“Put the bodies in the house and make sure the wounded members of the pack get the help they need. We’ll meet back at Shadowbrook once I know—” Ben couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, but Tyler knew that he would not see his Alpha at Shadowbrook until he knew whether or not his mate would survive.
“I’ll see to it.”
Ben didn’t acknowledge his words as he held Lana close and carried her toward his SUV. Once he and Eloise got to the car, he opened the door to the back seat and turned toward the female wolf.
“I need you to hold her while I get in the truck.” Eloise’s wolf nature made her strong enough to carry a fully-grown human woman, and to her credit, she held Lana like she was the most precious of packages.
Ben got into the truck and held his arms out as Eloise passed Lana back to him. He gathered his mate close and buried his nose in her hair.
“You’re going to be okay, baby.” He knew that in all likelihood she could not hear him, but that didn’t stop him from trying. If there was a chance that the sound of his voice could help her, he would keep talking to try and offer what comfort he could. “When you wake up, we are going to talk. I’m so sorry for sending you away. Please don’t leave me now.”
Eloise didn’t need to be told to drive fast, and she handled the vehicle like a professional driver as she navigated the road that would take them to the hospital. It still felt like it took too long to get there as Ben pressed his hand firmly against Lana’s wound. Her blood was warm against his hand, and he hoped the pressure would be enough to stop her from bleeding out before he got her help.
The tires on the SUV screeched to a halt as Eloise pulled up to the hospital. “I’ll go in and get someone.” She got out of the truck and sprinted toward the entrance of the hospital.
Ben closed his eyes and pressed his mouth against Lana’s hair. She felt so light against him, almost like if he let her go, she would float away.
“Please, baby. Please be okay.” He had so much he needed to tell her, so much he needed to say. He only hoped that if she lived through this, she would listen.
Several people in scrubs came running out of the hospital pushing a stretcher. The same doctor that saved his brother pulled the door open and looked in. “Hand her to me.”
Ben wasn’t used to being given orders, but he did as he was told. He shifted in his seat and capable hands reached in to take Lana from him. Once she was safely on the stretcher, he got out of the car and followed right behind, but when they got inside the hospital doors, he had to stand and watch, his heart in his throat, as they wheeled the woman he loved away. The surgeon looked at him briefly for a second.
“I will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets through this.”
It was all that Ben could ask for. And he knew that he couldn't sit alone in the waiting room. The last time he’d been in there, he’d had Lana at his side and he couldn’t do it again without her.
“I’ll be in my brother’s room while I wait.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but visiting hours are over. You’ll have to wait in the waiting room,” the nurse at the desk spoke up, and the surgeon turned to her with a sympathetic smile.
“I think we can bend the rules this one time.”
Ben nodded his thanks. He made his way to Josh’s room, and when he walked in, his brother was awake and sitting up. He took one look at Ben, saw the blood covering him, and the color drained from his face.
“What happened?”
Ben swallowed past the hard lump in his throat. “The Canergies got Lana. She’s been shot. What am I going to do if I lose her?”
Josh’s face hardened. “You can’t think like that. Lana is a lot stronger than you give her credit for. She’ll pull through this, and you’ll have your work cut out for you trying to get her back.”
“What if she won’t take me back?” Other than Lana losing her life, that was what he feared most. That he’d fucked things up with her so completely she would never take him back. That the rest of his life would stretch on empty without her in it.
“Then you do whatever it takes to convince her that you love her, and you don’t stop telling her. Ever.”
Ben nodded, and he hoped that Lana would get through this so he could tell her how he really felt. And if Fate was kind enough and she took him back, he would spend every day of the rest of their lives telling her how much he loved her.
Ben closed his eyes as he rested his head against Lana’s bed. She’d come through surgery and recovery, and was now in a private room, hooked up to machines that monitored her vital signs.
Thankfully, the gunshot had not hit anything vital and the surgeon had every confidence that she would pull through. He’d advised Ben to go home and rest, but Ben had been adamant that he stay with her. He wanted to be there when she woke up, and the surgeon bent the rules again and allowed him to stay.
He felt the lightest of touches on his hair and his head shot up. Lana lay against the pillow, eyes open, and she was looking down at him.
He grabbed her hand, his heart in his throat as he studied her face. His eyes burned as relief that she was alive flooded him. She was whole, awake, and she hadn’t told him to leave yet. It gave him hope that maybe she might give him another chance.
“What happened?” her voice croaked out, and Ben quickly let go of her hand to grab the cup of ice chips that had been set beside the bed.
“Suck on these; it will help your throat.” He handed her the cup and she smiled weakly at him. He wanted to gather her to himself, hold her tight, and never let her go. But not only did he not want to hurt her, he knew he didn’t have the right to hold her anymore. He’d given up that right when he broke up with her and he would not get it back until he told her what was in his heart.
“Rebecca Canergie shot you. You’ve been in surgery, and the doctor has every confidence that you’ll pull through this okay.” Ben sat down in the chair and searched his mind for what he needed to say to this beautiful, wonderful, strong woman who meant more to him than his own life. What could he possibly say to compensate her for all that she’d been through because of him? “I’m so sorry this happened to you. If I could take it back, if I could take your wound and your pain away so that I could go through them for you, I would.”
She sucked on the ice and he searched her face for some sign that would show him the way through this. He’d had to be strong all of his life. Life as an Alpha had taught him that vulnerability was a weakness. but right now he needed to make himself vulnerable to her. She was the one person he could let his guard down with. She’d proven that when she offered herself to him that night when fear for his pack had driven him to her. She’d shown him that he didn’t need to wear that strong, impenetrable mask around her when she’d offered him comfort after his brother had been shot.
“How did you find me?” Her voice was a weak rasp, and she took some more ice chips into her mouth.
“Derek told me you’d been taken.” His voice broke slightly. God, he’d been so stupid to send her away!
“Is he okay?”
She humbled him with her words. Here she was, wounded because of his stupidity, and she could still bring herself to care about the well-being of someone she didn’t even know.
“He’ll be fine.” He reached out and took her hand. “There are some things I need to tell you. You don’t have to say anything right now, I just need you to listen. Will you do that?”
A look of hesitation crossed her face, and he could see a vulnerable shadow cross her eyes as she nodded. That shadow was like a blow to him because he knew why it was there. He’d put it there when he’d told her that she couldn't be a part of his life. And now she was probably thinking that he was going to repeat himself and tell her that he still didn’t want her.
“I have spent my entire life distrusting humans. I lived among them, but I thought that no human could ever compare to a wolf.” Pain went through her eyes, but he continued. She needed to see that he’d changed and
that she had helped change him. “Then a human came into my life who showed me that I was wrong to think that way. When I met you the day of the fire, you bowled me over and it scared me. All I could think of when I saw you was that I wanted to protect you and comfort you, so I pissed you off instead. I half-expected you to turn tail and run at the first sign that things weren’t going according to your plan, and I will admit that I was surprised when you decided to stay. I respected you for that.”
“I only want to know one thing.” Her voice was strained, and he knew that it was a struggle for her to talk. “Why did you break things off with me?”
“Because I was being stupid.” There was more to it than that, and he searched for the right words. “I was afraid. I’ve never met anyone like you. I was drawn to you, and when I was with you something deep inside me felt right. I know that you aren’t a part of my world, so you may not know how things work for us. Once a wolf meets his mate, only she can soothe him. It’s hard to describe, but when I met you something shifted inside me. I knew that I had found my mate, and it scared the hell out of me. That was why I broke things off with you. I was scared of how I felt and I told myself that I was doing it because I was afraid you would get dragged into my war if I stayed. And because of that you got hurt. Can you ever forgive me for putting you in harm’s way?”
She looked thoughtful and Ben held his breath. What she said now would decide if he was going to spend the rest of his life regretting what he’d let his fear drive him to do.
“There is only one way I will forgive you. I’ll do it if you tell me you love me and mean it.”
Ben picked up her hand and pressed his lips to her skin. “I love you. And if you take me back, I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you.”
She smiled softly at him. “I love you, too. I was so scared when I was in that house, and it wasn’t fear of dying. It was fear that I would never get to see you again, or tell you how I feel. I came to this town looking for a new life and I didn’t think that new life would include love, but I am so happy that it does.”
Relief washed through Ben. She loved him and he would do his damnedest to make sure she never had cause to regret giving him another chance. He moved forward and gently framed her face in his hands. With the lightest of touches, he leaned forward and kissed her. When he pulled back, she smiled tiredly at him.
“I need to rest, and I’m sure that you need to get back to your pack and make sure everyone is okay.”
“I’m only leaving now because you need your sleep. But be prepared because once you are out of this hospital, you will spend every night by my side.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” She closed her eyes, and despite his desire to stay with her, he knew that it would be better if he went home to Shadowbrook and let her rest. Soon enough, he would have her by his side always and he would never think of letting her go again.
Epilogue
Lana
Lana left the doctor’s office and walked to her car feeling like she was floating on air. It had been almost four weeks since the shooting, and in those weeks, Ben had proven himself true to his word. She’d moved into Shadowbrook and spent every night in his bed and in his arms. And now she had something to tell him that she hoped would make him as happy as it made her.
She didn’t want to wait to tell him, so she made a quick stop at the bookstore, removed the “back in 1 hr” sign, and flipped the closed sign onto the door instead. She’d worked so hard to make the bookstore a success and it was turning out to be everything she’d hoped for when she first came to Lenox. The town had accepted her as a member of their community, and she felt like she really belonged.
With the exception of Josh, the wolf pack had been a little slower to let her in, but the love in their Alpha’s eyes had shown them that Ben had no intention of parting with her. They were slowly letting her in, and she hoped that what she had to tell Ben would only cement her place among them.
She drove out of town and down the road that led to Shadowbrook. When she pulled up to the looming mansion, she hoped that what she had to tell Ben would soothe the worry that had been creeping into his eyes of late.
Apparently, not all the Canergies had been eliminated the night the pack had gone to war. There was still a faction that had not been at the farmhouse that night. The attack had weakened them, and even though he didn’t say as much, she knew Ben feared that they would be back once they gathered their strength again.
Shoving the thought of the pack’s enemies from her mind, Lana got out of her car and headed toward the fire station which sat a short distance from the mansion. She had a much more pressing matter to discuss with Ben.
She walked into the fire station and made her way to Ben’s office. She stood inside the door and stared at him as he sat at his desk with his head bent over paperwork. God, how had she gotten so lucky as to find a man like him? She may not have come to town looking for love, but she was grateful that it had found her.
He seemed to have a sixth sense that warned him whenever she was near, because he lifted his head before she could say anything. He gave her a brilliant smile, and she could see the love he had for her in his eyes. She didn’t think she would ever tire of seeing it.
She walked into his office and closed the door behind her. The corner of his mouth turned up and there was a wicked glint in his eyes. Only a few days ago, he’d made love to her on top of his desk, telling her that he couldn’t wait for night to fall to have her. She was certain he thought they were about to repeat that encounter. And maybe they would, but not before she told him what she’d just found out.
She walked over to where he sat and before she could say a word, he pulled her down onto his lap and nuzzled his face into her neck.
“I thought you’d be at the bookstore all day, but I’m glad you decided to play hooky.”
She put her hand on his chest and pulled back from him. “Before you get any ideas, I have something to tell you. I went to the doctor today.”
His face paled and his brows pulled together. “I thought you were recovering from your wound. Damn it, Lana, why didn’t you tell me that something was going on with it? God, I should have killed Rebecca Canergie myself.”
She wasn't put off by his words. She knew that they only came from his deep love for her, and that he would face any foe if it meant protecting her. She'd never felt so cherished in her life, but she couldn't let him think that something was wrong with her.
“I promise I didn’t go to the doctor about the wound. I’ve recovered from that.” She licked her lips as she thought about how she should tell him the news. They hadn’t discussed starting a family and she wasn't sure how he would react.
“Okay, why did you go then?” He seemed to be bracing himself for something to be wrong with her, and she put her hands up to his face and leaned in to kiss him softly.
“I went because I suspected I might be pregnant. And it turns out I am.” She bit her lip as she waited for his reaction to the news that he was going to be a father.
He held very still, then joy lit up in his eyes. “A baby? We’re going to have a baby?”
She nodded, and he pulled her close to him again and held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. He put his mouth on hers and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, he put his hand on her flat stomach.
“I can’t believe it. Just when I think I can’t be any happier, you find a way to bring more joy into my life.”
“I could say the same to you. When I came to this town to start a new life, I never thought I could be this happy. But then I didn’t know you yet. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as I love you.”
“Neither did I, but I will forever be grateful that Fate chose you to be my mate.”
Craved by the Alpha Wold
20
Josh
Josh Stokes washed the grime of the fire away from his body, and breathed out a slow sigh. It was the firs
t call he’d been on since the shooting. It had been two months since the bullet had sliced through him and he was glad to finally be getting back to his normal routine.
He traced his fingers over the scar on his ribs, just below his heart. He still remembered the shooting vividly, most especially the distraught look on Harper’s face. They’d been going for a walk during the opening of Lana’s bookstore, when an assassin from an old enemy of the pack, the Canergies, had shot him with a silver bullet.
Harper had kept her cool and managed to get him to safety at the bookstore of her best friend. It was the last time he’d seen her. He doubted he would be seeing her again, since she’d left town before he’d even gotten out of the hospital. He supposed seeing someone shot in front of her eyes was enough to drive her away.
He shut off the water, quickly dried off, and changed into his uniform. There were still at least another five hours left on his shift, and as he walked into the main part of the fire station, Derek caught his eye. Although Derek had once challenged their Alpha, who was also Josh’s brother Ben, for supremacy of the pack, he’d settled into being one of the pack’s most loyal members since Ben had defeated him.
“Ben wants to see you.” Derek inclined his head toward Ben’s office and Josh wondered what his brother wanted to talk about. Probably how he was handling being back on duty.
Josh nodded his head toward Derek and walked into his brother’s office. His brother’s still damp hair told him, that he too had showered after arriving back from the fire that had broken out at a barn of one of the area’s apple orchards. Thankfully, they’d been able to contain it before it had spread toward the trees.
“Derek said you wanted to see me?” Josh closed the door and sat down in the chair in front of his brother’s desk. He had a feeling he knew what was coming and he wasn’t too happy about it. It seemed his almost dying had made his brother hyper-vigilant over his health. Instead of being the brother who would cuff him on the back of the head when he was out of line, he’d turned into a gigantic mother hen.
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