KateUndone (12 page)

But the leader didn’t laugh. His entire body tensed and he
raised his weapon.

The Savages parted from Will and his men, seeming to align
with the humans instead of their own kind.

Will scowled, annoyed as much with their defection as he was
with his own disappointment—that he’d wanted them to join him. “Figures we
couldn’t count on Savages. Jesse, why don’t you and your pussy boyfriend stay
back while the real Ravagers fight your battle. No wonder your prime rejected
you and your female refused to claim you. You aren’t worth the sweat it would
take to defeat you.”

Jesse and Logan showed their teeth but otherwise didn’t
respond. Kate held their arms, more in a show of support than to restrain them,
and Will didn’t like that one bit. The bitch looked way too attached for his
peace of mind.

“Who said I didn’t claim them? I wanted strength, not some
coward who only strikes at those less vulnerable. Where’s the challenge in
that?” Kate turned her attention to the human who’d spoken. “Take them. But
you’d better never show up on Savage soil again. My prime isn’t going to like
knowing humans have invaded our Territory.”

At least Kate wasn’t backing down in the face of danger.

The leader nodded. “So long as Savages refrain from killing
humans, you aren’t our problem.”

“Oh, but us killing other Voiders is just fine with you?”
Logan asked sarcastically.

A female next to the leader answered, “One less Voider is
one less monster we have to watch out for.”

Kate grinned at her. “Well, this monster will skin you alive
before you can blink if you fuck with a Savage. Bank on it.”

The leader swore. “Stow this shit. We don’t have time for
this. For all we know, the Savages are on their way.”

“En masse,” another of them said. “ETA, ten minutes.” At
that moment, a loud howl raised the hairs on Will’s back.

The leader didn’t waste any more time, and neither did Will.

He launched himself at them, taking down two men before the
first shot struck his thigh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jesse and
Logan shove Kate to the ground as bullets flew. But none of them were aimed at
the Savages.

One by one his Lawless kin dropped, the scent of blood and
death saturating the air. Two more rounds hit his back and arm. Then a burst of
pain exploded in his gut.

He dropped to the ground and rolled to his side, trying to
regain his feet. But the world wouldn’t stop spinning.

Then he noticed the silence.

He blinked into the barrel of a hot automatic.

“This is for Michelle, Brad and Carly.” The leader lowered
the gun and shot his dick off. The pain was agonizing. “Have fun in hell.”

Another pop, and then Will Lawless knew no more.

* * * * *

Kate still couldn’t understand how so many humans could make
so little noise as they left. Nor could she smell anything but the scent of
gunfire and Ravager blood. And that worried her.

“Kate, baby, you okay?” Logan asked as he rolled off her and
they all got to their feet.

When the firing had started, he and Jesse had thrown her to
the ground and covered her with their large, furry bodies. To her shock, it
seemed none of them had been hit.

“Eric is going to kill someone for this,” Jesse murmured.
“We don’t have to worry about the Lawless Clan anymore, but I think the
Watchers are more than a myth.”

“Great. Humans who think they can police Voiders. Monsters
my ass.”

Logan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I love
you so much. I was worried one of those dicks might hit you with a stray
bullet.”

Jesse shook his head and knelt to study the carnage around
them. “Nope. Precise shots. No scent, light treads. A quick and easy
retrograde. These fuckers have been here before.”

“Hell.” Kate felt a hint of sadness hit her. “Our special
place isn’t so special anymore.”

Jesse stood and rounded on her with lightning speed. “It’s
ours. And it’ll be ours after this is gone. We’re pack, Kate. Your pack. And
nothing’s ever going to change that.”

His ferocity startled her then soothed her. “Oh Jesse.” She
accepted his kiss and sat in their group hug until Eric and the others arrived.

Her prime had brought at least fifty Ravagers with him, all
shifted into their
guer
and frothing at the mouth for war.

“What the fuck happened here?” Eric growled as he sniffed
the air. “And what do I smell that’s missing?”

Jesse snapped his fingers. “That’s what’s been bothering me.
The humans have covered their scent with emptiness. It’s weird, but if we know
what to look for, it’s detectable.”

Malcolm, Prime’s packmate and the head of security in the
compound, roared his displeasure. “Humans in Clan woods? Jesse, Logan, Kate,
one of you needs to tell us what happened. Now.”

* * * * *

The next day, Kate sat at home with her mates, uneasy about
what had occurred the day before. She felt off, as if something wasn’t right
inside
her
, and she didn’t know whether to worry her mates or just
ignore it.

Logan hugged her from behind and sat them both on the porch
swing overlooking the back woods. More sentries stood watch, now armed with
weapons. Claws and fangs didn’t work as well against long-range targets. And
now that the humans felt they could stop by at any time, the compound was in an
uproar to provide their prime and queen safety.

“Don’t worry, Kate. I overheard Malcolm and Dom talking
about Eric’s meeting with Chen. Apparently this threat isn’t just to us, but to
all Voiders. We’re going to stop it before it really gets started.”

“Good Lord. If we’re making friends with Tommy Chen, the
shit really has hit the fan.”

Logan chuckled. “Well, the good thing is that it’s brought
all of us closer together. Jesse’s in charge of building onto the compound.
With the arrival of over a hundred city Ravagers moving in, we’re going to get
stronger and tighter before long.”

She didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. Ravagers
tended to keep to themselves anyway, but some had found a place among the
humans and Voiders in Cross Step. Would this segregation make them stronger, or
put them in more harm from those who would see them as an even bigger threat?

She sighed.

“What’s wrong? I can feel you, and you’re
guer
isn’t
right.”

Jesse pushed through the backdoor to join them, looking
frantic.

“Jesse?” Logan tried to stand but Jesse shoved him back on
his ass. “Hey!”

“Tell me it’s not true.” Jesse stared down at Kate looking
wild around the eyes. He closed his eyes, inhaled and stunned them all by sinking
to the ground in horror. “Shit, Kate. I’m not ready for this.”

“What’s wrong, Jesse?” She knelt by his side, seriously
worried. “Logan and I are fine.”

“But you won’t be in six months,” he growled.

She didn’t know what that meant at first, until Logan howled
with joy.

“Are you shitting me?
That’s
why I’ve been so
confused by her scent?”

“What’s wrong with the way I smell?” She still didn’t
understand. Jesse was on the verge of passing out, and Logan seemed ready to
burst.

“Nothing at all.” Logan laughed and joined them both on the
ground. He kissed Jesse hard, ignoring his groan. “We’re going to be proud
parents in a few more months, Kate.” His eyes shone. “Thank you so much, baby.
Man, I love you!”

Kate felt weak. “Wait—what? Baby?” She placed her hand over
her belly and felt the tug at her
guer
.

“This is all Vicki’s fault,” Jesse grumbled.

“You don’t want the baby?” Kate asked, still unable to wrap
her mind around it all.

“I do, but it’s going to tear us apart. And I can’t handle
that.” Jesse covered his eyes with his forearm.

Logan looked at him with compassion. He reached for Kate’s
hand and rested their palms on Jesse’s chest. “We aren’t the same as your birth
pack, Jesse. Kate’s not psycho. I’m not a killer. Remember, man, I’m a lover,
not a fighter.”

Jesse’s lips quirked. A good sign.

Kate frowned. “I know your upbringing wasn’t the best. But I
can tell you right now, no one is fucking with my young,” she rumbled. “He’ll
be loved and cherished.”

“Yes, he will,” Logan said tenderly and stroked her cheek.

“And protected,” Jesse added on a long, drawn-out sigh. “I
must love you, Kate, because I haven’t bolted yet. And I’ve sensed your change
ever since we joined yesterday. It happened at our special place.”

Astonishingly, his dark brown eyes shone with the glint of
tears.

Kate leaned down to kiss him. “It’ll be all right, Jesse. As
long as I have you and Logan by my side.”

“Um, about that.”

They both looked up to see Logan looking a bit
uncomfortable.

“I don’t think Jesse can handle too many more surprises,”
Kate said, amused and nervous at what he might have to say.

“Well, you know how Diana promised to add another Ravager to
her pack since she took Sean, a human, as mate?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, Jesse and I are two, Kate. You’re gonna eventually
take another mate, maybe even two, right?”

Kate blinked. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Jesse moaned.

“Stop being such a pussy,” Logan barked.

Kate and Jesse stared at him in surprise.

The easygoing Ravager wasn’t joking. He looked seriously
annoyed with Jesse. “You trust her and you trust me. Now it’s time to start
trusting yourself. I’ve known you for more than half my life. You’re solid,
Jesse.” Logan gripped Jesse’s hand hard. “You’re not abusive, cruel or
rough—unless we’re asking for it.”

Kate couldn’t help a grin.

“And this kid is going to need you as much he’s going to
need me and Kate. You know what a pack entails. Two males for one female isn’t
going to cut it.” Logan considered Kate for a moment. “With her appetite, and
mine, I’m thinking we’ll probably need at least two more before we’re finally
complete.”

“Fuck.” Jesse grimaced. “You think they’re all going to want
to talk about love and all this emotional garbage? If we have to, maybe we
could find a couple who act like real men.”

“Dickhead.” Logan socked him in the gut, and Jesse coughed.
“What he’s trying to say, Kate, is that we’re both here for you. No matter
what.”

Jesse sighed. “What he said.”

Kate glared down at him, aware he was putting effort into
not smiling. “You done freaking out now?”

He sat up. “I’m a little weirded out about the whole
breeding thing, but I’ll adjust. And as far as more mates, maybe we could wait
a bit for us to really gel, you know?”

Logan gave him a disgruntled smack. “I wasn’t talking about
grabbing new ones tomorrow, asshole. I just meant our future is always going to
be changing. So you need to learn how to deal now. And you act like I’m the one
needing protection.”

Kate glanced between them, aware of their
guers
so
finely in tune with one another that they started to feel like one Ravager. And
then that love turned her way, and she felt so close to them she knew she’d
never forget the beauty of the moment.

Not Jesse’s panic attack. Not the dirty porch floor on which
they sat, or the threat of Watchers in what should have been Savage Clan woods.
But the sense that with her mates by her side, they would always conquer the
obstacles life had to offer.

Jesse and Logan smiled at her and placed their hands on her
belly. She covered their hands with hers and held on tight. She might have
claimed them, but they’d claimed her right back. The perfect beginning for her
brand new life.

“Now get your candy asses up off the ground and satisfy my
needs,” she demanded, laughing when Logan yanked her to her feet and hugged
her.

“Demanding thing, aren’t you?” Jesse said with a smirk.
“Time to try out a few of
my
fantasies.”

Kate clearly recalled his mention of a flogger and
restraints. “I feel like I’ve already lived through that once.”

Jesse wiggled his brows and Logan laughed.

Kate grinned. “Fine, but this time, you get the clamps, and
Logan wears the gag.”

Logan’s smile turned into a frown. “Now wait just a minute—”

Jesse pulled her away from Logan and leered at him. “I can
handle that. I like the way you think, mate.” He kissed Kate with love. “I
really, really do.”

Also by
Marie Harte

Namesake