Chasing Harmony Page 4

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  “The moment we have what she came for, I must get her inside the compound. I need our people guarding her.” He placed his palm flat on her sunken belly. “Her Heat approaches. A few more weeks and she would have been in grave danger.”

  “Of course, Alpha. We’ll keep her safe.”

  “Assemble a team to find her sister. We need to identify their enemy since everything we were told was a lie.” Looking at the other man, he said, “Arman, you will witness.”

  Lifting Harmony’s hand palm-up, he waited for the two males to approach. They moved slowly, heads slightly bowed.

  Ryker wasn’t fully in control of his Wolf.

  Using his nail, he raked open a small wound on his Mate’s palm and used a canine to open a larger wound on his own. He pressed their hands together, allowing their blood to blend.

  “My heart and home are yours. My life is forfeit should I fail to protect you. I claim you as Mate and join you to my position in Pack. I will guard those of your blood and destroy your enemies.”

  The representative raised his brows in surprise. Alphas traditionally added the last sentence for their Mates, but they were rarely so bloodthirsty. “Something tells me Alpha Harmony will greatly appreciate your forethought.”

  “She’s a warrior. She deserves a warrior’s vow.” Ryker stared at his oldest friend. “Make your vow, Jax. I need to know she’s safe from this moment forward.”

  Closer than a brother, Jax didn’t hesitate.

  Opening a cut on his palm, he pressed it to Ryker and Harmony’s, making a blood vow that could not be revoked. Jax’s Wolf rose in a low grumble, brought forth by instinct that guided their kind from birth.

  “Harmony Kassis, I offer my vow of protection and loyalty, valid until my final breath. My desire is to strengthen you, my Alpha, and therefore Pack. My devotion to you, as to Alpha, is sacred and cannot be broken. I will guard those of your blood and destroy your enemies.”

  Ryker raised Harmony’s hand to his lips and licked over the small wound. Frowning, he watched as the blood slowed but the wound didn’t close.

  His Mate was in desperate need of sustenance and rest.

  Lifting her completely into his arms, he strode for the huge SUV they’d parked on the other side of the campground.

  Jax held the back door and he climbed inside with Harmony across his lap. Her eyes opened and he smiled as he placed her on the seat beside him.

  He hated letting her go for even a moment.

  Lifting her hand, she stared at the cut on her palm. “What did you do?” She didn’t try to hide her suspicion.

  “My vow of protection and that of my Second were made in front of a representative of Parliament. I didn’t want to wait.” Her eyes widened but she didn’t speak. “Rest, Mate. I’ll wake you when we reach lodging.”

  Carefully, Harmony pulled herself into a sitting position and rested her forearms on her knees. He placed his palm between her shoulders, pressing lightly to calm her.

  Every true Alpha possessed the ability to calm Pack, to guide them. She was afraid of him but responded biologically. As their people had since Weres were dragged into existence against their wishes and in rebellion of every law of Nature.

  “How long since you’ve eaten?” he asked softly.

  “Two…maybe three days. Hunters cornered me in Denver. I was tired, distracted. I didn’t sense them before they were on me. I almost didn’t make it out.” Shaking her head, her long hair brushed over the back of his hand. “With so many people in pursuit, I had to keep moving. No time for necessities.”

  “You thought all of us were together.”

  She shrugged. “How would I know differently? There weren’t exactly introductions. When you’re chased, you run. No matter who it is behind you.” She met his eyes. “Especially if you know you’re too injured to take them in a fight.”

  “I never would have hurt you, Harmony.”

  She laughed sadly. “I’m in this vehicle, at this moment, having heard those words from so many since my father died. Perhaps you will be the first to mean them.”

  She returned to staring at the floorboard. “Hope is the only person on this Earth who knows what the last years have held as I’m the only one who knows the horror she’s endured.”

  Raking her fingers through her hair, she added in a whisper, “As her twin, I know she’s alive. As the oldest child of my father, it’s my responsibility to find her, to keep her safe. The last of my family, my only remaining blood.”

  “We’ll find her, Harmony. Texas Pack will protect you and your sister. You have my word.”

  Arman handed a supply pack over the seat and Ryker rummaged in it, removing several tubes.

  “This stuff is disgusting but it will pump you full of essential nutrients until we can get you real food. Drink three and let’s get you hydrated.” She took them, but he scented her distrust. “You need your strength. Let me help you, Mate.”

  Nodding, she opened the plastic pouches with hands that shook from lack of food. She drank them down one right after the other before drinking an entire bottle of water to rinse the foul taste from her mouth.

  “Better?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes.” Harmony rested her head against the seat. He knew she was confused, exhausted, and wary of trusting him. “You hurt my sister and Mate status won’t protect you, Alpha Blackwell. I’ll rip out your heart myself.”

  They stared at one another for a long moment and Ryker knew as weak as she was, Harmony meant the words with every cell of her being.

  “Ripping out my heart will be unnecessary if it already belongs to you, Mate.” She glared at him and he smiled. “Follow your instincts. Your Wolf won’t lead you wrong.” He used his Pack gift to try to subtly convince her.

  Narrowing her eyes, she told him, “You don’t own me. I won’t be compelled, not as your Mate and not as a Wolf. The stronger I get, the less susceptible I’ll be to it. I’ve been trained to resist. Prepare yourself for that.”

  Her strength of will impressed him more by the moment. Ryker wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her against his side to warm her strangely chilled body.

  “Rest and heal, Harmony. We’ll talk when you’re well.”

  “Yes,” she answered quietly, “we sure as hell will.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The SUV started to move. Harmony stiffened sharply, pulling away from Ryker’s side. He could see the way she prepared herself to jump from the vehicle.

  “We’re taking rooms in Lebanon until the post office opens Monday, Mate. We won’t take you anywhere without your consent.”

  For the first mile, she stared at him in silence.

  Finally, she murmured, “I tire of running but kept going for my sister. If I’m to die, it will be knowing it took many hunters thousands of hours to bring me down. I ran all of you a goddamn merry chase, alone with no resources, and I would die smug as fuck.”

  Unable to help himself, Ryker laughed. “You’re not dying anytime soon, Mate but I agree that you’ve earned the right to be smug. Feel free to gloat.”

  He put his hand on his Second’s shoulder where he sat behind the wheel. “Jax’s Wolf is the best tracker of any Pack. Even he was stumped.”

  “Your ability to evade us was both insanely frustrating and an honor to watch, Alpha Harmony.” Jax grinned.

  One side of her mouth lifted in a smile. “You’re welcome. I live to annoy male Weres.”

  “I look forward to future attempts.”

  Ryker tucked a thick strand of hair behind her ear and frowned. “Your skin is flushed. How do you feel?”

  “Strange,” she admitted. “Dizzy.”

  Arman turned his body around on the front passenger seat. “Alpha Harmony, your body has been without nutrients too long. A heavy dose at once is shoving your healing mechanisms into overdrive.” He held out his hand. “May I?”

  She placed her hand in his and he timed her heart rate.

/>   After almost a minute, he released her and said to Ryker, “She needs to be inside, given plenty of fluids. Her body is revving up to repair what is likely weeks of damage all at once. A raging fever is on the horizon.”

  Harmony tried to remain upright, but her insides felt as though they were vibrating at supersonic speeds. Years of too little rest and too little proper food had taken their toll. She started to slide from the seat.

  “More water, Alpha. She needs to drink as much as she can.”

  Ryker picked her up, rested her over his lap, and held water to her lips. Harmony drank what she could.

  A few minutes later, Jax turned into the parking lot of a motel and when the rear passenger door opened, Ryker stepped out with her in his arms. Dawn was breaking.

  The vibrations were more violent now and he held her tightly as his Second opened the door to the room another member of their team had secured.

  Inside, he laid her carefully on the bed and stepped back to give her space. She watched them but couldn’t speak. Her shakes worsened, and they quickly covered her with blankets from both beds.

  Her muscles were clenched, her body strung tight in a way she’d never experienced before. Harmony had never felt so vulnerable in her life.

  Jax frowned. “Why isn’t it working?” He rummaged in the emergency pack. “What else can we give her?”

  Arman appeared in the doorway of the connected room and shook his head. “It’s her physical deterioration combined with being too long without Pack.”

  Ryker barked, “Explain.”

  “Rogues go through this after exile. The effects usually show up within a year, but Harmony had her siblings. That she hasn’t experienced the physical withdrawal and subsequent insanity is a testament to her strength.”

  Pulling his eyes from her, he met Ryker’s and said softly, “Returning to Pack is a good thing but comes with a period of adjustment. You’ve touched her, exchanged blood. As her Wolf fights to recover, it craves more. Our Wolves are always greedy. You must give her Pack energy.”

  “Anything,” Ryker and Jax responded.

  “Lay on either side of her. Her Wolf will respond to you.”

  “You will guard the door.” Ryker wasn’t asking.

  “I’d never leave an Alpha unprotected, as your Second would not. As liaison for the North American Packs, I take my position seriously. Rest easy, Alpha Blackwell. I’ll coordinate with your team while you assist your Mate.”

  He nodded and bent to remove his shoes. Jax did the same. Walking to either side of the bed, they pulled back the covers enough to climb beneath and press their bodies against her.

  She whimpered as the shakes worsened. The males crossed their arms over her midsection and she managed to grip their forearms. They tightened their hold, moved closer, and rested their heads beside her.

  “Harmony,” Ryker murmured softly at her ear. “You’re safely returned to Pack. Take what you need from us and allow yourself to rest and heal.”

  Ryker gripped her hip to pull himself closer to her and she released a small scream between clenched teeth.

  Jax sat up with a frown. He inhaled deeply. “Harmony, do you conceal the scent of wounds?”

  She stared at him with wide eyes but didn’t respond.

  Leaning close, he took another deep breath, his eyes glowing bright amber. “Alpha, she has an infection, a terrible wound of some kind. She needs sealer and meds to speed healing.”

  Unable to prevent her sharp spike of anxiety, all three males immediately scented it. Ryker stared at her, nostrils flaring.

  “Harmony, if Jax smells infection, it’s there.”

  Arman made a distressed sound in his throat and Jax sat up to pull away the blankets that covered her, low growls rumbling from his chest.

  Still shaking, she rolled to her side. Tugging up her t-shirt, the three men took in the sight of claw marks along her low back.

  “I fell asleep on the train. I hadn’t eaten. I was weak and too slow to react. It could have been much worse.”

  Snarling, Ryker took the medical kit from Arman and cleaned the scratches, applying sealant and sterile gauze.

  He glanced at Jax. The blonde took another deep breath and shook his head slowly. “That’s not it…”

  Ryker growled in pain and frustration. “Harmony?”

  Holding out her hand, she let Ryker help her sit up because her body didn’t want to cooperate.

  Reaching down, she removed her socks and pulled up the legs of her jeans. Dizzy, slightly nauseous, she let them examine the puncture wounds made by large thumbnails on the insides of her ankles. They were deep and clearly infected.

  They were also evidence that she’d been violently held down.

  “The ones on my wrists healed. I was able to keep them dry.” Her fury, tinged with the fear the memory inspired, was palpable to the men around her.

  Arman snarled at the implication. Ryker left the bed, put his hands on his hips, and tried to control the growls that rumbled from his body.

  Jax stroked the back of her hand. “Alpha Harmony?” Her shakes were uncontrollable, but she met his eyes directly. “Let me care for you.”

  Nodding, she allowed him to treat her wounds.

  “These should have healed. With food and rest, your natural ability will return to full power.” He paused and scented her again. “I smell the same infection. It’s bad, Alpha. We have to stop it so your body can focus resources everywhere.”

  It was the only injury she didn’t want them to examine. Not when her body was rioting and she was in no condition to run.

  To Ryker’s Second, she whispered almost inaudibly, “Please.”

  The Wolf in Jax responded with a painful whimper. Male Weres were conditioned from birth to guard their females.

  “No one here will hurt you, Alpha Harmony. You can trust your Wolf’s instincts and your own. Show me the wound. Let me help. Please, Alpha.”

  Swallowing hard, she stretched inside her mind, scenting the men in the room. Her Wolf trusted them even though Harmony wasn’t there yet.

  She gently placed her palm over the bend of her hip.

  Turning to Ryker who watched them with barely contained rage, Jax asked, “May I clean your Mate’s wound, Alpha?”

  A sharp nod was his only response, but he climbed on the bed, prepared to attack his Second if he touched Harmony in any way that riled his Wolf.

  Irrational thinking but the way of their kind.

  Harmony clasped her hands into fists at her sides. “I got away. They tried but I got away.” Arman paced the room. “I didn’t break my vow, I swear it.”

  Taking her hand, Jax leaned over her. “Alpha, I scent your innocence. You know that among our kind, preserving it is of little concern. That you managed it during multiple Heats without the safety of Pack is…remarkable.”

  The low whimper her Wolf released made him squeeze her hand again. “If it had been taken from you, it wouldn’t have been your fault. None of this was your fault. We’re going to help you now, keep you safe, and make you well.”

  Stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, her eyes drifted closed. Ryker held her, a sound resembling a violent purr the only noise he made as Jax moved to unsnap her jeans and lower the zipper.

  Pulling the denim low enough to expose her hip, he peeled back the large bandage covered in a powerful astringent meant to mask the scent of infection with a pungent odor.

  Jax howled in a killing rage and Harmony covered her face as the three males examined the bone-deep ragged bite that marred a huge chunk of her skin.

  The area around it was dark purple and green, the wound itself horribly infected, visible in the veins of her upper leg.

  It wasn’t a Mating Mark but an obvious attempt at one that ended in ripped and torn flesh as she fought for freedom. More claw marks across her low belly and upper thighs drove home the brutality of the attack.

  In a voice no human would understand, Ryker told her, “They will scream a lon
g time before I let them die.” He curled around her upper body protectively as Jax cleaned and bandaged the painful wound. “They will beg for death, Mate.”

  “I preserved my integrity as a Kassis, as a Wolf, as a sworn Mate. They could not break me.”

  Tightening his hand in her hair, Ryker whispered, “I will not forget your strength, Harmony. I will not forget your honor.”

  He murmured words she didn’t really hear but they calmed the intense distress and shame that didn’t belong to her, had never belonged to her.

  “We were afraid and we ran. After what they told us, I never would have contacted you. If they did this to Hope…”

  “Be easy, Mate. All will be well. The Pack will make sure of it.” Jax bandaged her carefully before pulling her jeans up and clasping them. “More water and nutrients and then rest. It’s a full day before we can access your box at the post office. Use it to recover.”

  She moved robotically, stiffly, as her Wolf took full control of her system to repair her injuries at the cellular level.

  They gave her more nutrient packs and water. She half-listened as Arman contacted Parliament headquarters to make a necessary verbal report.

  A full investigation and possible death sentence was requested for unknown persons who committed what amounted to treason against Natural Law, Alpha of Texas Pack, and Ryker Blackwell’s Mate.

  Every protocol had to be followed.

  They laid her down and covered her with blankets, stretching out beside her again. Throughout the night, her shakes worsened and a high fever appeared as her natural healing ability heated her blood and burned away the infection.

  Four years of fear, exhaustion, rage, and humiliation drained from her pores.

  Harmony was unaware of her condition, the watchful eyes of the men who pressed their bodies to hers, or the sweat that poured from her skin as her Wolf fought to make her well.

  She gratefully slept through all of it.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Ryker kept his eyes on his Mate as she slipped into an almost comatose state instigated by her Wolf. Her body shook so violently that it looked as though her bones would break.