was where they saved ma and Fergus… But—there were just no words for the scars that day left on us.
“Rian, Ronan, focus ,” the doc bellowed at us. I snapped out of it and blinked at him. “There you are. Okay, I need your blood and fast. A normal drip won’t do and—”
“Stick it in me neck or whatever artery ya need, doc,” I said, tilting me head to give him better access. “I don’t care. Just help him.” He nodded and then I had to look away because it was a damn big needle he had in his hands. Normally they didn’t bother me, but that monster was a scary fucker and it was going in me neck.
Riley stuck me first, already having hooked Bev up so it went right into him. Then I saw him take bags of blood from Ronan, assuming he’d put them in our mate more slowly. Just as he was wrapping up there was a commotion at the door.
“Let us see our brothers, ya arse weed!” Banning shouted, the quicker to anger of his set of twins.
“Move, ya fucking numpty, before we make ya move,” Sean growled. Also the one with the temper. It would have been comical if the situation wasn’t so severe.
“He’s going to make it,” Riley announced.
“Thank god,” the King sighed in relief before turning his gaze on us. “I want these monsters locked up.”
“We’ll take them to the High Council—” the warrior started to say.
“No,” the King growled. “To the cells at the palace. These aren’t High Council prisoners. These are my prisoners for the attempted murder of my Chief Advisor, Lord Bevin Innocente. They will face margay laws, judgment, and punishment.”
“They need to replenish first,” Riley hedged, flinching when the pissed-off King turned his icy stare onto the doc.
“They can starve !”
“Fine, fine, just don’t yell at the doc,” I said quickly. “It not be his fault. He knows us. We’ll go quietly. He’s got to help our mate. Don’t blame him.”
The King took a deep breath and nodded to our guards. “Get them back through the portal and get them secured at the palace before everyone finds out about this. It’s going to be a nightmare and I want them secured before then.”
“Rylan, you’re going to start a lot of trouble—” his mate tried to argue.
“They almost killed Bevin, Ferris. They would have killed him if we didn’t get them off him in time. They’re lucky I haven’t killed them already.”
I met Ronan’s gaze, feeling his grief swarm him as it did me. There weren’t even words for how badly we fucked up. We didn’t mean to only went so far.
And I didn’t blame anyone for what happened to us next. We deserved it and so much more. They dragged us off to jail and all I kept thinking was that Bev was never going to forgive us. We’d never get the chance to explain. If we were lucky, we’d get to at least say good-bye to our family before King Rylan had us executed.
If we were lucky.
* * * *
Rylan
“Don’t,” I said when Ferris went to speak after the monsters were well and gone. I focused on the friend I’d hurt first. I went over to Riley and hugged him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve that and I should have said that right away but I couldn’t in front of them. But they were right. This is not your fault and you’re awesome and I shouldn’t have yelled and I lurves you and don’t hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Ry,” he chuckled, hugging me back. “But you can’t execute them.”
“They almost killed Bevin,” I whispered as I pulled away and went to my friend’s bedside. I held his hand and glanced at the monitors as if watching the numbers that made no sense to me assured me he really would be okay. “I’ve lost so much and so many people. I can’t lose one more close to me, Riley. I just can’t. I’d crumble.”
“He’s going to be just fine. I swear it.”
I shot him a disbelieving look over my shoulder. “His mates almost just drained him dry after claiming him and