up, yet.”
There was no silencing the growl that left Gabriel’s chest. He heard the door open behind him and gained enough control to remember his responsibility.
“There’s a woman with me. She’s spent a bit of time as the guest of some sadistic bastards in a top-of-the-line lab. She’s still recovering. Help her into a room so she can rest more comfortably, please,” he said.
Dusty nodded. “I’ll put her in my room for now. Should I stay with her?”
Gabriel inhaled, taking in all the scents surrounding them. “No. She’s not in any danger here.” Plus Laramie and his brothers would tear apart any hunter who even tried to creep onto their land.
Dusty didn’t say anything, just nodded again and moved around Gabriel to get to Laura. Gabriel moved his gaze to the cabin his mate was in and headed there without further delay. He needed to figure out what the hell had happened to Kenzie. He stepped to the door and a deeper growl erupted from his throat as he was forced to knock. He could hear the rustle of clothing, followed by footsteps padding across the floor then the door whispered open to reveal a man dressed in nothing but low-slung jeans.
Gabriel knew who he was by the scent he carried. He’d smelled it on his mate. This was the friend, the former lover, the one who knew Gabriel’s mate intimately, and the one who’d taken a bullet trying to protect her. Holt. Gabriel didn’t bother trying to throttle the snarl as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.
“Tone it down, asshole. I’m the one who stuck beside her while you did the fuck and bail routine,” Holt said in a hard tone. The white bandage around his upper arm stood out in stark relief against his tan skin. Even that did nothing to calm the beast inside Gabriel.
“The only thing preventing me from ripping your throat out right now is the fact there’s no lust rolling off you for my mate,” he retorted with a snarl.
“Funny, I got the impression she was more of a one-night stand for you,” Holt stated.
Gabriel clenched his hands into fists and went to step around the other man, but Holt countered, moving back in front of him.
“Get out of my way,” Gabriel ordered.
“Focus and listen, dickwad. They must have caught her in the shower. Dart in her shoulder and thigh. They wrapped her up so tightly I wasn’t sure she could even breathe. I put her in the car, and we headed here as soon as we spoke to you.”
“Did you find the darts?”
Holt gave a sharp nod. “Tossed on the bathroom floor.”
“Any idea how much was in them?”
Holt shook his head. “Too much for someone as little as Kenzie. I bagged them. I’ll get them to the professor and Diane as soon as we get back. With the luck we’ve had lately with that damn feral virus in stuff, I had no choice but to call you.”
“I’m her mate,” Gabriel reasserted.
Holt snorted. “Not from where I’m standing.”
“Anything else I should know,” Gabriel said, ignoring the blatant jab. It was no less than he deserved.
“Yeah, it looks like they banged her up pretty good. She has multiple bruises on her stomach, arms and legs, and a nice size knot on her head. She’s ice cold, and… She hasn’t woken up. I was trying to warm her up,” Holt stated with a voice gone gruff with emotion. Concern, fear and anger poured off of him. Gabriel’s eyes followed as Holt stooped to grab his shirt and shoes from a nearby chair.
Gabriel’s chest vibrated with the roar he was barely holding inside at the thought of Holt holding Kenzie’s naked body in his arms. The man might understand what Holt had been trying to do, but Gabriel’s beast wasn’t so forgiving.
“I’ll take care of her,” Gabriel growled.
“Like you did the last time you were with her?” Holt asked, his words an obvious taunt to the beast. “I think she can do without that type of care.”
Kenzie moaned behind them, and Gabriel could hear the chatter of her teeth. The anger he’d
There was no silencing the growl that left Gabriel’s chest. He heard the door open behind him and gained enough control to remember his responsibility.
“There’s a woman with me. She’s spent a bit of time as the guest of some sadistic bastards in a top-of-the-line lab. She’s still recovering. Help her into a room so she can rest more comfortably, please,” he said.
Dusty nodded. “I’ll put her in my room for now. Should I stay with her?”
Gabriel inhaled, taking in all the scents surrounding them. “No. She’s not in any danger here.” Plus Laramie and his brothers would tear apart any hunter who even tried to creep onto their land.
Dusty didn’t say anything, just nodded again and moved around Gabriel to get to Laura. Gabriel moved his gaze to the cabin his mate was in and headed there without further delay. He needed to figure out what the hell had happened to Kenzie. He stepped to the door and a deeper growl erupted from his throat as he was forced to knock. He could hear the rustle of clothing, followed by footsteps padding across the floor then the door whispered open to reveal a man dressed in nothing but low-slung jeans.
Gabriel knew who he was by the scent he carried. He’d smelled it on his mate. This was the friend, the former lover, the one who knew Gabriel’s mate intimately, and the one who’d taken a bullet trying to protect her. Holt. Gabriel didn’t bother trying to throttle the snarl as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.
“Tone it down, asshole. I’m the one who stuck beside her while you did the fuck and bail routine,” Holt said in a hard tone. The white bandage around his upper arm stood out in stark relief against his tan skin. Even that did nothing to calm the beast inside Gabriel.
“The only thing preventing me from ripping your throat out right now is the fact there’s no lust rolling off you for my mate,” he retorted with a snarl.
“Funny, I got the impression she was more of a one-night stand for you,” Holt stated.
Gabriel clenched his hands into fists and went to step around the other man, but Holt countered, moving back in front of him.
“Get out of my way,” Gabriel ordered.
“Focus and listen, dickwad. They must have caught her in the shower. Dart in her shoulder and thigh. They wrapped her up so tightly I wasn’t sure she could even breathe. I put her in the car, and we headed here as soon as we spoke to you.”
“Did you find the darts?”
Holt gave a sharp nod. “Tossed on the bathroom floor.”
“Any idea how much was in them?”
Holt shook his head. “Too much for someone as little as Kenzie. I bagged them. I’ll get them to the professor and Diane as soon as we get back. With the luck we’ve had lately with that damn feral virus in stuff, I had no choice but to call you.”
“I’m her mate,” Gabriel reasserted.
Holt snorted. “Not from where I’m standing.”
“Anything else I should know,” Gabriel said, ignoring the blatant jab. It was no less than he deserved.
“Yeah, it looks like they banged her up pretty good. She has multiple bruises on her stomach, arms and legs, and a nice size knot on her head. She’s ice cold, and… She hasn’t woken up. I was trying to warm her up,” Holt stated with a voice gone gruff with emotion. Concern, fear and anger poured off of him. Gabriel’s eyes followed as Holt stooped to grab his shirt and shoes from a nearby chair.
Gabriel’s chest vibrated with the roar he was barely holding inside at the thought of Holt holding Kenzie’s naked body in his arms. The man might understand what Holt had been trying to do, but Gabriel’s beast wasn’t so forgiving.
“I’ll take care of her,” Gabriel growled.
“Like you did the last time you were with her?” Holt asked, his words an obvious taunt to the beast. “I think she can do without that type of care.”
Kenzie moaned behind them, and Gabriel could hear the chatter of her teeth. The anger he’d
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