by Becca Van
Her nipples tightened into hard aching points, her labia swelled as they filled with blood, and her clit engorged and began to throb.
“Watch me, baby,” Tatum demanded.
Pixie hadn’t even noticed she’d closed her eyes until he’d spoken, but she did as he said and looked at him. The muscles and bones in his face began to move, and Tatum seemed to fall down toward the floor landing on his hands and knees. Fur sprouted out from the pores in his skin, and the russet-hued hair on his head thickened and lengthened until it was a dense mane. The end of his spine lengthened into a tail with a tuft of the same-colored hair on the tip. His nose and jaw reshaped and elongated, and his hands and feet changed into massive paws with long sharp claws protruding from them.
Even though she was seeing this phenomenon with her very own eyes, she still couldn’t believe it was happening.
Where Tatum had been, now there was a huge lion with the same-colored eyes. The animal turned toward the bed and, with an effortless leap, jumped up onto the mattress and lay down on his belly. A deep rumbling purr started up in his chest, making the whole bed shake.
A loud high-pitched ringing set up in her ears and dark spots began to form in front of her eyes. She tried to inhale to relieve the burning in her lungs, but for some reason she couldn’t suck in any air. Her limbs and muscles turned to the consistency of rubber, and as the darkness took over her vision, she tried to stave it off.
Just before she passed out, she heard the frantic roar of a lion which sounded exactly like someone saying, “Fuck!”
Chapter Four
As soon as Tatum saw Pixie slumping, he moved his huge animal body beneath hers so she wouldn’t hurt herself, or rip open her stitches. Rex and Shaffer climbed onto the bed and carefully lifted her off of his lion. He crawled out from beneath her and turned his gaze toward Broden as the Kodiak bear moved closer to the bed.
“Change back, Tatum. I need to check her over, but I’m not going to do that while you’re in lion form. I’m not taking the chance of you ripping my throat out when I touch your mate,” Broden explained.
Tatum jumped onto the floor, forced his animal back, and embraced his human side. Once he was a man again, he grabbed his clothes and dressed.
Broden sighed with relief, grabbed the small medical bag he brought with him, and walked toward the head of the bed. “You need to move out of the way.”
Rex sighed and then reluctantly moved from the bed. He joined Tatum at the foot as they watched everything Broden did. He checked Pixie’s pulse rate, and after listening to her heart with a stethoscope over the top of the hospital gown she was wearing, he met Shaffer’s gaze. “I need to pull her gown up so I can make sure her incision isn’t weeping.”
“I’ll do it,” Shaffer snarled.
Tatum was glad his brother was able to remain close to their mate so that Broden wouldn’t need to touch Pixie too much. Even though he should have felt calm after just shifting into his beast, he was feeling anything but. His lion was pacing back and forth, rumbling and yowling with anger. He didn’t like the Kodiak bear anywhere near his woman either, but it was necessary.
Shaffer lifted the covers in a way that shielded Pixie’s body from the doctor. When he reached in underneath, Tatum realized his brother was tugging the hospital gown up enough to expose the wound site.
“You can pull the quilt down but only enough to examine where you need to,” Shaffer ordered.
“That’s all I was going to do. I’m not a fucking pervert,” Broden snapped. “Nor am I attracted to your mate.”
Hearing those words from the big bear went a long way to relieving some of Tatum’s aggression, and from the way Shaffer and Rex sighed, theirs, too.
“Okay, everything looks good.” Broden pulled the quilt back up over Pixie. “I’m going to give her shot of antibiotics and another for the pain.” He delved into the bag he’d put on the bed next to Pixie’s thigh and, after donning surgical gloves, prepared the two needles. After cleaning her skin and injecting the medicine he began to clean up. “Did you guys give her anything to drink?”
Tatum glanced at Rex.
“I didn’t really get the chance to,” Rex said. “I was going to ask her if she wanted one, but it flew from my mind when I found her on her feet.”
“Shit, and then things escalated from there.” Tatum rubbed at the back of his neck.
“She’s okay for now, but as soon as she wakes up again, you need to get some fluids into her. I could tell by looking at her skin she’s on the dry side. I don’t want to have to hook her back up to a drip if it can be prevented.”
“We’ll make sure she drinks plenty from now on,” Shaffer responded.
“Give her two of those tablets I gave you every four hours for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Hopefully after that, she won’t need them anymore.” Broden picked up his bag and turned toward the door. “Call me if you’re worried about her for any reason, no matter what. Day or night. Okay?”
“Thanks, Broden.”
“Sure.” Broden left the room, and moments later Tatum heard the front door close.
“Do you think she fainted because she was scared, or because of the pain she was in?” Shaffer asked.
“Both,” Rex answered.
“I think it was combination,” Tatum said. “Her heart was pounding so hard and fast I was worried she was having a panic attack. She was in shock as well as frightened and in pain.”
“Our mate has had a hellish twenty-four hours.” Shaffer sighed.
“I think her hell started way before that.” Tatum sat on the side of the bed and smoothed Pixie’s hair back from her face.
“What makes you say that?” Rex asked.
“She admitted that she’d been in pain for days. Her car is chockablock full of her possessions, and she’s terrified of doctors.”
“You don’t think a doctor abused her, do you?” Shaffer asked.
“I fucking hope not,” Rex snarled.
“Me either,” Tatum growled angrily. He drew in a deep breath and tried to get his ire under control. He and his brothers were jumping to conclusions, and there was no reason to get upset over speculation. “We’ll ask her when she wakes up.”
“If anyone hurt her, I’m going to tear them to shreds,” Shaffer said angrily.
Tatum didn’t respond, but if Shaffer was right, he would be right beside his brother ripping the fucker to pieces.
* * * *
Pixie opened her eyes with a smile. She felt way better than the last time she’d woken up. There was still pain down low in her side, but it wasn’t burning or throbbing like it had been. She gasped and glanced around the room when she remembered Tatum stripping off and changing into a lion. She shook her head and wondered if she’d been hallucinating from all the medicine in her bloodstream, but she knew she hadn’t been. They’d told her that all the men in this town were shape-shifters, and while she was fascinated, she was also very wary. How the hell was such a paradox even possible? How long had shifters been roaming the world among humans? How come no one knew they were living amongst the average person?
She had so many questions but wasn’t sure she should be asking anything. Why had they told her what they were? Yeah, she’d seen and heard them say some strange things, but they could have lied to her, and being the gullible person she was, she might have even believed them.
Pixie pushed herself up into a sitting position and almost shouted with joy when she saw her purse and keys on the huge dresser, as well as the small bag of clothes she kept handy, so she wouldn’t have to haul around and rummage through the large suitcase she had in the trunk of her car.
She flung the covers aside, stood, and grabbed her bag before heading to the bathroom. After using the facilities, she brushed her teeth and gasped when she got a gander at her hair in the mirror. It was in a wild halo around her head and no doubt was a mass of tangles. She eyed the door and sighed with relief when she noticed the lock on it. After engaging th
e lock for guaranteed privacy, she removed the hospital gown and stared at the waterproof bandage over her incision site. It wasn’t a big bandage but it was large enough, and she wondered how large the scar was going to be. Not that she really cared about a mark on her skin. All that mattered was that she had survived and was feeling heaps better.
Pixie turned and eyed the huge walk-in shower that was big enough for a group of six people to hold a party in. She had no idea why someone would need such an extravagance, but she was about to indulge by bathing. She removed her panties and turned the water on. She was just about to step in under the water when someone knocked on the door and the handle turned. Thankfully, they couldn’t enter unless they busted the door down. “What?” she asked.
“How are you feeling?” Shaffer asked.
“Fine.”
“That’s good to hear, sugar. Come on out to the kitchen once you’re done.”
“Okay.” Pixie stepped into the water and quickly washed and conditioned her hair before washing her body. She didn’t want to linger too long in case one or all of the three men came back.
When she finished, she dried off and dressed before putting her still wet hair up into a ponytail. Normally, since it was fall with cooler weather, she took the time to dry her hair, but for some reason she didn’t want to dawdle. It had nothing to do with the way those three men affected her body. Well, that was what she tried to convince herself, but she wasn’t sure it was working.
Pixie had no idea why she was attracted to Tatum, Rex, and Shaffer. She wasn’t a slut and had only had one serious relationship. Paul had been her one and only lover, and while they had parted amicably, she’d had her heart broken and hadn’t wanted to chance getting hurt again.
And then there was her deceased best friend’s ex. Just thinking about that evil bastard sent tendrils of fear licking up her spine.
She ruthlessly shoved him from her thoughts as she exited the bathroom, leaving her bag on the bed, and after donning her socks and shoes, headed down the long hallway. Curiosity had her peering into the open doors as she walked, and she was surprised to see that although the beds were unmade, the rooms were neat and tidy. She’d heard some other women talking about how messy a bachelor’s home could be and thought that with three men living in the same house, it would be a disaster area.
Pixie paused in the living room and glanced about. Maybe there was a woman or women living here with the men, but she didn’t think so. There were no feminine touches in the living room and she hadn’t seen any in the bedrooms either. The sofa was a cherry wood leather and big enough to seat ten or more people. The TV on the wall was massive, the entertainment unit beneath was full of the latest sound equipment, and there was a lot of DVDs behind the glass doors. The only room that had more color from what she remembered was the room she’d been sleeping in.
Her stomach growled when the smell of brewed coffee drifted toward her, and she hoped that she could get something to eat, too. Pixie couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten a decent meal. It had to be well over forty-eight hours ago.
When she realized she was standing off to the side of the room and staring into space while lost in thought, she blinked and cleared her mind. As she started walking toward the door where she presumed the kitchen was, she noticed that Shaffer was leaning against the door jamb watching her with a smile on his face.
“What?”
Shaffer shrugged. “Nothing, I just like watching you. You have a very expressive face.”
Pixie hoped it wasn’t too expressive. She wasn’t sure she liked other people knowing what she was thinking.
“Come and have some coffee, Pixie. As soon as you’ve had your first cup, we can go and eat at the diner.”
She nodded and walked toward him. When she was within touching distance and he didn’t move out of the way, she stopped and looked at him expectantly. She wasn’t about to try and squeeze by him. Firstly, she didn’t want to bump her sore side, and secondly, she didn’t want her body going up in flames. Her breasts and pussy were already perking up just by her looking at him.
“Why do we need to go to the diner?” Pixie asked and then sighed when he moved from the doorway into the kitchen.
“We’re going to meet Tatum and Rex for lunch.”
Pixie followed him into the kitchen and glanced at the clock on the microwave. She was surprised to see it as just after noon. She had no idea how long she’d slept, but guessed it had been a long while.
“Take a seat, sugar.” Shaffer indicated the stools on the other side of the kitchen counter.
Pixie winced when she climbed up onto the seat. The movement had pulled at her sutures and set her side to throbbing.
“How do you take your coffee, Pixie?” He held up the mug full of the dark brew with a quirked brow.
“Black’s fine.”
“You can have milk and sugar in it if that’s the way you prefer it.” He frowned.
“I like it the way it is.” Shaffer placed the mug on the counter and pushed it toward her. “Thanks.” She took a sip and then raised her gaze to his. “I can cook something if you’d like.”
Shaffer shook his head. “We’re going to the diner. Tatum and Rex would kick up a stink if I broke my promise.”
Pixie sighed resignedly. She’d been hoping to talk him out of going to the diner. She didn’t have much cash left, and she needed to find somewhere to stay for a night or two before moving on. She didn’t want to have to do that, but she didn’t feel as if she should be behind the wheel of a car just yet. While she felt better than she had, she still wasn’t up to par.
Having to rent a room and buy food was going to tap her out. Maybe she could get a job and replenish her reserves so she could move on without having to worry for a while.
“What day is it?” Pixie asked.
“Friday.”
“Do you work?”
“Yeah, but I volunteered to stay with you in case you needed anything.”
Pixie frowned as guilt assailed her. “I’m sorry. You could have gone and just left a note or something.” She lowered her eyes to her coffee mug and wrapped her hands around it, relishing the warmth.
Shaffer leaned over the counter and nudged her chin up with a finger. “Don’t apologize, sugar. I like staying here with you.”
And just like that her body once more responded to his touch, nearness, and scent. Her nipples were so hard she hoped they weren’t poking through her bra, T-shirt, and sweater. The last thing she needed was for Shaffer to be aware of her lust, but as she stared into his eyes, his pupils dilated and heat hazed over them. She sucked in a deep breath and moved back until his finger was no longer touching her.
“Is there some place I can rent a room?”
“No!” Shaffer all but shouted his answer.
“What do you mean no?” she snapped back.
“Why don’t we talk about this once we get to the diner?”
Pixie had no idea why he was putting off the discussion when they had privacy, but when she saw a determined look in his eyes, she knew he was up to something. She didn’t give a shit. She was resolute once she made her mind up about something and hardly ever let anything sway her decisions. If she had, she might not be alive right now.
The horrible memories from six months ago tried to suck her back into their depths, but she couldn’t go there.
If she let herself remember she would break down as the grief consumed her, and if that happened she wasn’t sure she’d be strong enough to keep running.
Pixie shoved the living nightmare down deep and slammed the door closed on those terrifying memories, before locking it up tight.
Even though she knew ignoring them was unhealthy, she didn’t have the time or the inclination to revisit that petrifying fateful night.
She wasn’t sure she’d come out of her memories mentally intact if she did.
Chapter Five
“Have you found her yet?” Emery Jones asked his brother.
“I’m close,” Elwyn answered.
“She’s been one step ahead of you for six fucking months.”
“Don’t fucking yell at me,” Elwyn snarled. “You know I have to bide my time and make sure no one is watching while I search for the bitch.”
“Why would any of the other cops be worried about what you’re doing?” Emery ran his fingers through his hair and stared out of his windscreen. He’d taken a leave of absence from the Denver Hospital to try and find that slut, but he always seemed to be one step behind.
“Because the case was closed. If any of the investigating detectives realize who I’m looking for, they’re going to start asking questions. If I go down for being an accessory after the fact, you can be damn fucking sure you’re going down with me,” Elwyn replied angrily.
“You’re such a fucking pussy.”
“Think what you like, but you’re the asshole. If you hadn’t done what you have, neither of us would be in this position.”
Emery sighed. Elwyn was right of course, but he wasn’t about to admit that. They had only ever had each other to rely on after their father was sent to prison when he killed their mother. It didn’t scare Emery the way it should that he turned out just like their good old dad. However, but there was no fucking way he was going to end up in jail and dead like their father had. All those women he and his brother killed flashed across his mind, and even though he knew that if he had been a normal human being, he would feel remorseful, he didn’t. Emery had always known he and his brother had been different while they were growing up, but he just couldn’t seem to find any emotions to care one way or the other.
He just wished he could go back to that night so he could have a do over, but since that wasn’t possible, he’d had to call his cop brother, confess what he’d done, and ask for help. Elwyn had been horrified, but not for the reasons you’d think. His brother had been pissed that he’d gotten caught, not because he’d killed. After raging at him, Elwyn agreed to help him. Between the two of them, they would find that slut and get rid of her.