Wild Hearts

by Wild Hearts (lit)

  “I doubt you’ve had them in bed. They would’ve said so.”

  Although that she couldn’t be so sure of. She barely knew the two men who vowed to keep her safe. The wolf inside her body churned the spark of doubt in her gut. Had they intentionally brought her here to set her up? Were they part of this plot with Laela to dispense of another white wolf? After all, Coal coaxed her into changing in the middle of the woods, where anyone could have seen, and Jacy brought her to this house, where only he and Coal had access.

  Oh my God.

  Shyla tried to swallow the swelling knot in her throat. Laela stalked over to the bed and swiped the silver blade across her arm before she could react. Heat seared the open wound, pain clawing into her mind and making her stomach roil. Clamping a hand over the gash and fighting the sting of tears in her eyes, she threw herself backward as Laela came in for another shot.

  “What is…?”

  Shyla rolled off the bed. When she glanced up at Laela, the woman’s gaze was locked on the cell phone poking out from beneath the clothing. Shit, she hadn’t pushed it completely under!

  “You conniving little bitch,” the woman growled, grabbing the cell phone and heaving it into a wall. Shyla gasped when it slammed into the plaster, plastic shattering and paint chipping from the force of impact. Her ears rang with the resounding smack and adrenaline-induced rush of blood.

  Laela leaped onto the bed. Shyla bolted toward the door, knocking over the chair and glass table on her way. The evil creature behind her barked. Shyla pressed forward without a glance back, heart racing, blood pumping, stomach knotting until it entwined a new pain with the throbbing effects of her cut.

  Her blood-slick hand slid off the door handle as she tried to slam it closed behind her. She stumbled into the wall, leaving a bright red smear on the pristine white. Grimacing with the relentless stabbing of pain in her arm, she lunged forward, pressing her legs to move through the house until she reached the door.

  Then what would she do?

  The bedroom door crashed into the wall. She cast a glance over her shoulder. Laela bounded down the hallway, eyes flashing and lips pulled back from fanged teeth. The shadow in her spirit roared to life, slashing through the barriers of her human strength until fur spiked out over every inch of her body and every bone beneath her skin reconfigured into the form of a wolf.

  Fear pierced her in a split second. She had been in wolf form only once before and had little control over the awkward, alien body. Now, her gaze tunneled on the woman diving through the air toward her, she had no chance to adjust to this new creature before the more experienced one would mutilate her.

  Laela’s transformation occurred just as she landed feet from Shyla. Nails scraped over the wooden floor. Shyla padded backward, her hind legs buckling and landing her on her hip. The other wolf snarled and leaped on top of her, wrestling her to the floor. Panic surged through her. She couldn’t adjust to this body and had no advantage point against Laela. She thrashed madly beneath her enemy, swiping paws at the tan snout each time Laela made an attempt to bite into her.

  “Foolish little white. Fighting against the wolf will only bring your death that much sooner.”

  Shyla yelped as teeth grazed over her front leg. She lifted her hind legs and hooked them beneath Laela’s head, thrusting upward. Laela’s massive wolf body flung to the side, teeth tearing open the skin on her arm. A new stream of bright red stained her white coat and dripped onto the floor.

  Shyla flipped to her four paws and jumped onto the counter. She looked down at Laela as the wolf regained her composure. The woman might have intended her snide remark as a threat, but she gave Shyla a valuable piece of information in her time of need. Give in to the wolf.

  She leaped off the counter and into the living room. Laela growled as she rounded the counter and barreled toward her. The massive female slammed into her side. The force of the assault rolled both of them over until they crashed into the metal frame of a window. Shyla scrambled to gain her footing, forcing the logical human side of her to submit to the more primal beast.

  Her paws anchored to the rug, and she came out on top. Her wolf snapped teeth at the enemy beneath her. Hunt, fight, kill. Dispose of the danger. Protect yourself.

  The wolf squirmed and threw Shyla off balance. The wood-slatted blinds tore off the window in a shrieking rumble. Laela escaped the blanket of wood, but Shyla became tangled in their unyielding net. She fought against the encasement around her large body as her wolf’s confusion echoed in her spirit.

  “How pathetic, you measly little white. You bring shame to our kind,” Laela sneered in her mind. Shyla’s back paw became wrapped in the blind string, snaring her in this death trap. She looked at Laela, who appeared to be smiling.

  The wolf sat back.

  Then she lunged.

  A piercing shatter filled the dense air, making her cringe and her sensitive ears ring. Objects sprinkled over her, plinking off the wooden slats and burrowing in her thick fur. A smear of black caught her attention, followed by the loud mewl of an injured wolf.

  Shyla maneuvered enough to get her head out from beneath the blinds. Her heart seized, and her breath caught in her throat.

  “Coal!”

  Her immense black wolf rolled with Laela’s tan, entangled in a brutal mass of fur. Teeth snapped, growls reverberated, and paws swiped, but never once did Coal buckle. His silence was frightening, the air about him lethal.

  Something pulled at the string around her hind leg. She whipped her head around and snapped.

  “Easy, dear. I’m getting you out.”

  A tiny noise escaped her mouth. She couldn’t speak words as she watched Len work the string from around her leg. He stood where the window once barred the outside from inside. As he pulled the last loop of string free, she bucked to her feet, but Len grabbed her around the shoulders and held her back.

  “Don’t. He’s wild, and he’ll harm you without intending to do so. Come with me. Coal’ll be fine.”

  Shyla looked back at Coal and Laela. Coal plunged his head down and buried his teeth into Laela’s throat. The sound that escaped her stabbed ice into her heart. Cold seeped through her body as death spread through her enemy’s. Len tugged back on her gently, easing her through the shattered window.

  “Where’s Jacy”?

  “He’s handling the wolves in the forest,” Len answered.

  Shyla turned her head up to him.

  The man smiled, lifting her off her paws until they were away from any broken glass.

  “You can hear me too?”

  Len chuckled and nodded. “There are a few things we’ll have to teach you about telepathy. You’re on a general link. Anyone listening within range can hear you.” He led her quickly along the deck and down the stairs at the side of the house.

  “I want to change back. Help me change back.”

  “Wait until we get to the cabin. You’ll need clothing.”

  “Oh.” If she wasn’t a wolf, she would have blushed profusely. “You got here fast.”

  “I’m never far away, Shyla. There is always someone nearby, especially with you in the area. Coal and Jacy would never allow anyone to harm you.” Len’s eyes lowered to her stained coat, and a sigh escaped him.

  Shyla smiled, but it felt more like a sneer on her oblong mouth.

  “I’ll stitch up the wound made by the silver. The other should heal within a short time.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jacy angled himself in front of Coal’s wolf and crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze lowered to the desecrated animal lying in a pool of blood and patches of fur.

  “Bro, you didn’t need to go that far.”

  Coal growled, a dangerous rumble from deep in his throat. His jowls trembled as they pulled back, baring sharp fangs still stained with the blood of his kill. Pointed ears pressed flat against his head, and black eyes glimmered with frost blue. His friend pressed back, preparing to attack.

  “Damn it, Coal. Don’
t make me get the Taser. It’s never a pretty sight when you come through.” Jacy shook his head. “Surely you wouldn’t want Shyla to see you like this. She’s waiting for us back at Smith’s place. Len brought her there.”

  Coal’s persistent growl stopped. His jowls settled over his teeth, but he didn’t straighten out of his attack stance.

  “Shyla? Our mate? Remember her?” Jacy groaned, combing a hand through his hair. He stepped closer to Coal. “I can’t stand it when you give yourself completely to the wolf. It’s a chore to get you back.”

  Coal’s ears lifted and pricked upward.

  “Yeah, Shyla Smith. Our white wolf. The one we both love and whose mouth you keep hogging. I’ll tell you this much, Coal Demmering. That mouth will be mine. I’ll kiss her until you’re boiling with jealousy and about to combust—”

  Jacy absorbed the brunt of Coal’s body as his friend dove into him, knocking him into the wall. He laughed, watching Coal transform into his human self.

  “Well, that wasn’t hard,” he said, trying to tamp down his laughter. Coal stared at him, fingers bunched in Jacy’s jacket, until a smile slowly crept over his mouth. Jacy laughed harder, and Coal’s chuckle soon melted with his. “Man, you’re so wrapped. All I have to do is mention her name, and your attention is grabbed.”

  “So it is.” Coal stepped back, and Jacy straightened off the wall, easing his laughter.

  He wiped a tear from his eye and smoothed out his jacket. With a short nod to the dead wolf, he said, “What’re we doing with her?”

  “Getting her out of my house. We’ll drop her in the woods on our way to Smith’s.”

  Jacy watched his friend assess the damages done to his home. “We’ll be cleaning this place up, along with Len’s.”

  “Shyla’s hurt?” Coal asked, turning to Jacy.

  He nodded once and stepped around his friend. “Laela cut her arm with a silver dagger and left some teeth marks on her forearm. Len’s gonna stitch her up and tend to her wounds.”

  Jacy pressed his lips together and trekked down to the bedroom. Coal followed at his heels. They both paused outside Coal’s bedroom, eyes lingering on the large smear of blood over the wall. Jacy glanced over at Coal. His friend’s mouth was pulled tight, and his jaw twitched.

  “Len assured me she’s fine,” Jacy said. Coal growled and shook his head, raking his fingers through his hair. Jacy grabbed his arm and forced Coal to look at him. “Hey, it could’ve been worse.”

  “It shouldn’t have been this,” Coal snapped, waving a hand at the blood. “We promised her safety, and look what happened.”

  “Coal, get clothes on, and let’s go. We’ve got a lot to do, and Shyla’s surely waiting for us.”

  * * * *

  Shyla was hurt.

  The smell of her blood, sweet and pungent, burned into his memory as Jacy drove them to Smith’s cabin. Coal could barely sit still in the passenger seat, itching to reach Shyla and see just how bad her wounds were.

  Damn, he’d never forgive himself for this.

  Despite Jacy’s calm exterior, his friend battled with his own uncertainty and guilt. After dumping Laela’s body in the woods, a tenuous silence hovered between them. They both focused on Shyla and her well-being.

  Jacy guided the Mercedes along the dirt driveway. Coal wrapped his fingers around the door handle. As soon as the cabin came into view, he threw open the door and jumped out of the moving car. Jacy jammed on the brakes as he sprinted to the cabin and burst through the rickety screen door.

  Two sets of eyes shot up to him from the sofa.

  Coal’s heart thudded in his head. Shyla’s mouth curled in a shaky smile. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her face held a red hue.

  “Welcome back,” Len said, pulling thread through Shyla’s skin. She winced. “I’m just about through.”

  Coal rounded the sofa, sat on the edge of the cushion, and cupped Shyla’s damp face in his hands. He kissed her, tasting her mouth and reveling in the relief that she was okay.

  “You were supposed to be safe there. I don’t know how she got past—”

  Shyla pressed a single finger to his lips.

  “She snuck in behind Jacy and me. She used his clothing as a cover. You did nothing wrong.”

  “We left you alone. You shouldn’t have been alone.”

  “And you came to my rescue.”

  Shyla sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Coal’s gaze shot to Len.

  “Don’t tell me you’re stitching her without an anesthetic,” he said.

  Len shrugged, easing the thread through a new hole.

  “She didn’t want one.”

  “You should’ve given her something regardless.”

  “I can handle it, Coal,” Shyla assured. Coal looked at her as Jacy stormed into the house.

  “Shyla,” Jacy murmured, closing the space between him and their mate. He knelt down on the floor in front of her. “You’ve been crying.”

  “No. Just—ouch—getting sewn up.”

  “Done,” Len said, straightening up and placing the needle in a small box on the floor.

  Coal lowered his hands from her face and wove his fingers through her unoccupied ones. Jacy held on to her other. Len used a wet cloth to dab away the remaining blood from her arm before wrapping the wound with bandages.

  “Baths until the wound heals. Boys, don’t you be adding additional stress to the wound. And do not try to shift until it’s healed either.”

  “How long until the stitches can come out?” Shyla asked.

  Coal caressed her rosy cheek and placed a soft kiss against her temple. He expected her to lean into him, but she continued to sit straight with her eyes locked on Len. An alien emptiness settled in his chest, and he almost pulled her into his arms to fill that void.

  “A few days, at least. We’ll have to see how fast your body can heal against the infectious silver. Whites have been known to hold superior healing capabilities, and I doubt you’d differ from that.”

  “Thank you, Len,” Shyla said. A frown threatened the corner of her mouth as she looked down at her arm. Guilt swept through his body, and he turned her face to him. Mist dimmed her eyes, and conflict battled in the air around her. He didn’t like what he sensed, but he refused to pester her regarding it.

  “Nothing will happen to you again, Shyla. Nothing,” Coal whispered. He tucked her hair behind her ear. “As long as we’re here, you’ll be the safest person in the world.”

  “I know,” she replied with equal softness. Her eyes lowered. The simplicity of her answer did little to settle the restless turning in his gut.

  Len pressed to his feet, and Jacy immediately occupied his seat. He guided Shyla into his chest. Coal stared at him, cursing for not having done so himself. The onslaught of jealousy, regret, and immeasurable love threatened to tear apart his control.

  Coal Demmering never lost control, and here he sat, ready to do whatever it took to regain Shyla’s trust in them both.

  “I’d suggest you three rest. It’s been a trying day for everyone, especially our sweet little Shyla,” Len said, gathering his suturing kit. He cast a smile in their direction before heading toward the door. “I expect to see you boys at my shop in a day or two. I’m missing my kitchen.”

  “Of course.” Coal looked at Len and nodded. “Thanks for your help.”

  “Don’t be thanking me, Coal. You know you never need to thank me.”

  The door closed, and Coal turned his attention back to Shyla. She stared at him with a mixture of emotions running so deep in her eyes while tucked in Jacy’s arms. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, never once breaking their gaze.

  “We’re even, love. I scared you, and you’ve done the same to me.” The emptiness in his heart grew when she closed her eyes and turned her face into Jacy’s arm. He toyed with the right words in his mind until his stomach rolled. “I love you, Shyla. I don’t cope well with the idea of harm befalling you.”

  H
e noticed the breath hitch in her chest. It stopped in midrise. Her forehead creased so slightly he nearly missed it before it smoothed. Her fingers tightened around his.

  The unsettlement surrounding her made him bristle. He looked up at Jacy and noticed a similar unease behind his friend’s green eyes.

  “We should get you in bed so you can rest,” Jacy said to Shyla. He never turned his gaze away from Coal.

  “I am tired,” she agreed.

  Coal eased Shyla off Jacy and scooped her into his arms. She nestled against him with her body, but her spirit remained separate from her, doing little to soothe his mounting anxiety. He carried her into the bedroom and settled her into the bed, careful not to bang her arm, and leaned over to grace her mouth with a soft kiss. She lifted a hand to his face and traced over his cheek with airy fingers. Then she rolled over and closed her eyes.

  “If you need anything, we’ll be here.”

  Coal hesitated before turning to leave. Whatever resided in the air around her, he couldn’t put his finger on it. Shyla’s mind remained disturbingly quiet, but he associated that with the trauma from the afternoon. Still, her eyes spoke the puzzled weave of expressions her thoughts did not, and he had difficulty trying to decipher the silent conversation.

  He crossed through the door and shut it behind him. A sigh touched his mind, bringing him to pause.

  “I’m sorry, Coal.”

  * * * *

  Jacy slept, but Coal remained awake, bothered by the three words Shyla had whispered in his mind hours ago. Despite his fatigue, his heart ached and his mind scrambled to piece together why she would be sorry when it was he who continued to battle his guilt. Things could’ve turned out much worse than they had, but they shouldn’t have gotten as bad as they did.

  Coal stepped outside. The frigid night air and lashing wind cooled the fever of his skin and helped to suppress a headache that had formed over the foundation of his endless thoughts. He never had headaches. Hell, he never had guilt or overwhelming worry.