To Save His Mate

by Serena Pettus

  Landon hadn’t been happy with the situation, accusing Lacy by saying, “She’s being difficult, isn’t she?”

  After assuring the annoying little man that Lacy wasn’t the problem, Ethan had left. And now, he sat just far enough into the trees to remain out of sight from the models and shoot crew but close enough to hear and see Lacy and Stephanie.

  He felt Lacy’s turbulent emotions and did his best to keep his own under control for her sake, but he was failing miserably.

  The thought of losing her made his wolf want to howl. Both man and beast understood what that would mean for them. The only way to sever a bond between a mated couple was for one of them to die. Otherwise, they would continue to feel each other’s emotions for the rest of their lives.

  Ethan knew that if Lacy should ever feel love toward another man, he would likely seek his own end to spare her from enduring his agony.

  He would always put her first, whether she chose him or not, just as he would always do his best to protect her and prove to her that he was worthy of her love…if she chose to bless him with it.

  Deciding to give Lacy a lead so his wolf didn’t spook her, Ethan watched as Angel trailed after Landon.

  “Not now, Angel! I need to find Lacy,” Landon snapped as he approached Stephanie. “Have you seen Lacy? She didn’t arrive with the other models.”

  “Oh, she rode with me. You just missed her though. She went to walk for a minute. I guess, she’s trying to wake up still,” Stephanie offered, covering for Lacy like a pro.

  Ethan didn’t miss the little smirk that flashed across Angel’s face before she turned and walked off. He could scent the irritation rolling off Landon, but it was the anger coming from Angel that confused him.

  Was she really that upset that Landon had snapped at her? And why smirk?

  Figuring he’d given Lacy enough of a head start, Ethan trotted off to follow her. He really didn’t want her out of his sight for long.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The quiet serenity of the forest was just what Lacy needed. She made her way around the area Landon had chosen, yet she found nothing out of place, so she took a moment to herself and decided to sit on a large rock next to the creek.

  What would it be like to traverse these woods the way Ethan could? He seemed to maintain his human side even as a wolf, but to have the freedom of running through the trees, no rules or restrictions weighing you down? Lacy bet it was amazing.

  Ethan was amazing.

  Something Stephanie had said before kept playing in Lacy’s head, “They were still the people I’d come to know and call my friends. They were just more.”

  Lacy loved Ethan, she knew that. The only problem was that up until last night, werewolves had only existed in books, movies and myths. Still, her grandmother used to tell her, “There’s a little truth to every myth, dear. You just have to find it.”

  Well, Lacy had found truth in this one.

  But Stephanie was right. Ethan was still the man Lacy had fallen for, and now, she had the chance to have the kind of relationship with him that could usually only be found on the pages of a romance novel.

  So why was she hesitating?

  Smiling now, hoping that Ethan could sense her happiness, acceptance and love through their bond, Lacy took her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Gus.

  “Sheriff’s office. How can I help you?” Came the cheery female voice on the other end of the line.

  “I’d like to speak to Gus, please.”

  “He’s not in at the moment, but I can take a message.”

  “My name is Lacy Anders, and he told me to call him if needed, so could you—”

  “Lacy? Let me give you his cell. He said to if you ever called when he was out.”

  Lacy listened, thanked the receptionist then quickly punched the number into her phone. She was just about to hit send when a hand landed on her shoulder.

  Jumping up and spinning to see who was behind her, Lacy let out a startled laugh upon finding Angel jumping back herself.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” Angel said. “Landon is looking for you, but your friend said you’d gone for a walk.”

  “Yeah, I needed to think,” Lacy replied, wondering why Landon would send Angel to find her.

  “About Ethan?” When Lacy frowned at Angel, she hurried to explain. “Landon was fussing about Ethan not being here today. I thought, with you wandering off alone, maybe you two had a fight.”

  “No, not really.”

  Angel kept her eyes mostly downcast, looking slightly uncomfortable, maybe even a little hesitant before she said, “Look, I know I don’t have the best track record with men, but I’m a good listener.”

  “I appreciate that, Angel, but I think I’ve finally made my decision. I’ll be staying here once this job is over. I’m staying with Ethan.” Man, did it feel good to say that.

  “I’m so happy for you!” Angel’s facial expression didn’t exactly convey happiness, but before Lacy could do anything, Angel had launched herself at her and was hugging her.

  What was with all the hugging today?

  That’s when Lacy realized she’d made a grave mistake. Angel pulled Lacy’s gun from the holster and backed up so quickly that all Lacy could do was grit her teeth in frustration and raise her hands.

  “So nice of you to provide a weapon,” Angel purred, a smug look on her pretty little face. “It seems that none of my other victims have had the decency to die like they were supposed to, so having a gun really takes the guesswork out of things for me.”

  “What guesswork?”

  “What guesswork? Do you think it’s easy to gauge how much electricity it takes to fry a guy? How about how much anti-freeze to add to a drink? No, you don’t know. And the damn bees were a bust anyway.”

  “You’ve tried to kill three people now, Angel, but why did you switch from the guys to the girls?” It would be handy information to have once it came time to process her ass because Lacy had no intention of dying here today.

  “The men grew tiresome. Bruce was stupid enough to leave his police badge in the pocket of his pants. Dumb move, because when I got up in the middle of the night to pee, I stepped on his jeans and found it. Lucky for me, he was a very kinky boy. I suppose I should have suspected something when he brought out the handcuffs, but hey, I was in the moment, and it was fun.” She shrugged. “Bruce is such a sound sleeper that it was no problem sneaking down to the hotel parking lot and lifting a battery from one of the SUV’s. I pushed it under the bed, and then climbed back in. Round two was his turn in the cuffs, and, oops, I dropped the key behind the headboard. It wasn’t hard to attach the jumper cables since I’d managed to talk him into the blindfold. I had to take them off though when I smelled burnt flesh.” Angel looked up at Lacy with soulless eyes and asked, “Have you ever smelled burnt flesh? It’s really horrible.”

  Yup, this chick was certifiable. Seriously, who came up with ideas like that?

  Lacy cringed. Poor Bruce!

  “Of course, he didn’t die!” Angel barked, waving Lacy’s gun in a wild gesture that had Lacy wanting to dive for cover. “Then I let the bees out in the dressing tent. It wasn’t really thought out. I found the hive, bagged it and tossed it in,” Angel confessed. “Got a few stings for my trouble, but I knew one of the guys was allergic.”

  “Then why go after Madison?” Lacy was trying to understand what motivated Angel, but there didn’t seem to be any underlying reason for the attacks.

  “Madison is a bitch. Oh, sure, she was sweet to your face, but she’s slept with so many photographers it’s disgusting. At least, I sleep with models, and not to try and better my career,” she sneered.

  “No, you just electrocute them.” Okay, this chick was scary. Did she not have a conscience?

  “He was a cop! Like I needed a cop snooping around?”

  Lacy saw movement from behind Angel and spotted Stephanie coming up with her gun drawn, eyes on Angel, so she knew she needed to keep Angel’
s attention.

  “Do you think he didn’t have backup?” At her question, Lacy pointed to the gun in Angel’s hand. “That’s my government-issued firearm, Angel.”

  Angel froze, her face showing utter disbelief. “You fucking whore! You’re a cop?” Wide eyes swept Lacy from head to toe.

  “I get that reaction a lot, though not usually so dramatic.”

  Anger rolled off Angel now, her body almost vibrating with it. A bead of sweat trickled down Lacy’s temple, but she felt her unease and fear give way to overwhelming rage though, right before a howl went up from the surrounding forest.

  Seconds later, a large beige wolf charged from the trees, leaving Lacy only had a moment to react as Angel swung the gun toward the oncoming beast.

  With no other thought but to protect Ethan, Lacy grabbed hold of Angel’s arm, halting the swing, just as two shots fired almost simultaneously.

  Both women hit the ground. Fiery pain radiated through Lacy’s shoulder, telling her she’d been hit, but she pushed it aside the best she could to make sure Angel was no longer a threat. As she turned, she saw Stephanie racing forward, her gun still in her hand. There, on the ground beside her, was Angel.

  Blood oozed from holes on each side of her neck just beneath her ears, and as Lacy stumbled to her feet, she turned her wide eyes back to Stephanie. The woman had shot Angel in the neck. Straight through the neck from thirty yards out!

  “Are you sure you’re a physician’s assistant?” Lacy asked because the woman was a damn good shot. Then she remembered… “Ethan!”

  “He’s right next to you. I think he’s just waiting to catch you,” Stephanie said softly.

  “Why would he catch me?” And why did everything look so fuzzy?

  “You do realize you’re bleeding profusely, right? Now, put down the gun and let me apply pressure to that before you pass out.”

  Lacy hadn’t even noticed the gun was in her hand, yet when she moved to hand it to Stephanie, the pain that shot through her shoulder nearly blinded her.

  Once her vision cleared, Lacy noted two things. One, she was on the ground with her shirt wadded against her shoulder, and Stephanie all but on top of her holding pressure. Second, was a large black wolf that was herding Ethan back to the trees.

  “No!” Lacy tried to call out, but her voice cracked and died in her throat.

  “He can’t be here right now, Lacy,” Stephanie soothed. “He needs to be human and clothed, or he’s likely to be shot himself. We’ve got to get you to the hospital, too. You may need surgery. It looks like a through-and-through, but there’s no telling what the damage is without some scans.”

  While Lacy understood that, she really wanted Ethan with her. She hadn’t been able to tell him she was staying.

  Of course, once the paramedics arrived and the morphine was given, Lacy wasn’t really in any shape to talk anyway.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Shot.

  Lacy had been shot, and all because he hadn’t gotten to her in time. He’d failed her. He’d failed to save his mate from a deranged killer.

  Now, Ethan paced the waiting room floor, snarling every time someone tried to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, arm, back…

  The next person to touch him was liable to lose a digit.

  For nearly two hours, he had been unable to feel anything through their bond, and Ethan felt as if his sanity was hanging on by a frayed thread. If he lost her, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

  “She’ll be fine, Ethan.” Stephanie kept trying to assure him of that, but there had been so much blood. She was a human, and they were so much more fragile than werewolves. “She’s tougher than she looks, but let me see if there are any updates.”

  Out in the hall, Ethan saw a man in a white lab coat coming their way only to be stopped by Stephanie, who smiled broadly and waved Ethan out.

  Finally!

  Tearing from the room, he was at her side almost instantly. “So?”

  “She’ll be just fine. There’s some muscle damage and a few torn ligaments, but I don’t feel surgery is necessary at this point.” The doctor relayed his information in such a calm and collected manner that Ethan felt some of his tension ease. “We’re giving her fluids and a unit of blood, but she should be fine to go home tomorrow, provided she doesn’t develop any complications.”

  “Thank you,” Stephanie spoke up, asking the main question he wanted an answer to. “Can she have visitors now?”

  “Of course, though I would like to keep it to a minimum. She needs plenty of rest right now.”

  As soon as Ethan had the room number, he was off at a quick clip to search for his mate. Peering in from the doorway, he took in the sight of Lacy’s small frame nestled in the hospital bed. A tall pole stood beside it with fluids and blood hanging in plastic bags that flowed down into the tubes running to her small hand. Her right shoulder was engulfed in a large, bulky bandage, and Ethan felt guilt assault him once more.

  He moved to the chair next to her bed. He took comfort in the steady rise and fall of her chest. Knowing that Stephanie and the doctor were confident in her recovery gave him some relief, but he really wanted to see her lovely violet eyes.

  Ethan reached out and slid his hand, palm up, beneath hers where it rested on the bed. He wasn’t about to touch her injured arm. This one had an IV protruding from the back, but he needed to hold her, and if all he could hold was her hand, that’s what he’d do.

  “Lacy? Baby, can you hear me? Please wake up,” he begged. “I’m so sorry. I tried to give you the space you asked for, and as a result, I failed to keep you safe. Please forgive me.”

  “I was trying to save you, you big dope.” Her voice was low, sleepy, but it was still the most wonderful sound in his world. Lacy’s heavy lidded eyes watched him, her hand giving his a slight squeeze.

  But wait. “What did you say?” She’d tried to save him?

  Lacy attempted to shift in the bed but winced when her shoulder protested the movement. “Angel, which is not a very fitting name, was going to shoot you. I couldn’t let her do that.”

  She’d been defending him? It had all happened so fast, but as he replayed the scene in his mind, Ethan realized she was right. Lacy had taken a bullet that was meant for him.

  “Lacy, didn’t Stephanie explain about us? I could have healed from a gunshot,” he gently chastised.

  Lacy just raised one delicate brow in response. “I’m pretty sure a shot to the head or the heart would still kill you. You’re not invincible, and I wasn’t willing to risk it.”

  Then she smiled at him, and Ethan felt her love settle over him like a soothing balm.

  “I’m staying, Ethan, if you’ll still have me.”

  “Have you? Lacy, I’ve been out of my mind ever since Abe forced me to leave you lying on the ground in your own blood.” He took a steadying breath before saying, “I was prepared to follow you to the ends of the earth, to do whatever it took, to earn your love.”

  Again with that amazing smile of hers. Ethan didn’t think he’d ever tire of seeing it. “You could give me a kiss.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my lips, Ethan. Now, come over here, and give your model-in-shining-armor a kiss.”

  Laughing at her little joke, he gave her exactly what she’d asked for until a booming voice said, “Geez boy, let the girl up for air.”

  Ethan stood, glaring at the intruder standing in the doorway until Lacy spoke up.

  “Murphy, I quit.”

  The big man, apparently her superior, just laughed. “Come on, Lacy. It’s just a little gunshot wound. You’ll heal up just fine according to the doc.”

  “No, I mean it, Murphy. I’m done. You know this has been coming for a while now.” Her tone was dead serious, and Ethan smiled down at her in a show of support.

  “Yeah,” Murphy sighed, moving into the room and taking a seat on the windowsill. “Has this decision got anything to do with him?” he a
sked, jerking his chin in Ethan’s direction.

  “As a matter of fact, it does.” Lacy raised her left hand to show that Ethan held it. “He’s my fiancé, and I plan to marry him as soon as my arm is good enough to throw the bouquet.”

  Her bold claim had Ethan’s eyes shooting to hers, his heart filled near to bursting with joy. “You mean it?”

  “I mean it.”

  “Fine,” Murphy grouched, though it was obvious he was amused more than upset. “I’ll give you two some privacy, but Lacy, I expect your report to come in with that resignation. Oh, and an invitation to this wedding, as well.”

  “You got it, Murph.”

  And with a parting smile, Murphy left the room.

  * * * *

  The following evening had seen Ethan finally bringing his mate home. Still in a lot of pain—but that was to be expected—his woman wasted no time getting everything squared away.

  Within two weeks, movers had packed her things in the city and brought them down, her reports were being transcribed by the precinct since she couldn’t write them up, and she and his mother had even begun wedding planning.

  All was right in his world.

  Epilogue

  Two months later…

  Lacy had never been so happy in her entire life. The love she and Ethan shared was extraordinary, the stuff of fairytales. He truly was her Prince Charming in every way that mattered, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  She didn’t even mind when he was being seriously overprotective. After all, they’d had a rough start.

  Now, as she sat on the back porch, watching the fireflies dance over the yard, she couldn’t help but smile when Ethan came over to snuggle on the swing.

  She leaned in to give him a kiss, and once they pulled apart, she felt Ethan’s hand holding hers as he slid something over her finger.

  The finger.