Blood Rights [Wicked River 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (3 page)

“That’s classified information.”

“Cut the crap, Brock. There are twenty-eight people in that barn who are scared and want to know what the hell just happened. How are we supposed to protect ourselves if we don’t know what we’re fighting?”

“She has a point.” The first man who’d saved her life—Koba, he’d said—stepped forward and crossed his arms over his rock-hard pectorals. “They have a right to know.”

She didn’t know who he was or how he was associated with Brock, but she liked him a little better already for his agreement. “Thanks for the help out there.” Fine, she could play nice and give the guy that much.

“Nah, you did most of the work.” Koba winked at her and leaned to the side to bump their shoulders together. “You’re one tough little hellcat.”

Oh, he was good. “And you’re heavy on the compliments. I appreciate the help, but that doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“Why should you? You don’t know anything about me.”

Moira really wished the guy would stop saying all the right things. She was mad, had every right to her anger, but she was having a hard time holding on to it whenever he smiled at her. When he touched her, it was like a soothing aloe that calmed her frazzled nerves. Who was this guy?

“He’s with you?” She jerked her thumb toward Koba while addressing her question to Brock.

Brock studied her for a long time before he nodded. “He’s mine.”

Oh.
Moira had no trouble understanding the simple statement. While her pussy clenched and her skin tingled at the thought of the two men naked and writhing together, another part of her felt hurt and betrayed.

“Congratulations.” What was she supposed to say? No way was she going to play the jealous and jilted lover. Not on her life would she let Brock see how much the information hurt her.

“Thank you,” Koba answered. “That doesn’t make Brock any less your mate, though.”

No, she knew that. Other than the fact that it was pretty common for lycans to have more than one mate, she could still feel the pull, like some invisible thread linking her with Brock. It only made it that much harder to see Koba at his side—in her place.

“Yeah, I get it.” She looked up at Koba, truly concentrating on him for the first time. “You’re not, though.” Something sizzled between them, some subtle thrum of familiarity that drew her in, but it wasn’t like the tether than connected her to Brock.

Brock’s eyelids closed, and he dropped his head as though it was painful to hear the words. Koba, however, just smiled. “I know, but it doesn’t change anything.”

Why would it? He had Brock, Moira had her pack, and once this mess was straightened out, they could all go back to their lives. She could go back to being alone and forgotten. “We should get inside.”

Yet another naked man came marching toward them through the rain, closely followed by three russet-colored wolves. “We trailed them as far as the creek but lost the scent after that.”

Brock’s entire demeanor changed as he faced the guy. “Is anyone hurt?”

“Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure. What do you want us to do?”

“Pull the trucks around and grab the gear. We’ll set up in the barn for the night.”

The new guy nodded once, turned, and walked away with the wolves still following him. “Who was that?” Moira asked as she watched him go.

“Casey Marsh and the rest of my team. I’ll make the introductions when they get back.” Brock motioned toward the slightly opened doors of the barn behind her. “After you.”

“He just wants to stare at your ass,” Koba whispered loudly. “Not that I blame him, mind you.”

Moira ducked into the barn to hide the pink in her cheeks as they heated with embarrassment. She needed Brock’s help. That was the only reason she was letting him stay. If her heart beat just a little quicker and her belly tightened with desire when she looked at him, well, that didn’t mean anything.

And if she was kind of, sort of, somewhat attracted to Koba in the way that made her want to climb him like a tree and shout to the stars—well, she’d just keep that little part to herself.

* * * *

Koba made no effort to hide the fact that his eyes were glued to Moira’s perfectly shaped ass encased in tight, wet denim. The beauty might not have been chosen for him by fate as Brock had been, but that made her no less his mate. He wasn’t jealous of the way Brock’s eyes caressed every inch of her. It didn’t matter to him if the two had a history and he was technically the newcomer to the relationship.

From the moment he’d caught sight of Moira, he’d been completely captivated. Once she’d opened her mouth and unleashed that fiery temper on him, he’d been lost. It was a huge relief, if he was being honest. He’d never keep Brock from his mate, but he hadn’t been keen on the idea of sharing the man, either. If it was the right thing to do, he’d allow Brock to bounce back and forth between them, but that didn’t mean he had to like any of it.

Oh, he talked a big game, but he’d been nervous about the changes Moira’s presence would bring. Thankfully, his worries had been in vain. It might not have been the “destined to be” connection he felt with Brock, but there had definitely been a spark of recognition between him and Moira when they’d touched.

So, screw fate.

His wolf had perked up to take notice, sniffed around a bit, and then practically howled in acceptance. That was good enough for him. Besides, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they
were
destined to be together, all three of them, but there was something standing in their way. Now he just had to figure out what that was.

“We should probably get some clothes before we go in there.”

Brock was stalling, and after Moira’s less-than-warm welcome, Koba could understand why. Putting it off wasn’t going to make it any easier to face, though. “Everyone else will be just as naked. Since when have you ever been modest?” It just wasn’t practical to be concerned with nudity considering they spent a large majority of their time shifting back and forth between their human and animal skins.

“Right.” Brock jerked his head in what was probably supposed to be agreement. “You first.”

It really wasn’t funny, but Koba chuckled anyway. He’d never known Brock Lancaster to be afraid of anything. The man was fearless to a fault, and he never shied away from a confrontation. As they stepped through the barn doors, though, he looked like a man being led to the gallows.

A woman scorned was a force to be reckoned with, so maybe his reservations weren’t unfounded. Moira wasn’t only tough and tenacious, however, she was honorable. Whatever had transpired between them in the past, she wouldn’t berate or undermine Brock publically. Koba had no precedence on which to base his opinion, but he fancied himself an excellent judge of character. Moira Gilson had character in spades.

“What the hell were those things?”

“Where did they come from?”

“Are there more coming?”

“Alpha, what do you want us to do?”

Two men gathered close to Moira, taking turns firing off questions without waiting for answers. Koba didn’t know their names, but he guessed they were the pack betas. So where had they been during the fight? Why hadn’t they been protecting their alpha?

“I want you to take a deep breath and calm down,” Moira answered steadily. “Then I want you to make sure everyone gets home safely.” She looked over her shoulder, motioning Brock and Koba to her side and making quick introductions before addressing Brock. “Is it safe for them to leave?”

“The Walkers won’t be back tonight. Once my team gets here, we can patrol the area to make sure it’s safe before you move the pack, though.”

Moira nodded slowly as she stared off into space. Koba could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she thought over the best course of action, played it out in her mind, and moved on to the next before arriving at a conclusion. “I think that’s best,” she finally answered. “Thank you.”

“We can take care of our own,” the one named Joss practically spat. His eyes lit with malice as they bored into Brock. “What is he doing here?”

“Knock it off,” Moira growled. “You two can whip your dicks out and compare sizes later. Right now, I expect you to do your jobs.”

“Yes, Alpha,” both betas answered, though their eyes never left Brock.

Apparently Moira wasn’t the only one Brock had a history with in Mission Landing. Pressing against his mate’s back to anchor himself, Koba focused his energy, sending it out to the group. Within seconds the hostility in their circle abated, and Moira gasped as her hand came up to cover her mouth. “You’re a—”

“Not here,” Brock interrupted, eyeing the betas suspiciously. His arm extended behind him, wrapping around Koba’s waist and holding him protectively. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Joss and Rip were staring in his direction with glazed expressions, and both had taken a step closer, though Koba doubted they even realized it. “Snap out of it,” Moira barked, pushing at their chests until they focused on her. “Start with the single females and those with children. No more than five to a group, though.”

Once the men were occupied with their tasks, Moira shoved at Brock’s shoulders, ushering both him and Koba out of the barn. “Are you nuts? Get him out of here.”

“I’m more than capable of finding the house on my own.” Arching his neck, Koba kissed the side of Brock’s throat and pushed him forward. “Help her.” Sometimes being an omega was more of a curse than a gift, and this was one of those times.

“Watch your back. I’ll meet you there once we’re finished.”

“There are clothes in the guest bedroom that should fit you.” Moira scrunched her nose and shuddered. “Feel free to use the shower. I insist.”

Ah, so she did have a sense of humor. Clearly the Ice Queen wasn’t nearly as cold as she’d have everyone to believe.
Good to know.
“Will you think about me while I’m gone?”

Moira blushed all the way to the tips of her ears and cleared her throat. She didn’t seem to have anything to say, though, and after a few seconds of just staring, she hurried across the barn to help her betas.

Chuckling quietly, Brock shook his head and nudged Koba out the doors. “Get out of here before she realizes what just happened.”

No, Moira knew exactly what was going on, and so did Brock. Koba just had to find a way to get them to both admit it. Good thing he loved a challenge because he’d never met a more stubborn pair in his life.

“I fucked up, Mo. I don’t know what happened. I just snapped.”

“You attacked the alpha!” Moira covered her mouth with her hand, and her eyes grew wide and terrified. “That’s punishable by death. We have to leave.” Hurrying across the room, she began pulling clothes out of the dresser, flinging them haphazardly toward the bed.

“Mo, stop.” Brock’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her tight to his chest. “You can’t come with me. Not right now.”

“What?” Spinning around, she shoved forcefully at his chest. “What are you talking about? Of course I’m coming with you!”

“Listen to me.” Brock grabbed her face in both hands, giving her no choice but to look at him. “It’s too dangerous. They’re not just going to let me stroll out of here and go on my merry way. No one cares that I’m the alpha’s son. They’re going to come for me.”

“I can help you.” Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over to cascade down her cheeks. “Don’t do this, Brock.”

“It’s not forever,” he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Just stay here for now. My dad adores you. No one is going to hurt you. Just for a little while, Mo.”

“How long?”

“A few weeks, maybe a month. Not long. Once things die down and I find a place for us to stay, I’ll send word. I can’t come back here, but I’ll let you know where to meet me. Just for a little while,” he repeated.

It made sense. She could admit that, even if her heart was breaking over the thought of him leaving. “Be careful,” she whispered, pushing up on her toes to kiss his lips. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but it felt too much like a good-bye, like she’d never see him again. “Hurry.”

* * * *

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Moira rested her brow against the cool tiles as the water from the shower beat against her back. She’d waited for months, holding on to even the tiniest sliver of hope that Brock would come back for her.

He never came.

He never contacted her.

He was just gone.

After six months without any type of communication, she’d been forced to accept that Brock wouldn’t be returning and had been prepared to leave Mission Landing. Before she could make her escape, however, the former alpha had disappeared, and the pack had turned to her to lead them.

She’d rehearsed a hundred different things to say if she ever saw him again. Now, Brock was back, and she was hiding in the damn shower, taking a stroll down memory lane. Well, he’d kept her waiting long enough. It wouldn’t kill him to wait five more minutes.

It had been a long, eventful night, and Moira felt exhausted right down to her blue-painted toenails. Her muscles ached, her eyes burned, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and forget everything. Other than her responsibility to the pack, she had questions that needed answers, and only Brock could give them to her.

Shutting off the faucet, she wrung the excess water from her hair and stepped out of the shower. There had been a time when she’d have foregone a towel and paraded wet and naked into the living room just to tease her mate.

Those times were long past, though. So, she dried quickly before hurrying to her bedroom to find something suitable to wear—nothing that would indicate she was trying to impress him, but nothing that made her look like a miserable old maid.

Pulling on a pair of gray sleep shorts, she reached into the closet for her favorite sweatshirt but froze once she had it in her hands. The once-midnight-blue cotton was dull and faded from heavy wear and numerous washings. The hem was frayed, and the lettering on the front cracked in several places.