Tavian

"The rancors spread across the woods after we mauled their siblings. There's a good chance they're heading for the city if they keep tracking the way they're going."

Tavi nodded and rubbed his chin as he and Crev stood in the sitting parlor, leaned over an iPad. The brother had a bird's eye heatgrid up on the screen that showed the heat movements of the woods from the last couple of hours. Rancors weren't demonic beasts, but their bodies gave off a heat signature hotter than hell. Easy to track; Harder to kill.

"I don't like them getting up and cozy with civilization. We need to waltz them back towards the forest before they get too far. Are the runts ready?"

"Yeah, I reckon they're gunning for a fight," Crev replied. "Want me to take them out for a walk?"

"I do, but take Kevlar with you. With that many pups, you're gonna need an extra leash."

"Kev's gone to tuck Daisy into bed. He's out for the night."

Tavi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Take Hack then. But keep it clean and by the book," He warned, gloomily. "Last thing I need is another headache right now."

"Yeah, I'd say you got your paws full," Crev shut the iPad down and then shifted as they both went for the liquor cabinet. "You finally found her. Can I be the first to offer my congratulations?"

A congratulations felt too soon, he thought as he poured himself a glass of clear gin, his brother going for the virgin red wine. The female had all but rejected his touch, even if she felt their connection. He had been waiting for her for decades, but now that she was here, he felt so unprepared.

Perhaps because he hadn't bet on the pack's future Lyca to be a wholesome human. A human that knew goddamned Krav Maga and had wanted her first meeting with his manhood to be with her knee.

Wasn't that a nice surprise.

Tavi shook his head and exhaled a sigh. "We'll see what she does when she wakes up." She had been out for hours. If it wasn't because her pulse and heartbeat had been steadily beating, he would've been worried he'd squeezed too hard. He had forgotten how fragile humans were. And wasn't that adding to the growing pile of shit on his list.

The sound of metal being cocked suddenly filled the quiet room. Both brothers froze and put down their glasses, then glanced at each other as slow footsteps approached.

"Move, and you're so goddamn dead, you hear me?"

Mother...

"Did she just...?" Crev whispered, standing as dead still as Tavi as he slowly turned his head over his shoulder.

Cold metal bit into his temple.

"I said; don't – fucking – move, asshole."

...fucker.

– Oh, yeah. She did.

What was that thing he just thought about humans being fragile again...

"Lyca, put the rifle down," He spoke slowly and moved around carefully as he came face to face with his female pointing one long modified rifle directly at his forehead, the barrel leaving indents on his skin.

At the other end, his Lyca stared at him with plain fury inside her amber eyes.

This was the wrong time to grow a hard-on, he told himself. But it appeared his brain had no intention of telling the downstairs unit.

His cock pressed eagerly against the front of his pants.

"I'm not moving till I get some damn answers," She snarled and briefly shot her eyes towards Crev who silently tried to move his hand towards the gun at the back of his pants. The barrel of the rifle moved so fast, he doubted for a moment if she was indeed wholly human. "I said, don't fucking move!"

Crev quickly put his hands up, placatingly. He could sense his brother's unease, but there wasn't an ounce of fear in his body. The warrior stayed stealthy and let the scene play out.

" 'We good. S' all good," He calmly voiced. His eyes shifted over to Tavi.

"Lyca," He saw her eyes pin back on him. "Lower the rifle. You don't need it."

"My name is Jane," She repeated with a voice not unlike that used to address an imbecile. "And damn hell I don't need it! You kidnapped me! You knocked me out and you goddamn kidnapped me!"

"I'm sorry," When he moved forward, she swung the rifle towards him and made him halt once again. "It was the only way I could get you to come. You wouldn't follow voluntarily."

"Yeah, because you're goddamn maniacs!" She shouted. Her chest was pumping furiously and his eyes momentarily fell to the sight. She was still in her khaki hiking shorts and army green top that hugged her feminine curves with splendor. She had soft contours and an ambient glow to her dark hair. He noted several nuances, but not one of them seemed applied from a box. His Lyca was a natural beauty. Sculpted from soft clay and burnt in the flames of fury. The same ones flaming in her eyes this very moment.

Perfect moment for his cock to remind him that it was still in the inflation-business.

"Jane," He admonished, using the name her parents had given her to try and appease her. "Lower the rifle. I'll answer any question you have, but there is no need for gunpowder in the air."

– It might just set off the fire roaring inside his own veins.

"Let's agree that the one with the guns make the demands here," She snapped and pointedly wiggling the barrel nested routinely against her shoulder. "Would you look at that? I guess that's me then. First question; where am I?"

"In my home." And soon to be hers too, if she didn't shoot them all to hell first.

"Don't be stupid, I want an address," She demanded. "Tell me where I am, or so God help you, I'll put a window in your forehead."

"6181 Seth's Road," He waited a moment for added effect. "If you want, I'll find you a road map."

His feisty Lyca narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up. What did you do to my sister?"

"Your kin is safe. Don't worry about her."

"I thought we just agreed you wouldn't be stupid. Give me a full goddamn answer and tell me where she is before my finger twitches."

God. There was something seriously the matter with him. The more she threatened him, the more his cock put up a fight against his zipper. He crossed his arms, hoping to draw her attention to his chest rather than the bulge filling out the front of his pants.

"She's at home, safe and sound in your apartment in the Brooks. I had one of my runt—people take her home," He eyed out her stance as he noticed a flicker of relief in her eyes, brief as it was. The next moment they solidified again.

"Why would you do that?"

"Lyc—Jane, please," His patience was wearing thin. As much as his cock loved seeing his female showcasing her strength, it was getting a bit tedious talking to her over the barrel of a rifle. "Lower the weapon. I promise you're safe. We can talk about this calmly if you'd just—"

"I don't give a shit about your promises!" She broke him off, her grip locking on the barrel of the hunter's rifle. It was double barreled, an old model with a kickback like a horse. If she fired that thing, her shoulder would be singing for at least a week. "Until I'm satisfied with the answers I'm asking for, you're going to play after my goddamn tune unless you want to be picking shrapnel from your lashes for the next week. If you think I'm kidding, take one more step."

She was 5'7 and pointing the rifle upwards to aim directly between his eyes. If she was going to go for trimming his hair, she would need a chair. And still, her threat sounded as real as they came.

"Tavi, you feel like hustling any time soon?" Crev spoke from behind him. He had crossed his arms as well, but was staring at the long barrel of the rifle with a pointed mien.

Yeah, he supposed the party had to end at some point.

Although, a part of him wanted to know if she would really try and kill him... Kill her own mate.

He took the last step forward that separated the barrel from his forehead and felt as the cold metal budded with his eyebrows again. It only took a second before he heard her finger clip back the trigger, and another nanosecond before the barrel fired.

The blast went off like a cannon and splinters flew everywhere. He felt them ricochet off his skin, felt the sparks of the gunpowder sizzling against the tiny hairs on his face and most likely fry off his eyebrows. Sod was the next thing to hit him. The rifle's deafening bang echoed in the quiet parlor and put an end to the stupor of the situation.

His female screamed as he winced slightly and drew the barrel away from his face, clenching it tightly in his palm. The metal protested and bent, bowing upwards as his wrist twisted it up.

With an open mouth, his Lyca let go of the rifle and staggered back. He coughed as the sod entered his nostrils, clouding up his lungs. He would definitely be tasting gunpowder for the next day or two.

And speaking of headaches... the blast was going to give him a killer migraine. It had been a long time since he had taken a close range shot to his head. Much less that of a rifle.

And delivered by his own mate.

– Off to a great start.

"Holy... shit," His Lyca stared in mortification as he tossed the now useless piece of armory away on one of the couches. The end of it had exploded, the metal bending back like a peeled banana.

Crev whistled lowly. "That must've been a singer."

It hadn't exactly a love bite, but it wasn't anal either.

But right on cue...

Pounding footsteps came from down the hall. He wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw his brother come charging in, gun's ablazing.

"I heard a gunshot—holy..."

The warrior halted up as he stepped in and eyed the scene; his Alpha covered in black sod, his brother standing calmly behind him and the human Lyca backing away from the scene.

"The fuck happened here?" Hack holstered his weapon when he didn't see any threat. Tavi walked up to the bar and grabbed a napkin, wiping his face down with a swift motion.

"We're establishing the thickness of Tavian's skull. Gotta say, not surprised." Crev supplied.

"There was never been any debate there, was there? We settled that back in his frenzy," Hack said. "Christ, I thought he'd never stop barking."

"Enough," Tavi cut off his brothers fun little nostalgia. His attention had landed on Jane. She had sunken back against the wall and looked like she was counting backwards from ten, sporting a color that would make a ghost proud. "Take five outside. Crev, catch Hack up to speed. Give me a heads-up before you boogie."

The two males left wordlessly, which showed they both had half a brain each, and gave him some privacy with his Jane. He waited until their footsteps were gone from the hall and clear out of hearing range. Then, he stepped forward.

"Jane?"

She was breathing in shaky intervals at the floor. Flexing a supernatural in front of her so shortly after what she had seen by the edge of the forest hadn't been a smart move. She would be in shock. Once could've been a fluke, but twice... yeah, that oughta do it. She was most likely trying to find some sort of reasoning in her mind or plain out denying it, as some humans did when faced with the truth.

But for her, unfortunately, the world would never be the same again. Of that, he was certain.

And that was why he didn't try and approach her while she was currently looking as transparent as she did, even though every fiber of his being longed to hold her in his arms again.

She had fit so well against his body back in the woods, Tavi remembered fondly. So small, so soft... so much strength within her. He could already imagine their younglings running around their feet, chasing the birds and squirrels of the woods—

Well. Wasn't he getting ahead of himself.

Rather than picking baby names, he should be focusing on reassuring the female in front of him and somehow getting the nut cracked on all of what she had seen today. Although one might exclude the accomplishment of the other. He knew the moment he started telling her all of what her human life had never know of, there would be no calming her down.

But on the bright side, she didn't seem to have anymore weapons on her. He was going to serve Hack his own spleen on the tip of his shoe after kicking it so far up his ass. The brother never locked up after himself in the armory. What would've happened if she had fired after Crev and not him was a scenario he didn't even want to entertain.

"Jane," He tried again when her attention remained on her shoes. She had assumed an upright fetal position against the wall that told him all he needed to know. One hand was pressed to her heart, her heart he with his keen senses could hear hammering away, while the other was clutching her leg. It then slowly slid from her leg towards her arm and rubbed over the indent of her shoulder.

Ah. Right. The shoulder.

Silently, he walked up to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a dish towel. Opening the ice bucket, he thanked Geraldine for always keeping that thing stocked; The housekeeper was an efficient lady. He wrapped up a couple of cubes and then walked towards his Lyca who flipped her eyes up cautiously when he approached.

He held the pack of ice out towards her, hoping she had enough sense to at least ice her bruise. "Take it, Jane."

With a moment's hesitation and a gnash of her teeth, she then wisely reached out and swiped it from his hand. "Thanks." The animosity in her voice had him smiling inappropriately.

She was strong. Tavian watched her with fascination as she rested her shoulder and held the ice wrap to it with the gentle approach of treating a wounded bird. The sight was enough to leave him tender.

An undeniable part of him wished that she would've let him do it – let him nurture her back to health and care for her with his hands, but he was smart enough to know that that was way too soon. She was still too angry and shocked to let him near her.

– The shotgun to his head had been somewhat of a subtle clue.

"Are you ready to talk calmly?" He asked, after a moment of silence, wherein they had both watched her attend to her shoulder; He could sense the strong discomfort seeping from her injured body, but the ice was numbing the pain.

Jane slowly lifted her eyes and regarded him with a look. "I shot you... in the goddamn face. How are you still alive? How are you not even hurt?"

Because fortunately, it took a lot more than a rifle to hurt an Alpha.

"A lot of things are about to change for you, Jane," He instead started when the answer to her question would be too long an explanation. Yeah, this was better start; Opening it up with a cryptic line from a bad thriller movie. "But it's going to be okay. I promise I'll take care of you."

"I'm not staying here," She snapped, firmly. "You're taking me home, that's not up for discussion."

He sighed heavily. He hated things had to be this way. Hated that he was taking her from her life. If only they had met under different circumstances, he might've actually courted her instead of kidnapping her from her sister. "I can't let you leave, Lyca. I'm sorry, but you're too important."

"For Christ's sake, my name is Jane!" She now shouted. She threw the ice bag down on the floor and finally seemed to have snapped. "And you are taking me home, so help me God, I'll burn this whole house down! What do you possibly want from me? You obviously have enough money–" She made a gesture into the expensive parlor, "–and from the looks of it, you could take down the White House and set flag in the Oval Office if you wanted to with all the guns I saw in that room! I'm just one woman with a surprisingly boring life, so what the hell am I doing here?"

Tavian sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew this would be a challenge, but her understandable resistance to his motions weren't making it any easier. Any words countering her wish to go home would only anger her further. So how did he calm her down enough to have a sensible conversation with her?

"You're exhausted and frightened," He stated. Jane looked up at him with a flat glare. Wasn't he just stating the obvious facts now. "Any person in your position would be. I can't give you anything other than I know this must be frustrating, but I simply can't let you leave. Not yet, anyway."

"Why?" She snarled, defiantly. Her eyes were more deadly than the rifle she had fired at him.

Tavian stretched his hand out like an olive branch and watched her flinch away from his touch with a repulsed face. The look and the animosity he felt exude from her body was ten times worse than the rifle; his own mate was rejecting him.

He hid his pain with a grit of his teeth and instead kept his hand out-held. "I'll tell you everything, I promise, Jane. If you would follow me, please."

She narrowed her eyes and ignored his outstretched hand. "Follow you where?"

His eyes fell to her body and read the exhaustion. She was still covered in dirt and mud, and her skin was soiled with perspiration. The fatigue around her features gave him an idea or a clue as to how to get her to feel comfortable, if not more sensible and less tense.

"Come with me, Jane."

*******

Self-care and some pampering. Tell me this isn't the way to every girl's heart? 😂

That's it for the preview, guys💗 Excuse any mistakes and such, it's still a rough draft💗😬 Tell me what you think and if you'd be interested in reading more! (Lord knows when or if this will ever get finished though, first gotta finish "Dralan" and then "Guide Me"😓)