Shameful by May Dawson
47
Killian
In the morning,I stopped outside Legacy’s door, knowing she’d taken to sleeping with Rhett and West. The knowledge made me ache. I could imagine her hair spilling across their shoulder, the way they’d curl up together, and it made me feel even lonelier than I had before shecame.
I raised my fist to knock, then gave up and continued downstairs. They’d be down to train when they were ready.
But no one joined me in the ballroom. Finally, I went upstairs and knocked. The sound seemed to echo through the long hallway. When no one answered, cold fear spread through my stomach. The ghost might’ve killedthem.
I threw open thedoor.
The room was empty. The covers on the bed were rumpled, but cold. Frowning, I went to West’s room, but he wasn’t there either.
I hurried through the rest of the house, then tore through the island.
“Legacy!” I shouted as I strode into the forest, inhaling deeply, trying to catch her scent on the breeze. Tree branches whipped in the wind. There was no sign of them anywhere.
Had the vampires taken them while I was sleeping? The thought that I’d failed the three of them ravaged me. My wolf howled inside, a deep, agonized sound, and I shucked off my clothes to search for them with my better senses, my faster speed.
I found no trace of them on the island. The most recent scent was on thedock.
I shifted back and strode into the house, rage washing over me. Where were they? Had I failed them—or had they left me behind, abandoned me like everyone else in mylife?
The long dinner table was still set with all that damned useless fancy china. We ate our plain meals on pretty plates. Four years, and I was no closer to freedom than when we got here. I’d planned to save all four of us, but either they hadn’t trusted me…or they shouldn’thave.
I swept my arm across the table, knocking plates everywhere. Plates and glasses shattered against the floor. I picked up a chair and threw it at the fireplace, where it slammed into the wood just below the enormous gilt-framed portrait of Teresa Kate and her children. The chair splintered into pieces that rained to the floor.
I stood there with my chest heaving in the center of the destruction I’d just wrought, surrounded by a thousand shards of china and glass.
I’d never lost my temper like that before.
Maybe the three of them brought out the worst inme.
“Anyone home?” Gibs called distantly. I scented him a second too late, hurried out to meet him before he could see the evidence of my temper tantrum.
Gibs stood in the enormous foyer, staring around at the high ceilings and sunlight falling on the marble floor. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, as if he expected a ghost at any moment.
His face brightened when he saw me. “You’rehere.”
“I’m here,” I said grimly.
“One of our supply boats never checked in,” he said. “It turns out those two guards are having a very bad day, and I’ve got a missing boat. Are West and Rhetthere?”
“Gone.” I bit off the word. “Along with Legacy.”
“Legacy, too?” He sounded disappointed.
“I’ll bring them back,” I promised.
Gibs hesitated, and before he could say anything else, I jumped in, “Buy me some time. I’ll bring them back alive. Then no one will ever know we had a security breach.”
He scoffed. “Only if those three keep their mouthsshut.”
“Who are they going to tell?” I asked drily.
Gibs scrubbed his hand over his hair. “Nice try with the no one will ever know we had a security breach. I know you just want to protectthem.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Let metry.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine. But Killian, if you don’t have them back in forty-eight hours, the Guard is coming out for them. And we’ll bring them back, dead or alive.”
Dead or alive. Haunting words. “Iknow.”
He stared at me, worry written across his face, and I knew he was risking his career to helpme.
“You’re not too attached to Legacy, are you?” he askedme.
“No,” I said. “I’ll do what I have todo.”
I remembered his warning that I couldn’t let the three of them take medown.
But I was lying. I’d chosen to put myself on the other side from Rhett and West all those years ago. The truth was that saving myself, even returning to the pack, didn’t mean anything if I sacrificedthem.
I had to take care ofSean.
But I’d look after Legacy, Rhett and Westtoo.
Somehow.