by Lynn Hagen
All Bryce could do was nod. He didn’t want to talk right now. He wanted to hurt Ahm as badly as the man had hurt him. Christian’s message came to mind and Bryce became angrier. How dare the elf use what Bryce felt against him. That was the lowest thing anyone had ever done to him.
He glanced up when his brothers started heading his way. He knew his pa had called them into the house. Bryce knew where they were going, and he had an overwhelming urge to knock all of them out to stop them.
Instead, he took a seat on the swing, resting his face in his hands. Was he a bad person for not going? Did that make him a monster?
He heard the screen door slam shut and glanced up. Bryce was shocked not one of his brothers had said a word to him. Even Chauncey had passed up the opportunity to poke fun at him.
It was a very scary day when the twins kept quiet.
Bryce didn’t want to be here for this. He needed to get away.
Heading toward the barn, he decided to take a long ride on Hell Raiser. Riding through the land just might help him think more clearly.
He wasn’t sure anything would help, but sticking around to see if his pa brought Ahm to the ranch wasn’t something Bryce wanted to find out.
Chapter Six
Ahm was barely conscious when he was laid on the couch. He had fought with honed skills, but was outnumbered by the time the bears had shown up. He hadn’t thought he would make it out of there alive. The only thought on his mind before his rescue was never seeing Bryce again. His mate had been on his mind when Ahm thought he was going to die. His mate was still on his mind because Bryce hadn’t been with his family when they had come to rescue him.
Where was Bryce?
“Easy now,” Malcolm said as he moved back. “I’m going to call Dr. Sheehan to come look at you. But until then, I want you to stay on the couch and rest.”
Ahm was too weak to argue. He had lost a lot of blood and suffered multiple injuries. The bears had come in, helped fight off the attacking Shadow elves, and then grabbed Ahm, hauling ass out of there.
He was forever grateful to Malcolm’s mate, Luke. Not many fey would risk their life and the lives of their family members, including their mate, for anyone. “Thank you,” he said with effort.
“Don’t thank me yet. I just might have brought you here to get your ass skinned alive.” Malcolm walked from the room and Ahm knew he was referring to the missing bear.
He knew he deserved no less from Bryce. Ahm had been a selfish bastard, all in the name of traditions and tribe. He had been too afraid of what his people would think if he claimed Bryce. Now it just might have cost him his mate…and tribe.
How in the hell had he gotten himself into this situation?
Oh yeah, stupidity.
He had stupidly allowed himself to fear what his tribe would do, and he had stupidly kept his mate at bay. Ahm just prayed he hadn’t lost the man.
“Do you need anything?”
Ahm removed his arm from over his eyes to see…what was his name again? Ah yes, this one belonged to Maverick’s pack. Curtis. “No thank you.” Ahm placed his arm back over his eyes, wincing when he felt the muscles in his shoulder pull. Why couldn’t he heal like the shifters? He envied them that.
The smell of food wafted into the living room, and Ahm realized he was starving. He hadn’t eaten anything since before he had come to watch Bryce work. His stomach was loudly complaining now.
Ahm pushed to get up when the front door opened. He stilled when he realized it was Bryce. His mate stood there proud and tall, thick with muscles that looked as if they had been kissed by the very sun. His pecs made his shirt stretch far and wide, and his handsome features were tight with tension. All Ahm could do was stare. Ever since laying eyes on the man, Ahm had thought him the most handsome creature alive.
He just never told Bryce this, and he was pretty damn sure now was not the time. He could feel the anger flame off of Bryce, hot enough to singe. Ahm watched as his mate walked through the house and disappeared. He lay back down, knowing that he had lost the man.
“Not on your life!” Bryce’s voice could be heard from another part of the house. It held a feral growl and red-hot anger. “Fuck him.”
“Boy, I let you get away with yelling once. Do it again and I’ll put you on your ass.”
Ahm winced. He knew Malcolm’s voice. It was just as angry. “All I’m saying is you need to go talk to him.”
“I need to talk to him like I need a root canal. He’s the one that rejected me, not the other way around.”
Didn’t these men know Ahm could hear them? Then again, did he think they cared? He knew Bryce didn’t because the man was being exceptionally loud.
“And I told you what the prince said.”
Ahm was stunned when he heard a vicious growl. “That was his way of getting help.”
Bryce thought he had…did the man…oh hell. Ahm lay back down, knowing exactly what his mate thought. But Ahm hadn’t used how he felt about Bryce to get rescued.
To hell with this. Ahm was going to heal and then get the hell out of here. He was not about to stick around to watch the hatred grow in Bryce’s light-grey eyes. He may deserve it, but he wasn’t willing to watch it blossom.
He still had to go back to the marshlands and retrieve not only his belongings, but the data about his race’s mortality rate. Even though he was on the run now, Ahm was determined to fix the problem. He needed to get a hold of Rakeym and have the man meet him somewhere. But first he needed to get this damn bracelet off of his wrist.
Malcolm walked into the living room, bringing a tray of food. “Don’t get used to this.” He laid the tray on the coffee table. “I called Dr. Sheehan. He’s on his way.”
Ahm was relieved. He didn’t need the doctor. His injuries would heal. But he wasn’t going to decline the bear’s offer and offend the man. “Thank you.”
Malcolm helped him sit up. Ahm hated being this weak, but had no choice but to let the bear help him. His back protested and his muscles ached, but he managed to stay in an upright position. He reached for the plate, feeling his hunger take over.
“Go easy on the food, son. We don’t know the extent of your injuries.”
“Don’t call him that!” Bryce said angrily as he stepped into view.
Malcolm gave Ahm a glance before walking from the room, but not before stopping next to Bryce and speaking in a low tone. “I don’t care how pissed off you are. If you don’t learn to talk with respect, I’ll remind you who runs this damn house.”
Bryce’s jaw clenched. “Yes, sir.”
The father left the room, leaving Bryce standing there. Ahm took in his fill of Bryce as he ate. The man hated him, so it shouldn’t matter that he was eyeing the bear.
“Get better so you can get the hell out.”
Ahm continued to eat. “I plan to.”
Bryce stepped further into the room. “So, you were just using me to get help.” It was a statement.
Ahm set his plate down, wiping his mouth with his hand before looking back up at Bryce. “No.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Look, you are obviously searching for a fight I’m not willing to give. You want to knock me out? You want to hurt me? Get in line. I have a whole tribe ready to slice my throat.” Ahm lay back down. What he really wanted to do was comfort Bryce, but knew that was the last thing the bear would allow. He was more liable to rip Ahm’s throat out than let him hold the man.
He waited for Bryce to hit the roof, but the man just stood there studying Ahm. “You think you’re tough shit, don’t you? You think you have the world by the balls and won’t bow to anyone.”
Ahm had no clue where the conversation was going, but he felt he was dancing on thin ice. “I’m five hundred years old, Bryce. I learned a long time ago that everyone bows at one point in their life.”
He could tell Bryce was not expecting him to say that. He had caught the bear off guard. He was looking for a fight and was stumped that Ahm wouldn’t give it t
o him. It was in his eyes.
* * * *
Bryce wanted to strangle the man. Why wouldn’t he argue? Why wouldn’t he fight back? The man just lay on the couch as if he really didn’t care. And that pissed Bryce off. He knew he had to leave. Ahm was bringing out qualities in him Bryce didn’t like. He wasn’t an angry man. He didn’t like feeling like this. The pain and rejection were eating him alive.
Pivoting on his heel, Bryce walked back into the kitchen, curling his hands into fists. He was even disrespecting his pa. That was something Bryce had never done before. What really angered him was the fact that Bryce wanted to go to Ahm and check his injuries. His bear was pissed Bryce had walked away.
“You look like an angry bear,” Sterling said as he entered the kitchen, his pet pig trailing close behind him. “You should go talk to the cows. It always helps me.”
Bryce just stared at Sterling. His brother-in-law was a bit on the strange side, but Bryce cared for the man—although sometimes he wondered if the guy had all his marbles.
Bryce opened his mouth to reply when he heard a shout coming from the living room. It was Ahm. Running toward the commotion, Sterling hot on his heels, Bryce saw two Shadow elves attacking Ahm.
“No the fuck you don’t!” Bryce shouted as he shifted into his bear form, charging after the intruders. They spun around, glaring at Bryce, and reached for Ahm. He knew that if he didn’t stop them, they would shimmer out with his mate.
His bear took over, fighting to keep them from taking what was his. He swatted one large paw at one of the Shadow elves faces, leaving four long gashes behind. That elf disappeared.
“You are a traitor and you will die,” the second spat.
Bryce opened his mouth and roared at the man, charging straight for him. The man didn’t seem afraid. Bryce had no choice but to attack. The man fought back, but he was no match for a five-hundred-pound bear. He relented, disappearing.
Shifting back to his human form, Bryce took in the blood that was all over Ahm’s stomach and arms. What in the hell had those elves tried to do to him? “Go get me a wet rag,” he ordered at Sterling, who immediately took off.
“Just lie still,” he said to Ahm. “I need to see how serious this is.”
Ahm didn’t argue. He looked extremely pale. The man had already lost a lot of blood before he even got here. Too much more and the fey would die. “Pa!”
He could see the wounds in Ahm’s shoulder and inner thigh. It was the inner thigh that worried him. Whoever those men were, they went right for his femoral artery. They had meant to kill Ahm.
When Sterling brought him the wet towel, Bryce applied pressure on the inner thigh. There was so much damn blood. Maybe Ahm had been telling the truth. It was obvious his tribe wanted him dead. Bryce knew the fey ostracized any one of their clan members who mated outside their race.
But with Ahm being their leader, it seemed they wanted to do more than just turn their backs on him. “Stay with me, Ahm.” Bryce used his free hand to brush back the long white hair from Ahm’s handsome face. He traced the man’s high cheekbones, traced his strong, aquiline nose, and then his full, kissable lips.
Bryce was extremely confused. For years Ahm had hidden who they were to each other. Now the man was risking his life to be with Bryce. He couldn’t understand the sudden change of heart. He didn’t trust it either. Since finding out that Ahm was his mate, Bryce had gone through an emotional hell.
He wasn’t ready to let his guard down and give his heart to this man. But he wasn’t ready to let Ahm die either. He wasn’t going to be cheated the opportunity to make Ahm suffer for what he had done. The next one hundred years of groveling just might convince Bryce to forgive the man.
“What happened?” Pa asked when he entered the living room. “Please don’t tell me you tried to kill the guy.”
“Not today,” Bryce answered. “Two fey snuck in here and tried to take him out. His femoral artery was hit. It’s bleeding like crazy.”
Pa snapped his head up. “Then it seems Dr. Sheehan got here on time.” A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Pa let the doctor in and showed him Ahm.
“Please don’t tell me you tried to kill him,” Dr. Sheehan said. “I would hate to patch him up for you to undo all my work.”
Had Bryce made a big enough stink about Ahm? Apparently so if everyone thought he wanted to off his mate. “Some people from his tribe did this.”
“Let me have a look.”
Bryce didn’t want to leave Ahm’s side, but knew he had to. Ahm wasn’t going to get any better by merely holding Bryce’s hand. He needed medical attention, and fast.
“Damn, that looks pretty nasty. If I had to guess, I would say that whoever did this twisted the knife to keep the wound open.”
Bryce was ready to hunt down the two fey and kill them. It was an odd reaction considering he hadn’t lifted a finger to go help Ahm when he was stuck in the marshland.
“Sterling, go get my bag from the truck. It’s a black Nike bag and it’s tucked under the front seat.”
Bryce could feel the tension in the room. The doctor wasn’t sure if he could help Ahm. He could scent the doubt. He was not going to accept failure. Ahm was going to live if Bryce had to reach into the man’s leg and hold the damn artery together himself.
As he stood there watching Dr. Sheehan work, his mate slowly opened his eyes. The intensity in Ahm’s eyes almost frightened Bryce. A dark, sickening feeling sliced through him as the man’s eyes began to close.
“How we doing down there, Doc?” Bryce asked, watching the slow pulse in Ahm’s neck.
“I’m working on it, Bryce. They did a nasty little number on Ahm. The artery is not just sliced open, which would have been easier to repair. Instead, it’s almost chewed up.” Dr. Sheehan wiped at his brow. “This is going to take time.”
That was something Bryce feared Ahm didn’t have. The longer his mate lay there, the paler he became. How could anyone lose that much blood and still be alive? The couch beneath Ahm was saturated.
Moving to the head of the couch, Bryce placed a hand on each side of Ahm’s face. “Fight for me, Ahm.” He swallowed hard, pushing his words past the strain in his throat. “Fight for us.” Tracing his thumbs over his mate’s high cheekbones, Bryce promised whoever was listening that he would give Ahm another chance just as long as his mate didn’t die.
Shit was looking dicey, and Bryce refused to entertain the concept that the Shadow elf wouldn’t pull through.
As time ticked by, his brothers started gathering in the living room, all wearing somber faces.
They knew what Bryce refused to think.
Ahm was walking an invisible line between life and death.
Chapter Seven
Malcolm was resting against the porch banister, worried that Bryce was about to lose his mate when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He spun in time to see something blue shimmering in next to him.
“Oh, no you don’t.” He lifted his left arm, swinging a powerful fist with the other. He knocked the attacking man off his feet, only to have another one appear behind him. The second elf jumped on his back, sinking a knife deep into Malcolm’s shoulder. Grunting in pain, Malcolm slammed his large and hulking body into the side of the house, back first, successfully stunning the elf on his back.
Dr. Sheehan’s mate was leaning against the SUV, waiting on his mate when he saw what was going on and rushed to the porch. He began fighting the two elves who had appeared. Malcolm shook his head, regretting the movement when he felt the sharp pain from the knife still embedded in his shoulder.
Another elf appeared.
Malcolm swung his arm out, connecting his arm with the man’s jaw. They were under attack and he wasn’t sure how many of Ahm’s people would show up for the fight. “You are not about to take down my family,” Malcolm said with a feral grunt as he grabbed the fallen man and wrapped a muscled arm around the man’s throat. “I’ll see you dead before I allow you to hurt one of m
ine.”
“He’s a traitor,” the man said as Malcolm began to slowly crush the blue bastard’s windpipe.
“He’s a Lakeland now. Come near him again and you’ll have some very pissed-off bears coming after your own damn family.” All of a sudden Malcolm was hugging thin air. The elf had shimmered away, along with the other two invading elves.
“You’re wounded,” Jason said as he rushed over to Malcolm.
“I’m fine.” Malcolm waved the grey wolf away.
“I’ll get my mate to help you.” Jason raced inside where the doctor was still working on Ahm. Malcolm walked into the house behind the guy.
Malcolm grabbed Jason’s arm. “Don’t bother him. Ahm needs him more than I do right now. I can survive a knife in my shoulder. Ahm’s wounds are more life threatening.”
“I swear,” Dr. Sheehan said from the living room, “you bears are out to test my skills today. If a line starts forming, I’m going to be very pissed at you men.”
“What the fuck?” Olsen said as he shot up from the chair he had been sitting in. “How the hell did you get a knife in your shoulder?”
“Go check upstairs and make sure there aren’t any more blue elves shimmering in,” Malcolm said as he dropped down onto the other chair.
With a dark expression, Olsen took off up the steps. He could hear Olsen shouting for his brothers and then the upstairs sounded like a stampede of elephants were up there as the rooms were checked.
The pain intensified, but Malcolm ground his teeth, refusing to take the doctor away from his critical patient.
Luke shimmered in, his eyes growing wide. “You have a knife sticking out of your shoulder.”
Despite the pain he was in, Malcolm gave him a bemused look. “Is that what it is?”
Luke glowered. “This isn’t funny. What happened?” Luke’s hands began to dance around the knife, like he wanted to do something to help but was afraid to touch anything. “This has to come out.”
“Don’t you dare remove it,” Dr. Sheehan said over his shoulder. “We don’t know if it’s embedded in muscle or something more detrimental. I don’t even know how long the damn blade is.”