“Yes,” she said. “I want to help, Alex. I need to save Charlie.” To Gideon, she asked, “Will you help me save my cousin and the other women being held against their will?”
Eli scowled. “Hell, yeah. I hate Lang. And Smith too.”
“Smith is mine.” Gideon smiled, and she saw razor sharp fangs.
Bailey rubbed his shoulder, and he leaned back to sit closer to her. She shook her head. “We all hate Dr. Lang and his scary assistant. But I’m worried about those women, the Level 4 group. You said there are only six of you left?”
Kennedy nodded. “When the lab in Portland blew, he took us to some island. I remember seeing water from my view in the plane, then we landed. We were taken to an underground bunker. But it was somewhere tropical. Gideon, I don’t know if that’s where Lang has your friend. He has a lot of hidey-holes around the globe, places he retreats to when the government is hot on his tail.”
“Speaking of government,” Eli said, “what are the Circe’s Recruits guys doing about him?”
Carter answered, “They were on his trail, but it went cold. Doc gave us all they had on him to get us this far. Then the guys got pulled away by some Circ farm in Venezuela. Besides, Gideon told them we had this.”
Bailey frowned. “That’s a lot to take on, Gideon.”
“We have the finances, the support.” Gideon looked around the room, centering on Kennedy again. “A new ace in the hole.”
“And Lang has resources we don’t,” Alex argued.
“But you have me. I’ll help.” Kennedy seemed so sincere.
He knew she was scared for her cousin, hell, overwhelmed with all of it. But she was strong.A fitting mate.
Alex shoved the animal back down in his psyche, trying to ignore its satisfaction.
“She can do what she wants, Alex,” Gideon said. “We’re not her keepers, and she’s a grown woman.”
“Oh yeah. All grown up.” Eli leered.
Gideon slapped him in the back of the head.
“Ow. Dick.” Eli gave a low snarl, but he didn’t meet Gideon’s stern gaze.
Gideon hugged Bailey to him, the other arm snaked around Eli’s shoulders. “Look, Kennedy. We all came together not too long ago, and we work. We’re a team. A unit. Family, pack, all that bullshit. We won’t keep you here if you want to go. And we’re still going to try to save your cousin and those other women from whatever hell Lang has planned for them. So don’t think you need to stay for that. But for damn sure we can use you if you’re in.”
“I’m in.”
“But sweetheart, something we’re going to have to settle at some point. If you’re in this pack, you’rein.”
“Fucking,” Carter said bluntly to clear up any confusion. Because he was good like that. Alex gave a mental sigh. “It’s weird. I’m gay. Proud of it. But I can tolerate Bailey. After the first few times we did it, I’m good just being around her with the others when we get it on. We don’t have massive orgies all the time, but you have to know your beast is gonna want it. It’s sexy and kind of comforting, to tell you the truth. And if you don’t work your beast, you can get really dangerous.”
Alex felt her tension. “He’s right. You can also exercise it a lot with weights or mat training. Gideon and Bailey are mated, so their time together is different. The rest of us work out our needs, and Gideon and Bailey are there to settle us down. When you feel like you’re with them, you feel safe. It’s hard to explain.”
“No, you’re doing just fine.” Bailey smiled at him, and he felt her quiet joy that he really did think of her as family. “Kennedy, there’s no rush to jump in bed withanybody.” She gave the guys, including him, a stern look. “Way to ease her into it, fellas.” She sighed. “We’re heading back home tomorrow. I think you should come with us. We’ll plan, find your cousin and the others, and figure out how to finish Lang one way or the other. In the meantime, there’s a lot to learn about the new you. And honestly, it would be nice to have another woman around.”
Alex felt Kennedy’s indecision. “How about you think about it? You can use my room and just relax if you want. And while you’re doing that, I can get you some clothes.”
She only had the one set after all.
“Oh, I’ll do that.” Bailey hustled Kennedy up and into Alex’s bedroom and shut the door.
The guys stared at each other.
“So you’re into this chick?” Gideon asked him.
“What gave it away?” Eli snickered. “The way he growls if you get too close? Or the way she was practically on top of him the whole time?”
Alex glared at Eli.
