Devin's Mercy [Shifters of Mystery 4] (4 page)

volunteered to come near Mercy. He gave off a vibe that said
keep the

fuck away
. It usually worked pretty damn well, but William didn’t

seem to care.

“The basement.”

“I kind of figured that since you have clothes in your hand.”

Mercy took the steps so slowly that it was going to be another

hour before he made it to the bottom step. He had to, though. His

wound was killing him. The doctor had patched it up enough to where

it starting healing already, but werewolves didn’t have the ability to

shift and heal. That would have been a sweet-ass trick, though.

No, he healed the old-fashioned way. Torturous and slow.

After what felt like forever, Mercy was standing at the top of the

basement steps. “I can get it from here.”

“Are you sure?” William asked.

24

Lynn Hagen

“No,” he answered honestly, “but I think I can manage without

falling down the steps and breaking my neck.”

William eyed him for a moment and then stepped out from under

Mercy’s arm. “Call me if you need me.”

“I won’t,” he said as he began his descent. Damn, even on the first

step he could feel the chill coming up to greet him. Goose bumps

covered his skin. But then again, Mercy was only wearing a thin shirt.

He didn’t want any heavy fabric lying against his healing wound.

“I see you are feeling better,” Kell said as he turned away from his

beakers.

“Yeah,” Mercy answered. “Can you give me a minute?”

Kell looked past Mercy and then nodded. “I’ll come back down

when you’ve come back upstairs.”

“Phony bastard.”

Mercy turned when he heard the all-too-familiar voice mumble

behind him. Devin was huddled in the corner of the large cage, his

blue-grey eyes locked on Kell. He could see the mistrust and hatred

from across the room. Mercy had never seen Devin look so lethal

before. What had happened to the shy man since Mercy left the pack?

He had become thinner. That was the first thing Mercy noticed,

and he didn’t like it. His weight wasn’t all that great to begin with, but

seeing the slim chest with no definition bothered him. It was too damn

pale as well. Devin used to have a sun-kissed tan. What in the fuck

had happened?

“I see you’re feeling better,” Devin said, but didn’t move any

closer. He lay there watching Mercy intently, wearily. He also looked

like he hadn't slept in days. “How’s your stomach?”

The concern touched a deep part of Mercy, a part that he tried to

keep hidden from the world. “A bit sore.”

Devin raked his eyes over Mercy, but didn’t say anything else. He

wasn’t excited to see Mercy like he used to be. His eyes didn’t

sparkle, either. The blue-grey seemed duller, as if Devin had seen too

much and lived through some rough times.

Devin’s Mercy

25

“I brought you some clothes,” Mercy said as he moved closer to

the cage. He wanted to let Devin out, but knew he had to clear that

decision with Sage first. As much as he liked Devin, he wasn’t going

against the alpha—even though Sage would never admit to being the

alpha. The man wanted a pack-free town.

That was another thing around here he didn’t understand. But, it

wasn’t his call. He slid the shirt and sweater into the small opening,

seeing that a food tray was sitting inside the cage, untouched.

“You should eat,” Mercy said as he grunted and slid down to his

ass, resting his back against the cage. He was dizzy as hell and could

feel the sweat once more on his skin. That wasn’t a good thing in this

chilly basement. He was going to end up with pneumonia if he wasn’t

careful.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Bullshit,” Mercy replied. “You shifted last night. You should be

starving.” Although the tray of food did look cold and unappetizing.

He was going to have to make sure Devin got something warm to eat

this morning.

Devin’s stomach growled loud enough for Mercy to hear it.

“Pat!” Mercy shouted, wincing when his stomach protested the

exertion. This got a reaction out of Devin.

“Why are you calling him?” Devin asked in a panic as he crawled

over toward Mercy and curled his fingers around the bars. The image

in front of Mercy gutted him. Devin looked so damn frightened that

Mercy wanted to pull him from his cage and hold the man in his arms,

letting Devin know that Mercy would never allow anyone to harm

him again.

“I want you to have a hot meal.”

“I said I wasn’t hungry.”

“Your growling stomach says otherwise.” Mercy wasn’t going to

argue with the man. Devin was hungry, so he was going to be fed.

That was the end of the discussion.

26

Lynn Hagen

“What do any of you care,” Devin grumbled as he pushed away

from the bars and went back to his corner. The statement was so

bland, so hopeless that Mercy almost demanded that Devin tell him

what had happened to the guy. It was obvious something traumatic

happened. Devin had never been this sour before.

“You rang?” Pat called from halfway down the steps.

“Yeah, can you get Devin a hot breakfast?”

“Did he eat his dinner?” Pat asked.

“Does it matter?” Mercy growled the words.

“I guess not, sourpuss.”

That was calling the kettle black.

Mercy shook his head and watched Pat walk back up the steps. Pat

had always been over the top, but nice. Ever since Sam, the sheriff of

Mayfield County, stopped coming around, Pat had been downright

prickly.

“Are you going to force me to eat?” Devin asked. The words were

hateful as hell. Mercy turned, glancing at Devin, looking into his

pretty blue-grey eyes.

“You’re going to eat, Devin. You’re already skin and bones. You

can’t afford to lose any more weight.” He didn’t want to force the

man, but Mercy wasn’t going to stand by and watch a guy he cared

about wither away to nothing.

They sat in silence until Pat brought the tray downstairs. He slid it

in through the opening, not saying a word to either of them.

“Can you ask Sage to come down here?” Mercy asked. Devin was

getting out of this cage. He no more deserved to be in there than

William.

“Whatever,” Pat said sarcastically as he left the basement. Mercy

ignored the man’s piss-poor attitude. He had Devin to worry about

right now.

“Eat, Devin.”

“I said I’m not—”

Devin’s Mercy

27

“Please.” Mercy gritted his teeth. Not only was he in pain, but that

word didn’t come from his lips too often. He never begged. But he

wasn’t going to sit here and listen to Devin’s growling stomach when

there was food right in front of the man.

Devin scooted across the cage, his eyes trained on Mercy as he

lifted the tray and sniffed. It was only scrambled eggs and toast, but

the man was acting as if Pat had poisoned the food.

“Do you want me to take the first bite?” Mercy asked. “It wasn’t

poisoned, Devin.”

“And you know this how?”

Geez, what in the hell had Devin been through? The hard set to

the man’s jaw was disturbing. Mercy wanted to talk to the pup he

remembered from before he left, but feared the worst. That pup was

gone, replaced by this mistrusting, hated-filled stranger.

“Give me a bite,” Mercy said as he turned. Devin looked surprised

and then lifted the fork, feeding Mercy a forkful of eggs. Damn, now

he was hungry.

“Now eat.” He chewed the eggs, watching Devin practically

devour the tray in less than two seconds.

“Now put that shirt and sweater on,” he said as he settled back

against the cage. “It’s freezing down here.”

Devin did as Mercy asked, but the mistrust was still screaming in

the man’s eyes.

Mercy looked up when he heard footsteps. It was Sage. He eyed

them both as he came down the steps. Mercy pushed to his feet and

moved across the basement, not wanting Devin to hear them.

“Does he have to be locked up?” Mercy asked as he watched

Devin slide the shirt over his head. A small growl vibrated in his

throat when the guy lifted his arms and Mercy saw the outline of

Devin’s ribs.

“What would you have me do with him?” Sage asked. “He’s not

the same Devin we remember. He was on Martin’s side, Mercy.

That’s not someone I trust in our home.”

28

Lynn Hagen

Mercy watched as Devin’s arm got caught in the fabric and he

twisted around blindly until he managed to pull the shirt the rest of the

way on. He wanted to smile, but Mercy didn’t smile. “We’re talking

about Martin and Devin here, Sage. Do you think for one second

Devin could have told Martin no?”

Sage glanced over at Devin, seeing the man slowly putting the

sweater on, as if he didn’t want a repeat performance. Mercy noticed

how Devin pulled the sweater to his nose and inhaled. His heart

tightened knowing Devin was scenting Mercy.

“I just don’t want anything to happen to the mates,” Sage said as

he studied Devin. “It’s my job to protect them.”

“It’s our job to protect them,” Mercy corrected. “Leave Devin in

my care.”

Sage scoffed. “You look like you are about to pass out. How can

you take responsibility for a man who is potentially hostile?”

As painful as the act was, Mercy crossed his arms over his chest.

“Devin, hostile? Maybe, but dangerous, no.”

Sage didn’t look convinced. “He doesn’t have to be strong to be

dangerous, Mercy. He could kill us all by sneaking out and alerting

Martin.”

True.
“I don’t think he wants anything to do with your father.

Something happened to him, Sage. I’m not sure what, but Devin has

changed, and not for the better.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

Devin’s Mercy

29

Devin watched as Sage left the basement. He may be warm now,

but he still didn’t trust these men. If anything, Martin had taught him

that everything had a price. Mercy’s kindness was no exception.

Devin hated the fact that he was now jaded, but it was a hard-earned

lesson.

He stepped away from the bars when Mercy headed back toward

the cage. Glancing around, Devin didn’t see anything he could use to

defend himself if Mercy decided to take his payment from him.

“What are you doing?” Devin asked when Mercy unlatched the

door.

“You’re going to help me back upstairs before I collapse on this

cold floor.”

He was? Devin’s eyes darted from Mercy, to the open cage door,

to the basement steps.

“I wouldn’t try to run if I were you. I’m too injured right now to

catch you, but there is a house full of men upstairs that would have no

problem keeping you locked in here.”

At least he didn’t say there were men upstairs that would have no

problem killing Devin. Walking out of the cage, Devin kept as much

space between him and Mercy as possible. “What do you want me to

do?”

“Well, since you look like you are about to jump out of your skin

from the thought of me putting my arm around your shoulder, just

stay beside me. If I fall,”—Mercy cut his dark-grey eyes at Devin, and

they were filled with a quiet warning—“go for help.”

30

Lynn Hagen

Devin nodded. He could do that. Mercy was right, though. Devin

didn’t want anyone touching him. His skin still burned like scorpions

were crawling all over him at the memory of Charles having his way

with Devin. He never hated anyone as much as he hated Charles. All

Devin wanted was a scalding hot shower and a toothbrush.

As Mercy began to climb the steps, Devin hurried beside him. He

could see how difficult each step was for the guy, but he remembered

a strong, lethal man. Mercy was quite capable of making it to

wherever he was going. The guy never gave up and had an inner

strength Devin envied.

He wished he had half the strength Mercy had. If he had possessed

it, Devin would have been able to defend himself. Maybe not against

the alpha, but he would have killed Charles.
I fucking hate you,

Charles. And the first chance I get at ending your life, you better

believe I’m taking it.

Devin jumped when Mercy sighed heavily. He had been so lost in

thought that he had forgotten where he was and who was next to him.

Mercy was not an easy man to forget, so Devin knew he had been

deep in his hatred.

“Just give me a minute,” Mercy said.

Devin waited.

“Do you need help?” a short, skinny guy with green eyes asked as