Emma’s eyes widened when she heard Caden’s voice. She made muffled sounds and shook her head rapidly.
Rocco held up his hand to signal to the others to stop.
Hector was standing in front of Emma, watching their approach with a cold smile.
“I see you’ve brought some friends to die with you,” Hector said.
“Let Emma go,” Rocco said calmly. “This is between us shifters.”
Hector shrugged. “That was what I told her. I told her not to interfere in shifter business right at the beginning. I gave her a chance to walk away. But she decided to get involved, so...no. She’s not an innocent party.” He pointed at Emma’s neck and smirked. “And I see that she’s your mate. She is definitely neck deep in shifter business.” He laughed at his pun.
Rocco heard a sound behind him. He turned around and saw a dozen lions closing in on them from all sides. They were being surrounded by the Kingston lions.
“Come here, Caden.” Hector stretched out his arms. “Come to your favorite Uncle Hector.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Emma struggled hard and made urgent, strangled sounds through her gag. She met Caden’s wide green eyes and saw the child’s fear and pain.
She shook her head hard, trying to warn Caden not to come nearer.
“Mmmm, mmm! Mmph, hmm, mmmph!” Emma huffed, frustrated at her inability to make herself understood. But she couldn’t get rid of her gag.
Caden gulped audibly as he stepped forward. He looked up at Hector and said, “You’ll let Emma go, right? If I come to you, you’ll let her go.”
“Of course.” Hector’s smile widened.
He’s lying! The bastard is lying through his teeth! Emma yelled in her head.
She stared at Rocco in panic. Surely Rocco wouldn’t just hand Caden over to be killed!
Rocco put a hand on Caden’s shoulder and gave him a curt nod. The boy swallowed and sucked in a sharp, fortifying breath.
“Okay,” Caden said. “Let Emma walk towards Rocco. And I’ll walk to you, Uncle Hector.”
Hector smirked. “You negotiating with me, runt?”
Caden didn’t respond. He just stood tall and stared straight at Hector.
Emma couldn’t breathe. She kept shaking her head, unable to bear the sight of Caden walking to his death.
Hector signaled to the two men holding Emma. “Let her walk.”
Emma staggered down the rocky slope and Caden took a small step forward. They kept walking towards each other, but Caden kept his eyes on Hector. As they approached each other, Caden flicked his gaze over to Emma and his lips quivered as he tried to smile.
Rocco’s expression was unreadable as he watched Caden and Emma. Behind him, Axel and Tyrell stood back to back, facing the lions.
As Emma was walking past Caden, she heard Rocco give a low growl. Immediately Caden pretended to trip over a stone. The boy stumbled backwards, glancing over his shoulder at Rocco.
In a flash, Rocco lunged forward and grabbed both Caden and Emma in his arms.
Using his claws, he slashed at the cords around Emma’s wrists to free her hands. She pulled the gag out of her mouth and hugged Caden tightly.
Rocco pushed Emma and Caden behind him as he ran towards Hector. He shifted as he ran, and Hector quickly shifted into his lion form when he saw the huge bear lurching towards him.
Roars and snarls erupted and Emma spun round to see Axel and Tyrell taking on the Kingston Pride. They had shifted as well, and the two brown bears fought side by side, battling the lions as a team.
Emma dragged Caden to the side and hid behind a tree. She knew she had to keep herself and Caden safe, so that Rocco, Axel and Tyrell could concentrate on the battle.
“You okay?” she whispered to Caden.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, Emma. I’ll protect you.” With that, Caden shifted into a lion cub and crouched in front of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Rocco went for Hector’s throat but his two guards sprang into action. The two male lions were probably Hector’s personal bodyguards. They were skilled, strong fighters, and Rocco growled in rage as they blocked him again and again.
His target was Hector. Hector had hurt his mate and cub, and Rocco was going to make sure he paid the price.
Rocco growled as the lions attacked him together. He felt teeth sink into his flesh and he flung his attacker away forcefully. The other lion came at him and Rocco reared up with his claws extended.
His claws slashed down and blood gushed from the lion’s body. Rocco didn’t let up. He kept ripping into the lion until the beast collapsed at his feet.
His bear roared in victory at the kill. Maddened with blood lust, Rocco charged at Hector.
More lions swarmed up from the sides to protect their Alpha. Rocco didn’t care how many lions there were. He was going to cut them all down to reach Hector.
He batted some of them away with his massive paws, sending them over the edge of the steep hill. There were screams as some shifted back to human form in mid-air. But nobody could save them as they plummeted towards the jagged rocks below.
Hector continued hiding behind his guards, letting the members of his pride sacrifice themselves for him.
That coward was certainly no Alpha. Rocco was more determined than ever to rid the Kingston Pride of this useless, manipulative, evil lion. The pride was better off without him, but these lions had sworn allegiance to their new Alpha and they would defend him to their last breath.
None of them protected Caden, his bear growled. They were all willing to stand by and let Hector murder the kid. There are no innocents here!
As Rocco battled the lions, he saw Hector sneaking off to the side.
He saw where Hector was headed. He was going for Emma and Caden!
Instead of fighting like a man, he was targeting a woman and a child.
Rocco tried to reach Emma but he was blocked on all sides. The lions surrounded him and attacked mercilessly. He roared to Axel and Tyrell, but the two brothers had their hands full as well.
Emma’s scream rang out.
Rocco turned and saw Hector circling Emma and Caden. Emma was waving a broken branch in front of her like a sword, trying to keep the savage lion away.
“Caden, get away!” Emma was shouting desperately.
The lion cub snarled and faced Hector unflinchingly. Caden held his head high to make himself look taller and bigger as he faced his enemy. His green eyes blazed with rage as he opened his jaws to display his small, sharp teeth.
Even as Emma yelled and tried to stab the huge lion with the branch, Hector kept his eyes locked on Caden.
Emma was no threat to him. Caden was his target.
He was going to kill the last surviving descendant of his old Alpha to cement his position.
Without warning, Hector leaped, his jaws widening to clamp down on the lion cub.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“No! Caden!” Emma shrieked in terror. She swung the broken branch wildly, and the branch hit Hector in the face but did nothing to slow the savage beast down.
Hector didn’t stop. He barreled towards Caden, and Emma smashed the branch into Hector’s side forcefully. It knocked Hector off course, giving Caden just enough time to scramble out of the way.
Hector snarled and whirled round, snapping his jaws at Caden’s scrabbling paws.
The little cub fought back bravely. Caden twisted round and bit hard into Hector’s leg. He held on tight, refusing to let go even when Hector slammed him into a tree.
Blood trickled down Caden’s face but the cub clung on determinedly. He continued biting into Hector’s leg, hoping to inflict as much damage as possible. Emma grabbed a rock and hurled it at Hector, screaming all kinds of expletives at him.
Hector slashed at Caden but the agile lion cub managed to twist out of reach. Caden dropped to the ground and crouched low, watching for the right opening. He was injured and blood stained his soft tawny fur but Caden didn’t focus on his
pain. His sole aim was to bring his uncle down.
With a snarl, Caden leaped onto Hector’s back and bit into his fur. He tried to bite into the huge lion’s neck, but his teeth were too small.
Hector managed to shake Caden off. He pounced on the cub, and Emma heard Caden’s yelp of pain as lethal claws gouged deep into his flesh.
Before Emma could reach the cub, Hector clamped his teeth around Caden’s twitching body.
Emma’s horrified scream was drowned out by a deafening, earth-shaking roar. She looked up and saw Rocco charging straight at Hector, his deadly fangs gleaming like daggers.
Taken by surprise, Hector moved a second too late. Rocco slashed his claws across Hector’s face and kept slicing into the lion’s body relentlessly.
Caden fell from Hector’s jaws and Emma rushed over to the limp, bloodied body. She cradled the cub to her chest, sobbing and calling his name over and over again.
Rocco slammed the lion to the ground and tore furiously into Hector with his teeth and claws. As the wounded lion writhed, Rocco plunged his fangs into Hector’s jugular and bit down hard.
Blood spurted out and stained Rocco’s golden fur. With a roar of anger and anguish, Rocco ripped out Hector’s throat.
A dark pool of blood spread out in a circle around the mangled carcass.
Rocco let out a mighty roar as he shifted back to human form. The other lions stopped fighting once they saw that their Alpha was dead.
With no Alpha to lead and command them, the Kingston lions backed away in confusion and chaos. What was left of the Kingston Pride began their swift retreat. The lions swept down the hill and dispersed into the surrounding woods.
Rocco ran to Emma and placed his hand over Caden’s bleeding body. “He’s alive,” Rocco said grimly. “We have to rush him to the hospital.”
Emma nodded and staggered up. Axel and Tyrell were back in human form, and they were covered with wounds and bruises but they paid no attention to their injuries. Instead, they ushered Emma and Caden to Rocco’s car, and kept speaking soothingly to the unconscious cub.
As Rocco sped them back to Shadow Point, Tyrell kept up a stream of encouraging words as he sat with Emma in the back seat. “I know you can hear me, Caden,” Tyrell said. “Hang in there, little buddy. You did great! We won. We won, you hear that?”
Emma fought back tears as she stroked Caden’s soft, bloodstained fur. His broken, battered body felt so small and light in her arms.
“You’re the bravest boy I know, Caden. You’re my hero, and you’ll win this fight too,” Emma whispered.
Tyrell touched Caden’s tiny paw and murmured, “Don’t give up now, Caden. We’re all rooting for you. You’re not alone. We’re all here, and we’ll fight with you. Please don’t give up.” The big guy swallowed and whispered, “Not now.”
EPILOGUE
Emma was putting the flowers in a vase when the hospital room door opened again.
“Hello, Caden! Hello Emma!” Gramma and Ne-ma called out. The two little grandmothers bobbed in with cheery balloons and cute stuffed toys in their arms.
“Hi, Gramma and Ne-ma,” Caden greeted from the bed. He was sitting up and eating some porridge. He grinned at them as they came and fussed over him.
“You’re looking good,” Gramma said, beaming.
“Yes. The doctors said that he can go home tomorrow,” Emma said.
Caden had been unconscious for two weeks, and after he woke up, the doctors kept him in the hospital for another month to make sure that he recovered properly.
“That’s wonderful,” Ne-ma exclaimed.
Emma smiled and ruffled Caden’s hair lovingly. “He’s good as new now. My boy is strong, the strongest lion ever!” she declared proudly.
Emma and Rocco had adopted Caden just a week ago. They had talked to Caden and asked him if he wanted to be a part of their family. The little boy had flung his arms around them and shouted his answer over and over again. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!”
Rocco managed to get all the paperwork done in a hurry. Emma didn’t know how he did it, but apparently Rocco had made a few calls to some very important people he knew and everything was approved really quickly.
Rocco was so humble and easy-going, Emma tended to forget just how wealthy and well-connected he was. His art was sought after by influential politicians and billionaires.
But Rocco never let his success get to his head. To Emma, he was her wonderful, loving, forever mate.
He took good care of her and Caden, and Emma felt a sense of security and safety she had never felt before. She wasn’t alone now. She had her mate, her cub...and her town. Emma saw for herself just how caring and amazing the residents of Shadow Point were.
Emma had been surprised at the number of people who came to visit Caden. The townspeople embraced Emma and Caden as their own, and Caden’s hospital room was filled with balloons, toys and presents.
Gramma, Ne-ma, their grandsons and families had all come to visit. Many of the townsfolk who had heard what happened to Caden also dropped in with home-cooked meals, presents and well wishes.
The townsfolk didn’t care if someone was a paranormal, human or hybrid. They were all neighbors, and they showed warmth and compassion towards one another.
Emma and Caden had made so many new friends. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging, and she was deeply touched by their kindness and generosity. Shadow Point really felt like home to her now.
The door opened and Rocco stepped into the room. “Dad!” Caden called happily.
Rocco grinned and kissed Caden on the top of his head. Caden had bonded strongly with both Rocco and Emma, and Emma realized that the parent-cub bond was just as strong as the mate bond. Rocco had initially told Caden that he could just call him by his name, if that was what he was comfortable with. Rocco was sensitive to the fact that Caden had lost his birth family not too long ago. Calling someone else “Dad” was a big step and Rocco didn’t want to rush anything.
It was Caden who started calling them Dad and Mom. Emma knew that Caden would always cherish and honor the memory of his Daddy, Mommy and siblings. But he also had a new family now. They were his Dad and Mom now.
Emma loved Rocco and Caden with all her heart, and she knew that this was her true family.
Rocco came to kiss Emma, and chatted with Gramma and Ne-ma. When Gramma and Ne-ma went to help Emma arrange the flowers, Rocco tiptoed over to Caden and the two of them started whispering furiously.
Giggling, Caden clapped and said, “Mom!”
Emma turned around. “Yes, honey?”
“Dad’s got a surprise for you.”
“Oh?” Emma raised a brow.
Rocco straightened up and smiled. “I just signed the contract for the house. I’ve bought over the house, so it’s ours now. I was just telling Caden that we can renovate and redo his room, and he can decorate it any way he likes! We can redo the garden too...”
“Oh, if you’re looking for some good landscapers, try Fireblood Landscapers,” Gramma piped up.
“Here’s their card,” Ne-ma said, fishing out a card from her purse. “Give them a call.”
Rocco took the card and thanked them. “The Fireblood brothers are dragon shifters, right?” he mused.
“Yes. Sky Fireblood and his two brothers are dragons,” Ne-ma answered.
“Real dragons?” Caden asked, his eyes wide.
“Yes! They’re real, fire-breathing dragons,” Gramma replied, laughing.
“Can they fly?” Caden went on excitedly.
“Of course! The kids in town love going on dragon rides,” Gramma said with a chuckle. “Sky and his brothers have never said no to a child.”
“Can I ride a dragon, Mom?” Caden asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know...” Emma began.
Rocco grinned and tapped the card. “I’ll contact Sky Fireblood. I’ve heard of them and I’ve seen their work. The gardens that they’ve landscaped look awesome.”
“I can’t believe
I’m going to meet some real dragons,” Caden cheered. “This is so amazing!”
Emma laughed with Caden. Her son’s excitement and happiness was infectious, and she felt a pure, childlike joy bubbling up in her.
There was so much love around her, and Emma saw just how lucky she was to be a part of this beautiful family and community.
Life was indeed an adventure.
And her adventure had only just begun.
* * * * *
End
Also by Natalie Kristen:
BEAST BEARS
Billionaire Boss Bear
Billionaire Chef Bear
Billionaire Beast Bear
HEARTS ON FIRE
The Werewolf's Baby
The Dragon Tycoon's Bride
The Dragon’s Match
The Wolf’s Mate
STORM DRAGONS (Scifi Alien Weredragon Romance)
VORIK
WOLVES HOLLOW
Alpha Next Door (Book 1)
Beta's Baby (Book 2)
Savage Wolf (Book 3)
DRAGONS IN SHADOW POINT
Skyfire Dragon
Stormfire Dragon
Seafire Dragon
BRIDES fur BEARS
Bad Bear (Book 1)
Brave Bear (Book 2)
Brash Bear (Book 3)
Big Bear (Book 4)
Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)
Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)
Guardian Bear (Book 7)
GRAY BEARS series
Marrying The Bear (Book 1)
Loving The Bear (Book 2)
Mating The Bear(Book3)
Tempting The Bear (Book 4)
Taming The Lion (Book 5)
Embracing The Lion (Book 6)
GRIMM BEARS (Fairytale Shifters)
Red and the Bear (Book 1)
Bearly Mated Page 6