Page 54 of Their Shared Mate
Before Raphael could speak, Gabriel snapped, “Control your mate or I will. Her behavior is unacceptable. She just threw a lamp at my second.”
Raphael pivoted toward his brother and folded his hands into fists. “Control your second or I will,” he countered angrily. “Patrick’s unacceptable behavior is what triggered Claire’s.”
Gabriel advanced, each step an escalating threat. “The cats insisted that no one directly involved in the experiments was allowed to participate in the alliance. So how the fuck do you explain Heather’s presence in Eagle Village? Patrick and I interacted with her directly during our captivity. She was an active member of the medical team that humiliated and tortured us.”
“She drew blood and gave injections,” Claire insisted. “She never?—”
“You have no idea what she did or did not do!” Gabriel’s gaze flashed dangerously, and his voice cut like a knife. “I’m not going to debate this.” He turned back to his brother. “Get your mate out of here and see that she never returns.”
Raphael heaved an audible sigh then motioned Claire toward the door.
“I’m not leaving until I see for myself that Heather is unharmed.” She backed up a step and crossed her arms over her chest. “There is no reason they can’t?—”
Her breath whooshed out as Raphael’s shoulder lodged in her belly. His palm firmly smacked her ass as he straightened and settled her over his shoulder. “We’ll continue this discussion once I’ve regained control of my mate,” Raphael told the other two.
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Patrick sneered. “I’m not giving her back.”
Rather than argue, Raphael carried Claire from the cabin, his steps long and purposeful.
Claire tolerated the painful position for a few moments then gritted out, “Will you please put me down? I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
After delivering another stinging slap to her upturned ass, Raphael set her on her feet. “Don’t let my defense confuse you. There will be hell to pay for your misbehavior.”
“What about Patrick’s misbehavior? Why is no one dealing with him?”
Rather than argue with her, Raphael motioned toward their cabin and growled out, “Walk.”
Claire gritted her teeth, but used the tense pause to calm down. Every time she indulged her temper all she accomplished was to intensify the discipline. She’d broken into Gabriel’s cabin and thrown a lamp at one of the males. She’d earned a hard spanking. There was no way to avoid the consequence of her impulsive behavior. But shouting angry demands would undoubtedly make things worse, not better.
They reached their cabin a few minutes later and Raphael ushered her inside. “Go to our bedroom and undress,” hedirected as he shut and locked the door. His tone was stern, his features expressionless.
Victor stood across the room silently watching. He didn’t look angry, but she knew he wouldn’t interfere.
She lowered her gaze, but held her ground. “Sir, may we please discuss the situation before I accept my punishment, which I will do without argument.”
“You’re arguing with me right now,” Raphael pointed out.
Disappointed, but trying to learn from her past mistakes, she walked into the bedroom and mechanically took off her clothes. When all her garments rested in a neat stack beside the bed, she knelt and placed her hands on her thighs. She lowered her gaze and her hair swung forward, narrowing her field of vision.
Footsteps approached and then Raphael’s boots came into view. “Why did you break into Gabriel’s cabin?”
“I was hoping Patrick had locked up Heather in there,” she admitted. Lies and excuses at this point would have been counterproductive. They both knew the truth.
“What would you have done if you had found her?” Victor asked as he joined them in the bedroom.
“I was going to hide her until one of the cats could come and get her.” It hadn’t been much of a plan, but it proved that she’d thought beyond her anger. She doubted that her intentions would help, but she wanted them to know that her motivation had been pure.
A silent pause followed, then Raphael asked, “How did you find out that Patrick took Heather?”
She tensed, swallowing with difficulty before she could speak again. “I visited the bunkhouse this morning and one of the women told me what happened. May I ask why you didn’t say anything to me?” She tried to remain calm and respectful, but accusation sharpened her tone.
“You were asleep when I returned last night and I left early this morning to search the tunnels,” he explained. “I was on my way to tell you now. Instead, Gabriel insisted that I come get you because you had broken into his cabin.”
Emboldened by anger, she lifted her head and met his gaze. “Do you know where they have her stashed?”
“How long have you known she was an active part of their medical team?” he countered angrily. “Did Zion know when he allowed her to participate in the alliance?”
“Heather is a physician’s assistant,” Claire stressed as she rose to her feet. Kneeling before him intensified her vulnerability and she refused to feel weak. Claire had failed to protect her brother, and she’d failed to protect Dawn. She didn’t care what it cost her. She would not fail Heather! “She was not allowed to make decisions. She had no authority. She did only what she was ordered to do. Her primary responsibilities were suturing cuts, bandaging scrapes, and handing out food trays.”
