Divided Loyalties-epub (11 page)

Christa’s pulse jumped several beats. Geesh, did they all know? She took a deep breath but remained silent. She was here for the twins and because she wanted the rogues stopped. After everything she’d discovered over the last couple of days, she owed Vance a little visit, wherever the hell he was.

Luna turned back to her with a half-smile. “Why are you here?”

Christa flicked her gaze to Hayden briefly. “Because your son abducted me.”

Luna laughed. “Yes, we are aware of his lack of common sense. Tell us your intentions for coming to the den.”

Hayden made a low, yet playful, growl at his mother that had Christa fighting a smile. She met Luna’s eyes and said, “Brenna and Bryce need a safe and healthy den. They need to be with their kind. Plus, I want to help track down Vance and the rest of the rogue Pack.”

“Why?”

Christa bit back her irritation. She knew what the Alpha female was doing. Hell, Christa had done it many times to the soldiers under her. Her loyalty was being tested. “Shield has been compromised. I believe they…no, I know Vance has taken control over the group and plans to attack Ashwood.”

Surprise darkened Luna’s features. “You know this for sure?”

Christa nodded, not breaking eye contact with Luna. “The day Hayden, Tanner, and Kirk came to headquarters, Vance went over the prelims and talked about how Ashwood was the evil of the shifter world and a threat to humans.”

She felt feel Hayden’s gaze upon her. This was something she hadn’t shared with him, not fully. He was going to want more later. She peered at Hayden and frowned at the lack of emotion across his features.

A very old dagger appeared in Christa’s line of sight, breaking visual contact with Hayden. She shifted her gaze to Luna then the dagger. The handle appeared to be hand carved. It reminded her of old ritual knifes she’d seen only in history books or museums.

She grabbed the handle and took the full weight of it. Luna spoke softly, but firmly like the Alpha she was. “Slice your palm and pass the knife to Blaine.”

Christa did as she was told. When Blaine sliced his palm, he took her hand, linking their fingers together so their palms pressed together. Her hand started to warm then tingled. Blaine’s fingers tightened on hers when she would have pulled away.

“I welcome you to Ashwood Falls as a packmate. Through this bond, you accept the rules of secrecy and honor the Pack,” Blaine said.

Christa felt the connection in her grow. A sense of home, love, and belonging filled her. Family. That’s what a Pack was. “I promise.”

Blaine let go of her hand and motioned for her to turn toward Luna. When she did, the wolf Alpha had already cut her palm, and she pressed it to Christa’s. They repeated the same vows she had made with Blaine.

When the ritual was done, Christa felt lightheaded. Hayden was there, hand on her elbow, to steady her. She peered at the twins. They were smiling and playing with the little boy in the blond woman’s lap.

“That’s Blaine’s son, Max, and the female is Addyson. She’s the Pack Scribe and Keegan’s mate,” Hayden whispered.

“I take it the man who looks like Blaine is Keegan?”

Hayden slid his hand down her arms to link his fingers with hers. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in.”

It was a five-minute walk to Hayden’s house, which was a lot bigger than she’d expected. She didn’t really know what she expected Hayden’s home to look like, but it wasn’t the mini-Victorian in front of her.

“Please tell me you don’t have a mate and ten kids in there.”

He laughed then teased, “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

She planted her feet and crossed her arms, all the while trying not to smile. The change in Hayden over the last twenty-four hours had softened her toward him. He wasn’t the same male who had charged into Shield, killed everyone she worked with, and kidnapped her.

Okay, so he was the same male, but he was so much more.

There was a heart behind his hard exterior.

He growled and tugged her hard enough that she stumbled into him. Wrapping his arms around her, he placed one hand on her ass and the other in her hair. He kissed her hard and quick on the lips. When he pulled back, his eyes glowed, indicating the wolf was peering out those green eyes.

“You have a lot to learn about mating.” He growled, and God, she had to squeeze her legs together to ease some of the ache between her thighs.

She did have a lot to learn. There were so many questions she’d never bothered to ask her sister. Now she couldn’t. She damn sure wasn’t going to ask Hayden. Not yet.

Yet, whom could she ask?

Hayden lifted her chin with a finger so she met his gaze. “What is it?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I was thinking, that’s all.”

“Hmm.” He released her and urged her to go inside his home.

She was so glad he hadn’t pushed for answers she wasn’t ready to give him. Stepping into the house, she gasped at the beauty of it. Cherry oak-colored floors stretched through the open and bright ground floor. The kitchen was off to the left and separated only by an island sink and black marble countertop.

The living room was warm and inviting. The cream-colored leather sofa and love seat were the perfect contrast to the dark floors.

“It’s beautiful.”

“My mother decorated it when she lived here.”

Christa turned to face him. “This was your family home?”

He shrugged. “It still is. Mom stays in one of the apartments next to the medical center. It’s closer to the office building where Pack business is taken care of. Dane, who you’ll meet at the meeting in an hour, has a house in the southeast part of the den. Tanner kind of bounces around between the three of us.” Hayden chuckled and continued. “He has a room almost everywhere.”

Christa smiled, not surprised by that insight on Tanner. “He did seem like a wanderer. A free spirit in a way.”

“He is. He doesn’t like to be tied down for too long. It’s what makes him a great sentry.”

She nodded and continued through the downstairs until she reached the master bedroom. The bed was huge…

Hayden stepped up behind her so close she felt his body heat wrap around her. Her heart skipped a couple of beats before racing as Hayden placed his hands on her shoulders. When he dipped his head and placed a kiss on her neck, she nearly came.

She reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair and tugged, wanting more of this male.

The doorbell rang, drawing a growl from Hayden. “Excuse me while I kill whoever that is.”

She bit her lip to hide her smile and turned away from the bedroom to go into the living room. Hayden came back with a man dressed in black slacks and a white button-up. The man met her gaze, gave a short nod, and then turned his attention to Hayden. “If this is a bad time…”

Hayden waved him off. “This is Christa.”

“Ah.” The man extended his hand to her. “Jared.”

Before she could shake his hand, Hayden gripped Jared’s arm. Jared flashed his gaze to Hayden’s, and they stared at each other for a tense few moments before Jared smiled. “Man, you got it bad. I wasn’t going to read her. Just trying to be polite like Cam says I need to do more often.”

Hayden slowly let go of Jared’s arm. Christa folded her arms over her chest. “What does he mean?”

Hayden ran a hand through his hair. “Jared is a Justice. He pulls memories and reads them to see your true intent.”

“If it makes you feel better…”

Jared shook his head. “There’s no need. You pledged a blood bond with the Alphas. You’d die if you betrayed us now.”

Hunted down like an animal, no doubt. Yes, she’d known that. “I have no intention of betraying the Pack. I want Onyx to pay as much as you do.”

Something dark flashed in Jared’s blue eyes, but it was gone before she could try to guess what it was. What the hell had Onyx done to this Pack? To their own kind?

Hayden gestured for them to have a seat. Once seated, he asked, “You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t found something.”

Jared gave a short nod. “I found Rafe.”

Hayden went still beside her. His hands fisted then opened again. “Where?”

“In a small group of shifters in the Blue Ridge Mountains just across the Virginia border.”

Hayden stood and began to pace. “What type of group? Rebels?”

“No, I don’t think so. They’re not rogues either. Or at least they don’t smell like them.”

Christa watched Hayden move to the small wooden desk next to the French doors that she guessed opened to the backyard. He opened a small drawer and pulled out a ring box and brought it to Jared.

“Can you make sure this gets in his hands?”

Jared raised a brow. “Should I even ask?”

Hayden shook his head. “It’s my father’s ring. Rafe has one like it. He’ll know what it means.”

Jared stood and slipped the box into his pants pocket. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Thanks.”

After Jared left, Christa asked. “Who’s Rafe?”

“My father’s twin brother.”

****

Twenty minutes later, Hayden stood against the wall of the medical center lobby waiting for Shay and Robyn to show with the enchanted collars for the mutants. Christa stood next to him, arms folded. She scanned the area, watching everyone like the soldier she was trained to be.

Damn it, it turned him on.

Everything about the female made his wolf scratch at him from within, wanting out to play with their mate. Yet, here he was. Stuck in the medical center babysitting mutants.

There was something seriously wrong with this picture.

The front doors opened then closed, but Hayden didn’t need to turn to see who it was. He’d know Torin’s scent anywhere. His senior enforcer spotted him and came over to stand next to him. “Never thought I’d see the day we’d allow a mutant into the den and not kill it.”

Hayden snorted. “She’s more human than animal.”

Torin grunted. “We’ll see.”

He wasn’t going to argue. Gina would have to gain everyone’s trust. That wasn’t going to be easy for the female. Then again, she’d survived one death sentence; she could survive another.

Shay came through the front doors, her mother-in-law, Robyn, on one side and her mate, Travis, on the other. She walked straight toward Hayden and stopped a few inches from him. He smiled and bent down so she could kiss his cheek.

Shay was the Pack princess, always would be. She was also like a baby sister to him. It didn’t matter that she was a white tiger and Keegan’s adopted daughter, or that she was born in the Onyx Pack and wore their mark. It was more like a brand, symbolizing that she had a natural resistance to the mutant virus.

Blaine had found her when she was two, hiding inside a small burrow that they learned later her parents had placed her in to hide her from Onyx.

“So, boy or girl?” he teased and indicated her very large, round stomach, knowing good and well she was not sharing that information.

“No you don’t. It’s a surprise.”

Hayden straightened and gave Travis a nod.

Travis laughed. “She won’t even tell me.”

Shay moved to stand in front of Christa and held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Shay.”

Christa shook her hand. “May I ask how far along you are?”

Shay’s features brightened, and she rubbed her large belly. “Twenty-nine weeks. Three more weeks to go.” Shay sat down in the chair next to where Christa stood. “I’m so ready,” she added with a light laugh.

Travis moved to stand next to his mother, who was talking with Ana and Gina softly. Hayden nudged Christa and asked, “Can you hear okay?”

“Yes.”

He held his smile and watched Robyn place the silver two-inch wide collar around Gina’s neck. The female mutant gave a little shudder after the collar locked in place. When Robyn stepped back, Hayden noticed the collar appeared more like a piece of jewelry resting at the base of her neck instead of a spelled tracking device that would also prevent the female from speaking lies.

“Comfy?” Robyn asked.

Gina nodded. Robyn ran her hand around the thing as if checking the fit. When done, she stepped back. “I’m going to ask you a couple of questions, and I want you to lie.”

Fear rose in Gina’s gaze. “What will happen?”

“Nothing that will hurt. I’m an earth witch and refuse to do harm to others. You shouldn’t be able to lie. What color are your eyes?”

Gina opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her eyes grew wide. “I can’t. I tried, but I can’t speak the lie. It like something is blocking me when I do.”

Robyn patted her hand. “Good. The collar also has a tracking device on it. If you leave the den, they will find you.”

Gina nodded. “I understand. I’m just happy to have a safe place to stay.”

Hayden frowned. He wasn’t so sure how safe she would be until she gained some trust.

“I want to help out somewhere. I can work in exchange for staying here.”

Work? Shit. It would be better to give her something to do, but what? There was no way the den mothers would allow her anywhere near the children. That involved most the jobs in the den since everyone played a role in the safety and upbringing of the pups and cubs.

Torin spoke up next to him. “You think Jasmine would let her work in the bar?”

Shay stood and waddled over to her mate. “That is a great idea. Gina, would you like to work in the bar? Well, it’s actually half-bar, half-restaurant.”

Gina’s face lit up. “I’d love to. I worked as a waitress while in college.”

Shay smile. “Great. Come with me then.” She turned to Ana and asked, “You want to come with us? You can meet Jasmine.”

Ana agreed without a second thought. Hayden wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted to stay close to Gina or meet another packmate. Maybe it was a little of both.

Hayden turned to Christa. “I have to go meet with my mother and Blaine. Do you still have the key I gave you to my house?”

She nodded and held up the key.

He kissed her on the cheek. “Good. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you a little later.”

He walked out of the medical center into the late afternoon sun. Torin stepped up next to him. “You trust the human to be on her own in the den?”

He growled and moved his gaze to Torin. Tor held his hands up in surrender. “Just asking. I know she’s your mate, but—”