“Shifters don’t die by guns,” I say. “Lindon told me that much at least.”
“Did he now? Did he also tell you there are people doing studies on new poisons that prevent or slow shifter healing so that guns can kill them? Humans even can kill them.” He looks at the gun with some self satisfaction. “Not bad. So don’t make me shoot you. I assure you it would feel like agony, even if I hit you somewhere non-vital so you survived it.”
Lock’s eyes meet mine. We’ve always been able to sort of communicate with a look, and even though he’s betrayed me and I don’t approve of him, I hope I’m getting what he’s saying right at this moment.
He looks from me to the gun, and I nod.
“I’ll come with you,” I say. “Put the gun away.”
Jack laughs and looks from me to Lock. “As if. You come and you won’t get shot with it, take it or leave it.”
I sigh and walk forward, and he grabs me roughly with one arm and holds the gun on me with the other. I look at Lock briefly, wondering what can be done now. Jack pulls me past him, toward the car, while Lock stays motionless. From the sounds in the distance, the men are still far from catching us. I don’t hear the roar of any sports cars.
Lindon, are you coming?
I’m not sure how much more I can hold on. I don’t want to leave him, not now.
I clutch Jack’s arm and purposely freeze, pretending to be shaking in fear.
He jerks me to go and I don’t make it easy. “Come on, bitch.”
“I c-c-can’t,” I stutter, trying to act frozen. “Not with that gun to my head.”
He sighs, probably feeling more confident now that we are close to the car and he has a good chance of getting away. He lowers the gun just slightly, and I walk a little forward. We’re three feet from the car, and he lowers it all the way.
I glance at it and then kick out with my leg, knocking it out of his grasp.
I send a quick glance at Lock as he jumps forward, lunging onto Jack in his wolf form as Jack swears and quickly transforms. I want to go for the gun, but the two wolves are wrestling on top of it. Time to run for help. I vault over the side of the sports car and slide over the back of it, hoping I’m leaving a scratch or something behind. Then I run down the gravel toward the main road, hoping that if I go down the side of it, I have at least a chance of catching some attention.
What am I thinking? Wolves have amazing hearing. I let out an ear-piercing scream, hoping Lock is still keeping Jack busy so he can’t follow me.
I hear an answering howl and I know deep in my gut who that is.
Lindon, he’s out, and he’s looking for me.
But in his wolf form, whereas Lock and I drove for miles on his bike. And here in the dark, when I’ve just freshly showered, will he even be able to scent me? I just have to trust that he’s a powerful alpha with extra strong senses. I’m too afraid to hope that I mean something more to him that would increase my scent as well.
I can still hear growls and grunts and scuffling as the two wolves fight behind me, but I can’t stop to figure out who wins. After all, either way it might not be good for me. Lock seemed to be helping me get away, but what if it was only so he could get back to me and mate me for himself so he could take my money?
Even if I was to run into one of the other wolves here in the dark, would I trust them? Would I be able to? My heart races because I don’t know.
I know it’s not fair, because I trust Lindon even though he has hurt me and lied to me. But at the same time, everyone in your life is going to lie to you. You just have to decide which kind of lies you can stand. And everyone in your life is going to screw up on you. You just have to decide who you are willing to let do it. Life is all about taking pain, and all we get to choose is who deals it.
I choose Lindon.
I’m going to keep my head calm so I can keep trying to get myself out of the situation alive and not get kidnapped. So I can get back to Lindon and fight and argue with him some more. And kiss him. And thank him for coming to the realization that he’s just hiding from love, not banned from it.
I’m starting to limp, even though it’s the last thing I want, and the mansion stills feels so far away in the distance. My body is wearing down, the adrenaline that has fueled me so far is now causing my muscles to twitch and shake in exhaustion. But I press on, limping and running alternatively down the road, praying for a car to come my way.
Up in the hills above me a gunshot rings out, echoing against the mountain. I freeze, every nerve in my body alight with anticipation, and I hear a low growl and a whimper and then footsteps. Even though I’ve run, whoever just won can come after me now.
I hope it’s Lock. Even if he may have it in for me, at least he probably wouldn’t use a gun.
I want to scream again, but just in case they can’t scent me, I don’t want to alert them to my location.
I look around me and see a large rock to the side of the road, so I cut through the thick grass to sit behind it. I can’t run anymore and at least I’m out of the way of the streetlights. There are trees around me and I move to one of them when I’m sure no one is watching. And then to another, further back. It should be difficult to see me now.
I watch the road, heart pounding like it’s going to beat out of my chest. A dark figure appears, running with a slight limp, way off in the distance, at the juncture where the side road we were on meets the main road.
My heart pounds. He’s coming, but I can’t run anymore. I’ve outsmarted attackers twice, in my opinion proving to Lindon that females aren’t as fragile as he thinks.
Maybe that illness back then just had something to do with only a few of them who happened to females. But I feel bad that he made a generality out of it and let himself stay away from happiness for so long.
Then again, I’m not sad because that’s what left him available to meet me. And if I get to see him again, I’m going to let him get through that. I’m going to be patient.
But the figure is running down the road, and getting closer every minute. I can now make out that it’s Jack. Shit.
My eyes pierce the darkness below, looking for anyone who is getting closer. I swear I hallucinate a tiny glimpse of silvery gold in the distance, but I’m sure it’s just my imagination, the same way a thirsty man in the desert might imagine some water just a few feet away.
My heart sinks as I feel eyes on me. I don’t know how, but Jack has seen me. I can feel it as he jogs down the hill, even as he doesn’t veer off in my direction yet. He probably wants me to think he hasn’t seen me, right up until he gets close.
I have two choices. Run for it now, or stay here and try to think my way out of this again.
I’m glad I have such a calm, strong mind. The only mistake I made tonight was leaving the house in a heartbroken state, not thinking clearly. From there on out, I’ve been a champ. I mentally pat myself on the back and beg my brain to come up with more magic.
But, by the time Jack reaches the place where I left the road to come into the woods, and he flashes an evil grin as he crosses toward me, I don’t have anything.
Maybe I’m all out of magic for tonight.
And he has the gun.
He walks toward me and I step out of the trees, hands up.
“I give, I give. Where’s Lock?” I ask.
“Ha,” he says, grinning and shaking his head. “Let’s just say we don’t have to worry about him anymore. Or his worthless brother.”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t know?” He smiles. “Twins have a special connection in the shifter world. They say when one dies, the other does too.”
My heart thumps. How awful. My chest squeezes painfully at the thought of anything happening to Thor, and if I’m honest, at anything happening to Lock, too. He was awful, but he didn’t deserve that.
I hear a loud, anguished howl in the distance. A deep one. That must be Thor, and tears threaten to prick my eyes and I push them back.
“
Anyway,” he says, “I think I’m just going to have to shoot you this time. If you’re writing in agony, you’re less likely to give me trouble with that quick mind of yours.”
“Just tell me this,” I say. “What are you going to do to me when you kidnap me?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “There are so many options. But first, I need some of your blood to leave here with the poison. To hopefully make people think you’re dead.”
“I already told you it wouldn’t work.”
“Well, it’ll still probably be worth it for the broken-hearted look on that pathetic wolf’s face when he realizes you’re dead.” Jack grins and takes a step forward, holding the gun on me.
“Don’t do this,” I say, knowing that this typical begging isn’t going to get me anywhere. But Jack’s eyes hold no hesitation. He looks me over and trains the gun on different areas, squinting one eye as if to calculate the damage each spot would do. It’s a macabre display, and the blood drains from my extremities as I watch him do it.
Then he decides on a location, and I steel my body for the impact. I watch his finger, wondering if I can jump before he pulls it.
I can hear light footsteps in the distance, a familiar smell coming toward me on the light air, and my heart leaps and then plummets. Leaps because Lindon is coming, almost here, a silvery gold bullet running faster than should be possible. Plummets because he’s in danger, and his gaze is planted on the gun in Jack’s hand. And on me.
It doesn’t take me long to figure out what Lindon is planning, and I suddenly don’t want it. He doesn’t realize the gun has poison in it. He might be willing to take a shot for me, thinking it would just hurt. But not if he knew it would kill.
“Lindon, no!” I scream at him, knowing it’ll probably doom me but wanting him to stay back.
Jack shakes his head and levels the gun at me, but Lindon, instead of stopping, gallops once and takes a leap that should be impossible, clearing the air between us and ending up in front of me just as the gun goes off with a loud bang. I feel his body reel against me and fall to the ground with him on top of me.
I stare up at Jack in mute horror for a split second before a large, chestnut colored wolf howls and lets out a horrifying growl before jumping on top of him. Other wolves follow, jumping in succession into the fray. A white wolf that must be Fifi. Two silver wolves that must be the brothers. A couple I don’t recognize.
Still in shock, nearly deaf from the gunshot, I stroke a hand through Lindon’s hair. I can feel something wet seeping across me and look down to see blood spreading out over his abdomen. His breathing is labored, and I watch as he begins to transform back to his human form.
Hawes comes over as the others take care of Jack. He throws on clothing someone must have brought and is carrying a blanket that he tosses over Lindon.
“I’m sorry,” I say, rocking Lindon to me as Hawes looks down. “He didn’t know about the bullets. They’re different, they can kill shifters.”
Hawes lets out a deep, weary sigh and falls to his knees beside me, head in his hands. Then he gives me a haunted look and leans forward to check Lindon’s wound.
He presses down with the blanket, applying pressure. “He knew about the rounds, Misty. He knew because we found Jack’s bag after you left. When we were trying to figure out where you went. You were gone and so were Jack and Lock. Didn’t take long to find out. I’ve never seen him like that. Like his whole life was in the balance.”
He reaches out, touches the hair at the front of Lindon’s head.
Lindon’s face is beautiful as usual, but pale, wincing in pain.
“What do we do?” I ask, holding him tight like that can help. “How do we stop it?”
Hawes shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know if there is anything we can do. It looks like they got him right in the chest. If they had just gotten you lower or somewhere less vital…but well.”
I hug Lindon close. “Don’t you think I know that? Of course I know that. I tried to stop him.”
“You can’t stop someone from protecting their mate,” Hawes says in a low voice. “Or whomever they think is their mate.”
“Stupid man,” I say, running my hand through his hair as if it can soothe him. His body twitches beneath me, then writhes. He’s more conscious, and I can see the pain screaming in his eyes.
“Thanks…calling me stupid…after I…save your life…” he gasps out between breaths, to my and Hawes’ shock.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”
“A part of me…does…as well.” He reaches for my face and I lean in, but he drops his hand. “But thankfully my…body…knew better. It always does…with you.” He trails off and his eyes close and I miss seeing the gold there.
“You idiot,” I say gently, brushing his hair back again. “Hawes, tell me what to do? What can we do? I’m not going to just sit here and watch him die.”
But Hawes just looks at me with haunted eyes. He has no answer to give, and I let out an anguished howl as I hold my partner.
Chapter 6
Hawes reaches over, like he thinks taking Lindon from me would be relieving a burden, but I just hug him closer, and Hawes keeps pressure on the wound.
“I wish Lindon was conscious,” Hawes says. “He likes studying this kind of thing. The advances in shifter science.” His voice catches.
“Don’t you have shifter hospitals?” I ask, trying to keep my own voice from breaking.
He shakes his head. “We are damned hard to hurt, and human medicine doesn’t seem to work on the few things that take us out. A few weird viruses, but nothing more than that. We can tear each other apart, but that’s part of survival of the fittest.”
“Shouldn’t someone specialize in healing?” I choke out, hating this world entirely for the first time ever. Desperate to change its very elemental mechanics.
“We’re wolves, Misty. For better or worse, when death happens it happens. We aren’t humans.” His expression is sad, resolute, but I know under there somewhere I can see the same fire burning in his eyes.
Lindon is still warm in my arms. This can’t be over. “Where is the freaking balance in this world?” I cry out, clutching Lindon. “Why the freak can’t someone do something?”
I can still feel his chest rising and falling. At least he isn’t screaming in agony like Jack seemed to imply he would. But maybe he’s just brave. Or maybe he’s too mortally wounded. I’m afraid to even look at the bloody area Hawes is covering with his hands.
“Will he just bleed out?” I ask, voice hoarse. “Will it hurt? Can someone make it not hurt at least?” I say, looking at Lindon’s furrowed brow.
Hawes chokes up at that, and though he turns his face away, I can see his shoulders subtly shaking from grief.
I slump back, sad that I’ve disturbed him but looking to anyone else for help or comfort.
The others are turning back to human, changing into clothing and looking over with blank expressions that quickly change to horror as they watch me with Lindon.
Horror because they realize how much I love him, or horror because it looks like his life is over?
Thor stomps on Jack once more for extra measure. He might be dead now, I don’t care really. As long as someone helps Lindon.
“Where’s Lock?” Thor asks in a tight voice. “Has anyone seen Lock?”
Oh gosh.
I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to tell him his brother could be dying up in the mountains from a similar gunshot wound, and all because he got caught up with the wrong people and was trying to protect Thor afterwards.
But Thor sees my face and rushes toward me, eyes wide.
“Help me find him,” he says.
“I don’t know where he is,” I say quietly, looking away.
“You do. Help me find him.”
“He, he did something bad. I don’t want him around Lindon.”
“Misty,” Thor says. “He’s my brother. Trust me. Where i
s he?”
I swallow a sob and point up in the right direction. Thor transforms and runs off with a howl. I guess no matter how bad someone acts it doesn’t change that they’re your brother.
I’m a little offended though that Thor would be so worried about Lock at a time like this, rather than listening to me about Lock’s role in the situation, or trying to help Lindon. Not that anyone can help. I can see it in the sad faces around me. Fifi. Bradley. Matt even, in human form, like she never transformed.
I give them a hard glare and stay crouched around the man I feel is my mate. I’ll tell myself that even if he’s gone.
The thought occurs to me that this is how Lindon must have felt while holding Ava, and that horrible realization resonates through me, along with a bone weary horror that I may never be able to apologize to Lindon for not understanding how traumatizing that must have been.
But can anyone understand grief without experiencing it? We can try, surely, to empathize, but it’s not the same.
You can watch someone get hit by a truck, you can even hear them describe it, but it’s not the same as feeling all your bones crunch as tires squeal.
Another howl sounds, and we turn up to look in the direction that Thor ran for his brother. Not one, but two wolves are running toward us.
One is limping slightly, but okay. How did Lock survive? Was the poison not as strong as Jack thought?
As they approach, my heart swells near to bursting with hope. I can still feel Lindon’s life, though it’s ebbing, and maybe Lock can tell me something I desperately want to hear.
The last thing I want to hear is that he gets to survive while my Lindon dies.
Bradley tosses clothes to the twins and they disappear in the trees on the other side of the road for a few seconds and come out changed. I guess as a shifter you get used to quick changes.
Lock’s usually relaxed smile is a pained grimace as he walks over to us, and I snarl at him to stop him in place.
“Don’t come any closer. How are you okay? I heard a shot.”
He lifts the shirt to show blood around a mostly healed wound and gives me a bitter smile, shaking dark red hair out of his face. “This is why they had to threaten Thor. I have incredible healing ability for my alpha power.”
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set: A BBW and Wolf Shifter collection Page 63