The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse (12 page)

However, the person outside his cell was no guard. The locked door opened, revealing his father at the other side. “Come on, Rick.

Hurry. We don’t have much time.”

Rick rushed after his father, almost in disbelief. “Finally!” he said.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

“Of course not,” the other wolf said as they ran. “The elder has just been watching me. I only managed to sneak in tonight because he’s been taking long trips with his mate. Apparently, she’s pregnant.”

Rick couldn’t contain his disgust. The ewe was pregnant. That was the last thing they needed, to pollute their species with half-breeds. “Christ. We have to stop this.”

“I know.” Rick’s father led him through the corridor. They found some guards at one point, but they were all unconscious. “But at this point, I’m completely out of ideas.”

88

Scarlet Hyacinth

The older wolf led him out of the mansion and into the dark pack grounds. “I drugged a part of the guards, but only those inside the building. From here, all bets are off.”

Rick quickly hugged his father, understanding what the other man was trying to say. “Don’t worry. I can handle myself.”

Without bothering with any other good-bye, Rick turned into his wolf form and disappeared into the night.

* * * *

The shrill sound of the phone roused Byron from his slumber. He cracked his eyes open and retrieved his cell phone from the night table, grumbling under his breath. His mate lay cuddled by his side and stirred slightly at the noise. Byron shushed him lightly, knowing Skylar needed his rest. Whoever was calling at this hour better have an excellent reason.

“Byron Cunningham here,” he said as he took the call.

“Greetings, Mr. Cunningham,” the voice of Elder Kevin Wade said. “This is Elder Wade.”

“Good morning, Elder.” Alarm bells started ringing in Byron’s head at the werewolf’s tone. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your mate’s attacker, Rick Carver, escaped my compound last night.”

Red hot fury coursed through Byron. “What?” he asked. “I thought he was under lock and key.”

He’d accepted the elder’s right of dealing with his own messes, and in the past months, the situation had seemed under control.

Apparently, he’d been wrong to trust.

“He was. However, in my absence, there was a slight rebellion led by Rick’s father. It’s unclear as to how many actually participated, but the result was Rick’s escape. I have reason to believe he might want to exact revenge on you and your mate.”

The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse

89

“If he shows his face here, elder, you’ll be one pack member short,” Byron replied calmly, even if he felt anything but calm. His predator was awake and yearning to hunt down and eliminate the threat. This time, he would deal things his way.

The elder sighed. “I understand,” he said. “I assure you I’m taking serious measurements against the dissident elements in my pack. This has to stop.”

“I agree. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to my head of security.” He paused as something occurred to him. “One more thing.

I will need a picture of Carver and some details of him so that my men know what to look for.”

“Of course. I’ll be sending you the complete file later today.

Good-bye, Mr. Cunningham.”

The conversation ended, and Byron focused his attention on the now-awake Skylar. “You heard?”

Skylar was trembling slightly and pushed himself even closer to Byron. “Will he come here, Byron?”

“If he does, he’ll never even breathe the same air you do.” Byron pressed a kiss to Skylar’s forehead. “I assure you, sweetheart, I won’t take any chances with you and our children. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

He held Skylar in his arms tightly, caressing him until Skylar’s heart stopped racing. “Get some sleep, Skylar,” he whispered.

“You’re safe.”

As soon as Skylar drifted into slumber, Byron slipped out of the bed and quickly got dressed. With great reluctance, he left the room.

He’d have preferred to stay with his mate, but he needed to make arrangements and raise the alarm.

The first thing he did was find Yuki. The octopus female was an early riser, and Byron ran into her in the living room. She seemed to be studying some graphs, and Byron recalled that Yuki and Malcolm were still keeping tabs on their various investments even while helping Byron out with Skylar.

90

Scarlet Hyacinth

She immediately realized something was not right. “What is wrong, Cunningham-sama?” she said in her lightly accented voice. “Is Skylar-kun all right?”

Her affection for Skylar showed even from the way she spoke when she referred to the seahorse with a familiarity that usually applied only to family and the closest friends. For that reason, Byron trusted her to protect Skylar if need be.

“Skylar is all right, Yuki-san,” he replied. “However, something of concern did indeed happen. Where is Malcolm? I need to talk to him, too.”

As if he’d been just waiting for Byron’s question, Malcolm slipped into the room with the stealth so typical of him. Byron might not have even felt him approach if not for his advanced senses.

“Please, sit, both of you.”

The couple sat down on the couch, and Byron started recounting the tale. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but a few months back, at a party organized for the elder werewolf, Skylar was attacked by a member of the man’s pack, a guy named Rick Carver. The damn mongrel nearly forced himself on Skylar. Thankfully, I arrived in time. I would have killed the bastard, but Skylar insisted on not marring the night with blood. I caved, and the individual in question was imprisoned. However, this morning, the elder werewolf informed me the man escaped last night and might be heading our way.” He gave his friends a serious look. “I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to watch over Skylar now.”

Yuki and Malcolm nodded. “We understand, Cunningham-sama,”

Yuki said. “You needn’t fear a thing. No one will hurt your mate.”

“Yuki is right, Byron,” Malcolm added. “We’ll protect him with our own lives if we need to.”

“I honestly don’t think it will be necessary. From what the elder told me, I believe he doesn’t have many resources. However, we can’t be sure, so strengthen security. Anyone who comes within a hundred feet of the mansion is to be thoroughly searched and identified. I
The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse

91

asked the elder to provide us with information on Carver. He should be sending it to us soon.” He turned toward Yuki. “For the moment, Yuki-san, I would be very thankful if you could keep Skylar company while Malcolm and I deal with things. He cares for you deeply, and he might be shaken when he wakes up.”

“At once, Cunningham-sama.” The woman bowed low and slipped out of the room, as stealthy as her husband.

Malcolm watched her go, then his deep blue eyes focused on Byron. “Are you truly worried that man can come inside this place?

It’s a fortress.”

“I know.” Byron had actually strengthened security two times before, once when Skylar had come to live here and again after finding out about the pregnancy. “I don’t want to take even the slightest chance. Airtight, Malcolm. I want this place to be airtight, especially until Carver is caught.”

Malcolm squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We won’t allow anything to happen to your mate.”

“We certainly won’t,” Byron replied darkly. “Now, I’ll contact my chief of staff and demand a dozen more men as a preliminary addition. You talk to the head of security. See if all the alarms and sensors were installed.” He considered his next course of action carefully. “I will probably be taking Skylar out of town as soon as I make the final arrangements.”

“Is everything ready at the island?”

Byron nodded. Even if he hadn’t expected his mate’s pregnancy to advance so quickly—for sharks, it was much slower—he’d made arrangements for his private island to install every piece of equipment that would be needed for the birth.

From the very beginning, they’d known things would be complicated. Skylar wouldn’t be able to deliver the children naturally, that is, in his shifted form. He would do so while still in his human shape. Furthermore, the two babies would not be able to shift for up to a year, so they needed an aquatic environment in which they could
92

Scarlet Hyacinth

freely develop. Byron’s private island had been chosen, and as such, Skylar would now need to be transferred there.

“Yes,” Byron told Malcolm. “Everything is arranged. I’ll bring it up with my mate today and as soon as possible, we’ll fly there. But until then, look into what I mentioned.”

“Will do.”

As Malcolm left the living room to fulfill his appointed task, Byron set about to make a few phone calls. It wasn’t only the chief of staff he needed to contact. It was time for the Pierces to know about the attack on their son.

* * * *

Skylar glowered at his mate, for the first time in his memory absolutely furious with Byron. “I can’t believe you asked my parents over without my permission.”

“You better believe it, sweetheart.” Byron took his hand and squeezed it. “I know this is hard for you, but we have to tell them about Carver. They need to be warned.”

Skylar’s heart fell, his anger deflating into a terrified realization. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Rick might try to take his vengeance by hurting his parents. Byron was right. Skylar’s parents needed to know.

Skylar would have preferred to keep it under wraps forever.

Hearing about his attack would hurt both his parents greatly, but the current situation pushed him into this course of action. “Will you help me tell them?” he asked in a small voice.

“Of course,” Byron replied. “I’ll help with whatever you need.

Now, get ready. They should be here any moment now.”

Skylar’s parents arrived for lunch, a bit earlier than the time Byron had tentatively set. They seemed nervous, but Skylar couldn’t blame them. Starting this morning, more and more security measures had started to be implemented. Yuki never left Skylar’s side, and the
The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse

93

only alone moments he got was when he went to the bathroom. Even then, he always had Yuki or another guard standing at the door. It was sort of embarrassing, especially with the number of times he needed to go in his very pregnant state.

He hugged them both, happy when they politely greeted Byron, Yuki, and Malcolm. “You said you needed to talk to us about something?” his father prodded.

Yuki and Malcolm discreetly slipped out of the room, leaving the four of them to talk in private. Byron gestured them to sit and then gave Skylar a telling look. “Yes, Dad. Indeed, there’s something you don’t know that might be a danger for you now.” He fidgeted, uncertain how to explain the events. “I… I don’t really know how to say this.”

“Should I try, sweetheart?”
Byron offered through their bond.

Skylar shook his head. These were his parents, and he was the one who owed them an explanation, not Byron. Getting over his hesitation, he started to speak. He explained about him organizing the party—something they already knew of—then got to the crux of the issue. He told them of the moment he’d gone in search of privacy, without giving them the reason, and then how Rick had come and tried to hurt him. He pointed out Byron had saved him in time and Rick had eventually been imprisoned. Finally, he got to the news they’d just found out that morning. “The werewolf elder just told us Rick Carver escaped and he might try to exact revenge. That’s why Byron is implementing additional measures of security, and you must do so as well.”

When at last he finished, he dared to look at his parents. His mother had tears in her eyes, and his father looked glum. She came to Skylar’s side and hugged him tightly, without speaking. His father stared at Byron as if he were seeing the shark for the first time. “It seems we owe you an apology, Mr. Cunningham.”

Skylar’s mother released Skylar from her embrace and nodded. “I might not be ecstatic about you mating Skylar, but you stood by him
94

Scarlet Hyacinth

when it mattered, you’ve given him children, and you seem to love him.”

“I don’t
seem
to love him,” Byron replied, emphasizing the word that bothered him. “I adore him beyond any shadow of a doubt, and believe me, I’m not one to declare such things easily.”

“We believe you,” Skylar’s dad replied. “And we will take this threat seriously, I assure you.”

“One more thing.” Skylar hesitated and stole a look at his mate.

“Given the circumstances, Byron suggested we leave LA and head toward his island. We’ll be heading that way as soon as the final arrangements are made.”

“I can’t fault your decision.” Skylar’s mother nodded. “I’ll be taking over all your duties at the agency.”

“I’d like to come with you,” his father said. “I might be able to help.”

It was a good idea, since the older seahorse had passed through what Skylar would now be facing, or rather, through a similar experience. “All right, Dad. Thank you for your help, both of you.

You’ve been amazing.”

His mother wiped a remaining tear from the corner of her eye.

“You’re our son, and we love you. And we already love those babies you carry. So how could we act any differently?”

In that moment, Skylar realized just how lucky he was. He had friends who cared about him, a mate who lavished him with affection, parents who loved him deeply, and two children who would soon come into this world. His fears over Rick Carver notwithstanding, what more could he possibly want?

They left that very same day, after Byron made sure all the doctors and equipment were already on the island. Skylar’s friends came to say good-bye, well, at least the ones who still lived in LA.

Garth, Nicolas, and their two sons, Preston and Corbin, were there, as well as many of the staff of the Pierce mansion. Garth promised to aid Skylar’s mother in the management of the agency, and the two lynx
The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse