It seemed Jameson had already planned her gruesome fate from the beginning. God, this was all so hopeless. Her entire body went numb, her brain still attempting to process the thought that she would die tonight.
They kept on going, driving up unfamiliar roads that took them higher up the mountains. The vehicle had passed the turnoff that led to the station and Damon’s house miles ago, which meant they were going farther than she’d ever been before.
“We’ve driven long enough,” Edward told the driver. “I don’t see anything but trees and snow up here. You can stop now.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver replied as the vehicle slowed down. While the SUV behind them halted, the one in the lead continued.
“Call them to come back,” Jameson snapped. “Then we can proceed.”
Anna Victoria’s heart hammered in her chest, her pulse going wild. This was it. But she couldn’t accept her fate. Not anymore. And she knew this was her only chance. Jameson would expect her to meekly just follow them like a sheep to slaughter.
Her body tensed up like a coiled spring, and the moment she heard the car lock click, she grabbed the handle and leapt out of the car. She heard Jameson’s scream of indignation, but didn’t stop. The moment her feet landed on the asphalt, she bolted into a run, crossing to the other side of the road and into the line of trees.
She fled as fast as her legs could carry her. Her lungs burned, but she pushed on. The uneven terrain made it difficult, but this was her only chance. Sure, she could end up lost, but that was better than the alternative.
It was hard to tell how long she’d been running through the forest. It could have been hours, but eventually she saw something up ahead—light. A ranger station perhaps? Damon told her they had them all over the mountain.
“There she is!” someone behind her said.
No! They tracked her down. Counting the two guards, and assuming both SUVs were at capacity, there were probably a dozen guys after her. Jameson had been prepared to take her at any cost, it seemed.
Just keep going, she told herself. If she could reach that station, maybe—“Ow!” She let out a yelp as pain shot up her leg. Her foot had tripped on a rock or a root and twisted, sending her crashing to the ground. Tears sprang to her eyes and the light she had seen up ahead blurred in her vision.
“There!” she heard a male voice say. “There she is.”
Her lips clamped shut, and she tried to curl herself into a ball, but it was too late. Footsteps thundered around her, then she was hauled up. She cried out as her ankle throbbed in protest. “Stop! Please, I twisted my ankle.”
“Serves you right, bitch!” A hand roughly pulled at her, the injured ankle dragging along, and the pain made bile rise in her throat.
“Please, please,” she begged, hands reaching out for anything she could grab onto.
“Walk, bitch!”
A hand pushed at her back, and she hurtled forward. Pain lanced through her arm when her elbows connected with the cold, hard ground. This was it, she thought. She was going to die, and she would never see Damon again.
“I’m freezing my ass off! Just kill her here,” someone said. “Boss said to get it done.”
“Hey, didn’t you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“It sounds like a—”
The goon’s voice was cut off, as a deep, loud roar pierced the air.
“What the fuck was that?”
“Shh!”
The ground vibrated underneath her, and another bone-rattling growl broke through the silence.
“Holy fuck! It’s a—”
Another roar came, followed by panicked shouts. Anna Victoria scrambled to turn around, but it was dark, and she could only see shadows. One very big shadow.
A bear! Her heart jumped, as at first, she thought it was Damon, but she knew deep inside it wasn’t him. For one thing, this bear was much larger and bulkier. The humungous creature was on its hind feet, growling and bellowing, its long limbs stretching so it could swipe at the dozen or so men around it.
Adrenaline rushed through her, and she knew this was her second chance. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain and scrambled away from the chaos, not knowing where to go, but she knew she had to get away.
She was limping through the thicket of trees when she saw a bright light up ahead. She moved as fast as she could, but tripped and fell again. The pain was unbearable, and she couldn’t find the strength to get up.
“Look what I found,” a male voice sneered. “Got you, bitch.”
She burst into tears when a hand roughly pulled her up to her feet. “My … ankle …” she managed to choke out. “P-please. Can’t move.”
The man who found her cursed and then bent down to haul her up on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. She would have pounded on his back, but her limbs were exhausted. The world turned upside down, and she fell limp, defeated.
“Got her, boss,” the man who carried her shouted triumphantly as they stepped out into the road.
She cursed to herself, realizing she had come back to where she had started.
“Did you think you could get away from me, Anna Victoria?” Jameson shouted, his voice trembling with rage. “I’m going to kill you myself and enjoy every minute of it. Bring her here, Larson.”
They continued to advance, but Larson stopped about halfway as a loud screech cut through the air. Lifting her head, she was temporarily blinded as bright headlights of a truck came into view.
Jameson screamed in fury. “Get her here, now!”
The lights shut off, and she saw the truck stop a few feet from them. The doors of the vehicle flew open, and she could have sworn two men jumped out, but they moved so incredibly fast, she couldn’t keep track. All she saw were shadows moving and shifting, growing larger. A familiar, animalistic roar made hope spark in her chest.
“Damon!” she screamed.
The bear sped forward, growling as it locked gazes with her, eyes like green fire. Larson was now running like mad toward Jameson, but he was still too slow. Damon’s animal rushed forward, getting in front them. Larson yelped in surprise and stopped as the bear roared furiously and stretched to full height, massive arms raised high.
“Better let her go or my friend’ll tear you to pieces,” came a warning voice.
Gabriel! She turned her head around to where he was standing behind them.
Larson swallowed audibly, then bent down and lay her on the ground before scrambling off in the opposition direction.
“Coward!” Jameson shrieked in fury.
The bear let out another roar, then turned, rushing toward the SUVs.
“Damon, no!” she screamed. Before she could even attempt to chase after him, she felt herself being lifted up.
“I got you,” Gabriel soothed as he lifted her into his arms before he walked briskly toward the truck.
“You have to go after him,” she said, distraught. “They have guns. Where are you taking me?”
“Need to get you to safety first.” Gabriel said he gently laid her in the passenger seat of Damon’s truck.
“Please, Gab—”
Gunshots cut her off, but before she could protest, he was gone. She reached for the switch for the headlights and gasped as they illuminated the scene ahead of her. A full-sized lion was leaping away, dashing toward the large bear approaching the SUVs.
She gasped as she heard gunshots. But the bear and the lion kept charging. She’d never felt so helpless, but what could she do except watch?
The lion pounced on one of the men, knocking him down. The bear, meanwhile, was surrounded by three men on all sides, holding handguns out, seemingly bent on keeping it away from the SUV where she suspected Edward was holed up. Damon’s bear swiped at them, and one man shot him in the shoulder. The bear only recoiled back, but didn’t fall. Another shot went off, and the bear went wild.
“No!” she screamed and slammed her palms on the dash. “Damon!”
Suddenly, a large, dark
figure barreled out of the trees. It was another bear, a huge one. The bear from the woods! She recognized it by its size. It charged forward, taking down two of the men surrounding Damon.
Despite the shots firing around it, Damon’s bear sprang into action, raking its claws down the man who had shot him and tossed him aside, then lumbered toward the SUV. Raising its arms, it brought down its giant paws on the roof and battered its own body against the side, making the vehicle rock back and forth.
I have to get to him! Swallowing every bit of fear she had, she pushed the door open and stepped out gingerly, then hobbled toward the rampaging bear.
She wasn’t quite sure what to do, but then she heard loud sirens in the distance. Looking behind her, blue and red lights flashed in the darkness like a beacon.
Blackstone P.D.! Relief overwhelmed her, and tears sprang to her eyes, and she found the strength to ignore the pain and keep walking now that help was here.
“Damon!” she screamed, trying to get the bear’s attention.
The side of the SUV had been ripped out, and the lower half of the bear’s body hung outside. Edward’s terrified screams mixed in with the rampaging bear’s growls made for a bone-chilling symphony.
“Don’t kill him! Please!” While she hated Jameson, she didn’t want Damon to have to stand trial for his death. Plus, with Jameson’s connections with those cartels, who knew what it would bring down on Damon and Blackstone? “Damon!”
The bear froze, then it pulled out of the SUV, his block head swinging around. Those familiar green eyes fixed on her. “P.D.’s here,” she said to him. “Let them take care of Jameson.”
The bear chuffed angrily, then shook its head. Slowly, it backed away.
Jameson’s head peeked out of the remains of the SUV. His cruel eyes zeroed in on her, and he opened his mouth to say something undoubtedly smug, but suddenly froze.
“Blackstone P.D.! Put your hands up!” Three officers charged forward, weapons in hand.
Jameson’s eyes popped out of his head. “Put my hands up?” he said incredulously. “These … animals were the ones attacking me! Arrest them!”
The officers didn’t seem to like what he said and closed around him. Anna Victoria couldn’t blame them; after all, most of Blackstone P.D.’s officers and employees were shifters.
As the officers secured Jameson, she ran past them, toward Damon. His bear staggered back, and fell over with a loud thump. Horror filled her and she sprinted toward the animal, not caring about her ankle as she collapsed beside it in a heap. “Damon!” She buried her face in its furry hide, tears flowing freely now.
The bear’s body began to shrink. Bones snapped, fur receded back into skin as she held him tight, inhaling the masculine scent of his skin. “Damon, don’t die. Please, I never got to tell you that I love you.”
“Y-you love me?”
She bolted straight up. “Damon?”
He struggled, but managed to push himself to sit up. “I—”
“You were shot,” she exclaimed. Her eyes focused on the two bullet holes in his body—one on the shoulder and the other on the arm. While they looked horrific, they didn’t seem to be bleeding out.
“Shifter healing,” he explained. “Hurts like fucking hell, but the bullets went through at least.”
“Oh!” Her arms wound around him and she hugged him tight. When he flinched, she let him go but didn’t move away. “Damon, I’m sorry about earlier. I was trying to get you away from Jameson. He threatened your life if I didn’t—”
“Shh,” he soothed. “It’s all right. I know.”
“You do?”
“I mean, I figured it out later, after Gabriel, J.D. and I realized you didn’t go with him willingly. We saw the money and had P.D. call up Albuquerque for info about Jameson. They told us everything.”
“You saw the money?” Blood drained from her face. “I can explain—”
“Later,” he said. “But … did you say you loved me?”
She took in a sharp breath and covered her mouth. “Is it too soon? You don’t have to—”
“No. Of course not.” Reaching out, he pulled her close. “I love you, too, Anna Victoria.” Then he leaned down to kiss her.
The moment their lips touched, a strange but pleasant sensation flooded her body, warming every inch of her. It was hard to describe—like slowly being submerged in water and cocooned in a soft blanket at the same time. All the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and a tightness wrapped around her. As she embraced Damon, she felt like they were one, bonded by some unknown force. It felt strong. And permanent.
Damon froze. “Did you feel that?”
“You too?” she asked, confused. “What was it?”
“I think … I think it was the mating bond?”
“A bond? You never told me about a mating bond.” Funnily, though, she didn’t feel panicked. In fact, she’d never felt more calm or content in her life.
“It’s not something we shifters talk about openly,” he said. “And it’s not the same for everyone, apparently.”
“What does it mean?” she asked. “And why now?”
“I heard that it’s supposed to happen when mates open themselves up to each other, and there are no more barriers blocking them from accepting each other. And it means we’re really mates now,” he explained. “You’re mine, Anna Victoria, and I love you.” A deep rumble vibrated from his chest, and he laughed. “My bear approves. He likes you. Always has.”
She chuckled. “I like him a lot, too.”
“And me?” he asked. “Now that you don’t think I’m dying … do you still feel the same way?”
Cupping his face with her palms, she gazed into the depths of his jade green eyes. “I love you, Damon.” She kissed him. “But, please don’t get shot again.”
He laughed—a deep, resonant sound that made her heart sing, then he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers again. An emotion plucked a chord deep inside her, vibrant and rich, filling her with a calm she’d never felt before and making it seem like everything was right in the world.
And in that moment, she could honestly, confidently say, it was.
Chapter Fourteen
Anna Victoria insisted Damon get his gunshot wounds checked out by the EMTs as soon as more help arrived on scene. He wanted to indulge her, but only if she got her ankle seen to first, and they continued to argue as the hapless technician looked on.
“You’re in pain,” he said.
“You got shot. With a gun.”
“That’s traditionally what people are shot with.”
“Twice.”
“I’m a shifter.”
“So?” She crossed her arms over her chest, a determined look on her face.
He huffed, not believing he was going to lose his argument. But then again, he would lose every argument with her if it meant she would be by his side the rest of his life. “All right,” he relented.
After they had deduced Anna Victoria did not go with Jameson willingly, he, J.D. and Gabriel had gone straight to the Blackstone Police Department Station. Police Chief Meacham had sent out the APB, but no one had reported seeing any black SUVs leaving town. It was just their luck that an officer passing by the road that led to the mountains had seen the three black SUVs with New Mexico plates heading up.
Damon’s instincts kicked in, and he knew that had to be Jameson and that he had an even more diabolical agenda than simply kidnapping Anna Victoria. He didn’t bother waiting for Meacham to act and headed up to the mountains with Gabriel and J.D., with J.D. taking the road that led to HQ and him and Gabriel going up further toward Contessa Peak, the highest point of the mountains. When he saw that man crossing the road carrying something on his shoulders, he knew it had to be her. The Demon begged to be let out, and so he let his animal take over.
He thought he was nearly done for when those three guys cornered him. Shifters were tough, but they weren’t invincible. Only adrenaline and rage kept him goi
ng, but if those men had kept pumping him full of bullets or shot him directly in the head, he would have died, and for a second, he thought for sure he would have. But then the sound of a familiar roar came, one he hadn’t heard in a while. The giant grizzly had come down from his den and evened the odds.
Krieger.
Despite everything, despite his crippling fear of the outside world that made Damon’s anxiety seem like a walk in the park, Krieger had come to the rescue.
But where was he now?
“Happy now?” he asked gruffly as he accepted the shirt and pants the EMT had handed him after the examination.
“Immensely.” She smiled at him.
He hopped down from the back of the truck, then grabbed her by the waist, hauling her up. “Your turn sweetheart—nuh-uh.” He shook his head. “No arguing.”
Her lip stuck out as she pouted. “Fine.”
He kissed the lip, and gave it a nip. “I’ll see you in a bit. I gotta take care of something.” Though both he and his bear were loath to leave her, he knew she was safe here. “Take care of her,” he warned the EMT before he walked away.
Four more police cars arrived on the scene along with the ambulance. He saw Gabriel talking to Meacham, and they briefly locked gazes, but his friend waved him off, as if saying, “I’ve got this.” He nodded gratefully and headed toward the line of trees where he last scented the grizzly.
He knew the cabin where Krieger lived wasn’t too far from here, and though it was dark, he could follow the scent. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing, and he could find traces of the grizzly’s scent where it brushed against the trees or broke branches and trampled shrubs. Finally, he saw the familiar cabin up ahead, the single light on the porch like a beacon guiding him. The door was ajar, so he let himself in.
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