Morgan (5 page)

She almost called Cameron back. Despite his behavior being bizarre, the feel of his soft lips pressed to her fingers had sent a jolt of heat from the point of contact straight to her pussy. She hadn’t ever felt anything like that before. Hell, apart from once a month she never even thought about her vagina.

She was a geek of epic proportions. All her spare time as a teen and through college had been spent in front of a computer. If she wasn’t perfecting her hacking skills, she was playing her online games. She’d never even been out on a date. A shudder ran through her as the heat from Cameron’s kiss continued to warm her flesh.

She dragged her gaze away from the curtain Cameron had walked through and tried to remember what she was doing here. She was in a hospital after someone had tried to kidnap her.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the offer of protection, and you’re both big guys, but the men who attacked me were giants. I wasn’t exaggerating. They’ll annihilate you.”

“Cam and I are stronger than we look,” Ben said. He rubbed his thumb over the backs of her fingers and a moan slipped from her before she could stop it.

“
Damn it.
” Ben stilled and his green eyes seemed to glow. “Did I hurt you?”

Morgan pulled her hand from his and brought both bandaged arms up to cover her face. She gasped loudly as pain shot through both of her arms. She felt the grind of her bones rubbing together.

She felt like she was going to be sick as she fought against the pain that was overwhelming her. She felt herself shaking uncontrollably as the shrill sound of an electronic alarm sliced through her brain.

“Morgan. Morgan,” Ben said. Her arms were lowered back to the bed and the pain subsided enough that she could draw in a shallow breath. “You need to breathe, Morgan. Take slow, deep breaths.”

She did as Ben asked and the alarm silenced. Pain shot up both of her arms but it was lessening with each breath she took. The nausea was overwhelming her and she looked around frantically for something to throw up in.

“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbled, holding the vomit in her throat. A plastic bag appeared in front of her face.

“Here you go, honey,” a soft female voice said. Morgan’s body shook as she released the vomit and retched repeatedly into the bag. Her hair was pulled back from her face and a hand rubbed soothingly on her back.

“I think you need to leave, deputy. I can’t have you interrogating Miss Trent while she’s in this condition.” Morgan glanced to the side and saw that a tall nurse in pink scrubs was holding the bag under her chin.

“I’m not leaving her alone. Morgan, I’m so sorry if I hurt you,” Ben said. The anguish in Ben’s voice made Morgan glance up at him. She kept her mouth over the vomit bag, but could see his face as he leaned toward her. He looked pale and sweaty, his eyes shining.

“It was agony when I moved my arms,” Morgan said. She took a deep breath, glad the nausea was subsiding.

“You mustn’t move your arms, Morgan,” the nurse said. “The paramedics were fairly certain you have two broken wrists. You must stay still or you risk doing more damage.” The nurse twisted the half-filled bag and handed a clean one to Ben. “If she becomes distressed again, I’ll have security remove you. I don’t care who you are.”

She swept from the cubicle and Morgan sagged back onto the pillows behind her. “She told
you
, Deputy Ben.” She glanced up as a deep rumbling growl filled the air. Ben had his eyes closed, and his jaw was set in hard lines as though he were clenching his teeth together. He ran a hand through his short blond hair.

“I hurt you,” he said.

It took Morgan a minute to realize what he meant.
The moan.
It had just slipped out as his small caress had sent pleasure thrumming through her body. She wanted to lie, to accept his apology and let him think that he’d hurt her. Surely that would be better than embarrassing herself with the truth. It wouldn’t matter to him. He was a stranger to her.

“It felt good,” she found herself saying, as she drank in the sight of his pain. “When you rubbed my fingers it felt really good.” She swallowed as her cheeks heated in shame. “I was embarrassed about my reaction and was trying to hide my face. I hurt myself when I moved my arms.”

As a loud sigh whispered from Ben’s mouth his body visibly relaxed. His eyes grew brighter and his lips twitched as he fought a smile. She wanted to close her eyes and hide, but his gaze held her transfixed.

“I’m glad I didn’t hurt you, but I’m still upset that you’re in pain. Please try to keep your arms still,” Ben said. He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek lightly. “
I don
’t like you being in pain.”

Even as her mind screamed at her that his action was inappropriate for a stranger, she rubbed her cheek against his large rough palm. It felt nice. He was nice. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the tingling thrill of his hand on her as the pain in her arms slowly faded away.
This is one fucked-up day. Why not enjoy this small moment of happiness?

* * * *

Jason watched Samson sweep Bethany off her feet as she walked toward the refrigerator. She smacked him on the chest and protested at his pampering, but her smile was radiant. She was radiant. Samson looked more relaxed after his run, but Jason still saw the worry in his expression.

“You’re going to have let me walk or I’ll get even fatter,” Bethany said with a sigh.

One of her hands cupped Samson’s face. The other rubbed her distended belly. She was wearing black leggings and one of his T-shirts. Her pregnant abdomen was still obvious even under the too-large garment.

“There’s not an ounce of fat on you, Bethany,” he said. He walked over and placed both hands on her baby bump. He smiled as their cub kicked at his hands. “If anything, you’re underweight.”

“Have you gone blind?” Bethany said. She puffed air up over her face, blowing her long fringe from her eyes. “I’m massive.”

He moved her hair and tucked it behind her ear. She had let it grow now she wasn’t institutionalized and the white-blonde waves shone
under
the kitchen light. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He reluctantly pulled a hand away from his kicking cub and dug into his fatigues to pull out his phone.

He was surprised to see it was Cameron. “Is your mate’s condition stable?” He couldn’t conceive of any reason, other than a medical issue, for the Harveys to be talking to him and not Samson.

“She is hurt but stable. We need to get her to you. Can you liaise with the hospital and make it happen immediately?” Cameron said without preamble.

“Why the fuck is Cameron talking to you?” Samson asked, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips thinning into a sneer.

Jason gestured for Samson to wait. “They won’t release her until she’s stable for the journey. What is her condition?”

“She has a scalp wound that needs suturing, and her arms are probably both broken, but she is in danger here. I want her back in Eminence.”

“Is she in danger from the person searching for Bethany?” Jason’s scalp prickled as anxiety speared through him. Bethany gasped and paled in Samson’s arms. The extended silence from Cameron began to piss him off. “Spit it out, Cameron, before I come down there and beat you.”

Cameron sighed into the phone. “
We don
’t have any solid information yet, just our gut instincts, and now is not the time to interrogate Morgan.”

“
Your mate
’s name is Morgan?” Bethany asked. “That's a lovely name. If Morgan’s in danger because of me, then she needs to come here, Jason.” Bethany may not have been able to shift but she still had enhanced senses, hearing being one of them.

“I think our mate was the one searching for Bethany in that cyber café,”
Cameron said.

Jason felt as though his cat was clawing apart his guts. They twisted and heaved inside him. “
You can
’t come back here if she is a threat to Bethany.” Samson’s growl was loud and Michael’s roar from outside the kitchen window told them that he had also heard what Cameron had just said.

“She’s definitely not the threat,” Cameron quickly replied. “A witness said Morgan was attacked by two men after they’d murdered two other people in the café. I think her abductors were there for the same reason we were.”

Jason tried to calm his cat and understand what Cameron was saying, because it made no sense. If Morgan was looking for Bethany then she needed to be kept far from Eminence. The fact that she was mate to the Harvey brothers was the only thing stopping Jason from demanding her death.

“You’re not making sense, Cameron,” Jason finally said.

“I know. It’s difficult to explain. It’s just a hunch, but it’s her eyes, her hair, the way she looks,”
Cameron said.

Samson growled again and so did Jason. “I know how beautiful a mate looks to a shifter, Cameron,” Jason said.

“Fuck,”
Cameron said.
“Her eyes are blue, a dusty pale blue, but when she got angry they changed. They glowed a lavender color.”

Silence descended on the kitchen. Michael walked in through the back door, naked from his shift, and took the phone from Jason.

“What color is her hair?”

“It’s pale white-blonde. She looks just like Bethany. Small, with bones like a bird. Bones some huge fucker crushed with his bare hands.”
Cameron
’s growl filled the silent room.

“I’ll call the hospital and get her transfer started,” Jason said. “But you need to ask her if and why she was searching for Bethany before you bring her here.”

“Find out now, Cameron, and call us straight back.” Michael ended the call and they all looked at Bethany.

“Do you think it could be true? Do you think I have a … what? A sister?” Bethany said.

“We need to wait a little longer, sweetheart, then we’ll have some answers for you.” Jason reached for Bethany and Samson handed her to him.

Jason buried his face in Bethany’s neck and let her sweet scent calm him. They hadn’t yet told Bethany all that they’d discovered, but if this Morgan was in fact her sister, then they had some bad news to tell her. He ran a hand over Bethany’s stomach, his feelings of protectiveness toward both her and their cub overwhelming him. No one would hurt them if Jason and his brothers still breathed. He’d die for them.

* * * *

Cameron had to make one more call before he went back and confirmed his suspicions about Morgan’s relationship to Bethany. He needed to tell Evan that they may have found his mate. If Morgan was mate to both him and Ben, then there was a good chance she would be Evan’s as well. If recent matings in Eminence were any indication, then it was a certainty.

His brother was a fierce man. Scarred both physically and mentally by his time as a Marine and then a Navy SEAL. But regardless of any of his issues, he was still a shifter, and he deserved to be told about his mate. Cameron found Evan’s number and touched the screen to make the call.

“Cam,”
Evan
’s rough voice said. “I’ve had a couple of beers, but if you and Ben need my help already, I’ll come straight down.” Laughter sounded and Cameron knew he was with the other trainees in the room that served as both dining and living room in the big bunker on Samson’
s ranch.

“We’re coming back as soon as Jason clears it,” Cameron said. He easily pictured Evan frowning at that statement. “We’ve found our mate.”

There was no laughter now, just dead air. Cameron didn’t know if Evan had exited the room or if the other shifters had all heard him and were too stunned to speak.

“
Evan?
”

“I heard. I’m heading up to the main house now. She’s hurt or you wouldn’t have
need
of Jason.” Evan sounded angry and Cameron felt bad for not telling him about Morgan sooner.

“Her name is Morgan Trent. She has a head wound and two broken arms. We aren’t certain of anything right now, we’ve barely spoken to her, but I’d bet our ranch that she’s Bethany’s sister. I think she was the one searching for Bethany and that someone else followed the same trail we did, only they got to her first.”

“I’ll be with Jason until you get back here. Call me as soon as you know anything more.” Evan hung up and Cameron shook his head at his brother’s ability to stay calm. They should have called him sooner. They hadn’t given him enough credit. He was a hardened soldier, but so was Samson, and they’d witnessed what he was like around his mate. He adored her unabashedly.

Cameron pushed open the curtain to find Ben sitting on the cot beside Morgan. She had her cheek nestled into his hand, her eyes closed and a small smile on her lips.
God, I love the mating musk.

Cameron cleared his throat so as not to startle her and Morgan’s eyes flew open. Her smile widened as she saw him and his heart squeezed in his chest. His mate was happy he was back. It was a small thing, but his cat was purring loudly in its joy. This woman could not be the enemy. It just wasn’
t possible.

“Hey there, honey. What put that smile on your face?” Morgan’s cheeks reddened as a blush crept up from the pale column of her neck.

“Morgan hurt her arms, but she feels better now,” Ben said, his gaze never leaving their mate’s face.

“I’m sorry your arms are hurting,” Cameron said, his body tensing at the thought of his mate in pain. “I’ve spoken to our doctor in Eminence and he thinks we should take you there for treatment as soon as it can be arranged.”

Morgan looked at him and then at Ben as she started to shake her head. “I can be treated here, then go home. My father will look after me.”

“We think that the men who attacked you are going to come after you again,” Ben said. “You need protection.”