Marked Northern Shifters 1

slid the bolt across.
Veronica told David to cock the gun that was already cocked, and Alec opened the door while David assured her, “I’m ready.”
“Sharon?” said Alec.
She stood there on the doorstep, trembling and sniveling. In fact, she looked terrified, which made Alec more uneasy.
Luke stepped out of the bushes with a feral grin. David moved forward and fired. Sharon screamed. Luke stumbled. The gun fired past Alec again, so he backed away from the line of fire. An iron hand grabbed Alec’s upper arm and yanked him over the threshold. A third and fourth shot rang out before a fist connected to Alec’s temple and the world turned black with pain.
Chapter Fourteen
    Alec woke on the wet, cold ground, shivering. A hand returned to smack his face and this time he opened his eyes.
“That’s my boy,” crooned Gabriel, now tapping his cheek lightly, and Alec thought, Christ, not again , wanting to crawl away. “I didn’t hit you that hard.”
He let his eyes flutter shut, reaching for the blackness, but Gabriel grabbed both shoulders and shook him. The pain in his head made him wince.
“Stay awake, or I might shoot off a finger, just for fun.”
Alec ignored the threat. Gabriel jerked him to sitting. When Alec listed to the right, Gabriel slapped him hard across the cheek. The sting of flesh was nothing compared to the agony ringing in his head. He groaned.
“ Stay awake , I said.”
“I’m trying,” Alec mumbled so Gabriel would stop shaking him. Though he shook on his own, trembling from the subzero night temperature. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Gabriel was naked and apparently warm—no shivering, no goose bumps. In fact, Gabriel appeared incredibly at ease in his skin. Alec almost had to remind himself that Gabriel could flip into a psycho-rage at any moment.
“We’re waiting for Liam,” Gabriel explained as if that were obvious. “I need to talk to him in person.” He threw his cell at Alec. “Phone him.”
Alec didn’t respond, or move. If it was the last thing he refused to do, he would not phone Liam, bring him here to some asshole who used to beat the crap out of him when he was a boy.
Gabriel hit a button and the phone was dialing. He grabbed a chunk of Alec’s hair and slammed the thin cell against Alec’s ear. It rang and rang and an answering machine picked up. Gabriel shook Alec’s head so Alec couldn’t see straight. But he could think and when Gabriel hissed, “Speak!” Alec remained silent.
Suddenly, Gabriel let go of Alec and spoke himself. “If any of you have ears, you would have heard Alec breathing. So he’s alive. Liam. This is for you. Meet me at the circle. It is certainly time you were disciplined.” Gabriel grinned to himself. “I have instructions though. And if you don’t follow them exactly, your little friend here will have his throat ripped open.” Though he tried to keep the shakes at bay, Alec shuddered. He did not want to die at Gabriel’s hands. He wanted to beat Gabriel at his twisted game. He wanted to win.
And he wanted to see Liam again. He was grateful they’d had last night and, right now, the only thing he regretted was not embracing Liam before he left this morning.
“Do not bring anyone else,” continued Gabriel. “Especially my dear brother, Trey. Do not bring any weapons, especially a gun. Come unarmed and alone and it’s just possible I’ll let this mark live.”
Gabriel hung up. “Do you think Liam will trade you for the kids?”
“No.”
“I fear you’re right.”
“Even if he would, the others wouldn’t let him.”
“Right again. I think I may have to give up on this idea of growing a pack. What do you think, Alec?” Alec hated the way Gabriel said his name. “Perhaps Liam won’t be interested in seeing you again and he’ll leave you with me. We could be a pack of two. But, hmmm, you’re not a wolf. I don’t know how to fix that.”
Holding his head in his hand, Alec tried to steady the throbbing so he could speak clearly. “Why, exactly, do you want to talk to Liam?”
“Oh, I don’t want to talk. I’m a man of action.”
Alec lifted his face and tried to make out Gabriel’s expression in the darkness. It was hard to see. The moon was new, just a sliver of light, and the sky was not entirely clear.
“Or do you not think I’m a man?”
Huh? Alec realized Gabriel was peering at him.
“Ah, Alec, if only we’d met differently. You honestly don’t seem to have the regular human contempt for