Page 3 of Hansen (Mutants #7)

IT WASN’T THAT EVAN hadn’t wanted to help Orion.

If there had been anything he could do, he’d have done it.

It had been best for him to stay out of Orion’s way, though.

He wasn’t a fighter even when he was in his best shape, and he hadn’t been in years.

The docs in the labs were careful to keep him alive, but that didn’t mean they wanted him to thrive or be strong enough to rebel.

The only thing Evan could do was watch Orion confront his father, and that was what he did.

Orion was strong and knocked his father down, and it took everything Evan had not to start cheering.

He might be scared, but watching a hunter get his ass handed to him was always a good thing, especially when it was by the good guys.

Orion let go of his father.

Evan sucked in a breath because he could see that the asshole was still conscious, but Orion didn’t seem to care as he turned toward the van where Evan was huddled and raised his hands, maybe to show Evan he wouldn’t hurt him.

“Are you all right?”

Orion asked.

Evan nodded. He couldn’t look away from Orion’s father. Why wasn’t he getting up?

Had Orion hurt him so badly that he couldn’t, or was he biding his time until he could surprise Orion? Evan wouldn’t put it past him.

“You think you can come out of the van?”

Orion asked, snagging Evan’s attention again.

Evan hesitated. “I don’t know. I’m scared.”

He wasn’t getting anywhere near Orion’s father. That man was vicious.

“It’s all right to be scared.”

Evan almost snorted. Of course Orion thought it was all right to be scared. “You weren’t.”

“Oh, I was. I was terrified, Evan.”

“You didn’t look scared.”

“I knew what my father would do. I was prepared, and besides, I had to protect you. No matter how scared I was, I couldn’t listen to the fear.”

Evan almost moved forward when he noticed someone moving close to the van.

It wasn’t Orion, and Orion’s father was still down.

No, this was someone else, someone Evan didn’t know and probably couldn’t trust.

He glanced around, not surprised to see there was more than one someone.

Had more hunters arrived? Orion’s father had said they would, but Evan had thought he was bluffing.

Maybe he hadn’t been.

Maybe Evan and Orion were about to be carted off to the closest lab.

Evan should be resigned because this was what his life had been for who knew how long, but for a moment, he’d thought things would finally change.

“These are my friends, so you don’t have to be afraid of them,”

Orion said gently. “Remember I told you they would come for me? Well, they did, and they’ll help you, too.”

Not hunters, then.

That was a good thing, although Evan still wasn’t sure he should trust Orion and his friends.

Orion had saved him, but it was a byproduct of Orion kicking his father’s ass.

It had nothing to do with Evan.

But Orion had been nice to him when he didn’t have to.

He’d been worried that Evan was hurt, and when his father had tried forcing both of them out of the van, Orion had stood up for Evan and protected him.

If there was one person Evan could trust, it had to be him, right? Besides, he was Davey’s mate.

Evan still couldn’t believe that.

What were the odds that he’d be involved in the kidnapping of his long-lost best friend’s mate? Fate had to have a sense of humor.

The only thing missing was for Evan to find his own mate and for him to be Davey’s brother or something.

It wasn’t possible because Evan already knew that Davey’s brother wasn’t his mate, so maybe a friend?

Evan had a decision to make.

He couldn’t stay in the van forever.

He had to trust Orion, if anything because Davey’s mate wouldn’t hurt him.

“Really?”

he asked. He still wasn’t convinced that these people—whoever they were—would help him, but if Davey was involved, if he was here, then Evan was safe.

He reached out to take Orion’s hand when Orion offered it to him. It felt like a monumental step, and it took Evan’s breath away, but he did it.

Then Orion’s father got up.

Evan scrambled back because there was no way he was getting involved with the asshole. Orion should have killed him when he had the chance, but he hadn’t, and now, his father would hurt both of them.

Evan should have known better than to hope. He’d done so for months, but he’d still been trapped and used and hurt. Nothing would ever change. It was too late.

The man had managed to get to his feet, but that was as far as he went before a weird watery substance engulfed him. Evan blinked, wondering what the fuck was happening now and if it was contagious.

That was when his world shook again.

Davey appeared behind Orion’s father. Evan hadn’t seen him in years, probably—he really ought to find out how long he’d been trapped in various labs—and he looked so good that Evan wanted to cry. They’d been barely more than kids when they’d been forced to separate, and the years showed on Davey’s face, but it was him, and that was all that mattered. Evan doubted he looked anything like he had when they were younger, considering everything he’d been through.

“Do you know how much humidity there is in the air right now?”

Davey asked as he moved toward Orion’s father. “Enough to surround you with water. Enough to drown you.”

Evan sucked in a breath behind Orion. What the hell was Davey talking about? Was he the one doing that? How? What was it? What the fuck had happened to Davey?

“Is that what you want me to do?”

Davey stopped in front of Orion’s father. “I wouldn’t regret it. I know what you did to your sons, and one of them is my mate. I’d do anything to have you out of Orion’s life, including killing you. You don’t deserve to live, anyway.”

Evan shivered. His best friend had changed. He never would have spoken that way before, but whatever had happened to him since they’d last seen each other, it had hardened him. Evan supposed that the same could be said about him. He wasn’t the same Evan he’d been before, and he never would be again.

“That’s not for you to decide,”

Orion’s father said.

He sounded scared, which made Evan feel good. Then he felt guilty for feeling good that someone was scared, but should he? Orion’s father was a hunter. He’d probably kidnapped and hurt dozens of people, if not more. He’d hurt Evan, and he would have done much worse if Orion hadn’t stood up to him and if Orion’s friends and Davey hadn’t intervened.

Orion hadn’t killed his father. Evan wasn’t sure he had it in him. He was a sweet man, no matter who had fathered him.

But Davey wasn’t Orion or Perseus. The Davey Evan had known wouldn’t have hurt a fly, but Davey wasn’t that person anymore. Evan didn’t know this Davey. Maybe he’d kill Orion’s father.

Evan wanted to see what was happening better, so he moved closer to Orion. He stayed in the van, just in case, but he didn’t think anyone would hurt him with Davey there.

“He was going to attack you from behind,”

Evan told Orion.

“Good thing my mate stepped in, then,”

Orion murmured back.

Evan had wanted to believe him, but part of him had been hesitant. He wasn’t anymore. That really was Davey, and it looked like he was here to save Orion. “You weren’t lying. You really are Davey’s mate.”

“I am, and he’ll be over the moon to find you here. He’s been looking for you. He never stopped.”

Evan smiled. He’d known Davey had never stopped looking for him. He wouldn’t have if their roles had been reversed and Davey had been the one left behind. “I never expected him to stop. I’m just not sure what to do. It’s been so long, and I feel like my life back then doesn’t even belong to me. It’s like it was a dream.”

Or maybe the past few years or so of his life were the dream—the nightmare. Evan wasn’t even sure who he was anymore.

Orion turned to look at him. “Well, if it was a dream, you’re still living it. You’re free, Evan. You’re free, and you have Davey back.”

Evan stared at him. He was right. Evan was free. He was finally free, and he had no idea what to do with that.

HANSEN ALMOST FELT like he was out of place here.

This felt like a family matter that only Orion, Perseus, Davey, and their father should be involved in—and maybe Davey’s best friend, who was still in the van and was talking to Orion.

Hansen hadn’t seen a lot of Evan yet, but what he had seen worried him.

Even though Evan was buried in an oversized hoodie, it was clear that the man needed medical attention and food.

When he and Davey had been separated, Evan had been in a lab, and Hansen suspected that was where he’d spent the best part of his time since then.

He didn’t know why Evan wasn’t there right now, but it was a good thing.

Orion and Perseus’s father was done for, and Hansen was glad when Teddy grabbed the asshole and shimmered him away.

He hoped they would never have to worry about him again.

The reunion between Davey and Evan had almost everyone crying.

The danger wasn’t over, though.

Orion’s father had let it slip that more hunters were coming, which meant they needed to be ready for that and that they had to get Evan out of there.

Hansen was relieved when Moore ordered Orion and Davey to leave, too. Those two deserved some time to themselves, and Davey needed time with Evan.

When Teddy reappeared, he was ready to take the three of them away.

Hansen moved forward to tell Orion that he was glad to have him back, but he froze when he got closer.

He looked around frantically, trying to find the person from whom the scent came.

There was only one option, but it couldn’t be true, could it?

After desperately wanting to find his mate, after wondering when it would happen or if it would happen at all, Hansen had finally met the man of his destiny.

Davey’s best friend.

Hansen’s mouth went dry as he watched Evan lean against Davey’s side.

He desperately wanted to go with them, but he couldn’t.

He’d need to tell Moore why he wanted to, and he wasn’t sure it was the best idea.

Evan had already gone through so much.

He hadn’t only spent years in a cage.

He’d also been dragged around by Orion’s father, had no doubt been threatened, and he’d been hurt.

The bruise on his face made that evident. If Orion’s father hadn’t been taken care of already, Hansen might have begged Moore for a few minutes with him.

Now wasn’t the time for Hansen to tell Evan who he was.

He hadn’t asked Davey if Evan was a shifter, but just in case, he decided to stay away.

Evan didn’t need to be shocked.

He needed rest, food, a healer, and to spend time with Davey. He needed to reunite with his family and allow himself to live, something he hadn’t been able to do since he’d been kidnapped.

Hansen had wanted to meet his mate, and he had.

No matter how much he wanted to talk to Evan, he needed to think about what was best for the man, and it wasn’t Hansen, not right now anyway.

That was why Hansen forced himself to stay back and watched as Teddy shimmered Evan away.

Hansen allowed himself to relax once his mate was gone, but it wasn’t easy.

His lion was pushing at him to follow.

Hansen wanted to, but his priority was to keep Evan safe, which meant getting rid of the incoming hunters.

He turned toward Moore, who was talking to Olga.

Their conversation didn’t last long.

They snapped out their orders, and by the time the hunters arrived, the mutants were ready for them.

They allowed the hunters to move close enough to check the van.

From what Hansen could hear, the hunters were wondering what was up with Mitchell.

One of them made a joke that Mitchell was probably passed out drunk, and that was why he wasn’t answering his phone.

All in all, the hunters didn’t seem to be taking this seriously, which wasn’t surprising.

That was their first mistake.

Their second mistake was staying and fighting once Moore stepped forward.

Some hunters were true fighters.

They honed their skills, and they were ready for anything, but most hunters were lazy.

They thought that capturing a few people and handing them to the labs made them strong, but it just made them monsters.

They also didn’t usually fight against people who’d spent time in the labs they worked for. They weren’t prepared for the abilities the doctors had created.

The mutants knew that, and they took advantage of it.

That included Hansen, who grinned fiercely as he used his cloaking ability to hide from their enemies.

It meant he could move between them without having to fear they’d attack him and that he could ambush them.

Like always, the first thing he did was get a headcount.

Once he had one, he rushed back to Moore, who made the decisions.

Hansen was distracted.

Even though he needed to focus, he couldn’t stop thinking about Evan.

What was he doing right now? Was Davey taking good care of him? The only possible answer to that question was yes, but Hansen still felt the need to check on Evan himself.

He didn’t think he’d be able to relax until he did.

He sucked in a breath when a fist landed on the side of his jaw.

It hurt, but not as much as it would have if he hadn’t managed to duck out of the way before it fully reached him.

He threw himself at the hunter, slamming the man against the closest tree.

When the man continued moving, Hansen kneed him in the guts, then punched him in the face.

“I was starting to think that you’d allow that asshole to get the better of you,”

Matthew said as he poked at the fallen hunter with his foot.

A small crackle of electricity jumped from Matthew’s body to the hunter, shocking the man.

Hansen felt the hunter was lucky he couldn’t feel much right now.

“Stop that,”

he scolded Matthew. “The guy might be an asshole, but he’s unconscious.”

Matthew huffed. “What good is my electricity thingy if I can’t use it on my enemies?”

“That’s something you need to talk to with Moore. I just follow orders.”

“You’re boring.”

Hansen probably was, but he had a secret that was anything but boring. He opened his mouth to tell Matthew that, but he snapped it shut because he didn’t know if Evan would want him to tell anyone. Maybe Hansen should keep this to himself until he could talk to Evan.

Of course, Matthew noticed something was up. His eyes sparkled as he gently kicked the hunter again. “What’s up with you?”

he asked, staring at Hansen.

“None of your business.”

“You’re my friend. Whatever happens to you is my business. Now spill.”

Hansen hesitated, then shook his head. “We’ll talk tomorrow. We need to finish this job first.”

Matthew pouted. “You’re no fun, but fine. Don’t think I won’t hunt you down if you don’t tell me tomorrow, though.”

When Matthew wanted answers, he got them by whatever means necessary. Hansen knew better than to try avoiding his friend. It never ended well.

“I know,”

he told Matthew before pushing him away from the hunter. Matthew was going to give the guy a heart attack if he continued poking at him.

By the time they were done, there were no hunters standing. Some of them were unconscious, but most had been gathered by the van so they could be taken away. The council would take care of them, although Hansen suspected that Orion’s father would be a different matter, but the man wasn’t his mess to deal with.

He frowned as he pushed one of the hunters toward Elsa, one of the Nix who would transport the hunters to wherever the council would be keeping them. It was kind of Hansen’s business, though, wasn’t it? He was Evan’s mate, and Evan was close to Davey, maybe as close as a brother. Orion was Davey’s mate, so even though they weren’t actually related, they kind of were family. More than that, Orion was Davey’s mate, and Davey was Hansen’s friend. That was why Hansen worried and why he cared.

He shook his head. He shouldn’t have started thinking about family before he talked to Evan. He didn’t know what would happen between them. Maybe Evan wouldn’t want him. Maybe he’d need time after everything that had happened to him.

Or maybe he’d be happy to meet Hansen, and Hansen would finally get his happy ever after.

SAYING THAT EVAN WAS overwhelmed would be an understatement.

He’d blown past overwhelmed last night when he’d arrived at the village.

He was in freak out, screaming into his pillow territory now, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

He knew he could tell Davey and Orion that he needed some peace, and they’d do whatever they could to give it to him.

He didn’t want to bother them, though, and he understood that meeting the leader of the village and the person who was apparently Davey’s boss was important.

There was a lot that Evan needed to wrap his mind around, though, and he wasn’t sure that cramming all of this into his brain the day after he’d been rescued after years of captivity was the best idea.

Rikar was still talking and had a gentle smile on his face.

Evan couldn’t help but smile back.

Orion had promised that the village and the tribe would welcome him, but Evan hadn’t been sure he could believe him.

Clearly, he should have because Rikar hadn’t even hesitated before welcoming Evan into his tribe.

“We can give you your own place,”

Rikar said.

“That sounds like a bad idea right now.”

If Rikar was surprised by Evan’s words, he didn’t show it. “Whatever you need. We’re used to dealing with survivors and helping them get back on their feet. You won’t find a better place to do that than here.”

“I don’t know what I want right now.”

“Which is understandable,”

Moore, Davey’s boss, said.