When they got near the point, Kranor had to shift back into his wolf form to find the exact spot. They were to follow him. Since Will was better off than Cavon, Jude practically carried Malik, while Gage helped Cavon. They all followed Kranor. The sudden increase in temperature convinced her that they’d arrived in Anterra.
She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to signal her brothers for help. While they couldn’t understand words, her mental screaming would surely bring them out. Cavon looked back over his shoulder and grunted. While she couldn’t read his mind, his groan implied he’d just spoken to Taryn and that her brothers would soon arrive to help.
Kranor shifted back to human form and replaced Gage in helping Cavon, allowing Gage to return to help his brother. Even with Gage carrying the majority of the weight, Will’s arm over her shoulder was getting heavy. She inhaled the rich air, but even at night the heat was getting to her, especially since she was dressed in heavy clothing. A sharp pain stabbed her eye, and her stomach tumbled. Crossing the reality lines seemed to be taking a worse and worse toll on her body this time. When she glanced over at Gage, he was wiping his forehead, which caused the light he was holding to flash in her face. She averted her gaze.
“Help will come soon.”
Kranor stopped. “Let’s rest.”
That was the best idea she’d heard yet. Since the heat was so stifling, she couldn’t wait to at least unbutton her jacket. She used to love the warm weather and detest the cold, but after adjusting to the winter conditions, she rather liked the cold.
The crickets chirped, and leaves crunched from small forest animals going about their nightly business. Gage clicked off the light, and they waited in silence. Malik had curled up in a ball, and Cavon sat with his head between his legs. She couldn’t do much now about Gage’s injuries, but when she checked Will’s arm the bleeding seemed to have stopped.
“You might be experiencing some additional discomfort in your head and stomach, but that’s due to crossing through to Anterra. Shifters usually recover in a few hours.” Gage and Will might need longer, but she saw no reason to tell them that. They were probably in enough pain already.
In the dark it was too difficult to tell their location, but she prayed they weren’t in wolf territory. These men couldn’t fight even one more animal. Maybe having Kranor and his friend Jude with them would keep the other wolves away at least for a while. Hopefully, their scent would mask the smell of blood in the air.
Right now all she wanted was for Will and Gage to be okay. Once Malik and Kranor shifted into their lion form they’d be fine, too.
The ground shook. The pounding of a lot of paws jerked her attention to the oncoming group. Her brothers must have come with reinforcements. A wall of light filled the forest, and about ten men appeared. She jumped up. She recognized two of the men as physicians. Cavon must not have told the truth to Taryn about the extent of Malik’s and his injuries because she didn’t see an ambulance.
Taryn rushed over to her. “Are you all right?” His gaze landed on Will and Gage.
“I’m fine.” The need to explain poured out. “Don’t jump to conclusions. I found these two shifters in Spirit.”
“What the hell were you doing in Spirit? Mom said you were with Madra in the mountains.” His breath was too ragged, and she could sense the rage building.
“This isn’t the time, younger brother.” He hated when she pulled the age card. “These men need help.”
His nostrils flared, but he nodded and shooed her away as he took her place helping Will. Kellum was speaking with Kranor, and she wanted to thank him for his help, but she knew Gage and Will would be overwhelmed with everything that was happening, so she stayed by their side.
Taryn led them toward his house.
“What about Cavon and Malik?”
“Their injuries are severe. Kellum has called for an ambulance.”
“Good.” While there were few vehicles in Anterra, sometimes they were necessary, such as now. Malik was losing blood fast and didn’t need to be walking to the hospital. She quirked a brow. “Malik is agreeing?”
Fighters never admitted their injuries were severe. “No, but he can’t fight off eight other men.”
“Good point.”
She touched Will’s arm. “Aren’t you hot?”
“I’ll live.”
The act of removing his jacket might cause more harm, so she didn’t make a fuss. She took off her jacket, however, and slung it over her arm. Feeling helpless, she trailed behind. When they got to the tree house, all four wouldn’t fit on the platform, so she let the men go up first.
A moment later she followed. As soon as she stepped into the house, Lara rushed up to her. “What’s going on?”
She waited until Taryn brought the men into the bathroom before telling Lara the whole story. Sella assumed that Taryn would have them change into lions once they were in the large bath. She prayed he had a gentle touch. Both of her men must be feeling not only physically bad but would be in a panic over so many new things.
“I need to rest a minute.”
“Of course.” Lara pulled her to the sofa. “Let me get you something to drink.”
More importantly, she needed to get out of these clothes. Blood was smeared everywhere. “Can I borrow a skirt?”
Lara smiled. “One Anterran outfit coming right up.”
She knew her sister-in-law would understand how uncomfortable warm clothes were, especially ones that were soiled. Lara returned with a long skirt and small top. Lara still hadn’t acclimated to walking around topless like the rest of the Anterran women, and since Sella respected Lara’s house rules, she would wear a top when in her presence.
Lara came back with the new clothes, and Sella quickly changed before either of her brothers returned. Feeling more refreshed, she dropped onto the sofa. “I’ll take that offer of a drink now.”
Her sister-in-law poured a cold glass of water and sat opposite her. “Spill.”
She wasn’t sure where to begin. “Everything went according to plan with Amy. She’s wonderful, by the way.”
“I know.”
“She was thrilled about your pregnancy. I wish I could have spoken more to her, but Cavon and Malik took up most of her time.”
Lara’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me. You let Amy meet them?”
“Yes. They were with me, so it made sense to make the introduction. When I told her that Malik and Cavon were shifters, she barely blinked.”
Lara leaned back. “So she did believe my story after all.”
“Apparently. Anyway, when we went into the office to tell her all about you, both men did most of the talking. They’re smitten, as you would say.”
“Maybe we need to hatch a plan to get her to Anterra. Maybe she’d be the one person who could tame Malik.”
Her friend was a hothead and not a team player. Not even his own brother had been able to convince Malik to conform. “As for Amy, she’s thriving in Spirit. The High-Country Inn was incredibly crowded, and she seemed to love being there.”
Lara chuckled. “Being that busy isn’t always a good thing.”
The bathroom door opened, and footsteps sounded down the hall. Sella jumped up just as her brother appeared. “So?”
“They’re soaking. They want to see you. Have them dry off and then show them to Kellum’s old room. If they are able, they should shift and rest. You can stay as long as you need.”
She didn’t like the way his gaze kept catching the ground. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“The one you call Will is weak, but if you can keep him down, he should heal.”
The breath whooshed out of her, but the worry barely ebbed. She rushed past Taryn and ducked into the bathroom. The ten-foot-long tub held both men, and the water was red. While the Anterrans didn’t carry blood diseases, she had no idea about these two. Good thing they were brothers. Their bare chests were sliced up pretty badly, but she’d seen worse.
Sitting o
n the edge of the tub near Will, she ran a knuckle down his face. Her stomach churned, and it wasn’t just from going through the point. “How are you feeling?”
“Weak. I’m not sure I should be sitting in this water.” He started to get up when she pressed lightly on his shoulders.
“This water has special healing powers. However, Taryn said you could get out when you want, but once we get you dry, Taryn said you should shift and then rest.”
“We need to get back.”
She hadn’t expected Will to be the one to suggest they leave. “For one, you’ll have to stay a few days until the alignment point returns, and secondly, you are too weak to go anywhere. I’m going to stay with you and nurse you back to health.”
Will’s smile trembled. “I’d like that.” He reached into the water and grabbed his cock. The red water obscured seeing him clearly. Darn.
“When you heal I might be agreeable to let you make love to me.” She turned to Gage. “That goes for both of you.”
Gage stood. Now that she got to see him in all his naked glory, she noticed that his cuts weren’t too bad. She was glad Malik and Cavon were getting the full treatment though. She just prayed that both would make it. Right now, she had to hold herself back from lecturing these two about jumping in to help her two friends. In truth, if they hadn’t, Malik and Cavon would surely be dead.
She got up and led Gage over to the shower. “Stand here and let the wind dry you.”
“Wind?”
“Hold your horses, as you cowboys say.”
They’d probably used the hand dryer in the High-Country Inn lobby bathroom, but this was much more powerful. She waved her hand over the sensor, and the blowers got him dry in thirty seconds and then automatically shut off.
Gage grinned. “That was cool. The air was powerful, and it didn’t knock me over. How was it able to evaporate the water so fast?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. How do your cell phones work?”
He opened his mouth as if to explain but closed it. He shrugged. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know.”
“There are a lot of things in Anterra that I’ve never questioned. It’s here, and I use it because it works.”
“I see your point.”
Will dragged his body to the lip of the tub and sat. “Let me use that super air dryer.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Your wounds might reopen.” His jaw tightened. “You’re the lucky one. I’m going to hand-dry you. Don’t you want that?”
For the first time since the attack, he smiled. “Sugar, I’d love nothing more.”
She opened the cabinet below the sink and pulled out a few loincloths. She wondered why her brothers didn’t buy towels like civilized people, but she’d make do. She placed the clothes on the edge of the tub. “Gage, help me get Will up.”
Will waved her away. “I’m perfectly capable of getting out.”
Knowing how stubborn men could be, she stepped back, ready to lend a hand if need be. As soon as he stepped from the tub, his knees buckled. She stepped forward and grabbed his arm to steady him. “Please just stay seated. I can dry you just as well if you sit on the ledge.” It wasn’t quite the truth, but she didn’t want him to exert himself any more than necessary.
Carefully, she patted Will dry the best she could. “Just sit for another moment.” She handed Gage a triangular cloth. “All the men wear these.” He probably had no idea how to put it on, so she moved close and wrapped it around him, making sure everything was covered. She didn’t want Lara to see how well-endowed her men were, though to be honest, she’d never viewed her two brothers au naturel, thank goodness.
“Do I get one?” Will asked.
“Yes.” She helped him stand and repeated the process. Now they both looked almost identical. “Now you two need to come with me.”
As if he knew Will might have trouble walking, Gage positioned himself on one side of him, and she took the other. All they had to do was walk across the hall. “You can stay in here.”
There was only one king bed, but as soon as they shifted, she bet they’d want to sleep on the floor. Will sat on the edge of the bed while Gage remained standing.
She sat next to Will and took hold of his hands. “Taryn told me to tell you that if you shift, you’ll heal a lot faster. I know this sounds kind of gross, but a lion’s saliva is the best healing agent.”
He scrunched up his nose. “You want me to lick my wounds?”
“You are a cat, you know.”
He looked away. To be safe, she stood and moved toward the door. The light reflected off the doorknob. When she turned around, Will was on the ground and Gage was standing.
“You, too, buddy. You don’t want your scratches to get infected.”
“You call these massive gashes only scratches?” When he winked, she relaxed.
She crossed her arms and gave him her best glare. Five seconds later another flash occurred. He stretched out on the cool floor next to his brother. At least now they couldn’t give her any grief since they couldn’t communicate with her. Since it was close to midnight, she went out to the living room to say good night and to see if Kellum had returned.
He had. He was at the refrigerator, pulling out a beer. She moved behind him. “How are Malik and Cavon?”
Her brother whipped around. “They’ll live, but Malik is pretty messed up.”
“I’d heard there were rogue wolves in Spirit, but I never expected so many of them to attack.”
He nodded and walked over to the sofa. She guessed that Taryn and Lara had already gone to bed.
“It was good to see Kranor. The question I need answered is, what were he and his friend Jude doing in Spirit? And what were they doing with those shifters? At one time, he’d been a good man.”
“Same thing they all do. He was there to blow off some steam and relax, I bet.” The man lived on the edge of society and rarely interacted with his own kind. That was because Kranor always hated violence. He never saw the reason for the wolves to want to take over all of Anterra. “When you were with him, did he say anything about the Spirit shifters in particular?” She supposed it didn’t really matter now that they all were dead.
“Just that he heard them bragging about robbing and attacking the citizens. When they shifted into wolves, no one could catch them.”
“It’s like being invisible, I suppose, if you can walk in as a man and leave as a wolf.”
Kellum nodded to the hallway. “Were those your men?”
He’d married someone from Earth, so she figured he wouldn’t give her any grief about bringing home two people from the same place. “Yes, but they weren’t planning on staying. The attack made it imperative that they seek help immediately, but as soon as they heal, they will return. With Malik and Cavon in such bad shape, Kranor thought it best they come here.”
“Even if your men went to the hospital in Spirit, they’d have to explain how they got their wounds. No one would believe they fought off a whole pack of wolves.”
“True.” She leaned over and hugged her brother. “I’ve got to make sure they’re okay. Good night.”
“’Night.”
As she slipped down the hall, she had to figure out a way to let her parents know she’d crossed the line and fallen in love with two shifters from Earth. Will and Gage would never agree to stay, but she sure was going to give it her all to convince them.
Chapter Ten
The last three days had been hell, trying to get Will and Gage to behave as they both wanted to explore. Taryn had insisted they remain in the tree house until their wounds further healed. They were going stir-crazy, but no one would show them how to use the elevator, so they had no choice but to stay put. She did show them how to use the remote on the television so they could watch the limited shows.
Will walked out of the bathroom and came into the living room. He ran his hands over his arms. “I’m almost totally healed. I’m thinking there’s a
lot to this licking stuff. Too bad we can’t shift in Miami.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you could shift in Miami, you’d want to show off and would end up getting shot or captured. They’d think you’d escaped from the zoo.”
He slid in front of her, pulled her close, and lifted her chin. “Please let us look around. We won’t be here forever. I want to explore while I have the chance.”
She had to admit that when they awoke this morning, they seemed to have regained all of their energy. Getting the chance to show off her fine land might give them pause when the time came for them to go. “Fine. But I’m not giving you the complete tour of the world yet.”
Gage came out drying his hair with one of the loincloths. Whoops. She’d forgotten to show them how to turn on the blower.
“Did I hear someone mention going outside?” The grin on his face told her he was even happier than Will to get out.
She had to chuckle at their enthusiasm. “How about we go to the waterfall? It’s not far.” There was a great cove where Lara had said she’d made love to Taryn and Kellum.
Every night since her return she’d been interrupted with erotic dreams and hadn’t gotten good sleep. She slept on the big bed by herself while the men sprawled on the cool floor. All night she’d wanted to suggest to them to change and sleep with her, but she knew they needed to recuperate.
“Great.” Probably to prove they were in good shape, Will picked her up and swung her around.
“Put me down.” She was laughing so hard it was difficult to get the words out. The last thing she needed was for one of them to reinjure himself.
“I’ll do anything, sugar, if you’ll help us escape. Not that the accommodations haven’t been spectacular, but I need some fresh air.” He set her down and took a long, deep breath.
“Fine, but I need to round up some supplies. It will only take a minute.” She couldn’t wait to get them alone. And naked.
She found Lara in her bedroom. “Hey, can I borrow a backpack and maybe a blanket?”
Her sister-in-law smiled. “What do you have planned?”
A giggle escaped. “Remember that cove by the waterfall that my brothers took you to?”
Stray Cats [High-Country Shifters 2] Page 10