“Your son.” The man raised a thick, crooked brow. His nose was crooked, his smile was crooked, everything about him seemed crooked. His body was thick and muscular, but his limbs didn't seem to be properly aligned. The joints were protruding, and his scarred, rippling arms were angled stiffly in front of him. It looked like he spent more time on four legs than two, and was much more comfortable in his beastly form.
His eyes were pale, hard and cruel, and when he smiled, he showed a mouthful of uneven, jagged teeth.
“I had a son.” The man's mouth stretched wider. But he wasn't smiling. “I had a son, too. He was just a lad, a young coyote. And he killed him.”
Rachel gulped. “I...I'm sorry,” she stammered.
“Sorry won't bring him back!” he snarled. “Nothing will bring my son back!”
Rachel bit her lip. So please let Mikey go. Taking my son won't bring your son back either.
The werecoyote eyed her with contempt. “You don't know who I am, do you.”
Rachel shook her head warily.
“I'm Zeth Bane, and this—” He indicated the dozen or so coyotes surrounding her. “—is the Mountain Bane pack.”
Rachel swallowed as her eyes darted wildly around. A pack of coyote shifters. What did the Mountain Bane pack want with her?
Mikey was lying absolutely still under Zeth's foot. His little fists were clenched tightly at his sides. He must be so frightened, but he was being so very brave.
“Please let my son go,” Rachel said softly. “I'm sorry that your son was killed, but...”
Zeth put up his hand to silence her.
“Do you know who killed my son?” he asked, cocking his head at her.
Rachel swallowed and shook her head mutely.
“Wyatt Lawson.”
Her jaw fell and she blinked rapidly. “No,” she whispered at last. “It can't be...”
“Wyatt Lawson killed my son. My only son,” Zeth snarled.
“No...”
Zeth glanced down at Mikey. “I know what you're thinking. Killing him won't bring my son back.” He flashed Rachel an ugly smile. “But your son's death—will gut him. It will crush him and destroy him. I want Wyatt Lawson to experience the pain, the guilt, the fury of losing his cub!”
“No, no, Mikey...he's not Wyatt's cub,” Rachel rushed to clarify. “This...all this is a mistake...”
“There is no mistake.”
Rachel gasped. “No, no, please! Y-you got it wrong. Mikey is not Wyatt's son. Mikey's biological father is...a human male, not a werebear! Mikey is just my son, a human boy!”
Zeth took his foot off Mikey and snagged Mikey's collar with a long, curved claw. He held the sobbing boy up in front of him and spat. “This...is Wyatt Lawson's cub.”
“Mikey is not...”
Zeth rounded on Rachel and roared, “Your son, Mikey, belongs to Wyatt Lawson!”
“No, no...”
“Wyatt has marked this boy as his,” Zeth snarled, straightening up. “He has scent-marked your son.”
Despite her terror, Rachel blinked hard at Zeth. “Marked?” she sputtered at last.
“You wear Wyatt Lawson's mark as well,” Zeth sneered. “He has marked you as his mate. And he has marked your son as his cub.”
CHAPTER NINE
Tamping down her shock, Rachel managed to find her voice quickly enough. “So you plan to hurt us, to hurt Wyatt,” she said quietly.
Zeth made a derisive sound and held Mikey up by the scruff of his neck. “Honestly, I never thought Wyatt Lawson would claim a human as his cub,” he said, peering at Mikey curiously. “A human...” Zeth mused. “So fragile and defenseless. Makes everything so much easier.” He gave them a nasty grin. “I'll break his limbs one by one, before breaking his neck.”
“No!” Rachel screamed. “Don't you touch him!”
In a blur, she flew forward, her fingers curled into claws to attack. Zeth cursed as her nails raked down his face and arms as she tried to wrench Mikey out of his grip. “Let him go! I will kill you, coyote!”
Rachel bit and clawed viciously, ignoring the wounds that were appearing on her body. Zeth had his claws out and he was swiping at her as she came at him. He still had Mikey in his grip, but with his other hand, he fended Rachel off and slashed at her with his deadly claws. His kick was hard and brutal, and Rachel fell to the ground clutching her side. Had he broken her ribs? She couldn't remain down. She had to stand up and fight for Mikey. She couldn't let the brute break Mikey.
“Mom!” Mikey screamed. He clamped his little teeth down on Zeth's forearm, but Zeth didn't let him go. When Zeth backhanded Mikey across the face, Rachel exploded in utter pain and rage.
“How dare you hit him!” she screamed. “Don't you touch my son!”
She picked up a jagged branch and ran at him. “Mikey! Out of the way! Run!”
Mikey shrieked and twisted out of the way just as the sharp end of the branch stabbed into Zeth's shoulder. Zeth roared, and snapped the branch in two. He flung Mikey roughly away from him and charged at Rachel.
“Mom! No!” Mikey wailed.
“Go, Mikey, run! Don't look back! Go! Now!” Rachel bellowed, and ran straight at Zeth. She would protect Mikey and fight to her last breath. She would gladly give her life for her son. She just wanted him alive and safe. That was all that mattered. But she didn't want Mikey to see her being mauled and eaten. That would scar him for life. “Run, Mikey! Go! And promise me you won't look back! Promise me, Mikey!” Her scream was hoarse and broken.
“I...I promise,” Mikey sobbed, scrambling away.
Rachel tasted her own blood in her mouth as teeth and claws raked into her flesh. The pain of her skin tearing from her face was excruciating but she forced herself to continue fighting. As long as she still had breath, she would kick and bite and scratch the bastard and make him bleed as much as she could. She would go down fighting, and she would die a good death.
“I love you,” she whispered, her vision blurring as she gulped down a mouthful of hot, fresh blood. “I will always love you.”
As she tumbled to the ground, she heard a deafening roar echo through the forest. She heard the coyotes howling and barking around her. Pushing herself up weakly, she saw a great golden bear standing over her and tearing into the entire coyote pack. With a powerful swipe, the bear wiped out three coyotes at once. In a flash, the raging bear pounced on another coyote and tore out its throat. When another two coyotes charged, the bear reared up on its hind legs and lurched forward. The two coyotes were crushed under the bear's humongous body, and Rachel could hear bones crunching and snapping.
She winced and rolled away as a dead coyote landed beside her. The bear was slaughtering the entire Mountain Bane pack. The grass was now red instead of green, and the howls of dying coyotes faded swiftly.
Rachel blinked rapidly when she felt a small, trembling hand on her forehead. “Mikey,” she croaked, and did her best to smile.
But it was hard to smile with a torn, broken face.
“Mom!” he cried. “Mom, please don't die, please!”
“I won't,” she lied. “I...I'm fine...”
With all her remaining strength, she forced her eyes open and blinked to clear her vision. A dozen dead coyotes lay strewn around the bear, whose golden fur was now matted with blood. There was only one coyote left standing. In two blinks, the coyote shifted back to human form. Zeth Bane stood before the bear, blood coursing down his body. The bear snarled and Rachel watched dazedly as the golden fur shimmered and vanished into smooth, tanned skin.
Wyatt faced Zeth in human form, his magnificent body gleaming with sweat and blood.
“Why did you take my mate and my cub?” Wyatt said in a dangerously low voice. “You caused your entire pack to be massacred.”
“You killed my son,” Zeth replied. “Did you forget that?”
“No. I didn't forget. And I didn't forget that your son attacked one of my bears while she was alone and helpless. He handcuffed her with silver so
she couldn't shift, and he and his cronies raped her, repeatedly. She was a young female, not even fully grown. She was raped and mutilated by four male werecoyotes of the Mountain Bane pack.”
“But they didn't kill her,” Zeth snapped. “You...”
“No.” There was just the slightest quaver in Wyatt's stone cold voice. “She killed herself.”
“That was her own doing,” Zeth sneered. “She was weak.”
Wyatt's claws stabbed out. “Your son murdered one of my Silvertip bears.”
“He didn't kill her!” Zeth raged. “But you—killed my son!”
Rachel forced herself to sit up so she could wrap her arms around Mikey. She knew what was going to happen. She just wished she could kill Zeth herself. And she regretted that Mikey had to witness the killing.
“He's a bad, bad man,” Mikey hissed, clutching her hand. “He hurt so many people!”
“Yes,” Rachel whispered.
“I want to go help Uncle Wyatt,” he said determinedly.
“No, Mikey!” Rachel grabbed his arm. “You stay here, with me. I...I need you, Mikey. I n-need you to protect me.”
“Of course I'll protect you,” he said fiercely and hugged her. “I love you. That bad man hurt you too!”
Rachel clung to Mikey as Wyatt clashed with Zeth. The two men fought in human form, their hands around each other's throats. Their fangs and claws were out, and horrendous wounds appeared on their torsos and limbs.
As the two men wrestled on the ground, Zeth shifted suddenly into his beastly shape and aimed his slavering jaws at Wyatt's human neck. But Wyatt anticipated his move. With a jerk of his arm, Wyatt thrust his claws upwards and pierced Zeth's throat as the coyote lunged at him.
Blood spurted across Wyatt's face as he sliced Zeth's throat wide open and severed his arteries with his claws.
Shoving Zeth's body away, Wyatt stood up, his chest heaving as he surveyed the carnage. His blazing blue eyes found Rachel and Mikey, and he was at their side in three strides.
“Rachel,” he murmured, his voice ragged.
“Uncle Wyatt!”
“I'm proud of you, Mikey. You're a very brave young man,” Wyatt said, gripping the boy's shoulder. “I need you to remain brave and calm for your mom. Can you do that?”
“Yes! Yes, I'll do anything for her. Just...don't let her die!” He swiped his hand roughly across his eyes.
“I won't let her die,” Wyatt answered grimly as he gathered Rachel into his arms and stood up. “We've got to hurry.” He pressed Rachel against his chest as he began to run. “Try to keep up, Mikey. Hurry, son!”
“Go, just keep running, Uncle Wyatt!” Mikey hollered. “I can keep up! I won't lose you!”
CHAPTER TEN
Wyatt held Rachel's hand and hugged Mikey to him with his other arm. The boy had been so incredibly brave throughout his ordeal. He hadn't cried at all at the hospital. Rachel had been wheeled into the operating theater immediately upon her arrival at the hospital.
Wyatt had managed to contact his brother, Jack, just before he charged out of the Silver Group head office. Jack had driven his Porsche like a maniac and met them at the street corner in front of the park. Jack was racing across the park, heading towards the woods to go to Wyatt's aid when he saw Wyatt emerge from the trees with a bleeding and unconscious Rachel. Jack had scooped a panting Mikey up and charged to the car. Burning rubber all the way, they had reached the hospital in a matter of minutes.
Wyatt pressed a hand to his chest. The pain was still there. He had felt that first tremor of pain and terror while he was chairing the meeting at the head office, and he knew instinctively that his mate and cub were in trouble. Marking them meant he could not only scent them, he could sense them, and he would know when they needed him. He would feel their agony and pain, and if he lost them, it would be like a chunk of him had been ripped out. That was why some bears chose not to claim a mate at all. They didn't want to experience the agonizing, excruciating torment of losing their mate. Finding one's mate was bliss. Losing one's mate was...
Wyatt closed his eyes briefly.
Nothing could describe that hell.
He had taken a big risk, claiming both Rachel and Mikey. He'd put his heart, mind and soul at risk, and he had put them at risk as well. The Mountain Bane pack had taken Rachel and Mikey to get back at him. They had been hurt because of him.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered.
Rachel's eyelids fluttered. Her entire body and face were heavily bandaged, and she hadn't regained consciousness. She was out of danger and the doctors said that her condition had been stabilized, but she still hadn't woken up.
Ruby and Nate came into the room with Jack. Ruby put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Go home and get some rest. I'll stay with her and I'll call you the moment she wakes up, okay?”
“No. I'm staying. You take Mikey home. The kid needs to sleep.” Wyatt nudged Mikey towards Ruby, but the boy wrapped his arms around his neck and clung to him.
“I want to stay here!” he cried. “I don't want to go!”
“Come on, Mikey,” Ruby coaxed. “You should go home, take a nap and a shower. You can come again tomorrow.”
“No! I'm not tired. Please don't make me leave, Aunt Ruby” he begged with tears in his eyes.
“Okay, okay.” Ruby sighed. “But if Rachel wakes up and sees the both of you gaunt and bleary-eyed, I know that she's going to kill you!” Ruby tried to hide the quaver in her voice but a big, wrenching sob escaped and she had to turn away quickly and bury her face in Nate's chest.
Nate and Ruby had rushed back from their honeymoon upon receiving Jack's call. His whole family was here, surrounding him, supporting him.
Wyatt held Rachel's bandaged hand and bowed his head. “I'm sorry,” he said, his voice cracking.
“For what?” Rachel's voice was soft, but clear.
Everyone gasped.
“Rachel!”
“Mom!”
“You're awake! Oh, Rachel!”
“Doctor! Someone call the doctor!”
Wyatt paid no heed to the shouting and scrambling all around him. He knelt by Rachel's bedside and pressed her hand to his lips. “Rachel...”
“Mom! Mom, can you hear me?” Mikey was jumping up and down beside him. Wyatt stood up and propped Mikey up on the bed, so that he could see, and touch, and hug his mother.
“Mikey,” Rachel smiled. Every part of her face was bandaged, except her eyes and mouth. Her smile was brilliant, beautiful and her eyes were clear and bright. “My brave little boy.”
“You're real brave too, Mom,” Mikey told her. “I want to learn to fight like you. Uncle Wyatt said he'll teach me!”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. “He did, huh?”
Jack and Nate hustled the doctor into the room and stood by anxiously. Wyatt picked Mikey up and carried him while the doctor examined Rachel and asked her a few questions. Her answers were coherent, intelligent and she even made a joke.
His Rachel was strong, all right.
“Your mom's awesome, isn't she?” Wyatt whispered to Mikey.
“She is!” Mikey beamed.
The doctor scribbled on the clipboard and turned to them. “She's going to be just fine. Once I take off her bandages, you can take her home.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Wyatt said, and went to Rachel immediately.
“You hear that? You'll be home in no time,” he whispered and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
Another white coat stepped into the room. The woman cleared her throat and introduced herself. “I'm Dr. Steph Tran. I'm from the Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department of the hospital.”
“Aesthetic Surgery?” Wyatt faced the female doctor and frowned.
“Yes. The patient...” The doctor's eyes flicked to Rachel's bed. “The patient has suffered severe trauma to her face. There will be extensive scarring. So...we are offering you the option...”
“No,” Rachel said distinctly.
Everyone tur
ned towards the bed.
Wyatt went to Rachel's side and took her hand. He got her point immediately. And he got her back.
Carrying Mikey in one arm and holding Rachel's hand proudly in his other hand, Wyatt stood tall at his mate's bedside and glared at Dr. Tran.
“You heard her. She said no. She doesn't need any aesthetic surgery. My mate looks great, perfect and we all love her just the way she is. She is beautiful and awesome. She will not go under the knife and endure pain and suffering for some unnecessary procedure. She is beautiful, amazing and perfect. So, thank you, Dr. Tran, but no!”
Dr. Tran stared at him with rounded eyes. In fact, everyone was staring open-mouthed at him. Wyatt realized how it must look to them. He had a grinning six-year-old in one arm, and he was standing by his mate, gripping her hand protectively.
They looked just like...a family. And he was the perfect picture of the proud husband and doting father.
Well, that was exactly what he was.
This was his family.
His wife, his son.
He heard Rachel chuckle softly as he groused, “What? What are all of you staring at me for?”
Wyatt turned back to Dr. Tran and said primly but politely, “I know you mean well, Dr. Tran. But—no reconstructive surgery for us, thank you very much.”
Dr. Tran nodded at them, smiled and left the room.
“Us,” Rachel whispered. “You said us.”
“Of course.” Wyatt bent down and grinned at her. “You, Mikey and me. We're a team. A family.”
“Us too!” Jack and Nate crowded in as Ruby want to hold and kiss her sister. “We're family too! Or have you forgotten all about us, Wyatt?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rachel waited in the car and watched Wyatt walk across the car park to Mikey's school.
“Dad!” Mikey shouted and waved. He ran straight into Wyatt's outstretched arms.
Wyatt held his hand and walked him back to the car. “You sound like you had a great day at school, son,” Rachel heard Wyatt say as the car door opened and Mikey bounded into the back seat.
Owned By The Bear: BBW Billionaire Bear Shifter Romance Standalone Page 7