Oh god, oh god, oh, god. He was my brother.
Horror and disgust washed through me, and I wanted to go and scrub every single inch of my body and wash my mouth out with soap. We'd kissed. Multiple times! He’d been seconds away from having sex with me! The thought of what had been interrupted made me dry-heave. If I’d had anything at all to eat in the last few hours, I was sure I would have thrown it up.
While I gagged, Jordan just stood there, pants still unbuttoned, looking like his entire world was crumbling all around him. He glanced over at me and shuddered, then turned to the Sun Witches. “How did this happen?” he yelled. “How could I be mated with my own sister?"
The Sun Witches shared uneasy looks, and Roxandra said, “We're not entirely sure..."
Jordan grabbed his head like he might tear himself in two, and let out a roar that made the ground tremble. Then he stumbled off the altar, buttoning his pants before shoving through the line of Sun Witches. The Leo pack parted around him to let him pass, and Debra raced after him without giving me a second glance. Leaving me here to deal with this hot mess of a situation all on my own.
Fuck my life.
The shifters spoke to each other in frantic, hushed whispers, like no one could believe what they'd just seen, and no one knew what to do next. I certainly didn't know either. The Sun Witches huddled together, and no one was bothering to get me out of these bonds tying me to the altar.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Let me free!"
No one moved a muscle. I sighed and tested the strength of the bonds. Unfortunately, they were stronger than I’d thought they would be. I tried to teleport, since the moon was bright overhead, but felt something like a giant wall when I tried. Damn, the Sun Witches must be blocking my magic somehow.
I opened my mouth to yell again when a deep, shuddering boom ran through the town. I felt it vibrate the altar below me, and a rustle went through the gathered crowd. Now what?
Sirens started going off, and a few lone howls sounded from shifters in the distance. “We’re under attack!” someone yelled. That seemed to jolt everyone into motion, and they began stumbling and jostling as they tried to rush out of the garden. The Sun Witches disappeared in a flash of light like fucking cowards, and still, no one made any attempt to free me. My heart pounded as I struggled with my bonds, knowing I'd be way too vulnerable while tied to this altar.
I'd managed to get one wrist free through sheer desperation when I heard someone shout, "Snakes!"
I froze, wondering if I'd heard the word correctly. Then someone else yelled it too, and I frantically tugged at the bond on my other wrist as a new emotion ran through me: hope.
Chapter Ten
It was total chaos, human and wolf forms all crashing into each other around the garden and throughout the rest of the village. I struggled harder against my bonds, wishing I could throw myself into the fight as well. My pack was here. For me. They'd come after all. I could hardly believe it.
A shadow materialized beside me, appearing out of thin air. I opened my mouth to scream, but stopped when I saw who it was. Then I wanted to scream for other reasons.
Kaden.
He stalked up to the altar like something out of a dream, the moonlight streaming down on his dark hair. His broad shoulders and muscular frame filled my vision, and he radiated sheer alpha power with every step. He'd let his facial hair grow longer, and there was a hard set to his jaw as he looked me over, something burning in his icy blue eyes. Desire and longing rushed through me, but they felt entirely different from when the same emotions hit me around Jordan. Those felt forced, but this...this was all natural.
"You're here," I whispered, almost scared to believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. I'd never thought he would come for me, and yet now he was reaching down and yanking apart the bindings on my ankles.
When the last tie was undone, I practically launched myself at him. I wrapped my hands around Kaden's neck and pressed my face to his shoulder, nearly sobbing in relief. He was real, and he was here, and he was mine. I needed to breathe in his familiar scent, to recommit it to memory, along with the feel of his hard muscles against me, and his comforting warmth wrapped around me. Home.
But Kaden was as still as a statue under me, his arms staying staunchly by his side. He didn't hug me back. He didn't react at all.
When I pulled back, he studied my face, where I probably had a black eye from Jordan's punch. Then he lifted one of my arms up as if examining the bruising there. His face flashed with terrifying anger, his body almost trembling with rage. “Who did this to you?”
I jerked my arm back, trying to hide the bruises. “Jordan. And some of the other Leo pack members. Oh, and the Sun Witches got me a few times too.”
A low growl rumbled through Kaden. “Your mate did this to you? I'll kill him."
He glanced around with wild eyes, and I imagined if Jordan was here, Kaden would rip his throat out.
I frowned, struck again by the shocking realization that Jordan was my brother. Before, nothing would have pleased me more than Jordan being torn apart by Kaden's claws. But now I was so confused by this new truth, that I wasn't sure what I wanted. I'd already lost one brother, and no matter how much I hated Jordan, he was still family. At the very least I wanted to talk to him before Kaden ripped him to shreds.
Kaden must have noticed the hesitation written across my face, because he scowled and stepped back, shaking his head with disgust. "Even after he did this to you, you still want him."
"No!" I added as much vehemence to the word as I could. "It's not that. I don't want him, but—"
"I don't care," Kaden snapped. His strong arms came around me, lifting me up and throwing me over his shoulder so suddenly all the air rushed out of my lungs before I could get out the words he’s my brother. “We have to get out of here.”
I squirmed in his hold, remembering when he'd carried me like this during my heat. “Let me down, I can walk."
"No. You’re injured and you’ll be more of a hindrance than a help if I let you walk on your own two feet.” He adjusted my position, his hand on my ass, using it as leverage to hold me tighter as he hopped off the gazebo and strode through the garden.