Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(63)

Outside, he picked up Zac’s scent. It was too strong to come from the night before. Ryan frowned. The juvenile was never up this early. Following the scent, he found Zac just past the fringe of the forest sitting on a fallen tree trunk, dark circles under his eyes. Looking up, he tipped his chin in greeting.

Ryan took a seat beside him. “Everything okay?”

Zac twisted the blades of grass in his hands. “I had a shitty dream, that’s all.”

“Do you have nightmares a lot?” The kid just shrugged. Ryan detested the idea that Zac was hurting, but he didn’t know how to get him to talk.

What had Makenna once said? “Zac feels like we’ll judge him because we can’t understand what he’s been through.”

Ryan, however . . . maybe he did understand. Sort of. Maybe if he made Zac see that he could relate to him in some ways, the kid would open up. But he couldn’t expect Zac to expose such a deep wound unless Ryan was prepared to do the same for him. So Ryan did the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do: he shared what had happened to him all those years ago. “I was once taken by a rival pack.” That made Zac’s gaze snap to his. “They tortured me for weeks. Kept me drugged so I couldn’t shift. Tied me up so I couldn’t free myself.”

Zac swallowed. “Trey and the others came for you?”

“They didn’t know where I was.”

“How did you get out?”

“I gave control over to my wolf. Feral, he had enough strength to shift and get free. Then he killed them, ripped them to pieces. They died too quick, in my opinion.” That probably wasn’t the most comforting thing to say to the kid, he mused with irritation. “My point is that I know what it’s like to have people do things to you—hurtful things, humiliating things. I know what it’s like to feel helpless. I hated that, I hated them, and I hated myself for not being able to stop it.” Just thinking about it made fury bubble inside him. Still, he kept talking. “I know what it’s like to have to relive those moments at night in your sleep. It’s hard to move past something that you have to relive over and over. I’m the last person who’d ever judge you. Was it the Alpha who hurt you?”

Zac was quiet for so long, Ryan thought he wouldn’t answer. Finally, the kid said, “It wasn’t just him.”

“Who else?”

“The pack healer.”

His wolf snarled. “What did they do?”

“The healer, David, took me in after my parents died. I was okay with it. He was always nice to everyone, you know? Kind.” Zac looked down at the ground. “But it’s not real.” A long pause. “They’re like Remy.”

“You mean abusive?”

Zac nodded. “The Alpha’s the worst. He likes to see people in pain. David always healed me so there was no evidence.”

A growl rumbled up Ryan’s chest. He wanted to know every detail, but he knew from personal experience just how hard those details could be to share. “Did you think people here would judge you for not being able to defend yourself against someone bigger and stronger than you?”

“Not for that.” Zac met his eyes then. “I wanted to run for a long time. But . . . I was scared. The night I left, David came into my room, said he was taking me to Brogan, the Alpha. My wolf . . . he just lost it. Like he couldn’t take anymore. He took control, and I shifted, and my wolf went crazy on his ass. He killed David.”

“Your wolf went feral. In dangerous situations, people can lose control of their wolf.”

Zac shook his head. “You don’t get it. I didn’t try to stop him when he attacked David. I didn’t try to pull my wolf back. I just watched. The only thing I did was urge him to run when I heard people coming. That’s it. David is Brogan’s brother. He’s dead because of me. When I say they’ll come for me, I mean it.”

“They’ll die if they do.” It was a vow. “I’ll end them. I won’t allow them to hurt you again. You got me?” He needed Zac to believe that.

“I got you.” The words were low but strong.

“Good. It was brave of you to share what happened. Is it okay with you if I give the basics to the pack?” They needed to be prepared for the inevitable battle ahead. “They will not judge you.”

After a moment, the kid gave a curt nod. He looked a little lighter. Maybe opening up had helped him in some way. Ryan hoped so.

When he returned to his room, it was to find Makenna dressing. He shared Zac’s story with his mate, not at all surprised when she paled and sank onto the edge of the bed.

“No wonder he’s so sure they’ll find him,” she said. “If he killed the Alpha’s brother, they’ll never stop until they do.”

“As I told Zac, we’ll kill them if they come.”

Makenna nodded. “I know. That’s why, on some level, I hope the bastards do.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN





Ryan had just finished a training session with Dante, Tao, and the other enforcers when his cell phone rang. He was surprised by the identity of the caller. “Garrett,” he greeted.

“One day, you could try saying hello.”

“I could.” But he probably wouldn’t.