Marked Northern Shifters 1

Gabriel knows there’s not much time. He’s fighting now, to shift and run and then plot his revenge yet again.” Trey paused. “I can’t allow it, brother.”
While Alec didn’t want to sound insensitive, he was terrified of that scenario. “That didn’t answer my question.”
“I have to, and I always do what I have to.” No inflection. “When I left home, I should have taken Gabriel with me, but I was twelve and he was two. I always thought I would save him later. I was wrong. The only thing I can do is bury him.”
“I can pull the trigger,” offered Alec.
Slowly, Trey brought his gaze to meet Alec’s. “It should be me.”
“No. You should bury him.” Alec reached over with both hands, watching how Trey would react, because he was worried about this “not much time” aspect. Trey rather easily relinquished the gun.
“Have you shot before?”
“Uh, no.” Alec’s hands were shaking, too, but he badly wanted to pull this trigger.
“Okay.” Trey coached him on technique. “Use both hands then,” he finished up. “Put it right against his temple, though you’ll get his blood on you.”
“I already have blood on me.”
Alec placed the gun’s muzzle on the top of Gabriel’s wolf’s head and pulled in a deep, steadying breath. He feared Gabriel would move, or make noise and he thought a whine would be much worse than a growl.
“He’ll regain consciousness soon,” Trey said quietly, regretfully.
It was time. Alec squeezed the trigger.
He didn’t remember a lot after that. Blood seemed to be everywhere. His, Liam’s, Gabriel’s.
He’d wanted to carry Liam, felt possessive about it even, but hadn’t been able to take more than a few stumbling steps before Trey lifted Liam out of his arms.
“He needs to be warm because he’s injured,” Trey explained, “so let me get him to my car.”
Liam’s needs, not Alec’s, had to take priority. He trailed Trey to the car, which seemed parked far away—apparently, this had guaranteed that Gabriel would not detect Trey’s presence. He placed Liam in the backseat, handed Alec the keys and gave him directions to Liam’s house.
Alec didn’t bother to tell Trey he couldn’t drive. He’d had four driver’s ed lessons before that terrible fight with his parents, and fortunately Trey’s car was automatic, no gears to shift. Hunched over the steering wheel, which he held in a death grip, he somehow maneuvered it onto the road and, in time, back to Liam’s driveway. He could barely manage to turn off the engine, his hands were shaking from having clenched the steering wheel.
Veronica ran out of the house first. “Where’s Trey?” she demanded, even while she was finding Liam’s pulse, checking his wound.
Alec remembered Trey leaning down into his car, capturing Alec’s gaze. “I want to thank you for that. It was kind of you.” Kind? Alec had thought, dumbfounded. “Just tell them I had to go.”
“Gone,” said Alec to Veronica. “Trey is gone.” Then Seth was in his face, but somehow, with Gabriel dead, that blue gaze didn’t bother Alec quite as much and he found he needed a little help getting out of the car. After which he promptly puked.
It was Veronica who cleaned up his face, which was still bleeding from Gabriel’s knife play. She had to do it in Liam’s bedroom, so Alec could watch Liam who was pale, but breathing, despite the recent wound-scar in his chest above his heart. Why, you’ll have matching scars when this is all over. Alec winced at that odd thought. He was getting punchy.
“His heartbeat is regular. That means he’ll be okay,” Veronica reassured him.
“When will he wake up?”
“A day or so, though we’ll rouse him to drink, whether he wants to be roused or not. He’s lost a lot of blood, but right now he needs rest more than liquid.” She stopped and assessed Alec’s cheek and jaw. “I’ve done what I can for you, but you need stitches. I’m calling in a nurse I trust.”
Alec didn’t have the energy to argue. Within the hour, he’d been sewn up by some nice woman who didn’t ask questions. Then, finally clean of blood, he crawled into bed beside Liam.
His lover’s body temperature was colder than usual, and Alec used what he could of his own body heat to warm Liam under the feather duvet. He didn’t think he would sleep but the night proved him wrong.
    Alec woke to Liam clutching him, making sounds of terror, eyes open, but not really registering what he saw, if he saw.
“Liam,