by Leah Brooke
Once Mitch shifted and they started off again, Fiona gripped the fur on his left shoulder, her body stiff.
With his pack mates surrounding him, they made their way down the mountain, their trek taking longer due to their watchfulness for more enemies.
Once they got back to the farmland, Joshua raced with her to Mitch’s clinic, alarmed that she’d been so still and quiet for so long.
Sitting on the examination table, Fiona watched Mitch lay out the things needed for her cast and glanced at Joshua. “Mitch already set it. Why don’t you go get dressed while he puts a cast on?”
Joshua sighed and nodded, clearly hesitant to leave her. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
Fiona waited until Joshua left, and Mitch began applying the plaster before glancing up at Mitch. “Is the baby okay?”
Mitch stilled briefly before resuming his task. “Do you have any pain? Bleeding?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Glancing toward the door, Fiona kept her voice low. “When he first grabbed me, I tried to get away from him. He yanked me so hard that it broke my wrist and I hit the ground hard.”
Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “I want to know immediately if you have any pain or bleeding. Where did you hit?”
“My right hip.”
“Can I take a look at it?”
“Okay.”
“Let me finish this and wait for Joshua to come back.”
“He’s going to get upset.”
“Who’s going to get upset?” Leland came through the door, with Joe right behind him.
He stopped at her side, grimacing as he watched Mitch finish wrapping her wrist. “What’s going on?”
“It’s no big deal. Mitch is just going to look at my hip.”
“What the hell happened to your hip?” Joshua’s long strides brought him quickly to her side.
Leland moved away, he and Joe turning their backs when Joshua laid her back and reached for the fastening of her jeans. “Jesus, Joshua.”
Joshua didn’t even glance up. “Yeah, like you wouldn’t want to do the same if it was your mate.”
Sliding one hand under her, he lifted her to ease her jeans and panties down just far enough to see her hip.
A muscle worked in his jaw, his eyes glittering with fury. “How did this happen?”
“I fell, Joshua. It’s not broken, for God’s sake. It’s probably just going to bruise.”
Mitch blew out a breath. “I’ve got news for you, honey. It’s already bruised. I would suggest you put ice on it—”
“If you even come near me with that ice pack, I’m going to shove it up your ass.”
Joe chuckled. “I see where Glenna gets it. Let me know when we can turn around.”
Joshua tugged her jeans the rest of the way off and covered her with a blanket. “You can turn around. She doesn’t need those jeans pushing against her hip.”
She sat up again with his help, shaking her head at his arrogance. “I want my jeans on, Joshua. I still have to walk back to your house.”
“I’ll carry you. Stay still so Mitch can clean your face.”
Fiona obediently turned to Mitch but kept her eyes on Joe and Leland. “You didn’t tell Glenna about this, did you?”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Joe leaned against a post. “Not yet. We’ll tell her in the morning.”
“Please don’t.”
“She has the right to know the dangers to watch out for.”
Fiona turned to Mitch again, closing her eyes. “I wish I’d had that advantage.”
A long silence followed, and with a sigh, Joshua rubbed her back. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t be sure of your reaction. I was afraid you would think we were dangerous and wouldn’t come back.”
Not bothering to open her eyes, Fiona winced when Mitch wiped a particularly sore spot close to her eye. “So you thought I’d just leave my sister and nephew in danger? You must have quite an opinion of me.”
“It’s not like that.”
Ignoring Joshua, Fiona opened her eyes again, turning to look straight at Leland. “Joshua keeps calling me his mate. Is Glenna your mate or Joe’s?”
“Both.”
“How can that be?”
“It just is.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she smells the same to both of us.”
“She smells the same to both of you?”
“Yes.” Joe straightened. “She also makes us feel the same. It’s a long story, but our parents were killed a long time ago because they brought too much attention to themselves by fighting. They fought over their mates. Evidently, they chose their mates, only to realize that they’d chosen wrong.”
“Chosen wrong? Why didn’t they just break up?”
“It’s not that easy. We found a notebook after Glenna disappeared, one that explained why there was so much trouble. It was because they didn’t wait for their true mate.”
Fiona got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Oh, and how do you know when you’ve found your true mate?”
Leland glanced at the others. “We know for sure by their scent.”
“Again with the scent.” Sliding from the table, Fiona wrapped the blanket around her waist, holding it securely. “Exactly what does Glenna smell like to you?”
Joe cleared his throat, glancing at Leland. “Vanilla and honey, but it’s much more than that. It’s a scent that’s intoxicating to us.”
“So you’re with my sister because of the way she smells?”
“It’s more than that.” Leland sharp tone held more than a hint of anger, giving her the feeling that he and Glenna had already had this argument. “It’s just how we know for sure. It draws us in, but we certainly wouldn’t tie ourselves to a woman just because we thought she smelled good.”
Mitch glanced up at Joshua before smiling at her. “Joshua didn’t have it easy, either. I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. Think of it as chemistry. That’s what draws people together, but it’s not what keeps them there.”
Fiona smiled coldly. “No. I guess it takes getting pregnant to do that.” She turned, yelping when Joshua picked her up and cradled her against his chest. “I can walk.”
“And I can carry you.”
Fiona looked at each of them in turn. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
Leland inclined his head. “You’re welcome. You’re part of the pack now.”
“We’ll see.”
Joe smiled. “Graham is cooking for you now. He’ll bring it as soon as it’s ready.”
Joshua strode from the clinic, crossing the backyard of the farmhouse and heading toward his house. “I don’t love you because of the way you smell or because of the baby.”
Sucking in a breath at his words, Fiona reminded herself that he only said them because of the baby.
Remembering her earlier promise to herself, Fiona sighed. “I love you, but I really don’t want to talk about it tonight. I just want to take a bath and get warm so I can sleep.”
“Okay, my mate.”
“Please don’t call me that.”
“That’s what you are.” He walked into the house, moving quickly through the dark living room and down the hall, through the bedroom and to the large bathroom. After turning on the light, he set her on the closed toilet seat and started her bath water.
“I bought you some bubble bath. I’m not sure if it’s the kind you like. If not, we can go buy some tomorrow.”
“It’ll be fine.” Exhausted and still chilled, Fiona used her good hand to take off her shoes. “I just want to get warm and get the smell of them off of me.”
Once he’d adjusted the water temperature, Joshua knelt in front of her, smiling up at her. “I’m not sure you’ll be thrilled to hear this right now, but according to the others, you smell like me.”
“Really?”
“Really. Your sister smells like a combination of Joe and Leland.”
&nb
sp; “Even if I wear perfume?”
Joshua removed her shirt, carefully working the sleeve over her cast. “It’s not that we can’t smell anything else. For example, when you showered with me, I could smell the soap on your skin, but your natural scent still came through.”
“Vanilla and honey?”
“Yes, but much more. That’s the only way I know to describe it, but it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever smelled. It’s irresistible.”
“I’d wondered.”
He removed her bra and tossed it aside before helping her to her feet, letting the blanket fall, his jaw clenching again when he looked at the bruise on her hip. “Wondered about what?”
“I’d wondered why you were interested in me. No one ever thought of me that way before. Now I know it had nothing to do with me. Just the way I smell.”
Joshua held on to her as she stepped into the tub. “That just got my attention. The rest was all you.”
“Hmm.”
“Is the water too hot?”
“No. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Your politeness is getting on my nerves.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had a rough day.”
“I know, baby. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I knew you were scared, and I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I kept imagining what they were doing to you.”
“When they took off their clothes, I thought they were going to rape me. I kept thinking that at least they couldn’t get me pregnant. I didn’t want to let them know I was pregnant because they seemed so furious at you. I was afraid they’d do something to make me lose the baby.”
His lips brushed her temple. “I’m so proud of you. You kept your head.”
“I’m still having a little trouble believing all of this. Glenna kept it from me. Now I know what she meant when she said that it wasn’t her secret to tell. Everyone lied to me.”
Joshua gripped her chin, his eyes hard when they moved over her swollen eye. “I didn’t mean to lie to you, damn it! I didn’t want to lose you. I realized that you were my mate from the time you opened the door to me, but I fought it—well, as much as I could.”
Smiling, he bent to kiss her hair and reached for one of the soft cloths on the shelf. “I bought these for you, too. Let me wash you.” He rolled a towel and tucked it behind her head. “Just lie back and relax.”
“I want to wash my hair.”
“I’ll do it.”
Uncomfortable at the silence, Joshua washed and rinsed her hair, wringing it out before putting the towel back and letting the ends of her hair hang over the edge of the tub.
“There, baby. Just lean back and let me take care of you.”
Once he’d finished bathing her, he helped her out, uneasy at her silence as he dried and dressed her in one of his T-shirts.
Lifting her against his chest, he carried her into the bedroom and set her on the bed.
Turning, he went to one of the dresser drawers. “I bought you a bunch of those fuzzy socks you like.” Grabbing a pair, he turned back to her, his stomach clenching at the faraway look in her eyes.
After slipping them on her feet, he tucked her under the covers, reminding himself to be patient.
She was exhausted, had been scared out of her mind, and learned that not only did shapeshifters exist but her lover was one of them.
Hearing Graham’s approach, he ran a hand down her leg. “Graham’s here with your food. Are you warm enough?”
“I’m fine. Joshua?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about? To tell me that you’re a shapeshifter?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Nodding, he started out of the room. “I’ll be right back.”
“Joshua?”
“Yes, my mate.”
Lifting her gaze to his, she gave him a blank stare. “Is the baby like you? Is Jonas?”
“Yes.”
“Why doesn’t he shift?”
“It won’t start until he hits puberty.”
“So, I wouldn’t be able to raise him on my own?”
“No, you wouldn’t, and you don’t have to. You’re my mate. You and any children we have belong with me.”
“I see.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
Chapter Seventeen
Joshua lay awake long after Fiona fell asleep, hoping that she would be more like herself in the morning.
She’d finally gotten warm enough to allow him to use the ice pack on her cheek, and he spent several hours following Mitch’s instructions by moving the ice pack to her hip and back again every twenty minutes or so.
The thought of what could have happened to her tormented him, and he had to keep reminding himself that he and the others had gotten to her in time.
Once the ice pack warmed enough to be useless, he tossed it aside, fighting the urge to shift and run.
The lingering fury hadn’t abated, and the beast inside him yearned to break free.
He couldn’t leave. His mate needed him.
She turned toward him, her soft whimper enraging him further.
The threat of danger was still out there, and it scared him to death, but he knew how to deal with it.
The threat of Fiona walking away from him, or looking at him in disgust or fear, proved even more terrifying.
He couldn’t lose her.
No longer able to lie still, he eased from the bed and got up to pace, hoping to get rid of some of his restless energy.
Seeing clearly in the dark, he paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, keeping one eye on Fiona.
The entire time he’d searched for her, he’d agonized over the fact that he hadn’t told her he loved her.
He’d told her,
He could only hope that she believed it and loved him enough in return to accept the beast that lived inside him.
She’d told him she loved him.
And she’d told him after learning the truth about him.
He hoped like hell she meant it.
She whimpered in her sleep and moved restlessly, kicking her legs hard enough to throw the covers off.
He moved instinctively, slipping into the bed, already reaching for her when she let out a bloodcurdling scream. “Joshua!”
Tamping down his rage, he gathered her against him, running his hand up and down her back. “I’m here, my mate.”
She breathed as hard as if she’d run a marathon, her entire body shaking. “Joshua. You’re here. You’re here. It’s over.”
“It’s all over, my mate.”
“Panthers. Black Panthers.”
“I know.”
“I was so scared. So cold.”
“I know, baby.” Rubbing her back, Joshua pressed his lips to her hair, aware of the pounding footsteps of his pack mates heading toward his house. “It’s all over. There’s nothing to be afraid of now. You’re safe. Stay here a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Fiona grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”
“To reassure everyone that you’re all right.”
“Everyone who?”
“I’ve got a better idea.” He threw on a pair of jeans and picked her up, blanket and all, and headed toward the living room. Settling her on the sofa, he turned on one of the new lamps and went to the front door, swinging it wide to find Leland at the door with several others behind him. “She’s fine. Bad dream.”
Instead of leaving as he’d expected, they all piled in.
Leland. Graham. Dane. Mitch. Thomas. Brock.
Leland crossed to her, dropping to sit on the sofa next to her. “We sent the others back. You okay, honey?”
Fiona nodded, her features deathly white. “Fine. Just a bad dream.” Still shaking, she pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
Mitch moved to sit on her other side, placing one of the pillows on it and propping her broken wrist on top. “Are you in pain?”
“I’m okay.”
Graham
knelt in front of her, wincing as he studied the large bruise on her face. “That’s quite a shiner.”
Mitch nodded. “I’ll go get another ice pack.”
“No. I don’t want any more ice.”
Joshua started a fire, hoping that it would help Fiona get back to sleep.
Leland took her good hand in his, smiling encouragingly. “How did they get you?”
Fiona sucked in a breath, staring at the fire. “One of them was on the plane with me. When I got off and started to call Joshua to ask him to pick me up, the man grabbed my arm, took away my phone, and pulled me toward the exit.”
She stared down at her wrist, her voice a monotone. “The other three were already there, and before I could scream, the one holding me hit me.” She touched the bruised, swollen side of her face. “I don’t remember anything else until we were in that cave.”
Leland frowned. “How did you hurt your wrist and your hip? Was it hurt when you came to again?”
Fiona averted her gaze, sliding a glance toward Mitch. “I must have fallen.”
Joshua turned from the fire. “I let you get away with that before, but before you say another word, you should know that I can actually feel and smell when you lie to me.”
Fiona lifting her head, her eyes wide. “You can?”
Joshua studied her with narrowed eyes. “I can. This is another one of those non-negotiable moments. So, would you like to try again?”
“Fine. I tried to pull away from him, and he yanked me. I couldn’t believe he was so strong. My wrist broke when he did it, and I fell hard. He was stronger than a man should be. When I think about how easily any of you could have been hurt, it terrifies me.”
Leland smiled and took her good hand in his again. “You do realize that we’re all just as strong, don’t you? Hell, if Joshua hadn’t grabbed the rope from that other guy, you would have gone over the edge.”
Graham nodded. “Joshua stayed where he was to protect you and still was able to fight the other guy off. If he’d been able to move, he would have torn him in half.”
Fiona stared at Joshua wide-eyed. “I knew you were strong, but I didn’t realize you were that strong.”
Leland grinned. “Probably stronger. They’re outcasts, Fiona, and not of the same blood. We used to break a lot until the Tremaines taught us how to control it.”