Unconditional

by Lauren Dane

  But she rode across town in an armored SUV with werewolves. Two of which she’d had sex with. One she was bonded to and could feel his emotions like waves.

  “I know,” Josh murmured. “I wish things could be calmer too.”

  She opened her eyes and looked into his. He wanted to comfort her. To make her feel better, and just the thought of that made everything else better. She smiled softly and he kissed her.

  “We deal with the hand we’re dealt. And who am I to complain? At least I can complain. At least I’m alive and I have you and a future that, while filled with strange stuff, is also filled with wonderful new friends and a community of people more like me than not. I just have to—”

  The rest of her sentence was cut off as their SUV was hit from the side at a very high rate of speed, sending it up into the air and then off the road and into the concrete walls that separated the road they were on from the highway.

  Her ears started ringing and blood got in her eye as she took stock, trying to wipe her face to get her vision back.

  “Michelle! Are you all right?” Josh shouted this as he got her out of her seatbelt.

  She shook herself a little to clear her head. “I’m alive. Are you okay? Akio?”

  A growl as Akio, in wolf form, scrambled into her lap, teeth bared, ready to tear anything that tried to hurt her into a thousand bloody pieces.

  “We need to get out. You carrying?” Dave asked from the front seat.

  Josh nodded and then spoke. “Yes.” He turned his attention to Michelle. “You stay here. Let me go first. We need to take care of whoever it is that hit us.”

  “You need all the backup you can get,” she replied, grateful she’d brought her weapon as she flicked the safety off. “I’ve had it with all this bullshit. I’m about ready to blow some motherfucking heads off,” she muttered, and Josh barked a surprised laugh.

  “Only you could make me laugh at a time like this. Keep your pretty ass down.”

  “I’ve called the pack, they’re on the way with backup.” Dave kicked his door open, and she got low, her weapon in her hand. Akio leapt over her, snarling, his wolf protecting her flank.

  The car that had rammed them sat a few feet away, the front crumpled, smoke and steam rising from the engine as stinky fluids leaked from the undercarriage.

  It was after midnight so thankfully there wasn’t a lot of other traffic, but soon enough looky lous would start to gawk from the highway on the other side of the divider. To the opposite side were several blocks of industry, so they wouldn’t have to deal with civilians coming out of their homes.

  “No one is in the other vehicle. Stinks of stolen magic though. Of rotten meat.”

  “That’s them.” Michelle used her othersight and caught the greasy stain of the mages who’d harmed Allie. She caught Josh’s attention and jerked her head toward where she saw their energy signatures.

  “Stay back.”

  “No.”

  She had been about to argue further when she heard automatic-weapon fire and started to dive for cover. Only she hit the ground because her legs just didn’t work.

  All around her wolves snarled. White teeth, claws. From the ground, she watched Josh’s face as he took her in. Watched, amazed, as grief crossed over his features, replaced by rage the type she’d rarely ever seen on anyone’s face. And then he was wolf.

  Pain pelted her like hail. Bright, hot drops, like knives as she looked down at her hands. Blood. A lot.

  Someone, somewhere nearby had latched onto her magick and was tugging it from her. It slipped through her fingers a lot like the blood.

  Feebly she fought back. Trying to scream out to Josh, to Akio, to anyone. But nothing came out but the magick and blood pouring from her, and with it, her life.

  She was going to die. Jesus, after all the last ten days had thrown into her life, she was going to die on the fucking street across the country from her home.

  But she’d be damned if she was going to make it easy. She let down her inner shielding and pulled all the magick she could from around her. She didn’t know how to work blood magick, but she called on it anyway. Her control was wild, not focused, but blood was life and life was its own sort of magick and she’d spilled plenty of it there on the street so she grabbed it and she used it, sending pain and hate and rage down the spell siphoning her life away, and she knew it had hit its target when the searing pain lessened to the dull roar of bleeding out on the street and organ failure.

  “Josh! Stand down. Goddamnit, stand down.” Dave. Yes it was Dave who was ordering him to stop killing the mage who’d shot his mate. The wolf didn’t care for Dave’s orders and went back to the ripping and tearing of flesh, the taste of blood.

  “We have to get her to Grace.”

  Dave picked the wolf up and got right in his face, screaming at him, shaking him. The man roused and fought his way to the surface, shifting hard and fast, and the grief nearly swallowed him.

  “She’s not dead yet, but she’s close. We have to get her to Grace. Pick her up and get her in the car.”

  Josh saw her there on the pavement in a pool of blood. She was pale as parchment, and he rushed over with a cry. He picked her up and felt her presence through the link, but it was so very faint.

  One of the wolves who had shown up while they fought the mages drove up and opened the door to the car.

  “Go! I’ll clean up here. Save her life, damn it.”

  “Why didn’t you take her already? Why not the hospital?”

  Akio jumped in and growled until Josh snapped out of it and slid in beside him.

  The car screamed off into the night, weaving around bodies and the cars that had been wrecked.

  Akio shifted back and moved to them, putting his arms around Josh and Michelle both. He kissed her forehead and looked up to Josh. “Dave didn’t touch her himself because he was afraid of how you’d react if you smelled her on him. And no hospital can help her. She’s been too…”

  That made sense.

  He didn’t know what to do.

  “Give me your shirt so we can stanch some of the worst wounds,” Josh called out to the wolf in the passenger seat. He and Akio were naked after the shift.

  They raced through the streets as the wolf driving called the pack house and spoke through the speakers to Grace Warden.

  “We’re about three minutes out.”

  “We’ll have the gates open, pull right up to the sliding glass doors and bring her into my office. I’ve set up a triage table. Hold on, Michelle,” Grace called out. “Talk to her, Josh and Akio. Keep her with us.”

  Josh leaned down to her ear. “You can’t die. I won’t let you so don’t even try. I hadn’t realized how much it had hurt to lose you the first time. You’re my mate. My life. Don’t leave me, Michelle. You and I have a future to live. We have future babies to raise and a wedding to plan.”

  Akio brushed his fingertips across her forehead and spoke to her in the other ear as well, the fingers of his other hand tangled with Josh’s as he did.

  “Don’t leave me alone,” Josh repeated, tears in his voice. “We just found each other again. We were supposed to. I know it. I know you were meant to be in my life and I was meant for yours. I was born to love you, Michelle. I can’t imagine a world without you in it, busting my chops. Making me laugh. Loving me. No one has ever loved me like you do.”

  They arrived, and the doors of what he remembered as Grace’s office were yanked open. Instead of yelling and panic, the wolves that streamed out were calm and in charge, and it helped him to carry her at a run—as gently as he could under the circumstances—into the house, following directions as they were given to him.

  “On the table.” Grace Warden was a petite woman, but a powerful wolf. She gave the order and he complied immediately. “Step back. You don’t have to leave the room but I need space to work.”

  Akio joined him, standing close enough that they touched shoulders. Touch was always important to shifters. Add to it
that as their anchor, Akio was in many ways bound to him and Michelle as well, and Josh was glad as hell Akio was there to keep him from losing his shit. He wanted to pace but all his energy was focused on keeping the wolf leashed. The wolf didn’t give a fuck about staying calm, the wolf wanted to protect his mate.

  He gave in and began to pace in the very small corner they waited in. Two steps. Turn. Two steps. Turn.

  Quietly she gave orders to the wolves assisting her as she cut Michelle’s clothes off. Someone put an oxygen mask on Michelle, who was so very still Josh’s breath caught.

  “Even as a witch, she’s not…she’s been shot more than a dozen times across her abdomen and chest.” Grace didn’t turn to face him as she spoke. She continued to work on Michelle.

  Their bond got thinner and thinner, and he knew in his gut that Michelle was going to die and that could not happen.

  Dimly, he noted that Dave had positioned himself close enough to take Josh down should he lose his shit when Michelle died.

  “You’re telling me she’s dying.” His voice was flat.

  Grace turned to him, her face grave. “Yes. Unless…”

  “Damn it, Josh. Now! It has to be now.” Akio squeezed his shoulder hard enough for it to hurt.

  “I haven’t even asked her!” But even as he said it, he knew it didn’t matter if she hated him forever for changing her without talking to her first. At least she’d be alive for it.

  Cade approached him slowly, his palms showing. Josh’s wolf uneasily prowled just beneath the human skin. Josh went very still, breathing in to assure himself that Michelle still lived and that the male standing there was his Alpha as much as Tracy, Nick and Gabe were.

  “I’d be honored to do the change, Josh. But it has to be now.”

  He blew out a breath, and Akio put his arms around him and held Josh tight, burying his face in Josh’s neck. “Do it.”

  Josh hugged Akio back and looked to Cade. Nodding.

  “Do it while I get these bullets out. I don’t want her healing with anything inside her that I’ll have to remove later.” Grace didn’t look up as she worked. “Josh, she’s going to live and be strong, and she’s only going to know you made the choice that saved her life.”

  “Even if she’s mad, she’ll be alive,” Josh muttered.

  “Yes. Listen, we had to change Ben over when he nearly died. He’s got forever with my sister Tegan because of that. He doesn’t regret it one bit.”

  Cade got rid of his clothes and shifted so fast it left Josh blinking. The more power a wolf had, the faster he could shift.

  “I’m done,” Grace told Cade and then she turned to Josh. “Hold her hand. Talk to her. She needs to hear you.”

  He’d been bitten and turned a decade ago. It wasn’t by choice and he’d been unconscious for most of it, so he didn’t really know what to expect. His wolf pushed into the forefront and took over, allowing the man to keep his skin.

  He put his face in her neck and breathed her in. “Beautiful, I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Hold on and fight. When you wake up you’ll be stronger and faster. You’ll be a wolf, and if you’re mad about that, you can’t do anything unless you survive. So if you want to kick my ass you have to live to do it. You hear me? Don’t you let go. Stay with me, Michelle.”

  Cade snarled and bit. Michelle cried out and arched, trying to get away, even though she barely held on to her life.

  Josh knew tears ran down his face, but he held on to her hand and kept talking to her. Urging her to fight and embrace the wolf racing through her veins. The wolf that would save her life.

  Chapter Fifteen

  She awoke from dreams of the forest. Of running. Of pain, quicksilver, burning through her like fire.

  She remembered dying. Of the way she’d lost more of her anchor to her body as her essence and magick bled from her. And Josh’s voice. His hands on her and his voice urging her to fight. Telling her he loved her.

  She heard her heartbeat. Smelled blood and pain and…Josh. Other Weres too. Other types of magick.

  Teeth. She gasped, choking on her spit at the memory of teeth, and began to cough, expecting there to be pain.

  Hands on her and a voice. A female voice and then Josh. That gave her strength to open her eyes. “Why is a woman here?”

  The words, as they left her body, had a life of their own. She couldn’t quite grasp the thoughts but everything was different.

  Josh’s face swam into focus. “There you are, beautiful.” His smile wavered at the edges. He was pale, but he smelled good. He smelled hers. Had she been able to smell him like this before?

  “Who’s the dish?”

  The female in the room laughed and stepped into Michelle’s vision. Inside her, an irrational anger stirred that such a pretty woman stood so near Josh. She pushed it back and nearly puked when a growl came from her lips.

  Michelle knew she blushed as heat blasted her neck and cheeks.

  “I’m wildly flattered. I don’t think I’ve been thought of as a dish in years. Maybe never. I’m Grace Warden. I’m Supreme Alpha here in North America. I’m also a doctor. Is it all right if I check you over? Take your vitals and the like?”

  “Yes, sure. What happened?”

  “Can I keep her hand while you do?” Josh asked, his voice rusty.

  She squeezed the hand in hers. “Better not let go.” She croaked this out and realized how thirsty she was. When she got the energy to speak again, she’d ask for water.

  “Never.” He brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Knuckles covered in dried blood.

  Grace efficiently moved, measuring, doing her doctor thing as Michelle struggled to stay awake.

  “You’re doing better than the last time I checked you.” Grace smiled down, brushing the hair from Michelle’s forehead. “I’m going to tell you that you were shot sixteen times. Your kidneys were both destroyed, three shots to your lungs, your intestines had multiple holes. You lost so much blood I’m quite frankly shocked you were still alive when they got you here to me. The only explanation is that you’re a badass bitch, as my sister-in-law Nina would say.”

  Grace held a glass of water with a straw to Josh, who brought it to Michelle’s lips, and she drank greedily.

  “Take it easy or you’re going to throw it back up.”

  She might have been exhausted and weak and woozy, but her brain wasn’t broken. And she knew with all that damage, it had to be two months later, which wasn’t true as Josh wore the same clothes and was still covered in blood. Her blood. It was hours later, not weeks or days.

  “Want to tell me why I’m still breathing after all that damage?”

  Grace stood back, and Josh got closer, brushing his lips over hers, over her eyelids, rubbing his face against her cheek and things that had knotted up inside seemed to ease. She responded to him with a rumbled sigh, and she knew right then, before he said anything.

  “You were going to die.” This man of hers who kept his control even when things got very bad, who protected her and soothed her, lost it then as tears ran down his cheeks. “I couldn’t lose you.”

  “I’m like you now.”

  He nodded and then shrugged. “Yes. No. Not quite. You’re better. I mean, aside from being shot sixteen times. Cade is the one who bit you. I’m strong, but if I’d bit you, you’d have been out a few days. It’s only been seven hours. You’re a strong wolf. A live one. I know you’re angry we didn’t ask you first. I apologize—”

  “Hush! Did you really think I’d be mad that you saved my life? Am I that high strung and difficult then?”

  He paused, his look of anguish softening to humor and affection. “Yeah? Well you’re beautiful and really good with a gun so I guess you can afford to be difficult. Occasionally. It’s just that I never brought it up to you much less asked, and your life is…well, utterly changed.”

  “I’m alive. To be with you. To find Allie’s killers. I’m. Alive. Thank you.” And really considering the last ten days
or so, being alive as a wolf fell into the plus category.

  Grace smiled and thumped Josh on the head with a folder. “See? I told you.” She smiled down at Michelle. “They were all so worried, and I said you seemed a practical sort and would prefer a life with Josh and vengeance for what these monsters did to your friend to death over a silly thing like being so near death you couldn’t be consulted about being turned.”

  “I’d laugh but I might vomit if I do.”

  “By all means, you’re free not to do that. Josh has been waiting to move you until you woke up, but he’s going to take you to one of our guest rooms so you can sleep. You’re going to need it to let your wolf get acclimated. You’ve done a lot in the last week. Mated, anchored, turned. Your wolf needs as much rest and time with the human as the human needs the same.”

  Michelle had a million questions, but she was so tired she couldn’t think. But she did need to tell them about what she’d seen at that house back in Portland.

  “Have to tell you what I saw. We rushed here for a reason.”

  Grace looked to Josh, who sighed heavily. “I told you,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Stubborn.” But he smiled when he said it.

  “I’ll make you a deal.” Grace nodded at Josh, who bent and picked Michelle up. “Let him get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better after that. Then Cade and I will come up once you’re settled in bed and you can tell him then. And, I hope you don’t mind, but one of the de La Vegas wants to hear what’s going on too.”

  Josh growled, and Grace winked at Michelle before she addressed Josh. “This one is Renee, she’s Jack’s mate and a witch. I think she’s going to bring her sister Kendra, who is the female Alpha of the jaguar jamboree. She’s also a witch who took on a cat so she’s eager to meet you. You’ll like her, and we can avoid all this silly boy stuff you guys do anytime another male gets near your mate.”

  “What about me? I wanted to scratch your eyes out earlier when you stood near Josh.”

  Josh made a grumbly sound that vibrated through her, and she stiffened when she realized the wolf inside her moved. Like, actually moved.