Free Dark Refuge by Kate Douglas

Xenakis’s father for a brief time, slated to be a blood sacrifice until Alex and Sebastian led a rescue and saved her life. “I hate thinking of her being held against her will. Of any of those women being held.”
    Alex raised their linked hands and kissed Annie’s knuckles. “We’ll get them out, sweetheart. But Em’s right. We don’t want to rush it and risk any of them getting hurt.”
    “I know.” She sighed. “I know you’re right. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” This time, Alex kissed her temple.
    Gabe’s heart sort of did a little flip, and he wondered how it would be to have Em depend on him the way Annie obviously needed and trusted Alex. He glanced at her and caught Em staring at him. The moment he caught her gaze, she blushed and looked away. Grinning, he took a sip of his coffee, but he was smiling at himself as much as he was at Emeline.
    The concept of finding a mate hadn’t even been on his radar until this summer, when he’d watched Jace and Romy fall in love. In the beginning, from his point of view as an outsider looking in, it had been fascinating, but removed from anything remotely connected to his life. Then, as the two had grown closer, he’d seen the changes in Jace, a friend he had always admired—a man he admired even more, now.
    Gabe had wondered how he would feel if there was a woman in his life. Not anyone in particular, just some nebulous female of his imagination, but still a woman who might love him as much as Romy loved Jace.
    One he might love and want to protect the way Jace was with Romy, or Alex with Annie. The change in his thinking this morning was huge, and it was going to take some adjustment, but suddenly his nebulous, imaginary female had a face. She had a personality, and a beautiful smile, and a body that raised his temperature to boiling.
    Best of all, she had a name, and it was Emeline.
     
    • • •
     
    Alex and Annie cleaned up the kitchen, and Em got the beds made while Gabe took a quick shower, but it wasn’t easy, keeping her mind off naked Gabe, especially while she was making his bed and fighting her inner wolf’s feral desire to roll in the sheets he’d slept in. It was even worse when she made her own bed, ripe with the scent of their lovemaking.
    In fact, it was a relief to load everyone in her little SUV, even if it meant listening to the guys complain about the tight fit while she drove across town to the financial district and CGI headquarters. After Em parked in the company lot, the four of them headed toward the apartment complex near the Embarcadero where the GPS signal had remained fairly constant.
    They found benches in a small park beneath the apartment window. They’d agreed that Gabe would make contact, but all of them were linked with him when he called out to Sissy.
    Gabe? I hear you. Where are you?
    In the park, hopefully below your window. Can you look out and show me? There are four of us—Em and me, and our friends Alex and Annie. We’re sitting on a couple of benches. Are all of the women there?
    No. Russo took Janine, one of the girls, out early this morning. I don’t know where. Gabe, I took the pill last night, but I think I’m allergic to it. My arms are itching like crazy today.
    That was fast—and it’s not an allergy. It means you’re very close to shifting. You must have been close when you were captured. Just not close enough.
    Oh. I had no idea. What do you want me to do?
    Open your curtains, do something to show us where you are. The locator is not as precise as we’d like, but it got us this far.
    “There.” Em pointed to a window south of where they were sitting. Sissy had stepped outside onto a balcony, but she didn’t do anything to show that she recognized them. She glanced their way, then quickly went back inside.
    I hear someone coming. Don’t let them see you, Gabe. If it’s Russo, he’ll recognize you.
    We’re going. Be strong, Sissy. Before we leave, I want you to meet Alex and