Territory (17 page)

Kya swallowed; glad she wasn’t the cause or recipient of his anger.

“Seems she’d fallen in love with this new man and she was too afraid to tell me. Said she didn’t know how my werewolf would handle the bad news.” Briggs turned and looked at her, his eyes sad. “She actually called me a werewolf. Said she was terrified of what I’d do to her…to him, she was afraid of how I’d react. So she said she came up with her plan to benefit everyone involved.” Briggs walked to the window, his large frame blocking out the dreary gray of the harsh winter.

“I’m sorry.” Kya whispered. “I’m so…” she couldn’t find a more fitting word, “sorry”.

Briggs turned then, his ever-present scowl reforming, “
You
have nothing to be sorry for.” He exhaled deeply, “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve made you feel unwelcomed and unwanted, and neither is the case.” He crossed back to the bed and sat next to her. “I’m making you pay for what she put me through. It’s unfair and it’s uncalled for. You’ve been nothing but honest and forthright with me and I should give you the same.”

Kya sat motionless staring at Briggs as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands.

“I actually thought I’d lost her. I blamed myself, I blamed the world, and I blamed what I was. Then when I discovered it was all a lie, a lie she fabricated because she was too afraid of what I was to tell me the truth. I knew I’d never put myself through that again.” He sat up and turned to stare at Kya, indecision marring his stony features. “I just don’t know how to let you in.”

They stared at each other in companionable silence for several long moments before Kya leaned forward and gently placed her hand on his cheek. Her eyes fell to his mouth. “I know where to start.” She leaned in and brushed her lips gently over his before she kissed him full on the mouth.

He didn’t respond, and Kya felt embarrassment sting her cheeks as she dropped her hand and slowly pulled back, ashamed at her own brazenness.

She didn’t get far before Briggs’ large hand clamped tightly around her upper arm. Startled she looked up and watched as he bent his head, a wicked grin replacing his scowl. He pulled her to him and his mouth crashed down on hers as he kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless.

She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck as he eased her back on the bed. He kissed her with the same urgency that Kya felt. She felt she had to seize the moment before it was stolen from them. As his tongue tasted the sweetness of her mouth, Kya let out a soft moan. In response, she felt a low rumble in Briggs’ chest as he crawled over her, his legs forcing hers apart.

One hand slid to the back of her neck, while the second found its way to the small of her back where he lifted her hips effortlessly into his. Desire clouded Kya’s thoughts. She wanted him so badly, needed him so badly. She found the hem of his shirt and slid her hands up his chiseled torso, her fingers splaying across the smooth muscles of his chest. She slid her hands to his back then and pulled him harder into her, smashing her breasts between them. He couldn’t be close enough to satisfy her.

His tongue teased hers and when he pulled back, Kya nipped at his bottom lip. He pulled back to stare down at her, and Kya sucked in a breath at the look of possession she saw there. He smiled and her heart melted. It was such a rare expression for him and she didn’t know why. His even teeth appeared even whiter due to the bronze color of his smooth skin, and his eyes actually seemed to dance.

Kya bit her lower lip and arched her back against him, as Briggs dropped his eyes to her breasts. Wordlessly she was offering herself to him. When his eyes found hers again, Kya knew he’d chosen to accept her offer. He let her head fall back as the hand holding the back of her neck retreated to smooth a path from the top button of her pants up her flat belly, just skimming over her gunshot wound, as his hand snaked between her breasts, and back to the softness of her throat. He leaned in and his mouth hovered over her eagerly waiting parted lips. A look of gravity flashed across his face, and Kya blinked in question at his severe expression.

“What?” she whispered, panic fluttering in her belly as she wondered if he’d changed his mind.

Briggs leaned down and gently kissed the swell that had formed high on her cheekbone where she’d cracked her face earlier. He pulled back slowly and looked at her with such a look of concern, that it actually felt like Kya’s heart was being squeezed.

Briggs shook his head. “I should have been here. Should have protected you, kept you safe.”

Kya smiled up at him reassuringly. “I’m safe now.”

Briggs’ mouth covered hers with a gentleness Kya hadn’t expected and she knotted a hand in the back of his hair to hold him in place. She’d had enough talking.

“
Get home now! Isaac’s been taken
!”

Kya’s eyes flew open as her body stilled. At the same instant that she heard the words in her head, she felt Briggs tense over her. She looked up to see that his eyes were open. He’d heard it too!

Isaac? Who’s Isaac? Oh my god! Briggs’ little nephew?
Kya dropped her hand at the same time that Briggs jumped up from the bed, grabbing Kya’s bag from where he’d dropped it earlier on the floor.

“We have to go!”

“I know!”

Briggs knew then that she’d heard the pack call too. Without preamble, he threw the bag over his shoulder. Kya forced herself to a sitting position, ignoring the stiffness of her limbs. Before she could stand, Briggs scooped her up from the bed. She didn’t argue as he carried her quickly through the house then out to his truck.

Kya wanted to ask Briggs about the voice she’d heard, but knew it was poor timing and opted to keep her mouth shut. She snuck a glance at him and saw his jaw working angrily. His nostrils flared in rage and the steering wheel creaked under his white-knuckled grip.

“Wh-who would take Isaac?” Kya asked silently, unable to tolerate the tension any longer.

Without taking his eyes from the road, Briggs bit out, “There’s only one person I can think of.”

Kya sank lower in her seat. It felt like the floor had just dropped out from under her.
Kyler.
She knew without a doubt that he was behind Isaac’s kidnapping. That meant that it was her fault. She gnawed on her bottom lip nervously as she turned to look out the window. She didn’t want Briggs to see the tears that pooled in her eyes.
This is all my fault! Oh God, please let Isaac be okay.
She swallowed hard as her throat thickened with unshed emotion.

She was startled out of her self-deprecation by Briggs’ hand dragging hers from her lap. Her small fist was lost in his.

He squeezed tightly and she turned to look at him. He smiled at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This is not your fault. No one blames you, and no one is going to blame you.”

Kya tried to smile her appreciation, but she couldn’t manage the feat. She was terrified of what Cindy’s reaction would be. She doubted Briggs’ sister would be so enamored with the thought of Briggs claiming her as a mate now that Cindy’s own son was in danger due to his family’s association with Kya. Fear stirred in her belly like acid. If Cindy’s treatment towards her own brother was any indication of her ferocity, either Kya, Kyler, or both were in for some serious, serious trouble.

As Briggs pulled the truck up at the compound, Cindy flew out the door and ran to the truck. Briggs was out of the truck in an instant. Kya watched as Cindy ran up to him, angry tears streaming down her cheeks.

Sitting in the truck, Kya could only watch as Briggs and Cindy exchanged words. Cindy clutched a wrinkled piece of paper in her hands and Briggs grabbed it from her then looked down at it. His face went ashen then he looked up and said something to Cindy. Then Briggs grabbed her by the arms and shook her. Kya heard Cindy scream at him, “I DON’T FUCKING KNOW!”

Kya opened her door and turned to ease herself out of the too tall Dodge. Before she could take her first step, Briggs was there lifting her down with Cindy right behind him.

Kya shook her head again. “In the years I was with them, Kyler was never the violent one, it was always Tyler. Kyler never hurt a child before.”

Cindy turned her face away and cursed, the information Kya provided didn’t bring as much comfort as Kya had hoped.

Kya looked down at the paper in Briggs’ hand. She grabbed it, but Briggs’ held tightly to it. With her hand still holding the paper, Kya looked up at Briggs. “I know him better than any of you. Let me see the note.”

Briggs didn’t blink as his hand loosened on the note. Kya held it up and read the three words that were scrawled in crimson on the paper.

want to trade?

Cindy gritted her teeth over Kya’s shoulder. “We don’t even know what the fuck he wants to trade for.”

“Me.” Kya answered weakly, turning to hand the note back to Briggs. “He wants to trade Isaac for me.”

Kya lay on the small sofa in Dell’s office being tended to by another family doctor as she listened to Briggs and Cindy arguing down the hall in the kitchen. Kya had already volunteered to go to Kyler, but Briggs refused. Cindy, on the other hand, was all for the idea. Who could blame her? The life of her six-year-old son was at stake.

Briggs was trying to convince Cindy of a solution that didn’t involve sacrificing Kya, but Kya knew from experience there was no way to avoid giving Kyler what he wanted.

The loud voices were cut off by the shrill ring of the telephone. Kya listened intently to Briggs as he answered. She could tell from his clipped tone that he was speaking to Kyler.

Then moments later, she heard Cindy’s cry. “Isaac? Are you okay baby? Mama’s coming to get you! Isaac? ISAAC!” Then Cindy was crying and yelling at Briggs again.

As the doctor finished replacing stitches, Kya pulled her shirt down, drew herself up, and made her way down the hall to the kitchen against the doctor’s advice.

As she entered, she took in the sight of Cindy crying in Briggs’ arms, Mama bereft standing over the kitchen sink, a throng of unknown females and Stevie milling about, and three little girls sitting quietly at the table staring confused and scared from Briggs to Kya.

“What did he say?” Kya asked, drawing Cindy’s attention to her.

Cindy pulled from Briggs’ embrace and stormed angrily to the table, pulling one of the little girls onto her lap and squeezing her tightly.

Briggs crossed to Kya and whispered, “He wants to make the exchange at a mile marker not far from here. It’s odd. The place he wants to meet is…”

“In the middle of nowhere.” Kya supplied as Briggs’ eyebrows shot up in surprise. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been involved in one of their exchanges.” Kya shook her head. “Usually as an unwilling witness.”

“That’s all you’ll be this time.” Briggs ground out.

“Briggs,” Kya began tentatively. “There is no other solution. We’ve got to do what Kyler asks.”

“We’re not doing anything until Dell and the pack return. They should be here by sunset.” Briggs raised his chin in a gesture of finality.

“We can’t wait. Kyler
won’t
wait.”

Before Kya could finish her thought, the back door was thrown open and a tall fair-skinned man dressed head to toe in winter camo stormed into the room. Cindy set down the girl she’d been holding and flew across the room to bury herself in the man’s arms. His hazel eyes glistened with emotion as he bent to kiss the top of Cindy’s head. The ice crystals that rested in his thick red mustache and beard instantly warmed to form fat droplets of water.

Briggs leaned down to whisper at Kya’s ear, “Michael, Cindy’s husband.”

Michael hugged Cindy tightly then looked up and found Briggs. He pulled from his wife’s embrace and tucked her into the crook of his arm, pulling her with him as he stalked over to Briggs.

“What’s the plan?”

“We’re going to…”

Again, Kya cut Briggs off. “Kyler wants to meet at a remote location. I’ll have to walk in alone.” Kya could feel Briggs’ angry eyes on her, but continued anyway. “He’ll arrive once he sees me in place. He’ll have intentionally picked a location in the middle of nowhere so he can ensure that I’m alone. He’ll show up on a motorcycle or snowmobile, whichever he’ll be able to maneuver best on the road. Then he’ll leave Isaac and take me. He’ll have an escape route picked out that’s too difficult for a truck or car to traverse.”

Michael’s eyes danced in confusion. “How do you know all this?”

Kya dropped her eyes, “They’ve done it before. Just never with a child.”

“So how do we get
you
back?” Cindy questioned from her husband’s side.

Kya smiled at Cindy’s genuine concern. “We let
me
worry about me.”

“Briggs, we don’t have a choice. I doubt he’d hurt Isaac, but the longer they’re together, the less sure I am.” Kya winced glancing over in time to see Cindy blanch.