Alpha Contender Boxed Set: BWWM Paranormal shifter romance BBW

by Terry Bolryder

  I have two choices. Run for it now, or stay here and try to think my way out of this again.

  I’m glad I have such a calm, strong mind. The only mistake I made tonight was leaving the house in a heartbroken state, not thinking clearly. From there on out, I’ve been a champ. I mentally pat myself on the back and beg my brain to come up with more magic.

  But, by the time Jack reaches the place where I left the road to come into the woods, and he flashes an evil grin as he crosses toward me, I don’t have anything.

  Maybe I’m all out of magic for tonight.

  And he has the gun.

  He walks toward me and I step out of the trees, hands up.

  “I give, I give. Where’s Lock?” I ask.

  “Ha,” he says, grinning and shaking his head. “Let’s just say we don’t have to worry about him anymore. Or his worthless brother.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You didn’t know?” He smiles. “Twins have a special connection in the shifter world. They say when one dies, the other does too.”

  My heart thumps. How awful. My chest squeezes painfully at the thought of anything happening to Thor, and if I’m honest, at anything happening to Lock, too. He was awful, but he didn’t deserve that.

  I hear a loud, anguished howl in the distance. A deep one. That must be Thor, and tears threaten to prick my eyes and I push them back.

  “Anyway,” he says, “I think I’m just going to have to shoot you this time. If you’re writing in agony, you’re less likely to give me trouble with that quick mind of yours.”

  “Just tell me this,” I say. “What are you going to do to me when you kidnap me?”

  “I don’t know,” he says. “There are so many options. But first, I need some of your blood to leave here with the poison. To hopefully make people think you’re dead.”

  “I already told you it wouldn’t work.”

  “Well, it’ll still probably be worth it for the broken-hearted look on that pathetic wolf’s face when he realizes you’re dead.” Jack grins and takes a step forward, holding the gun on me.

  “Don’t do this,” I say, knowing that this typical begging isn’t going to get me anywhere. But Jack’s eyes hold no hesitation. He looks me over and trains the gun on different areas, squinting one eye as if to calculate the damage each spot would do. It’s a macabre display, and the blood drains from my extremities as I watch him do it.

  Then he decides on a location, and I steel my body for the impact. I watch his finger, wondering if I can jump before he pulls it.

  I can hear light footsteps in the distance, a familiar smell coming toward me on the light air, and my heart leaps and then plummets. Leaps because Lindon is coming, almost here, a silvery gold bullet running faster than should be possible. Plummets because he’s in danger, and his gaze is planted on the gun in Jack’s hand. And on me.

  It doesn’t take me long to figure out what Lindon is planning, and I suddenly don’t want it. He doesn’t realize the gun has poison in it. He might be willing to take a shot for me, thinking it would just hurt. But not if he knew it would kill.

  “Lindon, no!” I scream at him, knowing it’ll probably doom me but wanting him to stay back.

  Jack shakes his head and levels the gun at me, but Lindon, instead of stopping, gallops once and takes a leap that should be impossible, clearing the air between us and ending up in front of me just as the gun goes off with a loud bang. I feel his body reel against me and fall to the ground with him on top of me.

  I stare up at Jack in mute horror for a split second before a large, chestnut colored wolf howls and lets out a horrifying growl before jumping on top of him. Other wolves follow, jumping in succession into the fray. A white wolf that must be Fifi. Two silver wolves that must be the brothers. A couple I don’t recognize.

  Still in shock, nearly deaf from the gunshot, I stroke a hand through Lindon’s hair. I can feel something wet seeping across me and look down to see blood spreading out over his abdomen. His breathing is labored, and I watch as he begins to transform back to his human form.

  Hawes comes over as the others take care of Jack. He throws on clothing someone must have brought and is carrying a blanket that he tosses over Lindon.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, rocking Lindon to me as Hawes looks down. “He didn’t know about the bullets. They’re different, they can kill shifters.”

  Hawes lets out a deep, weary sigh and falls to his knees beside me, head in his hands. Then he gives me a haunted look and leans forward to check Lindon’s wound.

  He presses down with the blanket, applying pressure. “He knew about the rounds, Misty. He knew because we found Jack’s bag after you left. When we were trying to figure out where you went. You were gone and so were Jack and Lock. Didn’t take long to find out. I’ve never seen him like that. Like his whole life was in the balance.”

  He reaches out, touches the hair at the front of Lindon’s head.

  Lindon’s face is beautiful as usual, but pale, wincing in pain.

  “What do we do?” I ask, holding him tight like that can help. “How do we stop it?”

  Hawes shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know if there is anything we can do. It looks like they got him right in the chest. If they had just gotten you lower or somewhere less vital…but well.”

  I hug Lindon close. “Don’t you think I know that? Of course I know that. I tried to stop him.”

  “You can’t stop someone from protecting their mate,” Hawes says in a low voice. “Or whomever they think is their mate.”

  “Stupid man,” I say, running my hand through his hair as if it can soothe him. His body twitches beneath me, then writhes. He’s more conscious, and I can see the pain screaming in his eyes.

  “Thanks…calling me stupid…after I…save your life…” he gasps out between breaths, to my and Hawes’ shock.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

  “A part of me…does…as well.” He reaches for my face and I lean in, but he drops his hand. “But thankfully my…body…knew better. It always does…with you.” He trails off and his eyes close and I miss seeing the gold there.

  “You idiot,” I say gently, brushing his hair back again. “Hawes, tell me what to do? What can we do? I’m not going to just sit here and watch him die.”

  But Hawes just looks at me with haunted eyes. He has no answer to give, and I let out an anguished howl as I hold my partner.

  Chapter 6

  Hawes reaches over, like he thinks taking Lindon from me would be relieving a burden, but I just hug him closer, and Hawes keeps pressure on the wound.

  “I wish Lindon was conscious,” Hawes says. “He likes studying this kind of thing. The advances in shifter science.” His voice catches.

  “Don’t you have shifter hospitals?” I ask, trying to keep my own voice from breaking.

  He shakes his head. “We are damned hard to hurt, and human medicine doesn’t seem to work on the few things that take us out. A few weird viruses, but nothing more than that. We can tear each other apart, but that’s part of survival of the fittest.”

  “Shouldn’t someone specialize in healing?” I choke out, hating this world entirely for the first time ever. Desperate to change its very elemental mechanics.

  “We’re wolves, Misty. For better or worse, when death happens it happens. We aren’t humans.” His expression is sad, resolute, but I know under there somewhere I can see the same fire burning in his eyes.

  Lindon is still warm in my arms. This can’t be over. “Where is the freaking balance in this world?” I cry out, clutching Lindon. “Why the freak can’t someone do something?”

  I can still feel his chest rising and falling. At least he isn’t screaming in agony like Jack seemed to imply he would. But maybe he’s just brave. Or maybe he’s too mortally wounded. I’m afraid to even look at the bloody area Hawes is covering with his hands.

  “Will he just bleed out?” I ask, voice hoarse. “Wi
ll it hurt? Can someone make it not hurt at least?” I say, looking at Lindon’s furrowed brow.

  Hawes chokes up at that, and though he turns his face away, I can see his shoulders subtly shaking from grief.

  I slump back, sad that I’ve disturbed him but looking to anyone else for help or comfort.

  The others are turning back to human, changing into clothing and looking over with blank expressions that quickly change to horror as they watch me with Lindon.

  Horror because they realize how much I love him, or horror because it looks like his life is over?

  Thor stomps on Jack once more for extra measure. He might be dead now, I don’t care really. As long as someone helps Lindon.

  “Where’s Lock?” Thor asks in a tight voice. “Has anyone seen Lock?”

  Oh gosh.

  I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to tell him his brother could be dying up in the mountains from a similar gunshot wound, and all because he got caught up with the wrong people and was trying to protect Thor afterwards.

  But Thor sees my face and rushes toward me, eyes wide.

  “Help me find him,” he says.

  “I don’t know where he is,” I say quietly, looking away.

  “You do. Help me find him.”

  “He, he did something bad. I don’t want him around Lindon.”

  “Misty,” Thor says. “He’s my brother. Trust me. Where is he?”

  I swallow a sob and point up in the right direction. Thor transforms and runs off with a howl. I guess no matter how bad someone acts it doesn’t change that they’re your brother.

  I’m a little offended though that Thor would be so worried about Lock at a time like this, rather than listening to me about Lock’s role in the situation, or trying to help Lindon. Not that anyone can help. I can see it in the sad faces around me. Fifi. Bradley. Matt even, in human form, like she never transformed.

  I give them a hard glare and stay crouched around the man I feel is my mate. I’ll tell myself that even if he’s gone.

  The thought occurs to me that this is how Lindon must have felt while holding Ava, and that horrible realization resonates through me, along with a bone weary horror that I may never be able to apologize to Lindon for not understanding how traumatizing that must have been.

  But can anyone understand grief without experiencing it? We can try, surely, to empathize, but it’s not the same.

  You can watch someone get hit by a truck, you can even hear them describe it, but it’s not the same as feeling all your bones crunch as tires squeal.

  Another howl sounds, and we turn up to look in the direction that Thor ran for his brother. Not one, but two wolves are running toward us.

  One is limping slightly, but okay. How did Lock survive? Was the poison not as strong as Jack thought?

  As they approach, my heart swells near to bursting with hope. I can still feel Lindon’s life, though it’s ebbing, and maybe Lock can tell me something I desperately want to hear.

  The last thing I want to hear is that he gets to survive while my Lindon dies.

  Bradley tosses clothes to the twins and they disappear in the trees on the other side of the road for a few seconds and come out changed. I guess as a shifter you get used to quick changes.

  Lock’s usually relaxed smile is a pained grimace as he walks over to us, and I snarl at him to stop him in place.

  “Don’t come any closer. How are you okay? I heard a shot.”

  He lifts the shirt to show blood around a mostly healed wound and gives me a bitter smile, shaking dark red hair out of his face. “This is why they had to threaten Thor. I have incredible healing ability for my alpha power.”

  “So that’s why you were willing to get involved,” I sneer bitterly. “Of course. How brave of you. You knew you weren’t going to die.”

  “I didn’t know that,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking like he wants to come over. But I snarl again.

  “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would end up like this. I was trying to stop him, is all. I’ve done some bad things, but I knew in that moment, I couldn’t let him take you. I would have died to stop it.”

  “Someone did die to stop it,” I choke out, brushing Lindon’s hair. He doesn’t respond at all.

  “Look, Misty,” he says, holding up his hands and talking to me while everyone watches. “I obviously can’t do any more harm to him. Let me come closer, there’s a chance I can help.”

  “No, how can I trust you?” I wail.

  Thor walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Let him help. You never know. He’s not perfect, but he’s not perfectly evil either.”

  I look up at him warily. “You knew?”

  His jaw muscles tighten. “I didn’t know much. I knew he was hiding something. I’m sorry, Misty.”

  “It’s his fault.”

  “Now, that’s not fair,” he says. “Jack would have been here for you either way. And Lock tried to help.”

  “Can both of you shut up and let me help him?” Lock snaps. “I don’t know if I can do anything, but if we don’t hurry, it’ll be too late, anyway.”

  “Please,” Hawes says quietly. “Let him help. If there’s even a chance, what can it hurt?”

  “I don’t want Lindon’s betrayer touching him in his last moments. He should only be with people who love him,” I say. “But…you’re right. If there’s a chance…”

  I sit back and rest Lindon’s head on my lap, and Hawes helps lay him out gently on his back.

  Lock steps forward and crouches down in front of him. He lifts Hawes’ hand away and winces at the wound under it. I can’t look. I just know it’s awful. I can hear blood dripping onto the grass.

  “It’s bad,” Lock says.

  “What can you do?” I ask impatiently.

  He rolls up his sleeve and reaches toward Thor, who hands him a knife. “Give him a chance. That’s it. I have no idea if this will work.” He slices open his arm and I stifle a gag as blood drips out. Hawes’ eyes widen in horror while Thor just looks on.

  I can hear someone vomit in the distance and look over to see Bradley bent over some nearby bushes.

  Gross.

  I turn my attention to Lock as he applies his blood to Lindon’s wound. “Are you crazy? Isn’t that all kinds of unsanitary?”

  “What else do you suggest? Powerful healing antibodies run in my blood. I healed nearly instantly. I guess, I mean, I could try saliva.”

  I can feel my face draining and I shake my head vigorously. “Sorry, sorry. Do what you think will help.”

  Hawes reaches over and takes my hand. “Thanks for caring for him.”

  “Ha,” I mutter bitterly. “It was never a choice. It was like I cared for him from the instant I saw him.”

  “Judging by that flying leap into the face of death, I’d say that it’s mutual,” he says quietly, giving me a semblance of a smile. “I hope you’ll at least remember that.”

  I shudder. Remember that the man I loved got shot to pieces by jumping in front of me? Sure, I’ll always remember that. And I bet I won’t want to.

  “Not the violent part, of course,” he says. “But the part where someone was willing to give up their life for you.”

  “Right,” I joke. “I’ll give him some free passes on stuff when he gets better.”

  If he gets better.

  Hawes tries to laugh but it comes out more like a cough, and we both avert our gaze as Lock mixes his blood with Lindon’s. Will that mean he has Lock’s power after this, if he lives? Or is the blood more like a salve or powerful antibiotic?

  “I’ll…hold you to…that,” Lindon says. “I’m a…shithead…so I’ll need…some free passes.”

  My eyes widen in joy, but by the time I look down to him, he has passed out again. I sigh in frustration and hold him still, hoping the few words he said were a sign that he’s at least moving in and out of consciousness. That he can hear us sometimes, at least.

  Lock finishes and stan
ds, and Thor rips his shirt to make a tourniquet for his brother. They stare at each other for a moment and my heart sort of breaks for them. Sometimes love is very painful.

  “You can’t stay here,” Thor says.

  Lock nods.

  “You can’t leave, either,” I say. “You have to pay for this.”

  “Misty,” Hawes says gently. “He may have just saved Lindon’s life. If he stays, he’ll be killed.”

  “By whom?” I look down at Lindon. The blood does seem to be lessening.

  He shakes his head. “The tribunal. The mob. Take your pick.”

  I look over at Lock. He shrugs.

  “I’ll stay if you want me too,” he says. “I’ll take my punishment.”

  “Whatever you’d gotten into,” Thor says, “you should have told me. Given me a chance to help you.”

  “Naw,” Lock says, waving a hand, “I’m your older brother, it was always my job to help you.”

  My eyes prick at that, maybe just all the pent up emotion about Lindon being shot finally rising to the surface. Maybe just seeing such a strong family bond, something I never really had.

  “He can go, right?” Thor asks.

  “Alright,” I say. “I can’t stop you, anyway, can I?” I give Lock a dry smile and he comes forward to give me a quick hug.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I say, shrugging him off. I’m still not sure how I feel about him, on the balance of things. But right now he should run.

  “Where will you go?” I ask.

  “Somewhere safe,” he says quietly. He looks at me and then Lindon. “One word of advice?”

  “Sure, what is it?” I ask.

  “He’s still going to have to fight this. Nothing is certain. He could still die. If I were you I’d make sure he knows he’s forgiven. Give him something to live for.”

  I nod at him and Lock transforms into his wolf and takes off back up the hill. A little later I hear the roar of a motorcycle. As long as he doesn’t hurt anyone else, I guess for Thor’s sake I hope he gets somewhere safely and gets his act together.

  I turn back to Lindon, who is breathing a little more evenly now. I wait a few minutes, but it doesn’t get much better. But it doesn’t get worse either, like it was every minute before Lock interfered.