by Jenika Snow
Marek and Tank had shifted.
Things were about to get violent, and there was nothing Kenzie could do but warn Bram and try to urge him to leave while he was still alive.
She glanced at the front door, saw a horde of people surrounding it as they watched what was about to commence, some trying to flee frantically.
“Come on, bear.” Rook crooked his fingers at Bram, and she felt her fear grow.
It wasn’t just about Rook being crazy, but something deeper. It made her feel unbalanced, and right now, she couldn’t have any of that. In a move she hadn’t anticipated, Rook charged forward. His face was slightly red from his anger, and she knew since he was showing outward signs of his emotions he was near his breaking point.
Bram used his body to push her farther against the wall, and the possessiveness, the protectiveness that came from him startled her. This male had some strong emotions rolling off him, and they were all for her. How had things gone so wild in a matter of minutes?
And before she could grasp what was happening, Bram was shifting into a massive bear.
The force of his changing into his animal and then charging toward Rook had her pressing her hands against the wall to steady herself. She was motionless, everything inside her frozen as fear and panic took over.
Rook had already shifted, and the sleek black panther and huge brown grizzly bear faced off. Marek and Tank stood in the background, but Kenzie didn’t miss the group of men who emerged from an underground cellar and moved closer to the fight.
They were bloody and torn and looked in the same shape as Bram had when he approached her.
“Oh God.” This was a living, breathing nightmare, and she was right in the middle of it… the cause of it. She hadn’t been quick enough to stop this from escalating. And then the sea of bodies closed in.
Bram roared out so loudly that it had Rook hissing in response. She couldn’t see the two males any longer, not when humans and shifters alike crowded forward until she was swallowed up. She had to get out of here while everything was in chaos, but a part of her wanted to stay to make sure Bram was okay. She didn’t want him getting hurt, even if a huge part of her knew he could easily take care of himself.
She rose on her toes, saw through a few people who’d parted that the two animals were going at each other. Everything around her was one big clusterfuck.
Kenzie started pushing her way through the crowd, but all she could think about was Bram and making sure he got out okay. A quick glance behind her showed him holding his own with Rook, although she didn’t miss the large claw marks that riddled his side or the blood that was a steady trail down his thick, dark fur, dripping onto the floor and saturating the air in a coppery, tangy scent.
She was shoved to the side by a drunken human, and when he righted himself and grabbed onto her, she felt revulsion take control of her entire body. His touch was like acid, and her inner deer started to rise to the surface, ready to sprint away. That really was all she was good for, running away, but a lot of good that did her all these years.
“Let go of me.”
The greasy human’s hand tightened on her arm, and his hot, foul breath filled her nostrils.
An anger she’d never felt came barreling out of her at full speed. The door was only a few feet from her, and this human was keeping her from her freedom. Bringing up her knee, she connected with his dick and felt a sick satisfaction when he cried out in pain and let go of her to cup himself.
“You stupid bitch.”
She may be a stupid bitch, but she would be a free one.
Bram was a fierce male, which was clear as day in just the minutes she spent with him, and she knew he could handle himself—or at least she hoped so.
And then she made it to the door, pushed it open, and felt the cool air brush along her face. It nearly brought her to her knees. To her right was the town of Sweet Water, and to her left was a road that disappeared into nothing. The sky was dark, and all she could see to her left, away from civilization, was the thick covering of trees.
No, that was a death trap. It didn’t matter how fast she ran; a panther could catch her in no time. The town was a better option, where she’d be able to hide, blend in. Maybe she could get someone to help her, to take her in for the night until she thought of something else. She had no money and only the clothes on her back, but she had her life, and that was more priceless than anything else.
The sounds of the wild animals inside grew to a deafening roar, and Kenzie didn’t want to be one of those girls who got killed right as they touched freedom.
No, just go. Run as fast and as far as you can.
And then she did just that. She ran as fast as she could, taking to the tree line, moving around boulders, fallen logs, but her sight on the town ahead.
And then she heard him. She sensed him. She smelled the sadistic panther on her heels.
A quick glance over her shoulder showed Rook coming closer. She was no match for him, and before long, he was on her, tackling her to the ground. The air left her violently as she was moved onto her back, Rook’s big animal body crowding her. He hurt her, so much, not just emotionally, but physically, deep, to the bone… to her heart.
His black fur was matted in several places, and she saw a few gaping wounds covering his body. That sight had pleasure coursing through her, because even if he hurt her or even killed her tonight, he had suffered as well.
His hot breath covered her face and throat, his menacing growl filling her head.
A flash and a pop sounded, and he was back in his human form.
“Shh, pet.” Bile rose to the surface. “No, precious. You’re the only one who truly makes me feel powerful.” He leaned in close to her ear. He slipped his hand down to her neck where he slowly started adding pressure. She felt his claws dig into her flesh, tearing her skin, opening her up. The scent of blood filled the air, consumed her nose and head.
Everything that came out of his mouth was a lie and always had been. The air slowly started to leave her, and Kenzie was ready for death, even welcomed it.
Gasping and feeling panic rise inside her, she reached out and grasped the hard, gravel-laden ground. Instinct told her to grab his hand, force him to loosen the hold, but she wanted death, didn’t she? Her mother and father’s faces flashed before her eyes, and although she just wanted to let go and be with them, their voices rose inside her head, telling her to fight, to not give up.
An image of Bram flashed through her mind, and as strange as it was, a wave of serenity went through her.
It was then, as her parents’ voices filtered through her ears and Bram filled her mind with calmness for the first time since she was a young girl, that Kenzie realized she didn’t want to die, not by Rook’s hand.
Bram protected her, kept her shielded from this panther until shit hit the fan. Her fingers brushed along a large rock, and she tried in vain to reach it. After several attempts, she finally managed to get it in her grasp.
She clutched at it for only a second before bringing it up and toward Rook’s skull without any hesitation. The sound of the stone cracking against his head came through in sickening clarity.
And then he loosened his hold on her throat. A blank look covered his face, and a gushing trail of blood slid down his temple and splashed against her chest.
“Kenzie,” Rook gasped out. “You’ll always be mine.” That was the only thing he said, in a deep, guttural voice, before his eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp against hers.
6
She quickly moved out from under him and stood there transfixed as she watched the blood continue to fall from his head and make a pool in the dirt beside him. It looked like spilled ink under the moonlight, growing and growing until she was forced to take a step back so it didn’t reach her feet.
The front door of the bar slammed opened again, and she spun around and raised the rock in her hand. Marek was thrown out of the bar in his human form first, and then Tank had the same
fate, but he was still a cougar. Bram came out, his body still that of a bear. He was a massive animal, and when he roared out at Marek and Tank, the vibrations seemed to rattle the glass of nearby vehicles.
She was only a few feet from him but close enough that she saw his massive wounds. They made her wince, had bile rising in her throat, and all she wanted to do was bring the rock down upon Rook’s head once again. How anyone could get off on harming another was beyond her, but Rook had been the worst of the worst. Kenzie looked back down at Rook and saw him in the same state.
She would have thought she killed him, but the rise and fall of his chest told her the bastard was still alive. The dark blood that continued to make a puddle around his head had since slowed, but it was like everything came crashing into her all at once. The world tilted, started going in slow motion, and she knew she wouldn’t stay upright for much longer.
Through the whirling and buzzing noise that filled her ears, Kenzie was aware of the gravel crunching near her, coming closer and closer, and then of the hot, humid breath of something right in front of her. She turned back around and saw the bear standing before her. He rose on his back legs, reaching at least ten feet tall. There was no fear from her as she stared at Bram, but she knew there should be.
This was a very wild and unstable male, and she sensed as much in the bar, but there was no denying there was something different about him, something that drew her in. She stared into his eyes that were no longer blue but a deep brown. Dizziness overcame her, and she couldn’t hold the rock any longer, and the dull thud of it hitting the ground beside her pierced her foggy mind.
“I’m going to be sick.” She said the words right before she bent at the waist and emptied everything in her stomach. Darkness swarmed at the edges of her vision, and she wobbled on her feet. Right before she toppled over and let the shadows of the world consume her, she felt strong arms wrap around her.
The last thing she saw was Bram’s face right in front of her, and his now sea-blue eyes promised all kinds of things that would never happen.
7
A jarring motion had Kenzie slowly coming back to consciousness. The past events were at the forefront of her mind, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel any kind of remorse. Her eyes felt heavy and gritty, but she couldn’t open them.
Inhaling deeply, she took in the scent of evergreen and something darker, more arousing, and wild. Even after everything that happened, her body had its own mind, had its own desires. She was lying on a leather seat, and when she inhaled again, she could smell the material right below her nose.
“Shhh, relax, little deer.”
The voice was deep, soothing, but slightly distorted. Her pulse beat frantically in her ears, and she knew that was the cause for the funny way he sounded. A heavy, warm hand landed on her bare arm, and she flinched away. It was gone a second later.
“I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you.”
She knew that voice, and even as he said the last sentence, she knew he had been speaking to himself. Kenzie sank farther into the seat as burning pain lanced through her side. Biting her lip to control herself from crying out, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Rook had done a number on her. He had always harmed her in human form, but the fact that he had unsheathed his claws and brought his animal into his “punishment” had her thankful the events had turned in her favor.
She may be bruised and battered, but she wasn’t broken. Emotionally and mentally ruined was a whole other thing. The only thing that kept replaying through her head was Rook’s last words. They still had her flesh tightening, because she knew he always got what he wanted, and what he wanted was to see her suffer. He wouldn’t let her go. He couldn’t, because he wanted her too badly.
Bram’s voice was low as he spoke to himself, but she knew he had to be aware she was awake, even if she didn’t say anything and was motionless. He was a bear with senses far keener than a human’s.
“I should have fucking killed him, ripped off his balls and shoved them down his throat.” He spoke to himself again. The air in the vehicle grew thick with his rage, and despite her initial feelings that she should stay away from him, it was clear he was nothing like Rook. Her thoughts drifted away as she felt the heaviness of darkness crash into her again.
The rhythmic motion of the truck, the deep timbre of Bram’s self-musing, and the fact that she just wanted to escape reality had Kenzie succumbing to the shadows that surrounded her once again.
She welcomed oblivion, because it was sure as hell better than the situation she was in right now.
8
Bram looked over at Kenzie, who was now sleeping. He had sensed when she awoke, yet he also sensed her pain and exhaustion. She was in shock, and he knew he had to keep control or would lose the fight for supremacy with his bear.
As it was, he was hanging on by a thread, trying to not go back and finish the fight at Slater’s that would have three males lying dead at his feet. The little deer was his mate, and he had fought to protect her and had felt his bear calm for the first time. But when he realized she left and the two cougars attacked him in unison, he let his animal fully out.
The shifters that fought with him in the underground fight club had gotten in on the violence, but soon they were going after each other, their animals attacking anyone who got in their way.
He had been in the mind frame to go after the panther and finish him, finish what his brave little female had done, but she was hurt and his first priority. He had seen her wounds, and red had covered his vision.
The scent of her blood filled the air, and when he turned and saw her standing over Rook’s still form, something inside him had grown proud of his mate. But that pride over his female had vanished. Then she had passed out, and he felt something grow inside him that he had never felt before—fear. He was scared he would lose her before he even got the chance to know who she was.
He took the last turn that would take him to his cabin deep in the heart of the Sweet Water Mountains. Another ten minutes and he was pulling his truck in front of the two-story home he and his brothers built with their own hands years before. Having her here felt right, but he couldn’t let his primal side take over.
He and his bear were in agreement that they needed to tend to her wounds and get her well. After she was better, he could discuss with her what he wanted… her as his mate. He also needed to know what in the hell her relationship was with the panther.
The possessive need that had come from the asshole in regards to Kenzie had been nearly as strong as Bram’s, but what the panther didn’t have was that connection to her like he did. They were mates, and nature dictated he had supremacy over any douchebag who fucked with her. Bram didn’t doubt the prick would come for her, because he sensed the obsessive need in the other male and knew he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted, and it was clear he wanted Bram’s female.
But what the panther didn’t know was that Bram would fight dirty for her, and if that meant pulling out every resource he had to accomplish it, then so fucking be it. Although he didn’t mind using his bear’s strength to defeat his opponents, he would go bare knuckle with this fucker.
He quickly got out of the truck and walked around until he reached the passenger door. When he had the door open and Kenzie gently cradled in his arms, he took a second just to look at her. She was passed out, and what had been peach-colored flesh back at the bar looked a sickly shade of gray.
But still, she beckoned him like no other female had. Her eyes were closed, and he couldn’t see the beautiful steel-colored eyes that had stared up at him so innocently. He had no doubt his wee mate had been horribly abused at the hands of the panther, but he clenched his jaw and pushed those thoughts away, for now. He couldn’t think about that right now, not when his first priority was tending to Kenzie.
Once he was inside, he laid her down on the wide leather couch. She seemed so small on it, and that sight had his chest clenching in discomfort. Bram left
her only long enough to get the first aid kit. Kneeling beside her had the scent of her blood filling his nose.
Her jeans were covered in blood, and her shirt was torn almost completely off at the side. Gripping the torn shreds of her top, he ripped the material the rest of the way. He unbuttoned her jeans, pulling the zipper half down. A fierce growl left him. The claw marks that marred her delicate, smooth skin were deep.
They ran from her ribs to her hipbone. He had a suture kit, and even though he had sewn himself up plenty of times after a fight, had even done so to his brothers, he was hesitant to pierce Kenzie with the needle. The thought of causing her any more pain was like a dagger in his heart, but it had to be done. Bram disinfected the wounds as gently as he could and went about suturing her up. He was just thankful she was still passed out and unable to feel what would no doubt cause her even more pain.
It was a lot different from suturing up his brothers, because with them it was just do it and get done, but with Kenzie, he went slow and easy and kept glancing at her face to make sure he wasn’t causing her any discomfort. A light sheen of sweat coated her forehead, but once he was done patching her up and had a clean dressing on the wounds, he let his ass hit the floor.
Damn, if that wasn’t one of the most stressful things he ever had to do, then he was in for one hell of a trip when she was healed up.
Bram ran a hand over his jaw and stared at her. What in the hell was he going to do? He knew damn well he wouldn’t and couldn’t let her go. Even if she weren’t his mate, it was clear that psychopath wasn’t going to leave her alone, so that only meant one thing.
He would have to kill the fucker.
After putting everything away and draping a blanket over her, he walked to the breakfast bar and leaned on it. Having her in his home made him feel a bit calmer, but he was still feeling his animal pacing within him.