Heart of a Wolf

by K. D. Friedrich

  Maxwell's eyes turned red when they landed on Summer's breasts. "Absolutely, it wouldn't be right to monopolize such splendor. If my senses are correct. I do believe my daughter-in-law is breeding." He licked his lips. "Ready to pop out more grandbabies for Grandpa."

  Kian growled. "You stay the fuck away from my wife and kids." A flash of lightning lit up the skylights above them. Summer gripped his forearm. The touch seemed to ground him. "Come near her and…"

  "You'll kill us." Lex shook his head. "The men in this clan are high on threats, but low on follow-through. If I had to guess I'd say their women lead them around by their cocks."

  Kian smirked. "Pete knew all about my follow-through. I think I offered him the same warning. He didn't take me seriously. Don't make the same damn mistake as your brother."

  Lex's eyes flashed, and the floor seemed to rumble. Maxwell jumped in front of Lex. "Gentleman, I think we've had enough fun for tonight. We really should run along."

  Tristan stabbed his finger at Lex. "They'll be no warning from me, asshole. I'll just rip your fucking heart out of your chest."

  Lex rushed Tristan, his face mere inches from him. "The only one going down is your mate on my cock when I take her from you. I can make her want me, wolf. Just ask her. A witch like her needs more than a half-breed wolf."

  Laughing, Maxwell grabbed Lex and pulled him back. "As entertaining as this was we really need to be going."

  They hurried through the crowd. Some onlookers whispered to one another as the pair passed.

  Magnus, Dash, and Jax hurried over. Magnus scowled. "Can't any of you listen? I said not to engage them."

  "They made the first move. Yet again." Tristan snarled. Although, he knew Kian's march over here didn't help matters. "Next time they won't be walking away." He started after them. Winter grabbed him.

  "I can't believe my father is a damn vampire. What fucking idiot would give that man more power? He'll destroy the damn world."

  Magnus frowned. "This isn't good."

  A sudden scream made them all spin. Two men, wait, not men but vampires ran out onto opposite corners of the dance floor. They ripped open their jackets.

  "Jesus Christ, they're strapped with C-4," Jax shouted.

  "Pure blood, pure life." They bellowed in unison before pushing the buttons and sending the room into a violent explosion.

  Chapter 20

  In utter shock, Winter stared at the destruction surrounding her. An eerie silence settled over the area. Heat from the smoldering rubble beat against her skin. Smoke choked her. The lights above no longer twinkled, they sparked and popped, shooting burning ash in every direction.

  Hot wetness soaked her head. She lifted her upper body off the ground with her arms, shook off the momentary fog clouding her vision, and touched the side of her skull. Her hand came back bloody. When she tried to move her legs, she felt a weight holding her down. She shifted to find Tristan's limp body sprawled across the back of her thighs.

  He didn't move. Not even when she jerked her legs beneath him.

  "Tristan…Tristan." She reached for him with her magic and hit a wall of silence. Terror consumed her. "Don't you dare leave me now, you son of a bitch? Not after everything." She managed to twist her waist, reached beneath him, and flip him over onto his back.

  He moaned. Her relief was instant. "Fuck, it hurts."

  "Are you okay?" Winter asked. Her hands traveled up and down his body checking for injuries.

  "My lungs feel like they've been inhaling fumes from a tailpipe all night." He sat up and winced. "My fucking back is killing me. I need a damn vacation."

  Summer appeared at their side. "Are you injured?"

  Winter and Tristan exchanged concerned glances. They nodded, assuring each other they were unharmed.

  "We're good. Help the others," she assured her sister. Winter lifted herself off the ground.

  Summer nodded and hurried toward an injured couple a few feet away. In her peripheral vision, Winter caught sight of a figure wearing the same jacket the other bombers wore. The man raced toward the exit.

  "I got you now, you son of a bitch."

  "What?" Tristan asked. She ignored his inquiry.

  She ripped off the train of her dress, tossed it to the side, and kicked off her heels. Dressed in a skirt barely covering her ass, Winter darted across the room. She ignored the glass and debris cutting into the soles of her feet. The pain was nothing compared to the agony she'd feel if she let this monster get away.

  The figure slammed his way out of the exit. Winter closed in. Her adrenaline pushed her harder. Resolve making her stronger, she rushed outside and caught sight of the perpetrator turning the corner. Black ice made his feet slip and he tumbled into a pile of snow. Fighting to stand, he roared when he lost traction and fell on his ass.

  "Stop!" Winter ordered. She knew he wouldn't heed her warning, cowards like him always ran.

  With her adrenaline surging, she yanked her pistol out of its cleavage holster, stopped, and took aim. The shot slammed into his pelvis, shattering the bone in an instant. Yeah, those titanium-tipped bullets packed a wallop.

  "Fucking bitch," the vampire screamed as he hit the ground.

  She didn't want him dead. Dead men couldn't talk, and she had quite a few questions for the vamp. Besides, Winter had no idea if he had a bomb hidden under his jacket like his buddies did. If she hit him anywhere above the waist, the bullet might set him off.

  He hissed, a gun held tightly in his hand. "Bitch, you're gonna fucking die." He fired several rounds. A slug hit her arm, punching through her skin, exiting the opposite side. The wound burned. She welcomed the pain, using it to fuel her fury.

  With speed the vampire hadn't expected, she cleared the distance between them, and then kicked the weapon from his hand. The snap of his wrist echoed in the alley. "Fuck!" the perp screamed.

  A flash of movement caught her attention a second too late. She spun in time to catch an openhanded slap to her cheek.

  "You don't know when to keep your nose out of it." Maxwell Lancaster's eyes glowed white silver in the darkness. He glared at the vampire lying in a puddle of blood. "Fucking coward." He spat at him. "Can't do a goddamned thing right."

  "Master…I…"

  "Shut up."

  Winter shook off the hit and leaped to her feet. She attacked. Maxwell dodged her and tried to kick her in the stomach. She evaded the strike and countered, punching him in the temple. He staggered back a moment. Shock crossed his face when he realized she was not an easy adversary as her size dictated.

  She spat blood on the ground before him. "I've taken down assholes bigger than you."

  Even though her vision grew hazy from the blood loss, even though each movement made her want to cry out in agony, she refused to let this arrogant bastard get away. Instead, she held her ground. Someone needed to knock Maxwell down a few pegs. Who better than her?

  "Winter," Tristan shouted from the end of the alley. She spun at the sound of his voice.

  Huge mistake. The distraction gave Maxwell an open shot. His fist slammed into her jaw. She fell into the nearby wall, pushed herself off, rubbed the already swelling bruise, and grinned.

  Maxwell growled in frustration.

  "You think I don't know how to take a hit. I'm a fucking guard," she roared as she aimed her foot between Maxwell's thighs.

  He grabbed her leg, twisted with a sharp jerk, and knocked her down on her ass.

  "Fuck," Maxwell groaned as he glared down the alley. Pounding footsteps drew closer. "We'll finish this soon, princess."

  He wiped the blood from his face and took off, disappearing into the shadows of the alley. She wanted to go after him, but the gunshot wound, not to mention the other hits she took, were finally taking their toll. Besides, she still had another dangerous vampire moaning on the ground.

  The injured vampire scowled at her. "Master won't stop. He is the future of us and the downfall of you."

  She limped over to the dazed vampire,
forced him on his stomach with her good arm, jammed her foot into his spine, and cuffed him with magical enforced ties she had slipped in her bra when she strapped in her pistol.

  She flipped him over. When she tore open his jacket, a shot of adrenaline rushed through her veins, confirming her suspicions.

  "Damn it. Guess you didn't have the balls to carry out your boss's plan. No wonder he was furious."

  Tristan ran to her side. He pulled her to him. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

  Someone skidded beside her. She glanced over Tristan's shoulder to find Magnus.

  Her leader surveyed the bomb. "It's already been disabled."

  Tristan growled. "I smell your blood and it's making me crazy." He inspected her arm. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. Slowly and with great pleasure." Once again, he glanced at her blood-soaked arm. "Shit, you're going to bleed out if we don't get this taken care of."

  Dash rushed over. "Winter, hand that bastard off to Magnus. Jane's hurt."

  "What," Winter exclaimed.

  "She was close to the explosion. She's bad." Her dad had blood on his hands and something told her it wasn't his.

  "I'll take care of him. Go see to our girl," Magnus offered.

  Winter nodded.

  Tristan and Winter hurried back into the hall. The fire department had smothered out the flames, but parts of the building continued to smolder, filling the space with smoke and ash. Frantic, she scanned the room. She found Grayson on his knees. Beneath his caged arms, Jane lay lifeless. The tiger snarled at anyone who dared come near her, his gaze wild and deadly.

  "Stay the fuck away from her."

  "I'm trying to help her, man." A human paramedic raked his hand through his hair.

  Blood covered Jane's pale face. One of her bloody arms sat at a weird angle. Beside her, Levi twisted in agony. He arched his back and howled.

  "You're not touching her." Grayson snarled.

  Jane needed help fast or she wasn't going to make it. Winter sensed her spirit fading.

  Where the hell was Summer? Winter frantically scanned the room. There, across the way, Summer helped another injured bystander.

  "Jesus, man, I'm a paramedic. I'm trying to help her."

  Grayson's gaze glowed. "You won't touch her. No humans."

  Winter marched right up to Grayson. She fell to her knees beside him, cupped his cheeks, and stared into the helpless fury in his eyes. Without hesitation, she poured her comfort into him whether he liked it or not.

  "You will let them help her," she ordered. "If you don't, she will die." His chest heaved as he stared into Winter's eyes. "Do you understand? She. Will. Die." His body tensed, his face bloody. He looked fierce, terrifying to any mere human. Feral to any supernatural. But all Winter felt was fear. He was terrified to let her go. "Are you going to step down and let them save her life?"

  After a tense moment, he said, "Yes." Grayson backed up a foot, but no more.

  Seeing the opportunity, the paramedics began to work on her feverishly. They had her strapped to the board, an IV in place, and on the gurney in less than a minute.

  Levi tried to stand and fell to his knees. A deep laceration on his arm bled profusely and on his forehead, he sported a huge bloody bump . "Jane, where are you? Answer me. Jane!" His face twisted in anguish and fear.

  Winter rested her palm on Levi's shoulder, sent a calming wave through him. "She's on the way to the hospital. You did good. Without you, she wouldn't have had a chance."

  A few more paramedics arrived and ushered him onto a gurney.

  "I tried to cover her, Winter. I tried to save her. The blast…it came…so fast."

  The workers rushed Jane out through the doors and toward the ambulance. Dash, Grayson, and Jax were already outside when Winter and Tristan exited with the paramedics wheeling out Levi. They loaded the tracker into a waiting ambulance.

  Winter locked gazes with Grayson. "We'll meet you at the hospital."

  After a curt nod, Grayson hopped into the ambulance, positioning himself beside Jane.

  "Are you her husband?" The paramedic inside asked.

  "I'm a friend."

  He shook his head. "Then you can't be in here."

  A look of fear flashed on the face of the other medic, who Grayson had given a hard time to earlier. "Tom, let the man ride with us."

  The human scowled. "You know protocol. If he's not—"

  "You will let me ride in this ambulance with her or I will kill you. Choose." Grayson showed the man his claws.

  "Screw protocol," the man said with wide eyes. "I'd like to make it home tonight."

  "Smart choice," grumbled Grayson. He glanced at Jane's pale features.

  The ambulance doors slammed shut and the vehicle sped down the street with lights and sirens blaring, joining many other emergency vehicles in their race to the hospital.

  Chapter 21

  The emergency waiting room at New York-Presbyterian Hospital buzzed with activity. Winter blocked the strong emotions bombarding her from every shifter present, yet she couldn't stop exhaustion from settling over her.

  Dozens of frantic supernaturals and humans filled the rooms and waiting area bringing their fears and furies with them. Doctors and nurses rushed back and forth between patients. Police from all over the area interviewed those able to talk about the explosion. No matter the species.

  When Winter had arrived at the hospital, she learned that Jane was in surgery. Winter and Tristan, along with Grayson and Magnus, hurried over to the surgery waiting area.

  Jane's brain had swelling and bleeding that needed to be stopped. She'd broken several ribs and had a badly fractured arm. Overall, she was lucky to be alive. Levi had saved her life by taking most of the blast’s force. He suffered some shattered bones and a few deep lacerations from debris, but his shifter physiology saved him from the worst of it. He lay in one of the rooms set aside for supernaturals.

  Winter glanced at Grayson. The tiger shifter stood by the doorway, his gaze cast down the hall toward the surgical area where Jane had disappeared two hours earlier.

  Winter sensed his pain, his guilt, his anger, and concern. The cat within him paced back and forth like a caged animal. Grayson contained the wildness in him for the moment. She knew, however, if the doctor came out with bad news, they'd have a feral shifter on their hands.

  She wanted to comfort him. Out of all the shifters present, Grayson had tried to hide his pain the most. Yet, she knew he wouldn't welcome her placating him. Grayson was the most closed-off shifter she had ever met. She doubted that would change anytime soon.

  "You okay?" Tristan sat down beside her. He placed his hand over hers.

  Winter nodded. "I'm okay."

  "How's the arm?"

  She smiled linking her fingers with his. "It's healing. The bullet went in and out." She glanced back at Grayson. She lowered her voice. Grayson might have heard her, but she doubted if his attention focused on anything other than the door to the surgical wing. "I'm worried about your top guard. He's got a lot of rage bottled up."

  Tristan glanced up. "He's hasn't had the easiest life. He's lost much."

  She turned to Tristan. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He cares for Jane. It's obvious."

  "I know what you're thinking." Tristan sighed. "He will not mate her."

  Winter frowned. "Even if she's his true mate?"

  "Even then."

  She scowled at the tiger shifter. Stubborn-ass men.

  Grayson's body tensed. All of a sudden, he darted down the hallway.

  "Shit," Tristan snapped. "Grayson, stand down."

  Winter hurried behind Tristan.

  Grayson had Levi pinned to the wall in seconds. Several nurses scattered as the wheelchair that Levi had been in crashed into the opposite side of the hall. The humans' eyes were wide with fear.

  "You swore to protect her. Easiest job you ever had…remember?" Grayson growled. His lip pulled back with a hiss. "Weak fucking wolf."

  Levi's gaze fl
ashed with his wolf. Winter had never seen the easygoing tracker so close to his animal. "Get off me, filthy cat." He snarled.

  Tristan reached around Grayson's waist and yanked him off. Levi stumbled into Winter, who caught him and helped him stand. He shrugged off her touch. "Don't, Winter. Leave me to my pain. I don't deserve relief." His voice deep and raspy.

  She stepped back. "It's not your fault, Levi."

  "Yeah, it is. I failed to protect her." He faced Grayson. "Jane is my family." He slammed his fist against his chest. "My sister." Levi faltered. He clung to the wall on one side, while Winter helped him to stay standing. "She is my best fucking friend." Tears filled his eyes. "I would give anything to be the one in that damn operating room."

  A doctor ran up to them. "What the hell are you doing on your feet?" The doctor was a shifter as well. Winter sensed the frustrated bear growling within him. He glared around the hall before stopping his annoyed gaze on Tristan. "Are you his alpha?" He pointed at Levi.

  "No," said Tristan. "His alpha is unreachable right now."

  "You need to leave, or I swear to the Gods I will kill you." Grayson clenched his fists. His threat directed at Levi.

  "I'm not leaving until I know how Jane is." Levi held onto the wall to keep standing.

  The doctor shook his head. He turned to Winter. "Is this Jane his mate?"

  Grayson growled at the question.

  Winter took a step forward before the cat leaped at the doctor. "Um, no, they're heart kin." Heart kin was a strong relationship where a shifter claimed another not of their blood, but as pack. The shifter would protect and care for them as they would their own blood.

  "I see. Well, try to talk some sense into one of these shifters before they destroy the hospital. The wolf needs to rest if he wants to heal. He had some serious injuries. He lost a lot of blood. He's healing, but not as fast as I'd like to see."

  The doctor spun on his heel, made a sharp right at the end of the hall, and disappeared.

  "Come on, Levi, let's get you to a seat before you fall down. You," Winter snapped at Grayson. "Stay over here or I'll shoot you."