by Lynn Hagen
Rick ducked when he heard a bullet whiz past his head. “Get in!”
Dorian scrambled to get the door open as Rick heard another bullet being fired. He was too busy running for his life to pinpoint where the shooter was.
He started the car and slammed the car into reverse, heading out of the driveway. He cursed when he saw a black SUV pulling out in front of him, blocking him from driving away. “Hang on, Dorian. This is going to get hairy.”
Dorian quickly snapped his seat belt into place. “Are they werehyenas?”
From the getup one of the men was wearing as he jumped out of the vehicle, gun raised and aimed at Rick’s fucking head, the answer was a definite hell no. “Not likely.”
He swerved the car, turning it back toward the house, drove through the grass, and then got the Mustang back onto the road, heading in the opposite direction.
He smelled blood.
“Are you bleeding?” Rick asked. When Dorian didn’t answer him, Rick glanced over to see Dorian slumped in the seat. Shit. There was blood webbing out from the man’s shoulder. He had been hit with that second bullet.
“Fuck!” Rick slammed his foot down hard on the gas pedal. He needed to get to Olivia. She would know what to do. For some strange reason, Rick’s beast was not reacting to the scent of blood, thinking Dorian prey.
“Hang tight, Dorian. Don’t you dare die on me.” He drove faster, checking his rearview mirror to see the SUV following him. A ping noise sounded, and Rick knew he was being shot at. His Mustang was going to have bullet—“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Rick shouted when the back window shattered.
Keeping one hand firmly on the wheel, Rick called Nate. “I’m being chased by what looks to be a militant group, and they are heavily armed. I need help ASAP. Get Selene and a few others. I’m heading south on Route 3, by the Mason County safe house.”
“Fuck,” Nate said. “Selene and I are heading your way even as we speak. We were coming out there to talk to you.”
“Nate.”
“Yeah?”
“Dorian’s been shot, and I don’t think I can get to Olivia’s.”
There was a pause. “How bad?”
“His left shoulder and he has passed out. The bleeding hasn’t stopped.”
“I’ll get ahold of Bryson. He has medical training and can help. I’ll send him this way.”
Rick tossed the phone aside and then reached over to feel Dorian’s neck. There was a faint pulse. The man was losing too much blood. Rick shouted out his frustration. Dorian wasn’t even supposed to be involved in this. How had a simple nomination gone so terribly wrong?
Rick swerved when a bullet came through the back window and hit the dash, killing his radio. Whoever was after them was damn good, and it seemed they weren’t going to give up.
He damn near smiled in triumph when he spotted Nate’s red Yukon heading his way. Nate drove a beast of a vehicle. Rick just prayed it would win in a fight with an Escalade. They were about to find out.
Rick shot past Nate. He had to get Dorian help. He heard gunshots being fired, but kept going. His heart was beating so fast that his chest hurt. What if Dorian didn’t make it? What if the human died? Rick couldn’t think about that—because if he did, he’d turn the car around and attack the bastards responsible for Dorian’s death.
He wanted to. Oh god, how he wanted to turn around. The scent of Dorian’s blood was offensive. It was funny how in the span of a few days Rick’s feelings had changed. His werewolf was now looking at Dorian differently, as if the man were already Rick’s mate.
“I don’t give a fuck,” he said out loud. “I don’t care about the forced mating anymore. Fuck pack law and fuck what anyone else thinks.” Rick glanced over at Dorian and felt his stomach twist into knots. The man was so damn pale now. “I swear, if he makes it, I’ll claim him. I’ll make Dorian mine so no one else can hurt him.”
The vow was made.
Fate accepted it.
Dorian groaned.
“Dorian?”
“I can’t move my arm.”
Rick wiped the tear from his eye. “Just lie still. I’m getting you help.”
And then Dorian was quiet once more.
Rick turned off of the main road. He took a side street as soon as they hit a populated area. He reached for his phone, grabbing it off of the floor. Dialing Bryson, he drove to a small lot on the side of a closed building.
“Where are you?” Bryson immediately asked.
Rick gave the werewolf his location.
“I’m five minutes from you. Sit tight.”
Rick spotted a seedy motel across the street and told Bryson to meet him there. He pulled from the lot, hating to leave Dorian for a second, but climbed out.
He signed for a room and then pulled the car around back. At least it would be out of sight. Thank goodness they were on the first floor. After opening the door to the rented room, he went back to the car. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Rick pulled Dorian as gently as he could from the car. He kicked the car door closed and then hurried inside.
Placing Dorian on the bed, Rick shut the motel door and then clicked on the lights. Dorian looked a mess. The blood stained his entire shirt now and was soaking into his jeans. Rick grabbed Dorian’s shirt and ripped it in half, seeing the blood smeared across his pale skin.
He needed towels.
Grabbing a few that were in the bathroom, Rick wet one and brought it back. He had to staunch the bleeding until Bryson arrived. It was amazing how such a small hole bled so badly. No sooner did Rick wipe the wound then the bleeding began again. He pressed a dry towel against Dorian’s shoulder, praying the werewolf medic made it here soon.
As he stared at Dorian lying there pale and lifeless, Rick realized that he had been falling for the guy and was just too damn stubborn to accept it. The man intrigued and fascinated him, sexually interested him, and had qualities Rick found endearing, but he had never thought Dorian would steal his heart.
It seemed Rick was the one to change the rules halfway through the game.
He was falling in love.
Shit.
A knock sounded at the door. Rick left the towel on Dorian’s shoulder as he glimpsed out of the window. It was Bryson. Rick opened the door. The werewolf walked in, a medic bag hanging from his shoulder.
“I’m told he was shot.” Bryson set his bag down on the bed Dorian was lying on and pulled the towel back.
“Shift and I’ll kill you,” Rick warned. He didn’t know Bryson all that well—the guy had just joined Rick’s pack not too long ago—and Rick wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to Dorian. The scent of blood just might bring out the changeling’s beast.
“I’m a medic for a reason,” Bryson answered. “Blood doesn’t affect me the way it does most changelings. I can handle it.”
Which said more about Rick considering he had shifted the first time he smelled Dorian bleeding. It was good to know the college guy had a better handle over his beast when it came to blood.
“It was a clean shot, exiting out of his back,” Bryson said as he lowered Dorian. “I’m going to have to repair the damage. This might take a while.”
Rick sat at the small table by the window. “Fix him.”
Bryson nodded and began the task of trying to save Dorian’s life. It wasn’t until he saw Bryson pull out a bag of blood that the implication that Dorian was very badly injured hit him like a ton of bricks. He had thought it, but to see the man being hooked up to an IV brought the nightmare home.
Rick walked into the bathroom, calling Nate. It went to voice mail. He prayed everything was all right.
His phone rang, the caller ID not showing who it was. Rick answered it. “Hello?”
“You made it out.”
He tried to place the voice, but couldn’t. “Yes, I did.”
“Listen carefully because I don’t have much time and you’ll never hear from me again. The government has had a Death Squad put together. Their main
objective is to try and eradicate nonhumans. If all goes according to plan, chaos will break out, but the Death Squad has been instructed to make it look like the nonhumans have started it. This will give the government the green light to launch a full-scale war against changelings and vampires.”
“Why are you helping me?” Rick asked as he sat on the side of the tub, feeling like he was going to be sick.
“Don’t interrupt. You were supposed to be out of the picture, but you weren’t arrested. Enrique Marcelo is their first target. If they can take down such a powerful alpha as you, then they can get the ball rolling faster.” The caller paused. “I’m helping because I don’t believe killing is a correct way to deal with fear of the unknown. Nonhumans have done nothing terribly wrong, yet some humans are hell-bent on wiping you from the face of the planet. Not all of us humans agree with this. Stop this war, Rick. Don’t let them kill you, fight back, and never give up. We are all depending on you to win, nonhumans and humans alike.”
The call ended.
Rick stood in the bathroom of the seedy motel stunned to the depth of his toes. The caller wanted Rick to lead a rebellion. He wanted Rick to fight against his very own government.
A war was coming, the caller had said.
But for Rick, it had already started.
Chapter Fourteen
Dorian cracked his eyes open, seeing a stranger standing over him. The man was holding Dorian’s wrist and messing with an IV. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but his mouth was so dry that his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth.
“Relax, Dorian,” the stranger said. “I don’t need you moving around.”
“Is he awake?”
Dorian recognized Rick’s voice. He couldn’t mistake it for anyone else’s. Rick’s deep baritone sank into Dorian, damn near making him cry with relief. He wasn’t sure why he was reacting this way. “What bus hit me?” Dorian croaked out, stretching his mouth, wishing he had something to drink.
Rick appeared by his side, a small bendy straw in his hand. The straw was placed at his lips, and Dorian took a small sip of water.
“You were shot,” the stranger said. “Damn close to your heart, I might add. You are one lucky-ass human.”
“Ease up, Bryson,” Rick warned.
Dorian tried to move his left arm and whimpered. It was an unmanly sound, but damn it, he was hurting.
“Lie still, Dorian,” Rick said in the gentlest of tones, making Dorian wary.
“Am I dying?” he asked.
Rick shook his head. “No.”
“Then why are you talking to me in that tone?”
Rick laughed and Dorian became even more confused.
“Just lie still and rest. You’ve been out of it for two days.”
Dorian saw Rick’s grey eyes soften, and then the man turned away. He had to be dying for Rick to look at him with such warmth and wistfulness.
“And the guy who shot me?” Dorian asked.
When Rick turned back, Dorian was shocked to see such fury in the man’s eyes. Why in the hell was the guy going through such an emotional roller coaster? It was as if Rick had started to care about Dorian.
He wasn’t allowed to do that. They had an unspoken deal. Rick didn’t want a mate, and Dorian didn’t want to be his mate. Rick couldn’t change his mind. Dorian didn’t want Rick to change his mind. He was already battling his feelings toward the man. It was much easier to fight against the forced mating when Rick agreed with him.
“He got away. Nate and Selene distracted them so I could get you out of there, but the fight was short-lived. There were too many for my enforcers to handle.”
Dorian looked from Rick to Bryson, and then back at Rick. “Too many what?” He wasn’t sure how much Bryson knew and didn’t want to give anything away if Rick didn’t want the man to know. They were on the run, and if Rick gave the guy a false story, he wanted to make sure he didn’t ruin it.
“Rest, Dorian. We’ll talk later.” Rick’s eyes cut quickly to Bryson and then down at Dorian. Rick didn’t want to talk about things in front of the stranger.
When Bryson gave them his back to look through an orange duffle bag, Dorian mouthed, “Is he changeling?”
Rick nodded, mouthing back, “I’ll tell you everything when he leaves.”
Dorian relaxed, or as much as he could with a shoulder wound and half of the county after them. Rick had said he didn’t think it was werehyenas, but who else could it be? From what Rick had told him, those bastards weren’t giving up.
“My job here is done,” Bryson announced, grabbing the orange bag from the table at the window. “Keep an eye on the wound, check for infection, and make sure he doesn’t develop a fever. If you have any questions or concerns, call me.” He handed Rick a small bag. “There are the rest of his antibiotics and some pretty strong painkillers in there. I also left you with some gauze bandages and some antiseptic cream. The instructions are pretty easy to follow. Let the IV finish before taking it out. Do I need to show you how to remove it?”
“No.” Rick shook his head, tucking the small bag under his arm. “I’ve been watching you for days. I get the gist of it.” Rick shook Bryson’s hand. “Thanks for helping me out.”
Bryson smiled. “Anything for my alpha. Take care you two.”
As soon as the motel door closed, Rick rushed around the room, gathering things.
“What are you doing?”
“We have to get out of here. I’m not that familiar with Bryson, he’s pretty new to the pack, and right about now, I only trust a very limited amount of people.”
“Will you explain to me what’s going on when we leave?” Dorian asked, trying to sit up, but couldn’t. The pain in his shoulder exploded, instantly making Dorian sweat as he bit back a scream.
“I’ll explain what I know. But right now I need you to lie back. When I’m ready, I’ll carry you to the car.”
Dorian didn’t like being an invalid, but he had no choice. Not only was his shoulder killing him, but he was dizzy as hell. He wanted to ask for one of the painkillers, but didn’t want to go back to sleep until Rick told him everything.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
Rick shook his head. “Not now. We don’t have time.”
“I’ll pencil it into your—” Dorian rolled, shouted from the pain, and then emptied what little he had on his stomach. It wasn’t much, just something green and foamy.
“Shit,” Rick said as he walked to the bathroom and then came back with a wet cloth. He wiped Dorian’s mouth. “Better?”
Dorian groaned and then whimpered once more when Rick helped him turn back over. “I swear, if you keep being nice to me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Rick growled. Dorian felt better. That was the Rick he was used to dealing with. “Are we ready to leave?”
“Give me a second to open the car door.” Rick picked up a travel bag and the smaller one Bryson had given him, heading out the door. He was back in seconds, removing the IV. Damn, that stung. Rick tossed it aside, tucked the sheet around Dorian, and then lifted him.
“You’ve lost weight.”
“How would you know?” Dorian asked, but Rick chose to ignore him. He was placed in the front seat, and then Rick reached in and buckled the seat belt.
Dorian didn’t say a word. His shoulder was killing him. Rick wasn’t acting himself and that worried Dorian. The man was too attentive, too agreeable. Maybe he was dying after all, or something big had taken place while Dorian was out of it.
Rick slipped into the driver’s seat.
“Where are we going now?”
“Out of state,” Rick answered. “Things are too hot for us to stay here.”
“Explain.”
Rick drove and Dorian listened. By the time Rick was done explaining what had happened, all the way up until the phone call in the motel bathroom, Dorian was too stunned to talk.
“I’m not sure how credible the caller is, but he was correct about the Death Squad.
I can’t think of any reason he would lie to me about what’s really going on. There is nothing to gain by giving me the false intel.”
“But they think I am compromised because I am with you,” Dorian said thoughtfully.
“Does that bother you?”
Not as much as it should. Dorian wasn’t a narrow-minded man like Jayson. But he had never known what to think of changelings. After meeting the ones at Miguel’s dinner, he should hate them. But after spending time around changelings like Graham, Olivia, and even Benito and Miguel, he knew they weren’t the savages humans were trying to make them out to be. Well, unless someone was bleeding around them.
Rick was a constant confusion for him. Dorian never knew what to think about the district manager. “No. It should, but it doesn’t.”
Rick cleared his throat. “If you want, I can take you somewhere no one will find you. You don’t have to stay with me. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be safe at home right now.”
The offer reverberated inside Dorian’s head. Here was his chance to get out of this. Here was his chance to try and clear his name, telling the authorities that he had nothing to do with those murders or Rick. “I’m staying.”
Dorian swallowed back his fear. Rick was a part of his life now. How it happened, he wasn’t quite sure, but the thought of separating from the man was more than Dorian wanted to think about right at the moment.
So he didn’t. He sat there quietly as the miles ticked by, staring at the scenery and wondering if they were going to get out of this alive. The government was after them. Dorian wasn’t sure they would be able to fight against such a strong force. It was just him and Rick. The odds were against them. They could die.
But Dorian knew they couldn’t just stand by while innocent men and women were slaughtered for simply being different. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to just walk away. As the caller said, humans and nonhumans alike were counting on them.
He wasn’t sure what they were going to do, or how he and Rick were going to win this war, but as long as Rick fought, so would Dorian.
He had never had anything to fight for, now he not only had Ian to keep safe, but an entire species. The weight of that responsibility alone was enough to make Dorian terrified.