Blood Legacy

14

"Micah and Simon, Liam wants you to stay here and be back up for Evan until they get back here." Simon growled but went to sit next to Evan's feet as they stared the two men down.

"I told you this was a stupid idea." The older man shook his head. "This was bound to happen. When you get a task like that, you should know better than to say yes." "Shut up." The other man growled.

The two men favored each other, but the more confident one seemed to be several years younger.

"I told you to listen to your father, but do you?" The older man shook his head as he stared right into my eyes. "When I saw her, I knew something wasn't right. She's different, and they're scared." "I said shut up, Dad." The guy's eyes glowed with alpha will.

Evan walked over to them and arched an eyebrow. "Your dad may be on to something. I'd speak up if I were you."

"He's already said too much." He glared at his father.

Simon growled and headed toward them, taunting them.

The younger man stood still and huffed. "This is ridiculous. You are just kids. Are you really expecting us to be scared?"

"We aren't the ones who are backed into a corner." Evan raised his eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth tipped slightly upward.

If I hadn't gotten to know him better, I wouldn't have even noticed it. When I first met him, I’d thought he was expressionless, but he wasn't. It was just that varying emotions caused only slight changes to his overall indifferent features.

Liam breezed back into the room in human form with Kai right on his heels.

"We've got to get her medical help." Liam came over to me, his eyes on my face. I can feel the pain you're in.

"I can take care of it." Evan turned toward his friend. "We just need to get back on campus. It's not lethal, but I bet it hurts like hell."

"Are you sure?" Liam looked at my blood-soaked clothes and the puddle of blood that was growing beneath me.

"Yes, but the sooner the better." Evan arched an eyebrow.

"Simon and Micah, go shift back." Liam's eyes landed on the two men in front of us and the unconscious wolf on the floor. "We've got to take care of business." The two wolves nodded and ran out the door.

Liam touched my face and leaned his head toward mine, breathing me in.

Despite the pain, I relished his touch. It felt like it had been so long since I’d seen him.

"Kai, will you help her?" Liam turned and looked at my friend, who stood several feet away, watching it all.

To say I was shocked wouldn't even begin to describe how I was feeling. Liam was willingly allowing Kai to help me. It almost seemed like I’d woken up in an alternate reality.

"Of course." Kai had another shirt in his hands, which he ripped into two pieces. "Here, let's put this around you. It'll do better than your hands."

As Kai positioned the shirt rags, tying them around my shoulder to cover the open wound, Evan and Liam sprang into action.

"Why did you kidnap my mate?" Liam's words were low but clear.

"Your mate?" The son's mask of indifference slipped. "She's … your mate?" "I told you this was strange." The older man shook his head.

"You're not helping." The son glared at his father.

"I'm going to ask nicely one more time," Liam growled the words. "Why did you kidnap my mate?"

"We didn't know she was your mate." The son's face lost some of its confidence.

Evan reared back and punched the younger one square in the jaw, making him crumple to the ground.

"And you thought they'd protect us." The older man laughed. "They send us after one of their own heirs' mates. I told you to ask more questions."

My world seemed to tilt. One of the council members had sent them after me. Mr. Hale wasn't lying when he said he wanted me gone.

Kai tightened the torn shirt around my arm, making me groan in pain.

"Be easy with her." Liam glanced back and scowled at Kai.

"The tighter it is, the better it will staunch the blood flow." Kai lifted both hands in the air and stepped back. He glanced at me. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." I was losing a lot of blood, so anything that would cut down on it was good with me. My head was beginning to feel a little dizzy.

"Are you trying to say that one of our fathers paid you to do this?" Evan shook his head.

"Not just one; all of them." The old man shook his head, and his eyes landed on the wolf on the other side of the room. "I was their pack alpha, and I don't know what happened, but I can barely even shift anymore. They had to take charge, but their mother is struggling worse than me. We had bills to pay, so when the council called, we thought we might get a chance to get a healer to help her and me."

"Enough." Liam's chest heaved as Simon and Micah entered the room, dressed in jeans and black shirts. "Do you expect us to believe that?"

The room began to spin, and my legs gave out from underneath me.

Kai's strong hands wrapped around me. "She's losing too much blood."

"Simon. Micah." Liam glanced at them and then came over to me. "Deal with them the way you

see fit."

"Hell, yeah." Simon's maniacal laugh echoed against the walls.

"Come on." Liam picked me up, cradling me in his arms.

My head landed on his chest, and the beating of his heart comforted me.

Why didn't you tell me you were getting dizzy? His face was lined with worry. "Evan, let's go.

We have to go get her situated."

"Okay." Evan patted Micah on the back. "I'll be back to help clean this mess up."

You can't kill them. They were struggling. It didn't seem right, especially if it was for their own pack and family.

Honey, there's no way they can make it out of this alive. Liam headed to the door. I can't be here to oversee it, and you won't last much longer if we don't get this bullet taken care of. The longer we wait, the more your wolf is going to try to heal over it, which won't be good. You could start bleeding internally.

"Don't let her go to sleep." Evan caught up to Liam's side. "I'm going to get the car, but don't jar her." He rushed out the door ahead of us.

"I'm going to stay here." Kai touched my arm before frowning. "I'll check on you later." Why in the world did you take that bullet? Liam moved slower, trying not to jar me.

Because it would've been a direct hit on Micah. The tall, dark, muscular man had saved me, and it didn't seem right for him to die. I couldn't let that happen.