Break Her Fall

by JoAnna Grace

  “We’ll be dancing before you know it,” Ezekiel said once the nurse left them to get some rest.

  “We?”

  “Yeah, we.” He kissed her cheek. “Sleep, baby.”

  Amilynn found herself in a familiar room. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew the place. As she was trying to get her bearings, something came down hard on her head. She felt her blood spill across her face. Pain ripped through her body and a roar bellowed from her throat. A rag being shoved in her mouth cut off the sound. Knowing her cat had more strength, she shifted, only to find that her captors had put her in metal clamps that were able to hold even the most ferocious of beasts. Her eyes found those men who beat her over and over again. Her heart lurched in fear. These were Trace’s men. She was in his torture room. The cries of a female brought her attention to a table across the room where Melissa lay strapped down and screaming. Trace was over her, his pants around his ankles, his face lit in sick, twisted delight.

  “Help me, Ty,” Melissa screamed, her eyes full of terror and tears.

  This wasn’t her memory. This wasn’t her dream. It was her brother’s. The room shifted and Melissa changed to Amilynn. She wasn’t on a table, but sprawled out in the dirt, her leg opened and bleeding out. Ty was dreaming about Ami’s accident.

  “Ty, help me. Why won’t you help me?” the dream version of herself cried out, reaching for her brother.

  In the dream, Tyrone struggled against the chains that bound him. He tried to cry out, but his throat was damaged and no sound came forth. He was helpless, useless to save his mate and his sister. He couldn’t even save himself. His leopard took over his mind. They took my mate and my sister. Kill them all.

  Amilynn shot up in the bed, her heart racing and sweat drenching her hospital gown. She hit at Ezekiel to wake him up, the horror of Tyrone’s dream still raw in her mind.

  Ezekiel sprang up, ready to fight the unknown threat. “What is it?”

  “Not here. Home. Ty.” She panted with each word. “I have to get to him.”

  “Slow down. It’s just a dream. It’s not real.”

  Ami grabbed his shirt and made sure he looked her in the eyes. “It’s not my dream. It’s Tyrone’s. He has night terrors. I have to get to him now.”

  “I’ll call Kasey or Dad to check on him.”

  “No!” She scrambled off the bed. “If they go near him right now, he’ll kill them and not even realize he’s done it. Ty is not in control. His leopard is. If you care for me at all, you will get me home.”

  “Shit,” Ezekiel said, clearly battling what was best for Ami versus what she wanted. He helped her out of bed and into the clothes Bianca had brought. She never complained about her leg, but as she pulled the cotton pants over her right thigh, the blood drained from her face, leaving her clammy, and she clenched her eyes shut. The soldier outside the door dealt with the livid nurses as Ezekiel stole a wheelchair and rolled her out to the parking lot. “How you doing, babe?”

  “Not important,” she said through her teeth. Ami closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on Tyrone. If she could telepathically reach him, maybe she could talk him down.

  His mind was all animal, jumping back and forth between the past and present. She caught random images of the alpha house, Melissa sitting on the floor in the dining room, Trace hitting him, Amilynn bleeding in the helicopter, being bound in the torture room in Nevada.

  “Ty has Mel in the dining room. He’s deep under this time,” Ami said. “Drive faster.”

  “Is she safe?”

  “Mel is the only person that is. He’s not attacking her; he’s guarding her.”

  “Does he do this often?” There was a hint of wary curiosity in his voice.

  “My brother’s not a danger to Melissa, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Ami snapped defensively. “He has these nightmares every year or so. His cat can’t seem to tell the difference between the dream and reality.”

  “I don’t like this, Ami. You’re going in with blood on you. I can scent it.”

  “Trust me on this. I’m the only one who can break through. Don’t go all caveman on me.”

  He growled as they turned onto the road leading up to the alpha house. “We’ll go to the back doors so he can see you coming. It’s wide open. No surprises.”

  “Whatever you do, don’t show aggression, don’t try to dominate him, and don’t touch me, even if I’m about to fall on my face.”

  “This is insane . . .”

  “Ezekiel,” she yelled. “No. Caveman. Shit.”

  “I thought you said he wasn’t dangerous.”

  “To Melissa and to me. You, not so much. He’s attacked Conall for stepping in. He bites—remember that.” Ami slid out of the truck and hobbled to the house, leaving the wheelchair behind. Ezekiel held her up as best he could.

  The moment the large black leopard saw them approaching through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he went on the defense. He crouched, his ears pinned back, his teeth bared. Melissa sat on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. The table was pushed back and chairs were knocked over. Tears streamed down Melissa’s face, but she didn’t appear scared, only sad for her mate.

  Ami opened the door and inched inside, mentally cursing the branding-iron-like pain in her leg. She whispered to Ezekiel, “Go get Vivian. Tell her it’s bad.”

  “Ami,” he said, reluctant.

  She shot him a death glare. Ezekiel’s lips pinched together and he fisted his hands, but he slipped away to alert Vivian.

  Ami took one step and fell and stifled a scream, shoving her fist into her mouth. Fucking leg. The leopard growled and stalked her, circling her on the floor like a rabbit in the wild.

  “Ty, please, brother. Come back to us.”

  Upon hearing her voice, the leopard relaxed a fraction and sniffed at her. Ami let him inspect. When he got to her leg, he hissed. Ami slowly crawled to Melissa.

  “I’m so sorry, Ami,” she whispered.

  “I’m fine. What happened?” Ami pulled herself into a sitting position and caught her breath. Her vision swam with the pain and she had to take a moment to make sure she wasn’t going to pass out.

  Melissa kept her voice gentle. “I knew he was having a dream. I kind of expected it. First V and now you; it was only a matter of time. I got up and came up here to the kitchen for some of the juice he likes. I guess he woke up from the dream and I was gone. It freaked him out. Were you in the dream this time?”

  “Yeah, you turned into me. Okay, I’ve got to get him to settle.” Amilynn took a deep breath and began to call on her cat. She needed to remain human not only so she could speak to Ty, but because of her injuries. If she shifted, those stitches were history. Ty seemed to be content with Ami and Mel sitting on the floor in the dining room together. He paced slowly in front of them, guarding from a major threat.

  “Ty, for the love of Pete, you’ve got to cut this out.”

  The leopard stopped and stared at her.

  “Settle your ass down and come lie by me.” Ami had just enough dominance over Ty that his leopard recognized her commands. Slowly, he padded to her and sniffed her leg. “Come on. I’m hurt, I’m tired, and I really want to go back to bed.” The leopard examined the bandages on her leg and showed his teeth to her in dislike. “No kidding. It hurts like a big fat hairy bitch and you’re not making it better. Come here.” She opened her arms and he put his head against her chest. “Come back to us, Ty. Melissa and I are okay. We need to know you are too.” A sound of pain came from the chest of the cat. He was getting tired. Amilynn thought that he would finally give in about the time Ezekiel walked back up with Vivian and Kasey behind him. Something about Ezekiel set him off again. Ty leapt to his feet and crouched in front of his mate and sister.

  “Tyrone,” Ami yelled and yanked hard on his tail. He spun around on her, hissing and swiping a sheathed paw at her. “You did not just swipe at me,” she growled. “Claws or not, that’s bullshit.”

  The b
lack leopard snorted at her and turned his hostilities to Ezekiel just as Vivian stepped in. She waved Ezekiel and Kasey off and they left without question. V’s eyes yellowed as her tiger came forward. The power of her animal filled the room and even had Ami averting her eyes. V’s lips curled backwards and she extended a hand, palm out, to Ty.

  “Enough,” she growled. The leopard fought against her will, but he wasn’t as dominant as Vivian. Even riled up and angry, Tyrone had to submit. The leopard snarled and hissed as Vivian placed a hand on the top of his head. “Calm.”

  It took Vivian at least five minutes of staring him down before he finally went to his haunches and allowed her to rub his head.

  “There you go. Come on back, Ty. Go to Melissa.” Vivian motioned to his mate and the leopard slunk over to where Mel and Ami sat on the floor. Melissa accepted him with open arms and Ami ran her hands over his pelt.

  It broke her heart when Ty began to shake, crying even in cat form. His body shivered with magic as he turned from leopard to man and collapsed into Melissa’s arms wearing nothing but jeans, his human skin covered in sweat.

  “Forgive me, Angel.”

  Ami sagged against the wall. Thank God.

  Ezekiel and Kasey hid behind the wall of the dining room, not wanting to piss off Ty any more than they already had. Ezekiel had never seen a man lose himself to his animal like that before. That black leopard was ready to claw them to pieces and Ezekiel never doubted that he could. He wondered if Vivian could pull Ty back.

  “They can handle this, right?” Ezekiel asked his uncle, who was closest to the entrance.

  “Yeah,” he said, too quickly. Kasey met Ezekiel’s eyes and cocked a brow. “I think so.” He quickly peeked into the next room, popping his head back before he got caught. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. “Maybe.”

  Great. Not exactly the confirmation Ezekiel needed.

  They waited, ready to intervene if needed, until they heard the distinct gravelly rumble of Tyrone’s human voice. Both men exhaled in relief.

  “You go first,” Ezekiel whispered.

  Kasey cringed. “He’s your brother-in-law.”

  “Yours too, alpha-idiot. You first.”

  Kasey grit his teeth and Ezekiel nearly laughed. “Shit.” Kasey stepped into the dining room and froze. He glanced over at Ezekiel.

  Conall passed by in a rush and went straight into the eye of the storm. Ezekiel came around the wall to find the Pride members on the floor, surrounding Ty. They had their arms around one another. What kept his eyes glued to the scene was not the way the Pride was bonding together over Ty, but Ty himself. Without a shirt and his usual baseball cap, Ezekiel saw all the scars on his body. Across his back were the reminders of whip lashes. Scars that ran so deep that even after all these years of shifting, his body hadn’t regenerated and repaired the skin. The reason for all those baseball caps ran across his head. A scar went from ear to ear. The black fuzz of his hair was cut right in half, the jagged line making his scalp look monstrous. No wonder the man was never without cover.

  Until that moment, Ezekiel hadn’t fathomed the depth of pain and danger his mate and her family had lived through.

  “Forgive me,” Tyrone whispered over and over again, kissing the two women he thought he had hurt. “Amilynn, your leg. I’m so sorry. You should be in the hospital. Let me take you back.”

  “No, I’m fine. I’d rather be here anyway.” She took Ty’s head in her hands and kissed his cheek. “I think tonight would be a good night for all of us to den together. We’ve been through a lot today and we need each other’s strength and the strength of the Pride.” Amilynn looked up at him then, her eyes rimmed in red. “Ezekiel, can you get Ty a glass of water and a beer please.”

  The moment Ami had said his name, Ty clothed himself fully, covering his head with a toboggan hat. His shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t move from Melissa’s side. She pulled Ty close and whispered in his ear things so sacred and beautiful Ezekiel felt like an intruder for hearing. He went to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of water and a beer. No doubt Ty would need it to take the edge off and help him sleep.

  When he came back, everyone but Amilynn and Ty had shifted. Lying against the curved wall of the dining room was a massive tiger, Vivian. Next to her, in his wolf form, was Kasey. Melissa, a gorgeous petite snow leopard, lay by the tiger. Conall, an African lion the size of a small sedan, was by the wall, his head on Vivian’s hip.

  Ezekiel handed Ty the beer first. Ty grabbed his arm and looked him in the eyes. He could almost see the ghosts of the past that hovered just below the surface. The man needed no words. His apology was written in the haunted black of his eyes. Ezekiel clamped their fists together and nodded. The touch affected Ty. He pulled Ezekiel into a man-hug and slapped him on the back. “Thank you. I needed her.”

  The two men separated and Ty downed his beer, then chased it with the water. While he was doing that, Ezekiel bent to Amilynn. “I’m not trying to be a caveman here, but you know there is no way you can shift right now.”

  “I know.” She gave him a weak smile. The pain was costing her, but his woman was strong. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor in human form if I have to.”

  “I’ll make you a bed.” Ezekiel gathered the items he needed; the couch cushions that were deep and wide from one of the sitting rooms, pillows, and blankets.

  Bianca appeared at the staircase as he was getting the bedding. “Son, is something wrong? I thought you were at the hospital with Ami.”

  He gave a summary of what had happened and Bianca held her hand to her mouth. “I’ll get Sampson and the boys.” She headed downstairs.

  “Mom, there’s no reason to wake them. Everything is fine now.”

  “They’re family, Ezekiel. No one should face their nightmares alone.” She scurried off to wake the rest of his family. It gave him a great sense of admiration for his mother. Bianca might be considered a submissive in Pack structure, but she was the anchor of this household.

  Ezekiel made up a pallet for Amilynn to sleep on. He helped her get situated, covered her up, and then went to turn off the lights in the house. Four wolves padded into the dining room. His parents and two brothers approached the Pride with caution and reverence. They walked low, heads down. They curled up near the wild cats but gave them their space. Ty had shifted back to his cat and was curled up with Melissa, next to Vivian. Ami nuzzled the top of his head before settling into her bed.

  Ezekiel shifted, figuring it would be best on Amilynn. He sniffed her leg to see if he could smell any fresh blood or infection. There was a taint of decay and he worried. Tomorrow, he would see to getting her antibiotics. He positioned himself right next to Amilynn’s bedding.

  Amilynn rubbed him, her fingers sifting through the different layers of his coat. Her touch made him shiver. “You’re so beautiful,” she said, wrapping her arms around him, resting her head against his back like a child would hold a stuffed animal. “Thank you, Z.” Those were her last words before drifting off.

  THE MORNING SUN was sneaking into the dining room windows when Amilynn awoke. She needed to reposition her body. Needles pricked at her good leg, which had gone numb. Her right leg hurt from hip to toe, a bothersome hum of annoyance.

  She sat up against the wall and surveyed the giant, snoring fur balls around her. Six wolves, two leopards, a lion, and a tiger all cuddled together. She wished like hell she could be in cat form right in the big middle of them. Stupid leg. Stupid mountain lion. Stupid stitches. Stupid tiny bladder.

  Taking a deep breath, Ami braced herself against the wall and used her left leg to push upwards. She made it up, but the tingling in her left leg was worse. The wolf beside her squirmed, seeking the heat of her body.

  Why did we leave the wheelchair in the truck, she thought as she hopped as quietly as possible down the hall. Luckily, her room was close, and if she could just make it past the—

  “Oh, crap!” Ami’s ankle turned wrong and she went do
wn with arms flying. In an effort to catch herself, she took a step forward with her right leg. Red hot, angry pain shot through her leg like a gasoline trail lit on fire. Black spots danced in her vision and she nearly passed out. Tears pricked her eyes and she shoved her hand in her mouth to keep from screaming. She didn’t want to wake the others. The last thing she needed was for everyone to find her face down on the floor.

  Unfortunately, one wolf was aware of her actions. Ezekiel came around the corner on four legs to find her in push-up position, trying to get her left leg under her. The energy of his shift tickled her senses.

  “Here, baby.” Two human hands slid over her hips and pulled her upwards.

  “I’m fine.” Ami pushed his hands off, but she stumbled again. He ignored her complaints and slid his arms around her. Her ego shriveled and it pissed her off. “Let me do it.”

  “You’re not supposed to walk, Ami. Let me go get the wheelchair before you hurt yourself.”

  “I’m not an invalid,” she snapped.

  “I know that. I’m just trying to help.”

  “I don’t need your goddamned help.” Ami had a split second of her cat flashing its teeth before Ezekiel put his hands up in surrender. The defeated expression on his face would have killed her had she not been so pissed about her leg and the inability to do something as simple as peeing by herself. He stayed right behind her as she walked into her room and shut the door in his face. Sure, she’d have to deal with that later, but for right now, she couldn’t let herself care about hurting his feelings.

  Ezekiel cursed as the door closed an inch from his nose. What the hell had he done now? He fell asleep to her cradled against him, stroking his lupine form, telling him how beautiful he was, and this morning, he was back to being public enemy number one. Another curse crossed his lips, and he ran his hand through his hair. This woman ran hot one minute and cold the next.

  “It’s not you,” said a bass voice from down the hall. He turned to see Tyrone leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, eyes hidden well beneath that baseball cap. “Think how bristled you’d be if you needed an escort to take a leak.”