by JoAnna Grace
“Look, I know it’s your instinct to protect us. But as much as I’ve fought to accept this, we are a part of Kasey’s Pack now. This is a battle we don’t have to fight alone. The Blackburn Pack is more than equipped to take on Trace. You and I have both trained with their soldiers. They’re skilled, competent, and a lot more organized than Trace’s troops ever were.”
He nodded and rubbed circles on her hand for a moment. “I guess I’m not used to letting other people fight my battles for me.”
“Join the club,” Ami said dryly. Conall gave her a half-hearted smile. “Are we good? You and me?”
“Yeah, warrior princess. We’re good.” Conall brought her hand to his jaw and rubbed it against his face.
“You need to shave, dude.”
“Been busy covering your ass, as always.” This time, when Conall grinned, it reached his eyes.
Ezekiel smiled at his brothers as they got into his truck. They were both freshly showered but looked exhausted. Thankfully, they had been sheltered from the events of the day. The Mirrors rambled on about school and practice while Z drove to a florist.
“What are we doing here?” Nate asked as he hopped out of the car.
How do I tell them? What do I say? “Uh, well, guys, Ami was in an accident today.”
“Like a car wreck?” Tom asked skeptically. Shifters rarely got injured in such types of accidents.
“No, like a mountain lion from the Nevada Pride attacked a wolf and she intervened type accident.”
“What?”
“Mother trucker.”
“Is she okay?” Tom asked, his eyes wide and full of fear.
“For the most part, yeah. The cat took out a hunk of her leg, so she’s in the hospital.”
“Z,” Nate shouted. “Why didn’t someone come get us? We have to see her.”
Ezekiel put a hand on Nate’s neck. Man, he loved these little shits. He loved the way they had adopted Amilynn and cared for her when he couldn’t. “You will, bro. I want to get her some flowers, though.”
“Sunflowers,” Tom and Nate said in unison.
Nate popped his collar at Ezekiel’s surprise. “I know my lady.”
Ezekiel rolled his eyes and they went into the florist. They picked out an arrangement of sunflowers with other fall blooms in red and orange. The florist said the names, but he didn’t retain them. All he cared about was that Ami would think they were pretty.
The boys were quiet as they drove to the hospital. As he expected, they took news of Ami’s attack hard. His brothers loved her very much and the thought of her being injured jarred them as much as it had everyone else.
“Could she have been killed?” Tom finally asked.
Ezekiel answered truthfully, even though he wished he could lie to spare them the facts. “Losing her leg was a possibility. She bled a lot. Tyrone saved her life, somehow. The soldiers found the trail of a couple more cats nearby. If more wolves hadn’t arrived, it’s possible they could’ve killed her and Martin.”
“You mean those other cats watched their packmate get captured and didn’t try to help out?” To Nate, it must have been unspeakable. “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”
“Yeah, I’d never leave a packmate, even if it meant that I was captured too,” Tom said.
Ezekiel pondered their words as he picked up his cell phone and called his father. Sampson answered on the first ring. “Nate and Tom just had an interesting thought. It might be something worth looking into. What if those other two cats let the mountain lion get caught? What kind of pack or pride lets a fellow member get captured without putting up a fight? I know she put up a fight against Amilynn, but what if she wasn’t expecting another cat to be there? What if all she was supposed to do was attack the wolf and get captured. Martin didn’t have a scratch on him except on his face and wrist.”
“That’s a good point. I’ll look into it. How’s Ami?”
“Good. She’s a terrible patient, though.”
Sampson laughed. “Not surprising. See you soon.”
“You know what?” Nate asked after Ezekiel hung up with their dad. “We need to do something special for Ami. I mean, the flowers are nice, Z, but our girl is laid up with a jacked leg. We need to go big.”
“True,” Tom agreed. “Amilynn is a physically active person. Being laid up in the bed will not be easy. We need to do something to cheer her up.”
“Oh.” Nate slapped the dashboard and turned in his seat to look back at Tom. “I got it! We need to do that skit we cooked up for the Pack talent night last year.”
“Hell no.” Ezekiel had to shut that down. Their lip-syncing skit might have been fun back then, but things were different now.
“Come on, Z. People loved it. We got second place behind that singing kid with mutant lungs. Ami will think it’s the shiznit. Please?” Nate begged with his hands clasped in front of him.
“Listen to the words coming out of my mouth: hell to the freaking no. I looked like a big enough fool the first time.”
“You know what your problem is?” Nate scowled at him. “You’re a stick in rank-smelling mud. That’s why Ami won’t have anything to do with you. You got all serious and pompous-acting.”
“Nice vocab,” Tom said.
“Thanks.” Nate grinned at Tom, then turned his determined face to Ezekiel. “Ami is all about having fun and she’s not afraid to do silly stuff. Why would she want to be with a guy who can’t cut loose?”
“Ouch,” Tom whispered from the back seat.
Ezekiel growled and eyed his little brother in the rear view.
“Back me up, bro,” Nate said to Tom.
Tom took a deep breath and met Ezekiel’s eyes. “I have to agree with Nate. The only aspect Ami has seen of you is this overbearing persona. You need to show her your comedic side. I bet she would appreciate it.”
Ezekiel was quiet for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, the Mirrors had a point. Amilynn was a woman full of life and laughter. She loved to cut up and crack jokes. Sarcasm was as natural to her as breathing. And at one point, Ezekiel could remember being just like that. More importantly, there was nothing better than Ami’s smile, and he would do anything to be the cause of it spreading across her beautiful face . . . even if meant making a complete fool out of himself. He had tried to show her his caring side last night and even that wasn’t enough to keep her close. It was time to alter his game plan once again.
“She’d better like this because if she thinks we’re idiots, I’m going to be an only child by tonight.”
“Heck yeah, baby.” Nate gave Tom a fist bump. “Where can we find some of those pimp hats?”
“They’re called fedoras, you illiterate,” Tom corrected his twin. Nate and Ezekiel just shook their heads. Sometimes that guy was just too smart.
THE DELICIOUS SMELL of home cooking wafting down the halls had Amilynn salivating by the time Bianca, Sampson, Kasey, Vivian, Ty, and Melissa entered her room. Bianca carried a duffle bag and everyone else had pots of food or dishes. They crowded into the room and set up a buffet, much to the aggravation of the evening nursing staff. One look from their alpha and not another word was said.
“How you feeling, sis?”
“I’m fine. Barely any pain.” Ami smiled up at Ty, but damned if he couldn’t see right through her lies. She glanced at their family and pleaded with her eyes to keep his mouth shut. Truthfully, she was ready to amputate her leg with a butter knife if it meant getting rid of the pulsating throb. The pain meds dulled it, but didn’t take it away. Her shifter metabolism ran too hot and quickly burned them off.
Tyrone nodded and winked at her from under his black baseball cap. He found a chair and got out of the shuffle, blending in with the wall like a shadow.
“I made your favorite enchiladas minus all the spices that might disagree with the pain meds,” Bianca said with a wide grin. She came to lean over the bed and stroked Ami’s face. “I’m sorry I’m just now getting here. The Packlands were on l
ock-down all day.”
“I’m glad you’re here now.” Ami’s voice cracked on the last word and she cleared her throat. What was it about these wolves that made her get so dang emotional? She was definitely allergic to them.
“Me too, sweetheart.” Bianca leaned in and hugged her tight. “I hate not being able to take care of one of my kiddos.” Unlike Ami, she didn’t try to hide her emotions. Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip quivered. “Well.” She took a deep breath and hopped up to fiddle with the dishes. “I know they haven’t fed you well in here, so let’s take care of that right now.”
Sampson stood out of his wife’s way and let her fix Ami a plate. But he gave a slight head nod to Ami and the corner of his lips pulled back. Yeah, she knew he loved her. And he knew she wouldn’t want to have this breakdown right in front of God and everybody.
“Where are the Mirrors?” Ami said, adjusting her blanket so she didn’t have to look at anyone.
“I knew you couldn’t live without me,” Nate announced as the three boys came in the room. As glad as she was to see the twins, one look at Ezekiel and her heart leapt. He’d been gone less than an hour, and she’d missed him . . . terribly.
As if reading her mind, Ezekiel winked at her from across the crowded hospital room. When he pushed through the family, she saw the vase of gorgeous sunflowers. Her pulse skipped again. Ezekiel bent and kissed her sweetly.
“I missed you too,” he whispered before letting his brothers pass.
The Mirrors came to her side, both of them too timid to touch her. They both sniffed, no doubt scenting the blood and open flesh from her injury. The smell of open wounds couldn’t be hidden from their kind. A shifter, no matter what race, would know Ami was nursing some extensive damage.
“What’s up, Mirrors?” Ami smiled as brightly as she could and put up both fists for them to bump. “Now the party can start, huh?”
The boys smiled, but Tom’s eyes kept skipping over her right thigh.
“Listen, baby,” Nate said with his usual bravado. “If you’re going to go all ninja on us, at least call us for back-up first. You know we got mad skills.”
Ami heard groans from a couple of people in the room, but she laughed. These two could lighten her heart like no other. “You’ll be the first people I call, right after the soldiers . . . and Vivian . . . and Ty . . . and Conall. But yeah, you’re in there somewhere.”
Nate grinned and rolled his eyes. Tom shook his head, putting his hands palms up. “No faith. There’s no faith there.”
“Give me hugs, brats.” Ami accepted their hugs and kisses on the cheek. These were her boys, and man, she loved them more than her own life.
Right in the middle of that hospital, they had a family dinner. She was surrounded by the people she cared for most; eating, talking, joking, and strategizing. The food did wonders for her body; the family did wonders for her heart. Bianca even fixed small plates for the nurses.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Nate announced, proudly popping his collar. “For your after-dinner entertainment, we have the Awesomesauce Trio to perform for you.” He winked at Ami. “All for you, baby girl.”
Amilynn wasn’t the only one who giggled at his shameless flirting. She noticed how Ezekiel’s face turned the color of beets. Intriguing and so sexy.
Tom plugged in his phone to a radio that still bore the tag. The three brothers stood in a line and donned plastic fedoras in fall colors. Tom’s still had the dollar store sticker. “Bad” played and the boys snapped their fingers in sync. The three of them did a full Michael Jackson impression, lip-syncing to the song. Nate took lead—no surprise there—with his brothers as back-up. Ami about came up off the bed when they danced and started pumping their hips.
Where had Ezekiel been hiding these moves? They moonwalked, they did the signature crotch grab. Nate had his Michael impression down to a science. The way he moved his hands and his head made Ami giggle.
Sampson and Bianca smiled and laughed. Bianca covered her face when she watched her sons grab their crotches. Kasey had his arms around Vivian’s waist from behind and they were swaying while she sang along. Melissa sat in Tyrone’s lap and clapped. She didn’t hesitate when Tom took her hand and made her dance along with them. Even Conall enjoyed the show by nodding his head along.
They did a fancy move where they rolled their plastic fedoras down their arms and popped them back on their heads, sweeping the brims. Ezekiel dropped his hat but quickly recovered, then pointed a finger at her and winked, making her laugh until her side hurt. Nate came to her bedside and took her hand, dramatically delivering a few lines. Ami waved her arms in the air and danced from the waist up. Nate kissed her hand and joined his brothers for the final line. Their entire family shouted, “Who’s bad?” and applauded the guys.
Ami wiped tears from her eyes as they bowed. It was the most entertaining four minutes of her life. These three would never have a stage career unless they advertised it as comedy.
“Oh my God, you guys are bad,” she said, trying to catch her breath. Amilynn thought her heart would burst wide open. Nate and Tom were well known for doing funny and entertaining things. This time, Ezekiel joined in and she knew that the only reason he’d done such a silly thing in front of Conall, Kasey, and Ty was to make her happy. She whistled and clapped as hard as she could while the guys bowed. Even the nurses clapped from outside the room. Ezekiel was seven shades of red and had the most glorious smile on his face as his mother patted his cheek.
“That was the greatest thing ever,” Vivian said, wiping away tears from her laughter and pulling Nate in for a hug. “My side hurts, I laughed so hard. I see three new members to our act, girls.”
Conall made a comment to Ezekiel about keeping his man card since he did it for Ami, but otherwise, those moves were not to be shown in public.
The boys came to Ami’s bed. “Told you I have the swagger, baby girl,” Nate said as she kissed his cheek, then Tom’s.
“Best medicine I’ve had all day.”
“When did you have time to cook that up?” Melissa asked.
“It was a skit we did for the Pack talent show last year.” Tom’s face turned pink as Melissa put her arms around his shoulder.
“I think it was fantastic.” Mel and Tom hugged and Tyrone gave the boy a fist bump.
Even sitting on the uncomfortable hospital bed, her leg resembling a mummy, and wearing an itchy gown, Amilynn was in heaven. How could a girl be down when the people she loved surrounded her? Everything she cared about in the world was right here in this room. Ezekiel came over and kissed her cheek lovingly. Ami grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a real kiss, the kind no one would mistake as less than her claim.
“Oh!” Nate clutched his chest. “Now that just breaks my heart. Come on, don’t rub it in. I just did M.J. for you, baby girl.” Their family all chuckled when Amilynn blew Nate a kiss and he caught it. The child was shameless, absolutely shameless.
Sometime later, after more comical conversations and dessert, Amilynn yawned involuntarily. This seemed to signal to the family that it was time for her to get some rest. Vivian, who was still on the mend herself, was the first person to hug Ami goodbye.
“I love you, sister. See you in the morning.”
Kasey promised that fresh soldiers were on guard so she and Ezekiel could sleep.
Bianca set a duffle bag on the bed and opened it up to show Ami the supplies. She spoke timidly, as if she were embarrassed to confess what she’d done. “I put in a change of clothes and toiletries for Ezekiel. I hope you don’t mind, but I went into your bathroom and gathered your toiletries also. Your hairbrush, toothbrush, and a hair tie along with a change of clothing to wear home tomorrow. I’m sure it will be a while before you can shift, so I knew clothing would be necessary. I hope you like what I brought—”
Ami shushed her by putting a hand over Bianca’s. “Whatever you brought is perfect. Thank you for thinking about all this and for bringing me dinner.” Emotion
choked her up. “You’re amazing.”
“So are you, my brave girl.” Bianca pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You risked your life for a Packmate, I can’t imagine the courage that must’ve taken. I’m proud of you. I love you so much.”
Ami’s eyes pooled with tears. Her own mother hadn’t told her that in over a decade. Her mother hadn’t loved her even when she was a young child, innocent and desperately needing a mother’s love. But here was Bianca, a stranger up until a few weeks ago, who knew what kind of a person Ami was and loved her anyway. Bianca loved Ami enough to cook for her, pack her a bag, and share her family.
“I, uh, me too,” Ami said on a whisper and then cleared her throat.
Bianca’s serene expression said she understood what it took for Ami to say that. She pressed her hand to her heart and took a deep breath.
Sampson didn’t say a heartfelt goodbye, and for that, Ami was thankful. He simply told her that they would see her in the morning and ordered her to get some rest. Nate and Tom were reluctant to leave and their parents had to drag them out.
Family, her cat purred, our family. Ami proudly agreed.
When Tyrone pulled him into the hallway, Ezekiel thought it was to talk about Ami’s attack. He was only half right. There was something deadly about Tyrone. He always wore black or a dark color. There was always a cap on his head that covered his face. Pair the wicked glint in his eyes and endless tattoos, and there was a man that made alphas shake in their boots. Tyrone looked like he was always ready to put a cap in your ass. The fact that he barely ever spoke to anyone other than Melissa was just weird. Something about that woman seemed to tame the wild beast he could be.
“Let’s get something straight between us,” he rumbled in a deep raspy bass, a voice that had been damaged at some point. “You’ll never be good enough for my sister. But you keep that smile on her face and we’re cool. Hurt her or betray her, and I’ll rip your fucking heart out. You feel me?”