“And I have none, unless you want me to share what a body looks like when they’re all done torturing it,” Murphy snapped.
Zane glanced at him a few times before asking the question he knew Murphy was waiting for.
“Who?”
Murphy shut his eyes as if desperate to keep his memories at bay. “Christ, I see it every day as if it were just moments ago—red hair matted with blood. Green lifeless eyes. Limbs splayed at odd angles where bones had been broken then broken again. The smell of fear and pain and death. The hatred in my dad’s eyes, mirrored in the stares of my two older brothers.” He looked at Zane through the eyes of a man broken by tragedy. “Mum. They killed my mum, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure every one of them pays for it.” He gritted his teeth and jerked his head back, hissing out his breath while he pressed the heel of his hand against his chest. “Drive faster, Zane. I’ve got a really bad feeling.”
Zane reached over and squeezed Murphy on the shoulder. “You’re not alone anymore, Murphy. You or Finn. You have all of us, a new family, a pride. You need to let us in.”
He put both hands on the wheel and drove as fast as he could. He wasn’t much of a praying man, but he sent them out now with every mile they drove.
Please let us find Finn, and let him be alive.
He wasn’t sure what Murphy would do if the worst happened. He wasn’t sure what any of them would do.