by Maggie Mundy
His man stood with a gun pointed at them.
Heraldo looked Conner up and down and laughed. “Let’s get right to the point. Jaime placed a lot of my money in safety deposit boxes. Before he died, he said you had the places and the numbers. I want you to give them to me and maybe I’ll let you live.”
Rosie sat down, but Conner stayed standing. “I don’t have anything.”
“I don’t believe you, but if it’s true, then your friend Tracey will die. My man has his orders if I call.”
“I’ve my laptop. Jamie had a folder on the desktop I haven’t deleted. It just looks like pictures and letters from his friends and family though.” Conner brought over her laptop and she opened it up. Rosie would give Heraldo the numbers. She just didn’t want anyone to get hurt. She handed the computer to Heraldo. He put in a USB and downloaded the folder contents. He stood and put the USB in his pocket. As he walked out the door, he turned to his man.
“Kill them.”
“But you got what you wanted.” Rosie slipped her hand under her t-shirt. She could feel the comforting touch of the metal of her gun.
“I don’t like loose ends.”
Then everything happened fast. Conner changed into a wolf in mid jump and pushed the shooter over, but not before the gun went off. Rosie screamed as pain ripped through her chest. She glanced down to see blood soaking through her top. This couldn’t be happening.
Conner, in wolf form, ripped out the throat of the shooter as the man lay struggling. The guy stopped moving as his blood trickled down his neck and pooled on the floor. If Rosie had not seen awful things on the street the sight might have made her faint. Today it was kill or be killed.
Heraldo turned back. “What the fuck.” He pointed his gun at Connor.
It took all her strength not to pass out from the pain, but she pulled out her gun, cocked, and aimed straight at Heraldo’s head. The force of the shot threw him back against the wall, and he slid to the ground, leaving a trail of blood from the back of his head on the woodwork.
The world became unfocused as she heard more gunshots. She didn’t want anyone else to die. Then Conner was back in human form beside her. He placed his hand against her scarred cheek and felt so hot, or maybe she was becoming cold. “It would’ve been nice to be your mate,” Rosie said, as she tried to stay conscious, but the world became hazy around her.
“I’m not going to lose you. Stay with me, Rosie.”
She wanted to fight, but the world turned to black.
Chapter Seven
Conner held Rosie against his chest and howled. He couldn’t lose his mate when he’d only just found her. Other people had good things happen in their lives, wasn’t it his turn? He sensed someone behind him and growled. At this moment, he would fight anyone who wanted near his mate. He turned to find Dray, the pack leader, there.
He placed his hand on Conner’s shoulder. “She looks near to death, my friend. If she’s to live, you’ve only one choice.”
Conner had wanted to change Rosie from the first moment he saw her, but not like this. “Would she want it? Do I have the right?”
“Try and bring her back. She said she wanted to be your mate.”
Conner shook Rosie gently and she struggled to open her eyes. “You’re dying, my darling. I can save you if I bite you, but you’ll change every full moon to be like me. I’ll do this if it is what you want.” He peered into her eyes to see if he could sense what she would decide. She smiled and touched his cheeks. He wanted to reassure her. “I’ll always stay with you. I promise.”
“I don’t want to die, Connor. I thought I did, but you gave me something to believe in again. Do what you have to do.” It was all she said before she passed out again.
Conner lay her down. The responsibility of what he was about to do filled him with doubt. This life was all he had ever known. Would she cope? He needed to be strong for Rosie. He transformed back into a wolf. He nipped her arms and legs until they bled, then licked the wounds clean. Her arm was uncovered, and he bit deeply into it at the elbow. The blood flowed from the wound and he hoped his saliva would work and stop her blood loss. He changed back to human form, dressed, and sat next to her.
Connor didn’t have to wait long to see the blood flow from her arm cease and the wound begin to heal. Like all werewolves, she would heal rapidly. It didn’t mean his kind could not be killed though. He hoped she would live, but only the hours ahead would tell. He’d seen others cope with the change, and it was painful for a body to be pulled apart and put back together as something new. For now, she slept and he would keep watch.
He stood and walked over to the door. Outside, the scene of carnage was similar to what had occurred in the cabin. The pack had killed the other four men and their bodies were piled near the car. All of Heraldo’s men had their throats ripped out. One of the wolves called Rafe, had taken a bullet to his leg, but his body had pushed the bullet out. The other wolves were teasing him for getting in the way. The bodies were taken from the house and would be buried with the others. The car would be driven away from the cabin and sold. Any money and the guns would be kept for future pack use.
Rosie screamed.
Conner rushed back to her side.
Her eyes were wide as she gripped onto him. “My chest, it’s burning.”
Conner lifted her t-shirt to see the wound where the bullet had entered. The skin around the hole rippled as the projectile made its way out. The wounds on her arms and legs were almost healed as well. She’d be left with small scars, but then again, scars were something Rosie and he were used to living with. Her body shook as the change took over and altered her DNA.
For the next hour, he held her close and spoke soothing words. Eventually her tremors lessened and she slept. Most of the pack had left, but Dray and his mate, Sharna, were still there. When Rosie finally came to, Conner breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at him and gave a weak smile.
He bent down and gently kissed her lips.
Sharna came over with a glass of water. “You’ll need to drink lots of water and rest for a few days. We’ll all be with you when you do your first transition though. Welcome to the pack. By the way, you chose a stubborn, bossy one.”
“She is stubborn as well and doesn’t do what she is told,” Conner said, as he smoothed Rosie’s hair and kissed the top of her head.
“I didn’t know I’d chosen anyone, but he will do. For so long I haven’t had a family. It will be good.” Rosie glanced across at the door. “Are Heraldo’s men all gone?”
Dray came over. “Yes, and I’ve sent Rafe to look after your friend, Tracey. I needed to get him out of here anyway so the others would stop teasing him for being shot. We’ll leave you both now,” Dray said, and Connor saw him and Sharna to the door.
This was now his home and he would never leave Rosie unless she told him to go. He made soup and brought it to her as she sat on the couch.
“I feel fine. You should let me get up.”
“You’ll rest and do what you’re told for once.”
Rosie pulled a face but didn’t move. She started to tuck into the food. She amazed him yet again how calm she was.
He sat down on the end of the couch. “You don’t seem to be freaking out, even though your whole life has changed.”
“My life changed when the accident happened. I’ve been wandering in a daze since then. Not really living but existing. The only thing that kept me from going insane was my dream lover. When I found him for real I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Connor placed his palm against her scarred cheek. “You are so beautiful. I think I might be the luckiest man in the world.”
Chapter Eight
Rosie’s hands were clammy as she walked into the clearing in the backwoods. The whole wolf pack was here to celebrate her first shifting. Her heart beat fast enough to jump out her chest as she watched the sun go down.
Conner had helped her heal after the attack and stayed at the cabin with her
. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
The two of them decided the money from the safe deposit boxes would help them set up an investigation agency. The rest would be donated to a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. People believed Heraldo was already dead, so she assumed no one would come looking for him. Rafe was in the circle tonight, but seemed to be spending quite a bit of time in Denver with Tracey. If he had imprinted on her, he was keeping it a secret for now. She would be there for her friend if the time came.
Connor put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She wasn’t sure it was love yet, but it was growing. It was definitely lust. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
“You’ll be fine. I’m here for you tonight and always.”
Everyone stood in a circle and stripped. Rosie walked into the middle of the circle and removed her clothes. In the past she would have been hesitant, but it seemed so natural now and what her inner wolf wanted. Taking a deep breath, she looked up as the clouds moved apart. The full moon shone in the sky. She had wondered what it would feel like when the wolf within her fought to get free. The past month she could feel its restlessness and hoped she wouldn’t lose a part of herself when it broke free.
Her body trembled as the moon pulled on her. She wasn’t cold. In fact, she felt hot, as if she were standing naked in the midday sun. All her senses were heightened and she could smell her fellow wolf family. The aromas coming from the men were earthy, and there was the more sensuous female scent. She could zone in on Conner and his distinct perfume. It made her want to run across the clearing and jump into his arms. From the grin on Connor’s face, he knew what she was thinking.
Everyone in the circle let out a howl.
She blinked and sensed she was no longer in human form. She had expected it to hurt, but it was nothing more than if she’d gotten a tiny zap. All the wolves changed, and she found herself jumping and yelping at them.
The wolves ran into the forest, following Dray.
Conner was by her side in wolf form as they bounded off together. He’d trained her daily with meditation this last month. She adored him for that, as it was the only thing stopping her wolf side take over. As she followed the others, she really understood her new life and loved every moment of it. It was as if all her life she had been half asleep and was now truly alive.
****
It was two in the morning by the time the other wolves left the cabin. She had a feeling there would be a party every full moon, and she was quite happy with that. The front door closed and Conner scooped her up in his arms and took her to the bedroom. He let her feet down so she could stand beside the bed. Then he undressed her.
“I love my pack brothers and sisters, but I never thought they’d leave,” Connor said.
Their lovemaking was usually passionate, but tonight he slowly worshiped her body and her final wall came down so she could love again.
Afterward, she lay in his arms and life seemed pretty wonderful. Who knew things would end this way?
“Rosie, I want to stay beside you for the rest of my life. I love you so much. I know we are mated, but I would be honored if you would be my wife.”
Her heart swelled at his words. “Yes. I think there is a big chance I’m falling in love with you, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”
If she stayed in the cabin making love until the next full moon she would be quite content.
The End
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