Maverick ran forward, slammed his shoulder into Viktor, which had him being shoved back toward the open door, and dug his teeth into the fucker’s leg. He growled out and went for his gun, but Maverick clamped his jaw on his forearm, swung his head wildly, and tossed the other male into the hallway. Everything had happened so fast, that when he turned to Konstantine the other male stood there with a horrified look on his face as he watched what had just happened to his father. Maverick had the blood of two men already on him, and he was about to add a third. Konstantine had his knife raised, turned toward Kettah, and was about to go for her throat with a shaky hand. Seemed like the shifter had balls of steel when he had back-up, but now that he was all alone he was ready to shit his fucking pants. Maverick launched himself at Konstantine, and before the other male could even blink he had his teeth latched around his arm, tore the limb clean off, and dropped it to the ground, the knife still clutched in his hand. Konstantine screamed out in pain, but only seconds had passed, and Maverick was wasting time. He attacked, sank his canines into his throat until the sound of crunching bone drowned out his gurgled screaming, and growled low in satisfaction. The cat slumped onto the ground, his eyes not quite lifeless yet as he stared at Maverick. He couldn’t revel in the joy of watching his enemy die because Viktor chose that moment to pull his old and now battered body off the ground to attack. A piercing sensation sliced through Maverick’s front limb, and he roared out. He swung around, tackled the other male, and brought his claws down across his face. Viktor screamed out, tried to grab Maverick’s mane and get supremacy, but he wasn’t faster than the lion. Viktor didn’t dare shift, not unless he wanted to be a snack for the lion. After another attempt to throw him off, Maverick was done with this.
“You should have killed me a long time ago. Then your mate wouldn’t be about to bleed out in front of you,” said Viktor. His lion went crazy, and in a fast move he brought his claws across the front of Viktor’s chest, slashing open his jugular on the way down and feeling immense pleasure in the fact it was he who would bleed out. He continued to claw at Viktor until there was nothing left but the tattered remains of a body lying on his floor, and Maverick was sure the bastard was dead and wouldn’t be able to hurt Kettah again.
Kettah.
He was by her side in the next instant. Nudging her with his head, he whimpered. She mumbled something, and even though she was weak from her blood loss, she lifted her hand and ran it through his mane. Maverick shifted back into his human form, not caring that his arm had a bullet wound in it, or that he was naked, and scooped her up. There were three corpses on the ground, and only a small puddle of blood where the other male should be. If the fucker had left, then all the better. He headed out of the apartment, but before he left walked out the front door he grabbed two throws that were over the couch, one for her and the other for him. He hurriedly made his way through the broken glass that littered the hallway, through the broken door that they had burst through, down the stairs, and out to his truck. He heard Trace’s motorcycle before the headlight pierced the night. When he had gotten the call from his friend, which seemed long ago but in reality was just a short time, he had known Viktor’s men were in Sweet Water. They had been asking around about him at Dakota Dark’s. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later that one of the employees came to tell Trace about the males inquiring about Maverick. By then Viktor’s men had already found where he was.
Trace pulled his Harley to a stop and was striding forward just as Maverick pulled open the passenger side door of his truck.
“I came over right away, but they are having that damn festival and I had to take the back road.” Trace looked between him and Kettah, and he sensed the man’s bear right below the surface. “Who do I need to take care of?” Trace cracked his knuckles and started toward the garage.
“It’s done. There isn’t anyone alive in there.” Trace stopped and eyed the garage before looking back at Maverick. He had his cell out and was punching in Luke Landon’s number, the local physician and only male he trusted with this. “You know any guys that can get rid of the bodies?”
Trace nodded. “Yeah, man, just get her to the doctor.” Maverick was already in the truck before Trace finished talking.
Maverick couldn’t get to Luke’s fast enough, especially when his mate was bleeding out in his truck, and the threat of her dying right before him was a very real possibility.
****
Maverick lifted Kettah out of the cab of his truck and tucked her closely to his body. Blood marred his chest and arm, some from his own wounds, but the majority of it was from his mate. The deep gash on her thigh wasn’t bleeding as steadily as it had been, but he knew nothing about wounds like this. He knew about bullet holes to heads. His home was a bloody mess, but none of that mattered. The only thing he cared about was getting Kettah to Luke’s office and getting his mate healed. She was too weak from the blood loss to fully shift and help with the healing process, so Doctor Landon needed to tend to her wounds so she could shift enough to speed the process along. His heart was beating a mile a minute, because the danger that Kettah had been in, and the very real thought that he almost lost her, had fear moving inside of him like a vicious animal, waiting to tear him apart from the inside out.
It was dark, and the only lights on were the streetlamps, casting their muted yellow glow. Luke had been patching up his and Trace’s wounds after hours for years, and he was the only male they trusted when it came to tending to them. They could heal themselves, even withstand some pretty gruesome wounds, but there were times when it was just a bit too much to handle, and they needed medicine only Luke could deliver, and where confidentiality were pretty fucking important. There was just something inside of the cougar shifter that told Maverick he was genuine, without the taint of vileness and deceit that he picked up in people a lot. He hated bringing him into this, especially now that he was mated and had a family of his own, but Maverick was desperate for the first time in his life.
He moved swiftly and quietly to the back door of the building, and it opened right as he reached it. Luke stood on the other side, a soft glow surrounding him. He ushered Maverick inside, shut the door and locked it before facing him. Luke’s concerned gaze was on Kettah.
“Hurry, follow me.”
Maverick moved swiftly down the hall, following Luke into an exam room.
“Set her on the exam table and move out of my way.” There was determination and a hint of a growl in Luke’s voice, and although his lion wanted to growl in warning, Maverick shut the fuck up and did as he was told. This was new territory for him, and he needed to let the doctor do what he was best at. He watched in silence as Luke gathered what he needed and went back to Kettah’s side. Her face was so very pale, and the blood from her leg wound was a steady drip down the table and making a dark red pool on the ground. Maverick’s heart was in his throat, and he had no problems in admitting that he was scared shitless. The sound of denim tearing brought Maverick back to the present, and he drew his gaze away from the puddle of blood and watched as Luke tore away the red stained jeans, revealing the gaping cut on her leg. For fuck’s sake, he could see the damn bone.
“God, Luke. Is she going to be okay?” His voice was gravelly and thick, and when Luke shushed him, Maverick moved back until the wall greeted him. Luke quickly scrubbed his hands clean and put on gloves. He handed Maverick a gown, gloves and mask, and once they both were dressed like they were about to do some kind of damn surgery, Luke started cleaning the wound. Maverick stayed back, worry and fear gripping him hard. It seemed to take forever as he meticulously sewed her wound closed, but when that was done he wasn’t nearly finished. He inserted an IV into the crook of her arm, set her up with what Maverick recognized as antibiotics and a bag of O blood, and finally took a step back. Neither said anything for several long minutes, both males just watching her. The pasty looking completion that had taken over his mate twisted his gut painfully. “Luke.” He waited until the cougar shifter loo
ked at him. “She’ll be okay, right?” Every part of Maverick’s body was strung tight, and he felt as though his heart would burst right through his ribs.
Luke took off the gloves, mask, and finally the gown, and Maverick followed suit. “The next few hours will be very touch and go, but I think she will be okay.” They looked back at her. “I don’t want to move her, though.” Luke stepped up to him, slapped him on the back in a comforting manner and said, “I’d ask you if you want to step out into the lobby and grab some coffee and maybe some clean clothes, but I know you won’t leave her side.” Maverick didn’t say anything, just shook his head and kept his eyes trained on Kettah. “Okay, I’ll stay in the office until she wakes.” Maverick liked the confidence in Luke’s tone, but he also couldn’t hide the slight uneasiness that he picked up in the other male. But Luke, as well as every other person in his path should be uneasy around him, because if he lost her, than Maverick wouldn’t stop his lion from taking over and destroying every fucking thing in his path. The door shut behind Luke, and Maverick was instantly by Kettah. He knelt before her, took her too cold and clammy hand in his, and lowered his head until their entwined hands touched his forehead.
The time ticked by agonizingly slowly. The seconds turned to minutes, and those into hours. But Maverick refused to move, refused to leave Kettah’s side until he knew she was okay. Luke checked in occasionally, adjusted the settings on the IV pump, and left him and his mate in peace. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of Kettah not moving, her hand twitched in his. Maverick snapped his head up and stared at her. She blinked her eyes open, and the hazel orbs that were far greener than brown found him. She looked so sick, but she was alive.
“You’re okay.”
He let out a breathless chuckle, one of relief and love for this female. Here she was, lying atop an exam table and hooked up to tubes, and the first thing she thought about was of him being okay.
“I am, baby.” He kissed her knuckles and brushed the thumb of his other hand across her cheek. “You feel okay?” She grimaced, and he searched her body.
“My leg hurts.” He stood and leaned over her, kissing her on the lips.
“I know, kitten, but Luke is patching you all up, and as soon as you’re healthy enough that your animal can help heal you, too, you’ll be good to go.” He leaned down and kissed her damp forehead. She was far too pale for his liking, but Luke assured him she should be okay.
“My father? Konstantine?” She swallowed roughly when he shook his head.
“No, baby, they will never hurt you again.”
Relief came from her, and she closed her eyes and nodded.
“Okay.” She opened her eyes and offered him a smile, one he kissed over and over again. “I’m glad you’re okay, Maverick, and I’m glad they won’t hurt anyone again.” There she was, still worrying about everyone else but herself. She was his fierce little cat. The door opened softly, and Luke stepped in. For a second he stared at Kettah with a bit of surprise, but then he smoothed that away and looked at Maverick. Kettah tried to sit up, but Luke was right there.
“No, no, Kettah. You need to stay lying down for a while. You are far too weak, and the rest of your IV fluids are not done. I promise once you’re stronger enough I’ll move you to a more comfortable place.”
Yeah, like my place. But no, they couldn’t go back there because of the massacre of blood. He would build them a house, made of all new things so she would never have to look at anything that reminded her of the horror that happened. Luke checked her vitals, gave her a few sips of water, and then left them alone again. Maverick rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “You’re okay.”
“I am.” The light touch of her hand on the side of his face had him opening his eyes and pulling back. “And I love you.” Tears started to form in her eyes, and he brushed them away with his thumbs.
“No crying, baby.” He leaned in, kissed her softly, and whispered against her mouth, “and I love you, too.” He had never uttered those words before, never thought he had that kind of emotion inside of him, but it was clear that with his mate by his side, there were a lot of fucking surprises in store for him, and ones he was looking forward to.
Epilogue
Six months later
Kettah put the last box down in the living and stood up straight. It was half a year after everything had gone down with Konstantine and her father, and although it wasn’t that much time, it seemed like it had been years already. She was alive; Maverick was alive, and there was nothing that could change that, not anymore. She looked around their house, one that had just been finished being built last week. Everything was new, and not because that was how it worked when building a home from the ground up. Maverick wanted to have a fresh start with her, and didn’t want what happened at the garage to be a constant reminder. So, instead of just buying one in Sweet Water, they had purchased land in the mountains, built a home they designed themselves, and here they were, unpacking their new life.
After Maverick killed Viktor and Konstantine, there had been a moment of peace, but also of her fear mounting. Yes, her father and brother were gone, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be someone else to take their place. But the vendetta that her father had with Maverick died with him. Viktor had ended up being far too blood hungry, and because of it he had made a lot of enemies, far more than anyone had initially thought. There were always others that wanted to take control, but they were smart enough to stand down when it came to Maverick, or at least that was what her lion said, and she trusted him with her life. There was no sorrow for losing her father and brother, no tears shed and no cries to fall from her lips. When her father died, everything that had been connected to her had died with him, even the arranged marriage.
“Hey, baby.” The feel of Maverick’s warm breath brushing along the nape of her neck had her closing her eyes and smiling. She leaned back against him and rested her head on his chest. They held each other for several moments, neither saying a word, but it was one of those moments where nothing needed to be said. He lifted her left hand, and the engagement ring caught the glow from the sun, sending a million little shards of light throughout the room. “You sure you don’t want to take back your answer?” Maverick’s voice was gruff and low, and as much as he tried to hide his emotions from her even now, there was nothing about him that she couldn’t pick up on. He was her mate, and because of that his feelings were like a bright neon sign flashing right in front of her.
“You know I meant it, just like you meant to ask me to marry you.” She turned and rose on her toes to kiss him on the lips. He tightened his arms around her waist, brought her closer to him, and ground his erection into her belly. A marriage didn’t change the fact they were bound together irrevocably, but Maverick wanted that “little slip of paper”.
“Yeah, I sure as hell did mean to ask you.” Maverick murmured against her mouth. “Now, how about we break in the new bedroom?”
“The bed is in pieces in there, and doing it on the floor doesn’t sound like much fun.” She grinned against his lips. Well, it did, but teasing him was far more satisfying than just surrendering.
“I think you like being difficult, mate.” He nipped at her mouth, and her grin widened. In one move he scooped her into his arms and was striding down the hallway and into their new bedroom. Over the past six months a lot of things had changed. They were engaged, and although being mated was a far bigger commitment than a human tradition, she really didn’t think Maverick would have been ready for that. He had surprised her, as he tended to do on a constant basis, but that was a good thing. Maverick no longer worked at Dakota Dark’s, but that didn’t mean they didn’t see the male Trace any longer. They had dinner at the grumpy polar bear’s house every Sunday, and Kettah had grown close with Trace’s mate, Candace. When their home was being built that was where they had stayed, even when they said they didn’t want to intrude. But Trace and Candace had insisted they had plenty of room, and if Kettah was
being honest she liked being surrounded by them. It was always happy and cheerful, if not a little loud when two alpha males lived under the same roof. It was even more of a treat because she got to play with their little wolf shifting girl, Alivia. Their daughter wasn’t even a year old yet, but she was the spitting image of her father with thick black hair and bright green eyes. Maverick still had his garage that he ran, but he had moved location, made it bigger, and it was doing better than ever. Kettah was even looking into going back to school so she could help manage the garage. Sweet Water was Kettah’s home now, and the friends she made in this quaint little town were the first ones she had ever had. She may be young, and others may still see her as a child, but Kettah had seen a lot in her short lifetime.
Maverick pushed the bedroom door open with his foot, and she blinked a few times as she saw the fully pieced together king sized bed in the center of their room. There was no other furniture up, seeing as they were just moving everything in today, but Maverick had somehow, and at some point when she wasn’t paying attention, put it together. He had even put on the black sheets that he seemed to have an abundance of. He moved toward the bed, and laid her gently in the center of it. The look her gave her had her entire body heating, her toes curling, and every erogenous zone on her body reacting to this male on a very potent level.
“Maybe we should wait.” His grin slowly spread across his face. “I mean, you might be a little sore from last night.” Heat rose throughout her whole body at the image that conjured. Oh yes, she was quite sore, but in a very, very good way.
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