Page 40 of Becoming Brandy

His face did not soften. “It has been decided. Drake and his brothers will die.”

“No!” Brandy exclaimed, falling forward. Charis caught her, barely holding her up. Rahan came forward and took Brandy in his arms, lifting her up like a rag doll.

“Han!” Charis said in protest. Han pulled her aside to speak with her while Rahan began walking out of the room with Brandy in his arms.

“It’s all going to be okay,” Rahan said, holding her close.

“It’s not,” she said, crying into his chest. His shirt was open, and her tears smeared against his skin. She thought of the times they’d been together, but none of them had compared to her times with Wrek and Tork. And who even knew about Drake? She’d just been getting to know him. Now they all were going to die.

“It’s all my fault,” she moaned.

Rahan stopped walking. “None of this is your fault. You have to know that.”

She shook her head. “They just wanted a mate. Just like you and your brothers. Was that so much to ask?”

“They abducted you, dove,” he said, a growl in his voice. “We were so worried.”

“I appreciate that, but you have to understand. They don’t deserve to die.” She peered into his eyes, hoping he would see her pain. “One of them is the father of my child.”

Rahan’s expression tightened. She could tell what she was saying hit him. He set her down gently, making sure she was steady on her feet before letting go. “What if I take you to them?”

“You’d do that?” She squeezed his arm in anticipation and hope.

His impish smile appeared. “It’s my ship, after all.”

Brandy hadn’t smiled in a long time, but she did now. Putting her arm in Rahan’s, she let him lead her to where they were holding the others.

They walked for quite a while, winding around until Brandy felt like they were near the bottom of the ship. Rahan stopped in front of a wall with two posted guards. The creatures nodded at their captain and moved aside as he rubbed his hands together.

“I want to warn you, they’re in chains. I don’t think they were beaten, but—”

“Don’t think they were beaten?” Her voice was piercing. “How could you?”

“I didn’t do it,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “Just be prepared. You have three minutes. Say what you need to, but don’t get too close.”

“They wouldn’t hurt me.”

“You don’t have any idea what desperate men will do,” Rahan said in an admonishing tone. “Okay, let’s go.”

He pressed both hands to the wall. It took much longer for the surface to begin to disintegrate than normal. When it did, Brandy’s stomach began to knot as her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness inside.

They stepped in, Rahan at her back.

The space was small, low ceilings dripping with unnecessary water. The walls were rocky, old, and dank. She wondered if this was a simulator room made like a medieval dungeon or if they just kept a dungeon handy. On the far wall, she spotted the brothers. They were indeed shackled by the wrists with thick metal chains. Exhaustion permeated their bodies, heads hanging forward as if dead.

She forgot Rahan’s words and ran to them, centering herself between Tork and Wrek, putting her hands on their bare chests.

“Brandy, stop!” Rahan called, running up behind her.

All three heads lifted. Three pairs of eyes focused on her face. Wrek was the least tattered, no bloody cuts or black eyes for him. Drake and Tork had not fared so well. Each had apparently taken many blows to the face and torso, judging from their cuts and bruises. Tears sprang to Brandy’s eyes.

Gentle smiles bloomed on all three faces as they studied her.

“Are you okay?” Wrek asked in a cracked and dry voice.

“Are they treating you well?” Tork asked.

Drake inclined his head in her direction, lifting one side of his bruised mouth. “Good to see you.”

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