“There was plenty of time between when he rescued you and now, time to rescue others. You can’t worry about that. It’ll drive you crazy,” Logan said. “Any word on the guy who helped Gabriel get in and out?”
“Not yet,” Finn said. “It’s like he just disappeared.”
“I’m sure he had help with that,” Clara stated.
“Are they heading back?” Laura asked.
“Probably tomorrow,” Finn said. “Murphy will call me later. They’ve got a few things they want to follow up on while they’re there. Gabriel has a few connections in that area, but they’re pretty remote. They’ll have to go in on foot, and he’s antsy with Kenzie still unable to shift if needed.”
“She’s a Marine,” Logan scoffed. “She doesn’t need to shift. She can blend into any environment like she was born to it.”
“I’m sure she let him know that,” Finn said with a smirk. “I’m going to go check on Ariel and help her look through the rest of the stuff at Isaac’s. I won’t be long,” he told Laura.
“Want me to come with you?” she offered.
“No, I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about, and I’m hoping to get a chance to talk with Ariel.” She’d avoided him since she’d told Laura everything that happened. Finn wanted to make sure she knew he was still there for her, too.
“I’ll see you soon then.”
He crossed to where she sat and leaned down to give her a soft kiss on the lips. “Soon,” he promised.
With a nod to Logan and Clara, Finn left, grabbing one of the ATVs and heading toward Isaac’s and Ariel. He found her, not in the house, but in the yard behind it. She didn’t even glance up when he approached her.
“Find anything useful today?” he asked.
“The man was a packrat. I doubt much of this was useful past the eighties,” she said.
Finn laughed. “I thought I’d see if you needed any help.”
“I was just taking a break, getting some fresh air.”
“I’m sure it’s overwhelming at times, especially with your mate’s scent lingering in places,” he said.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“I never took you for a coward, Ariel,” he stated. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not a coward,” she hissed. “You have no idea what I’ve survived.”
“I do have an idea,” he told her. “Stop letting the past define you. We love you, Ariel. You’re family. Don’t you know it kills us to know what you’ve suffered? How much we wish we’d been there to stop them? To protect you.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“You’re right. It is. None of us can go back into the past, but we can learn from it. Laura has an idea, a way for us to try to prevent what happened to you from happening to others.”
“What is it?”
“She thinks we should send out teams to do what they do, to search for lone shifters in need of help, in need of a home. There aren’t many choices for them now, not if the only ones looking and offering aid are the ones trying to annihilate us.”
“Has she discussed it with anyone besides you?”
“Yes, and Tah thinks it’s a great idea. He’ll probably ask for volunteers.”
“I’ll volunteer,” Ariel said.
“He won’t let you go,” Finn said. “And if he did, I’d ask him not to.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in no condition to help anyone else right now. You’re still dealing with what happened to you. Plus, killing Dillon. You might act like it didn’t matter, but I can see the truth when you think no one’s watching. I know what it’s like to take another person’s life, deserving or not. It leaves a mark on you. Add in coming here and finding your mate—”
“I don’t have a mate,” Ariel whispered.
“You know that’s not true,” Finn said. “He’s a good man, Ariel. He could help you get through all this.”
“Do you know why I can be with you and Gideon and Murphy and be okay?”
“Because you trust us and know we’d never hurt you,” Finn answered.
“Because you don’t want anything from me. A mate…has needs, and I can’t… I won’t… I’ll never let a man touch me like that again. I can’t give Daniel what he needs.”
“How do you know that? Have you spoken with him?”
“No, and I’m not going to. Leave it alone, Finn.”
“They hung me on a wall and beat the hell out of me. There wasn’t a part of me they missed. Fists. Knives. It’s amazing what we have the capacity to heal from, and still, I died. My body was too broken to heal, and I felt myself slipping away. Then Laura came in. My mate. With one touch, she saved my life. Don’t underestimate the bond mates form. Those bonds change lives, heal and even bring you back to life.”
“It’s not the same.”
“You’re right. It’s not. I died on the floor of that cabin. You? You’re very much alive. Don’t let your demons keep you from finding happiness. You deserve it. More importantly, remember it’s not just about you. Every choice you make touches his life. In denying yourself, you’re sentencing him to a life without a mate. I’ll admit I don’t now Daniel that well, but he seems like a great guy. My mate loves him as if he were her brother. That tells me everything I need to know about him. Give him a chance, Ariel. Give yourself one.”
“I don’t think I can.”
“Gabriel said something to Laura that she shared with me the other night. For her, it had to do with her brother, but I think it could apply to you.”
“What?”
“Ask yourself if you feel better knowing Daniel is close. Not necessarily as your mate, but just knowing where he is and that he’s safe and alive. Do you miss him? Are you worried about him? If the answer to any of those is yes, start building bridges instead of walls.”
“I don’t—”
“Just think about it,” Finn urged. “Daniel seems to be a patient man. He hasn’t pushed you once that I’ve seen. That’s more than I can say for most of us. Give him a chance. Get to know him. You might discover there’s more to you than you think.”
She didn’t say anything, but he could tell she was processing what he’d said. That was a start, or at least, he hoped it was. She needed to realize and really believe the words she’d said the other day. She wasn’t broken. She was worthy. She didn’t deserve what had happened, and she was not a victim.
“You ready to head back in?” he asked. “You can show me where you were working and where I should start.”
She’d opened her mouth to reply when his phone rang. He knew who it was before he answered. Murphy. She pointed to the house and headed inside, leaving him alone as he answered.
“What’s wrong?” Finn asked in lieu of a greeting.
“Remind me to stop volunteering for stuff,” Murphy grumbled. “Seems Daniel’s picked up your mate’s previous death wish. If I manage to get his ass back there unharmed, it’ll be a miracle. Damn fool nearly walked in front of a car today. Didn’t even notice.”
Finn would keep that tidbit of information away from Ariel right now. She’d only blame herself.
“When are you guys planning to head back?”
“We got a lead earlier. Gabriel and Kenzie are checking in with his contact. Apparently, it’s a guy Gabriel rescued. He’s a bit of a recluse now. Daniel and I are looking into the new information.”
“Is that safe? Can you trust him to watch your back?”
“I won’t take any chances. If I feel like he’s putting either of us in danger, I’ll park him somewhere. His animal is battling him hard. I didn’t realize how much until this trip. He’s got a lot of willpower, but it’s flagging. How’s Ariel doing?”
“She doesn’t think she’s worthy of a mate.” Not exactly how she’d put it, but that was the crux of it.
“He needs her just as much as she needs him. I swear with the way mating has been lately, I’m starting to hope I don’t have one,” Murphy said.
“It’s all worth it when you hold the one you’re meant to be with,” Finn assured him.
“I’ll take your word on it for now. I wanted to give you a heads up about tomorrow. We’ll all leave at first light then meet back up in the evening. Unless we find out something else, we’ll head back the following morning.”
“I hear an ‘if’ in there,” Finn said.
“No ifs,” Murph said. “I’ll call you after Daniel and I get back. Already, we’ve been able to speak with several people who’ve said it appeared the lab was in the process of moving before it burned down. Gabriel finally made contact with the man who helped him slip in and out. He gave us two possible sites for the lab relocation. It’ll be a couple hours drive to reach them, but we’ll see if either of them pan out. We’re not leaving until we’ve exhausted any possibility for getting the information we need.”
“Did the guy say anything about the information Isaac had?”
“Didn’t ask him. That’s where Gabriel and Kenzie are headed tomorrow. Gabriel thinks the one he rescued might have an idea what they mean or at least be able to point us in a direction for answers.”
“I don’t like the idea of you guys splitting up,” Finn murmured.
“Tah said the same thing, but we’ll be okay. Daniel and I will do recon. If we find anything, we’ll wait for Gabriel and Kenzie before we investigate further. Gideon’s making some calls. He knows of some shifters who are close enough to assist, if needed.”
“Don’t take any chances,” Finn ordered. “I need you more than I need answers.”
“I know the feeling,” Murphy agreed. “I’m not as foolhardy and reckless as my younger brother, and I like my skin too much to risk losing it.”
Finn snorted at that comment but let it go. “Have you encountered any hunters?”
“No, and that’s what’s so baffling. We should be in Blane territory or, at least, on the edges of it. That lab your mate was in wasn’t the only one burned down either. There were several within a three-city radius. It’s like they pulled up, moved and wanted to leave behind no traces.”
“Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know, but I think we need to find out.”
Murphy was right. It was strange, but it gave Finn a measure of relief to know there were no hunters in the vicinity. He knew firsthand just what they were capable of. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to be in hunters hands.
“How’s Logan?” Murph asked.
Finn spent the next few minutes bringing his brother up to date on everything. He hated being apart. It wasn’t often that they were, and the last time hadn’t gone so well.
“Just a minute,” Murph said, and Finn heard him speaking to someone else. “I’m going to get going,” he said when he came back on the line. “We’re going to grab dinner and get organized for the morning. I’ll call you when we get back.”
“Make sure you do,” Finn said. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
He hung up then headed into the house to work with Ariel. He’d stop into the main house and make sure Tah knew everything then grab his mate and fill her in. He knew Murphy was doing most of this for Laura. She needed answers, and his brother was doing his best to get them for her. Despite what Murphy had said, Finn hoped his brother was lucky enough to find his own mate…soon.
Chapter Seventeen
“Are you going to pace until they pull up?” Laura teased as Finn made another trek across the front porch of the main house.
“Probably,” Clara teased. “You’d think he was Murphy’s dad.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Finn replied, stopping at the steps and dropping to sit next to Logan. “Where’s your guitar?”
“You still play?” Laura asked her brother. He’d played a lot when she was younger. He’d been pretty good, too.
“I’ll get it,” Clara offered and was up and running. Logan watched his mate disappear into the house and smiled.
“She bought one for me when we were in Colorado. I lost mine when Reno was shot.”
“Do you play it much?”
“I do,” he said as Clara popped back out the door with it in hand.
“Here,” she said. “I told them you were playing. They’ll be out in a minute.” She turned to Laura. “Have you heard them all sing?”
“Them?”
“Logan, Reno, Tah, Zane, Finn and Murphy. They sound incredible. I could listen to them all night long.”
Laura turned to her mate. “You sing?”
“I croon a little.” He held out his hand to her, and she rose, taking it and letting him pull her down until she sat in his lap. He dropped a kiss on her upturned lips, and she snuggled into him.
“Just got off the phone with Daniel,” Tah said as he walked out. He was shirtless, broad shoulders and bronzed flesh gleaming and drawing Laura’s attention.
“Careful,” Finn teased. “You’ll make me jealous.”
Laura laughed.
Tah grinned. “Sorry. Regan spit up all over my shirt.”
“Where’s my favorite girl?” Reno asked as he and Amia joined them.
“Abby’s getting her cleaned up. They’ll be out in a minute.”
Logan strummed a few chords while they spoke.
“What did Daniel have to say?” Finn asked.
Tah sighed and dropped down on the steps by them. “He’s not coming back with them. Not out here anyway. They’re dropping him off at his house in town.”
“And?” Laura asked, sitting up.
“He’s going away for a bit. He said there are a few people he should check in with, to let them know about Isaac. Gideon and Vic are going with him,” Tah said.
“How’s Ariel going to handle that?” Logan asked. “She’s usually with Gideon or Vic lately.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Finn said. “So will Murphy.”
“Am I the only one worried about Daniel?” Laura demanded. “He’s hurting, too. I know how it feels when you think you’ve lost your mate.” Finn’s arms tightened around her. “I know that pain and how it makes you not care if you live or die. That’s where Daniel is right now, and it scares me.”
“Vic and Gideon will watch over him,” Tah promised. “We’re all concerned about him. I don’t think any of us knows what to do to help in this situation.”
“I think all we can do is wait and watch,” Abby said as she walked out to join them, Regan in her arms. Tah took the little girl from her mother and cuddled her up against his chest. Logan and Finn both leaned in to coo at her, and Laura’s heart melted. “And we’ll be here if—when—they need us,” Abby continued. “I thought I heard something about music and singing.”
Logan began playing, and one by one, they all joined in. Laura snuggled against her mate’s chest and let his low tenor soothe her. Her man had an amazing voice, but Clara was right when she said they could all sing. They went from one song to the next without pause. Regan fell asleep on her dad’s chest, her cheek pressed close, little fists resting under her chin. He had one hand braced along her side, and her knees were bent, little butt in the air. What moved Laura was the way Tah looked at his daughter as he held her. You could tell his little girl was the love of his life, she and her mother. It was the same with all of them. Reno and Amia. Logan and Clara. Zane and Diane. Gideon and Vic. Gabriel and Kenzie. She and Finn. Such a deep bond existed between mates. She wanted that for Daniel and Ariel.