Mated in Mist (22 page)

The soldier in front of him, garbed head to toe in a black uniform with no insignia, took the man by the back of the neck and pulled him away from Ryder. With a few quick movements, the other man was knocked out and tied up within a cage.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” the soldier said quietly as he worked to get Ryder free.

“Why are you helping me?” Ryder bit out as he tried not to growl. He stood on shaky legs, refusing to put his weight on the other man.

“I joined the military to serve my country, then when I got out, I joined this group to keep our people safe. That’s not what’s going on.” He didn’t say anything else but gave Ryder a look. “They’ll know I was here soon if we don’t get out of here quickly.”

“What’s your name?” Ryder asked.

“Shane.” He didn’t give a last name and Ryder narrowed his eyes.

“You were there the day of the Unveiling. You were the one who helped Brynn.”

Shane raised his chin. “We need to go.” He didn’t confirm or deny what Ryder had said, but Ryder recognized the man.

His body shook and his cuts burned, but he followed the man out the door. His wolf didn’t trust Shane fully, but he had a feeling this was the way to go.

With each step, he
knew
he was getting to Leah, and that was all that mattered.

For now.

Shane was a fucking idiot. He’d betrayed his country, his team, to save this one wolf. But if he hadn’t, he’d have kept the dark mark on his soul for far longer than he could live with. As it was, he’d only just found out about the true natures of McMaster and Montag.

Now, he’d taken a stance with this Ryder, but no one on his team actually knew what he’d done. He’d disabled the cameras and hid his tracks, but if he weren’t careful, he wouldn’t live long enough to find a way to right the wrongs of those he’d once trusted.

“I can get you to the outside of the compound, but then I need to go back,” Shane said softly, careful of who might overhear. “I can’t let them know I’ve gone rogue.”

Ryder met his gaze. “You want to gather more information. Work from the inside.”

Shane nodded once. He would do what he could with the time he had left. If the public knew exactly what went on inside these walls…hell, he couldn’t even think of the ramifications.

“Come to us,” Ryder said finally. “Come to us when you need to. My wolf trusts you, though I don’t know why.”

Shane let out a breath and continued to move. He knew shifters weren’t the bringers of death the others thought, but he didn’t know if he could give up everything to live with them like that. He also didn’t know if he could truly trust them, knowing what he’d been part of in the past.

All he knew was that he had to get Ryder to safety and hurry back before it was too late. As soon as he got to the edge of the perimeter, he froze. Someone else was out there. He could feel it. He might only be human, but he was far more trained than most.

Ryder let out a slight growl. “My people are close. They must have followed my scent.” There was something else left unsaid, Shane could tell, but he didn’t have time to figure out this wolf’s secrets.

“Ryder!” A light-brown-haired woman came toward them, her palms out and water sliding over them.

A witch, then. The same one from the feed that had shown Ryder change from man to wolf.

“I’m here. Shane got me out.”

Others slid from the trees, but he knew there were more than just those who had shown themselves. Wolves were pack hunters, after all.

Shane stood back and waited for the witch to hold Ryder close. Two males came forward and helped Ryder move, their feet not making a sound. Shane watched all of this with a careful eye, but it was the dark-haired beauty that captured most of his attention.

He didn’t know who she was, nor why he couldn’t stop staring, but she looked right back at him. Her eyes narrowed and she turned away. A dark-skinned man glared at him and then followed her.

“I need to go back before they notice I’m gone,” Shane finally said.

Ryder looked over his shoulder. “You can come with us,” he said honestly.

Shane shook his head. “If we all go, how we will know who the monsters are?” With one last look at the woman, he trotted back toward the compound.

He made his way into the building without making a sound, his thoughts going in a thousand different directions. It was probably for that reason that he didn’t hear the sound of the gun going off until it was too late, or feel the burn at his side until his head hit the floor.

He’d been found.

It was too late.

And yet, all he could think of was the woman with the honey-colored eyes and the man who had been behind her.

A stark image to have as one’s last impression, even in the throes of death.

Leah tried to keep from crying as she and Charlotte bandaged up Ryder’s wounds. There was no use, though, because she was just so damned grateful for the human who had saved his life. Her mate had almost died, and she’d almost been too late to stop it.

The SUV hit another rut, and she banged her head on the ceiling. Holding back a curse, she glared up at Brandon.

“Sorry. I’m trying to go as fast as we can so we can get to Walker and behind the wards. We’re off-roading as it is.”

She let out a sigh and went back to cleaning up her mate. Only the fact that Ryder needed help held Leah back from snarling at Charlotte for daring to touch her mate’s skin. She might not be a wolf, but, apparently, she had mating territorial issues.

As soon as they’d caught Ryder’s scent back at the Coven meeting place, they’d all jumped into one SUV and did their best to follow it. Between that and the low pulse of the mating bond she’d finally been able to find, they’d found where the humans were keeping Ryder.

It had only been by chance that they’d gotten there when Shane showed with Ryder leaning heavily on him. She didn’t know anything about the human, other than the fact that he’d saved her mate’s life. She would be forever grateful for the man’s actions, even if she didn’t fully understand them.

They worked on Ryder’s wounds in silence, though he kept his hand on her thigh. Some cuts were too deep for what little first aid they could do on the move, but the others would heal on their own as soon as he shifted and got some protein in his system. Walker would have to work on the rest. But at least they could stop most of the bleeding.

She knew she’d almost lost him because of the
amount
of cuts on his body. How her brave mate could sit there and not growl or whimper was beyond her.

“I’m getting blood all over my seats,” Ryder said softly.

She kissed his cheek where they’d already cleaned up the blood. “It can be cleaned. If not, then, whatever. You’re here to bleed on them, and that’s all that matters.”

“That’s my mate, always looking on the bright side,” Ryder said sleepily.

“Don’t go to sleep yet, darling,” she put in. “Not until you have Walker check you out.”

“I’m here with you,” Ryder whispered. “That’s all that matters.”

“And the rest of us are just chopped liver,” Drake said from the back of the SUV. He, Brandon, and Bram knelt together, not looking too comfortable in the small, enclosed space.

“True,” Charlotte said with a smile. “We’re not Leah. But we’re here for you anyway.” She handed Ryder some beef jerky. “Now eat this before you pass out. Your wolf is hungry.”

He took it from her and chewed as Leah worked on a deep cut on his side. Each wound tugged at her and the mating bond flared. But when she looked into Ryder’s eyes, she knew it would be okay. At least for now. It surprised her how quickly she’d fallen for him, even with how hard they’d tried to stay apart. And yet, she knew this was exactly where she should be. At his side, no matter the pain, no matter the cost.

By the time they got to the Talon den and Walker had Healed him as much as he could, Ryder looked exhausted and ready to pass out. Thankfully, they were allowed to go back to his place—
their
place now—so he could rest.

There would be time for talking, planning, and dealing with the ramifications of what Ryder had witnessed, but first, her mate needed to Heal. Kameron and Mitchell were on their way back to the compound to see what information they could gather; however, Leah wanted to focus on Ryder first. The other worries could wait.

Walker had helped strip Ryder and put him in bed, leaving Leah to tend to him for now. While her mate slept, she quickly showered, washing his blood from her skin and soaking in the water, needing its healing presence to soothe her soul as well as her body.

She’d almost lost him today, and she hadn’t even had the chance to fully take action against those who took him. One day soon she would, she knew, but for now, just having Ryder near would have to be enough. Her Pack and her new family were in danger, and all she wanted to do was cuddle into her mate and try to remember that there was a reason they fought.

That, in its own way, was another form of healing. One she needed to embrace.

She shut off the water and dried herself off before walking naked into the bedroom. Ryder slept on his back, his wounds almost fully healed. Because he hadn’t broken any bones nor hurt any internal organs, he’d be back to full strength by the morning. It should have surprised her, but considering what she could do with her own magic, it didn’t.

Leah lifted the covers and slid into the bed beside him, careful not to jostle his nearly healed wounds. When he turned his head and opened his eyes, she bit her lip, another tear sliding down her cheek.

“Never do that again.” Her voice broke. “I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

He lifted his arm, and she carefully pressed her naked body to his. Immediately, her magic reached out and wrapped around him, needing him as much as his wolf needed her. The bond pulsed red-hot between them, and she sighed.

“I’m sorry, little witch. The only thing I thought about when I was there was seeing you again. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He kissed her forehead and she sighed. “I love you, Leah. You’re my mate, my heart, the other half of my soul. I love you.”

The tears flowed freely down her cheeks now. “I love you, too, my wolf.”

They’d mated already, and the bond between them glowed brightly. But it was the
words
that the humans needed.

Together, they lay cuddled under the blankets, healing in a way that only they would understand. They’d fought together and had saved one another from not only the outside world but also the demons within.

When she’d been running for her life, she’d never thought to find the one person who could complete her in a way that never left her wanting. And yet, the goddess had blessed her with not only a mate, but a male who truly understood what she could provide to the Pack.

She would fight by his side and fight for their Pack. She was witch, she was Talon, she was Ryder’s. And most of all, she was Leah.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

Not by far.

Ryder gripped his mate’s hips, pumping in and out of her as they both panted with need. Leah knelt in front of him, her hands fisting in the sheets as he fucked her from behind. With one hand, he slid his fingers over her and probed her ass. When she gasped and pushed back, he slowly worked his way inside, his fingers slick from her juices.

That movement made her come, her pussy clenching around his dick. Since he couldn’t hold back when he was with her, he thrust into her once more then came, as well, filling her up until they both lay together on the bed, spent and sweaty.

“Good morning,” Leah panted.

“Good morning,” Ryder chuckled. He kissed her neck then slid slowly out of her. “We need to shower if we’re going to make it to Brie and Gideon’s on time.”

As a former member of the Redwood Pack, Brie had been used to family dinners. The Brentwoods, it seemed, were now having weekly meals at their place. Ryder couldn’t find fault in the idea, other than the fact that it meant he had to get dressed and out of bed. But now that the others knew what he could do and what Leah would soon learn to do with her share of his craft, he didn’t want to hide from them anymore. Family meant getting the good and the bad, and he had to remember that. They had always been there for him, and he would always be there for them in turn.

Leah spooned back into him and grinned over her shoulder. “Brie is making a roast. Let’s get dressed.”

He smacked her ass then rubbed the sting. “You’re trading me in for a roast?”

She turned in his arms, gripped his dick and kissed his lips. “I need fuel so I can keep riding you long into the night. Roast first. Hot sex later.”

He laughed before kissing her again. “Deal.”

They showered quickly and made sure every inch of each other was clean before getting dressed and ready to head out. Leah grabbed the deviled eggs she’d made earlier and handed them over to him.

“You’re the big, strong wolf. You can carry these.”

He just shrugged and did as he was told like a good mate. It didn’t make much sense to argue.

Though they were still on the hunt for those who could hurt their Pack and worried about the repercussions of what Ryder had learned while in captivity, they couldn’t forget that their Pack and family needed emotional health, as well.  The compound had been deserted when Kameron and Mitchell went back. The fact that it had emptied so quickly worried Ryder. That meant there was more than once place McMaster and his staff could hide.

That also meant that Shane was nowhere to be found.

The man had saved Ryder’s life and the lives of his mate and Packmates. Without Shane, the others would have had to fight to get inside the compound and back out again. He hoped Shane was alive somewhere, but he couldn’t be sure. Not anymore.

The witches were quiet, but ready to keep their side of the treaty intact. He would be forever grateful for Leah and the way she worked with Amelia. The witches and wolves were out in the public eye now. And, like they had said before, they were the ones who needed to keep the narrative threaded with truth. Ryder just hoped it was still an option.