Startling Revelations

  

  Guardian Sabears 5: Startling Revelations

  Krista Oscar’s life is in peril from the Immoral Gang and she runs. After protecting her students in a New York school and accidentally shooting and killing the gang leader’s brother, she has a target on her back.

  When she gets another teaching position clear across the country away from the danger, she packs up, sneaks out of her apartment and leaves.

  Bastian, Byron and Beck Tenant know Krista is their mate before she even steps off the plane, but when they see how frightened she is of them, they don’t think they have a chance of courting their mate. However, the three brothers aren’t about to give up.

  Since she’s staying in their house there’s no way to avoid them and the sparks between her and them get too much to ignore.

  The attraction becomes too intense and Krista agrees to be their mate.

  The threat follows her to Alaska and Krista’s injured so badly her life is hanging in the balance.

  Only a miracle can save her.

  Genres: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 66,353

  GUARDIAN SABEARS 5:

  STARTLING REVELATIONS

  Becca Van

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Guardian Sabears 5: Startling Revelations

  Copyright © 2019 by Becca Van

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-765-2

  First Publication: April 2019

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at legal@sirenbookstrand.com

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to those who have been abused physically and/or emotionally. My heart goes out to you all because I know exactly what you’ve dealt with and are still dealing with.

  Some of the abuse mentioned in this story I’ve experienced myself. There is no excuse for bullying or abuse in any way shape or form.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  My name is Becca Van. I live in Australia with my wonderful hubby of many years, as well as my two children.

  I read my first romance, which I found in the school library, at the age of thirteen and haven’t stopped reading them since. It is so wonderful to know that love is still alive and strong when there seems to be so much conflict in the world.

  I dreamed of writing my own book one day but, unfortunately, didn’t follow my dream for many years. But once I started I knew writing was what I wanted to continue doing.

  I love to escape from the world and curl up with a good romance, to see how the characters unfold and conflict is dealt with. I have read many books and love all facets of the romance genre, from historical to erotic romance. I am a sucker for a happy ending.

  For all titles by Becca Van, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/becca-van

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  GUARDIAN SABEARS 5:

  STARTLING REVELATIONS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  GUARDIAN SABEARS 5:

  STARTLING REVELATIONS

  BECCA VAN

  Copyright © 2019

  Prologue

  Krista shivered with fear when she heard screaming coming from down the hallway. She gazed about the room at her young students, and when she saw how wide-eyed and frightened they were, she knew she couldn’t let her fear take hold. As a teacher, it was her responsibility to make sure all her students were kept safe no matter the cost to herself.

  Finally, she was able to move her frozen body, and even though her legs felt wooden, she ignored how heavy they were. Once she was at the door to her classroom, she cracked it open then peered down the corridor. The sight that met her eyes had the hair on the back of her neck, in fact, the hair all over her body standing on end.

  Three young men wearing gang colors were walking down the hallway, and each of them held semi-automatic rifles in their hands. Quickly shutting the door and locking it, she pulled the blind down over the glass window panel and then hurried toward her students. How she kept the terror racing through her body from showing in her voice, she had no idea, but she was able to talk calmly. “I want everyone to get up from their desks and move to the back corner of the room.”

  All her young charges stood and did as she asked, but Krista stopped three of the boys before they moved too far from her. “Can you three strong boys please help me move the desks toward the back corner?” They nodded and started lifting and carrying the desks then placing them next to the one she’d already moved.

  Krista wondered if the police had been called and ran toward her desk and the drawer where she kept her phone. With a swipe of her finger she unlocked it then punched in the numbers for 9-1-1. She lifted another desk and ran toward the back of the room where most of her students were crouched.

  “Jade, I want you to call the police and tell them we need help.” She handed her phone to her brightest student then ran back for another piece of furniture, almost sighing with relief when she heard Jade talking to the 9-1-1 operator. Just as Krista and the boys positioned more desks around the rest of her students, gunfire erupted.

  “Get down,” she yelled over the barrage of noise. She made sure her helpers were safe before she raced back to the classroom entrance, thanking her lucky stars that the only interior window was the one in the door. She stood off to the side of the doorway, hoping and praying that the gang members would bypass her room. She had no idea if they were here for vengeance or if they were just high or something else. Whatever they were, it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that she do her best to keep everyone safe.

  She held her breath when the loud reports stopped and hoped that the assailants were done. She also prayed that no one had lost their life, but the knot in her gut told her otherwise.

  Krista was about to move away from behind the door but froze when the doorknob rattled. She pressed herself against the wall and tried to will whoever was outside the door to leave, but none of the deities seemed to be listening to her today. Glass broke and the blind moved as an arm was stuck through the opening. Krista thought about trying to grab the bastard’s wrist and breaking it, but she didn’t know if one of his friends was with him and if he was, he would probably start spraying the room with bullets. So, she remained still.

  After a la
st glance at her terrified students, Krista pushed her fear down deep and embraced the anger starting to form in her heart. The fucker’s intent on murder and mayhem were about to take more innocent lives. Most of her kids had only just hit double digits and had so much life ahead of them. She wasn’t about to let their lives be cut short if she could help it.

  She was twenty-six years old, and though she was still young, she’d experienced way more than her students had. Krista would gladly give her life if it meant that all her kids lived.

  Taking a deep breath, she envisaged the self-defense classes she’d been attending since she’d been mugged a year ago on her way home. She’d vowed to never feel so helpless again, and right at this moment, she was thankful she knew how to defend herself to a degree.

  When the door was pushed open, Krista made her move. She spun on one foot while kicking out with the other. She slammed her foot into the half-open door as hard as she could. A shout of pain was her reward. When she heard a loud clatter, she realized one of her perpetrators had dropped his weapon.

  Krista crouched down just in case more bullets started flying and quickly waddled around the door. She grasped the barrel of the gun and tugged it toward her as she looked up. The gang member she’d hurt was down on his knees with his broken arm clutched against his chest.

  He must have felt her watching him, because he raised his hate-filled gaze to her. Without glancing away from him, she flipped the gun and aimed it right at him. His shoulders slumped in defeat, but he never once looked away from her. That was until one of his friends called his name.

  Krista turned to look down the corridor at one of the other young men. When one of them lifted his semi-automatic rifle in her direction, she shifted her aim toward the prick’s feet and pulled the trigger.

  She didn’t count on the gun’s kick against her shoulder, and she started to fall backward. She didn’t even notice she was still firing until she saw a bullet lodge into the timber doorframe and loosened her hold on the trigger.

  Her ears were ringing, the acrid stench of gunpowder assaulted her nose, but she looked about to make sure she wasn’t about to be shot in the head.

  Her heart stopped beating when she saw the guy with the broken arm was lying flat on the floor with blood pooling under him. The other man she’d shot in the lower leg was being helped down the corridor toward the exit by the other gunman. Both of them looked back over their shoulders and stared at her with so much rage, she knew she’d just made two very powerful enemies.

  She just hoped the police were here and were able to arrest them, because if they escaped, her life was going to be in danger.

  Everything after that was a blur. A swarm of police and SWAT officers stormed the building, and after securing each room, they stood with weapons aimed at the downed man as paramedics treated him.

  Krista was in shock, and though she was proud of herself for defending her students and herself, she hoped she hadn’t killed the young man, because if she had, she’d have to live with that on her conscience for the rest of her life. She was already swamped with more guilt than a person deserved to carry, and yet she’d never done anything nasty to anyone in her life.

  The police started taking statements after all the students had been collected by their anxious parents. When she asked one of the officers if the other two men had been captured, he’d shaken his head but reassured her it was only a matter of time before they had them in custody. A uniformed officer had ridden in the back of the ambulance and was hoping to interrogate the asshole after he’d been treated.

  Krista nodded, but she knew deep down in her gut that she’d become a target. She’d shot a gang member, and she had a feeling she was never going to be safe again. Gangs were all about brotherhood unless one of their people betrayed the others. The members were going to be gunning for her and wouldn’t give up until they’d gotten their revenge.

  She knew it was time to move far away from her New York City home and hide. The police wouldn’t worry about protecting her unless she was threatened, but she was scared she’d never get the chance to ask for protection.

  She had a feeling if the gang members came after her she wouldn’t survive the first confrontation.

  Krista decided then and there it was time to move on. Maybe she could find a position in the back of beyond where no one would ever dream to look for her. Maybe she should immigrate to Australia and teach in the Outback.

  As soon as she got home, she was going to search for another teaching position and apply for one that was far from the dangerous part of the city she worked and lived in.

  It was time for her to run for her life.

  Chapter One

  Two weeks later

  Krista stared out the small plane window and shivered. The little island she was about to live on looked so cold with snow and ice covering the ground, but at least she’d be safe, far from her hometown of Manhattan and the threat to her life.

  She didn’t care that there were no shopping malls or other entertainments where she was going. All that mattered was that she lived another day.

  She clutched the armrests of her seat so hard her knuckles turned white and began to ache. She wasn’t a seasoned flyer, and while it had been bad enough flying from New York to Alaska on a large jet, flying in a small plane was another story. The small craft had been battered by high blustering winds, tossing it this way and that in the air turbulence. A few times, she’d had to hold the sick bag up because she was sure she’d been about to vomit, but thankfully, some deep breathing had helped to circumvent the nausea.

  The plane dropped lower, and this time she closed her eyes and prayed that she’d be back safe and sound on solid ground within minutes. She swallowed back a whimper when the wheels touched down hard onto the cleared runway before the craft bounced back up into the air, then jolting back down again. She didn’t open her eyes until she felt the plane slow and sighed with relief that they’d made it safely.

  The plane taxied to the end of the runway, stopping just outside a large tin shed that had its doors wide open. It looked like it could be a makeshift hangar, but she wasn’t certain.

  Krista was just about to unhook her seatbelt and stand on trembling limbs but ended up gaping when she saw three of the biggest, handsomest men she’d ever set eyes on strolling out of the dimly lit building interior. Her breath hitched and her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Just as one of the men was turning his gaze her way, she closed her mouth and quickly looked down at her seatbelt. With trembling fingers, she managed to unbuckle the belt and shove the straps aside. The pilot was already out of the plane, and Krista hoped he didn’t think she was waiting for him to help her out.

  She didn’t like people touching her and, in fact, had to try not to flinch when anyone did. She’d been taught some very hard lessons as a child, and though she’d tried to live a normal life as possible, Krista found it very hard to trust.

  Pushing her thoughts aside, she shoved to her feet, donned her coat, grabbed her purse from the empty seat beside her, and made her way to the door. The freezing cold breeze caused her to shudder, and she pulled her coat tighter around her.

  She was about to step out of the plane but stopped when she saw one of the huge men standing to the side of the doorway.

  “Let me help you, ma’am.” He held his hand out to her.

  Krista gazed at his huge paw and tried to keep herself from backing away. When she looked up and saw him frowning at her, she shoved her hand out and clasped his as lightly as she could.

  Heated shivers sizzled up her spine, and her legs started shaking. Other parts of her body responded to the tall, muscular man’s proximity and touch, but she ignored them as she stepped down from the plane and quickly withdrew her hand from his.

  “Are you Krista Oscar?” one of the other men asked in a deep, growly voice.

  Krista nodded as she sidestepped and gasped when she bumped into a large, hard, warm body.

  Her heart started poundi
ng and she began to pant.

  “Hey, are you okay?” The man she’d bumped into clasped her shoulders.

  Krista tore out of his hold and stumbled quickly away from them. She kept her back to the men who were probably staring at her as if she’d lost her mind while she tried to stave off the panic attack. Once she was breathing slower and her heart wasn’t thundering in her chest, she took another deep breath and turned to face them.

  “Yes, I’m Krista Oscar. And you are?” She arched her brow while glancing at each of them. She was putting on a brave face, but deep inside, she wondered what the hell she’d gotten herself into.

  * * * *

  Bastian Tenant was having a hard time controlling his lust and his inner beast. He and his brothers, Byron and Beck, were sabear shifters—a mix between the extinct saber toothed-tiger and a polar bear. As soon as he’d seen Krista’s gorgeous profile through the plane window, he’d been entranced. When he and his animal had picked up her tantalizing feminine scent as she’d come to the open doorway of the small plane, he’d wanted to roar with excitement. Krista was his and his brothers’ mate.

  Just the innocent touch of her hand in his had almost brought him to his knees with lust. His sabear had tried to barge forward, ready to claim the one woman meant for man and beast, but luckily he’d caught him and shoved him back before he could escape.

  When he’d smelled fear emanating from his woman, he’d glanced about to see where the danger was, but there wasn’t any. However, he’d quickly realized that she was scared of him and his brothers when she’d bumped into Beck and he grasped her shoulders to steady her. He’d seen her flinch, and then she’d bolted away from them. The hardest thing he’d ever done was to stay where he was when all of his instincts were telling him to gather her into his arms and comfort her.