“Oh, my Goddess!” Jake cried out, his body still shuddering from his climax.
“Nope, just little ‘ole me,” Shadow couldn’t help but remark as he began to move again. His body was covered in sweat as he pounded harder and faster, chasing his own orgasm. Luckily, he was also close and grunted as he filled his mate’s body with his seed. Jets of come continued to spurt until it began to run back out. Yet Shadow continued to move within his mate until at last, he fell beside him on the bed.
“Thanks, Shadow, for everything,” Jake whispered as he moved closer until he spooned next to his mate. Shadow smiled as he pulled the shifter closer. He kissed his lover’s temple before he reached down and pulled up the blanket to cover them both.
“Try to get some rest, Jake. We only have a short time before we have to get dressed for the meeting.” Shadow glanced at the alarm clock and realized they had a few hours before they would need to get ready. Talk about a power nap.
Shadow heard his mate sigh as he snuggled within his arms. “I’m so tired of living in fear. I spent years under an asshat alpha. Then just when I think my sister and I have gotten free; another enemy crops up. Now my sister might be paralyzed or worse. Not to mention we’ll have to make sure the twins are taken care of. It just never seems to end.”
“I’ve spent most of my life never knowing when either myself or someone I know will end up badly injured, or dead. I look at Radar and wonder if he’ll ever be the same. I’ve lost family and friends during the war. I wish I could tell you everything will eventually work out, but I’d be lying.”
“Gee, don’t try to sugar coat the future for me,” Jake replied.
Shadow chuckled. “Would you rather I told you everything will be fine, and not to worry?”
Jake sighed. “No, you’re right. And I realize life isn’t certain. But can we pretend for just a moment that we don’t have invisible ninja’s gunning for us? Can we just enjoy being mated? Maybe get more than a few moments, so I can try out those toys you have hidden in the drawer?”
“How did you—”
“I was looking for the lube to take with on our run, just in case. It was kind of hard to miss the glow in the dark dildo,” Jake snickered.
“I think I’ve created a monster,” Shadow whispered as he pulled Jake close. “Now go to sleep.”
Jake sighed as he snuggled closer to his mate. “Remind me tomorrow to tell you I’m not the little woman in this relationship.” Shadow simply smiled as he let his eyes close to join his mate in sleep.
Artemus watched as the doctor hooked up the IV to Sammy. Since there was no way for her to get enough of the new potion into her system orally, they had decided to use an IV solution. Charlie had already taken a dose to give to his mate and Tank had volunteered to take the new medicine to the others who had been affected. While he was confident it would work for the others, he was concerned about the young she-wolf.
If Falcon was right, the bullet lodged inside her would continue to leach the poison into her system. Which meant they couldn’t be sure of the dosage or the effect of long-term use of the potion. Just like any cure, there could be side effects. A low moan broke into his musings.
“She’s coming around,” Doc stated as he continued to check her condition.
“I’ll go get, Jake,” Radar said softly. “He’ll want to be here when she wakes up.”
“Go ahead, I’ll stand guard until you get back,” Artemus replied as he moved toward the boarded window in the room. Luckily only one of the double windows had been shot out. It probably meant the shooter had known he’d hit his target.
It was clear that Sammy had been the original target. Until they could figure out a way to prevent further attacks, they had agreed that someone would remain with her at all times. They had upped the number of sentries patrolling the grounds and had one posted outside her door. But Artemus knew that wouldn’t stop a pair of assassins on a mission.
The door opened and Jake entered followed by his mate. Radar followed and resumed his position by the other window. Artemus was glad to see the injured wolf was finally spending more time in his human form. For a period of time, after they rescued him, he had remained outside as his wolf. It was understandable. After all, the shifter was locked up and tortured while a prisoner of Alpha Clifton. “You can go and get some sleep, I’ll keep watch until the meeting if you want,” Artemus offered.
Radar shook his head. “No, I need to be here. If it weren’t for Sammy, I’d be long dead. It’s the least I can do.” He glanced over at the injured she-wolf before returning his gaze to Artemus. The wolf grinned, “Besides we have to be in the war room in less than an hour.”
Artemus placed a hand on the shifter’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Fine, but you know she wouldn’t want you to make yourself sick. You’re still healing yourself.” He turned to see Jake pull a chair closer to his sister’s bed.
“Hey sis, you need to wake up, the twins miss you. I miss you,” Jake spoke softly as he held her hand. “Come on, squirt. I know you can do it.”
“Who are you calling squirt, short stuff?” Sammy croaked as her eyes slowly opened. She groaned and closed her eyes again. “Just tell me you killed the son of a bitch.”
“Well, the good news is I kind of took a bite out of him,” Jake replied.
“And the bad news?” Sammy asked.
“He didn’t taste like chicken,” Jake replied with a smirk.
Sammy smiled and shook her head at her brother’s remark. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was clear she was surprised at the number of people around her. She glanced back over at her brother, “Ah, did someone order a party without telling me about it?”
Doc Houston stepped closer. “You were shot by one of the dark elves—”
“Dark elves?” Sammy interrupted. “What the hell are they?”
“Long story short, they are invisible assassins most likely hired by Alpha Douchebag to kill you,” Jake replied.
Sammy sighed. “Great, I take it the bad news is they’re still out there?”
Shadow nodded. “They are but don’t worry. The alpha has extra protection to keep you safe.”
Artemus grinned at the snort given by the injured she-wolf. Sammy groaned softly before she replied, “Right and I bet next you’ll be telling me that unicorns are real. I was shot with guards surrounding the compound.”
“Well unicorns haven’t been seen in over a thousand years, but who knows,” Shadow smirked.
Sammy glanced at Jake and shook her head. “You’ve been showing him those Charlie the Unicorn videos haven’t you.” She returned her gaze to the doctor. “Just rip the Band-Aid off and tell me what’s wrong with me. Starting with why I can’t move my legs.”
“The bullet is lodged next to your spinal cord. Because of where it’s located, we can’t remove it without risking permanent damage. You can’t shift either because if you do, it could move the bullet,” Doc Houston replied calmly. “You’re also suffering from the poison that was inside the bullet. But we’ve started to give you some medicine to help nullify it.”
“I’m paralyzed?” Sammy’s voice hitched as she glanced at her brother, “What’s going to happen to the twins?” As if on cue, they heard a small cry from Castor’s crib. Shadow quickly walked over and picked up the fussing pup. He walked over and placed the tiny shifter into Sammy’s arms before he walked over to check on Pollux.
“You’ll take care of them, and we’ll help,” Jake answered softly as he gently pulled his sister’s hair from Castor’s grip. “The Doc says you might regain full use of your legs after the initial swelling goes down. But even if they don’t, we’ll figure it out.”
Sammy glanced down at the tiny pup in her arms. Tears glistened in her eyes, “But if I can’t shift, how will I protect them?”
Artemus watched as Shadow stood next to his mate holding the other twin. He smiled gently down at the child in his arms before he glanced back at Sammy. “With your permission,
I’d like to offer to be a guardian for the twins. I’ve already talked to Jake, and he’s agreed that you and the pups can live with us when we finish our new house. We will both protect you and them with our lives.” Jake nodded silently beside his mate.
Everyone watched the injured she-wolf as she gently stroked Castor’s cheek. Artemus could only imagine how hard this was on the fiery wolf. He would never be able to repay her for all she did for his brother. “You are not alone, Sammy. Falcon will use his connections, and I will use mine to find a solution. But until then, know that you are surrounded by those who would give their lives to protect you and the pups.”
Sammy glanced up at Artemus. He watched as the turmoil of her emotions reflected in her eyes. She took a deep breath and suddenly the uncertainty he’d seen before was replaced with the spine of steel he’d seen in the past. “Thank you—all of you,” she said simply. It was clear she was exhausted as her eyes began to close once again.
“Enough talking,” the Doc glared at the others in the room before he returned his look to his patient. “Now, I think it’s time for you to get some rest. The IV should help with the symptoms from the poison. I’ve added some antibiotics and other medicine to help with the swelling around your spine,” Doc Houston ordered as he adjusted the drip.
Jake took Castor from her arms and handed the pup to Shadow. Artemus watched with amusement as the warrior managed to arrange both boys in his arms before turning toward the changing station. It was clear from the look on his face that one or both were ready for a change. Jake continued to stroke his sister’s hair as he watched her drop back off into an uneasy sleep. The flush of fever still showed, and he was sure she wasn’t over the effects of the poison in her system.
“I’m going to go check on Sparky and the others to see how they’re coming along,” Doc Houston whispered as he packed up his things into the old-fashioned doctor’s bag he liked to carry. The man looked like an old country doctor from the turn of the century. Yet Artemus knew he was up to date on the latest medical treatments.
“I’ll join you,” Artemus stated. “I want to check up on Sparky before I head back down to the lab. I want to make sure we have enough of the potion to treat everyone.”
Both Shadow and Jake were changing diapers. Radar had gone to the small fridge in the room and removed a couple of bottles. He popped them in the microwave and then quickly tested each one before he walked over to give them to the two shifters. The normal moment caused Artemus to smile as he turned to follow the doctor from the room. It might be the calm before the storm, but then, that was life. You learn to cherish the calm in order to help you survive the storms. He just hoped this calm lasted long enough for the injured to heal.
Chapter 23
Shadow quietly followed his mate to the war room in the basement. They had managed to get the twins settled with Ricky and Sandy before going back to their room to change. He could tell Jake was worried about his sister; they all were. But if they were going to keep her and the rest of the pack safe, they needed to start going on the offensive. He was tired of just reacting to what the bastards threw at them.
As they entered the room, he saw a table along the wall filled with breakfast food and more importantly, coffee. The alpha must have realized after the way Valentine’s Day turned out they would need something to keep them going. He glanced at the other tired faces around the table and grinned. He’d bet more than a few had continued their celebration after they handled the mess with the dark elves.
Jake nudged him with his elbow as he nodded toward two empty chairs. He grabbed his plate and cup before he joined the rest of the group. Alpha Grant sat at the head of the table. He saw Blaze talking quietly to Falcon. Radar was behind his laptop while Charlie and Artemus also appeared to be talking to each other. Tank and Dove were arguing quietly over the merits of hand to hand combat versus Dove’s love for all things that go boom.
“I have them and will switch them to the large screen TV alpha,” Radar said quietly. Shadow glanced up and saw David and Forest sitting at a table. It was probably in the bed and breakfast they were staying at for Valentine’s Day.
“Are we live? I just want to thank my parents—” David’s voice came over the speakers. Shadow grinned when his father slapped the back side of his head. David rubbed the spot before he continued, “Where is Jason? Don’t tell me he decided to get lucky last night?” The shifter ducked as his father’s hand sailed over his head.
“Cut it out, David,” Forest ordered.
“Jason is working on our new security problem with Mack. I’ll bring him up to speed after we finish. I’ve also asked that Jake be here since he is the one who saw the assassins. Besides it was his sister they attacked.” Grant paused, “It seems like whatever is going on, the dark elves are now involved.” Alpha Grant glanced up at the screen, “Father, I thought they had disappeared into the fae realm with most of the others. Apparently at least two have remained behind.”
Forest nodded, “Part of the agreement signed at the treaty actually required them to all return to their own realm. They closed the portals so they couldn’t return. But it’s possible that a few may have remained behind. After all, we never did know exactly how many of them existed.”
“Or they found a way to open the portals,” Shadow replied quietly.
“At this point, does it matter?” David interjected. “At least two of them are here. Just like cockroaches, I’m sure there will be more hiding in the dark and just as hard to kill. Is it true they have figured out a way to use the poison from elf bolts in bullets?”
Falcon nodded. “Yes, they figured out a way to have a small amount of liquid in the tip of the bullet. It’s released into the system when the bullet fragments in the body. I’m not sure how they keep the integrity of the liquid because of the heat when it’s fired though.”
“Mack is looking at it now and says he should have an answer for us soon,” Dove responded.
Falcon looked at Dove. “That’s good; maybe we can figure out a way to create our own magic bullets to use on some of our enemies. Although, sometimes a sawed-off can do just as good a job when aimed right—”
“…or a well-placed bomb,” Dove interjected. “You have to admit my exploding doves were a hit when we rescued Ricky.”
“You’re lucky Mack is still speaking to you at all,” Tank finally spoke. “But before we can kill the enemy, we must know who our true enemy is.”
Alpha Grant nodded. “That’s why those who are going out to find possible allies for us need to be careful. Keep your eyes and ears open. I hate to say it, but it looks like the old Paranormal Purist Society has resurfaced. If that’s true, then we may be facing members from all of the different paranormal groups.”
“Why do you think the Party Pooper Scumbags are back in business? I know we still have those who believe that same-sex marriages or interspecies matings shouldn’t be allowed. But these guys took the whole purity test to the edge of crazy town,” David replied.
“True, they immediately killed anyone who broke their rules,” Artemus agreed. “But now that the dark elves are involved, I don’t think we can discount that some have banded together again under the PPS banner. I’ve never known the dark elves to fight for any other society or paranormal group.”
“That’s true,” Charlie added. “By their nature, they believe they are at the top of the food chain. Yet for some reason, they seemed to believe the PPS will serve their end goal.”
“And just what is their goal?” Jake asked. He looked fascinated by the world he thought he knew, but obviously didn’t. Sometimes Shadow forgot how sheltered his mate had been in his old pack. And yet, when needed, Jake always rose to meet whatever challenge they threw at him.
“What else? They wanted to be Masters of their own Universe,” Sparky remarked. Shadow was surprised as the wolf walked into the room and carefully took a seat. He looked like he was going to fall over any minute.
“I thought we agreed you woul
d stay in bed and I’d tell you what we decided?” Charlie growled at his mate. In some respects, Shadow enjoyed watching the two alpha males fight for control. He was glad that wasn’t a problem between Jake and himself. So far, Jake had allowed him to take the lead. But he knew that was only temporary. The difference was Shadow didn’t mind working behind the scenes; after all, that was his specialty.
Sparky shrugged. “You agreed but me? Not so much. I’m sorry it took me a little time to make the meeting, but somehow the distance between our room and here seems to have grown. But I’m here now, so what have we decided?”
Shadow could almost see the steam coming from Charlie’s ears. Even the alpha appeared to be amused by the two. He cleared his throat and continued, “I’m glad to see you made it. But for the record, I think your mate was right, you should be taking it easy until you’re healed.” He held up his hand when Sparky looked like he was going to respond, “But since you’re here, we need to figure out if the PPS is back and if so, who is involved.”
Before they could begin again, the door opened once more. Ricky entered and took his usual seat beside the alpha. “Doc Houston wanted to change Sammy’s IV and told me to come down. He’ll watch over Sandy, the twins and Sammy until the meeting ends.”
“Ah, isn’t that a bit much?” Jake started but stopped when he noticed the look the alpha gave him for questioning the alpha mate. Huh, Shadow thought to himself. Maybe the alpha finally figured out his mate was more than just a human under his protection.
Luckily, Ricky took pity on Jake. “Don’t worry, Sandy has decided that he likes being the big brother to the twins. Besides, Doc brought one of the sentries in to help him keep watch,” he turned to look at the rest of the room, “so what did I miss?”
“Well so far, it looks like we’ve decided my mate still needs to find a dictionary and look up partnership,” Sparky said using air quotes around the word. He ignored the glare his mate gave him as he continued, “And the wee-wee club seems to be back in business.”
Out of the Shadows Page 18