“You!”
“I don’t understand. Why me?” Bailey wanted to keep the men talking for as long as she could. Maybe if she distracted them, she could find a way out of this shit show.
The man sniffed the air around her. “It’s easy, really. We have a score to settle with your new mate, and what better way to get his attention?”
“This could get really bad, really fast.” Bailey did not like the sound of things one bit.
“We figured if we can make you scream real nice—well—that will upset that mate of yours pretty good. Won’t it?”
“And I know just the way to make that pretty girl scream.” The third man stepped forward, grabbing his crotch.
Bile rose in the back of Bailey’s throat. There was no way in hell she was going to let those men lay one filthy paw on her.
Bailey hurriedly took a couple of steps back as the others laughed at the guy’s antics.
“Now where do you think you’re going? The party hasn’t even started yet.”
Bailey’s bear rushed forward, taking control as the men charged her in human form. Her heart pounded at the thought of taking the three of them on at once. She’d been jumped before, but it had been years, and she’d never been in a situation where it was three men against one woman.
The odds were not in her favor.
Even if she was a grizzly bear.
There was little doubt when it came to her strength. Her beast form was one of the most powerful shifters on the planet, but she still found herself doubting her ability to walk away unscathed in this situation.
Without spending any more time worrying about the possibility of getting her ass kicked, Bailey sprang into motion. Her bear, in a frenzy, slashing at anyone who dared to encroach on her personal space. She slashed out repeatedly with her claws, slicing one opponent after another wide open with each opportunity they presented.
“You fucking whore!” one man screamed before shifting into his bear form and charging her a second time.
Bailey roared, her claws connecting with his face. Blood sprayed over her chest, exciting her bear even more.
“You are going to pay for that! Get that fucking bitch!” one of the men shouted before shifting. He lunged for her, ducking to miss her claws.
She roared again as he latched onto her arm, tearing into the flesh. Bailey fought with all she had as he tried dragging her down to the ground by the arm. Sensing her vulnerability, the other bears attacked. One tearing into her leg, and the other her side.
Bailey bucked against them, trying in vain to toss them off of her. It was no use, they had her pinned down to the ground. Panic slashed through her body as one of the men shifted back to his human form and straddled her, stabbing her in the side with a sharp object that she couldn’t identify. She managed to tear one arm free.
“Just enough!”
Bailey drew her arm back as far as she could before letting loose, nailing the guy in the side of the head with her claws.
He turned back to face her, blood poured from his ear. He lifted his hand and punched her right in the face.
“Must fight them off,” Bailey said to her bear as the darkness started to creep in around her vision.
Chapter Eleven
“What the fuck are you doing here? Who sent you?” Calder’s voice was thick with anger. His fangs elongated as he lifted the scrawny rogue by his neck.
“Fuck you!” The man spat in Calder’s face.
“For someone who begged for his life moments ago, you’re not very cooperative. Not to worry, though. I have a solution for that.” Calder tossed him to the ground. Several of the wolves from Twisted Tail snarled as they surrounded the rogue, waiting for the order to kill.
“Okay! Okay! I’ll answer your questions.” The man stood. His limbs trembling with fear. “We were sent as a distraction.”
“Who sent you?” Gavin was in the man’s face quicker than the guy could blink.
“I don’t know his name.”
Gavin’s claws elongated, readying to strike the killing blow.
“I’m telling the truth! I don’t know his name. This bear shifter approached a bunch of us and offered us a hundred dollars each to come here tonight and cause chaos. He said he had a score to settle with someone.”
The hair on the back of Gavin’s neck stood on end. The feeling of dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He doubled over in pain as Bailey’s fear punched him in the gut. “Our mate is in trouble!” Gavin’s bear shouted in his mind.
Gavin’s head snapped toward the forest as Bailey’s roar tore straight through the tension in the air.
“Gavin, go! I’m right behind you!” Calder called out to Gavin.
Gavin shifted to his bear form, and took off as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging trees and downed branches. His heart pounded in his chest, so hard it felt like his ribs would crack at any moment. The only thought racing through both his and his bear’s mind was making sure his mate was safe.
He tried to reach her via their mating connection, but her thoughts were nothing more than a swirl of fear and pain.
He couldn’t break through.
Gavin pushed himself to run harder, faster than he ever had. His mate’s life was in danger. The faster he moved, the more he sensed her fear.
Gavin quickly scanned the area as the sound of branches crunched behind him and to both of his sides. One quick glance confirmed that Calder had indeed caught up with him and brought reinforcements.
Calder and his wolves reached Bailey first, pulling the bears off of her one by one. They didn’t waste so much as a second in dealing quick deaths to the bears he’d warned away earlier in the day.
The smell of his mate’s blood permeated the air around him, nearly gagging him. Gavin raced to Bailey’s side, quickly shifting to human form.
“Bailey! Are you okay?” Tears streamed from Gavin’s eyes at the sight of his mate mangled and mauled. Blood coated nearly every inch of her beautiful fur. “I need some help over here,” Gavin shouted, kneeling down beside Bailey.
Calder was the first to reach his side. “We need to get her back to the house as fast as we can. Daisy is a doctor. She’ll be able to help her.”
“I don’t know how we can carry her like this. Why hasn’t she shifted back to her human form?” someone asked from the small crowd that had gathered around Gavin and Bailey.
“Jesse’s right. With those injuries, I don’t know how she is holding on to her bear form,” another person said.
“They’ve got good points.” Calder motioned to Gavin. “Have you checked her for silver? It’s the only thing I can think of that would keep her from shifting back to her human form.”
Gavin ran his hands slowly over his mate, desperately searching for any silver that may have been placed on her body.
“This will go faster if I help,” One of the men knelt down to help Gavin in the search.
A roar tore from Gavin’s mouth, “Don’t touch her! She is my mate.”
The man jumped back. “Sorry, dude, I was just trying to help.”
Gavin worked overtime, carefully running his fingers over every inch of Bailey. “Found it! They stuck a fucking silver earring into her side!”
Thankfully, Bailey shifted back to human form the instant Gavin plucked the tiny silver earring from her skin. He pulled his shirt over his head, and slid it over her, wanting to cover her up.
Gavin lifted her from the ground, carefully cradling her body next to his. He looked to Calder, trying to keep the worry from his voice. “Can you call Daisy and let her know that we’re on our way?”
“Sure thing.” Calder pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called his mate.
“Change of plans. We’re going to meet Daisy at the clinic,” Calder announced to the small group and quickly changed directions.
After the call, he sent a few of his wolves to run ahead of them, wanting to make sure the evening of ambushes was at an end.
Chapter Twel
ve
“Stay with me! Don’t you dare leave me,” Gavin whispered to an unconscious Bailey. Cradling her gently in his arms, he moved as fast as he could without jostling her too much. Though they appeared to be severe, Gavin had no idea what the extent of her injuries were.
It was true that shifters healed faster than humans, but for some reason, Bailey’s injuries seemed to be getting worse. Every few steps, he’d glance down, hoping to see the wounds starting to knit themselves back together, but it never happened.
“How much further?” Gavin shouted to Calder, knowing he could lose his mate any second if they didn’t find a way to help her.
“Just over the next rise. We’re going straight to Daisy’s clinic. I also had her call in help from another pack.”
“Explain!” Gavin growled.
“One of my closest allies is the Black Paw Pack. Let’s just say they have two women with extraordinary capabilities when it comes to majik and medicine.”
Gavin wanted to have hope that whoever these women were they’d be able to help Bailey. No matter the cost. “You would trust them with your life or the life of your mate?”
He glanced down once more at the battered body of his mate. Pain exploded in his chest at the thought of losing her.
“Unequivocally, yes. I’ve seen what these women can do. I watched them bring shifters back from the brink of death.” Calder paused, almost as if he was trying to decide how much to tell Gavin. “There is a catch, though,” Calder warned.
“Of course there is. Go on, tell me what to expect.” Gavin held his breath, waiting for an answer.
“You will see her saved. No matter the price!” his bear demanded.
“Agreed.” Gavin knew exactly what his bear had meant. If he had to rip out his own heart and throw it on the table to save his mate’s life, he’d do it.
If forfeiting his own life meant saving his mate, he do it in the blink of an eye.
No questions asked.
Calder motioned for the remaining wolves to go ahead, waiting for them to be out of earshot before replying. “The women, they’re not like us.”
“What do you mean? They’re from a wolf pack, right?” Gavin was confused by Calder’s statement. What in the hell did he mean by ‘they’re not like us’?
“They are halflings.”
“Halflings? Half what?” Gavin had never heard of such a thing.
“Half wolf, half witch.”
“Witches!” Gavin shouted. He knew little about the majikal species, but what he did know wasn’t good. The only interaction he’d had with a witch had been years ago and it left a bad taste in his mouth. He’d payed a witch to bespell his amulet so he could mask his scent when needed. To this day he didn’t know if the concealment spell was the only one she’d put on the amulet.
The whole thing freaked him out, and he swore long ago that he’d never willingly seek another alliance with any of their kind.
“Keep your voice down. Daisy and I are the only ones in this pack who know about them, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Gavin stewed over Calder’s words for a minute before speaking again. “I thought your mate was a doctor? Can she not help Bailey herself? Do you really think it’s necessary to bring the witches in?”
“Daisy is good at what she does, don’t get me wrong. Before she became my mate, she worked in a human hospital. Only recently has she started treating shifters. But these women, the witches—they know their shit. Trust me on this one. After all you’ve done for this pack, coming to our rescue tonight, I’d never betray you or your mate.”
***
Daisy paced back and forth, nervously waiting for Calder and Gavin to return with Bailey. She glanced at her watch, wondering how quickly the healer from Black Paw could possibly get there. They were hours away at best, even at a full-speed run.
She couldn’t fathom why Calder asked her to call them in the first place. From the sounds of the situation Calder had described, Bailey’s life was on the line. No matter how good this person was from Black Paw, they’d likely never make it in time. It was up to her to try and save her friend.
Running to the supply cabinet, Daisy gathered everything she thought she might need and placed them on a cart beside the table, then resumed her nervous pacing.
The lights in her clinic flickered, bringing her pacing to a sudden halt. The tiny hairs on her arms stood on end. Her nose twitched as the smell of wolves filled her nostrils. The air in front of her rippled. She took a step back, not knowing what the fuck was going on.
“A little help here,” she asked her wolf.
“They’ve come to help,” her wolf replied.
Daisy looked around the clinic, hoping to see someone at the front door. “They who?”
Just as she’d contemplated whether or not her wolf had lost her mind, two figures stepped through the ripple in the air she’d seen.
Perched at the tip of her tongue was a horrified scream. Her wolf’s statement replayed in her mind. “They’ve come to help.”
“Sorry to frighten you. I’m Erin, the one you talked to on the phone. This beast is Tanner, my ride.”
“I—I’m Daisy. Uhh, nice to meet you,” Daisy tripped over her words. “How did you—”
“Teleportation. It’s one of the tricks of my trade.”
Daisy craned her neck up to take in the full height of the man. Her mouth gaped open.
“Yeah, he gets that a lot,” Erin chuckled.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’d just expected the two of you to walk through the front door, or yanno… something normal.”
“Normal schnormal. Where’s the fun in that?” Tanner walked over to the row of chairs and made himself comfortable.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Teleportation takes a lot to get used to. On both ends. It’s freaky as shit when you’re the one actually being transported.”
Daisy shook her head, unsure of what to say. “I’m sure it is.”
Erin glanced around the clinic. “So where is the person who needs help?”
“They’re on their way in now. They should be here any second.”
“Great.” Erin pulled a couple of vials from her bag and lined them up next to the supplies Daisy had already set out.
“What is that?” Daisy eyed up the purple potion.
“It’s an elixir that can help heal the animal spirit of a shifter. I’m assuming that’s why Calder wanted me here. For a shifter who’s been mortally wounded.”
“My friend, Bailey. She’s a bear shifter. From what I understand, she was ambushed and jumped by a group of bears. From the sounds of it, she’s in bad shape.” Daisy fought back the tears that threatened.
Tanner jumped to his feet and threw open the door. Calder was the first one through, followed by Gavin, who had Bailey wrapped in a precious bundle in his arms.
Calder greeted Erin, “Thanks for coming.”
“Thank Tanner for bringing me here so fast.”
Calder nodded to Tanner. “Thank you.”
“Now that the greetings are out of the way, can you please help my mate?” Gavin huffed.
Chapter Thirteen
Are you fucking kidding me? That’s what Gavin really wanted to say. Who gave a rat’s ass about greetings and formality when his mate was literally dying in his arms?
“Sorry, lay her down on the table. Right here.” Erin flew into a flurry of motion. Cerulean whisps of energy glowed around her hand as she slowly worked her way up and down Bailey’s battered body.
“What are you doing?” Gavin edged closer to his mate. The air around them became ice-cold as the witch called forth her majik.
“Chill, bear. You’re going to have to trust me here. I’m checking to see how bad her injuries are, not only to her body, but to the spirit of her shifter, also.”
Daisy stepped closer to the table, “I didn’t know it was possible to do that.”
“It’s one of my gifts.”
It took every ounce of willpower he p
ossessed, but Gavin nodded and took a step back. “Very well.”
“If anyone can help Bailey, it’s Erin.” Calder placed a comforting hand on Gavin’s shoulder.
Gavin wanted to thank Calder for the support he offered, but it did little to comfort him.
The witch had asked him to trust her, and he was trying with all his might. But it was his mate lying there on the cold table. Her blood pouring from wounds that should have started to heal by now.
“She’s in bad shape. As bad as her body is, her bear’s in worse shape. What the hell did they do to her?” Erin picked up the vial of purple liquid she’d placed on the table and popped the lid off.
“What is that?” Gavin demanded.
“The only thing that is going to save her life at this point.”
Calder grabbed Gavin by the waist. “Tanner, give me a hand.”
It took both men to hold him back. His gut told him to knock that fucking potion out of the witch’s hand.
“Any cost,” his bear reminded him.
Gavin took a deep breath, working overtime to calm his already frazzled nerves. “Fine! Do it. But know this, witch. It’s at your own peril. If my mate dies—”
“Gavin!” Calder scolded him.
“It’s okay, Calder. I’m used to it. Remember, I’m the big scary witch.” Erin opened Bailey’s mouth and dumped the liquid in.
“She’s not swallowing it,” Daisy remarked.
“She will, give her a minute.” Erin’s hand glowed once more as she placed it over Bailey’s throat, moving it slowly down to her belly. “There! Down the hatch.”
A collective gasp sounded in the room as Bailey’s wounds instantly started knitting themselves back together. Deep gashes that were visible moments ago quickly turned to ugly pink scars before healing altogether.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Daisy said, astonishment evident in her voice.
Paranormal Dating Agency: Bearly Twisted (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Twisted Tail Pack Book 2) Page 5