Carter's Tryck [Brac Pack 17] by Lynn Hagen Page A

shouldn’t have gone with that shifter. He isn’t good enough for you.” Teaky tried to pin him down, tried to hold Carter’s head while his lips hung dangerously close.
    Carter fought with everything in him as Teaky ripped his shirt and yanked at his slacks, the snap breaking and his zipper coming down.
    “What the hell are you doing?” Carter shouted while trying to free himself. He couldn’t think straight. This was a nightmare. He scratched and clawed, fighting for his freedom.
    “You should have been mine.” Teaky growled as he ripped Carter’s pants, making them split at the seam.
    Carter bit Teaky’s cheek, his teeth digging into flesh. Teaky shouted and grabbed his face, freeing Carter. He rolled over, but before he could shimmer away, Teaky cocked his arm back and punched Carter in his face.
    Carter’s hand instinctively flew to his face, covering the throbbing pain as he ended up in Maverick’s office.
    Thank God no one was in there. He sobbed as he crawled behind the leather sofa. He dropped to the floor and balled up, trying his best to pull his shirt closed.
    His thoughts were chaotic at best. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this. Why had his best friend done this to him? Carter covered his face as he wept.

    72
    Lynn Hagen

    * * * *
    Tryck was enraged. How dare his mate shimmer out again. He stormed through the front door, heading straight for his bedroom. His heart had seized in his chest when the other mate’s ran out to tell him Carter had disappeared from the bathroom.
    Maverick stormed his way, grabbing his arm and whipping him around. “Follow me.”
    “Get the hell off of me. I don’t have time for your bullshit right now.” Tryck yanked his arm free. He was too busy worrying about his mate to deal with an enraged Alpha right now. He didn’t care why Maverick was upset, it wasn’t his problem.
    “Follow me now!” Maverick used his commanding Alpha tone, glaring at him and begging with his eyes for Tryck to defy him.
    Tryck faltered in his step. He had never seen him like this.
    Something had to be wrong. He nodded, following Maverick to his office.
    He heard whimpering before he even made it to the door. Tryck pushed past Maverick, looking around the office until he pinpointed where the noise was coming from.
    He knew that voice. Knew it like the back of his hand.
    Tryck slowly rounded the couch and his heart stopped beating.
    Reality ceased to exist. He felt like he was in a fog, the voices around him echoing from somewhere off in the distance.
    There was a man lying on the floor, he resembled Carter, but…it couldn’t be his delicate mate. Tryck tilted his head, staring at the torn clothing and the bruise on the man’s face.
    “Who is he?” Tryck turned to Maverick.
    “Tryck?” Maverick stepped closer, staring at him as if he had lost his mind. Maybe he had because none of this was making any sense to him. “It’s Carter, your mate.”
    Tryck shook his head at the Alpha then looked back down at the man, wondering why Maverick would lie to him.

    Carter’s Tryck
    73
    The man whimpered, and the entire room turned crimson, his vision shifting. His heart rate beat a thousand beats per minute as his chest began to contract and expand at an alarming rate.
    All at once, everything came rushing at him, hitting him with a force greater than a tsunami.
    Tryck’s head fell back and an unearthly sound broke from his chest and then ripped from his throat. He dropped to his knees, his hand hovering over his mate. This man was his mate, his gatito .
    “Tryck?” Maverick said his name again, but he wasn’t listening.
    He swallowed, running his hand over his mate’s hair. “Carter.” He cried his mate’s name softly. “ Gatito ?” Carter backed away, his unfocused eyes darting around as his back hit the couch. “No!” he shouted. “Get away!” his hands flew up in front of him, blocking Tryck from making any moves toward him.
    “ Gatito .” Tryck tried to reach for