by Milly Taiden
The small woman nodded. “Of course, go…go.”
“Lyssa, what the hell kind of hairspray did you use on my hair?” She reached to scratch behind her ear. “It itches.”
“I just need five minutes in the mirror—” Lyssa stopped, finger pointed. “Becca Louise Duran! I worked too hard to get a natural look that can resist the gale force winds off this damn beach, so you will sit on your hands if you get the urge to touch. At least until after pictures.”
Terez laughed at the young woman as she carefully fitted the veil amid the sophisticated curls framing Becca’s face and neck, letting the sheer fabric fall in floaty layers to the bride’s shoulders.
The seamstress pulled her to standing and helped Becca turn to see the full effect in the mirror.
“Lyssa!”
“What’s wrong now? I knew it—” Lyssa’s words clipped halfway out of her mouth. “Oh my God, Becca. You’re stunning!” She stared slack-jawed at her friend.
Becca sniffed, dabbing one eye with a tissue. “You think?”
Lys nodded. “You look like the picture of your mom on your dresser back home.”
Becca smiled. “I know. It’s like I look in the mirror and she’s suddenly here with me.”
Lys held out her arms and hugged her friend. “She is, my friend. She is.”
Wiping her eyes, Lyssa then smacked Becca’s arm. “My makeup is running down my cheeks now. Thank you very much.”
“I told you to use waterproof, dummy. Mine is in the blue bag if you want, but hurry. I’m due to make a grand entrance, in case you forgot.”
Lyssa laughed. “I didn’t forget, but it’s not like they can start without you.”
Twenty minutes later, Becca stood at the end of the aisle, soft music playing as she watched Jaylon take his place under the canopy set on the edge of the beach.
The wind had died down and the sun was setting on the horizon. Jasper held her arm, his wheelchair firmly on the planks beneath the white satin runner.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
Becca smiled down at him, her hand in his. “Absolutely. I’m just nervous my train will get caught up in one of your wheels.”
He laughed. “If it does, just let it tear, sweetie. It’s you everyone’s watching, not your dress.”
She chuckled. “They’ll be watching all right. Especially if I end up with a wardrobe malfunction.”
Jasper grinned, and her heart squeezed. He had such a hard life these past two years. Alastair’s rogues had worked him over as well, despite his age.
She gave herself a mental slap for letting thoughts of that asshole taint her day. Jay was right. Alastair Reece needed to be put down.
The music swelled and all eyes turned to her and Jasper. She looked up the aisle and saw only Jaylon. He was amazing in his black tux, fitted so his broad shoulders and trim waist made him even more mouthwatering.
Jasper took it slow, letting her take care to keep her dress clear of his wheels. She glanced around, her senses picking up something and she wondered if Jay was in trouble. Then, a loud pop-pop left Becca crumpling to the ground and Jasper screaming her name.
People raced around yelling, but the sound was thick in her ears. Her shoulder and chest burned, and sticky warmth spread into her cleavage, dripping toward the top of her wedding gown.
“Becca’s hit! I want the bastard dead!” Jaylon’s voice was all that registered, but not much more until Lyssa stuffed handkerchiefs to her shoulder and chest to stop the bleeding.
“My dress,” Becca muttered, trying to stay alert.
“Fuck your dress, you’ve been shot!”
Jaylon rushed to her side, cradling her head in his lap. “Bec! Oh my God! I knew I should’ve killed that bastard when I had the chance!” His gaze tore from Becca to Jasper. “How the hell did Reece get free?”
“Jaylon, focus! Later for revenge. Becca’s got to shift! She’s lost too much blood,” Lyssa sobbed.
“Lyssa’s right. Jaylon, help me get Becca to her knees,” Lucilla ordered, but Lyssa shook her head. “No, the corset’s too tight. She’ll only hurt herself trying. We’ve got to get her out of her dress.”
Jaylon snapped his fingers and someone shoved a knife into his hand. He cut the ties and by the grace of God the corset fell loose, the garment itself intact. Lyssa and Lucilla pulled the dress down Becca’s legs, yanking it from her body. Jay carried her half naked to the edge of the canopy away from the crowd and into a protective circle of his wolf shifters.
“Find the bastard. NOW!” he ordered and then turned his attention to Becca. “You need to shift, love. Please. It’s the only way.”
She lifted one weak hand, cupping his cheek. “I’m sorry, Jaylon.”
His jaw clenched at the sight of her so pale and weak. A snarl ripped from his throat to match her pain as her form twisted and reshaped, bones and muscle tearing and reforming until her sleek leopard lay on its side, panting.
Nodding for Lyssa and Lucilla to take care of her, he stood as two of the men returned dragging Alastair between them.
“Is the bitch dead?” he spat.
28
Jaylon’s jaw clenched, but he held it together. “No, Alastair. Your half-baked plan failed. Like all the others. You’re nothing but a coward. Instead of coming at me, you chose to attack a woman. Becca already ruined your face and you know she could’ve shredded the rest of you in a heartbeat, but you’re too cowardly to face anyone head on. You have others do your dirty work. Hired thugs or women you use and manipulate.”
In that moment, the pieces fell together and Jaylon whirled his head around, his stare falling on Giselle standing with the rest of the crowd.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who tipped this asshole about me and Becca. You’re the one who arranged for him to escape.”
Giselle shook her head, but her eyes were full of fear and guilt, especially with his cold stare on her.
“Jay, please. I…I…”
He lifted a hand. “Save your breath, Giselle. I’m not interested in anything you have to say.” He motioned to one of the men. “Take her. Hold her until I get around to thinking about what to do with her.”
Jaylon spared a glance for Becca and anger bubbled up fresh as he watched her cat struggle for each breath.
“She’ll be okay, Jay. She’s a tough cookie.” Lucilla nodded, giving him a small smile. “Give the shift time to work.”
He knew the older woman was right, but his wolf wouldn’t let it go so easily. His eyes found Alastair again and his wolf rose from his core with a thirst for blood.
“You’re a con artist, Alastair. A thief and a murderer.” The man was defiant even now and Jaylon’s wolf paced. “Only this time you won’t get away with it. You’re in my world now, and that means we play by MY rules. You tried to kill my Alpha Female, and in my world you don’t live to try again.”
Jaylon growled, taking a step forward. “How about I give you a coward’s head start?” His wolf burned, barely contained, ready to shred the man’s throat. “I want to watch you scramble, knowing I’m going to kill you nice and slow.” With a nod, Jay’s men let Alastair go. He jumped into the crowd, shoving people out of the way as he hit the sand running.
With a feral roar, Jay hurdled straight into the air, his body twisting and reshaping on the fly, black fabric from his tux fluttering to the ground, shredded.
He landed on the beach, heavy paws digging into the sand as he cornered Alastair with nowhere to turn.
The large black wolf snarled, advancing as Alastair backpedaled toward the party, his only chance to shift as well.
With a curdling scream, Alastair’s body bent and turned, his own clothes strewn in pieces across the beach. The tawny cat was no match for the massive wolf, but he lunged anyway, powerful jaws ready to strike.
The wolf’s lips curled back over bared teeth, his head low as he waited for the right moment. One massive paw swiped the cougar’s muzzle, knocking him to the sand. T
he wolf zigzagged, launching himself at the cat’s throat.
Giselle ripped from her guard and flung herself at the wolf. “If I can’t have you, no one will!” She pulled a knife from her sleeve and drove it into the Jaylon’s flank.
The wolf’s large head flew back with a painful yelp and his massive body jerked in response, thick paws knocking Giselle to the ground. Her head smacked the heavy planks at the edge of the beach and her body spasmed and then lay motionless in the sand. The wolf staggered forward, collapsing at her side, their blood mingling in the red stained silt.
“Jay! Behind you!” Lyssa yelled from crowd.
Alastair launched himself at the wounded wolf, the cougar’s teeth bared, but a feral snarl sounded from the back of the crowd. Becca flew through the air, the sleek leopard’s claws shredding the cougar’s flanks as the two collided.
Stunned, the cougar twisted to right himself, but the leopard held him, her teeth closing on the cat’s throat. The cougar rolled, its muscular body fighting to jerk free of the leopard’s jaws, but an audible crunch left the animal burbling blood, a slumped pile of fur with his throat crushed.
Rough gurgles were all that were heard as the large cat exhaled its last breath. The leopard shook the cougar’s limp frame, snapping its neck. The cat slumped still and silent and Becca released her hold and rushed to Jaylon’s side. She bumped the massive canine’s nose with her own, her tongue rasping his face.
The leopard chuffed, the sound more like a sob, and with a snap of bone and muscle, Becca shifted back to human, not caring she was naked in front of God and everyone.
“Someone call an ambulance!” Becca called into the crowed. She shuddered, ignoring the searing pain in her own chest and shoulder. “He needs to shift back and get to the hospital! I think the blade punctured a lung!”
Lyssa grabbed a tablecloth and raced to wrap it around Becca as she knelt in the sand beside the wolf.
“Jaylon, listen to my voice. You have to shift. Just like you told me. Do you understand? You have to shift.”
The wolf whined and Becca ran a hand through his blood-matted fur, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t you dare die on me, Jaylon Ross! You do and I’ll kill you myself!”
The wolf chuffed out a weak growl and Becca threw her arms around his furry neck. “Shift, Jaylon. Please. I know it hurts to breathe, but you’ve got to try.”
The wolf whined again but this time he lifted his head and licked her face. His body then tensed, muscles rippling beneath his fur as legs and arms replaced front and hind legs and his thick black fur receded into golden skin.
“Get that ambulance!” Becca shouted, but Jaylon touched her arm, shaking his head. He was pale and his face strained, but he was adamant.
“I don’t need the hospital, Bec. I just need you and a day or two in bed.”
“Seriously, Jay?! How can you think about sex at a time like this?”
He winced, chuckling. “Easy. You’re naked under a tablecloth. What else am I supposed to think about?”
She leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose. “How about the fact we have a hotel full of guests watching, for one. A ruined wedding courtesy of two gunshots to my chest, you with a stab wound to the lung and two dead shifters at the root of it all.”
He wrinkled his nose. “We’ve had a busy day, huh.”
Lyssa handed Becca another tablecloth and she covered Jaylon with the large round covering. “Let’s get you up to our room and we’ll see about what we have to do to salvage the day.”
“No,” Wyatt interjected, moving past the crowd to his son and daughter-in-law. “You both need rest. Jay will most likely have to shift again to make sure he doesn’t need the hospital, as should you, Bec. Why not let this mess wait? Matheus and I can handle everything on this end.”
“Wyatt’s right.” Lyssa shooed them off. “Now go with him before I get really angry. The rest of us will let you know what’s happening down here.”
Wyatt helped Becca and Jaylon, the three moving slowly toward the hotel’s private elevator and the honeymoon suite on the top floor.
Jaylon glanced over his shoulder to Lyssa standing on the path with her arms crossed over her chest. “I see what you meant when you said she was a pain in the ass.”
“I heard that!” Lyssa called after them, but Becca turned and blew her a kiss, mouthing the words, “Thank you.”
Lys waved back. “Love you, too, Becca Bee.”
29
A knock sounded on the bridal suite and Lucilla opened the door, stepping aside to let Lyssa and Terez carry Becca’s wedding gown into the room.
Seeing her dress, Becca moved to sit up from the couch and winced.
“What did I say about moving too quickly?” Lucilla scolded. “You’re barely healed.” Her eyes flashed to Jaylon stretched out on the bed. “Both of you.”
“Lucilla, I’m fine.” Becca coughed, wincing again.
The older woman frowned. “Nice try, little girl. You may be Prowl Leader, but as council representative in this room, I am ordering you to stay put. Matheus is on his way with the doctor.”
She lifted a hand to wave off the argument on Jaylon’s parted lips. “Don’t waste your breath, Jaylon. Matheus wouldn’t take no for an answer. You of all people should know that. Besides, I agree with him, so you lay yourself back on that pillow and keep still.”
Lyssa and Terez hung the dress on the edge of the closet doors, spreading the full skirt across two chairs.
“I knew it. It’s ruined.” Becca slumped farther into the soft couch. “I was praying the damage wouldn’t be as bad as I thought, but it looks like I was fooling myself.”
Terez curved a finger over her upper lip as she circled the dress. “It’s not ruined, miss. It will take some work, but I think I can get most of the stains out. Sand is hard and blood will be harder, but I’ll do my best.”
“Most of the stains,” Becca murmured back.
Terez nodded. “I’m sorry, miss. Organza is very delicate and if I use too much chemical or too much force, it will disintegrate.”
Becca lifted a hand and let it drop. “All that work ruined because of one delusional creep.”
Jaylon looked at Becca from the bed. “I love that you thought to do something unique and meaningful. The embroidery was a wonderful surprise.”
She made a face. “Was.”
Lyssa slid onto the arm of the couch and took Becca’s hand in hers. “Why not dye it? You could do the whole thing in a rich crimson. The color would definitely cover the stains and make a statement at the same time.”
Becca chewed on her lip but then shook her head. “No. My blood and Jaylon’s blood are one thing, and that’s fine, but the other two? No, I won’t have my dress remotely representative of what Alastair and Giselle caused. Their blood was spilled for greed and manipulation. I won’t have my dress or our day associated with those emotions in even the smallest way.”
Jay nodded. “Becca’s right. I don’t want to give the slightest justification to anyone who supported Alastair and Giselle’s actions.”
Lucilla’s lips parted. “Why would you say that? Have your men found something else?”
He nodded. “There were a few Leap members who sided with Alastair. They helped Giselle. It’s how Reece got free. They’re being held at the moment. We’ve had enough drama for one weekend, plus we still have to wait for Alastair’s Pride to send their representatives. I sent word to them while he was in custody.”
Becca sat up, ignoring Lucilla’s frown. “Three Leap members? Who?” Anger spiked as she looked at Jay for an answer. “It can’t be. I told you before, every family lost a loved one or had someone injured in Alastair’s raid. I can’t believe this.”
Jaylon spared a glance for Lyssa, but looked away before Becca’s eyes had a chance to follow. “All I know is what my men told me. Supposedly, Alastair promised them rank in his pride and they would hold positions of power in the Leap as well.”
She exhaled, sink
ing back onto the arm of the couch. “More self-interested bullshit. How am I supposed to be the Prowl Leader everyone expects if they won’t even give me the chance? It’s like they assume I’ll fail because I have a vagina and not a package between my legs.”
Jaylon’s eyes found hers. “Not everyone feels that way, Becca. We’ll root out the ones who do and set them right or send them packing. It’s that simple. We’ll do it together. My pack is behind you one hundred percent. When you risked your life to save mine, you proved your true colors to them. Word has already spread.”
He chuckled. “Even the teens are impressed. Especially the females. Matheus told me the ones who didn’t want to come for the weekend are now driving in by the car load. The motels in town are overrun with shifter teens, so much so I had to send a few of my males to keep the peace.”
Becca shrugged. “Curious, eh? Curiosity killed the cat—almost.”
“Not funny, Bec.”
She chuckled softly, wincing again. “Nope, it’s not, but I have to laugh or I’ll cry.” She looked at him stretched out and pale. “What do we do with all these people waiting on us?”
Lyssa let go of Becca’s hand and stood with a clap. “I can answer that.” She glanced at the stained dress and then back to the others in the room. “The condition of your dress notwithstanding, I have some good news. The hotel is willing to juggle things a bit to make this wedding weekend work.”
“How so?” Jaylon asked.
“You and Becca had the venue booked for the entire weekend, so instead of having the wedding and reception tonight, they are willing to hold it on Sunday, instead. They even agreed to adjust the room rate to accommodate another night’s stay if necessary, as long as we agree to pay the extra taxes, fees, and gratuities. Matheus already saw to that.”
“What about the food and the flowers?” Becca asked.
Lyssa turned to her friend. “On ice, so to speak. The menus for all the different parties you planned are being tweaked, and any food earmarked for the reception is being refrigerated along with the flowers.”