Falcon was a warrior. He was incredibly strong and loyal. I had no doubt that he would stand against an entire army to protect me. This was all my fault. My worst fear had manifested. I started to let him break down my walls and he paid the price.
I shook the thought away. This was on Cyrus. I wasn’t going to let him win and every time she blamed herself or retreated into herself he won. What could she do to stop it though?
“He’ll be fine, C.” Ari rested her hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“I know.” I tried to reach out to him once again. I wanted to hear his voice and feel my heartbeat pick up when his gravely tone filled my mind. Just like it always had. It didn’t happen though. His shields were still in place. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the pain I was positive he was suffering through or because he finally realized the danger being my mate caused. Both reasons rocked me to my core.
It was past time to take action. Cyrus wasn’t going to disappear and the longer I pretended that he would – or that he didn’t exist – the higher the possibility of someone I loved being hurt or worse. My mother’s life had been threatened. Mazie was sporting an arm cast because she was mistaken as me. Now Falcon had been attacked. Enough was enough. I wouldn’t cower from my problems any longer. I couldn’t live with any more guilt. I knew what needed to be done.
“Where are they?” She was quiet for a moment as she used her bond once again to get an answer.
“Connell said that they have almost made it to their place. He needs to set Fal’s leg properly and the supplies needed to do that are in the shop.” The tears sprang to my eyes again and I was unable to stop them from running down my cheeks. “He’s a shifter, Chloe. He’ll be all healed up in no time.”
Ari hugged me around my shoulders but I couldn’t return the embrace. I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I saw movement from the other mattress as Mazie stood from her bed. I didn’t even bother to look her way. I had forgotten that she was in the room. My only focus was on Ari and getting answers. I heard her feet shuffle across the floor as she made her way out of the room.
“I’m going to go talk to the guys.” She studied me a moment. “You going to be okay?”
I scrubbed my hands down my face before I breathed deep. My chest felt tight and I exhaled slowly. “I’m fine.”
The look Aribelle gave showed her reluctance to believe me but she made her way toward the front door anyway. With a click the door closed behind her as she disappeared onto the front porch. After a moment I made my way over toward the large window once again.
This time when I glanced through it there was no moment of peace. There was only sadness and anger. I was scared too – that was for sure – but it was a new kind of fear. A fear easily overshadowed by a building rage. The cats had endangered enough people at my expense and I wouldn’t stand for any more.
Outside, all three guys – now in their human skins – stood on the porch with Ari. Even Mazie had made her way out there as well. She stood beside Conner and their attention was on each other. Good. Colt was saying something to my cousin while Dane, who must have sensed me watching, turned toward me. He tilted his head ask if to ask a question. The movement reminded me of a dog. Ironic, I know. He wanted to know if I was good. I wasn’t, but I would be. I gave him a nod. A nod that must’ve been more convincing than I thought since his attention turned back toward the conversation.
My feet seemed to have a mind of their own. Before I realized my own actions I had made my way through the back door, across the yard, and into the trees behind the house. I glanced over my shoulder at my home. It was bathed in moonlight, but all the windows were dark since we had been sleeping in the living room. It was so quiet. Nothing to hear but the wind. I half expected for one of the wolves to bound around the corner. They didn’t. The air blew wildly at my face, taking my scent in the opposite direction. With one final look, I turned away from my home and disappeared into the forest.
The long sleeved sleep shirt I wore did nothing to fight off the chill of the night. I had begun to shiver and my teeth rattled along with the barren branches of the surrounding trees. Still, I couldn’t feel the cold. I was just numb. I couldn’t believe that my life had come to this. That I was going to give myself up to a monster. There was no other option. I wouldn’t let anyone else suffer.
I moved quickly. I didn’t know how long it would take someone to notice my absence, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t matter. The panthers would find me first. I don’t know how I knew this. But I did. The moon lit my way as I maneuvered through the brush as briskly as possible.
I walked for what seemed like hours but was more likely ten minutes before I felt it. The tingles blazed across my shoulder blade. My stomach rolled. Sickened by fear. Then I heard it. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed throughout the quiet forest. I faltered on my feet as they stepped out from behind a row of thick trunked pines. There were three of them. All three looked disheveled and heavily bruised. The shorted man held one of his arms protectively across his chest. They had been through one hell of a fight. Pride swelled within me. My mate did a lot of damage, even with the odds stacked against him. He single-handedly put the smack down on these cowards. My anger began to rage once again and I could no longer hold my tongue.
“Your boss must be desperate for help if he sent the likes of you out to collect me.” I made it a point to be overdramatic while eyeing their injuries. I crossed my arms and scoffed. I had buried my own cowardice since I knew that they couldn’t hurt me. Cyrus wanted all of my pain for himself. He had told me just that on more than one occasion. “The three of you couldn’t even handle one wolf.”
The one that clutched his arm snarled and took a step in my direction. It took all the power I had not to flinch at the sound, but it became easier when he was halted by a hand to the chest. The largest of the men stopped him. His own anger filled eyes never strayed from me. All three of them just stood there staring for a moment. No one made any other movements.
“Are we just going to stand here all night?” I was about to say more when a howl pierced the night. I spun toward the sound. Toward the direction of my home. Two more howls answered the first. The wolves had noticed that I was missing. The jig was up.
It was a mistake to turn my back on the three panthers. A mistake that I realized much too late. Before I could react, a pair of arms wrapped around me. One clamped down around my stomach while the other held something tight against my mouth and nose. Whatever it was happened to be saturated in some sort of chemical. The strong smell burned my eyes as I tried to fight out of the panther’s hold. I was lifted from my feet and carried away as I continued to scratch and claw at the hand. It wouldn’t budge and I was unable to hold my breath. My limbs became heavy and black spots flooded my vision.
I knew I was fading quickly and with every ounce of strength I had left I pushed at Falcon’s mind. I don’t know why I did it. I mean, I was turning myself over after all. I couldn’t control myself and I reached through the bond with everything I had until I felt the wall give. I wanted him to know. He needed to know.
“Love you, wolf.” The thought consumed me as the dark abyss took over my consciousness. All of my strength vanished and I had no choice but to let go. I couldn’t help but to succumb to the blackness, hearing my name whispered in the dark.
14
FALCON
Pain. It radiated from every wound. Although they were sloppy fighters, there was no way for me to divert every blow. My wolf gave as good as we got. Each cat got their own taste of our wrath. As soon as the panther took that first leap, my wolf took complete control. At the last possible moment, I sidestepped the attack and sunk my teeth into his shoulder. The coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth and sent my wolf into a frenzy. First blood was mine.
While my first opponent was stunned by his sudden pain, the other two took a more intelligent approach. They attacked together. Both of them clawed and bit at my back and legs – though never ge
tting a good hold – and were rewarded when I began to bleed from multiple locations.
I was able to get a good hold on the smallest of my foes. With a jerk of my head, I sent him soaring into the trunk of a large maple tree. He slumped to the ground and laid motionless. The others hissed and began circling. Both were losing blood as rapidly as I had been. My wolf vision made their movements easier to track and I waited.
A howl rang through the land. A signal that said the alpha was close. The warning had both cats snarling and hissing. Their ears pinned back and at once they charged. I wasn’t able to dodge both of them. The heavy loss of blood had caused my reflexes to slow considerably. One was able to snap his jaw around my hind leg. Before I could dislodge his hold, he rolled. I went down fast, the snap of bone seemed to echo as extreme pain flooded my body.
I was down now. There was no way I would be able to hold them off. Two dark shadows loomed over me. Golden eyes flashed as the sound of more hissing and snarling caused my ears to ring. Then another sound over took them. Connell was close. I could hear the beat of his paws in the wind. I could feel their vibrations in the earth.
The panthers turned their attention toward the direction he was coming from. They glared back toward me before meeting each other’s gaze. They were using their link, deciding what to do. My wolf dug deep within to reach a strength and power I didn’t know I possessed. The sensation flooded my veins and I was able to push to my feet. I could only stand on three legs but I was ready to fight. I would fight until my dying breath. I would do everything within my power to protect my mate and my pack. My hackles rose and my head dropped even with my shoulders. A savage snarl poured from my chest that caused both cats to pounce backward. Both of them regarded my wolf with disbelief, neither believing that I was back on my feet. I didn’t either.
Connell’s howl sounded again as he broke through the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. At the sight of the raging alpha wolf, the panthers ran, knowing that their chances of victory had quickly diminished down to nothing. I turned gingerly watching as they disappeared into darkness. It was then that I noticed the third cat was gone as well. He no longer lay in a heap at the foot of the tree.
Connell’s wolf tore through the brush. He made sure that they were long gone before he returned to my side. Once he was back I allowed my muscles to relax. My body crumbled to the ground. I was totally and completely drained. Con shifted before accessing my injuries.
“The girls are safe?” My voice was strained by pain but I had to ask. That was all that really mattered. They had to be protected.
“Yes. Can you shift?” He asked even though he already knew the answer.
“No, tá an cos briste. The leg is broken. It needs to be set properly.” I growled in both pain and frustration. I could tell that it had started to heal as is and would need re-breaking once we got back to the house. “Let’s get this over with.”
Connell slowly lifted me and started the trek back toward our home. We had the necessary materials to set my leg in the shop. Silence fell between us – both of us lost within our own head – for a long distance before Con spoke again. “Aribelle is asking what happened. Apparently Chloe woke up with an uneasy feeling and then started to panic when she couldn’t reach you through the bond.”
Guilt built within me. I had closed off our connection when it became apparent that a battle was imminent. I hadn’t wanted her to feel my emotions or pain. I still couldn’t open it again because of the pain that radiated through my body. She could easily be floored with hurt. It wouldn’t be a physical pain, but her brain wouldn’t be able to differentiate. “I closed our bond before the fight. Now the pain is too great and I won’t have it bleeding into her mind.”
“Ari will explain what is going on. She’ll understand.” He shifted my weight and I bit back a yelp. “It’s the right thing for now.”
I said nothing as we cleared the tree line and made our way to the side door. He fumbled with the knob, trying to open it without jostling my body. The severity had abated, but each movement was still awarded with extreme pain. Once through the door, Con flipped the lights with his elbow before entering the shop. More carefully than I would have believed he could be, he laid me down on the work bench before he headed on a supply search.
For the first time, my attention went to my injured leg. The bite wounds had already started to knit back together. Being a shifter meant accelerated healing. In the case of superficial injury – such as bites and scratches – it was convenient. Broken bones were a little trickier. They needed to be set and set quickly. If left too long they began to heal incorrectly. That in itself was excruciating. Shifting with broken bones was impossible if you didn’t want the damage to be permanent.
“Alright. This is going to smart just a little.” Connell dumped an armload of supplies onto the table beside me. He grabbed a thick leather strap and held it to my muzzle. “Bite down in the strap while I align the bone.’
I opened my mouth for him and clamped my teeth into the tough material. “Déan é. Do it.”
Connell yanked my leg straight and an ear piercing yelp ran through the garage. Black dots swam across my vision as I tried not to pass out. Con proceeded to wrap a brace around the freshly set break and I snarled due to the continued pain.
“Almost done.” He worked as quickly as possible and stepped away to appraise his work when finished. “You’ll be fine in a couple of hours.”
I grunted at him before laying my head onto the table. I was completely tapped on energy and found it impossible to hold it up any longer. “How is my mate?” He was silent for a moment – obviously communicating with his own mate – before I received an answer.
“Aribelle explained what happened, your injury, and that you were going to be fine. Chloe’s not great after hearing everything but holding it together.” He gathered the rest of the materials and threw them into a drawer. “I’m going to go grab you some water. Don’t move.”
Movement was out of the question for now. But as soon as the pain subsided I would be contacting Chloe. I had a feeling that she would be actively blaming herself for the attack. I would need to address it quickly. She had made such progress this past week but her fears still plagued her. She was so frightened to be the cause of me being harmed, and now that I had a true run-in with the panthers, I’m sure that she felt as if her deepest fears had become reality. Nothing that happened was her fault. I wouldn’t rest until she truly accepted the fact.
My thoughts started to get a little hazy with the need for sleep. The healing process zapped one’s energy and I had none to begin with. Before I allowed the darkness to consume me, I felt a hard push into my mind. The force was almost painful. Then I heard her. The melodic voice that filled my head was strained. Each word was weak, tired.
“Love you, wolf.” As soon as the last word was uttered her presence vanished.
“Mo mhuinín? Chloe?” I pushed at our bond. “CHLOE!”
My mind searched for any fiber of a connection but there was nothing. She was just gone. All that was left was barren darkness and my wolf – as well as the man – released a mournful howl.
15
CHLOE
My consciousness drifted back slowly. With it came a pulsing pain in my head. My temples throbbed and I couldn’t help but moan out my discomfort as I attempted to push myself up into a seated position. My fingers went straight to work at the sides of my head although I doubted it would help. The pressure was just too immense. It felt as if my skull was being crushed.
“Why is there a jackhammer chipping away at my brain?” My voice was gravelly and hoarse. Both my mouth and throat were so dry it was painful to talk. “I don’t remember ordering one.”
“It’s a side effect to the chloroform. Some have stronger reactions than others.” Great. Just call me Dawn Summers. Wait…My head snapped toward the unknown voice. The quick movement was a mistake and a tsunami of pain ricocheted throughout my cranium. My vision started to waiv
er and my ears rang. “Sorry I startled you. I brought some water to help with the headache.”
I took a few deep breaths as I tried to calm my frayed nerves as much as possible. Heightened anxiety would only increase the tension in my head. I got myself in check and tentatively opened my eyes to face the owner of the voice.
The girl looked to be around my age, but she could have been a little younger. She was petite. Her jet black hair was wrapped up into a messy knot on top of her head. Her sweet looking face was very pretty. Big bright eyes – almost purple in color – shone with concern and something else hidden in their depths. Was that sadness? Or could it be loneliness?”
She leaned against what looked to be a barred wall. I hadn’t taken in my surroundings yet. It would have to wait. I didn’t want to shift my attention from the girl in front of me. She didn’t give off a threatening vibe, yet I wasn’t about to take any chances. If I had to guess, based on that wall I was in some sort of cell.
“Who are you?” She didn’t answer my question. Instead she took a step forward and reached a hand out towards me. The sudden movement made me flinch away before I caught sight of the water bottle she held in her outstretched hand.
“Here,” the girl said. She took another tentative step in my direction. Her arm extended out once more as she urged me to take the water. “This will help with the pain. The chloroform causes dehydration or something.” She shrugged her shoulders. “At least that’s what I hear.”
I gave her an unassured look before I slowly accepted the bottle. There was something about this girl. Something in her eyes that told me she wasn’t here to cause any harm. I didn’t necessarily trust her, but I didn’t feel any sort of anxiety toward her either.
“Thank you,” I replied with a small smile. She eagerly returned it.
“You’re very welcome. I’m Delilah by the way.” Her name suited her. She had a cute, wholesome look that could put anyone at ease. That’s probably why she’s the welcoming committee.
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