by Jane Jamison
Come on. Give me a pulse.
He might be scum and a shifter hunter, but she didn’t want anyone’s death on her hands. At last, she felt his life beat under her fingertips.
Thank goodness.
Standing on wobbly legs, she pivoted to find three werewolves staring at her. Blood covered their mouths and fur. “Jamie?”
The largest werewolf seemed to shimmer as the light faded quickly. He shook his head and the horrifying sounds of bones cracking made her stomach take an unexpected flip-flop. The werewolf’s body morphed, some parts lengthening as others shortened. Flesh spread over him, pushing the fur away until human skin was all that was left. As his image grew clearer, Jamie, on his hands and knees, lifted his head to look at her.
The two werewolves standing behind Jamie started their transformations. More awful noises of pain-filled groans and breaking bones accompanied their change, but soon, Case and Ham replaced the animals. Together the three men stood, turned, then hurried back into the motel room.
Suddenly alone, she scanned the parking lot. “Hey, don’t leave me out here.” Taking the crossbow with her, she snatched the extra arrows stuck in a case hanging on the man’s shoulder and started toward the room.
Jamie, Case, and Ham, back in their clothes, met her at the door and spun her around. Case wrapped his arm around her and led her away from the motel before breaking free. He knelt next to one of the hunters and yanked a knife from the sheath hooked to the man’s belt. Jamie and Ham fished the other men’s knives off their still bodies. Without a word, they stalked over to every car, truck, and van in the lot and started slashing tires.
Maya checked the windows of the other rooms and hoped no one would look out. “What are you doing? The hunters didn’t come in all these vehicles.”
“We don’t know which ones they drove, so we can’t take any chances.” Case slashed the rear tire on the utility truck. “I’m sorry we’re making it rough on others, but once these men come to they’re going to steal anything that moves to come after us.”
His reasoning made sense, but it didn’t make her feel any better. “I wish we could at least leave money so the others could get their tires replaced.”
“Me, too, but we can’t. We didn’t have time to get extra cash when we split Passion.” Case searched the lot for any vehicle that they hadn’t made it to. “That’s it. Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Ham dashed for their pickup, keys already out and clicking off the alarm system. Jamie started after his brother and got into the backseat.
“Come on, Maya.”
Was she going with them? If she wanted, she could run. She stared at the four men on the ground and wondered if she should call an ambulance. Yet once she lifted her gaze back to Ham’s, she knew her answer. Someone else would call for help, and, before that happened, she had to make sure the Hunter brothers were safely gone.
“Yeah. I’m coming.”
Ham rewarded her with one of his brilliant grins as she rushed past him. He waited for her to get into the back then hopped behind the wheel.
* * * *
Ham couldn’t get over how amazingly Maya had acted. Like a warrior out of an action movie, she’d taken the hunter down with one swift knee then followed it with a knockout blow that would’ve made any alpha female proud.
Just think how much stronger she’ll be once she shifts!
Even after all she’d been through, after seeing them in their wolf forms, she seemed to take it all in stride. She hadn’t said much after driving away from the motel, but neither had they. As though through unspoken agreement, everyone had kept quiet as he’d gotten the truck onto the highway and set the cruise control to the maximum speed limit. They needed time to regroup both mentally and physically. A lot had happened since they’d put Passion behind them, and instead of talking, Maya had kept her face turned away from them and, at some point, she’d fallen asleep.
He glanced through the rearview mirror at her. Her head rested against the window as she slept. Dark eyelashes feathered her cheeks, and a strand of her silky hair fell across her face to tease the corner of her mouth, which was slightly parted. She snored softly, and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.
“She’s pretty terrific.”
Ham shifted his gaze and met Jamie’s image in the rearview mirror. “We couldn’t have gotten a better mate if we’d placed an order for her.”
Case glanced at her. “Damn straight. Did you see how she whacked that guy with his own bow? I thought I’d shit my pants and die laughing.”
“You didn’t have any pants on to shit, man.” But his brother was right. None of them had expected her to handle the large man by herself. She’d shown them, all right.
“Now she knows what we are.”
Jamie didn’t have to tell them what they already knew. But it didn’t hurt to put it out there. They needed to talk before she woke up.
“She knows what we are, but she doesn’t know the rest of it.” He was encouraged that she’d come with them after seeing them shift, but that didn’t mean she’d welcome them as her mates much less agree to live in Forever.
“I hope she handles that as well as she did seeing us for the first time.”
Jamie snorted. “Who says she handled seeing us change well? She didn’t say a word about it then fell asleep. She could be in shock or in denial.”
“Then what do we do?”
Ham could sense Case’s tension, could even feel his brother’s inner wolf rising to the surface. If Maya didn’t want to go with them, they’d have to leave her behind. They couldn’t force her to mate them no matter what Jamie had told her. But how could they go on without her? He studied her face and tried to imagine life without her but couldn’t. Or at least he didn’t want to try. Then there was the problem of the hunters. After what she’d done at the motel, she was on their hit list now, too.
“Maybe we could have her talk to Shay or Tatum.” Case twisted around so he could face Jamie. “You know. They could tell her what it’s like to be a mate.”
“That might help. I wish we’d thought of it earlier.”
Ham checked the traffic around him, trying to see if anyone had somehow managed to follow them, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “It’s not like we had a choice when we left. We didn’t have any time to waste. If Maya hadn’t been with us, we would’ve had to leave her.”
“You’re right. Hell, I never thought I’d say this”—Case slumped in his seat—“but I guess it’s a good thing that the hunters found us when they did.”
They rode a few miles in silence, letting Case’s suggestion to have her talk to Shay and Tatum sink in. The idea had merit. Providing Maya would consider coming with them as their future mate.
“We play it by ear for now.” Case swiveled back to face the front of the truck. “But still, you’ve got Shay’s phone number, right? And they’re still in Passion?”
“Yeah, I’ve got all their numbers. And I’m guessing they’ll lie low for a few days, but I don’t know that for sure.”
Jamie had phoned Rosh McClain earlier to explain their abrupt departure and to warn them about shifter hunters being in the area. Rosh had promised to alert the werewolves in and around Passion, but he hadn’t mentioned whether or not his co-mates and Shay would get out of town. Sometimes it was better to hide in plain sight.
Ham had lost track of time, concentrating on the road and getting them to the mountains as fast as possible. Before he knew it, they were headed up the steep road that wound around the hills.
“I think she’s waking up.”
Ham’s inner wolf heard Jamie and came to attention. Now that he’d had her, his wolf perked up whenever she stirred. It wanted to claw its way back to the surface, shift, and take her as wolves had done throughout time. He could never let the animal inside him have complete control, as it could take over and never let him shift back into human form. And yet, releasing part of the ragin
g beast gave him the extra strength, power, and sex drive that made life enjoyable.
She stretched then opened her eyes. “Where are we?”
“We’re almost at the drop spot where we’re going to dump the truck. We’ll have to foot it a little ways to the other pickup.”
She sat up and gripped the armrest. “Then are we going back to Passion? I can’t just leave things. I have my parents, my friends, and a life.”
“No. I’m sorry, but we can’t risk going back. Not only because of our safety, for your safety, but because we don’t want to draw attention to the other shifters there, either.”
Ham cringed at Jamie’s bluntness. He’d hoped to break the news along with the very serious question of whether she’d come with them in a gentler manner, but Jamie wasn’t good at being patient.
“What are you talking about? I have to go back.”
He didn’t have to see her to know that she was stressed. Her voice was tight and higher in pitch. “What my brother meant to say is that we need to talk to you. We’re getting close to the drop-off point—” He pointed ahead. “See? There it is. Let me get the pickup off the road and under cover before we get into this, okay?”
She unhooked her seat belt to pivot around and look out the rear window. “Are you sure it’s safe to stop? Did they come after us?”
“We’re good. I haven’t seen anyone behind us in a long time and even then it wasn’t them.” Ham maneuvered the vehicle off the road and over the rough ground at the edge of the forest.
“Where are you going? Right into the trees?”
He kept his eyes straight ahead and searched for the part of the wooded area where a clearing had been made for the specific purpose of stowing a car out of sight from others on the road. Maya gasped as he drove into the foliage, but she soon relaxed as she realized that the barrier wasn’t thick enough to do damage to the truck.
She twisted every way to see around them. “You knew this was here, didn’t you? It’s like it was made for someone to hide a car.”
Ham unhooked his seat belt and turned sideways in his seat. Case did the same and Jamie pivoted to face her. “It was. We have a friend who’ll come and get the pickup. He’s trading vehicles with us and will take the rental pickup back.”
Jamie once again came right to the point. “We’ll use his truck to get to our final destination.”
“Damn, bro. ‘Final destination’ makes it sound like we’re going to our own funeral.” He hoped she hadn’t seen any of the movies with the same name.
Her eyes were circles of emerald. “Oh, shit. This is really happening, isn’t it?”
Jamie glanced at his brothers. “Right. We’re doubling back and we’re taking you with us.”
Chapter Seven
“I’m sorry? You’re taking me where? To Forever?” Her heart fluttered, and she pressed a palm to her chest. She’d left with them of her own free will, but she hadn’t given much thought as to where they were headed. At the time, it didn’t matter. After getting trapped by shifter hunters, she’d have jumped into an alien spacecraft if that’s what she’d needed to do. But now that the danger had passed—or so she hoped—she wanted to know. Had they been serious about taking her to Texas with them?
“We already discussed this.”
“That doesn’t mean I get it.” Yet she should’ve. The warning look Case gave Jamie didn’t make her feel any better. She could sense him trying to figure out what to say.
“What’s going on, Case?” She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the waver in her voice.
“You saw what we were.”
She nodded even as her mind tried to convince her that she’d only imagined it. Or maybe she’d dreamed the entire thing. Had it been a dream? Or was it a nightmare? What if it were true? Did that make them any less the men she cared for? But she could no longer deny the truth. “I saw all right. I’m still not sure I believe it, but I saw. You’re werewolves. Oh, hell, all of this is throwing me for a loop.”
Pressing her back against the door, she waited for them to laugh or tell her she’d dreamed the whole thing. When they didn’t do either one, she did her best to keep the fear at bay. She had seen them. Of that she was sure. She’d seen them change from amazing human men into frightening, yet exciting, animals. But even in their alter-forms, they’d still remained human under all the fur. She’d seen it in their eyes and in the way they’d attacked the hunters right on cue then whisked her away to safety.
“Yeah, we are. I know it’s hard to take in, but it’s a fact.” The plea in Case’s eyes was clear.
Is he pleading for me to trust him? To not be terrified of them? Or does he want something else? “Like I said, I still can’t believe it.”
“We could change and show you again.”
“I guess that would work. I didn’t really get to see the transformation into werewolves the first time. The return to human form, yes, but not the first part. Is it any different? Is it less”—she searched for the right word—“traumatic?” She shuddered. “I mean, from the noises I heard, it sounded like it hurt. A lot.”
“It stings some, but it’s worth it. The more changes you go through, the more practice you get, the less painful it is.”
“No, Case. I don’t think that’s a good idea to shift again. Not right now anyway. Besides, we need to get going.” Ham pulled the keys out of the ignition and stuck them on top of the visor, where their friend would find them.
They made it seem like changing wasn’t any more difficult than brushing their teeth. A wash of relief powered through her only to be followed by disappointment.
Did she want to see them as werewolves again? Or would it hit home and scare her too much for her to remember that they were men she cared for, men she could even love?
“But where can we go? We’re out in the middle of nowhere. Please tell me we’re not hoofing it through the woods to Grandma’s house.”
Jamie took her hand and squeezed it. The sensation she always experienced whenever one of them touched her rippled into her hand, calming her a little. “Ha, good one. Grandma’s house.”
She managed a small smile.
“Don’t worry. We know exactly where we are and where we’re going. But there’s something you should know.”
A nervous giggle escaped her. “You guys keep throwing me curve balls, and I’m not much of a catcher.”
“I think you’re doing great.” Case added, “We all do.”
Ham and Jamie murmured their agreement.
“Go ahead.” She readied herself for yet another surprise. “I bet there’s not much more you can do to shock me. The werewolf thing kind of raised the bar on surprises.”
But if that were true, why did Jamie look unconvinced? “You know how Shay and Tatum each live with three guys, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you also know that their men are werewolves, too?”
Another strike and miss for my bets. I guess they can still catch me off guard.
Her mouth fell open, and she had to force herself to shut it. “Oh, my God.” She slumped, resting her shoulder against the back of the seat. “Holy cow.”
“They’re all shifters.” Case bit his lower lip.
She grabbed her purse, dug for her cell phone, and started punching in Tatum’s number. “I’ve got to call Shay and Tatum. They need to know.”
“You don’t think they already do? How could they miss that?”
She paused, her finger over the next number as she took in Jamie’s arched eyebrow. “But they didn’t say a thing to me. I can’t believe this. My friends are living with werewolves. Not one, but three each. And they didn’t tell me.”
Her astonishment was matched only by her confusion. How could they not tell her? Didn’t they know she’d understand? Hell, perhaps even envy them?
She started to call again. “I still want to talk to them.”
“I doubt you’ll get any reception out here.”
She studied her
phone and knew Ham’s prediction was right. “Damn.”
“Maya, there’s more.”
She tossed her phone on the seat beside her then threw her hands into the air. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Now what?”
“Their men are werewolves, and they’re their mates. Which means…” Jamie let his voice die off.
“Oh, shit. Which means that Shay and Tatum are their mates as well. They changed them, didn’t they?”
Her eyes grew even bigger, and she felt the color drain from her face. “Oh, wow. Oh, wow.” She shook her head. “But that can’t be. They would’ve told me.” Was she repeating herself? But who could blame her?
“This is too much. Why wouldn’t they tell me? I’m their friend.”
“Shifters tend not to tell anyone who isn’t a shifter. So they wouldn’t confide in you. That’s just the way shifters are. Those who know them, close friends, family, and such, find out on an as-needed basis. Until now, you didn’t need to know. How else could we have managed to maintain a low profile all these years?”
“Jamie’s right. But do you get what we’re driving at? Shay and Tatum became werewolves when they agreed to mate with their chosen men.”
“Yeah, I get that.” She could hardly ask the question on the tip of her tongue, but at the same time, she had to ask. “What? I know you’re driving at something else, but my mind’s not working very well right now.”
“Maya, listen. Ham, Jamie, and I? That’s what we want you to do.”
She studied Case, half expecting him to laugh and tell her it was all a joke. But then everything that had gone on in the past day couldn’t have happened. Then she took in each one of them, starting with Case, moving to Ham, and ending with Jamie. “You want me to be your mate? And to change into a werewolf?”
Jamie squeezed her hand. “We do. But it’s more than that. We knew the moment we met you that you were our mate. As for the werewolf part, we’d like you to change, too. But if you don’t want to go through the transformation, you don’t have to.”