Make Him Mine

by Lia Bevans

  Lucien roared and charged her. Chantal sprinted toward him, mouth open and fangs prepped to sink into his leg. She latched on at the same moment that he grabbed her sides. His sharp nails dug into her body and pain sprang through every nerve.

  Chantal ignored the sensation and held on for dear life. This was for Caldon, a boy who would have to live with the burden of the lives he had taken. For Terry, who grew up without the mother and father she adored. For the parents whose lives were cut far too short. And for herself.

  She bunched her shoulder muscles and flung him down. Lucien skated, the back of his head slamming against the dirt. The scent of the earth rose like perfume, a chilling fragrance as it mingled with the smell of her blood.

  Lucien had punctured her sides. Adrenaline made the pain a dull ache, but the fight had to end soon or Chantal wouldn’t make it.

  “I’ve spent my whole life being afraid of you, afraid of myself,” she said. “No more!”

  Chantal pounced on Lucien’s shoulders. He struggled against her and tossed her away like she was a stuffed toy. Her back landed against a tree. The breath knocked out of her. She saw stars. They were far too close to her head. Didn’t they belong in the sky?

  “I will end you,” Lucien said. “And then I will kill everyone you love.”

  The fight was lost. Her body grew weak. Chantal ached to shift and did her best to put a stop to the transformation. She was dead meat if she slipped into her human-form now. She lifted her chin to howl for help, but Lucien ran after her and held her by the throat with one of his furry hands.

  “Call your friends and I’ll slit their throats right in front of you.”

  She gasped, her feet pawing the air and her tail swinging frantically. Black spots danced before her eyes. Her heartbeat thundered in her throat. Lucien looked at her with such anger. He truly blamed her for all the things that had gone wrong in his life. She couldn’t reason with him.

  Just when she was about to give up, Chantal heard paws thundering through the woods. Lucien caught the intrusion as well and glanced over his shoulder, giving Chantal an unobstructed view of her friends charging in to the rescue.

  Blaez’s wolf stood in the middle of the crowd, chin up and eyes glowing with righteous anger. He’d come. Everything would be okay now.

  BLAEZ SAW LUCIEN PROPPING Chantal against the tree in a chokehold and felt white-hot anger flash in his chest. Alerting Hazel, Terry, and the people in the farmhouse had taken too much time. He should have rushed here instead. Was he too late?

  He tilted his head and listened for Chantal’s heartbeat. She was breathing, but she was also in pain. His heart burst at the thought of what she’d endured alone. Lucien stood on his hind legs, an anomaly, a monster of his own making.

  He could smell his brother’s blood, the catalyst used to turn Lucien from a human into his own skewed rendition of a werewolf. The familiar scent messed him up for a minute, but Blaez didn’t care. All that mattered was getting Chantal to safety.

  Blaez pounded the earth, rushing toward Lucien. Hazel let out a mighty growl and passed him by, reaching the monster first. She jumped on his back, sinking her claws and teeth into his shoulder. Blaez heard a terrifying scream and saw Evie, in her panther form, flying past him and attacking the other shoulder. Cecil’s coyote and Mae Ling’s fox joined the fight until Lucien was down on the ground.

  They huddled on top of him, biting and snarling. He hated leaving the ladies to fight by themselves, but Blaez knew they could handle it. He scrambled to Chantal’s side, nudging her wolf’s snout with his own. Her eyes flickered and she stared at him.

  Blaez let out a mournful howl. He could see the life seeping from her eyes. “No, Chantal,” he barked, “stay with me.”

  Ralph appeared beside him, standing in his human form. He held a first aid kit in his hands and jerked his chin toward the battle. “Help them. I’ll hold over here.”

  Blaez nodded and turned, his eyes locking on Lucien’s. The monster gave a mighty roar and sprang his arms out. Mae Ling, Evie, Cecil and Hazel went flying. They whimpered as they landed on the ground. He heard the snap of a bone.

  “No!” He went after Lucien. Adrenaline pounded through his veins. He ducked the hand that came flying at him and snapped his jaw, biting at whatever he could get a hold of. Blaez managed to do serious damage to the monster’s side before Lucien slammed him down. He yelped.

  Lucien was bleeding from the ladies’ efforts and swaying like a drunk man. He was stumbling, but adrenaline was carrying him through just like it was Blaez. He did a quick scan for the others. Evie was down. Unmoving. Cecil’s coyote favored its right leg. Mae Ling shook her head and her body as if she’d gone dizzy.

  Hazel limped toward him. Their eyes connected. He sensed a strange energy from her—one that reminded him of his own. Lucien was stronger than they’d bargain for, but they’d both die before harm came to Chantal.

  He nodded. She dipped her chin in return. Together they sprung, gnawing and swiping. Being thrown off and slammed against rocks and tree trunks in return. They were moving away from Chantal and her housemates. Deeper into the woods.

  The night turned cold. The moon hid behind a cloud. Darkness shrouded the foliage, turning the tree limbs into sinister claws. The forest seemed to be on Lucien’s side. Made of pure evil. Hazel was tiring. So was he. They weren’t making any progress. Lucien was too big. Too strong. Too aggressive to overcome.

  Blaez shook the pain from his paws and came at Lucien again, spotting his hands going out to tear Hazel off his shoulder. He howled and charged them, but Lucien flung him away with Hazel’s wolf as if she were a rag doll.

  Blaez whimpered and skated into a rock. Blood poured down his head where the sharpness of the stone cut him. Through the blood that caked his eyes, he saw Lucien flinging Hazel over his head and slamming her down. She coughed up blood. He picked her up and slapped her body on the other side.

  He struggled to get up, dug deep to find the energy to protect Chantal and her family. He skittered. His paws refused to find purchase. Hazel had stopped making noises. Now only the brush of her wolf’s fur against the scattered leaves whisked through the night.

  Then Blaez picked up a human scent. Heard the crash of footsteps in the trees. Sensed a trembling finger over a trigger. Tasted the tense air on his tongue. He saw Lucien stiffen. Once. Twice. Three times. Then the monster fell.

  Blaez exhaled with relief, with pain. He turned his head slowly and saw a tall, thin figure dressed all in black. A familiar rifle swung at her side.

  “That’s for my parents,” she said, her voice a mixture of sorrow and resolve.

  Terry.

  Lucien lay still. He could smell Caldon’s blood draining from him.

  “Blaez, are you okay?” Terry flung the gun and raced to his side.

  He whimpered. “Go to Hazel.”

  She spread her hands over his heaving chest. “I can’t understand your language so don’t bark at me. Just nod yes if you need my help.”

  He remained still.

  “I heard you.” Terry stood. Her boots crunched the dried leaves as she ran to Hazel and stooped. With his advanced hearing, Blaez heard her mumble, “Look, Hazel, I don’t like you. But you’re Chantal’s sister and that means something. Don’t you dare die tonight!”

  Blaez hoped that Hazel listened. Chantal couldn’t lose any more of her family. He hoped they took care of Caldon on his behalf though. He’d tried and failed to straighten his brother out, but with the brood of people at Wildlife For Humanity looking out for him, Caldon wouldn’t have a choice but to behave.

  He felt the strength leave his limbs and stared at the sky. The moon had peeked out from behind the cloud as if testing to see if the fight was truly over and it was safe. He smiled, wondering if he could peek out from the stars and check on Chantal and Caldon when he went to heaven.

  If he went to heaven.

  He whispered a prayer before the breath left his lungs and everything went silent.


  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHANTAL OPENED HER eyes and spotted curtains pulled all around her. She sat up, her head woozy. The room spun. Noises blurred together. She paused and got her bearings. Memories flashed in her mind. Blaez charging through the woods, Hazel, Evie, Mae Ling and Cecil in tow. Where were they?

  She threw the curtain aside, her head pounding with urgency. A man occupied the cot next to hers. His pale face was scratched. Dirt smudged the corner of his strong nose and square jaw. She threw herself against the shoulders that had lured her to sleep and carried her to safety.

  “Blaez!”

  “He’s okay.” She heard footsteps and saw Terry strolling toward her. Her sister was dressed in a black hoodie, black pants and sneakers. Her fingers shook a little and she dipped them in her pocket. “He has a mild concussion, but he’s going to live.”

  She nearly cried. Launching at Terry, she wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her tight. Tears squeezed out of her eyes. Finally, she stepped back and sniffed. “The others. Where are they? My gosh... Hazel! Evie!”

  “Relax.” Terry steered her back to her bed and forced her to sit. “They’re fine. Mostly. Cecil broke her leg. Mae Ling got bruised everywhere and Evie...”

  “What happened to Evie?” She grabbed Terry’s shoulders. “Tell me.”

  “She... she struggled to find the energy to shift back into human form.” Terry’s brown eyes stared a hole in the floor. “For a minute there, the doctors thought they’d have to treat her panther. They say if she shifts again... she may not be able to return to normal.”

  Sorrow overwhelmed her, but Chantal pushed the feeling aside to ask, “And Hazel?”

  “Crazy woman.” Terry slanted her eyes, but not before she saw a glimmer of true admiration in her gaze. “She got the worst beating, but she’s as tough as nails. A few bruised ribs. A concussion like him.” Terry jerked her chin toward Blaez. “But she’ll live too.”

  “Thank God.”

  “Thank God indeed.” Terry hopped onto the cot. “Ralph called me to bring the safety kit from the center, but if I hadn’t brought the rifle along, you’d all be toast.”

  “You...?” Her mouth fell open.

  “Lucien’s dead.” She nodded. “I saw to it. Kicked the scumbag in the side. Let the wolf pack coroner check him over. I watched him burn. You know in the movies the villains always pop back up in the sequels and there’s no way I wanted to go through that—”

  Chantal slapped her sister’s shoulder. “Are you crazy!”

  “Ow!” Terry nursed the spot. “I’m the hero. Why are you angry with me?”

  “You could have died. You’re no match for a shifter. Even if you do have a gun.”

  “That’s not true.” Terry wiggled her eyebrows. “Last night is proof.”

  “Last night? Is it morning already?”

  “This darn hospital doesn’t have any walls, but outside this building, the sun is shining, birds are singing and the world is a safer place without Lucien in it.”

  Chantal peered at her sister’s face. She saw no signs of strain, even picked up a thread of happiness in Terry’s eyes, and yet she felt like her sister was covering up. “Killing someone, even a monster, is a big deal.”

  “I would have killed a little boy to protect you, remember?” She shrugged. “If Blaez hadn’t tricked me, I would have sent someone who would have actually done it too.”

  “Blaez did that, huh?” She stared at his face, falling a whole lot deeper for him.

  “You can make googly eyes at your man later. That’s why I begged them to put you two next to each other. How about you lay back down and let me get the doctor? Looks like Cecil has a crush and keeps inventing ‘pains’ to be tended by him. That woman is something else.”

  “I know.”

  Terry smiled. “I’m glad you’re okay, sis.”

  “Me too.” She squeezed her hand. Terry trotted out and Chantal turned on her side to feast her eyes on Blaez. After the night she’d had, several things had become clear. The first was that she loved her makeshift family more than she could say. The second was that she loved him.

  Mine... her wolf said.

  Yes, he is.

  BLAEZ HEARD SOMEONE calling for him. At first he thought it was Chantal. Wanted it to be Chantal. But when he listened closely, he realized the voice was deeper, coarser. It belonged to a man. Disappointment blinded him. God?

  Then God swore and he realized that either all the Sunday school lessons had been a lie or he was still on earth. Blaez pried his eyes apart. Everything was blurry. And everything hurt. He wondered if it was better to just wander back into the darkness.

  But no, he couldn’t. Chantal was there. Somewhere. Beyond the pain and the fuzziness and the discomfort. She was there and she needed him. More than that, he needed her. With his every breath. With his every being.

  “Open your freaking eyes!”

  Blaez coughed and obeyed, looking up into a familiar pair of green eyes. “Caldon?”

  “See!” His brother, dressed in his own hospital gown, pointed to the doctor. “All I had to do was yell at him. My brother can never give up the chance to scold me about something.” Caldon whirled toward the cot. “You ever give me a scare like that again, I’ll end you myself. You hear?”

  Blaez struggled to sit up and Caldon darted over, helping him move. They went slowly. When he’d found his balance and he could breathe without feeling like his lungs were about to collapse, Blaez said, “If I hear you cursing like that again, I’ll end you.”

  Caldon nodded and folded his arms over his chest. “He’s fine, doctor. You can go take care of someone else.”

  “Stop acting tough, Caldon.” He heard a voice as beautiful as a spring flower. His eyes cast about until they landed on Chantal. Her dark hair lay over one shoulder. She had a black eye and a long cut near her neck, but he still found her breathtaking.

  “Chantal.”

  “Hey.” She stepped closer and hooked a thumb in his little brother’s direction. “You should have heard the way he cried when he saw you. For a gang member, Caldon’s really a big fat baby.”

  “You don’t know me,” Caldon sulked.

  Chantal laughed and turned her sparkling chocolate eyes on him. “We told Caldon you were unconscious, but he insisted he could wake you. I guess he was right.”

  Blaez drank in the sight of her. Words pooled in his brain, but they couldn’t seem to make their way to his lips. He’d been so certain that he would die. But he hadn’t. Which was a good thing. Because Chantal was here and she was his own version of heaven.

  Caldon waved his hands over Blaez’s face, drawing his attention. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

  “Alright, young man.” The doctor quickly finished his duties and ushered Caldon out of the room, “let’s give the patient some peace and quiet.”

  “Should I leave too?” Chantal asked him mischievously.

  “Don’t even think about it.” He groaned as he moved a little and patted the space next to him. “Come keep me warm?”

  “It’s like ninety degrees today, Blaez.”

  “But I’m so cold without you.”

  “Be careful. You might get me excited.” The cot creaked as she dove in next to him. “And you’re in no shape to ward off my wolf.”

  “I’ll take my chances.” He held her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. Man, this woman was his everything. It had never been clearer.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, fiddling with the buttons on his cotton shirt.

  “What happened?”

  “You mean after Terry shot Lucien?” She slanted him a look as if she was displeased, but Blaez had been duly impressed. Chantal tossed the hair out of her eyes and laid her face down on his chest again. “Hazel’s pack showed up. They dealt with Lucien’s body. Then they shipped us off here.”

  “Is everyone else safe?” He wondered, thinking of the crack he’d heard when Cecil landed.

 
“They’re not without their complications, but they’ll live. I checked on them while you were sleeping.” She shuddered. “I still can’t believe they showed up in the first place. You shouldn’t have called them.”

  “I thought they’d get to you before I did.”

  “You sent a bunch of seniors into danger.”

  “I won’t do it again.” He started groaning and moaning, playing up his injuries. “Don’t be mad at me. It hurts.”

  She whacked him on the shoulder. True pain burst through his body. “Hey!”

  “See. Now I know you’re being serious.” Chantal grew sober. “I thought I’d lost you. My heart felt like it was breaking. Please, don’t do that to me again.”

  “How do you think I felt?” He moved her hair away from her cheek. “I don’t plan on wasting any more days, Chantal. I know your wolf likes me, but I’m not going to stop until you fall even deeper than that.”

  She smiled against his chest. “Too late.”

  He nudged her up so he could see her face. “Really? So you’ll go out with me? You and your wolf?”

  She nodded. “But I have one condition.”

  “Anything.”

  “We can’t sleep together.”

  “Except that.” Blaez pouted. “Are you serious?”

  “I want us to be intimate with more than our bodies. I’m afraid to let my wolf have what she wants before then. It will take over our relationship. She won’t stop until I’m pregnant and that will change everything. I want to be sure we’ll work before I give in to her.”

  He frowned but kept on rubbing her head. “Sounds like you’ve been thinking hard about this.”

  “I got the ladies’ advice.” She shrugged. “You took a really long time to wake up and there was a lot to cover.”

  Blaez gulped but eventually agreed. “No sex until we’re sure.” He fiddled with her ear. “So are we talking two... three weeks?”

  “Weeks?” She scrunched her nose.