Something in Jace opened up. He felt his brothers around him, and the rest of his pack. All of them supporting him, all of them believing in him. Their strength and love flowed into him through the pack bond. And it flowed into Emma through his bond with her.
In his mind, he could sense her body—feel the wound and the damaged blood vessels. He put his hand on top of Rafe’s and felt the healing energy flow through them and into Emma.
As if from far away, he heard Grant’s helicopter rotors spin to life, and felt the wind as they powered up. Grant was escaping, but Jace didn’t care. Emma’s blood vessels were repairing themselves, and then the muscles and tendons and skin. The warm flow of blood stopped.
Rafe slid his hands out from under Jace’s, looking awed.
But Jace could feel that something was wrong. Emma was too cold, and her spirit felt far away. She’d lost too much blood. She wasn’t a shifter—she couldn’t replace it in time. He could feel her slipping away.
He was going to fail. He always failed.
Around him, he felt the pack pressing in.
No.
No failure.
You always come through for us.
Let us help her.
The pack threw all their energy into healing Emma. It was like a huge river of love, tunneling through him. He poured it into his mate, his love, but it still wasn’t enough.
What had Amerind said? Pull on the strength of the land.
Jace sank into himself, into the feeling he’d had when he’d bonded with Emma. His territory responded to him, the land itself lending him its strength—the trees and the rocks, the earth and the grass. All of it funneling through him like molten lava.
Beneath his hands, he felt Emma take a deep breath. She coughed, and Jace came back to himself just in time to see her open those huge, gorgeous eyes.
Jace let go of the energy, feeling it slip back into the land, into his pack mates. He took a deep breath of his own, letting it out.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, gathering her into his arms.
“Hey,” she whispered. Then she frowned, looking up at the sky, where the helicopter was disappearing. “You let Alexander get away.”
He couldn’t help but laugh, though his eyes welled up with tears. “Sorry. I got a little distracted by your near-death experience.”
Her hand went up to her neck, feeling for a cut. “Shit,” she said. “Did you turn me into a shifter when I wasn’t looking?”
“Nah, he fucking healed you!” Rafe said. “From death’s fucking door, I might add.”
Jesse smacked him in the chest. “Don’t tell her that, idiot.”
“Well, she was. At death’s—”
Jesse smacked him again. “Shut up!”
Emma turned her head toward Rafe. “He healed me? Did we know he could do that?”
“Ah, no,” Jace said. “We didn’t know that at all.” And he wasn’t about to tell her how close he’d come to not being able to do it.
Amerind knelt down next to her and took her wrist, checking her pulse. “This is probably the only time he could have done it,” the healer said. “True mates can lend each other strength, and help one another heal, as you know. However, this degree of healing would be impossible under normal circumstances. Jace was able to draw on the residual magic from the triple bonding—mate, pack and territory—to produce a truly remarkable effect.”
“Cool,” Emma said. “Can we go home now?”
Chapter 28
Back at the cabin, Jace settled Emma on the couch with a blanket over her. Pack members crowded the room, wanting to touch and talk to them, reassure themselves that everyone was okay.
Jace still felt high on adrenalin and the power of the back bond. Emma looked surprisingly lively as well—as if being infused with all that healing energy had overcome the weariness she should be feeling.
He had a suspicion they were both going to crash pretty soon, though.
The pack was still talking about the bonding and the healing.
“So, if we used the power of the land to heal Emma,” Rafe was asking, “does that mean we sucked the life out of some poor tree somewhere?”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “You care more about a tree than Emma?”
“Of course not,” Rafe said, looking offended. “But if my favorite tree turns out to be all dried up and dead, I’m going to be bummed out, is all I’m saying.”
Mick, one of the older wolves, said, “With any luck, we sucked the life out of your dick.”
The guys hooted.
“Truth, bro,” Jesse said, when he stopped laughing. “Which would you rather sacrifice for Emma? Your dick or your favorite tree?”
“My dick is like a tree,” Rafe said. “So I guess my favorite tree and my dick are one and the same.”
“Have you checked to see if it’s dried up and dead?”
Jace watched Emma, but she didn’t look uncomfortable—she was laughing as much as anyone at the banter.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jace saw Kane disappearing out the front door. Dropping a kiss on top of Emma’s head, he whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
He caught up with Kane on the path, and clapped him on the back. Kane flinched away.
Okay, he’d known this wasn’t going to be easy.
“I need to talk to you,” he said. “About you challenging for the pack.”
Kane nodded, his gaze shuttered. “I know. I wanted to stay and lead the defense of our territory, but now that’s it’s over, I can go. I’ll get my things together and be gone by morning.”
Jace ran his hands through his hair. Obviously, Kane knew as well as he did what happened to a wolf who challenged for leadership of a pack and lost. He was choosing exile, rather than making Jace force it on him. Or forcing Jace to kill him.
But this wasn’t a normal pack—or a normal night.
“Yeah, here’s the thing,” Jace said. “When Emma and I bonded, I could feel the whole pack. Each member. I touched the spirit of every one of them. Who they are inside, not who they pretend to be.”
Kane looked wary, but all he said was, “I don’t believe in magic.”
Jace could believe that. Kane was like Spock—all he believed in was cold reason.
“Whether you do or don’t,” he said, “I’m going to tell you what I know about you. I know you’re carrying a weight of guilt that’s even heavier than mine.”
Kane’s eyes flicked up in shock, though he quickly covered it with his usual stone-faced expression.
Jace went on, “And I know you don’t really want to be alpha. Do you?”
Kane pressed his lips together. Jace waited, though he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get an answer.
Kane surprised him, though. “I’d suck at being alpha,” he said. Then he added, “But not as much as that fucker Rafe would.”
Jace gave a snort of laughter. “Rafe has more to him than you think,” he said. “And he’s a good Second. But since I know you’re not going to fight me for alpha now that I’m not dying, I’m not going to exile you. Or kill you,” he added.
Kane’s head went up, and this time he couldn’t conceal his shock. “You’re not?” he asked.
Jace heaved a sigh. “Kane, you’re one of us,” he said. “You’re family. You busted your ass to help buy this damned mountain, for fuck’s sake, even though you can’t stand any of us.”
Kane looked away.
Jace added, “And you did everything in your power to bring Emma back safe, even though you think our mating is a bad idea.”
Kane shrugged. “It’s my job.”
Shit, this guy didn’t give you anything. Jace said, “Well, you did your job well enough that we didn’t lose anyone in that battle. No one was even badly injured. You’re an asset to Silverlake, and I don’t want you to leave.”
He jerked his chin to where Israel was lurking in the trees, just out of earshot. “Or him either. So tell him he can stay too.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Although
it would be nice if he’d talk to us once in a while.”
Kane just shrugged. “Okay,” he said. “I can use some shut-eye, then, since I’m not kicked out.” He turned and walked away.
Jace just looked after him, shaking his head. His new bond had made him more sensitive to what his pack was feeling, and he knew Kane was relieved. Maybe even happy.
Would it kill the guy to show a feeling or two?
He was just turning to walk away when he heard softly, out of the darkness, “Thanks.”
Jace walked back to the cabin with a smile on his face.
Emma was relaxing on the couch, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her nightmare was over. She was safe at Jace’s. The pack members had been drifting out—now only Rafe, Jesse and Mick were left, arguing happily over something trivial. Alexander had escaped, but she still had the evidence, and Grizzly had already forwarded it to the FBI.
Her giant friend was perched on the arm of the couch, just as burly and tough as he’d always been. But now she knew his secret. “I can’t believe you’re a shifter,” she said, shaking her head. “A freaking ginormous grizzly bear. Did my dad know?”
Grizzly nodded. “He learned about it while we were serving together. Nobody else knew—we keep ourselves secret, for good reason. But I’m glad you know now. You’ve always been the daughter I never had.”
Emma squeezed his hand. “Well, it looks like I’m staying here. So we’ll be able to see more of each other.”
Grizzly nodded. “Monroe better take good care of you,” he said.
“He will,” she assured him.
Jace came through the door, and just looking at him gave her a little thrill. His dark hair was tousled in the way that made her itch to run her fingers through it, and his thermal shirt clung to his chest and made her want to run her hands over his muscles.
His gaze went straight to her, and when she smiled at him his eyes lit up. The happiness in his face made her feel like a precious treasure.
“Okay, everybody, time to call it a night,” he said. “I’m putting Emma to bed.”
At Rafe’s comical leer, he added, “For fuck’s sake, Rafe, we’re not gonna be pounding the mattress. Emma almost died tonight.”
Emma caught his stricken look as the words came out of his mouth. Rafe cracked up. “And people keep telling me to shut up.”
“It’s fine,” Emma said, wanting the happy look to come back to Jace’s face. “I’m fine.”
Rafe turned to Jesse. “Twenty bucks says they’re boinking within half an hour.”
Jesse punched his shoulder.
Emma said, “Crap. Is this how it’s going to be, now? No freaking privacy?”
“None,” Rafe said. “So you might as well tell me all your secrets now. Ever cheat on a test? What was the first thing you ever stole? What are your sexual fantasies?” His voice grew fainter as Jesse dragged him out the door.
Grizzly kissed Emma’s cheek, shook Jace’s hand, and followed them.
Jace was shaking his head. “Rafe takes some getting used to,” he said.
“I like him,” Emma replied. She did. There was nothing phony about Rafe. And he made her laugh.
Jace settled down next to her on the couch. “Good thing,” he said. “Because you’re stuck with him now. You’re stuck with all of us.”
She could hear the uncertainty in his voice. She snuggled up next to him. “Yeah. A hot alpha wolf who’d lay his life on the line for me. That sure sucks.”
He picked up her hand and ran his fingers up and down the back of it. “Come on,” he said. “I’m serious. I know you only bonded with me because you thought I was going to die. And now it’s done. I couldn’t stand it if you were unhappy.”
She thought of his words in the cave, talking about his potential mate. I want to make her happy. She gave him a long, considering look. She could reassure him all she wanted, but she sensed he needed more than that.
She got up and went over to the table where she’d left her bag, digging through it for what she wanted. There it was—Jace’s mate-hunting journal. She found a pen, and then she sat down, opened it to a clean page, and started writing.
Jace was watching her from the couch. “What are you doing?”
She held up a finger to silence him. “Wait a second.” She finished writing a few lines, and then turned the page over and wrote something else.
“Okay,” she said. She sat back down next to him, snuggling in under his arm. “Since it’s important to you to make your mate happy, I started your list for you.”
She opened up the notebook and spread it in front of him. It read:
Coffee—cream, two sugars.
Favorite flower—bird of paradise (tropical flowers—always a good choice)
Favorite ice cream flavor—Moose Tracks.
Favorite person—Jace Monroe
Favorite alpha wolf—Jace Monroe
Favorite guy to get crazy on a motorcycle with—Jace Monroe
Favorite guy to get crazy in bed with—Jace Monroe
Favorite sexual fantasy—that’s for me to know and you to find out
He was smiling by the time he got to the end of the list. He turned to her, his eyes beginning to shade to gold. “I can’t wait to find out that last one,” he said in the sexy growl she loved.
“You better not tell Rafe.”
“Rafe finds out everything. He should work for the CIA.”
Emma sighed. “So they weren’t kidding about that ‘no privacy’ thing?”
Jace shook his head, stroking her hair. “It’s going to be different than what you’re used to.”
Emma straddled his lap and slid her arms around his neck, looking into his warm, gold-flecked, worried eyes. This man had made her cause his own—he’d fought for her, bled for her, taken bullets for her, nearly given his life for her. He’d believed in her and relied on her strength when he was wounded. And after all that, his only fear was that she wouldn’t be happy.
She kissed him softly. “I love you, Jace Monroe,” she said. “We’re gonna be awesome together. It says so in the book.”
Jace’s forehead furrowed in a frown. “I didn’t see that part. Where?”
Emma flipped over the page and showed him the last thing she’d written.
Soulmate and safe harbor: Jace Monroe
Outcome: Bonded for life. (Insanely happy.)
He tossed the book aside and hugged her tight. “I love you, too,” he whispered, and claimed her lips in a forever kiss.
Up Next:
Read Rafe’s story: White Wolf Mate
Coming in October 2016
And Jesse gets his story in: Tiger Mate
Coming in November 2016
Sign up for Anastasia’s newsletter to be the first to find out about all her new releases—plus sales, giveaways, and other awesome stuff! http://eepurl.com/cgtH71
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About the Author
Anastasia Wilde lives in the deep forests of the Pacific Northwest, where sexy shifters may or may not be found hiding among the tall, ancient trees. She writes hot paranormal romances about wild, passionate shifter men and the strong women who are destined to win their hearts. Broken, complicated, devoted, protective—love heals their wounds and smooths their rough edges (but not too much!). When not writing, Anastasia is traveling, nomming on any food involving bacon or melty cheese (ideally both), adding to her magical crystal collection, or relaxing with a glass of wine, watching the sun set behind the mountains.
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Fugitive Mate (Silverlake Shifters Book 1) Page 16