Devin's Mercy [Shifters of Mystery 4] (17 page)

thoughts hadn’t left him, but they weren’t at the forefront either. The

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pain had eased, and Devin was thoroughly enjoying Mercy’s

company.

“Did you write everything down?”

“No, I was doodling while you were talking,” he answered

sarcastically.

“Brat,” Mercy teased. “Maybe Jeremiah knows someone who can

build the shelves we need.”

Devin grabbed Mercy’s hand, pulling him to a stop. “Thank you.”

Mercy shook his head. “Everyone needs someone, Devin. I’m

here for you just as I know you’ll be there for me.”

Devin wasn’t sure what Mercy could possibly need. The man

seemed so together. He almost envied Mercy’s strength. But it was

good to know Mercy would not only be there when he needed him,

but would rely on Devin as well.

“Let’s get back to the house. Pat will have a fit if we are late for

dinner, and I’m starving.”

“I see your appetite hasn’t changed.”

Mercy rubbed his solid abdomen, an abdomen Devin remembered

very vividly from their erotic foreplay this morning. He wanted to see

it again while he ran his fingers over every ridge. His mouth watered

to lick every damn dip and line.

“Dinner first.”

Devin’s eyes snapped up when Mercy spoke. Had he been that

obvious?

“You’re hard as hell and staring at my stomach. It doesn’t take a

genius to figure out what you are thinking.”

Devin felt his face heat up as he hurried toward the door. He heard

Mercy’s deep chuckle behind him as he headed toward the truck.

“Don’t run from me, tiger.”

Devin growled when Mercy laughed harder. The man was going

to be impossible. He could just see it now.

And secretly, Devin was looking forward to learning everything

he could about the man. He finally had something positive to look

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forward to, and he was going to fight his demons tooth and nail to

give not only his soul a chance to live once again, but to give Mercy

the mate he deserved.

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Mercy leaned against the kitchen door, watching the mates and

Devin in the backyard trying to figure out how to put the grill

together. They had insisted they could do it, so Sage had let them

have at it.

Terror, Sage and William’s Chihuahua, ran around the men,

barking her head off, as if she was trying to tell them the correct way

to put the damn thing together. Mercy found himself smiling as he

watched Devin scratch his head, turning the directions over and over

again, looking confused as hell.

“He got to you,” Pat said as he stood next to Mercy. “I know that

look.”

Mercy nodded, unashamed to admit how he felt toward the small

man. “He did.”

“It’s about damn time. He’s been chasing you for years.” Pat

nudged Mercy’s arm with his. “He’s good for you.”

Mercy thought so. Devin seemed to bring out the softer side of

him, something Mercy was lacking. He had emotionally shut himself

out from the world, caring about his friends, but never letting anyone

too close. He had a feeling that was going to change, at least with

Devin.

“I think I’ll get lunch together. This may take a while.” Pat

chuckled. “They look like they are going to be all day.”

Mercy stood up straight when he saw Devin chase Terror around,

trying to get the instructions from the small terror. Sage had named

the dog correctly. Terror was smart as hell, but loved to play more

than help.

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Devin wrestled the paper from the dog, pointing a finger at her

like he was chastising her, and then petted her head. Mercy was

amazed at how gentle the man he loved really was, even after his time

with Martin. The man was showing Mercy how truly strong he was

capable of being.

He thought about what Devin had said and shivered inside. How

close had Devin been to carrying out his threat? Mercy still felt sick at

the idea of a world without Devin. The man may be hurt and suffering

inside, but Mercy was determined to help the man through whatever

nightmare he was fighting.

Devin was well worth the fight. Mercy had never been in love,

and he knew Devin was in for a shock if he thought Mercy was going

to let him go.

“They get it together yet?” Sage asked as he walked up behind

Mercy.

“They are still trying to figure the damn thing out.” He chuckled.

“It makes them feel useful.”

Mercy knew Sage was referring to Devin more than the other

mates. Devin needed to feel needed. He knew this, Sage knew this.

He was grateful as hell when Sage said the mates could do this project

on their own. Devin looked flustered, but happy. He was even smiling

when Sylvester talked with him.

“Give him time.” Sage clapped Mercy on the shoulder as he left

him to stand there and watch Devin.

Mercy in some ways knew what Devin was feeling. Not that he

had gone through what Devin had gone through, but he knew that lost

feeling, that loneliness that felt as if it would consume him. For as

long as Mercy could remember, he had felt isolated from the world.

He was grateful for the men in this house, but it wasn’t the same as

having someone to share his life with. None of the men knew what it

was like to walk in his shoes, and Mercy had never let them close

enough to even try to figure him out.

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But they stuck by him regardless of how he acted toward them.

And for that, Mercy would protect any of them, and their mates, with

his life. Loyalty he respected. These men accepted him, quirks and

moodiness included.

“Lunch is ready,” Pat called over to him. “Tell the grill team to

come eat.”

Mercy chuckled. He was glad to see Pat slowly coming back to

his old self. Maybe that visit from Sam had pulled the stick from Pat’s

ass. He sure as shit hoped so. Mercy not only hated to see Pat so

morose, but his cooking had taken a turn for the worst since sulking

over the sheriff.

Walking outside, Mercy watched as Devin stood next to Santana,

pointing to something on the paper and then toward the ground at the

million pieces lying about. “I don’t see anything that looks like this.”

“Let me see the instructions.” Santana wiggled his fingers at

Devin.

Mercy slid his arms around Devin’s waist, pulling the man close

to him as he laid a kiss on Devin’s neck. “Lunch is ready.”

“But we’re not done,” he complained. “Sage wants this put

together for dinner.”

“And you’ll have it done by then. But right now you men need to

eat.”

“I’m starving,” William said as he hurried toward the house. “We

can figure this out after we eat.”

Devin gave a small growl, turning Mercy on. The sound vibrated

through Devin’s back, making Mercy feel it in his chest and down to

his groin. “Come on, tiger.”

“Fine, but if we aren’t finished by dinner, it’s not my fault.”

Mercy tugged Devin along and then stilled. His eyes scanned the

woods, his grip on Devin increasing.

“What is it?” Devin asked, his voice a bit shaky.

Mercy wasn’t sure. He thought he saw movement, but nothing

seemed out of place. “Go get Sage.” He released Devin, pushing him

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closer to the house. His gut had never steered him wrong, and

something was telling him that someone was in the woods, watching

them.

Devin didn’t argue. He ran to the house, seconds later Sage

coming outside, along with Isaac and Jeremiah.

“What is it?” Sage asked.

Mercy stood still, his eyes roaming over every piece of foliage in

front of him. “Tree cancer.”

“Jeremiah, tell Monterey, Pat, and York to arm themselves.” Sage

gave the order, Monterey going back inside before Sage finished

speaking. “Tell them to bring Mercy a weapon.”

Mercy was heading toward the woods before Monterey came back

outside. He was damn good with weapons, but he was even better in

hand-to-hand combat. Either way, he knew he could protect himself.

It was Devin who had him walking surreptitiously toward the

intruder. He wasn’t sure how many men were out here, but he wasn’t

going to allow anyone to get close to the house. If the idea of losing

this forest didn’t twist Mercy’s gut, he would burn it to the ground. It

was their only weakness in their line of defense and he was getting

sick and tired of their enemies using it to their advantage.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mercy saw Sage in his lycan form.

He entered the woods at a rate of speed that would make any human

look twice—Jeremiah spanning out in his werewolf form as well.

Monterey caught up to Mercy, handing him a rifle before running

back toward the house. Mercy grabbed the cold metal as he entered

the woods. It was deathly quiet. Not even a sound from the wildlife

that inhabited it could be heard. The lack of sound was proof that they

weren’t alone.

Mercy crouched down, heading straight for the tree he had seen

the “cancer” on. Someone was hiding behind it. Isaac circled around

the other side, just as quietly as Mercy. Once he was close enough,

Mercy shouldered the rifle, taking the remaining steps toward the

intruder.

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“Step out slowly. Make one wrong move and I will blow your

fucking head off.” He pressed the end of the rifle into the man’s

temple.

The guy’s hands lifted into the air as he stepped away from the

tree, but said nothing.

Isaac patted the man down, taking a handgun from his waistband

and shoving it into his own. “He’s clean.”

“How many are with you?” Mercy asked.

“It’s just me.”

Mercy found that hard to believe. Martin’s men didn’t usually

give up information so quickly or freely. He pulled the gun from the

man’s temple and placed it under the guy’s chin. “Try again.”

The guy swallowed hard, his eyes darting from Mercy to Isaac.

“He won’t help you. Now tell me how many fucking men are with

you.”

“Five.”

Mercy raised the rifle and slammed the butt into the man’s head,

watching as he slumped to the ground. Mercy and Isaac took off,

running silently through the woods, heading toward Sage and

Jeremiah.

Isaac split from Mercy, heading to his right. Mercy could hear the

fighting up ahead. He ran faster, jumping over fallen trees, running

around protruding branches as he raced toward his friends. He

dropped to one knee, taking aim and firing the rifle when he saw two

men attacking Sage.

There were more than five. Way more.

He dropped both men and then got up, racing toward Jeremiah.

His heart slammed into his chest when he heard gunfire in the

direction of the house. Mercy took off, leaving the other men as he

all-out ran toward Devin.

He had promised to keep the man safe and he didn’t plan on

failing this time. Fear gripped him with an iron fist when he cleared

the woods and saw the lycans attacking the house. What in the fuck

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was going on? They hadn’t set the trap yet. Why were these

werewolves here? He shouted in anger as he aimed and fired, taking

out one of the werewolves that was trying to get past Pat.

“They’re inside,” Pat shouted as he shoved the handgun into the

face of the lycan who was attacking him and fired. Mercy saw the

blood, but kept going. He had to get to Devin. The house was in total

chaos. York and Monterey were fighting with savagery as they tried

to keep the lycans from getting upstairs.

“Where are the mates?” he asked, assuming they were upstairs,

but needing to hear a confirmation.

“Upstairs,” York shouted.

Mercy fought his way up the stairs, killing anyone who attempted

to follow him. He saw his bedroom door open, Devin peeking out.

“Everyone is in here.”

“Are there any
vârcolac
up here with you?”

Devin shook his head quickly. “No.”

“Close the door,” he commanded as he ran back down the steps,

helping Monterey and York fight off the swarming werewolves.

His rifle was ripped from his hands, which pissed Mercy off.

When the werewolf tried to bite him, Mercy slugged the bastard. “I

don’t fucking think so.”