The Royal Lycan Ch. 03

Axel opened his mouth, hesitating when Carl came in.

Carl took after their father. Cold grey eyes and black hair, with Axel's wide shoulders. At that moment Carl was just like his father, looking at Jett like he was foreign evil arrived to rape and scorch everything he cared about. Then he dropped his gaze and walked through without acknowledging him, brushing past Peter and Baz hovering in the doorway.

Axel watched Carl leave, his cold eyes back on Jett. "You owe me answers."

Jett took a deep breath, thinking about Tessa. He nodded.

***

Hectors troupe set up camp on the forest fringe. There were six of them, highly specialised. They took turns checking the heat signals at Jett's family home, discussing options while waiting for further instructions.

There was no expectation that danger might come from behind. The sniper took out two within seconds, scattering the rest.

The remaining four went different directions, going with their instincts, which were no match for the threat.

The figure picked them off like slow cattle, until one remained. The survivor was the fastest, taking advantage of his colleagues' slaughter to gain a head start. He was mildly injured, lightly bleeding.

He did everything to distract from being tracked and found a good tree to climb. He climbed very high and waited, gun in hand. Time passed, and when the forest remained deathly silent and nothing came for him, he felt carefully along his belt, and hit the distress signal.

***

Tessa showered and dressed herself. The navy pants were a good fit, the red shirt loose flowing. She was surprised, sniffing the shirt material. It was clean, yet she knew with certainty the clothes belonged to Mia.

Combing her hair with her fingers she went to sit by the window. The bedroom was Jett all over, from the scents to the décor. She felt at home there, even though she wouldn't admit it to him.

She couldn't deny she was weirdly happy, which had a lot to do with physical satisfaction. She was very interested in more of that; fooling around with Jett. He'd awakened something in her, and she was suddenly excited about a future with him. Kissing him, his hands touching her all over. The way his mouth felt on her pussy...

Tessa slipped from her seat and staggered back when a face filled the window.

She'd never seen him before. He looked like a soldier, handsome, older than Jett, maybe late 30's. She couldn't really tell, because he was suddenly in the room with her.

By the time she'd opened her mouth to scream, he was holding her tight, covering her mouth.

"Don't give me trouble," he warned, tightening his grip when she struggled. "I'll kill everyone under this roof, understand?"

Tessa doubted the man would be any match against Jett and his brothers, but there was Mia and their mother. Tessa nodded against his hand.

The man's clothes were camouflage, with patches of dirt and blood. He was tall, built, with light-brown hair peppered with grey, and green eyes.

When she nodded, he slowly stepped back with a threat in his eyes and released her mouth. "Good." He lifted her, shifting her across his back just the way Jett did when he'd scaled Hector's building.

Tessa closed her eyes through the brief descent, not believing she was being abducted again. It was shockingly fast, and they didn't make a sound.

Once they were on the ground and clear of the house, Tessa tried to scream. It was as if the man knew, his suffocating hand already on her face.

"So, that's how it is?" he smiled thinly, his eyes terrifying.

Tessa gasped for air, winded, hauled across his shoulder. She was unable to even keep track of the trees for how fast he went. She frowned against his back, bruised from his bouncing sprint. The man was Lycan.

***

Jett sat across Axel, serving each other the same hostile stare.

"Your mate, huh?" Axel broke the silence, cracking his knuckles. "How did you lovebirds find each other?"

Jett sensed what his brother's mentioned. Axel was still pissed at him, but not disapproving of his relationship status. "In my occupation."

"Mm-hm." Axel's eyes were mocking, but he avoided comment. "Where's her pack?"

"She doesn't have one."

Axel's eyebrows went up with interest. "Well, son, you never wasted time where it came to killing."

Jett stood in anger, controlled himself, and sat down again.

Axel smiled. "And you could always restrain yourself when you wanted something."

"Do you want to ask questions or insult me?"

"Can't a man have both?" Axel replied, relaxing back into the armchair. "Okay. What happened at the Riley farm?"

Jett's face darkened. "What do you think?"

"I think three kids were murdered and you disappeared into the wind."

"I didn't do it."

"Why not tell me at the time?"

"Because you should have known."

Axel paused a heartbeat. "I'm not going to accept that answer."

Jett stared him down, then dropped his gaze. "It was Butcher."

"Butcher." Axel watched Jett's face like a hawk. "If that's true, why didn't you say?"

Jett took a deep, angry breath. "Because you'd have had to tell your terminally-ill best friend that his cherished son was a piece-of-shit, girl-raping murderer and maybe you wouldn't have wanted to do that."

Axel's tone was silky, but his eyes turned vicious. "And you thought you'd decide for me? What were you scared of, son? That I'd cover it up?"

"Wouldn't be the first time you changed history to suit your narrative," Jett sneered.

When he opened his eyes again, he was on the floor, looking at Axel's boots. His dad was seated as if he'd never moved.

"Get up," Axel said, gesturing to the seat. "I'm not done."

Jett picked himself up, wiping blood from his nose.

"Have you any idea the shame I had to contend with when you went bottom level?"

"I can think of worse shames."

Axel narrowed his eyes. "Oh, Jesus. Go on, then. Get it out. What have I done that's so shameful?"

Jett grinned menacingly. "Do the others know how I was conceived?"

"Who...?" Axel looked aside. "That's why you left?"

"Butcher was the push I needed."

"Well, he's been dead a while. Car accident," Axel said slowly.

"I know. I came back for him."

Axel shot him a look. "Jesus, Jett."

"I need to protect Tessa from Hector," Jett said. "That's why I'm here. I didn't come back to get into all of this with you. I just need time to figure out what to do next."

"Jett, I didn't rape your mother," Axel said, looking at his hands. "Not many know, but she came from traditionalists. They caught us trying to elope and I did what was necessary to convince them I was onboard. I had to do it to spare her something worse." He looked straight into Jett's eyes. "It was her idea, Jett. It was a last resort."

The hatred didn't leave Jett's face. "I thought Butcher was lying until I saw the hospital records. You hurt her badly."

"It was her idea," Axel repeated, his expression twisting with anger from the distasteful memory. "I had to hurt her. If she was in a better state, they would have taken turns."

"She's your mate." Jett shook his head with disgust. "There's always another way."

"Sure, son," Axel drawled, the anger on his face fading back to coldness. "When you're surrounded by a violent pack ready to rut on your mate, you can advise how to stroll out of that situation."

"I thought Mom was an orphan."

"She was when I was done with them." Axel paused. "You can ask Lily if you don't believe me. But I don't want the others to know, and neither does she. They'd lose sleep over it."

Jett was silent. He'd lost a lot of sleep over it. Now, he was related to traditionalists.

Axel clicked his fingers, his 'moving on' gesture. "What are you running from?"

"Tessa is a royal. She's half-lycan."

"What?" Axel said, sitting straight. "A royal? How?"

"Some indiscretion, obviously," Jett answered. "She's a Sinclair."

"A Sinclair," Axel breathed. "There's an ace. Isn't your employer at the bottom end of royalty?"

Jett snorted. "Hector's so low, he's eating mud. But with Tessa, he has a real shot." He took a deep breath. "With Tessa and an heir on the way, he'd be unstoppable."

Axel pinched his nose. "This is a lot to take in." He stood. "I want to meet this princess who brought my son home."

Jett didn't realise anything was awry until he reached the stairs. He sprinted up them, kicking the bedroom door open to find it empty, the window wide.

He heard a step behind him and turned to strike, but it was just Axel.

"I have to go to the car and get..." Jett said, stopping suddenly and sniffing. "What the fuck?"

"Her scent," Jett's dad nodded. "You can track her."

"No." Jett went pale. "That's not her."

"What do you mean?" Axel said, narrowing his eyes.

"It's her...But it isn't," Jett said, shocked. "Who could come here without us noticing and...It's just not possible."

***

Tessa was lowered to the ground, and the man went to retrieve a backpack hidden in the bushes.

"Don't bother," he said, not looking up from the bag when Tessa turned to run back to the house.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice tremoring with fright.

"David," he answered.

"Do you work for Hector?"

The man laughed grimly. "No." He retrieved a can and began to spray the ground around them.

Tessa backed off as a terrible odour seemed to envelope her. She felt like all her senses were blocked.

"Here," David was close to her, a wet towel in his hand. "Wipe your face. It'll go away in a moment."

Tessa staggered back, using the cloth, only considering afterward that it might be drugged. She swallowed convulsively, feeling a bit better. Dropping the towel, she caught the man staring at her. He was tense and masculine. He saw her fear and looked away.

"Are you going to rape me?" she asked weakly. Not that she wanted to know if he was, but she had to ask.

The man was repulsed, turning to stare at her incredulously. "Theresa, I'm your father."

"You're not old enough to be my father," she said on autopilot. Sure, he wasn't in his teens, but he didn't look much older than Jett, except for the few greys through his brown hair.

David shifted, contemplating her perusal of him. "I'm forty-two. We don't age like ordinary people, especially the males. It's a survival thing. We have families to protect. There's another reason we stay virile, which I'm sure you've already learned while keeping company with an alpha Lycan."

The last of his words dripped with anger and contempt. Tessa edged away from him.

"You're my daughter," he continued carefully. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm here to take care of you."

A wave of nausea passed through Tessa. "My parents are dead."

"Your mother and step-father are dead, yes."

Tessa's legs weakened and she sat down, sweeping the statement to the back of her subconscious. "Jett will come for me," she said softly. "He's my... I'm with him."

"With him?" The man's eyebrows went up. "I won't let you be with a mutt-for-hire and end up like your mother. I'll kill him if I have to."

"No," Tessa shook her head, struggling to breathe. She had to get away. She forced herself up and ran, making three steps before David picked her up and put her at the base of a large tree.

She stood to run again, her sight blurred by tears, but he held her to the tree. He was strong, withholding brute strength, like Jett.

"You don't believe it? Look at me, Theresa."

"No!"

He lightly shook her. "Stop this. Open your eyes. I'm not going to hurt you."

Sobbing, she looked at him, her breath hitching.

"Can't you see a resemblance?" he said gently. "You're the spitting image of your mother, but you have my eyes. My cheekbones." His hands smoothed down her shoulders, taking her wrist to lift it. "And the same birthmark on your arm."

He stepped back and rolled up his sleeve, showing her. "See?"

Considering recent events, this was too much. Tessa swallowed a few times, mesmerised by the distinct little mark on the stranger's thick forearm, identical to hers. The ground came to her rapidly as she collapsed in a dead faint.