by T. S. Ryder
Who are you calling a man?
Joseph ground his teeth. His Bear laughed; normally he didn't provoke his human side like this, but now was a special occasion. The Bear thought he had found his mate in Ana Medina and was angry at the detective for not acting on it.
But Joseph didn't want a mate. He hadn't wanted one when he was a cub, seeing grown men turn into putty when their mates walked by. He hadn't wanted one when he was a teenager and all his friends slowly drifted away from their circle, so caught up in their girlfriends that it was like the world ceased to exist for them. He just didn't want a mate, no matter how much his Bear pushed him.
He growled as he ripped into the hamburger his partner, Buck Harmon, handed to him. Buck smirked, turning to the house they were watching. It was nondescript in every way, save for the fact that inside it was the most beautiful woman Joseph had ever feasted his eyes on.
And a senator, his Bear added.
"Shut it."
"I didn't say anything. But now that you mention it, that Ana Medina, she's pretty hot."
Destroy him.
Joseph sighed.
He has no right to look at our female.
He's my best friend, Joseph thought back to his Bear. My only friend. And she is not ours or yours or anybody's. And maybe she's already married.
No ring.
Boyfriend, then.
This was one of the reasons why shifters were so feared. The voice of their Beast speaking to them was easily mistaken for schizophrenia. Not only that, but if an individual suppressed their shifter side for too long, or denied their Beast and didn't communicate with them, then they quite easily developed mental illnesses.
Ironically, many shifters did suppress their shifter sides, for fear of what the people around them would do or say, only to "prove" the stereotypes by snapping from the mental strain.
That's why men like Senator Seth Fischer were necessary. Somebody like Joseph, a loner who liked being alone, could never change people's minds. But Fischer had the charisma and personal charm to make people actually like him and listen to what he was saying.
"Hey, are you sick?" Buck nudged him. "I know you noticed how hot she was."
"Yeah." Joseph worked hard to keep the snarl from his voice. "She's hot."
He couldn’t deny that he found Ana sexually appealing. She had the type of body that women in his dreams had. Perfect in every way, with luscious curves, silky hair, and those eyes! They were the most exquisite shade of honey-brown he had ever seen. Not to mention that even after the terrifying fright she had had, she was still calm and collected in the interview. He often had an intimidating effect on people, but she had never wavered on her answers, never let him make her doubt herself.
And she is our mate, his Bear added.
Joseph finished the rest of his burger in one bite.
Buck frowned at him. "Okay, there is definitely something wrong with you. You didn't even complain about the mustard. Is it the hottie? Do you think she's involved in the shooting?"
"No."
"Because if you do, you can tell me. Your instincts are usually right about this sort of thing."
"She wasn't involved," Joseph growled. "And stop calling her 'the hottie'. She has a name, use it. With respect. And don't even think about playing your usual games with her."
Buck sat straighter. "Wow, you're in a mood. Is it that time of the month?"
"You're thinking Wolves. Bears aren't affected by the full moon, which isn't for two weeks, by the way." Joseph tried not to be so annoyed with his best friend.
Buck was the only person in the precinct who knew that Joseph was a shifter. There were no laws against shifters taking on jobs like being in the police, but there weren't any laws protecting them from being fired just because they happened to be able to turn into animals, either. Employers were given the right to fire a shifter under the Self-Preservation Act, which allowed them to terminate the employment of anybody they felt was a threat to their safety. Shifters usually classified as threats for simply being shifters.
And then, because known shifters couldn't get or keep jobs, they were categorized as lazy bums who wanted free handouts from the government. A catch 22 that was only going to get worse until things changed.
"Okay." Buck straightened. "You have to tell me what's going on now."
Joseph let out an annoyed huff, but he and Buck went way back. If there was one person who would be able to help him figure out this mess, it was his partner.
"My Bear has decided that she's my–his–mate. He won't listen to me when I say that it's not going to happen."
"Hmm. Really? I thought that it, or he," Buck corrected at Joseph's glare, "didn't like any of the girls you've been with."
"He didn't."
Buck made a noise in his throat that Joseph couldn't decipher. The shifter waited, knowing that his partner was trying to decide whether to take this thing seriously or not. Buck could get away with a lot more than anybody else. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Buck had saved his life multiple times. Maybe it was because he hadn't freaked out or told anybody when he saw Joseph shift for the first time. Whatever it was, Joseph always went easy on him.
But if he talks about the hotness of our mate again, I'll kill him, even if you won't, his Bear warned.
That is exactly the kind of thinking that makes people want to kill us.
His Bear didn't respond.
"So…" Buck said, his voice casual. Too casual. "He thinks that Ana Medina is your mate."
"Apparently."
"Could that be because you haven't gotten laid in, what… two years now? Man's got needs, Baker. Maybe if you take Miss Medina out for a—" Buck caught the look on Joseph's face and wisely changed tactics. "Out on a non-committal date, and be very respectful towards her, then you might have that need eased a little? Could give him something else to think about, at least."
Joseph considered it. "She's in protective custody. It's against the rules to—"
The sound of an explosion cut Joseph off. A fireball enveloped a car at the other end of the block, lighting the night with red flames.
Buck's drink spilled all over the detectives. Joseph turned on the car, stomping on the gas as he headed for the safe house. All he could think about was Ana and images of her lying on the floor, her body riddled with bullet holes. His heart jumped to his throat and there was no doubt that he would do anything he needed to protect her. His Bear struggled to work its way to the surface, snarling incoherent threats.
Joseph threw open his door as soon as they were at the safe house. He sprinted up the yard towards Ana. Vaguely he realized bullets were raining down around him, but he didn't care. All he could think about was his mate.
The sound of returning gunfire made him turn. Buck was crouched behind his car door, gun in hand as he peered into the buildings around them. More gunfire. Joseph could see the flashes of light from where the shooters were. His Bear roared, rising up, wanting to take control.
"Baker, don't just stand there like an idiot!" Buck fired off two rounds. "Get in there!"
Joseph drew his weapon, firing it towards the shooters while he backed towards the house. The whistle and thud of the bullets around him was like a terrible, deadly orchestra.
And then he realized that there were gunshots coming from inside the house as well. His heart froze as he whirled. He turned just in time to see one of the cops assigned to stay with Ana and the senator emerge. A twisted expression was on his face as he aimed at Buck.
Joseph wasn't fast enough. A shot that sounded louder than all the others rang in his ears. Buck's head jerked forward, slamming into the door. He bounced backward, falling. Everything was in slow motion. The clatter of Buck's gun on the pavement resounded over the sound of the gunshots in the air. It reached deep inside of Joseph, dragging his Bear forward.
He was already half-shifted, phasing between forms that rendered him almost invisible to the naked eye. He let his Bear take the lead, fe
eling his conscious mind suppressed under layers of evolution and instinct.
The cop–a face Joseph recognized somewhere in the back of his mind–turned his gun on him as the Bear barreled towards him. He never had the chance to use it. There was a strangled yelp as the Bear's mouth came down on him. Joseph grinned as bone crunched and blood flowed. His Bear brought the cop down, wanting to rip him to shreds.
Ana, he thought, reminding the Bear of their mission.
The Bear abandoned the corpse, shouldering through the door. Wood splintered as he squeezed in. There were heavy, confusing scents crowding him, confusing him. Two more cops lay on the floor, bullets in their heads, but the Bear moved over them, not caring what their fates were. His only thought was the beautiful woman in this house who was in danger. His protective instincts were stronger than anything he had felt before.
He heard a shout and turned. There was a group of men going out the door. One of them was resisting. Blood dripped from his face. Joseph caught a whiff of dog. Some part of his brain realized he needed to go after him, save him—
A scream rang in his ears. Ana's scream.
Joseph ran towards the sound.
Chapter Three
Intense eyes stared at her. Ana's heartbeat increased in desire, heat pooling in her intimate regions. Big, strong hands grasped her hips, pulling her closer to him. Some part of her brain told her to protest, that he was just like all the other men who had broken her heart; as soon as she asserted her independence, didn't submit to his every whim, whether it was what she should eat at a restaurant to what they would do in bed, he would drop her like a rock.
And she knew it would be far too easy to fall in love with Joseph Baker, so she had to stop this now before it was too late.
But his mouth was on hers now, demanding, hot, and her body was tightening. She had never wanted a man more than she wanted Joseph Baker at that moment and suddenly they were in a bed, his big, strong hands gripping her shoulders as he feasted on her breasts, a primal growl vibrating through her body—
Ana was jerked from her dream by the sound of an explosion. She gasped, pulse racing, disoriented as she clung to the blankets circling her. There was a soft lamp glowing on the nightstand–Ana had never really gotten over her fear of the dark–that lit the room. For an instant she thought it was a sound in her dream that had woken her, the night seemed so utterly still now. But then there was the sound of an engine roaring and the pop pop pop of gunfire.
She rolled out of bed, flattening herself on the floor at once. There was shouting in the house, the sound of voices both angry and frightened. Was it a coincidence, or had the assassin found them again? Was he trying another attempt on Seth's life?
Seth.
Just as she was about to scramble to her feet, the door burst open. Ana crouched behind the bed, but it was the senator who came into the room. He slammed the door shut and dragged the desk in front of it. Seth ran to the nightstand, turning off the lamp.
"What's going on?" Ana asked, clutching the bed, completely disoriented in the dark.
"Get out of the window," Seth hissed. "We've been betrayed, I saw one of the cops shoot the others."
Ana's heart stopped as she thought of Joseph. Had he been one of the ones killed…? She felt Seth brush by her as he headed to the window and followed him, not knowing what to think. Now was not the time to worry for Detective Baker, not when there was gunfire and a cop in the house trying to kill them!
"It's stuck," Seth grunted, trying to open the window.
Somebody pounded on the door.
"Let me," Ana replied. She groped blindly, finally finding the bed. Yanking one of the blankets off, she wound it around her fist. She punched the glass, shattering it, and continued to knock the glass clean off the window so they wouldn't cut themselves while climbing out.
But it was too late. The desk went flying as the door burst open. Bright, flashing lights blinded her. Seth cried out–it turned into a growl and he launched himself forward. One of the intruders smashed his face with the butt of his rifle and Seth collapsed.
"Bring him," one of the men said. "Scott wants the senator alive."
Ana trembled as they dragged Seth to his feet and pulled him out of the room. She felt so helpless, but what could she do, with the guns now pointed at her? Her hands clenched–they didn't need her alive, they would kill her the moment they got the order. A cool breeze brushed against her arm. Had she smashed a big enough hole in the window to get out?
A desperate cry strangled Ana as she snatched the lamp off the nightstand, ripping it from the wall, and hurled it at their attackers. It hit one of them dead on and he stumbled back, swinging his gun around towards her.
Ana dove out of the shattered window as the bullets came at her. Pain lanced her thigh. She screamed.
She hit the ground hard, rolling several times. Her leg throbbed and stung, but she didn't look to see if she had been shot. Adrenaline pumped through her, temporarily suppressing the pain as she scrambled to her feet. Lights peered through the window and found her. Somewhere in the house, she heard Seth screaming at her to run and she did. Bullets rained at her. She could hear them whistling by her ears and threw herself behind a tree. The impact of the bullets vibrated through the thick trunk, thrumming against her heart.
From where she was, she could see the back of the house. Seth was being dragged limply into a black van. Blood ran down his face. Ana patted her pockets, instinctively looking for her cellphone. If she could find it, take a picture of the vehicle…
"No!"
Tires squealed as the van pulled away. And from behind her, another sound came. A sound that sent shivers running down her spine and that told her to flee, to run as fast and hard as she could. A primitive sound, punctured by the screams of men and intermittent gunfire. Ana pressed herself to the tree, legs shaking with the desire to run, but somehow suppressing that instinct. If she ran, she would open herself up to gunfire again.
Something crashed behind her. It sounded like something huge bursting through glass and wood. More strangled cries.
A man ran by her, shooting wildly behind him. Ana threw herself to the ground; bark splinters rained down on her. She looked up to see the man jump into a car. Heavy feet pounded the ground behind her, and something massive leaped over her.
Her heart stopped as a huge bear attacked the car the man had climbed into. Claws tore the door clean off and massive jaws clamped down on the roof. With the horrible screech of metal, the bear ripped the car in half as easily as aluminum foil.
The man inside screamed as the bear bit down on him. A single gunshot, and then all was silent except for the cracking of bones.
Ana lay where she was, too horrified to move. The bear tossed aside its kill and turned. It was as big as an elephant, with long legs and a bulldozer body. Grey-brown fur, with some tan markings around its mouth and eyes, rippled as it walked towards her. She lay there, frozen, eyes as wide as saucers. Her body seemed to have shut down, the earlier urge to flee having disappeared as every muscle in her body tensed to the point where none of them would listen to her.
The bear stopped right above her. It shimmered for a moment, disappearing for the blink of an eye. Ana's breath caught in her throat as Joseph Baker knelt beside her. Utterly naked, his skin gleaming with a layer of sweat. His massive chest heaved as he reached for her.
Ana flinched back instinctively. The detective froze, a hurt look flashing over his face. That look disappeared quickly and was replaced by a frown and clenched jaw.
"And here I thought you were shifter-friendly."
It took a moment for Ana to really understand what he was saying. Her eyes flashed and she pushed herself to her knees, ignoring the pain pounding in her thigh. How dare he?
"I am! But you can hardly expect me not to be afraid when this is the second time in two days somebody has tried to kill me! Plus I saw the way you mauled that man. You still have blood on your face." Ana's stomach churned. "I don't do wel
l with blood."
Baker blinked. He wiped a hand over his face, smearing the blood further, then focused on her leg. He muttered a curse and grabbed her by the hips. Ana's heart jumped, thinking for the briefest of seconds her dream was going to come true. She yelped as the detective ripped off her pants.
"What do you think you're—"
"You cut your leg. Doesn't look like there's anything in the wound. But I have to bandage it."
He tore the cloth as easily as tissue paper. Ana's protest died as she watched his impressive muscles work. It was the adrenaline, she was going into shock… that was why she suddenly had the urge to launch herself at him, blood and all. It had to be. The detective bunched half of her pants on her thigh, making her hiss with pain and tied it into place with the other half. It was a good thing she had decided to wear cotton to bed…
"I am going to shift again," he said. "You climb onto my back and hold tight. We can move faster this way."
Ana stared at him. Her head felt a little spinny–she opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't sure she was going to be able to hold on. But then she slumped to the ground, blackness overtaking her.
***
The agony in her leg woke her. She gasped, jerking, her hands going to her thigh. Big hands grabbed hers, stopping her from tearing off her bandages, and she was pulled into a strong embrace. A peculiar scent hit her nose and she instantly relaxed against the giant that held her. Blinking, she glanced up to see Joseph Baker looking down at her, their faces inches apart.
If it wasn't for the pain in her leg telling her that this wasn't a dream, she would have kissed him.
Come on, girl! Get your head in the game.
"Here." He pressed some pills into her hand. "Tylenol. Your leg is going to hurt, but it's not a deep cut. I had to sew it, though… I'm sorry, I couldn’t risk taking you to a hospital. There could be more of those assassins out there."