by Kris Norris
He nudged her gently. “You okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Maybe something to do with the gunfight we just left behind? I saw you stumble onto your knee.”
“I’m fine. Lost my balance is all—from the kick back. Just ride.”
He frowned. There was a tightness in her voice that hadn’t been there when they’d talked in the tavern. He inhaled again, giving his wolf more freedom. Varying layers of scents filled his senses, one making his gut twist.
He slowed his mount, easing the animal to a halt as he twisted in the saddle enough to look her in the eyes. He heard Ethan pull up short ahead of them, the steady thud of hooves informing him his buddy had turned his horse around.
Jude glanced at what he could see of her. “I smell blood.”
She quickly shifted her body to adjust to the change in balance, the new position pressing one breast against his arm as her face lingered dangerously within reach. She narrowed her eyes, giving his body a slow sweep. “You smell blood?”
“It’s not strong, but it’s there.”
“How…” She paused, a flicker of understanding flashing in her eyes before she eased back. “Will Tanner got a shot off before he went down. It grazed my arm. I’ve cleaned and bandaged it, but I’m sure there’s still a bit of blood seepin’ through. It’s only been a couple of days.”
His gaze dropped to her arm then up to her face. “That’s all?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“That’s not what I meant. Maybe—”
“Problem, partner?” Ethan stopped beside them, his attention focused on McKenna.
“Just ensuring our companion is all right after her run-in with the Wilson brothers.”
Ethan nodded, looking at her. “Are you?”
“I already told your friend that I’m fine. Told you, too…earlier, if I recall.”
She sat up straighter, but Jude didn’t miss the way her jaw clenched. She was hiding something. He just didn’t know what.
Ethan shifted his gaze to Jude, the raise of his brow indicating the man had come to a similar conclusion. “His name is Jude, in case you’ve forgotten, though we both know you haven’t.” He pushed a hand through his hair as he studied the open plain behind them. “We’ve covered a fair chunk of land, but I think it’d be wise to put a bit more distance between us and Tombstone, even though I’d rather not risk the horses at night. There’s an abandoned homestead a couple of hours ride east of here. Railway purchased it, but with all the delays they’ve had, they haven’t gotten that far with the spurs. We should be safe until mornin’. We can discuss our plans then—after we’ve all had a chance to rest.”
McKenna glanced at the blackened horizon. “Two hours?”
Ethan leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “There a problem with that? A reason we should stop sooner?”
Her stubborn determination gleamed in her eyes, masking any other emotion. “Let’s ride.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed and Jude thought he might demand more answers before he sighed, nodding at Jude. Jude returned the gesture, tapping his horse in the flanks. The animal snorted then lurched forward, easing into a gentle canter. McKenna’s grip tightened, her body shifting behind him. He could feel every inhalation, every twitch of her hands as she gripped his chest, finally relaxing against him as the miles passed beneath them.
He smiled. Having her hold him, even knowing it wasn’t by choice, felt right. The play of her fingers across his skin, the brush of her hair against his shoulder soothed a raw feeling inside him he hadn’t known was there. Hell, maybe it hadn’t been until she’d unlocked some hidden door within him, making him acutely aware of how her presence filled him in ways he’d never imagined.
His wolf puffed up its chest, and he swore the damn thing was gloating. He sighed. Ethan was right. Though Jude had entertained the notion of a mate before, he hadn’t actually thought one existed. It’d seemed too convenient, too farfetched to be real. Yet his instincts screamed the word in his head, refusing to be pushed aside when he gave himself a mental shake.
He sighed, blocking out the incessant chattering in his mind as he kept the pace slightly slower, hoping to reduce any jarring for the woman making his head spin. She’d been quiet since they’d stopped, the time passing quicker than he’d anticipated. He suspected it had something to do with the gentle weight of her head against his shoulder blade and how her breath grazed his arm, beading it with goose bumps. The thought made him smile when her hands twitched against his chest, her head pressing harder into his back as her body flinched.
He glanced over his shoulder again. “Something wrong?”
She answered him with a hiss of breath followed by a low groan before finally lifting her head. “How much longer?”
“Moon hasn’t moved that much. I’d say we’re about an hour into it. Why?”
Her next few breaths felt forced, the short, choppy inhalations heightening his awareness. He inhaled again, this time catching the scent of her blood heavy in the air around them.
“Fuck!” He reined in his horse, grabbing her arms as he twisted to face her.
Pale skin glared back at him, her lips pinched tight with obvious pain.
He leaned in close, not allowing her to shy away. “Where were you hit?”
She clenched her jaw, that stubborn pride rearing its head before she winced, snagging her bottom lips between her teeth as she seemed to breathe through the pain. “Left side.”
“Shit!” He glanced at Ethan as the man stared back at them, brow raised, confusion clouding his eyes.
Anger shaped the man’s face and he urged his mount around, quickly eating up the short distance between them. He stopped abruptly, mouth opening before he closed it quickly, his rough intake of air speaking volumes.
He looked directly at McKenna. “I smell blood. A lot. And it’s not Jude’s.”
She frowned. “How do you know—”
Jude cut her off with a firm glare. “Her left side.”
Ethan dismounted, reaching for her as Jude helped her into Ethan’s arms.
“Oh, god.” Her voice rose in pitch as she fell against Ethan, head connecting solidly with the man’s chest.
Ethan gathered her against him, gently kneeling as he managed to open her jacket and push the edge away. Bright red gleamed in the moonlight, the vibrant color roiling nausea through Jude’s gut.
He jumped off his horse, lowering to one knee beside her as he helped Ethan lift her shirt. She’d balled up a cloth to stem some of the bleeding, and Jude grimaced when she cried out as he gently removed it. The wound looked ragged, as if the bullet had eaten its way through her flesh from the inside out. He bent low, scanning her back, cursing at the identical wound puckered against her skin.
He glanced at Ethan, telling the man everything with a shake of his head, before focusing on McKenna. “You’ve been shot clean through.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Better than havin’ a hunk of lead still inside me.”
“I don’t see the positive in this situation. Why the hell didn’t you tell us? I asked you if you’d been hit.”
“No, you asked if I was okay and said you smelled blood. I answered both.”
“You lied.”
“I didn’t lie. I did get clipped in the arm by Tanner. I just neglected to tell you it wasn’t my only injury.”
Ethan huffed. “Why would you keep this from us? Christ, McKenna. We’ve been ridin’ for well over an hour and you’ve been bleedin’ this entire time. We could have at least bandaged you up. Considered other options.”
“What options? We stop, and Bret and the dozen men he’ll have talked into joining him will catch us. And I already told you. I’d rather go down shootin’ than swingin’.”
“No one’s going down.” Ethan nodded at his horse. “I’ve got some bandages in my left saddlebag. It won’t do much, but it should help stem the bleedin’ better than the cloth you shoved against your skin. God
knows what might have been on it. It smells like kerosene. No wonder we couldn’t detect the injury before.”
Jude rose to his feet, but she grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Don’t. Please.”
He leaned over her, brushing some strands of hair back from her face. “We need to stop the bleedin’ or you’ll die before we reach that homestead.”
“I know.”
His wolf growled, the gravely sound making it past his clenched jaw. “Sorry, not an option, darlin’.”
“You both know they’ll hang me for what I’ve done. It’s better this way.”
Jude glanced at Ethan. If ever he needed his buddy to side with him, it was now.
Ethan lowered his gaze, taking a deep breath before tracing his finger along her jaw. “No one’s going to hurt you, let alone hang you. Not as long as we’re both breathin’.” He placed a finger over her lips, keeping her from protesting. “We’ll explain things later. Just let us wrap the wound for now.”
She frowned, looking as if she wanted to argue when her eyes rolled back slightly, another moan rasping free. She panted through a series of breaths, finally giving them a nod. Her fingers fell from Jude’s wrist, landing on her lap with a sickening thud. Jude grabbed Ethan’s saddlebag, rifling through the contents before tossing some supplies at Ethan. The man caught them, placing them gently on McKenna’s hips as Jude took his place beside her again.
He held up a canteen. “I need to clean the area a bit before we try to bandage it. This might hurt.”
She chuckled. “Don’t reckon it could get much worse.”
Jude shook his head. “Know this. Once you’re all healed up, we’re going to have a talk about trust. Now hold Ethan’s hand. Squeeze as hard as you need to.”
She glared at him but didn’t resist when Ethan threaded his fingers through hers, holding their joined hands against his chest. She nodded at Jude, tipping her head back as she growled through the obvious pain, her knuckles white against Ethan’s tanned flesh. Jude worked quickly, wiping off the excess blood then balling up some of the gauze. He held the wads in place as he wrapped a few layers around her ribcage, keeping it as tight as he thought she could stand while still being able to breathe. What little color had stained her cheeks had faded when he finally gazed at her, the tight press of her lips making his chest constrict. He went to his knees again, grazing his thumb over her jaw until she finally opened her eyes.
Jude leaned in, lightly pressing his forehead to hers. “You okay?”
She exhaled a quick breath. “I was wrong.”
He eased back, tilting his head. “About what?”
“It was much worse.”
He nodded, knowing anything he might say would only come out as another growl, her visible pain more than upsetting his wolf. The damn thing had started pushing at him as soon as he’d smelled her blood, and the animal didn’t show any signs of backing down. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, smiling when she didn’t tense.
Ethan followed his approach, easing back as he cradled her in his arms. “You think you can stand being on a horse for a bit longer? Or do we pitch a tent right here?”
She moistened her lips and Jude heard Ethan’s wolf growl. McKenna furrowed her brow, glancing at each of them before focusing on Ethan again. “It’s not safe to stay here. Not in a tent.”
“Not going to risk the ride if it’s going to hurt you.”
“I’m already hurt. We’ll be safer at that homestead, especially if Bret doesn’t know about it. He’ll have a hard time tracking us at night. That could be the difference between him findin’ us or not. And not just tonight.”
“And it could be what kills you.”
She gave them an easy smile. “You boys worried you’re going to lose me?”
“In a word? Yes.”
“It’ll just save the judge some time.”
“That’s not what we mean, and I think you know that. I already told you. There’s not going to be a judge or a hanging. Period.”
The lines along her forehead deepened. “Why? You don’t even know me. Why care?”
“We’ll explain that later, too.” He glanced at her wound. “Why the hell did you start shootin’ anyway? It didn’t look as if Frank was aiming at you.”
“He wasn’t.”
“So why fire? We were workin’ our way through their ranks.”
She frowned, looking at them as if she thought they’d lost their minds. “Because he would have shot Jude.”
Jude froze. Had he heard her right? He glanced at Ethan, noting the man’s concerned furrow, before focusing on her again. “Me?”
She nodded, her eyes drifting shut.
He gave her shoulder a gentle shake. “McKenna, darlin’, what do you mean, me?”
She huffed as she seemed to force her eyelids open, flashes of blue gleaming in the moonlight. “He was aiming at you. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember Frank aiming at that wolf.”
“Right.” Her eyes drifted shut again as she seemed to fade. “You.”
Jude looked at Ethan, raising his brow in question.
Ethan palmed her forehead. “You must have a fever. You’re not makin’ sense.”
She blinked her eyes open with obvious effort. “I don’t have a fever, at least not yet, and you both know exactly what I’m talkin’ about.”
“Actually, sweetheart, we don’t.”
“So you’re tellin’ me you both aren’t shifters?”
Ethan stiffened. “Shifters?”
She exhaled. “Wolves, coyotes, pumas… Spirit animals or something. I was going on instinct in the street but now…” She glanced at Jude. “Jude’s shirt, your sense of smell…” Her head lolled back against Ethan’s arm as she groaned. “Is it getting cold?”
Jude tapped Ethan’s arm. “We need to get her inside. Do more than just wrap those holes or we’ll lose her.”
Ethan growled this time. “Not a fucking chance.”
He shuffled her closer as he stood, holding her against his chest. “Rest. We’ll be as quick and gentle as we can.”
She nodded, eyes still closed, her breath whispering in the sudden stillness. Jude helped Ethan into the saddle, handing the man the reins. Ethan smiled his thanks, nudging his horse into an easy canter. Jude climbed onto his ride, scanning the horizon behind them, ensuring they were still alone, before following after the couple. He reran McKenna’s words in his head, wondering what the hell to make of them. He’d never encountered anyone who knew about shifters other than those who shared in the ability. And if their pretty little gunslinger was anything other than a beautiful woman, then she masked her ability better than anyone they’d ever met.
He cursed, coaxing the animal faster. They’d get some answers once she’d regained consciousness, and that wasn’t likely to happen unless they tended to her wounds properly. Even then it could be days before she had the strength to talk at length to them. And he had a bad feeling his wolf was far more interested in a physical approach than words.
Chapter Four
“Whoa.”
Ethan reined in his horse, slowing the massive animal into an easy walk as the homestead appeared on the slight rise ahead of them, the dark silhouette backlit by the waxing moonlight. His horse snorted, shaking its head as it plodding forward, each step a dull echo across the landscape. Ethan gave the animal a pat, smiling when it whined in response. They’d pushed hard, and he’d half expected the damn thing to buck him off as soon as they stopped in front of a weathered porch.
He glanced down at McKenna. She’d spent part of the journey mumbling against his chest, the disjointed words impossible to follow. But she’d drifted off twenty minutes ago, and he hadn’t been able to rouse more than a fleeting sigh from her since. He bit back the growl building in his chest. Letting his emotions rule his actions wasn’t going to help her. And based on the gray tone to her skin, their patch job hadn’t fully stemmed the bleeding.
The growl resurfaced, and he let it rasp free
as the scent of her blood smothered him. It was dark, gutting, and knowing they could lose what they hadn’t even truly found yet burned cold in his veins.
“You sound pretty angry for a guy who doesn’t believe in all that mate crap.”
Ethan stared down at Jude as the man stopped beside him. “Weren’t you supposed to put on a shirt?”
“Not important. Savin’ her life…”
Ethan sighed. “You won’t be much help if you get sick.”
“Haven’t been sick since my first shift.” Jude motioned for Ethan to hand her over. “I’ll hold her so you can get down off your horse without stumbling.”
Ethan glanced at the woman in his arms, her gentle weight making his heart feel strangely heavy. Long lashes rested against porcelain skin, hiding the brilliant blue of her eyes. Her lips were pursed together, turned down slightly into the beginnings of a grimace. Her hair had pulled free from her braid somewhere along the trail, the thick mass pooled about her shoulders—a glimmer of gold amidst the shadows.
He clenched his jaw. Fuck, she did things to his insides—made it feel as if his stomach had fallen into his boots. Anticipation warred with desire, both of those tempered by the fear he’d spend the next few hours watching her die.
“Ethan.”
He tore his gaze from her, meeting Jude’s compassionate smile.
“She’s going to be all right. We’ll see to it. But we need to get her inside and fixed up.”
Ethan nodded, wondering when his damn throat had closed too tight for him to speak. He shuffled her off to his side, wincing when her body tensed, a low groan making his pulse race. Jude gathered her close, seemingly oblivious to the cool breeze that swept over the plains, dropping the temperature by several degrees. The man waited while Ethan swung his leg over the saddle, his feet kicking up dust as they hit the dirt. Ethan grabbed the reins, walking his horse over to a coral at the side of the home. He removed his saddlebags then released the animal inside it, doing the same with Jude’s before heading for the porch. Ethan knew he should give both geldings a proper rub down—hell, he should remove the damn saddles—but that would have to wait until after they’d tended to McKenna’s injuries.