Happiness is Earned (Second Chances Book 3), page 85
Atticus
I can smell my brother. The strong scent of graphite and darkness entwined with cherries. It’s strong, it’s close, and so overwhelming.
I can’t see him, I can’t see anything really.
Moving my head hurts.
Moving anything hurts.
I can smell his anger, feel the rage simmering through him, the aura pulsing out, calling to my own lion. He rouses ever so slightly, but we’re too weak to do anything about it.
There’s another scent, one that’s familiar, but I don’t know how. Not until I scent the power, the mystery, the mythicalness.
Tarun.
Cevon and Tarun are here.
We’re going to be fine.
My lion and I will survive this.
Cevon wouldn’t have it any other way.
74
CEVON
“When did you know?” I ask, looking at Cameron, one of the managers I’ve worked alongside since I’ve been here. He’s not someone of massive importance, not even someone I would’ve guessed was capable of pulling something like this off.
“Know what?” he asks. We’re standing in the empty car park, a little way off from the building. He’s on his own, which would be rightfully cocky, if it weren’t for the four men he’s got with guns trained towards us.
We don’t operate with those, usually using bows and arrows instead, so he’s literally pulling out the big guns.
Atticus is at his feet and after confirming it was him, I’ve avoided looking down. My brother is naked, having been beaten black and blue, and I feel ill at the thought of it.
That should’ve been me.
But damn am I happy it’s not.
“When did you know that I wasn’t to be trusted,” I clarify.
“I knew all along,” Cameron says, and my eyes narrow. “After all… the man who raised your mate always knew you were a threat to be contained.” My jaw drops, and he smirks at me as he reaches out and kicks my brother. There’s no need for it, he’s just doing it to prove he’s got the upper hand. “The moment I realised this wasn’t you, I ordered my men to prepare, knowing a battle was coming. The fools that brought in the wrong man were killed.” He shrugs and cackles. “What can you do?”
He’s so unassuming. In his fifties, but decently in shape and in good health for a human.
“You’re fucking disgusting,” Tarun snarls, moving a little closer to me.
He might not know everything, but right now, I’m glad it’s him by my side and not someone from my family.
Not only is he expendable, but he’s not going to judge me for getting them into this mess.
“Disgusting? It’s not like I beat them first,” Cameron says, shaking his head. “No, they did still do good by bringing us the Alpha of the Phoenix Pride.”
“Hunter logic. Kill those who don’t obey, and you incite fear into those beneath you,” I say.
“If only it were you we took as a child,” Cameron says, with a smirk. “Bonnie was a good find, she really was. Even when she found out the truth, she still wanted to punish those who should never have existed. But you... you could’ve been moulded into something glorious”
Tarun’s eyes bore into the side of my head, as Atticus lets out a wheezy breath. He’s still unconscious, but I can feel his power starting to slowly increase.
We need to drag this out, and hope to fucking god that when we do finally end it… that he can at least crawl out of the way.
“Then again, I doubt your screams would’ve been anywhere near as delicious as hers.”
I take a step forward, my muscles tensing, ready to lunge at Cameron. But Tarun places a hand on my shoulder, holding me back. His grip is firm, but not enough to hurt me. It’s a warning, a reminder that we need to be strategic if we want to come out of this alive.
“My question,” Cameron says, with a smirk. “Is how did you know about it?”
“About what?”
“For years I’ve been monitoring you. I’ve been content to let you wage your war on those involved, knowing that you were contained. You’d have never suspected me, and once you eliminated each of them, you’d have taken your life.”
“Not inaccurate.” Even if annoying how predictable I was that someone as pathetic as him could figure me out.
“But then you had to fuck it up. You started pressing, and I don’t know where you learned the skills to start hacking, but you uncovered secrets you never should’ve known.” He steps over Atticus, trying to look scary. He’s not, and it’s embarrassing that he thinks he is. “So, Cevon Phoenix, tell me. When did you learn about the Phoenix Vortex?”
“The what?” I ask, and he flinches. I can see his eyes dart down, and I’m not sure why. I tilt my head, lending the senses of my lion, hearing a low buzzing sound. I spot the pin, and realise it’s a listening device.
Oh.
He’s not in control here.
There’s someone behind it all.
Let’s hope that pin doesn’t live broadcast, because I really don’t want there to have to be another lead for us to chase down. Hopefully we can pass this along to Conrad and the Phoenix Guard who are going to be investigating this.
“Project Innocence?” I ask, bringing his attention back to the topic. If I act like it’s not a big deal, maybe he’ll believe I’m that stupid. I don’t want him trying to kill us just to keep this information. “It seems I wasn’t the only one operating underneath your nose.”
“What do you mean?” He’s angry, his hand clutching the taser at his waist, and I can smell his mood changing. He’s getting close to losing his shit.
I take a deep breath and try to think of a way out of this. Cameron is too confident, too smug, and too much of a threat to let him continue to hold the upper hand. But with his men armed and ready to shoot, and Atticus injured, we’re at a disadvantage.
Tarun could shift and cover me, but as much as I’d be willing to let him die, that’ll cause us a lot of shit with the Tribunal.
“We need to take out the men with the guns,” Tarun says silently. He’s letting me lead this show, and I’m grateful for that.
And then it becomes so fucking apparent. We’re not here alone—I’m not here alone.
“Griffin, I need you,” I say bursting into his mind with an unconfined energy. Adrenaline pounds through my veins, and I’m ready. I hope I’m not interrupting anything that would put him in danger.
“What do you need?”
“There are four men with guns pointed at us. They’re in the trees, surrounding the car park. I need them gone before I can get Atticus.”
“Understood.”
He pulls away, and I have to trust that he will get it done.
Trust hasn’t been something that comes easy to me, but over the last couple of months they’ve been here time and time again.
It’s time to rely on them, to push past my fears, and pray that the combined efforts of us working as a pack—as a family—can save my brother.
“Darren was the one who uncovered it. He and a friend were working on it together.”
Cameron’s brows shoot up into his hairline. “Where are they now?”
“Well, I couldn’t let them live, could I?” I ask, straining my ears to listen for Fin’s undeniable squawk. The moment he lets it loose, we’ll know that we can initiate our part of the rescue. “They were taken care of, and we started investigating on our own.”
“Fucking useless, incompetent—” Cameron continues ranting, but I tune him out, because he’s no longer important.
The loud squawk from Griffin is. One down, three to go. Cameron’s radio buzzes, and he panics. He knows that we’re launching an attack.
We’re going to have to remain steady for a few minutes whilst Griffin handles them.
“Are you ready?” Tarun murmurs, hearing it too and I nod. As if we’ve done this a thousand times, Tarun shifts in front of me, his elephorian immediately blocking me from the sudden onslaught of bullets.
There’s a second squawk as Cameron ducks for cover. Atticus is still laid out in the open, but I can’t see properly from my spot behind Tarun. His benefit of having skin too hard to be penetrated by a bullet is something I’ll be very grateful for.
Not that I’ll thank him. It was Nora’s idea to invite him.
She’ll be the one I thank.
“He’s bulletproof!” Cameron roars down his radio, as the bullets ricochet of the elephorian. When there’s a third squawk, I shift into my lion. I crouch low, eyeing up the scene in front of me.
Cameron’s huddled to the side, but the moment his eyes spot me, he turns and runs. Crouching low, I move underneath Tarun’s stomach, before charging over to where my brother is laid. He’s still unconscious, but he’s stronger now, his heart not struggling under the strain.
Even his breathing has steadied out.
He’ll be awake soon. I grab Atticus’s arm, dragging him over to where Tarun is. My mouth is dragging his arm, the taste of his blood metallic in my mouth, and I hope he heals from the friction burns I’m likely causing. Griffin’s flying about, targeting the last shooter but for now, Tarun will have to keep Atticus safe from harm.
Once I’ve got him secured underneath Tarun, I’m relieved. One thing down, one thing to go.
“I’ve got him,” Tarun reassures me, as he lets out a loud trumpet to back up his words. I nod, and then spot where Cameron’s trying to climb over the fence.
Fucking fool.
I race after him, avoiding the bullets the best I can, and when he hears me, he turns to try and run. I’ve never heard of a human able to outrun a lion, but maybe he’ll be the first.
As I catch up to him, I pounce on his back, knocking him to the ground. The fucker falls forward, his face slamming into the concrete. Oh well, he wasn’t the first to outrun a lion.
I shift into my human form, rolling him over, and I can see the fear in his eyes.
He’s leaking it out of his pores, the stench of it causing my head to ache. I hold him in place, keeping my nails shifted, glaring down at him.
“I want to know one thing,” I demand, crouching over Cameron. My hand is keeping him in place, the nails digging into his throat. One wrong move, and he’ll be dead.
“Anything.” The word is garbled, forced past his lips, but at least he’s compliant.
“Where did Lainey get the scars from?”
His eyes are wild, and somehow, the psychotic fuck has it in him to laugh. “Her father. She didn’t lie about that.”
“But they never abused her when she was a child.”
“No. He did it fighting to save his pregnant mate,” Cameron replies. “Lainey went to meet with them, and ultimately decided to go through with her training. She took the opportunity and killed them both.”
My heart fills with dread, and he cackles. The sound continues to echo through my skull as I tear into him. Blood and skin fly everywhere as I destroy his body, trying to rid my mind of that sound.
Lainey’s scars were of her own making.
All this time as we’ve uncovered more and more about Project Innocence, I’ve prayed that she was just misunderstood.
That she lived a life full of lies, and never found the truth.
But I knew that wasn’t the case.
She was a monster.
75
NORA
“Come and have some tea, sweetheart,” Molly murmurs, gently tapping my shoulder. Her voice is soft, her aura nurturing and comforting.
But I don’t move. I keep my eyes closed, meditating the way Anisa taught me to. She coached me over the phone, helping me get into the correct mindset for this. My mind is full of nothing but the good memories I’ve had with my mates, the love we have for each other—in particular my love for them—and the strength of our bond.
My entire purpose is to be a calming beacon of love and support in case they falter at any moment during this battle.
I’m the reminder that they can’t give up, that they can’t give in. There’s too much for them to live for—four people waiting at home for them.
I’m not sure how long I’ve sat here, but Molly has tried numerous times to get me to pause so that I can eat or drink. She’s concerned for the babies. I understand her point, but I won’t be able to keep anything down with the state of my anxiety. So I don’t break from my meditation.
Marcus has sat by my side the entire time, not moving, not speaking, just offering company and support. He’s a steady presence, praying that his son’s come back to us, and it’s been really reassuring to know that I’m not alone.
That someone else wants—
“Ah!” I scream, grabbing my head, as an intense feeling overwhelms me completely. There’s a pounding in my head, my heart beating just as fast. My vision goes blurry, as I fall forward.
Marcus grabs hold of me, trying to support me as I sob, and I can hear him shouting for his mate to come and help. The words don’t penetrate the thick of my mind.
Agony seizes over me, my body convulsing with the weight of seven bonds hitting me at the same time, lighting up my soul, but shocking my system.
Pain courses through my veins, threatening to tear me apart from the inside out. There’s so much pain, I can’t tell who it’s all coming from. Although it’s probably stupid to assume after what they’ve gone through, only one of them is hurt.
My wolf is struggling just as much as I am, but she provides her energy, wrapping it around me like a comforting blanket, doing her best to help shelter me from their pain.
Molly comes into the room, and I can feel her gentle touch brushing against my quivering limbs, but just like her mate, I barely hear her words.
My very essence is being held captive by my soulmates, and I’m drowning alongside them.
And then, it all fades. The agony, the pain, the tension... It’s gone. My head no longer hurts, my heartbeat has settled, and even the trembling has stopped.
My body is my own again. I panic thinking they’ve closed off their bonds, and I’m desperate as I grasp the seven bonds inside of me.
They’re pulsating with a bright energy, one that’s a sharp contrast to their pain I felt only moments ago. Now, their euphoria radiates through our ethereal connection. My wolf howls in my mind, her excitement and joy as strong as my own.
I smile, pushing up ever so slightly from my weird position on the floor and half sprawled in my father-by-mating’s lap. My grin widens as I feel my mate’s love, each of them stroking and nourishing our bond on their end.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this relieved. My body freezes, not understanding the sudden crash in my mood, but I think the stress and exhaustion has finally caught up to me. Tears fill my eyes, and I reach for their bonds. Buried underneath the pure high they’re riding, is their pain, their exhaustion, their fucking love. I tug on the bonds, sending as much love back to them as possible, begging for them to come to me.
Our bonds are alive.
They’re alive.
Everything is going to be okay now.
Giggles escape me, and I squeeze Molly’s hand. Her eyes light up, her breath catching, as if she can’t quite believe it, and I understood that before. But now? I know they’re on their way back to me.
Safely.
Alive.
“Nora!” Molly shouts, and my eyes fly open. I didn’t realise they had closed, but she’s a little frustrated. Her blue eyes are filled to the brim with panic, but when she sees my face, she relaxes.
“They’re safe,” I whisper, patting her arm gently. “They’re all safe.”
Molly bursts into tears, and Marcus rises to his feet, helping me up off the floor before helping his mate. He mumbles something about making tea.
Molly and I hug, her scent mostly unfamiliar to me but somehow still very calming. She’s much taller, as per the norm for shifters, but she’s gentle and motherly in a way I’ve missed.
Fate is a weird being. I’d have never imagined a month ago that the people who abused their son could be the same people who would support me through the same son going to battle.
“I knew they would be,” she says, squeezing me tight once more before pulling away from me. Based on the tears dripping down her face, I know that’s not the truth, but I don’t call her on it. She smooths out my hair, and then tilts her head. “Are you hungry? Let’s get you some food whilst we wait for them.”
“I don’t want to eat,” I say, shaking my head. I wrap my arms around my stomach, an uncertainty filling me. The battle is over, and my wolf and I need our mates. Our babies need their fathers. “I just need them to come home to me.”
She nods. “How about I drive you over to the hotel? We can wait there for them.”
“Can’t we stay here?” My lips form a pout, as I imagine them coming here to collect me only to realise I’m not here.
“Of course you can.” She adjusts the pillows on the sofa, before coaxing me into sitting down. Marcus comes in with tea, sandwiches and picky bits, but I can’t touch any of it. The only time I look away from the door is when I blink.
But neither Molly nor Marcus complain, both keeping me company as we wait for my mates to come home to me. The constant waves of love and reassurance that they send is the only thing that keeps me from drowning in my anxiety.
But it was all worth it, because as soon as the front door opens, I burst into tears feeling a piece of my soul come back to me. I can barely see, my vision completely blocked by tears, but I can smell them—smell him. The strong scent of mint and patchouli, the perfect blend to calm my nausea and to reassure me, is right there.
I wipe my eyes, and see my beautiful tiger mate, standing in front of me. He’s bruised, battered, and a little dirty, but he’s breathing.
“I’ve missed you,” I sob, rushing into his arms. Mal breathes in my own scent, kissing the top of my head, as I sob into his chest. He takes a moment, giving me some love, but then another scent hits me.
Mal’s not the only one here, and I’m transferred into the bulky arms of the man who smells like pure citrus, and feels like pure sin.
