Shifter's Revenge (Alpha Lineage) (2 page)

Maddox lunged at her. She sidestepped him and watched a smile spread across his lips. “You’re going down babe.” He whispered so softly she was the only one who heard.

Kera’s heart rate picked up with fear but he didn’t buy it
. She dropped to the ground and swiped at his legs. It was like kicking concrete and she hadn’t come at him with much force.

Maddox let his legs give out and fell on top of her, pinning her to the mat. “This isn’t working.” He murmured against her neck.

Chills shot through her. The memory of him sliding into her body flashed across her mind. She had done her best since they returned to this house not to let the memory linger. She had slept next to him, cuddled in his arms but they hadn’t so much as kissed since they came back from his shop. Distance had begun to wedge its way into their relationship. She was keeping secrets from him and he was becoming upset when he picked up on the lies.

His skin bled into her. The healing essence that it provided spread from his chest which pressed against her stomach and shot from every other fiber of her being.

“Fight him.” Damien called out.

Flushed with want and angry at every part of her life, Kera slammed her eyes shut and did what her heart was screaming not to.
“Andrew.” She whispered.

Maddox tensed above her. He murmured soft reassurances that she was safe, that his was just an exercise but she ignored it.

Kera whimpered as she allowed the memory of the beatings she sustained flood her mind. Her heart began to race and sweat broke out across her body. “Try and break me.” She whispered hoarsely. “Punch me again. Kick me until my ribs crack against your boots. The blood in my mouth reminds me I’m still alive.”

Maddox shot off of her. H
e glared down at her. “No, Kera.” He growled, his voice distorting with the movement beneath his skin. He shook his head and pulled himself together. He leaned over with exertion and opened his eyes to glare at her again.

Kera stayed on the floor. Unmoving. She wanted so much to go back to where they had been. Maddox demanded that she talk about it. Why not now? She thought to herself. Kera pulled her arms behind her back, her breath quickening at the memory of how she had been restrained. “He wanted me to have sex with him so I could give birth to his children.”

Maddox clinched his jaw and stepped back.

Kera rose up, hands still in imaginary restraints. “No.” She yelled, remembering how weak her voice had been when she refused Andrews request. “You don’t have a choice.” She whispered now, remembering his assault on her. Her vi
sion blurred and she gasped when Maddox dropped down beside her.

“Kera,” he whispered. “Not like this.” He pulled her arms apart and brought them around him. He pulled her closer to him.

“You want to know so badly?” She hissed at him. “He beat me until I blacked out. He broke bones I didn’t know I had. I hurt…. So much.” Her breath hitched when he held her tighter.

“Kera.” He begged of her.

“Markus and his friends found me. They tore my clothes from me and touched me. They touched my breasts and between my legs. I was restrained still when I shifted. I ripped the tendons from both my arms, almost tore my chest apart when Andrew came in and stopped them.” Kera swallowed the lump in her throat.

She knew this wasn’t how Maddox wanted to hear what had happened to her. But really, what did he think was going to happen? They would spar and then sit down for coffee so she could calmly tell him she was bound, beaten and almost raped? Kera shook her head and then buried her face into his neck. His skin calmed her at the same time it confused her. How could touching someone be so monumental?

“I don’t know what else to say.” She whispered against the skin below his ear. “I fought them the best I could. I tried to protect myself but there was only so much I could do.”

Maddox sucked in a breath and leaned back so he could look into her eyes.

Kera let the ice pierce her soul as his gaze bore into hers.

“This. Isn’t. Your. Fault.” He growled. “You are mine and I should have been there.”

She frowned. “You don’t blame yourself do you?” Her chest shook with silent sobs. “I am the one they wanted from the start. I was coerced to this town so I could be manipulated into finding and giving that stupid book to Luke. I was the one who went to him even after you told me not to. I let him fuck with my head so I would hurt you and he could take me. This isn’t your fault Maddox. This is my mess.”

He growled low in his throat. “Our mess.” His voice vibrated as he crushed his lips against hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and plu
ndered her with passion that had been building for days. It matched hers. She sighed and relaxed into him, finally getting what she craved.

Daniel cleared his throat. “Your father approaches.” He murmured.

Maddox finished the kiss by nipping at her lips.

The door swung open an
d Jason entered. Kera watched as emotion passed over his face. She wasn’t sure what it was but the first impression she got was approval and it meant more to her than his next look of disapproval. “This isn’t helping our fight.” He growled.

“Sir, I think you would be surprised.” Daniel said softly.

Kera looked at Jason. “He wanted to know.”

Jason blanched and Maddox rose up and brought her along with him. When he was standing he looked at his father. “Andrew needs to die.”

Jason tilted his head at Kera waiting for a response from her. “I don’t know your laws but if murder begets murder then so be it.”

Maddox tightened his grip on her. “You said you shifted while in the restraints.”

Kera looked up at him, confused. “Yes, but he still strangled me after.”

His eyes narrowed, Kera turned in his arms and narrowed her eyes. “My death wasn’t an accident. I didn’t shift and kill myself. I was still alive when Nick came to try and rescue me. Markus subdued him and let Andrew to kill me. If it wasn’t for the freaky nature of your skin I would be in my grave.” Anger started to get the best of her and Kera pushed him away. “You wanted to know but like always you never believe me.”
What hurt most of all, was his disbelief in her. She knew it took everything he had just to consider the fact that her visions of his accident hadn’t been a lie. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if he only believed because Andrew had given him something solid to hold on to. Her abduction stabbed at his pride. It was something she could reconcile herself with but it didn’t mean that he truly believed her. Every second that passed that he didn’t refute her statement deepened the anger boiling inside of her.

Kera pushed him away with more force than she had been willing to use during their sparring. She watched him stumble in surprise. Reacting to the hurt circling her chest like a vulture she spun on her heels and ran out of the training room.

She felt childish but didn’t care. Maybe this was too hard. Maybe this was too much for one relationship. It wasn’t like anyone in the entire earth had gone through what she had with Andrew. There wasn’t any way a normal person would have the same experience. Bad things happened to many people in this world but this was entirely different. This was a new world of magick and shifters that didn’t have a rule book. There was no therapist that she could speak to or even someone like her she could rely on. Maddox may have his family but she had no one.

She entered the room she shared with Maddox and was assaulted by his scent. It was so much stronger here than in any other place in the house.
Kera grabbed her phone and sent the text she never thought she would.

I’m ready.

Maddox burst into the room in the next moment. He stood at the door, his father and Daniel behind him. “I believe you Kera.” He said as he breathed roughly.

Kera shook her head
as her emotions clouded her thought process. “It doesn’t matter.” She whispered. “I need a break.”

Maddox braced his hand on the door. “Kera, we talked about this.”

She knew what he was talking about. He reminded her of the commitment they made to each other. Kera’s smile was anything but happy. “I know. I’m not going back on anything.” She said softly. “I just need to be alone.”

Maddox scrutinized her for a moment
. His eyes closed for a moment as the truth in her statement was realized. His ability to tell if someone was lying was one of the hardest things to get around. Kera had begun to master it in the few short days she spent with him in this room. She understood that her intentions were the actual thing he was reading. She did need a break. She needed a moment to breathe. A moment away from his piercing stare that asked too much from her.

Kera didn’t waste time. She figured he would think she would pack so she didn’t. She grabbed her phone and went out the door she found in the closet. It was a short walk to the stairwell she assumed used to be used by servants. She didn’t think Maddox had forgotten about them but she relied on the fact that he was sure
she
didn’t know about them.

In the next moment she was outside. The morning sun beat down on her. She knew that
the security cameras would pick her up now. She ran and jumped the fence. She landed just as the alarms went off.

They would all review the footage if they missed her the first time.

Her heart broke into pieces as she turned to the road and ran. She didn’t want to leave Maddox but everything in her told her that he would continue to hover over her rather than do what he needed to find Andrew. Kera didn’t want to be the one who brought them down. They were strong. They knew what they needed to do but it had to be without her.

Kera also knew that her father had made a commitment. In the past week she had been growing increasingly worried about him. Luke had known where she lived. He had watched her. Planned how to get her where he was.

She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t just come to her, but Kera wasn’t about to let her father become a casualty in all of this.

Kera stopped running
and walked in the direction home. The meeting place was along this road. She texted her father to let him know she was on her way. He had been working out all the stops for the past day and a half. Even though she hadn’t said yes one way or another, her father said they would be there.

Her phone sounded and h
e told her they would be there.

Kera shook her head, wondering
again if she was doing the right thing. She picked back up the pace and continued to run, whether it was to her demise or to Maddox’s redemption she didn’t know.

Hopefully he would let go of his
vengeance and do something about Andrew. She could tell it was eating him alive to do nothing.

The sound of cars crept down the highway
. Kera slowed and made her way to the road. She walked until they came into view. There were two black SUVs’ with tinted windows. One SUV drove past her and skidded to a stop as the next pulled over and put on the hazards. Her heart raced in her chest, not from the few hours she had been running, but rather the sudden fear that burrowed its way inside of her.

What had she expected? One lone army personnel in the passenger side of her father’s truck? Yes! Her worst fear since the beginning of this life
as someone out of the ordinary was that she would be locked away and experimented on. This was probably it. She had left the comfort of Maddox’s arms for a life of test tubs and Petri dishes. She wanted so badly to be doing the right thing. Luke and Rayland had started a war and what was Jason doing about it? He was the pack leader and all he cared about was what Maddox was doing. All Maddox cared about was what she was doing. She didn’t believe for one second that the pack had people to spare just to watch over her. Maddox was supposed to be in line to become Alpha. It was hindering him to watch over her and not participate in finding Andrew, Rayland and Luke. She should be helping to since it was all her fault to begin with but there wasn’t any way they would let her without training.

She tensed as doors began to open
, tearing her out of her depressing thoughts.

In broad daylight she figured it wouldn’t be as scary as it was. Instead of faces, all she saw were
men covered head to toe in body armor. Even their faces were covered by black helmets with thick glass around the eyes. It was as if they expected to take her down rather than her come willingly.

Who were these people? She said a silent prayer to the wind and hoped that God was real and would grant her just one wish.
Let this be the right choice.

“Kera Conway.” A muffled voice called out. His hands went up as he approached.

Kera took a deep breath and put her hands up in the same way. “Do you need me to get on the ground or something because you guys are really freaking me out?”

No one laughed at her joke. A few mumbled under their breath, which she could hear just fine.

She doesn’t look that strong.

This is a joke.

“Stay as you are.” The man, obviously in charge of this ordeal, spoke over the rest.

“You don’t have much time.” Kera called back calmly. “I said I would come with you but I didn’t say that there wasn’t someone else who wanted me more. They could get here any moment and
then you
will
need all the body armor.”

Unease spread over the men. Some of them looked around wondering just who she was talking about. They were out in the middle of nowhere.
“Get in the car.” He called out.

A door opened to the back of the SUV. Kera could see a hand move from the handle.

She took a deep breath just to verify it wasn’t Luke or Raymond in the seat. She wouldn’t put it past them. Raymond had ties to the community and she knew most of the other members were employed with the police department and hospitals as either nurses or paramedics. One of them could have easily enlisted in the military.

Kera walked slowly to the open door, ignoring the men
and their twitchy fingers as she passed. She tilted her head to get the best angle of the person sitting in the SUV. When she saw him she knew he couldn’t be a part of the pack. He was impossibly good looking and younger than she thought. She threw up all types of barriers in her mind to keep herself from relating with him. She agreed to this because of her father. She wasn’t going to make friends.

First order of business was to make sure her father was safe. If studying her could ensure his safety by these men, then that’s what she would do. It galled her that she never thought of her father needing her protection. Now that she was out to people who would kill her like Andrew had, she knew that her father needed her protection.

She sat beside the man and took in his features. He was in very good shape. His sandy blond hair hung down to his ears in disarray. His eyes were a mixture of green and brown. He smelled like soap and the open road. He wore a business suit and sat with posture that only she had ever seen in the movies.

“I’m Gavin.” He held out his hand to her.

Kera cleared her throat, hoping it wouldn’t crack with fear. “Kera, as you already know.” She took his hand and pulled back after they shook.

The other men got back into the SUV’s and pulled off the road and headed back the way they had come.

“Tell me about yourself, Kera.” Gavin murmured beside her.

Kera looked out the window and contemplated her answer. “Which one of you knows my father?”

Gavin’s laugh was deep and amused. “My father is the head of the secretary of defense.” He answered her. “He heard from someone who heard from a retired vet that there was a man claiming that his daughter was messed up with some supernatural beings. He said that she was adamant that she could do the same things they could though he had never seen her do anything but bus tables at his diner. After speaking with him directly, my father thought that it was possible that this young girl had stumbled across something that she didn’t know how to deal with. In fact, it is presumed that this girl is in way over her head.”

Kera nodded thoughtfully. She could see how her father would come to that conclusion. If her father thought that she was being brainwashed, she was surprised that this army unit hadn’t come knocking on Maddox’s door looking for her. Her hope soared. If anything, she had just saved them from that exact fate. “Why hasn’t my father told you where I was?”

Gavin’s face turned dark with what she could only describe as frustrated anger. “He was concerned that by going in to get you, your life would have been put in danger.”

Kera leveled him with a look, “Your men would have had a hell of a time getting through the door. No one there was going to hurt me. I think it was smart of him to keep their location a secret.”

Gavin smiled. “No matter.” He murmured. “Let’s just take a little time to get to know you and find out exactly what the truth is.”

“Only if you keep my father safe.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Now, why would your friends hurt your father?”

Kera narrowed her eyes right back at him, “They wouldn’t. There is more going on in this world than you know. Sometimes war is right under your nose and you know nothing about it.”

“Ah.” He mused. “We will keep your father safe if you will fully cooperate.”

Kera snorted. “I’ll do the best I can.”

Gavin turned back to the front even though she could tell he wasn’t happy with her answer. It seemed that perhaps this little arrangement was going to be harder than she first thought. Really, she hadn’t figured out all of the implications. She had been comfortable with her new self since she met Maddox. She didn’t have to hide. She didn’t have to lie. In fact, it was going to take a lot of retraining herself not to answer someone’s whisper or walk faster than she was supposed to.

Her recent torture had also made her extremely cautious and
jumpy. If anything happened to close her in, like perhaps too long in the car with men she didn’t know, she was going to have a really hard time keeping her composure.

It felt like hours in silence before they turned into a gated entry to a facility that was surrounded by ten foot concrete walls. Kera craned her neck to judge if she could scale the wall and she knew she could.

She breathed out a sigh of relief which Gavin picked up on. He turned to her, questions in his gaze.

             
Of course she didn’t respond to them. She let them hover in the air and turned back to the window to make sure she knew what she was getting herself into. She knew that her strength was matched only by Maddox and his family. She had never tried to break out of a concrete structure but she had held up a car while she changed a flat tire with her bare hands. She had pushed over a telephone pole that was embedded so far in the ground the cement had cracked in half.

These things she knew she could do while she had access to Fang
, the name she had assigned to the black panther she used to be able to shift into. She wasn’t so sure of her capabilities now, since Maddox and Daniel hadn’t wanted her to train, but she would figure it out on her own like she had for the past five years.

Once inside the facility they pulled to a stop. They all filed out and Gavin motioned for her to follow him inside. The building looked like a big warehouse. It was filled with tables and lit with bright florescent lights. She looked around the room at the men dressed in army attire
moving from one table to the next without giving her a second look. She took another breath, cataloguing all the scents she could. She knew what gun powder smelled like. She figured that guns and ammo were a given. She also picked up scents of the men, some a few days without a shower. She grimaced and concentrated on the other scents. She smelt the metal, dirt, plastic, oil, gas and other things she couldn’t place. When she turned back to Gavin he was watching her.

“Ready?”

She followed his outreached arm to an elevator that couldn’t possibly be going up to the roof. She forced herself to follow his lead and get into it. The doors closed and he hit the button to take them to something labeled TF.

It was a few agonizing seconds before the doors reopened and let them out in a cool corridor that seemed to go on for miles. Kera followed Gavin and the few remaining men to a room down the hall. She smirked at the interrogation style room.

“Something funny?” He asked.

Kera turned to him. “Not at all. I just wondered when you would start the experiments. I guess I have a little time.”

Gavin shook his head. “They did a number on you didn’t they?”

Kera let him think she was still brainwashed. When the time was right, she would make sure her bargain for her father’s safety was met with an actual intent to protect him. If only Maddox were here he would be able to tell if they were telling the truth or not.
A lump formed in her throat as another implication to what she was doing formed. Maddox and his family had spent their entire lives covering up what they could do. She was putting their secret at risk. She knew this but she had no idea if this was a good thing or not. Her father had already told these men that she had been mixed up with supernatural beings. Kera wasn’t sure how much detail he had gone into but it would take a genius to figure out that Jason and Maddox were involved somehow. Her very public relationship with Maddox ended when she was captured, but the army would meet with them anyway. She shuddered at the thought of Maddox in this room being interrogated.

Her heart squeezed as she imagined him finding the room
they shared together empty. What would he think of her actions now? She had been with him for only a few weeks before they were intimate. Even though he couldn’t possibly think she had been with anyone else, her virginity wasn’t a promise to someone. The words they spoke to each other weren’t keeping her from betraying him. If she chose, or was forced to say something to jeopardize the pack then he would never forgive her. Kera just hoped that when she finally saw him again, no more damage was done.