“Says the man who had to be carried into my infirmary bloody, unconscious, and beaten within an inch of his life.” Emma shot him a told-you-so glare.
“I was outnumbered,” Brady shouted.
“And stupid.” Rachel cut him to the quick before Emma had the chance. “You should have listened to me. If you’d let me at least go with you, I could have...”
“Done what? Were you going to fight them too? We’d have both been grossly outnumbered and left to die in the woods,” Brady shot back at her. A poor rebuttal coming from him, especially in his current condition, and knowing better. Pride had him trying to save face even if there wasn’t much to save.
“Better odds with more allies. And by that I mean the whole group of us you sent home. Arrogant jerk!” Rachel shouted. “You’re just lucky we didn’t turn tail and run home like you ordered, or we’d have been too far to respond to your call.”
“Both of you shut it,” Emma yelled. “Yes, Brady is a dumbass, and got exactly what he deserved. Thank god he’s alive, though, because we do still need him.” She turned her anger straight at him. “Now I can only hope you had some sense knocked into you about being a lone wolf. No more playing the hero... Got it?”
Not since his mother lectured him, many years ago, had he been made to feel so small. Emma was right. He’d had no business going alone. He’d have never risked one of his patrols being out there alone, and he should have taken his group as a whole to investigate rather than being the hero.
“Lesson well learned.”
“Good. Now you” – Emma stabbed a finger at Brady – “rest. I will have food brought up.”
“I’d like to stay with him,” Rachel offered.
“No. He needs sleep to recuperate. Save sex for another time.” Emma’s words were law, and though Rachel looked disappointed, she stood from Brady’s bedside and headed for the door.
“Later then,” she smirked. “When he’s feeling up to it.”
Brady bit his cheek to hide the smile blooming across his face. A little sexual healing was just the thing he wanted. Laid out on the table unable to move, as he was, Rachel could ride him hard and take him just the way she wanted. But the sharpness of Emma’s wolf peeking out from behind her eyes stole that happy thought the moment it flashed into his mind.
Jealousy, maybe? She couldn’t be that angry at him for getting hurt. Why was Emma being so territorial? Maybe it was a she-wolf thing. Either way, Emma looked deadly at that moment, and Brady was in no shape to put up a fight.
“Food. Sleep. Heal.” He recited the words and held up his hand in the Boy Scout salute. “On my honor.”
Emma rolled her eyes and headed for the door. “Food is on the way. Try not to stab yourself with a fork or do anything else stupid tonight, eh?”
TWENTY-FIVE
Sleep helped a wolf heal. But the thought of twenty-four hours of downtime made Brady antsy. What if there were more of those packs out there, strategically stationed, just waiting for the right moment to strike?
He tried to sit up again, but his shattered leg made itself plain. He would not be moving it anytime soon. Just the thought of calling his muscles to action sent spikes straight up his thigh. His chest didn’t feel much better. Cracked ribs were the worst kind of injury. There was nothing to do but wait for the pain to subside because any movement lit a cage of fire around his midsection.
Food would help speed his healing too. Oh, what he wouldn’t give for a rare steak at that moment! Thick and juicy, practically mooing on the plate.
His wolf agreed too, with a rumbling growl of hunger.
Brady looked around the room for something to entertain himself with. Not even a TV to watch. Torture. He’d have to settle for watching the second hand of the clock for excitement. Tick tock tick tock.
“Wasn’t someone supposed to bring me food?” he groaned, loudly enough for anyone out in the hallway to hear.
A rush of feet outside in the hallway had him salivating. A hungry wolf will eat just about anything put in front of them. Hell, they could slap a plate of vegan tofu surprise drenched in faux cheese and Brady would lap that shit up.
The footsteps outside passed just as quickly as they’d come, and Brady’s anticipation faded to disappointment.
Maybe he shouldn’t have mouthed off to Emma. It would be like her to tell him food was on the way only as a tease – payback in the only way the good doctor knew how.
But even she knew how badly hurt he was. A wolf herself, she’d be extremely keen to make sure he was properly fed so he healed.
More footsteps outside his door rushed past again.
People were in a god-damned hurry, it seemed. But not to bring him food.
Hunger turned to anger. And he’d never get the rest he needed in this state.
He tried to move again and find some comfort on the too-squishy mattress, but even scooting over slightly made his eyes water as he bit back a moan of agony.
“Fuck!” Brady yelled, frustrated.
Unable to move. Unable to eat. Unable to take his mind off of the fact he could do neither of the first two.
“Someone get in here now!” Brady shouted, as another rush of feet passed by his door. “Hello!”
But no one answered.
This was truly what hell must be like.
His wolf echoed his agitation, amplifying the anger within Brady to dangerous levels, and just as he felt ready to release a tirade of obscenities to get someone’s attention, he heard shattering glass.
Not once. Not even twice. It was as if all the windows were shattering at the same time, all around him.
His heart stuttered and for a brief moment all sound had been muted.
Then came the screams.
His worst nightmare had come true. They’d planned to contain the attack away from the compound, to keep the watch and spot the intruders before they could get this close. And now it was happening, and he could not even get out of bed.
Screams became snarls. More glass shattered in the distance. His ears picked it all up with deadly clarity.
The infirmary had a small window, blocked by vertical blinds so he could not see what was coming, but behind the slats he could see a flicker of orange.
Fire sprinklers erupted overhead, showering Brady where he lay.
It all happened so quickly, and yet for Brady, time stood still.
His wolf was ready for a fight, but trapped in his broken body, Brady felt as if he were awaiting his death.
He pushed himself up to sitting, using the strength of his arms rather than his core muscles, and bit down as his body protested the movements. By the time he had lifted and adjusted, he was panting out the pain like a woman in labor. Tears dripped from the corners of his eyes.
Brady had never attempted to shift being this injured before. Emma had told him to wait until he was better, but time was of the essence.
He called forth his wolf.
His skin tingled as the new fur sprouted. His fingers and toes shrank, sending twinges of discomfort through his body. Shifting was typically effortless and painless, though to an outsider it had to look horrifying.
Brady took a deep breath to calm himself and welcome the wolf out. His fractured arm snapped as it reformed, and despite his best effort, Brady yelped in pain. His ribs expanded and contracted, cracking and snapping as they knit together.
Instinct rather than voluntary movement caused Brady to double over in pain. Sitting precariously as he had been on the infirmary bed, he lost balance and toppled over.
Bones cracked as he collided with the ground half shifted, half man. Unable to continue, as the pain was too much to handle, he gave in to the pain and stopped his body from doing anything.
Outside his door, Brady heard Rachel’s voice. “He’s in there. We have to get...”
Her words cut off quickly, followed by a shriek that could only be from pain.
Anger flared again, but this time it was not from lack of food. Rachel was under
his protection still. More than that, she was his. No one would hurt her. Not while he still had breath in his lungs.
Knowing the agony he was in for, Brady clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, calling his wolf up once more.
Every nerve ending felt as though it were on fire. Brady had never experienced such a whole body sensation of pure agony. His shattered leg snapped so many times, he wondered if it would be lying on the floor behind him after he finish shifting.
When he finally became a full wolf, Brady collapsed again, exhausted from the effort it took to get through the torture of changing forms. His body had not been ready to take on the change. Pain echoed in waves from all the places he had been hurt. If it hadn’t been for the sounds of struggle and the yelps of injured wolves just outside his door, he’d have allowed himself to drift away into unconsciousness.
“Back off you bastard!” This time it was Fallon’s voice that roused him from near slumber.
She sounded so close, but as he lifted his eyes, the sight of the infirmary reminded him of where he was and what was going on.
Muscles protesting, screaming at him to stop, Brady pushed himself up, testing the strength of his injured leg, and when it held weight, he bounded toward the door and flipped the latch handle with his snout.
The sounds of the battle heard through the muffler of the door could not have prepared him for the carnage he came face to face with when he made it into the hallway.
Wolves fighting wolves. Blood splattered on the walls. Dead lying where they had fallen. And before he could turn his head to see down the other side of the hall, a wolf collided with him nearly knocking Brady to the ground.
Friend? Enemy? Innocent?
None of that mattered at the moment. He needed to find Rachel and Fallon. Theirs were the last voices he’d heard in this hallway.
Rage drowned out the screaming of his muscles. Brady turned on the attacking wolf with all the speed he had and lunged forward. Snapping his jaws to get hold of any small bit of fur or skin he could, he clamped down and twisted his head, ripping away flesh and fur.
The other wolf rolled to the ground whimpering, and before he could get up, Brady pounced, going for the neck.
A feminine shriek pulled Brady away before he could finish the job and destroy the injured wolf. Lucky for him. And Brady took off down the hallway in the direction of the sound.
A wolf ahead of him locked eyes and stood his ground as Brady approached. His challenge meant nothing to Brady. Running with as much speed as he could, Brady lowered his head and barreled into the other wolf’s chest like a ram, using his momentum to shove the wolf sideways.
A sharp sting in his tail pulled Brady’s attention for a moment. He skidded to a halt on the tile floor and rounded on the wolf who’d bit him.
No time for games. He snarled as he attacked, diving low and using the power of his jaws to break the wolf’s front paw before he could react.
Brady twisted around again and used the weight of his body to shove the injured wolf over and then continued his sprint.
In the main lobby, the bloody scene was highlighted by fires not yet put out by the sprinklers and thick clouds of smoke trapped in the ceiling.
Brady looked around, hoping to find a clue as to where to go next.
Many of the fighting wolves had taken their battles outside to escape the fire, and Brady hoped if Fallon and Rachel had done the same.
He bounded through the shattered front door and caught sight of a man carrying Fallon away on his shoulder.
Anger burned white hot within Brady. His instinct said to run hard and fast after the bastard, but with so many other wolves around he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t be followed.
And he still hadn’t managed to locate Rachel. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.
Glancing quickly around, he hoped to catch a sign of her, but neither her white wolf nor her human form was within sight. Fallon, however, was; and she was in immediate danger. He had to take care of her.
Keeping Fallon in sight, Brady made his way slowly through the fighting packs until the man carrying her passed into the tree line. Then with all the speed he could, Brady bolted after them.
He almost made it into the edge of the forest when another wolf caught up to him, tripping Brady, knocking his bad leg out from under him.
Brady toppled to the ground and rolled, narrowly missing the deadly sharp teeth of his opponent. He gained his footing fast and, baring his own fangs, let out a growl that promised death.
The other wolf narrowed his eyes at Brady, snarling in response, but did not make the first move.
No time for games, Brady faked sideways, and when the other wolf reacted, Brady lunged in, snapping his jaws tight into the scruff of his opponent, and dragged him to the ground.
The other wolf kicked and bit at Brady, but he wasn’t quick enough. Sinking his teeth deep into the other wolf’s neck, Brady tasted blood. He jerked his head sideways, ensuring he’d tear deep gashes into the other wolf’s flesh.
Yelps followed that made Brady even more eager to bite down again, making the other wolf sound like a dying squeaky toy.
He finished the wolf quickly and resumed his hunt for Fallon’s captor.
Time was of the essence. He pushed his body harder, running as swiftly as he could through the forest, sticking close to the trees for cover. The moment he spotted his prey, he lunged forward and bit down into the man’s calf.
With a startled cry, the man dropped to the ground and Fallon fell with a thud, unconscious, alongside him.
Snarling, Brady made sure to show off his bloodstained fangs, hoping the intimidation factor alone would unsettle his prey.
“You messed with the wrong wolf, pal.” the man replied, unfazed by Brady’s aggression. “I hope she was worth it.” He shifted into a solid black wolf.
If Brady could have spoken, he’d have said, “Bring it,” but a growl was just as effective.
The black wolf did not wait to attack. The moment he’d finished shifting, he was on his paws and lunging at Brady.
Unlike the other wolves he’d dispatched on the way here, this dark wolf was clearly a fighter. Snapping his jaws mercilessly with rapid-fire precision, he forced Brady to back up a few steps each time.
Brady tried to get a nip in, but the other wolf’s tactic was relentless aggression, leaving no room for offense. Brady’s hind leg met with the trunk of a large tree, and he found himself suddenly pinned with no good way to move.
On the other side of the Black wolf lay Fallon, unconscious. Behind her a shadow moved. Another wolf. As if things could get any worse!
With nowhere to turn, he squared himself for the next attack, and when the black wolf lunged snapping his jaws again, Brady copied, slamming into his opponent full force.
Brady quickly reset, dove down under the other wolf, and brought himself up underneath. It took all the strength his broken body had as he lifted and pushed the other wolf off balance.
The black wolf rolled away quickly and came back with swiping claws.
Brady turned to avoid being slashed and caught sight of the lurking wolf getting closer. He couldn’t fight two on one in this state. He needed to end this fast.
Brady pushed back at the black wolf, acting like a ram, using his head and body weight to knock him off balance and direct the fight toward Fallon’s unconscious body.
Try as he might, the black wolf was like a wall, countering every move Brady made, tiring him out. At full strength, Brady could have had the upper hand, but weak as he was, it was all he could do to not fall over. And still he tried.
Brady went low and the black wolf went high. Miscalculating his strike, Brady exposed the side of his neck, and the black wolf was on him, shredding skin and fur as he pulled Brady down to the ground.
Rustling behind them, the other wolf had to be waiting for the kill. Brady tried to get up but the black wolf had him, clamping down on his neck. Just one jerk and it would be
all over.
A flash of snowy white fur flew overhead, and suddenly the black wolf’s teeth disappeared.
Brady scrambled to his feet in time to see her in action: Rachel, fighting with a fury like he’d never seen before, snarling and snapping her jaws. Fighting as if she knew all his moves.
Brady joined in, taking shots where he could. Distraction and deception together, they made a great team, and when Rachel knocked the big black wolf to the ground, Brady was there to rip the bastard’s throat out.
When the last whimper of life escaped the black wolf, Brady turned on Rachel, expecting to see her right there, but she had already joined Fallon on the ground.
Unconscious but breathing, Fallon looked as if she might have been mid-shift before she was stopped. Her clothes were shredded but still trying to cling to her skin. Human flesh didn’t do as well in the cold, and Brady could tell hypothermia was starting to set in.
He nudged her with his nose, trying to get a rise out of her, but it was Rachel who responded with a growl.
He couldn’t take her back to the compound in this condition, nor could he leave her here alone. Brady snorted a hot breath that turned to fog in the air, frustrated and needing a quick and easy solution.
In the distance, the sounds of the raging battle confirmed the war was far from over. Another worry gripped him. Where was his brother? Fallon should have been with Aiden.
Brady shifted, more slowly and painfully than normal, howling with the pain that faded into a groan as his vocal cords adjusted. The cold instantly assaulted his naked skin, and despite the reforming of his body, the injuries he’d taken made their presence known, reminding him just how broken he still was. The leg that had been previously shattered threatened to give out under his weight. Brady leaned against a tree trunk for support, and as he took in a deep frosty breath, his chest ached as if his ribs were still broken. “We have to wake her up. If she doesn’t shift, she’ll freeze.”
Rachel bent her head and sniffed at Fallon’s unconscious body and then lay down next to her, like a big warm teddy bear.
“She’s still lying in snow. You’re not going to keep her warm enough like that.”
Mated (Olde Town Pack Book 2) Page 14