Huntsman - Morgan Brice Page 0,50

whole time until about an hour ago when I made him leave to get some food, sleep, and a shower. If you don’t think he already knows you’re his mate, you’re blind.” Drew’s expression grew wistful.

“Dude, I’m a little jealous,” Drew continued. “You might not have been true mates with Anthony, but what you had was good. And now, you’ve found your fated mate. I sure hope there’s someone like that, just one someone, out there for me.”

“There is,” Russ said, trying to reassure his little brother despite his own condition. He paused. Something Drew said puzzled him.

“Wait…the whole time?”

Russ remembered being in the downstairs of the burning two-story chalet-style summer house. He and Justin had gone in because the caller had said there were people and pets inside. That hadn’t been true—or they had already fled. Russ had signaled to Justin that they needed to get out. The fire was gaining ground, burning hot, with more smoke than usual.

Just as Justin started toward Russ and the front door, Russ heard a loud crack. Instinct and experience warned him that one of the ceiling beams holding up the loft was going to give way, and he dove for Justin at the last second, sending them both to the floor. He didn’t remember anything clearly after that.

“It’s been twenty-four hours,” Drew said, and Russ heard the exhaustion in his voice. “The doctors wanted to monitor you because of the smoke—to check for carbon monoxide poisoning and potential cyanide exposure. We weren’t sure whether there was anything else toxic that burned, or how badly the smoke might have affected your lungs. Plus, they wanted to keep an eye on your heart. They had to give you a sedative for some of the tests, so you’ve been in and out. Justin’s in surgery, and they’re keeping him for observation, although he didn’t get the dose of smoke you did.”

“I feel like a house fell on me.”

Drew’s expression tightened. “Don’t joke. It nearly did. We barely got the two of you out before the whole thing came down.”

As craptastic as Russ felt, he knew what Drew said didn’t sound right. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” his brother replied. “Cap’s there with the sheriff, and the forensic team they brought in from Plattsburgh. He called to check on you. Says that it’s not only looking like arson, but he thinks someone weakened key support beams and may have tossed some bad burnables into the mix just to make the smoke more dangerous.”

Russ’s mind felt like a computer struggling to download with a lousy signal. The information he needed felt just out of reach. Finally, his thoughts cleared enough for him to remember what he had to tell Drew.

“Liam’s in danger,” he rasped. “Make sure the sheriff talks to him. I think he’s on to something.”

Drew frowned, looking at Russ as if he might be hallucinating. Russ shook his head, struggling to make himself clear. He reached out to grab Drew’s wrist, dragging his IV line across the sheet.

“Rich Jeffries knows—Liam told him. Talk to them. Urgent.”

Drew seemed to find what he needed to assure himself that Russ was lucid and nodded. “Okay.”

Russ didn’t let go as memories filtered back. “Protect him. Don’t let him do something stupid.”

Drew’s eyes narrowed. “Like what?”

“Run. Or fight.”

Drew looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but Russ had already pushed himself as far as he could go. His brother gave him a disapproving glare. “I’ll go find Liam, and see when I can get the sheriff here. You okay without me for a little bit?”

Russ nodded and made a shooing motion. He still felt groggy from the smoke and the medication, but he was aware enough to be worried for his mate.

This is exactly what Liam was afraid would happen if a Huntsman was behind it. He’s either going to run away “for my own good” or try to settle the score himself. Either way, I could lose my mate before he’s finally mine.

7

Liam

This is all my fault.

Liam closed the door of the house behind him and turned the lock, then fell back against the wood with a gasp. The tears he fought back at Russ’s bedside spilled over, and Liam felt too heartsick to try to keep them inside any longer.

If he still had any question about whether his connection to Russ was real, the way his heart nearly stopped when Drew called him put all doubts to rest.

Mate. Skulk. Mine.

For once, man and fox were in