Alpha Province: Reigning Kings’ (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Read online

  “Fuck!” Karter growled.

  “Which way are you headed?” Zayn asked.

  “Toward Colgan.”

  “The only building left standing in Colgan is the church,” Karter said.

  “Do you think you can get there first?” Rex asked.

  “Yes,” Jace answered. “We’re already on the road. I’ll make sure we arrive before those fuckers.”

  “You can’t kill them,” Shaffer said.

  “We won’t. We’ll leave them for you.”

  “We’ll be there as fast as we can,” Tatum snarled.

  “We’ll be waiting.”

  “Just promise to keep our mate safe,” Rex ordered.

  “That’s a given,” Zayn replied.

  Tatum slowed to a jog and glanced about to make sure no one was near or could see them. The fuckers hadn’t taken the main road to get out of Ambrose, which made things easier for him and his brothers.

  “It’s time,” Tatum said and stripped quickly. Rex and Shaffer shucked their clothes, dropping them into a pile on the side of the road. Maybe they’d get a chance to collect them later, but right now he didn’t give a shit. There was only one thing that mattered to him, and that was the love of his life, his mate, Pixie.

  * * * *

  Pixie moaned and tried to shake the fogginess invading her mind and the lethargy invading her muscles but she couldn’t. Something was very wrong, and while she knew she should be panicking, she just couldn’t seem to care. That was until she opened her eyes and realized she was stuck in the trunk of a car with her wrists and ankles tethered. Her heart rate sped up and she panted in and out through her nose. There was something tied around her head holding a rag in her mouth, and she felt as if she was about to choke. The only hypothesis she could come up with was that Cheryl’s killer had found her. Was he going to kill her, too?

  Tears welled and rolled down her temples and into her hair. She needed to try and find a way to escape, otherwise, she was going to die. She thought of her men and wondered if they could feel how scared she was and how much she loved them.

  Was the mating bond strong enough for her mates to be able to track and find her? She closed her eyes and pushed her panic back and pushed all of her love toward the captors of her heart and soul, hoping and praying they’d rescue her in time.

  But what if they didn’t even know she was missing? How much time had passed since she’d been taken? That asshole had drugged her, and for all she knew, she could have been out of it for a day or more. The tears pooled again, but she ruthlessly pushed them aside. If she cried too much, her nose would end up stuffy and blocked and she might suffocate.

  Her eyelids grew heavy as the drone of the tires hummed beneath her. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep again, the car slowed and turned onto a gravel road. The ruts and holes were deep and she groaned with pain as her body was bounced and jostled. When the car stopped and the engine was turned off, her fear spiked and she began to shake.

  Calm the hell down. Get it together or they’ll know you’re awake. Take slow deep breaths and don’t tense up.

  Pixie had her fear under control just in time. She heard the lock in the trunk click and the lid popped open. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep her breathing deep and regular and her muscles lax with her eyes closed, but she succeeded. She didn’t even flinch when cruel hands grabbed her upper arms and she was dragged over the lip of the trunk. Pain radiated into her left hip when the bone connected with something hard, and she knew she was going to end up with a nasty bruise, but that was the least of her problems.

  “Go open the door,” Emery ordered.

  Pixie quelled the shiver of terror from showing as it raced up her spine as Emery slung her over his shoulder like a sack of spuds. She was in deep shit. Emery had brought his brother with him.

  * * * *

  Shaffer let his lion loose with a roar of fury. Rex shifted into his lion just as quickly. Tatum went down onto his hands and knees about to change forms, too, but hesitated when his cell phone rang.

  “Fucking leave it,” Rex said.

  Tatum shook his head, grabbed his jeans, and retrieved his phone. “I have to answer it. It’s Preston.”

  “Hurry the fuck up. Our mate is in danger,” Shaffer snarled angrily.

  “I fucking know,” Tatum snapped back. “Hello.”

  “Tatum, you have no idea how pleased I was to get your email. We’ve had that asshole doctor and his brother in our sights for a while. There’ve been five women who used that fucker’s clinic disappear. We think the doc is killing and his brother is helping him cover it up.”

  “Why the fuck haven’t you arrested them?”

  “Because we’ve never been able to get any evidence. Until now.”

  “Those motherfuckers have just kidnapped our mate.”

  “Fuck! Do you know where they’ve taken her?”

  “Yes, and we’re about to get her back.”

  “You can’t kill them. I know it’s a lot to ask, but we need them alive if we’re ever going to find the bodies of their victims and give their families some closure. Please, Tatum? You can hurt them as much as you want, but don’t take them out.”

  “You’re asking a lot.”

  “Yeah, I know. This is the only favor I’ll ever ask of you.”

  “Promise me you’ll come visit sometime soon and I’ll do as you ask.”

  “I can do one better than that,” Preston said. “We’re done with all this crap. There’s so much red tape we have to write out a request form just to take a piss. I’m sick of the city stench and the crowds. Are there any houses for sale in Ambrose?”

  “There is. I’ll send you the link and you can put in an offer.”

  “Thanks, Tatum. We’ll be heading your way in less than an hour by chopper. We’re already in the area, since there was a problem at the border not far from Ambrose.”

  “Head to the Colgan church,” Tatum said. “We’ll be waiting.”

  “Roger. Out.”

  Tatum disconnected the call and dropped his cell on top of the clothes. He turned to meet his brothers’ gazes. “Did you hear?”

  Shaffer nodded even though he wasn’t happy about it. His lion wanted to rip those fuckers to shreds.

  “Zayn, Karter, Jace. Don’t kill the bastards. Preston Louis is on his way to arrest their asses.”

  “Fucking feds,” Jace said angrily.

  “That fed happens to be one of ours,” Tatum reminded the wolf shifter. “Preston says they’ve had the asshole and his brother on their watch list for a while, but they never had any evidence to nail the fuckers to the wall.”

  “And they do now?” Zayn asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then we’ll let you deal with them,” Zayn replied.

  “Thanks.”

  Tatum dropped to his hands and knees and embraced his lion. Seconds later, Shaffer, Rex, and Tatum were sprinting toward Colgan on all four paws.

  * * * *

  Pixie had the headache from hell and felt sick to her stomach, but she kept her body lax and her breathing even. Emery had dumped her onto something cold and hard, and while she wanted to peek, she was scared that he or his brother would see that she was awake.

  “How much of that fucking drug did you give her?” Emery’s brother asked.

  “Not enough to keep her out this long. She mustn’t be good with meds.” Emery sighed. “We could just get it over and done with while she’s out.”

  “There’s no fun in that.”

  Goose bumps raced over her skin and terror permeated her to her soul. Emery and his sibling had to be psychopaths. Their voices were so cold and clinical, as if they didn’t have any emotions at all.

  Fury surged into her heart, and she couldn’t stop herself from trembling. She stopped breathing and hoped like hell they weren’t watching her.

  “Check her pulse. Maybe you gave her too much.”

  “I didn’t. I know what I’m fucking doing,” Emery replied angrily.

  “Do it anyway.”

  Pixie knew the gig was up. As soon as Emery placed a finger on one of her pulse points, he was going to feel how fast and hard her heart was racing. She reluctantly forced her eyes open and moaned as if she’s just waking from her drug-induced sleep.

  “‘Bout fucking time,” the Emery lookalike snarled.

  There was a slight difference and she could tell them apart. Emery’s brother had a crooked nose as if it had been busted. That was the only difference she could see.

  “You’ve caused us a lot of trouble, bitch. You’re going to be begging to die by the time we’ve finished with you.”

  “Pass my bag, Elwyn.”

  Pixie glanced about looking for an escape, but there was nowhere to run even if she managed to get free. She tugged at her wrists, wincing when the tape abraded her skin, and knew the only way she was going to survive was if her mates realized she was missing and tracked her down.

  Do they know I’m even gone?

  Tears stung her eyes, and even though she tried to suppress them, she failed.

  Emery dug into the bag his brother passed him, and she shook with terror when she saw the scalpel in his hand. She was about to die.

  Pixie rolled to her side, and the shriek of fear she let loose was muffled by the gag in her mouth. She slammed into the floor on her side. What little air she had was pushed from her lungs when she hit hard. Pain radiated up her side and into her lungs, her head bounced on the floor, and she saw stars. Even though she tried to inhale through her nose, she couldn’t. Darkness invaded her vision as the tears trickled from her eyes.

  She saw Emery’s and Elwyn’s silhouettes as they skirted the altar and she tried to use her heels on the floor to push herself back, but it was futile. Elwyn straddled her with his legs and dropped his weight down on to her belly.

  Pixie finally managed to inhale, and she screamed as loud as she could. She nearly lost control of her bladder when she saw Emery stalking toward her with the scalpel raised in his hand.

  * * * *

  Rex roared when he heard Pixie scream. He didn’t even think about his actions as he leaped at the stain-glass window. Glass shattered and ripped into his side, but he didn’t feel any pain. He landed sure-footed, took the scene in at a glance, and leaped again. The two human men were no match for his huge muscular lion’s body as he slammed into them. They went flying away from his mate. One fucker hit the opposite wall with a loud thud. The other rolled and quickly scrambled to his hands and knees, a stainless-steel blade still clutched in his hand.

  “What the fuck?” the guy slumped against the wall asked.

  Rex was aware of Tatum and Shaffer as they jumped through the broken window, but he didn’t take his gaze off the fucker with the knife. He was the worst threat to his mate. He crouched in readiness, and just as he was about to spring at the prick and rip his throat out, Zayn walked in the front door.

  “You can’t kill him, Rex.”

  Rex roared at the wolf.

  “Hey, you know what the orders are. Leave these fuckers to me and my brothers. Your mate needs you.”

  Pixie!

  Rex spun around and followed his nose to his mate. She was lying on the floor with her ankles and wrists bound and her eyes closed. He roared with fear and fury as he hunkered down beside her. It wasn’t until he saw her chest rising and falling that he realized she was still alive. He could smell blood on her as well as terror and pain. The acidic-sweet smell assaulted his nostrils because he hated that she’d been so scared and hurt. If he or Tatum had taken the couple of minutes to take the trash out, she wouldn’t be here right now. She wouldn’t be bleeding or unconscious.

  Rex forced his lion back and changed back to his human side. He was behind the altar, but he didn’t care if those assholes saw him. His mate was more important than their secret getting out. Rex carefully lifted Pixie onto his lap and tried to blink back the threatening tears, but one or two rolled down his face.

  She sighed, opened her eyes, and met his gaze. A sob escaped from his parted lips when she tried to smile at him. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  Pixie shook her head and then lifted her bound hands.

  “Shit. Sorry, mate.”

  Rex elongated a claw and shredded the tape around her wrists before carefully slicing through the material tied around her head. She immediately pulled the gag from her mouth and ripped the remaining tape from her skin.

  “Y-you have…nothing to be…sorry for,” Pixie croaked. “Where are…Tatum and…Shaffer?”

  “They’re making sure those bastards don’t get away from Zayn and his brothers.”

  “Good.” She sighed and rested her cheek on his chest. “Why are you naked?”

  “I shifted into my lion to come and save you.”

  “Thank you, Rex.”

  “You don’t need to thank me, mate. I’d do anything for you.”

  “I love you, Rex.”

  “I love you, too, Pixie.” He rested his chin on top of her head. “Please, don’t ever leave me?”

  Pixie sat up with a wince.

  “Where are you hurt? Shit, where is the blood coming from?”

  She frowned. “I’m not bleeding.”

  “Yes, you are. I can smell it. Tell me where you’re hurting mate.”

  “My whole left side is sore. I rolled off the altar and hit the floor hard. I hit my head, as well. Maybe I have a cut.”

  “Let me see.”

  “You can look later. Can you please get rid of the tape around my ankles? I want to see Shaffer and Tatum.”

  “Fuck. I’m so worried about you, I’m not thinking straight.”

  Pixie reached up and palmed his cheek. “I’m fine, Rex. I’m a little battered and bruised, but I’m okay. I’m alive because of you, Tatum, and Shaffer.”

  Rex shook his head.

  Pixie nodded. “Yes, I am. If I hadn’t found such three wonderful loving men, I probably would have been dead.”

  Rex let her have her way and nodded before he kissed her lightly on the lips. “Let me get that tape.” He maneuvered her in his arms and he cut the tape and pulled it off.

  “Can you stand on your own, sweetie? I don’t want those bastards seeing me naked and putting two and two together.”

  “I’m good.”

  Rex held her hips as she stood, making sure she wasn’t lying to him, and while he wanted to rise and sweep her up into his arms, it would be selfish of him to put his brothers’ and his friends’ lives under scrutiny.

  She smiled down at him. “You can let go.” She gasped and then frowned. “You’re bleeding.” She sank back down to her knees and touched his side. Rex glanced down and snorted. The cut from the glass window had already healed.

  “I’m good, sweetie.” Rex nodded in reassurance and then he moved back from Pixie and shifted back to his lion.

  “I’ll never get tired of seeing that,” Pixie said as she rose. “You guys are amazing.”

  Rex shook his head.

  “Yes, you are. Don’t argue with me. I’ve had a bad fucking day and should win this round.”

  Rex couldn’t hold back his laughter. Of course, it sounded more like yowling since he was in his beast’s skin, but Pixie giggled with him. She walked closer, sank her fingers into his mane, and glanced toward Tatum and Shaffer.

  Her whole expression lit up, and she skirted the altar and headed toward her other mates. She got down onto her knees and hugged them around their necks at the same time. She kissed first Tatum and then Shaffer on the nose. “Thank you for saving me.” She gazed about the dim dilapidated church interior. “Where are those evil assholes?”

  Karter stepped out of the shadows near the entrance. “Zayn and Jace have them. They won’t let them get away, Pixie.”

  “I know. Thanks for helping, Jace.”

  “Anytime, sugar.” Jace winked.

  Tatum, Shaffer, and Rex all snarled at the wolf for flirting with their mate.

  Jace held his hands up in supplication. “Don’t get your manes in a twist. I’m not attracted to your woman. No offense, Pixie.”

  She giggled. “None taken.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” Jace opened the door and stepped aside.

  * * * *

  Pixie blinked as she adjusted to the bright sunshine. She gaped when she saw a helicopter had landed on the gravel road leading to the church. She had been so wrapped up in her mates, she hadn’t heard the whop whop of the blades.

  She saw a tall muscular man talking with Zayn and knew by the FBI jacket he was wearing that he had to be Tatum’s friend, Preston.

  Preston glanced over at her and then started walking toward her and her mates. Tatum, Rex, and Shaffer moved closer until she was hemmed in the middle of them. She rolled her eyes as she imagined them cocking their legs and marking her like a dog would do and smirked.

  “You must be, Pixie.” The FBI agent stopped at the bottom of the stairs and eyed her three mates warily. “I’m Special Agent Preston Louis.”

  “Hi,” Pixie greeted.

  Preston nodded. “Thank you for the witness statement. Now that we have that, we’ll be able to dissect those assholes lives.”

  “I don’t think Cheryl was the only woman they killed.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so either. With your help, those fuckers are going to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.”

  “They deserve everything they get,” Pixie said.

  “Yes, they do.”

  “Will I need to stand up at the trial?”

  Tatum snarled.

  Preston gulped audibly and quickly shook his head. “No. Now that we’ve got your statement we should be able to find everything we need for them to face a judge and sentencing.”

  “Good, but promise me you’ll contact me if you need me on the witness stand. There’s is no way in hell I’m letting them get away scot-free.”

  Rex yowled his disapproval.

  Pixie sank her fingers into his fur coat and glared at him. “You three can carry on as much as you like, but I will do whatever is necessary so the bastards who killed my friend get sent to prison. Is that understood?” She met each of her mate’s gazes and bit her lip when they all nodded in acceptance.

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