Marked Northern Shifters 1

this time.” Veronica’s eyes brightened. “We have a lead, Liam. David, bring the gun.”
They grabbed Ira from his bedroom and piled in the van.
Chapter Ten
    Alec expected to go out in a blaze of terror. But while Gabriel and Luke came down to the shed and threw him back and forth between them—he pretended he was somewhere else and they asked where Claire was—they didn’t actually decide to kill him. They were more concerned about finding the girl.
    Besides, something about Alec’s numb behavior convinced them he knew nothing of her fate. Luke gave Alec a parting kick. Worse, Gabriel knocked over Alec’s water. That had happened midday and now, well into evening, the thirst was getting to him.
    As was the dull despair. Despite his first rush of euphoria when he’d realized Claire had escaped, Alec was mostly gripped by fear that she would be caught and punished, that his plan and her actions had been for naught. He couldn’t face such failure. As the hours ticked by, the fear’s grip lessened and he found his thoughts wandering to strange places. A collage of images passed through his mind—childhood, Claire, lost parents, Liam. But he couldn’t focus on anyone and he wondered if he was losing it.
    Perhaps Gabriel had decided to abandon him here, leaving him to die of dehydration. He’d shouted his head off late in the afternoon, to no avail. The effort had exhausted him and hurt his already dry throat.
    He dozed deep into the night, interrupted by shivers and nightmares. Some time after the moon set, an engine sounded, alarmingly close, and he jerked up to sitting, then wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to still the trembling that came from being endlessly cold.
    They were back, after all. Maybe more of the quad. And God knows what they would do to him now. He just hoped they didn’t have Claire.
They drove past the end of the driveway and around to the back of the house. Unusual. Alec flinched as the vehicle’s lights shone on him. He wanted to crawl into a dark corner and hide. But the two beams of light got rid of all dark corners so he forced himself to face them. Pride wasn’t a lot, but it was just about all he had left. He lifted an arm to shield his eyes from the harsh brightness of the unforgiving headlights.
A figure emerged and strode towards him. Heart pounding, Alec squinted, trying to see. Out of the light came golden hair and a long, lean body. Alec’s breath baled out and he didn’t know if relief or terror shook him. He couldn’t see the expression on the golden boy’s face. Then an ax, of all things, was lifted, its blade glinting in the light. Alec watched, as if he were watching a TV show and he wasn’t in it.
“ Fuckers .” The word was a growl and it wasn’t aimed at him. The blade came smashing down on the chain that held him to the cement floor. The link broke and Alec stared at crushed metal.
He felt, more than saw, Liam crouch down beside him, near, but not touching. Alec found he couldn’t lift his gaze to meet Liam’s and he wanted to hide the shackle around his ankle, despite the fact Liam had already observed his captive state. Alec had never wanted to be seen like this, like a thing that was owned.
“It’s time to leave,” Liam said gently. Perhaps it was safe to think Liam wanted to help.
“I am going to stand.” Alec’s voice sounded raw, but it didn’t shake, at least. He would walk out of here, if he accomplished nothing else. As he pushed himself up, his head reeled. But he ignored it, taking one step after another. The heavy shackle weighed down one leg, but he limped out of that fucking shed. He stopped then, just beyond, and while he fought it, his strength drained away and his world turned dark.
Liam’s arms came around him. “I’ve got you, Alec.”
He passed out.
When he came to, he sat in a van, rolling along a dirt road, a seat belt strapped across his chest, the shackle still on his ankle. He was waking to a nightmare, again.
But this time, a high whispering voice kept saying, “Want to see him, just see him.”
“You can see him, Claire,” came Liam’s soothing tones.
Claire . Alec opened his eyes.
“He’s awake,” she declared, remonstrating Liam who held her back. He let go and she crawled over the seat to Alec and leaned into him, rubbing her face against his arm.
He was too dirty for her to be touching him, but he hadn’t the heart to push her away. And he was glad, so glad, they were with Liam and not