Page 3

Chapter Two

A t the precise second Victor smelled an unusual scent, about another six shifters all stilled and raised their heads. He’d registered the noise of a car a few minutes ago, but knew the five wolves outside would have as well. He also knew there were many shifters that lived here, and the sound of a car wasn’t unusual.

The scent of blood, however, definitely was.

At the same time that he took off for the gate at the end of the yard, Zack, Asher, and Riley did as well. And his fucking alpha. He had a second to snarl at Raschid, who insisted on putting himself in danger when it was his fucking job to keep him safe. The squeal of tires also registered, and Victor snapped out orders for two of his gammas to follow the black car currently disappearing around the corner like a road rocket. Jem and Ike obeyed immediately and ran to the truck but Victor knew it was already too late.

Then he looked at what he’d smelled. At first, he thought it was a heap of rags on the ground, but as Riley and Zack both bent down, he smelled human. Or what was left of one. There were way too many heartbeats out here for him to know if he or she was still alive.

Then Zack stood and Victor saw the person he was carrying, or what little he could make out under the blood.

“Take him inside,” Riley ordered. “I need to see what I can do.”

“Maintain the perimeter,” Victor ordered the other three gammas. “Let me know the instant Jem and Ike return.” And because his alpha followed the others inside, so did Victor.

There were too many people to crowd around the small ground-floor room where Zack had taken the human, but because Raschid did, again, so did Victor.

Victor stood and watched as Riley and Zack carefully peeled away blood-drenched clothes. Riley looked over and spotted Alex. “Alex, get me some water. I need to get this blood off.” Alex dashed away, and Victor watched carefully as Zack and Riley worked in unison.

“His arm’s broken. Wait a moment.” Zack stilled and Riley closed his eyes for a moment in concentration, then winced. “Shit, his spleen.” He immediately left the arm and placed his hand on the upper side of his abdomen, and the human was definitely a he . Victor swallowed hard as Zack simply ripped the human’s shirt open and Riley laid his hand on bare but incredibly bruised skin. He had a second to register a growl before he realized it was coming from his own throat at the same time that he heard a second noise from Zack. He pressed his lips together, but then the smell hit him.

At first, he thought he was back home in his mama’s kitchen watching her stir the rum and coffee into her Torta Barozzi, but then he realized the sweetness was coming from the man Zack was hunched over.

Touching.

Jealousy and anger hit Victor like a freight train, and a snarl started in his chest, erupting from his throat as he took a threatening step toward the bear shifter. How dare he—but then Zack looked up from where he was crouched over the man on the bed and a deep warning rumble came from the bear. Victor felt his alpha’s restraining hand on his arm, but for the first time since he had met Raschid, his wolf ignored the command to stand down. Victor’s wolf was incensed. How dare the bear shifter touch his mate? He would rip off the hand that thought it could, and crush—

“Victor—”

The alpha command hit Victor’s wolf hard, but his animal still fought for dominance.

“Zack,” Riley commanded, sharply. “Stand down. I can’t sort you two out and heal your mate at the same time. Do you want him to die?”

Victor seemed to jerk back to awareness as horror hit him hard. “No,” he whispered. Zack’s mate? He looked at the human lying on the bed and knew it was only his alpha’s grip keeping him from rushing over and sweeping him up into his arms.

Riley sighed and gestured to the other side of the bed. “Victor, come to the other side.” Victor moved instantly, sending a threatening glare to Zack, barely registering the one Zack returned. Alex pushed his way past Raschid with a bowl of water and some cloths. Victor didn’t even ask. He just took the water from his arms, ignoring the boy, who glanced at Riley but sensibly backed away to the door. As Victor took the bowl, Zack snatched the towel draped over Alex’s shoulder. Riley nodded. “Be careful. His nose was broken, and it’s still really bruised. I’m having to concentrate on the serious injuries first.”

“What other injuries?” Zack asked before Victor got a chance to, but Victor very much wanted to know as well. He dipped the soft rag in the warm water and more gently than he thought he was capable of, started cleaning his mate’s face.

“Ribs. One had punctured his lung.” Riley continued, then frowned and reached under the young man's head. Riley’s hand cupped the back of it, and then Riley staggered but Zack reached out quickly and steadied him.

“Take some of mine,” Zack bit out and Victor stopped what he was doing a second to watch Riley let go and hold on to Zack for a moment. Then he nodded and straightened, his hand going back to his mate.

“Brain bleed,” Riley whispered, which just about stopped Victor’s heart. “It’s okay, it’s healed,” Riley added and he withdrew his hand.

“Son?” Victor looked up and saw Christopher Hunter standing next to Alex, watching Riley in concern. But Riley seemed okay. He glanced at Zack and wondered what the hell had just happened? But Zack was carefully drying around his mate’s face. Victor waited for the jealousy or anger to return, but surprisingly, his wolf wasn’t objecting.

He gazed in fascination at the man lying in front of him. He was slender, short even for a human. He was pretty sure that both of Daniel’s mates were taller than his mate. He had pale white skin, but with so much swelling and huge purple and red bruising, it was difficult to see much. His short brown hair was mattered with blood and Victor wanted to clean that as well. Fuck, what the hell was going on with him? Although he knew, of course he did. Every shifter knew instinctively when they met their mate.

There were, however, two huge problems as far as he could see—no, make that a list of them. And not simply that his mate was fully human and had been beaten nearly to death, but that his mate also appeared to be Zack’s as well. He reached up and carefully cleaned the blood from around a pair of eyes he wished were open so he could see their color. Zack immediately followed carefully with the towel, and again Victor’s wolf seemed to accept it.

“How’s he doing?”

They all looked up as Jax, Riley’s mate, appeared at the door.

“Where would you like me to begin?” Riley smiled at Jax. “We have a human that was dumped on our doorstep deliberately after being beaten to within an inch of his life, and he’s about to be fought over by Zack and Victor, who, despite recognizing the human as their mate seem to actually hate each other, so I have no idea how that would even work.”

Christopher shook his head. “Do we know who he is?”

Victor risked a glance at Zack, the weight of Riley’s words settling in him and making him feel vaguely ill. He was going to have to challenge the bear for his mate? Zack met Victor’s gaze, and Victor recognized the same desire and challenge in the bear shifter. He had no qualms about fighting for his mate. He would fight to the death to claim him, but how would that even work? They were struggling in the pack assimilating hybrids. What would happen if he tried to claim a full human mate?

Riley stepped back. “I want to let him rest for a while, then I’ll reassess the same injuries. I don’t want to start on the bruising until I make sure the other injuries have fully healed.”

“There’s a doubt?” Victor bit out.

“He’s human. Sometimes it’s not as simple as one and done,” Riley countered. “I want to give his body a rest.” Riley stepped back, and Victor heard a gasp from Alex.

Everyone turned to the boy. “What is it?” Christopher asked.

“I know him,” Alex said. “I couldn’t tell with all the blood, but Tyler will know him as well.”

“Who is he?” Zack asked before Victor got the chance to.

“Mr. Granger. I think his first name is Lachlan or something, but I’m not certain. He works with the kids who need extra help with reading.”

“He’s a teacher?” Riley confirmed, and Alex nodded.

“Started this semester.”

Victor stared back at his mate. What was going on? First, the school had problems with drugs, and it may have something to do with the pack, and now a teacher from the same school had been dumped on Hunter’s Creek doorstep.

He glanced up at Zack, who was watching his mate, then looked up and met Victor’s eyes. “You don’t think this is a coincidence, do you?”

Victor shook his head. No. No, he didn’t.