by C. E. Black
I nodded and watched as he pulled on his shoes and grabbed his keys off the table. He gave Paul a sharp nod and walked out the door.
I stood staring at the closed door for several minutes, before I felt Paul place a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Want to talk about it?” he asked softly.
“No,” I replied and stepped away from him. His hand fell away and I went to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat, as well as keep myself busy.
Truth was, I liked Stone. I liked him a lot and the sex was amazing, but part of me was glad he was gone. Was I just running again? I seemed to do that when things got too close. I wasn’t a dummy, I knew it, but I didn’t know how to stop it. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to either. Something told me that Stone wasn’t the one I was running from.
Slamming cabinets in my wake, as I looked for food, I wasn’t sure what I was so upset about. But I was restless and I hated that feeling of discontent. It made my stomach turn to knots and a small headache began to form behind my eyes.
I stopped and leaned against the counter, closing my eyes while I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself.
A hand on my shoulder had me stiffening, but he didn’t move. In fact, he turned me to face him and pulled me into his arms. They wrapped tightly around me and I relaxed, burying my nose into his chest, breathing in Paul’s scent. He smelled of earth, wind, water, and sun. A heady mixture that teased my senses. Woodsy with hints of herbs and sweet like the perfect fruit. The addicting aroma mixed with Stone’s own unique scent drifting off of Paul’s clothes, reminding me too much of the night before and I took a sudden step back.
Paul grasped my arms, his expression full of worry. “What’s wrong? Is it what happened last night? I... I hope I didn’t force you into anything.” His brows were lowered with concern and it was obvious that he was sincerely upset that he might have done something to hurt me.
“No,” I told him. “You know me, Paul. If I’d had an issue, I would have said something.”
“You’re right,” he nodded. “I should remember that you wouldn’t put up with anything you truly didn’t want.”
“You should remember that,” I teased, feeling a little lighter. Not because of what we were discussing, but just talking with Paul had me feeling much calmer.
“Come sit with me?” he asked, leading me to one of the kitchen chairs. He sat, pulling me down to straddle his lap and I laughed, “I’m not sitting with you, I’m sitting on you.”
I loved the way his grin could turn so wicked and the way his eyes darkened with lust and yet sparkled with humor as well.
“I just want some alone time, that’s all,” he said. “Thank you, by the way. For helping me. I’d probably be dead by now, if it wasn’t for you.”
“I doubt that,” I replied, smiling at him. “But, you’re welcome.”
Leaning forward, my lips moved over his, teasing him with only small pecks and short licks. He groaned, grabbed my hips, and pulled me closer. My hair fell over our faces, sheltering the moment into something more intimate, as our hearts began to pound.
This. This is what I want more than anything else in the world. And what my fear had me running from, I thought, as Paul’s hand slipped under my shirt to caress my bare skin. My hands gripped his short locks as tightly as possible, as we deepened the kiss and our bodies began to move against one another.
Both of us stilled as one and broke the kiss. We stared at each other a moment, breathing deeply, before I jumped off of him. He stood swiftly as well and we both listened to what was coming.
“We have company,” Paul growled.
“Yep, and it is not our boys,” I replied.
Paul ran to the sink and knelt down to rummage through the cabinet. “Look under the table,” he told me, as he pulled out a gun.
Confused, I kneeled and looked as he told me and sure enough, there was a gun taped to the underside of the table. Ripping it off, I held the Colt Mustang in my hand, testing its weight and grip. It was a bit big for my hand, but when I checked the chamber, it was loaded. Good enough for me.
“Here, “ Paul called. “Switch with me. This one’s a little smaller.” I nodded and tossed my gun to him, as he did the same. He was right, the SIG was much more comfortable.
“How did you know these were here?” I asked.
“When I scented the cabin yesterday. He has them stashed around.”
“Shit. Do you think he sent them?” I asked, referring to the group standing outside the cabin about to attack.
“Actually,” he shook his head. “No, I don’t think he would do that.”
I raised an eyebrow at how sure he sounded. “Maybe,” I responded and turned to aim my gun at the door. There was only one entrance, so unless they came in through a window, there wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
“How many do you hear?” he asked.
“Too many,” I responded and took a deep breath. “Maybe ten... twelve. Some have already shifted too.”
“Get ready, they’re coming in,” he announced and I sighted the door just as it burst open.
Chapter 29
We were the first to shoot, but they had a plan. When no one came through the door, Paul and I ceased fire and waited. I could hear them move just before a smoke bomb was thrown into the cabin.
“Shit!” I called out and moved to take cover. The smoke wouldn’t hurt us, but it meant we wouldn’t be able to see a damn thing.
Suddenly, a black wolf leapt through the thick, white haze, his red eyes glowing and his teeth dripping red saliva, as he charged right at me. He was on that damn drug, which meant he was manic, strong, and fucking hard to kill. I had to be quick, or run.
With only seconds to respond, I shot him in his chest, dead center. He fell to the floor only inches from my feet, but didn’t stay down long. Before he could leap to his feet, I shot him twice more. This time, he was down for good. Not as hard to kill as I thought.
Movement to my left had me spinning, but before I could even aim, a huge grizzly bear took the man down. “Bear,” I sighed in relief.
Dropping to the floor, I crawled towards the door, seeking fresh air. Shots being fired along with the muffled grunts of hand to hand combat meant we had more help. And sure enough, when I finally made it outside, I saw that our boys had arrived.
The rounds of gunfire echoed through the trees, as I looked for Paul. Sōm, Leo and Hawk fought the men and shifters, two at a time. Sōm shifted quickly into his leopard form, his clothes shredding to the ground, as he lunged at one of the gunman’s throats. It was a quick kill.
I had no time to check out the others or continue my search for Paul, as I was attacked myself. A bullet hit the side of the cabin and I ducked. Lifting the gun, I recognized Smiley as the one who fired. I pulled the trigger, my lips pulling up into a wide grin.
Then time stopped.
Smoke billowed slowly, engulfing me, as it floated from the cabin. The breeze blew across my heated skin and all movement around me became blurred, ceasing to exist as my breath held. I watched the bullet as it left the barrel, twisting in slow motion towards its target.
I blinked, lifting my lids to watch the bullet’s progress. Then my eyes widened in horror as the man I was aiming for rolled out of the way.
My arm fell to my sides, as the shelling continued its path, striking the man behind him.
“NO!” I screamed, though the sound was muted, muffled, as white noise replaced the rage of battle surrounding me.
Paul stared at me with dark, lifeless eyes, as blood oozed down his forehead, before slumping to the ground and out of my line of sight.
“No!” I screamed again, hot, smoky air searing my lungs, as the movement and sound came rushing back intensely.
Forcing my legs to move, I hurried forward, my gaze searching out my team. What I saw had a sob catching in my throat. They hadn’t stopped fighting, but the glances they sent my way, so full of heartbreak and accusations... I turned away and continue to run for the man I’d jus
t killed.
This isn’t happening! This isn’t supposed to be happening!! Not Paul!
I couldn’t see Paul, as more smoke surrounded me, thicker and darker, causing me to cough. Taking a glance over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of flames flickering from the roof. They must have set it on fire, I thought numbly, just before a body slammed into mine.
With a grunt, we went rolling down a steep embankment. Roots and rocks battered my body, causing pain to shoot through my ribs, but there was no stopping the fall’s momentum.
We finally did roll to a stop and within seconds a punch to the face had my head jerking painfully to the side. I spat out some blood and turned to look at my attacker, as my hands searched the ground for the gun. I’d lost it in the tumble.
Smiley grinned down at me just as another punch had my vision swimming. “No smart ass remarks?” he asked, wrapping his hands around my throat and squeezing the life out of me. I scratched and clawed at his hands, bucking my body and doing my best to push him off of me, but I was just too weak.
Just as black spots danced on the outside of my vision, I gave one last ditched effort and reached up, digging my thumbs into his eye sockets. With a scream, he let me go and I rolled to my feet, coughing and sputtering, as the air suddenly rushed into my lungs.
Out of breath and with blurred vision, I swayed where I stood, but I refused to go down without a fight and swung out, kicking him in the side. It wasn’t a strong enough kick, though, and he dodged it easily.
Sudden pain flared across my skull and I fell to the ground. Puckered lips stood over me, a large, solid tree branch in his hand. I tried to fight, as Smiley landed on top of me, but my movements were too slow. I couldn’t concentrate and abruptly became overwhelmingly sleepy.
My eyes focused on Smiley straddling my hips, grinning down at me victoriously while holding up an empty syringe. “Not so tough now,” he mocked, as my eyes closed, my mind giving in to the darkness awaiting me.
My last thoughts were not filled with fear of my imminent death. No, my last plea was for Paul. Wherever he was now, I begged for his forgiveness.
Chapter 30
Stone
The light of dawn began to peek through the Blue Ridge forest, chasing the darkness back into hiding. At first, it was only the slightest lightening in the shadows around me, then bright rays of the rising sun began to strengthen, bringing with it life. My mind was clear and calm as I walked, listening to birds chirp their good mornings, as other creatures began to stir as well.
Leaving the cabin wasn’t such a struggle; not that I didn’t particularly like leaving Foxy alone with David, if that was even his real name. Unlikely, I thought, but it was plain to see she was comfortable with the man.
Even more surprising was that she seemed to relish his demands on her body. I’d been both shocked and awed at the way he was able to command her pleasure, and not a little jealous.
But it wasn’t to be. I knew that and was okay with the outcome. We both held secrets and those secrets stood in our way. Or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I was more inclined to believe that to be true, from the ease in which I was able to leave her.
Though, as I continued my stroll through the peaceful forest, questioning whether I should hide out a little while longer in another secret location I’d kept hidden just in case, or if I should get in touch with my boss; get the ball rolling once again, the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle and my steps faltered. The sensation that something was wrong grew, causing my shoulders to tense and I soon came to a complete stop.
Pivoting, I turned back towards the way I’d just come. Something was wrong. What, I wasn’t sure, but I felt the need to get back to that cabin, and quickly.
I shook my head, trying to loosen the crazy thought. It hadn’t helped, so I began to rationalize my actions, as my feet began to walk forward, Then, as the smell of something burning hit my nose, I moved more swiftly, until I was at a fast paced jog.
Even if Foxy was alright, shouldn’t I have hung around to see that she left safely? I hung on to that rational thought, as I picked up speed. Though, I knew from years of experience to never ignore my gut instinct.
Because I had been taking my time leaving, enjoying the walk and the cleansing air that seemed to only surround you in the early hours of the morning, I found myself not too far from the cabin and quickly came upon them.
Stevenson had an unconscious Foxy thrown over his shoulder, Chris following behind him, as they moved quickly through the trees. I could hear fighting coming from above me and glanced up. I couldn’t see anything but thick plumes of smoke. Obviously, the men had shown up, attacked Foxy and her friends, and lit the cabin on fire.
My eyes narrowed on the two men running off with Foxy. She’d taken them down before, easily, so it must have been some fight for them to have taken her out. In fact, the last time had taken tranquilizers to get anywhere near receiving the upper hand on her.
I knew Stevenson would be able to hear and smell me, well before I could sneak up on him. So, lifting my chin, I walked right up to them, my eyebrows raised, taking control of the situation as usual.
Both men stopped walking when they saw me approach. “What the hell is going on here?” I asked, my voice deep, demanding them to answer or else.
Stevenson nodded at me. “Sir, we didn’t know where you were, but I knew you’d want us to follow them. I caught your scent earlier and assumed you decided to do the same.” His eyes were narrowed, speculative, as he stared me down, no doubt noticing my change of clothes.
I glanced back at Chris standing as still as the trees surrounding him. His expression said the same. They didn’t believe for a second that I was just following Foxy and David. The situation no longer called for evasive action.
My hand shot out, punching Stevenson in the nose. Foxy fell to the forest floor, as he covered his bloody nose. “You’re right, I did follow them and you ruined my cover.”
“Bullshit!” he screamed, sputtering blood all over my shirt.
I stepped back just as he rushed me. Ignoring the way my knuckles screamed, I flexed my hand, sending a palm strike to the center of his chest. Knowing he was a shifter, I was quick with my movements, keeping him down as long as possible, but there was only so much I could do. The palm strike caused him to fall backwards, but he was up and charging me in no time. I braced myself and when he hit, I flipped him on his back.
I quickly spun around just in time to see he’d jumped right back on his feet. I’d pulled my knife from my boot, but he never noticed. Not until it slid into his chest, as he tackled me to the ground. Blood seeped from the wound, bathing me in the thick warm liquid, as he slumped on top of me.
I hadn’t forgotten about Chris, but as I fought with Stevenson, he hadn’t tried to help his buddy. Instead, I turned to see a limp Foxy bouncing across Chris’ back, as he jogged away.
With a grunt, I pushed Stevenson off of me. As I retrieved my knife, I stood and looked down into his sightless eyes. He wasn’t getting back up. I wiped the blade off on my jeans before tucking it back into my boot, as I pulled the gun from my ankle holster. The first bullet hit Chris’ calf and with a cry, he fell to his knees.
I rushed forward, as Foxy once again fell to the forest floor. She was going to have one hell of a headache, and worse, when she woke up. Her genetics would save her from most of the pain, I knew. That gave me comfort, though not much.
Before I reached them, Chris had pulled his own gun and fired. He missed, hitting the tree to my right. I winced as bark shot out, slicing a couple of nice size cuts across my cheek.
“Shit!” Chris yelled, trying to stand, but failing, as I aimed and fired back. He slumped forward, but I kept my gun pointed in his direction, as my steps quickened.
I knelt down next to Foxy, my fingers sliding over her neck, searching for a pulse. Her heartbeat was a little too slow for my liking, but she was alive. Chris was dead and I didn’t feel too sorry about that.
; I holstered my gun and lifted Foxy gently as I stood. Looking down at the pale red head unconscious in my arms, my breath exhaled in relief, or frustration, one.
“Finally figured you out, Foxy,” I said to the sleeping beauty. “You’re something, alright. Nothing but trouble.”
Chapter 31
Terry
I sat at a table; a long table covered with platters and bowls filled with food. Laughter echoed around me. It felt alive and welcoming. My family. They were all there, my boys, plus a couple of additions. I looked across the table at Sam. She held her baby girl, rocking gently, as she laughed at something Alex said. Jordan growled at him and took the baby from Sam’s arms, cuddling the little girl to his chest.
Red looked healthy, no signs of abuse, his skin no longer bloodied and bruised, as he threw back his head and laughed after throwing a good natured punch at Leo’s shoulder.
Teij winked at me before turning back to Hawk and Sōm. The conversation looked solemn, but knowing them, it was only about the latest book they read.
A loud, deep guffaw grabbed my attention. Bear’s shoulders shook with laughter, his head thrown back. Then he pointed at Roman and shook his head. Roman slammed his fist on the table before pointing back, but his tight jaw gave way to a reluctant smile. Bear never lost an argument, I thought with a chuckle.
A warm hand wrapped around mine and squeezed, causing my smile to widen, as I glanced over at Paul. His gaze glowed with happiness, his teeth bright white against his tanned skin, as he grinned wickedly.
We stared at one another, in awe, in love. I never knew I could have this. As usual, I got lost in his dark eyes, wondering when we might could slip away for a little alone time.
Abruptly, my serene bubble burst, as the blood began dripping down his face. It startled me and I gasped, my eyes flickering up to see a black hole in the center of his forehead. Smoke curled out of the freshly burnt wound, as blood trickled down his nose and across his lips.