Rescue Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #2)

by Kristen Strassel

  If we’d had any idea this was happening, Baron would know to drive the truck into the side of the barn. Instead, he drove straight for Ryker’s house.

  The impact crushed the hood of the truck, shattering the windshield. The guards ran toward the accident. I chased them, faster than they were as humans, biting the Achilles’ heel of the slower guard.

  “Fuck!” he yelled as he fell to the ground, dropping his gun. I ripped into him, getting any flesh I could, snapping bone. The other guard trained his gun on me, but my brothers, on the edge of their shift, were too quick for him. They knocked the other guy over, and now both Baron and Dallas were armed.

  “He’s got more dogs,” I panted as we left the guards bloody and broken in the dirt and headed back to the truck. Ryker’s voice carried over his property, and more guards joined him. “Can you smell it?”

  “That’s what that is? Shit.” Baron kept time with me. I’d be shocked if he made it through the night as a human. He shouldn’t have this kind of speed unless he was on the verge of shifting.

  “What the fuck? How did the wolves get loose? Jerry, Frank, rein him in.” Ryker didn’t realize that the men running toward him weren’t his guards until Baron and Dallas sprayed him and the men that surrounded him with bullets. Most of them hit the ground before impact, rolling into the dirt. Good thing for Ryker’s foresight, these guns had rounds of ammo. He’d been preparing for a war. He got his wish.

  Ryker pulled a gun from behind him, firing at me as I barreled toward him. The bastard either didn’t have wolves in that barn or didn’t take them seriously. The bullets weren’t silver, and all they did was piss me off even more.

  He was too old to run, and with his guards scattered, I had him just how I wanted him. But I wasn’t going to make it quick and easy for him. “Who are you?” His voice shook, but he stood his ground. Arrogant to the very end. “What the fuck do you want? You won’t make it off this property alive.”

  “Neither will you.” I circled him, crowding him against my brother’s ruined truck. My brothers held guard behind me, guns drawn. “I can’t believe you don’t remember me, Ryker. After all, we were roommates for six months.”

  “Oh Jesus, it’s you. The one with the hero girlfriend.” Ryker rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have left her alone tonight.”

  My fur stood on end. If the bastard had been right about one thing in his life, it was that. I needed to get back to Trina as soon as possible. Ryker had already proven he’d make good on any threat.

  “We’ve seen you with her. At the shelter, after hours. She’s feisty, but I like that. Nothing will be better than watching the flames in her eyes go out. I bet that plump body tastes real sweet. Like a peach. I’ll find out when I have her brought to me. You’ll be back where you belong, in chains, and you’ll have the pleasure of watching your bitch girlfriend get fucked by every man on this property.”

  I sprung off the ground, a blur of blood and fur. Ryker’s arrogance made him slow. Stupid. I’d anticipated his next move, and my teeth sank into the artery on the side of his neck.

  He tasted rotten, but the sound of his neck snapping made up for it.

  “Shadow! You’ve got him! Enough!” Baron pulled me off him. I knew this bastard wouldn’t just die. I’d practically ripped his head clear away from his body before my brothers were able to pry me off of him. I lunged again, but they held me back. I wanted to destroy everything about him. His threat echoed in my head.

  “What about the rest of them?” Dallas asked, still gripping my bloody scruff.

  All the guards stood frozen in place, in horror or awe. It was hard to tell which one. I shook free of my brother, circling the small crowd that had watched me take out their leader.

  “Tell them to free the dogs,” I instructed. “If these guys stay loyal to me, none of them will be punished. They stray, they pay. That simple.”

  Baron explained the rules to my new men, and Dallas freed the dogs from their chains. I recognized some of them as coming from Forever Home. How anyone in town could look themselves in the mirror after taking Ryker’s bribe and adopting from Trina’s shelter was beyond me. If they knew about the dog fights, I had a hard time believing they didn’t know what they were handing these over dogs for. Luckily, the dogs hadn’t been here long and hadn’t suffered much.

  A guard gave us the keys to one of Ryker’s SUVs. So far, they were cooperating. It was anyone’s guess what would happen once we’d left. I’d either written our death sentence or gained a well-oiled pack. Right now, I only cared about two things—getting these dogs back to the shelter and making sure Trina was safe.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Trina

  “I’m fucking terrified.” I hadn’t taken my eyes off the window. I didn’t expect to see Shadow again tonight, but I kept picturing the worst case scenario. Anyone who was as angry as he was about Ryker couldn’t possibly think straight. Shadow wanted blood, and he didn’t care how he got it. “What if he’s alone? Or he’s been captured? Or...”

  I couldn’t say it out loud.

  “This is his fight.” Kiera offered me a beer, but I shook my head. “The wolves were captured before they met us. You aren’t responsible for this, Trina.”

  The tornado didn’t agree.

  “I can’t lose him,” I said to myself more than anyone. There was nothing the girls could do to console me. I’d created this mess myself. As soon as Shadow came back, and he was coming back, I’d tell him what I should’ve said immediately. That I was his forever.

  My heart stopped when headlights illuminated the driveway. I didn’t recognize the SUV.

  “Do you have your gun, Trina?” Lyssie asked, backing away from the window and shutting off the lights.

  “Yeah.” I didn’t move.

  “Where is it?”

  “We don’t need it.” I didn’t panic when the SUV doors opened, another feeling washed over me. Peace. The eye of the storm. Whoever was here wasn’t going to hurt us. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did.

  “Found it,” Kiera called out.

  I turned to see her looking down the barrel of the gun. “Put that down! It’s loaded and so are you!”

  She dropped the gun, putting her arms up in the air. It was a miracle it didn’t fire.

  “Oh my God,” Lyssie cried. “Is that Jolie and Dex?”

  The two German Shepherds I’d recently adopted out came bounding up the stairs. “It is.” Maybe I was seeing things. “Maybe things didn’t work out?” It happened, and it wasn’t unusual to have someone come back in the middle of the night. Sometimes we’d get a note explaining what the problem was. Even though it broke my heart that they didn’t find their forever home, at least the people were smart enough to give the animals back to me.

  “Who’s that?” Kiera asked when more dogs came into view. “It looks like—“

  “Shadow!” He didn’t look quite right, herding the Shepherds up the stairs. Baron and Dallas climbed out of the SUV, following the dogs up the stairs.

  I was already out the door, on my knees in front of Shadow. “What happened to you?” His fur was caked with blood. Hoping it belonged to someone else, I pushed his fur aside and almost passed out when I saw the wounds.

  “He’s going to be okay,” Dallas insisted. “We need him to shift as soon as possible. It will speed the healing.”

  “How?” I wouldn’t let go of him. Shadow whinnied, nudging his nose against my shoulder. “He was worried about being able to shift easily. I’m even more worried since he turned wolf early and you guys didn’t.”

  “Some of it was stress, I bet.” Baron crouched down in front of us, running his hand through Shadow’s matted fur, then looking at me. “He did it. Ryker’s dead, Trina. He had these guys in the barn. It looked like he was building another dog fighting ring.”

  “You’re shitting me.” I swooned, falling against Shadow. “Girls, check them and make sure they’re okay. Get them food and water, they’re probably starving.”r />
  I’d call the owners in the morning, hopefully it was a mistake, but now, I couldn’t think of anything but Shadow. His skin was torn, his fur filthy. He was whining, trying to tell me something. I couldn’t let go of him.

  “What should we do for Shadow?” I asked. Baron had transitioned into next in command. “Should I call the vet for these wounds? Is he going to be too weak to shift?”

  Please don’t let these wounds be fatal. There was so much blood.

  Shadow growled. Even in wolf form, he knew what I was thinking.

  Baron laughed and slapped Shadow’s ass. “This guy is anything but weak. No, let’s get him cleaned up. When he shifts, and he will, it’s just a matter of time, anything that’s broken or lodged inside should take care of itself.”

  **

  The full moon began to wane and Shadow still had yet to shift. Baron and Dallas had transformed to wolf and back to man in a matter of two days.

  “Are you sure he’s not in danger?” I asked Baron for possibly the millionth time. He’d come to pick up the girls for the night. I was delirious at this point. I had barely slept since they brought Shadow back to me. I held vigil with him, and while his brothers insisted he was fine, I was losing hope.

  New pink skin already covered the wounds, and fuzz covered the bare patches in his coat. Shadow acted like he did the first time he’d come to me. He wouldn’t leave my side.

  “It should be any time.” Baron was less convincing every day.

  “Is there any possibility that he’ll never shift again?” Shadow pawed at me, trying to assure me he was okay. I buried my face in his fur. I loved the way he smelled when he was wolf.

  “No,” Baron said, finally sure of something. “Trina, get some sleep. Shadow’s worried about you.”

  I nodded, knowing that he’d be worried sick. All the old triggers were back. The crying, the doubt, the sense of absolute helplessness. If Shadow stayed wolf or died, I’d never recover.

  How selfish of me. Shadow was the one who’d been wounded. All he needed was my love and support, not to worry about me.

  “Come here.” I patted the air mattress once everything was done for the night and I’d settled enough to try to rest. “I’m going to dream of you as a man, and maybe when I wake up, it will be true.”

  I drifted off with Shadow’s fur against my skin, dreaming of his kisses tickling me just as lightly. It was a good dream and I didn’t want to wake up. I’d fallen asleep so hard after not being able to for days. I’d given myself completely to this other world, the place where everything was perfect. Shadow’s body was so warm against mine, his hands caressed me, easing my clothes away. He never broke contact, fingers, lips dancing, my nerves jumping to meet his touch. I moaned when he began stroking the spot at the apex of my thighs, bringing everything crashing to the surface.

  Don’t wake up. I want to see how this ends.

  A kiss landed on my open mouth. That sweet, earthy taste that I’d been craving since Shadow shifted filled me drip by glorious drip, filling the cracks fear and doubt had brought, making me whole again. This was the best dream ever.

  Until the kissing stopped, and the hand drew away from my sex. Shit. My subconscious couldn’t even give me what I wanted.

  “Trina.” Shadow’s voice was warm and smooth like caramel. “Wake up, baby.”

  No. I shook my head. It was a trick. I’d open my eyes and he’d still be a wolf.

  “I know you’re awake.” A quick peck landed on my cheek and something hard and deliciously familiar bumped against my leg. This was either the most vivid dream ever, or...“And if you stop hiding from me we can do a lot more.”

  It couldn’t hurt to open one eye. I could always go back to sleep and chase the dream.

  Black hair tickled my face, blue eyes just above mine. That wasn’t any different. But the face belonged to a man. My man. I blinked rapidly, but he didn’t disappear. He laughed as I patted him frantically to make sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. I could be delirious.

  “You shifted.” How could I forget how gloriously gorgeous he was? This was like seeing him for the first time. Shadow held himself up over me. He seemed even bigger than he did before, larger than life. Stronger. The muscles rippled under his skin. I glanced down at his cock, which was just as happy to see me as I was to see it. I threw my arms around him. “It took forever. Are you okay?”

  Now he’d be able to tell us if anything was wrong, and he wouldn’t be able to fake any macho bullshit and insist he was fine. I’d be able to see it.

  “Never been better.” He punctuated the statement with a long, slow kiss, easing down on me. I’d never been better, either. “I missed this so much.”

  “I was so worried.” I could barely keep my lips off of him long enough to talk. “You stayed wolf so long, and—“

  “I know.” Shadow was having the same problem. “I kept giving Baron and Dallas shit because they couldn’t convince you everything was going to be all right.”

  “Not funny.” I whacked him before melting back into him. “I never want to be away from you, Shadow.”

  “Likewise.” He nestled his head in the crook of my neck, trying to catch my heart beat with kisses.

  I pulled him up by his hair, his grin setting every part of me on fire. “No. I mean it. It’s all I’ve been able to think about since you shifted. I’m yours, Shadow. Every part of me belongs to you.”

  “You’re my everything.” He brushed a sweet kiss against my lips. “My heart beats for you, I breathe for you. My future is yours.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “This is all I’ve ever wanted.” His fingers laced between mine. “Trina, please stay with me forever.”

  “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

  No more words were necessary, now that I knew that I could love someone and never lose them. Shadow was everything I needed, body and soul. And the reward for letting myself accept his love with sweeter than I could have ever imagined.

  Thank you!

  I hope you enjoyed reading Forever Home! The story continues through the eyes of each wolf as they find their mate. Next up is PROTECT ME, which is Kiera and Baron’s story. It’s coming in October, but you can preorder it now. Keep reading for a sneak peek.

  If you have a moment, please leave a review. To keep up with release dates and news, please visit my website or sign up for my newsletter.

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  Protect Me

  A scarred solider. A submissive shifter. It’s not what you think.

  Baron Channing is tired of fighting.

  As second in command, he’s built to take orders. The Channing packs have protected Sawtooth forest for generations, and now he’s been assigned to guard the women who saved his family from the dog fighting ring. The Channings must fight for respect, but Baron doesn’t believe violence is the answer. He needs to take a stand for what he believes in if he wants to keep the incredible woman he’s been assigned to keep safe.

  Kiera is a soldier.

  She grew up in a man’s world, and she’s got the scars to prove it. Sent to Forever Home for rehabilitation for PTSD, Kiera didn’t believe she could learn anything from a bunch of homeless animals. But when a rescued werewolf sees her in a way no one else ever has, she realizes how wrong she was.

  Together Kiera and Baron learn that the bravest thing is being true to yourself.

  Chapter One

  Baron

  “Tell me a story.” A slow smile spread across Kiera’s face. The kind of smile that promised I’d be rewarded handsomely for accommodating her request. “Dallas did it for Lyssie last night, I don’t want to feel left out.”

  Don’t get me wrong, I was totally on board with that possibility. But I wanted to go home. Kiera was an amazing woman who deserved a worthy mate. Not a babysitter.

  “I’m not much for fairy tales, or happily ever aft
er.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. Kiera beckoned to me from a doorway I assumed led to her bedroom. I wasn’t exactly the big bad wolf, but I didn’t know if I could be trusted to keep my hands to myself in there.

  Kiera frowned. “You just haven’t found your happily ever after yet.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me with her into the unknown. “I don’t want you to make anything up. Tell me what it’s like to be a wolf.”

  I’d never explained this to a human before. As far as humans in Granger Falls were concerned, werewolves existed in legends only, stories old people told about karma. We took care of things human law couldn’t.

  And that’s exactly why I was here with Kiera tonight.

  It was her bedroom. Kiera climbed on her bed and curled up under the blankets. Gorgeous as always. She never wore makeup, and her light brown hair was always mussed, an open invite to run my fingers through it that I always had to turn down. Her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks in the low light. My wolf rumbled inside me, I was starving for this woman’s touch. The fast had to continue. She patted the edge of the bed, and her eyes flicked up, bracing herself for rejection.

  Get over yourself. She’s going to think you don’t want her. Nothing could be further from the truth. Her bed was too soft as I sat on the very edge. It smelled like a woman, shampoo and fruity body lotion. My mouth was watering, I could practically hear her heart beat. Times like this, my animal twisted around any human desires and made them impossible to ignore.

  “This all used to be wolf land,” I began, clearing my throat. “Before the town started to expand. And the wolves thrived for centuries. Running, playing, hunting. We the kings of Sawtooth. Faster than the bears, and more ferocious than the elk and the bison. When the little villages popped up, we could protect the residents, but still stay in the shadows. For some wolves, that was their job. To take care of problems. Others, like my family, kept the peace. Held everyone accountable. Every wolf had a mate, but unlike some species, we weren’t promised to each other at birth or fated to be together. We actually fell in love with our partners, and the bond was forever.”