Page 89 of Kidnapping Their Third

Cora ignored him and focused on her bear. As relieved as she felt to have them there, it was still hard to see the devastation on Pike’s face as he took in the sobbing Lucy.

The moment Pike got close enough, Lucy lunged for his leg and hugged it tight. “They were going to kill me!”

Pike crouched down and gently pried her off his leg. “Look at me, Lucy.”

“You have to save me,” Lucy begged. “Cora’s jealous of our relationship. She wants me dead because she doesn’t want competition for your attention.”

He shook his head slowly, his face tight with pain. “I heard everything Lucy. We both know you came here to hurt my mate. Even though I won’t let them take your life, you’re dead to me now. I have no sister.”

Lucy cried out and for the first time, Cora thought she saw real panic and regret on the shifter’s face. Pike stood up and turned his back on Lucy to face Kimble. “I need you to take them bothsomewhere away from here. I don’t want them dead, but can you use your thrall so they won’t come near me or Cora again?”

Kimble looked heartbroken for Pike. “Of course,sloneczko. Consider it done.”

Shifting again, Kimble grabbed one of them in each claw, then pumped his wings hard to lift his burden into the air. No sooner was he above the house than Cora noticed his shape shimmer and seemed to distort and disappear.

“Huh,” she muttered. Now she understood why there weren’t pictures of Kimble as a griffin all over the place.

“It’s glamor. It’s kind of an extension on their ability to thrall people,” Luis explained as Pike pulled her into a full body hug. “Looks like it’s time for me to head home to my mate. Have a better evening.”

Pike didn’t respond, and Cora gave a small wave as Luis left through the gate at the side of the garage. She focused on Pike, his body shaking, and his breathing uneven.

Feeling for their link, she pressed love and reassurance at him. She didn’t talk. What would she even say? I’m sorry your sister tried to kill me? Yeah, no, better to be silent and let Pike talk when he was ready.

“How did I not see what she’d become?” Pike whispered, his voice breaking as he spoke.

The answer was as simple as it was complex. “Because she’s your sister, and family is complicated.”

Pike clutched her a little tighter. “I need to tell Mom and Dad what happened.”

“Later,” Cora urged. “I came over to pack up some of my things before heading back to the mountain. Let’s do that. If we hurry, we’ll get there before Kimble.”

“Yeah, I want to go home,” Pike agreed with a sniff.

“Home,” she echoed. The word sounded perfect and right. A place for all of them to heal.

Chapter 33

Kimble

Hours later, Kimble landed in front of his house. It seemed like every light inside and outside was on, and he absolutely knew his flock had done it on purpose. As much as he wanted to rush in, he paused outside to gather his thoughts.

He’d been forced to kill Lucy’s companion. The man had been vile and while under thrall admitted he would do anything to kill Cora after she humiliated him. Vampires could create strong compulsion using thrall, but it wore off over time. If he’d left the shifter alive, Cora would never be safe.

He’d drained the man dry and left his body out in the desert for the buzzards to eat. A fitting end for a male who admitted he enjoyed hurting humans who couldn’t fight back.

Lucy had been different. She’d stopped crying by the time he landed. She remained passive and quiet as he’d interrogated the male and watched with dead eyes as the life had drained from the man’s body.

After rolling the body down into a dry creek bed, Kimble had turned to her. Lucy’s next words had shocked him.

“I’m ready to die,” she said, watching him with resignation. “Please make it painless. I know you can do that.”

“I promised your brother I wouldn’t kill you,” he remindedher.

“I’m sure you lied,” she said, her head dropping. Her greasy hair fell forward, obscuring her face. “I threatened to kill a member of your flock. I think I wanted to. It didn't matter that she was Pike’s mate, all I could think about was getting money. She made me so angry when she said no and fought back. Humans aren’t supposed to fight back like that.”

He took in her thin appearance and splotchy skin. Most shifters tended toward muscled bodies, but she resembled the unhealthy human models that starved themselves. It wasn’t a natural state for a bear.

Leaning in close, he breathed her in, but smelled nothing unusual. “Why can’t I smell drugs on you?”

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