Chapter 37
The dull pinch of discomfort from Nessa’s claiming bite kept Murphy in a good mood as he worked at his desk, eager to get his list of duties finished.
How could a few days away from work put him so far behind, though?
Fortunately, he didn’t mind the busyness—the quicker he got the jobs done, the quicker he could return to his mate. One day soon, it wouldn’t be an hour’s drive away just to come home to her. She’d live under his roof and sleep in his bed every night, right where she belonged.
Joy spread through Murphy’s senses like a wildfire.
He was officially a mated male. After years of believing he’d spend the rest of his life alone, of convincing himself that solitude was preferable to the possibility of betrayal, all it had taken was one petite, passionate female to change everything.
Nessa had thrown his world off-kilter in the best way possible.
How had he gotten so lucky? Was this fate’s reward for the pain and suffering he’d endured so long ago?
Tires crunched on his driveway outside, the sound of an engine drawing near his house loud in the silence of the room.
That would be Colter. He’d asked the male to meet him here, alone this time, so they could go over the tasks Murphy had in store for him. He didn’t get up from his office chair, instead communicating telepathically as he finished going over the clan’s budgets for the next month on his computer.
I’m in my office.
Soon enough, he heard his front door open and close, the familiar beat of Colter’s footsteps sounding down the hall before the male appeared in the open doorway, dark circles under his eyes and his skin a bit paler than usual.
“You look exhausted,” Murphy commented, nodding toward a chair on the opposite side of his desk.
Taking that as an invitation, Colter sank down into the seat with a tired exhalation. “Didn’t sleep much.”
Murphy could relate. Even after the hours he’d spent buried deep inside his mate, and the fatigue he’d felt after, sleep had eluded him. His mind had been too wired, jumping from the despair he felt at this situation with Dante and Marcus to the elation of finally being mated.
How could he be so exceedingly happy and so miserable all at once?
“Worried about Marcus?” he asked, though he didn’t need to. It was obvious from just one look at the male.
“Of course, I am, Murph.” Colter slumped in his chair, running a hand down his face. “Are you going to kill him?”
Murphy released a low, frustrated sigh. “No.”
“Will you exile him?”
“I don’t want to,” he answered solemnly. The last thing he wanted was to lose another member of his clan; someone he’d viewed as a brother nearly his entire life. Technically, Marcus hadn’t committed a crime, but his avoidance of the truth was still a betrayal.
Colter rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “But you will.”
Murphy didn’t know, so he remained quiet, the silence oppressive as it settled around them. Swallowing thickly, Colter looked down at the desk in defeat.
Murphy’s throat constricted at the sight. He never wanted to hurt anyone under his protection, but this decision, if he chose the necessary path, would weaken his pack more than leniency ever could.
Mercy is never an act of weakness. Nessa’s earlier words echoed through his head, a reminder. A vow, if he allowed it.
Clearing his throat, Colter looked up from the desk. “What did you want to discuss?”
“A few things,” Murphy said, ready to turn the conversation in a different direction. He needed to look into Nessa’s ex, yes, but another pressing matter required his attention. “Could you do some research within the supernatural community for me?”
It was likely a shot in the dark, but if Nessa had some latent supernatural blood in her veins, he was going to find out. There had to be a reason she was resistant to both his Alpha power and Constantine’s compulsion.
“I’m sure I can find out whatever you need.” The enforcer cocked his head to the side. “What kind of research is it?”
“Nessa has an interesting ability,” the Alpha drawled. “Waves of dominance from myself and then a vampire who was attempting to compel her had absolutely no effect on her.”
“No effect? At all?” Colter was sitting upright now.
Murphy shook his head. “It was accidental on my part, so I initially wrote it off, assuming my resolve to bend her will to mine wasn’t really there. But when Constantine visited, he intentionally compelled her. When it didn’t work, he tried again. Still nothing.”
“That’s unusual.”
“Exactly. It’s happened too often to be an anomaly, and whatever this talent is, Nessa deserves to know.”
“Give me a few days; I’ll do some digging and report back with what I find.” Colter grabbed the arms of his chair as if to stand. “If that’s all you’re needing—”
“It’s not.” Murphy reached for the paper on his desk, Nessa’s handwriting scrawled across the surface in neat letters.
“There’s two human males in Chicago that I need you to locate.
” He handed the paper to his enforcer, names and addresses written out in black ink.
“If it’s possible to do so without detection, I also want you to hack into their bank accounts and look at any recent transactions.
Specifically, search for anything travel-related over the past year. ”
He needed to know if Tony was still actively searching for Nessa. And if he were, whether Montana was on the male’s radar.
“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Taking the slip of paper, Colter looked over the contents. “Is this who is after Nessa?”
Murphy raised a brow. He didn’t bother asking how the other bear had guessed that. Given the context of their conversation, what had happened yesterday when Nessa texted, and the clan’s penchant for idle gossip, pieces of her life were bound to be discovered eventually.
Still, his mate’s past wasn’t a topic he’d discuss without her consent and presence.
However, before he’d left her teahouse to head to his territory, they’d discussed the situation and what Murphy had planned, and Nessa had informed him that if Colter needed additional info, Murphy could grant it on her behalf.
“Yes,” Murphy supplied simply, reluctant to divulge too much information even with her blessing.
“Tony Romero is Nessa’s ex-fiancé. An abusive piece of shit.
Angelo Baccay is her brother. Another piece of shit who left his baby sister unprotected for years just to placate her abuser,” he growled, a wave of fresh fury rising to the surface.
An answering growl rumbled from Colter’s throat. “I’ll find out everything I can and get back to you ASAP.” His fingers tensed, slightly crumpling the small white sheet. “You planning on killing them?”
“Only if they come after Nessa.”
Colter nodded in understanding. “That’s probably the wisest choice. If human authorities find any evidence of us at a crime scene, it would cause a hassle none of us need to deal with. Even if I would prefer the lowlifes dead,” he tacked on.
Murphy waved a hand dismissively. “I couldn’t care less about the police.” He paused, weighing his choice of words. “I’d love to slaughter both males and never spend another second worried about Nessa’s safety.”
“That sounds like a fantastic plan to me,” Colter agreed. “Why am I sensing a ‘but’ sprinkled in here?”
The Alpha sighed. “But Nessa isn’t like us.
She doesn’t have that animalistic instinct guiding her to wipe out whatever threatens those she loves.
She’s human, and while she accepts me for what I am, I’m not sure she’d accept me if I murdered two males without direct cause, even if they did hurt her at one time. ”
She’d even looked a little sick to her stomach when they’d discussed it over breakfast. The last thing he ever wanted was for her to look at him like that; as if he disgusted her.
“Hire someone else to kill them then. Hell, I’ll do it for free. She never even has to know they’re dead,” Colter suggested. “You can think of it as an early mating present.”
That wasn’t a bad idea—
“No,” Murphy stated resolutely, ignoring his bear’s huff of frustration in his mind. “I won’t keep secrets from my mate.”
Even if he wanted those two cowardly males wiped off of this planet.
“Alright. Well, I’m going to head out and get started on this. If you change your mind and want them eradicated, I’ve got dibs.” Colter stood from his chair. “Jasper will probably want in on the action. Zeke, too.”
“This hypothetical assassination is turning into quite the party,” Murphy said dryly.
The enforcer shrugged. “We all think Nessa’s a great addition to the clan. She’s yours, and that makes her ours to protect too.”
The sudden wave of gratitude that overcame Murphy would have knocked him right off his feet if he’d been standing.
Instead, it rendered him momentarily speechless.
The past few months had been hard, and yesterday had shaken up his faith—not just in himself and his ability to lead, but in his clan, too.
But this … This was a small step forward in healing that fracture.
Standing unsteadily, Murphy moved around the desk to Colter and pulled the male into a bear hug.
Colter clapped him on the back, returning his embrace affectionately. “We’re all gonna get through this, Alpha. Whatever happens with Marcus and Dante, just know that we all have your back.”
Murphy believed him wholeheartedly.
“Well, if it isn’t my long-lost son, come to visit his poor mother,” Tabitha said, a teasing note in her voice as she glanced at Murphy over her shoulder. She smiled brightly as he approached.
He’d just strolled into her clinic; the small building attached to the main meeting house, which acted as the ‘den’ in their territory.
She returned to her task, plucking a few pieces of rolled gauze from a cardboard box on a table beside her and placing them neatly into one large metal cabinet out of four in the room.
“I saw you less than two days ago,” Murphy corrected, moving to her side and placing a kiss on her cheek. Her scent comforted him, and absentmindedly, he grabbed several items from the box, helping her restock the shelves.
“Yes, you did. You also bolted when you thought I was distracted.” She frowned, turning her nose up at him. “But I’m your mother; I see everything that happens with my boys, especially when it’s right under my nose.”
Murphy grinned. “I have some news for you then.”
Tabitha gasped, dropping the gauze in her hands and pivoting to face him. “Oh! You’ve claimed Nessa!”
He blinked at her in shock. How did his mom know? He had Nessa’s scent on him, yes, but it wouldn’t be the same as the mating scent now embedded in her skin. He was also wearing another thick sweater; the mark covered from view. “Was it that obvious?”
“I told you—I see everything,” Tabitha reminded him. Then she flung her arms around his waist, squeezing him hard for someone so much smaller.
“Congratulations, my darling boy. Nessa is wonderful, and I know she’s exactly what you needed,” she murmured tearfully.
“I think she’s what I needed, too,” he agreed quietly, returning the embrace.
As he went to pull away, she clung to him. “If you need to talk about Marcus, or anything else, you know I’m here for you, don’t you? I’ll always be here, Murphy.” Her voice was soft but serious, and he knew he could rely on her, always.
“Of course, Mom,” he choked out, pressure building behind his eyes at her declaration.
She patted his back and then pulled away from him, waving a hand toward her face to dry her watery eyes.
“Don’t cry,” Murphy muttered, snatching a paper towel from the dispenser over the nearby sink and handing it to her. First, Colter had appeared gutted, and now his mother was in tears over this mess.
“I can’t help it.” Tabitha dabbed her eyes with the tissue. “I thought you were going to die miserable and alone. Do you have any idea how heartbreaking that is for a mother to endure?”
Oh.
What the fuck? She wasn’t crying over Marcus; she was crying because she thought her eldest son would die a goddamn hermit.
Relief coursed through him once his indignation faded.
“I can only imagine your struggle,” he deadpanned, struggling to hold back a laugh.
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him. “Have you shared your news with anyone else?”
“Not yet. After the terror you instilled in Tank when he mated Hunny, I took that as a warning to not make the same mistake with my own mating.”
Tabitha cackled in delight. “You’re so considerate, Murphy. That’s why you’re my favorite son.”
His brows rose to his hairline at the blatant lie. “Jasper has been your favorite since the moment you birthed him.” Hell, he’d probably secured his status in the womb.
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Well, he’s not my favorite today.”
“Now that’s a terrific mating gift,” Murphy joked. “Any chance I can have you record that so I can play it back to him later?”
“Don’t you dare,” Tabitha chided, wagging a finger at him. “And don’t think I’ve forgiven you for allowing him to go on this vampire excursion either.”
Murphy sensed the sudden danger he was in, and if he stayed much longer, those tears would turn into weapons, which she’d use to get her way. He loved his mother, but he knew how cunning she could be when necessary.
He glanced down at his watch in mock fascination. “Damn, it’s getting late, Mom. I really need to get back to my mate.”
Tabitha opened her mouth, clearly about to object. Then she huffed out an exaggerated sighed. “Alright. But I want to see you and Nessa next week at my cabin for dinner. Just the three of us.” She paused. “Possibly Jasper, too, if he isn’t trying my patience.”
He couldn’t wait.