Where had Theo come from? Why was he the one with the baby? Not that it was time to ask those sorts of questions, and he knew it. Now was the time to get this baby fed, to get this man to the healer, and ask questions after everyone rested. He glanced at Keegan, knowing they had to be close to the ATV now. “This is wild.”
Keegan nodded. “I don’t like it. I mean, I don’t know him. He’s not from one of the families who left. So I don’t know where he came from, and I don’t know who shot the baby’s parent. But I’m very concerned that all this shit is happening. I know we’re werewolves, but we don’t tend to shoot one another willy-nilly.”
“Well…” Liam shook his head. “I don’t get it, either. I’ve been working with y’all for a long time. Even when things were badwith your old pack alpha, we had a working relationship. I don’t remember things ever being quite this psychopathic.”
Keegan shook his head. “No. No, I don’t either. Loyal’s waiting for us, and so is Niall, so at least we’ll be able to get the baby and this guy help.”
“Theo. He says that someone shot and killed the mother or the whatever. What do you call male mothers?” Liam knew there was a word for it. Rory was one, apparently.
“Omegas.” Keegan chuckled, his grin wide.
“Omegas. Right. Theo said he died before Theo even knew he was hit.”
“And now?”
Liam tried to shrug, but his hands were full, and to be honest, he was getting a little bit tired. Theo didn’t weigh much, and Liam would carry him to the ends of the earth if that was what was necessary. But he was kind of hoping that wasn’t necessary.
“How do you know all this?”
“Because he told me so.” He wasn’t sure why Keegan would ask him that. Again, Keegan looked at him but didn’t say anything else, which was good because he was getting short on breath, and thank goodness that the ATV was right there.
“Okay, so how are we going to do this?”
“If we strap him into the front seat, you sit in the back holding the baby, I can drive.”
Keegan had a point. That seemed to be the safest way to get everybody down to Loyal’s. There were no belts to hold Theo in the back, unconscious as he was.
“Okay, honey, so here’s the deal. I’m going to put you in this thing. I know that you can’t hear me, but you’ve got to listen. I need you to just relax. I’m going to put you in the seat belt. We’re going to get you help. We’re on our way and we’re going to get the baby help too.”
Theo was absolutely stunning, even as sick as he was. This man was pale like Rory’s husband Fen, but instead of being muscular and tall, he was tiny and lean. Almost, but not quite, delicate. It was odd. Fascinating.
They managed to get everyone in the four-by-four finally, and he held the baby in the back as they got moving. It was later in the day than they had wanted to be gone, than they had expected to be when he’d planned to spend the night on the mountain, but it took a lot of energy to carry a full-grown man down a mountain. And Keegan hadn’t been able to run in wolf form because he had the baby.
They didn’t speak much as they drove. Keegan pushed the vehicle as fast as it could go, and he tried to keep dust and debris off the baby’s face and hold Theo in the seat up front.
They roared up to the mishmash of cabins and lean-tos that made up Loyal’s pack compound halfway between the original wolfpack and the old dragon compound and screeched to a halt. The buildings were all interconnected, paths formed under breezeways to get from one home to another. And Keegan’s brother, Loyal and his mate, Niall, ran to meet them as soon as they pulled up. “What on earth happened?”
“We found him. He was calling to us. They’re hungry. The omega was shot. They need help.”
“Liam’s bonded,” Keegan put in softly.
Niall’s eyes flew open wide. “Pardon me?”
Keegan spoke again, very slowly. “Liam, brother of Rory who is the mate of Fen. Bonded to Theo, our as-of-yet unconscious packmate.”
Niall blew out a surprised huff of breath. “Excellent. Let’s get him inside and get him help. LuAnn, I’m going to need some warm blankets. Somebody needs to grab me some food. Applesauce maybe.”
“You guys are obsessed with applesauce,” he whispered to Keegan.
“Apples are good for dogs. Ruff.” Kee snapped his teeth together.
Liam tried to find it in him to be scared, but he just couldn’t.
Niall and LuAnn whisked Theo and Gael away deeper into the compound, leaving them to sit there twiddling their thumbs and being worried. It really didn’t suit him very well. In fact, it sucked big, hairy donkey balls.
“I hate this.” Liam growled deep in his chest. “I want to see him.”
“They’re helping. He probably doesn’t want you to see him like this. No one’s mate does.”
