Should have Put a Leash On It (4 page)

Micah flinched when Remy swore.

Asher touched his shoulder, but Micah didn’t look up. Very few times in his life had he felt like such a failure. If he’d figured this out earlier, they may have found Rylan by now.

Elder Lavi’s voice interrupted his moment of self-pity. “None of us here figured it out either, Beta Micah. We must concentrate on the fact that we have new information and new avenues to explore.”

“Yes, Second Rylan must be retrieved,” Elder Van asserted, catching Micah’s attention.

Alarm bells rang in his mind. Why did the vampire elders want Rylan out of Trevor’s clutches so bad? They all wanted Rylan back and safe, but there was a note of concealed fear in Elder Van’s voice that concerned him. What were they hiding?

Asher’s hand squeezed his shoulder and a quick look at his brother told him that Asher had heard it, too.

Remy waved a hand, getting their attention and raised his eyebrows in question, mouthing,
What’s going on?

Asher swung the laptop back around and Micah watched his brother bring up a blank document file and write down that the vampires were holding something back about Rylan. Specifically why they wanted him found.

“What’s the rush?” Micah kept his tone level even as his wolf began to pace inside him.

“We want Second Rylan back as much as you do, beta,” Elder Van shot back.

Now that he was listening for it Micah definitely heard the defensiveness and that the vampire was trying to disguise it under false calm.

Micah carefully considered what to say. He didn’t want to piss the elders off, but he wasn’t going to be left in the dark here. Rylan’s life could depend on it. “Yes, I can hear it in your voice. What I want to know is why.”

Zeke and Jacko were arguing in hushed tones, wanting to know if he was right and if Elder Van and Elder Lavi were hiding something.

Narrowing his eyes on Remy, he noticed his little brother fidgeting in the guilty way he used to when he was a pup and hiding something. Whatever it was, Remy knew. Micah picked up the phone from where Remy had tossed it on the table after putting it on speaker and ended the call.

“The elders won’t take kindly to that,” Skylar commented from the far side of the room.

There was no doubt in his mind that whatever Remy knew, Skylar knew, but he wasn’t a big enough bastard to try and get it out of Remy’s mate. Besides, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he could take the vampire.

He knew for sure he couldn’t do much damage to Remy, so that was the safer option. Micah wanted to know what was going on, not hurt anyone. His control was slipping even now. Remy would be the best one to direct it at because the alpha could withstand his wrath.

“Duuude. You just hung up on vampire elders,” Asher said with wide eyes, sounding scandalized.

“Yes. I did. Now what do you know, Remy?”

Speaking to his alpha like this could well end in him losing some teeth. In his right mind, he’d never dream of confronting an alpha in this manner.

However, his self-preservation was being overridden by exhaustion. He was close to the edge. Hanging up on the elders—their allies—would probably mean getting his ass kicked anyway so he might as well make it worth it.

Remy’s eyes flashed dangerously and Micah’s wolf cowered inside him. He wasn’t just a wolf, though, and his human half was furious at being kept in the dark about something that could help lead them to Rylan. It was just enough anger to overrule his wolf instincts and let him meet Remy toe to toe for a few seconds.

Asher tried to step between them, but Remy growled and their brother backed off.

“Fine, be idiots. I’m not cleaning up the mess, though,” Asher grumbled while throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. His other brother strode over to where Skylar remained leaning against the wall. He didn’t buy the relaxed attitude for a minute.

“Tell me.” Micah’s voice didn’t waiver despite his wolf quivering and whimpering with the need to submit and look away from Remy’s fire bright eyes.

“Stand down, Micah.” Remy’s wolf showed in the alpha’s glowing eyes.

Micah winced at the command and gritted his teeth as his body fought to make him bow under the power of the stronger wolf. Remy simply looked at him and Micah was sure the alpha wolf could see right down to his soul. All Remy had to do was demand and Micah would obey.

But he still fought it, denying the need clawing at him and ripping him apart from the inside out. Planting his feet, he forced his eyes to stay fast to Remy’s.

He could hear Asher talking, but it sounded as if it were far away, not right next to him. The blood rushing in his ears drowned out everything else but Remy. “Micah, come on. You’ll give yourself an aneurism if you keep this up. I’ll go get Mom.”

The threat wasn’t real. They’d often used the same warning when they were growing up and one of them was arguing with another of their siblings. None of those times had actually resulted in them using the Mom card. Usually they all covered for one another until their mother just stopped asking questions. Rylan had been involved in more than one of those fights and arguments.

Micah’s resolve cracked as he thought about Rylan. The wolf would be first in line to kick his ass for this and if it meant Rylan was back here and safe, Micah would let him. He closed his eyes as his strength fled. Inside, his wolf was worked up and edgy and whining, but the second Micah tipped his head back both sides of him settled.

Remy’s hand closed around his throat and then he growled, squeezing to reinforce the point.

Skylar rushed to Remy’s side, rubbing a hand up and down Remy’s arm. “It’s okay, Mon âme soeur sang. Let him down. He’s just exhausted, you all are. You told me earlier about the unhealthy hollow in his cheeks where he’s lost weight and the bags under his eyes. I doubt he’s slept at all for several days.”

The way the blind vampire summed up his weakness shamed him and Micah went limp. He knew he was bested and he didn’t want to challenge anyone anyway. He just wanted Rylan home again.

Remy released him and Micah collapsed to his knees, gasping and weak from the effort it had taken not to immediately give in and shift so his wolf could submit. The overwhelming anger retreated deep inside him and he sighed in relief.

“That was stupid and dangerous,” Remy told him.

Remy would get no arguments from Micah on that front. He knew how stupid he’d been. The anger, frustration and fear had taken over and he’d done something irrevocable.

“I will submit to punishment,” he said coolly, trying not to think of what it might be. Punishments for disrespecting an alpha you had sworn yourself to were swift and vicious and usually performed in front of the whole pack.

Micah stared at the ugly carpet under him, following the crazy swirling pattern of the black fibers on the beige background. If he squinted, it kind of looked like tire tracks, like the kind cars left when the driver tried too fast and furious a turn or stop. “But only after Rylan is found.”

Remy was silent and Micah trembled as he feared Remy would deny him the right to keep looking for Rylan. He didn’t know what he’d do if that was the case. Becoming a lone wolf was harsh and lonely, especially for a dominant wolf. But he’d do it if he had to, he’d give up everything to find a man that hated him. How messed up was that?

“Agreed. The secret you’re trying to sniff out isn’t ours to tell. There is no reason to suggest that Trevor knows that Rylan knows so it wasn’t relevant. Now tell us why you went off the deep end, Micah. This isn’t like you. You can be an ass, but not this much of one.”

Skylar’s voice was closer so he imagined the vampire had remained close behind him in case Micah snapped and went after Remy. He didn’t blame the vampire for not trusting him. He wouldn’t trust him either, in Skylar’s place.

“It’s my fault.” He couldn’t drag back the whispered words that escaped him.

Remy and Asher tensed, he could scent their confusion in the air.

His alpha crouched down front of him when Micah remained on his knees. He didn’t want to look at Remy and see disgust and disappointment there when he told him. “Rylan should have taken the Land Rover that day, but I got pissed and made him take the Jeep instead.
I
should have been the one driving the Jeep that day.”

“Oh, Micah.” Asher kneeled beside him and put a hand on the back of his neck. Asher was the touchy-feely brother so he allowed the contact even though he didn’t deserve the comfort. All this was his fault.

Remy growled and Micah tensed, waiting for the scathing rebuke. Rylan was Remy’s best friend, his brother would show no mercy here. The intense waves of anger coming off both Asher and Remy shook him to the core. He’d never felt so small. “Micah, look at me.”

He didn’t want to, but he had no will left to defy the command. He was running on no sleep and no food. There was nothing left in the tank.

Micah lifted his head and his eyes stung with tears.

Expecting to see Remy looking as angry as he smelled, he was surprised when Remy only looked sad. “It is
not
your fault. You didn’t force Rylan into that car any more than I forced him to take that assignment or any more than Jacko made the people think it was him in there instead of Rylan. It is
not
your fault.”

“Micah, we all know you would never hurt Rylan.” Asher came around to crouch in front of him, too, looking just as sad. “Have you been carrying this around since he disappeared?”

He couldn’t answer so he just nodded. The first part of what Asher said sank in and he swallowed past the lump of emotion in his throat to speak. “But I have, you said I have for years.”

“With what you thought was teasing, and Rylan has doled out his fair share of insults over the years, too,” Asher pointed out and Remy grunted with a nod.

“Micah, let me ask you something. Since I told you Rylan was upset by the teasing, have you instigated any arguments?” Remy asked the question softly.

His brow furrowed, not seeing where they were going with this. “No, but—”

Micah shut up when Remy cut a hand through the air. He’d already pushed too far earlier, he wasn’t going to deliberately make it worse.

Remy’s face was tight and he knew his little brother must be dying to get his hands on his tools. Cars always calmed him down and comforted him. The first time Remy had his heart broken by some punk that wanted to bag a college boy, Micah had brought home a VW bug from the scrap yard. After he and Sage had beaten the snot for hurting their little brother of course. Remy had fixed up the bug as good as new and gotten over the loser inside a week.

“Has Rylan?”

Micah remained silent on that one.

Asher glanced at Remy before continuing. “Rylan isn’t perfect and he’s under a lot of stress, he might not know or realize you’re trying to make amends, because I don’t think you told him, did you?”

“Well, no.” Where were they going with this?

“You two have more sexual tension between you than the pup and sparkle boy in that film saga Saffron and Rosemary love. You should just fuck already and get it over with. He’s hot, so it’s not like it would be a chore.” Asher said it like it was nothing. Out of all their brothers, he thought of Asher as the straight one. He’d never seen Asher even look at a male in a club.

“I’m not gay.” He felt the need to point it out. “And we don’t like each other that way.”

“No, you’re a panslut,” Asher shot back with a shrug, acting like it was no big deal.

Micah looked at Remy, but he just made a face that made it clear he had no idea what that was either.

“Is that even a real word?”

Asher waved off Remy’s question, unconcerned. “It is now. You know,
pan.
..everyone, like in
pan
demic.”

Micah stopped breathing. “You’re comparing me to a pandemic?”

Remy smacked Asher on the back of the head.

“Haha, you can’t hit me back because I’m the alpha.” Remy taunted Asher by poking his tongue out. It was completely childish, but exactly what was needed. They all had a stare off, then Asher sniggered, sending the rest of them into fits of laughter, even Skylar.

Asher got himself back under control first. “Urgh. I knew I should have stayed in Cali.”

Hours later, Micah still had no idea what had possessed him to try and take on Remy. Okay, he did, but admitting that he’d gotten lost in and overwhelmed by his own emotions sounded like he needed a padded room. So he wasn’t in a rush to analyze that yet.

All he knew was that he had betrayed his oath as a beta. He was supposed to protect Remy and always be loyal, not challenge him. The shame would follow him for a long time and when they found Rylan, he would submit to whatever punishment Remy gave him.

Remy couldn’t waive the punishment, their wolves wouldn’t stand for it and the feedback would negatively affect the pack. When they shifted at the next pack run, Remy could harm Micah if the disrespect wasn’t handled and adequate amends were not made.

Sage had been tasked with finding the driver that had followed the Jeep
on the two occasions they’d found earlier. After Rylan went missing, the operations looking into Trevor’s links with the council had been put on hold since the pack was spread too thinly to be able to scramble any kind of effective backup if something went wrong and someone called for help.

Asher was on babysitting duty, shadowing Skylar everywhere, much to the vampire’s amusement and irritation as he tried to smooth things over with the elders. Remy was organizing pack members to comb through weeks of CCTV footage as Alex searched for any more evidence of others being followed.

That just left him without an actual job to do.

Sure, Remy had told him that he was needed to do a covert drive-by check on the properties they had been watching beforehand in case any of them were now up and running in the absence of anyone guarding them, but Micah recognized when he was being patronized. He couldn’t be trusted to do anything because he was a mess and unreliable.

He had two more on the list to check and so far he’d found nothing to worry about. The ground surrounding the buildings was covered in snow so it wouldn’t be hard to see if anyone had gone in there recently. Micah kept a safe distance, as ordered, circling the block a few times on his bike before moving on to the next on the list. If anyone was watching the place to see if it was being guarded, Micah figured they would think twice before using the facility if they thought Remy had people ready to move in.