“And a pretty good one.” Jesse knew he and his brothers all liked their meat cooked rare. He had just never questioned it before. He always thought it came from being Lycan. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it came from his mother’s side of the family.
Jesse walked around to the front of his desk and stood in front of his brothers and Rocky. Jesse stuck the earring prong through his ear, quickly adding the back so the earring would stay in place. Once the earring was in place, he held out his arms. Cort and Rocky held on to one arm. Gabe and Jake held on to the other. Nate stood behind Jesse, holding on to his shoulders.
Jesse prayed with everything in him as he closed his eyes and thought of Sam. “I hope to hell this works.”
“Desmond.” Sam was frozen with fear. He couldn’t even hold on to his mother’s hand when she pulled away. Every little thing Desmond had ever done to him suddenly flashed before his eyes. He could see by the excited gleam in Desmond’s eyes that he was reliving them as well, but he was enjoying the memories.
Sam started to back up. He had to get away.
“You’re not leaving, are you, Samuel?” Desmond chuckled. “And I just got here.”
“I was unaware that you knew my son, Lord Kent.”
Sam swung around to stare at his father. “Lord Kent?” he snapped. “You know this monster?”
“Now, Samuel,” King Auryan started. “That is no way to speak about one of our guests.”
“Did you invite him here?”
“Of course.” The king nodded. “Lord Kent is unmated and a suitable—”
“He’s a monster!” Sam shouted. He pointed at Desmond, suddenly feeling more betrayed by his father than ever. “He beat me and broke my arm. He put me in the hospital. And you find him suitable?”
“What are you talking about?” King Auryan asked.
“It was all a misunderstanding,” Desmond said at the same time.
Auryan’s head swung around to stare at Desmond, his eyes narrowing to tiny little slits of anger. “This is true? You hit my son and put him in the hospital?”
“It’s not what it seems, sire,” Desmond said in a soothing voice, like he could convince the king of his truthfulness just by the tone of his voice. Maybe he could? “Samuel is simply overreacting.”
“You broke my arm!” Samuel snapped. “How is that overreacting?”
Desmond’s face darkened as he turned to look at Sam. “You tried to leave me.”
“Because you hit me.”
Sam cringed and stepped back quickly when Desmond raised a hand into the air. He remembered very vividly what happened when that hand went up into the air. He was shocked that Desmond would try and hit him in a room full of people. Sam yelped when he was suddenly grabbed and pushed behind his father.
“How dare you raise your hand to my son!” the king shouted as he stepped over to stand in front of Sam. “Guards!”
Sam blinked in shock as the doors crashed open and armed guards rushed inside. His father actually believed him?
The king pointed at Desmond. “Take Lord Kent into custody immediately. He tried to assault the prince.”
Before the guards could reach Desmond, he pulled a gun out of his suit jacket and pointed it at the king. Sam didn’t even think about it. He tried to push his father out of the line of fire. The shot made a loud reverberating sound, and Sam heard his father grunt. He knew the man had been hit, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Desmond was trying to grab him.
Sam turned to flee and ran smack-dab into what felt like a large solid wall. He cried out, thinking his escape route was being cut off only to feel his legs go out from beneath him when he looked up into the sweetest-looking face he had ever seen.
“Jesse.”
“Hello, sunshine.”
Sam was swept up into Jesse’s arms and crushed against the man’s body until he could barely breathe. He didn’t care. He was back in Jesse’s arms again, right where he was supposed to be. Sam never wanted to be anywhere else in the world.
Jesse leaned back and cupped Sam’s face with one of his hands, tilting it back. Sam could see the unspoken emotion gleaming in his smoky gray eyes. It sent a warm glow flowing through him. And then Jesse’s face hardened as he looked beyond Sam.
“Nate,” Jesse said simply.
Sam’s eyes widened when Nate stepped up and took Jesse’s place as Jesse stepped around him. Sam almost laughed when Nate winked down at him. He turned to see what was going on but found himself surrounded by the rest of the McCaffrey boys.
Sam rolled his eyes and poked at Cort until he stepped aside just enough that Sam could see what was going on, and he didn’t like what he was seeing. Jesse was facing off against Desmond, and Desmond still had a gun in his hand.
“Jesse, don’t—” Sam slapped his hand over his mouth when Gabe elbowed him in the side. He knew he shouldn’t be saying anything, but Desmond was far more dangerous than anyone except Sam suspected. After everything that Desmond had put Sam through, he wanted to kick the man’s ass. Too bad there was a gun involved.
“Yes, Jesse”—Desmond smirked as he waved the gun at Jesse—“don’t.”
“You don’t take rejection very well, do you?” Jesse asked. “Sam left your ass. He isn’t coming back.”
“He belongs to me,” Desmond snarled.
Sam could see the guards slowly moving in, slowly surrounding Desmond. He bit his lip, wondering if Desmond was going to be arrested or killed. Desmond only had one gun. There were too many guards for the man to take them all out.
“I should shoot you now just for the headache you’ve caused,” Desmond snarled. The gun was pointed at Jesse’s chest, turning it into one big fleshy target. Even if Desmond was a lousy shot, at that distance it wouldn’t matter.
“Why don’t you put the gun down and we’ll fight like two men should?” Jesse asked with a note of challenge in his deep voice.
Sam shivered. Gods, he loved that voice. It was so familiar, so warm, and so damn welcoming. He could listen to it all day and never tire of hearing it.
“I’m not that foolish, Jesse. I know once I put this gun down that I’ll be arrested.” Desmond licked his lips, a slight snarl lifting the side of his mouth. “Now hand over Samuel.”
Two things happened simultaneously. Seldic rushed Desmond, distracting the man, and Jesse jumped forward and grabbed Desmond’s arm, ripping the gun out of the bastard’s hand.
Go Jesse!
Jesse tossed the gun toward his brothers and then pulled his arm back and let it fly, his fist connecting with Desmond’s jaw. The man staggered slightly, shook his head, and then growled. He charged after Jesse, taking him down to the floor. Jesse flipped, gaining the advantage, putting Desmond underneath him.
“You bastard!” Desmond screamed. “Samuel is mine!”
“No, he’s not,” Jesse said before he connected one solid punch to Desmond’s temple, knocking the man out cold. “He’s
my
mate.”
Sam shouted with triumph as he stood behind Jesse’s brothers. The guards picked Desmond up from the floor, carrying the unconscious man away as Jesse pushed to his feet. Sam wasn’t sorry to see the man go. Desmond had been nothing but a nightmare from the time Sam realized the man’s true character, and he was extremely grateful that he would finally get his just desserts.
“Jesse!” Sam shouted as he pushed his way between Cort and Jake. Jesse simply turned and opened his arms. Sam flew into them, wrapping his arms around Jesse with no plans to ever remove them. He’d glue himself to Jesse’s side if he thought he could get away with it.
“I never thought I’d see you again, sunshine,” Jesse whispered into Sam’s hair as he peppered his head with kisses. “But I never gave up hope. I kept looking for you. We all kept looking.”
He was shocked when Jesse suddenly dropped to his knees and palmed his distended stomach. Jesse’s hands trembled. Sam didn’t think he would ever forget the look on Jesse’s face. It was part reverence and part astonishment.
“You really did it,” Jesse whispered then suddenly tilted his head back to look up at Sam. “We really did it.”
Sam wasn’t sure what to think of the slow smile that began to cross Jesse’s lips. And he sure as hell didn’t know how the man knew he might be pregnant. He hadn’t figured that out until after he had been kidnapped by his father.
“You know?”
Jesse’s grin grew. He stood up and swung Sam around. The joy in his laughter made Sam smile. But the swinging was making his stomach rebel. Sam patted Jesse’s arms until his feet landed on the ground.
“Yeah.” Sam swallowed hard, hoping his stomach settled before he tossed his cookies. “None of that unless you want to clean up the mess.”
Before Sam could press his hand against his stomach, Jesse’s was there, moving over the soft swell. Sam tilted his head back so he could see into Jesse’s eyes. He waved his hand at his stomach. “This doesn’t freak you out?”
“Not a bit,” Jesse said through a sloppy grin.
Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Nope. I couldn’t be happier.”
“This isn’t going to be something I can hide.”
“Why would you want to hide it?” Jesse asked. “I want to shout it to the world.”
“You do remember that I’m a man, right?”
The corner of Jesse’s mouth curved up. “Okay, so I won’t be shouting it to the world, but I’m not going to hide it either. We’ll just get you some really big shirts and tell everyone we adopted.”
“I’d kind of like to figure out how this happened, Jesse.”
“I don’t know, sunshine. I haven’t been able to figure that part out yet. I was too busy trying to find you.”
Sam turned and glanced at the other McCaffrey brothers that were just standing there with big grins on their own faces. “Just how did you find me anyway?”
“It’s a long story, sunshine, and I’d be happy to explain it to you, but I’d prefer to do it back at the ranch.”
“Mom and I were just getting rea—” Sam suddenly blanched when he remembered his father being shot. He swung around and searched the room until he spotted his father sitting on the floor with his mother.
Sam ran to his father and dropped to his knees. He was relieved to see that the bullet just winged his father’s shoulder. He was going to be all right. Sam almost cried from the stress of the whole situation and seeing Jesse ride to his rescue.
“Are you both okay?”
“I am fine, my son,” King Auryan replied. “It is just a scratch. It will be healed by morning.”
Sam glanced at his mother. “Mom?”
“I’m fine, Son,” Sarah said.
“Jesse is here, Mom. He’s going to take us home.”
Sarah nodded and started to stand up, but a hand on her arm stopped her. King Auryan seemed a little rattled, his face paling quickly.
“Please, Sarah, don’t go,” the king said as he looked at Sarah, his eyes filled with desperation. “It’s taken me too long to find you again.”
“Auryan, I am Lycan,” Sarah said as she shook his hand free and stood up. “I will always be Lycan. Nothing can change that. And you’ve made it more than clear how you feel about Lycan. It’s better if I just go.”
“No, Sarah.”
Sam’s jaw dropped as he watched his father jump to his feet as if he didn’t have a bullet wound in his shoulder and wave to the guards in the room. Several hurried forward and drew their swords.
“I won’t let you leave.”
“I’m afraid you can’t stop us,” Jesse said as he stepped forward and grabbed Sam and Sarah by their arms.
Sam’s shock skyrocketed when all of the McCaffreys and Rocky grabbed onto Jesse just as quickly. The room suddenly started to swirl and fade. Sam squeezed his eyes closed when his stomach began to rebel. He just knew he was going to be sick.
“Open your eyes, sunshine,” Jesse said.
Sam cocked one eye open cautiously, then the other and gaped in stunned disbelief. “We’re home?” He spun around and stared at the white walls of Jesse’s office. “How did we get home?”
“A lot has happened in the two months since you were taken, Sam.”
“Wha—two months?” Sam gasped. “Are you crazy? I’ve only been gone for two weeks.”
Jesse frowned. “No, Sam, you were taken two months ago.”
Sam felt his legs collapse. Jesse was there to grab him, lifting him up in his arms and carrying him to the couch. Jesse sat down, cradling Sam in his lap.
“I swear, Jesse, I’ve only been gone for two weeks.”
“Time is different here, Son,” Sarah said as she walked over to sit next to Jesse. “What seemed like two weeks where we were was two months here.”
“Oh, Jesse.” Sam’s eyes filled with tears as he gazed up at Jesse. The two weeks he had been separated from Jesse had been agonizing. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the hell Jesse must have gone through for two months.
“It doesn’t matter now, sunshine,” Jesse said. “I have you back, and that’s what is important.”
Sam leaned back, confused as hell. “Just how did you get me back anyway?”
“I’d like to know that as well.”
Sam yelped when he was suddenly lifted and dropped onto the couch right where Jesse had been sitting only a moment ago. He turned to see Jesse standing right in front of him. Rocky and the rest of the McCaffrey brothers were standing beside Jesse, creating a wall of muscle between Sam and whoever had just spoken.