by Leilani Love
This time, when she spoke, her voice was clear, and a light shone from under her fingers just before his son went limp.
Liam carefully released his hold and pulled back just slightly. Both the bear and man let out a small whimper as Liam bumped his head against his son. It was only the slow rise and fall of his chest that kept Liam from going into a full panic.
"What did you do to him?" Talon asked, stepping toward Emily, his hands fisted at his sides.
A low, menacing growl escaped Liam as he placed himself between Emily and Talon.
"She kept us from having to hurt him," Dominic said, coming up from behind.
Liam turned to see Dominic standing there naked, having lost his clothes in the shift. When Emily turned, she blushed and averted her eyes. Dominic smirked as he put his hands on his hips. "You better shift back, Dad. It’s going to take all three of us to pick him up and get him in the truck."
Liam huffed before shifting into his human form. He gave her a quick once over before gently touching the side of her cheek. "How long do you think he’ll sleep?"
She shrugged. "Should be a few hours. He probably won’t wake until after the sun rises."
"Do you think he’ll shift before he wakes up? What is this foam around his mouth?" Dominic stroked his brother’s neck.
Emily didn’t answer right away. Instead, she put her hand on Hunter and watched his chest rise and fall before finally meeting Liam’s eyes. "He should shift before he wakes up. You’ll need to be careful. I believe the foam is a symptom of the spell. We don’t have much time to help him."
"Help me get him in the truck," Liam said loudly. When her soft hand slid into his, he looked down into her eyes. "Thank you for helping us take him back."
Emily opened her mouth to say something, and he watched as her face went blank. She got a distant look on her face, as if her eyes were trying to focus on something behind him. Every muscle in her body tensed just before her legs crumpled out from under her. In one quick motion, he managed to catch her.
Her eyes fluttered open, and he brought his hand to her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"I know where we can take Hunter, but we need to hurry. She’s coming back, and she won’t be alone."
Liam adjusted Emily in his arms. He walked around to the front of the truck, grabbed a pair of pants, and tossed them at Dominic to put on. Opening the passenger door, he gently sat her on the seat. "Stay here while we get Hunter loaded into the back. We can talk about it once everyone is safe in the truck."
Emily nodded, glancing down at his body. Despite the situation, there was no mistaking that Liam still responded to being near her and holding her in his arms. When a lovely shade of pink brushed over her cheeks and she looked away, Liam found himself chuckling despite the gravity of the situation. He kissed her cheek then grabbed another pair of pants and slipped them on.
"Let’s get him in the back first, then we can use the rope. Talon, you sit with him. The second he shifts, you tighten those binds. I don't know if he’ll try to attack Emily or just want to get back to that bitch. Either way, we need to be prepared."
Liam slid his hands under Hunter’s head while his sons grabbed him on either side of his hind legs. Once everyone had their hands in place, Liam counted, "One, two, three…" With a big exhale, Liam let out a groan as the three of them barely managed to lift Hunter.
There was no mistaking the strain on both his sons’ faces, along with determination. Dominic’s brow furrowed, his lips set in a thin line, the muscles in his arms bulging as they started to take the few steps to the truck bed. Talon bit his lip as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his neck.
Lifting up Hunter’s head, Liam carefully placed him into the truck up to his neck. Maneuvering so he didn’t quite let go of him, he managed to get into the truck and pull on him as the other two pushed. Dominic had come up with an idea to put restraints in the truck. Liam hated doing it, but they couldn't risk Hunter coming to and running back to the witch. As it was, his son’s coat felt rough under his hands, gritty and faded. The foam around his mouth seemed to be doubling, and each breath coming from him sounded like a struggle as it rattled in his lungs.
Dominic and Talon jumped up and fastened the straps just above the bear’s ankles while Liam fastened the ones at his wrists. Throwing a thick sleeping bag over him, Liam handed the second one to Talon. "Stay warm and alert back here. Keep your eyes out for anything out of the ordinary."
Talon nodded, taking his seat closest to the cab on the right side of the window so he could hear when they opened it. The back of the truck had extra clothes and shoes for when they shifted and just needed to have access to clothes. Grabbing a flannel and a pair of boots, Liam finished getting dressed before climbing into the driver’s seat while Dominic got in behind Emily and opened the window so his brother could hear them.
"Do you think we can save him?" Dominic asked, his voice rough and harsh. They were all struggling to hold it together.
After a long pause, Emily whispered, “I do.” She glanced over her shoulder down the alley. "Aura will chase us, but I believe if we can get him to Colorado, he can be saved with the help of the healing witch there."
"You want us to take him to Colorado to see a witch?" Dominic’s voice raised with each word.
Before she could answer, Talon popped his head through the window. "Isn't that where your children are?"
Emily regarded them both. Liam had turned toward her, also waiting for an answer. "Yes, my children live in Colorado. My son has mated with a dragon and they are protecting the descendants of the original Earth Witch. I promise, if we can get Hunter there, they will be able to save him. She is the only one strong enough to do it."
Liam searched her face. "I trust her." He glanced back at his sons. "I understand why you guys don’t want to deal with any more witches, but we can't take him to any doctor for this."
"But dragons? Witches? Our kinds have never gotten along," Talon pointed out, referring to how bears had always stayed by themselves.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, let’s just get out of here. We’ll buy what we need on the way." With that, Liam turned back around in his seat and started the truck.
As they started out of the alley, Liam was surprised to find the road clear. Before he could pull out, Emily put her hand on his arm. "Turn right."
He wanted to ask her why, but something in her tone told him to just listen to her.The truck rattled as he made the turn. His eyes kept darting to his rear-view mirror, checking to see if anyone or anything was behind them and also to make sure both his sons were okay in the back.
Before he could question her about why she wanted him to go to the right, the road behind him became almost blinding as the lights reflected off the rearview mirror just before each of the streetlight bulbs shattered, one at a time.
Pounding on the back-window, Talon yelled, "Step on the gas!"
Liam slammed his foot down, and everyone fell back in their seats. His eyes darted to the rear-view mirror when what sounded like an explosion pierced his ears. A bolt of lightning shot down from the cloudless sky, striking the ground so close to the truck that pieces of concrete made a pinging noise as they hit the vehicle.
"Fuck! Step on it, Dad! I'm getting hit by the road back here," Talon yelled.
"Make sure you both are covered," Liam yelled back as he turned down a side street.
The gas pedal pressed to the floor, Liam sent up a silent prayer to keep his family safe. He wasn't sure what to expect next. He just knew he had to get them as far away as possible.
A soft touch on his arm drew his attention, and he turned to look at Emily. "Stay off the main roads. We’ll need to take back roads only."
"Highways would be faster," Dominic pointed out, leaning forward in his seat.
"Yes. But with more cars and people, Aura will be able to inflict more damage and hurt innocent people," Emily replied.
Liam nodded. "True. It will take us a little
longer. Do you think we’ll buy some time by not taking the obvious route?"
She glanced into the back of the truck. "No. Her magic forces a bond with your son. She will always know where he is. But if we can get him to the Earth Witch, the dragons and wolves protecting her will help keep him safe."
When she gently squeezed his arm, Liam glanced in her direction and smiled. "You should get some sleep. You too, Dominic. You and your brother will have to take turns watching Hunter until he wakes up."
"What are we going to do when he wakes up? It’s going to be a long drive. We can't exactly keep him under a sleeping bag and hope no one sees him." Dominic’s tone was angry, but if he had to guess, Liam would say he was both worried for and frustrated about his brother.
"We’ll think of something."
It wasn’t long before Emily and Dominic were both quiet and still. Emily raised a hand up to her mouth as she closed her eyes and let out a load yawn. Liam wasn't sure how she was able to get Hunter to sleep or knew which way to turn, but there was no mistaking how tired she got afterward.
He wrapped his arm around her and nudged her to move closer to him. She slid over, and he encouraged her to lay her head on him. "Get some rest."
Another yawn escaped her, and she nodded. "We should be good for a bit."
It wasn’t long before her breathing evened out and the soft sound of her snores filled the cab.
"You should get some sleep, too," Liam said, glimpsing his son in the rear-view mirror.
Dominic turned and checked on his two brothers out the back window. "I’ll sleep once Hunter is safe. What do we do if we get there and this Earth Witch can't or won't help him?"
"Let's worry about the current witch problem first. If Emily is right, this might only be a small break before she or her witch friends are on us. We’ll deal with one problem at a time."
Chapter 14
Liam drove for a few hours and was happy to see Dominic had fallen asleep. Liam’s eyes kept darting around, watching behind him to see if there was any sign of trouble coming. The large hump of the sleeping bag told him Hunter still had not shifted into his human form.
Emily whimpered slightly in her sleep before curling closer against him, her head sliding down his chest. She looked uncomfortable. Liam used his free hand to move her so her head was on his leg. When one small hand came up to rest under her cheek high on his thigh, Liam bit back a moan. This was not the place nor the time to be thinking about how much he wanted to claim her.
The first rays of light started to peek over the horizon. Starting to feel tired, Liam gave his head a hard shake. The boys had switched places a few hours ago, giving Talon a chance to come in and sleep. The next place they came to, Liam would need to stop for gas and get some coffee. As he wondered about how much farther that would be and what they would do if Hunter decided to shift or wake up during the break, he could feel someone watching him.
Looking down, his eyes met Emily’s. There was a sleepy smile on her face, and her eyes were barely more than slits.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said, giving her what was meant to be a charming smile as he slid his finger along her cheek.
Emily rubbed her cheek against the palm of his hand and then yawned. Pushing herself up, she stretched before rubbing her face. "I didn’t mean to sleep so long."
"It's okay. Things have been pretty quiet since we got out of town."
"Do you have any money on you?" Emily asked as she studied the road ahead of them.
"I have a few hundred dollars, and I can get more at the ATM if needed. Why?"
"Take this next exit and stay on the feeder road," Emily replied, not really answering his question.
“Yes, ma’am,” Liam mumbled as he put on his blinker.
They stayed on the feeder for several miles until Emily finally spoke up. "Up there to the right is a small farm road. Take it and drive slowly. The people around here are very wary of strangers."
Liam wasn’t sure if you could call what he’d turned down a road. There were grooves from the vehicles that had come down this way before him, and the grass and weeds were so long, he could hear the ticking on the underside of his truck. His tire hit a pothole so hard and deep, Emily almost bounced out of the seat next to him. He found himself looking behind him to make sure nothing had fallen off the truck.
The window in the back of the truck opened. "Where the hell are we going? I thought she said Colorado, not Deliverance country."
Liam looked over to see an old trailer down the first driveway. If he had to guess, he’d say someone had driven it until the wheels fell off and that was where it had stayed since. Grass and weeds grew so high around it, they almost reached the windows. He thought it had been abandoned until one of the blinds got pulled down, proving Emily right. They were being watched.
"Where are we going?" Liam asked, wondering if she had a plan or if this was the place they would die.
"At the end of the road, stop the truck. They’re selling a horse trailer we can hook to the back of your truck. No matter what they say, just offer the cash you have in your wallet. They will take it," Emily said as she kept her gaze out the window.
"Wouldn't it be easier if we drive the truck down to the trailer?"
Emily turned toward him and shook her head. "No. Stay at the end of the driveway. Talon and I will stay in the truck. You two will be able to bring it to the truck just fine."
It wasn't long before they reached what he thought was the end of the road. Whoever lived here could have either been on the show where people rummaged through someone’s trash to find hidden treasures or an entire episode of those people who couldn't throw anything away. There was an old truck that looked like it was part of an overgrown bush. The hood was open, and where there should have been an engine, a toilet was growing weed.
Hopping out of the back, Dominic walked around to the driver’s side and tapped on the door. "Are you sure they have a horse trailer for sale here that hasn’t been taken over by weeds—or weed?"
"Let’s hope so. It will be the easiest way to travel with your brother, and I doubt anyone out here will bother with paperwork," Liam said as he undid his seat belt and got out of the truck to join Dominic.
He gave Emily one last look. When she nodded and smiled, he sighed. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
Neither of them spoke as they walked up the driveway. The collection of items got worst, but sure enough, behind what looked to be a van that should have had “free candy” spray-painted on the side, was a horse trailer. Despite being a little dented, it actually looked to be in decent enough shape to make it where they needed to go.
Before they even got up to the porch, the screen door flung open and an older gentleman walked out, his skin wrinkly and thick, like leather that had been tanned too long. When he took a step onto the porch and released the door, it slammed closed, causing the first layer of dirt to fly off and a cloud of smoke to billow behind him.
"What do ya want?" he asked, hands on his hips as dark, beady eyes took them both in.
“I was hoping to buy your horse trailer over there, sir," Liam said, stopping several feet from the porch steps.
"What makes you think I would be selling that?" His eyes darted to Liam’s truck at the end of the driveway. "How come your friends there didn't come up with you?"
"My wife and son are sleeping. I didn’t want to wake them," Liam said.
Dominic whispered under his breath, "Because they saw this movie and knew better."
"What? What was that?" He pointed to Dominic, and Liam shot his son a dirty look.
Dominic almost choked on his laughter, turning it into a small coughing fit before patting his chest. "I called them lucky, sir. I was sleeping soundly before my father decided to wake me up."
The old man nodded, his eyes glued to the truck as he picked up his hat and scratched the top of his head. "I'll sell you the trailer for five hundred dollars."
Liam's eyes widened. He didn’t carry t
hat kind of cash around. Emily told him to offer the man what he had in his wallet. "I will take it as-is for two hundred and fifty."
The old man chuckled. "Three hundred."
"Two fifty," Liam said, keeping his voice firm.
The man looked like he wanted to argue before smacking his gums. "Fine. But I only take cash—no checks. And I ain't helping you move it."
Liam took a step forward as he pulled out his wallet. Wanting nothing more than to get away from this place, he quickly grabbed the cash and counted it in front of him. The longer he stood in front of the man, the more uncomfortable he got. Even the bear inside him was starting to get restless. The way Dominic kept shifting from foot to foot, Liam knew he wasn’t the only one.
Once the transaction was done, Liam turned without a word, and he and Dominic went to the trailer. The ground looked to have started the process of swallowing it whole. A glance back at the porch showed the old man giving them a very toothy grin. The screen door behind him opened, and a younger man came out. He looked to be in his early thirties. The two of them began talking, and Liam looked at Dominic. "Help me pick it up."
Dominic nodded and got on the other side. "One, two, three." They both grunted as they tried to lift up the trailer. Weeds snapped as they managed to break the hold the ground had on it. They repositioned it on the driveway so they could grab the hitch and roll it on its wheels.
Hearing some arguing behind them, Liam turned to see the old man smack the younger one. "Hurry up. I want to get out of here."
Dominic grabbed the hitch and nodded, looking over his shoulder, too. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's just hitch it now and get off this road."
Liam took the left side and Dominic took the right. The two of them held on and pulled the trailer up the driveway to the truck. With Talon’s help, the three quickly attached the trailer to the truck hitch.
Dominic jumped in the back while Liam got in the driver’s seat and Talon got back in his seat. Emily smiled. "I hope he didn't try too hard at negotiating."