Chapter 14
Erick
Wiley and I carry the stretcher to Cricket’s truck and I overhear Kade saying, “Don’t let him leave you behind.”
“Oh, he’s not losing me.” Cricket grins in my direction. “We’ll call you with an update and location soon.”
Grumbling, I shake my head at his cocky expression. “It’s not that I doubt Doralee’s skills but if anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.”
“I get it, man. She and I fight about it weekly, usually after Colonel Packard tasks her with something I don’t want her involved in.
I swear she knows more about what's going on in the shifter community than we do. But you are not tackling this alone, especially with your head fucked up like it is right now.”
“Yeah, let's clear that shit up real quick,” Wiley barks over the sound of the helicopter’s blades.
“You feel guilty about this kid. We get it. But you need to remember that this kid—regardless of what he knows or doesn’t know about James, shifters, whatever—came here to threaten, intimidate, and Fates knows what else your mate into going somewhere she didn't want to go to have Fates knows what done to her. He took that task and executed it, unaware and unconcerned about the consequences. That's on him. James used a human to do his dirty work, knowing he was setting him up against shifters—that’s on James. Hell, maybe he was trying to get this kid killed? We’ll never know.
Nan will fix him. We’ll do our best to keep him comatose so he has no recollection of what happened.
I’ll get him home safely. And if we're lucky, he'll think twice about ever taking on the role of hired muscle again.”
I look down at the kid with the swollen face snoring loudly through his busted nose. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am. Now help me pick this big fucker up.”
We load the kid onto the stretcher and carry it back to the helicopter.
At the controls is a wolf shifter I’ve never met.
He acknowledges me with a nod and a two-finger salute.
Wiley runs to his Jeep as Cricket and I secure the patient, coming back with a very excited Bo in his arms. Geneva follows behind them.
We get them secured, and the helicopter lifts off a minute later.
Letting out the breath I think I’ve been holding since I learned the guy was human, I check in with my bear who has been deathly quiet since then.
When I saw the two males approach our mates, I lost it—a red haze filling my vision, my bear in complete control of my movements.
How I remained in my human form, I don’t remember because I wasn’t present.
It was only when Tom tore me off the kid and put his big body between us that the red haze lifted and I saw the damage—the sound of female screams and Bo’s cries ringing in my head.
“You know—” Cricket hedges. “You and your bear need to make up and you need to get angry again. Look at the store. Look at her truck. If you really want to get mad, go look at your bike.”
I close my eyes, my hands clenching at my side.
But it’s not the image of my bike, her truck, or the store that enrages me.
It’s James’s vile words, the texts he sent and continues to send, and his scent—which is everywhere.
“They pissed on everything, marked everywhere and spread their scents to where I can’t distinguish anything else.
They could be ten yards away watching us right now and I wouldn’t know it. ”
“It’s fucking fowl and I’ll be happy to get out of here.” Cricket curls his lips. “Where is this secluded place and how are you planning to lure him there?”
“It's eighty-five miles southwest of here in the mountains. It's a cave, so bring your basic camping gear. Sleeping bags, cots, food, water, and firewood. I'll run home and pack the same.”
“Don't ditch me, man. Kade will kill me if you do.”
I wrap my hand over his shoulder. “I won’t. I appreciate you and your mate. As far as how to lure him there, I haven't figured that one out yet.”
“I have an idea but you’re not going to like it.”
“That seems to be the going trend.” I sigh. “Lay it on me.”
“He says he has a claim on Kylian, so claim her first. But I don't mean just claim her. I mean do it in a way that makes him so fucking ragey, he has no choice but to run full speed at you.”
I think of all the things I had planned for this afternoon.
I was going to take her to eat and then walk around downtown to show her all Broken Falls has to offer before taking her to my cabin where I’d get her off again and embed my mating mark into her flesh.
If that didn't coax her bear out, I'd convince her to run in the woods with me, where I’d chase and catch her—both in my human and bear forms. If that didn’t work, well, I didn’t have another plan.
“What way did you have in mind?”
He grins like the evil mastermind he believes he is. “She knows where he lives, right? Imagine him coming home and finding your mating scent all over his couch.”
His grin grows wider. “And his kitchen counter, bathroom, bedspread. Hell, make an afternoon out of it.”
Fucking hell. I really didn’t want her first time to be like this and I definitely don’t want it to be on this asshole’s couch, bed, or anywhere else in his home. Plus, the fucker tried to rape her there, so will she even step foot inside?
Forcing her climax took the edge off of the mating call that her bear doesn’t seem eager to answer—as was clear by her taking a swipe at my bear.
What does that mean? Does she not want to be mated, or does she not want to be mated to me?
That she’s not burning up anymore gives me some solace that what I did was the right thing.
“I’ll think about it.” I motion toward our mates. “Let’s pack up and meet at the gas station. I’ll text you in sixty.”
He waves at Doralee who has been talking animatedly with Kylian.
I don’t know what the two of them have to talk about, but I'm thrilled to see her comfortable with my pack members’ mates.
She and I have a lot to discuss and part of me is worried she’ll change her mind about mating me—especially if her bear refuses to come out.
What if that is why her bear took a swipe at my bear? Can she tell we were born Farnon and considers us an unsuitable mate?
I pass Doralee and toss her a nod before opening the passenger door for Kylian. “Get in, babygirl. I’ll secure the store and we’ll be off.”
She grabs my bicep before I step around and burrows into my chest, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I know this isn’t my fault, but I bet you didn't think you'd have to do this much work when you met your mate, huh?”
I circle my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “You’re worth the work, Kylian. I bet you dreamed meeting your mate would be more of a fairytale versus a nightmare.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t think I’d ever have a mate.”
“Me neither, babygirl. Me neither.” I move her inside and strap her into the seat, noting Cricket waiting for me to secure the building before he pulls out of the parking lot.
He has my six—they all do—just like I have theirs.
With one last look at the destruction, I shake my head and secure the door to the best of my ability while grumbling under my breath, “This is a problem for another day.”
Cricket follows us to my cabin, making sure it’s clear before he proceeds to his place half a mile down the road.
I’m not sure how James found Kylian in Broken Falls so quickly considering he’s never marked her and I’m regretting not checking her vehicle for a tracker.
Yes, he could’ve followed his own scent, which would explain the overt markings he left, but there’s no way he could’ve traversed the sixty highway miles in a few hours.
Which leaves him tailing her but considering how unstable he is, I think he would’ve attacked the moment she parked.
With that in mind, I pull my truck out of the garage and park Wiley’s Jeep, hoping it will protect it from damage if James and his pack come here.
At this point, all I care about is protecting Kylian and killing him.
Slowly, my bear is pacing again, agitated and ready to defend his mate—Wiley’s wise words sinking in and clearing our consciousness.
I’m not thrilled I gave a kid the beat down he got, but there really was no other reaction for a shifter when his mate is threatened.
“Come on, babygirl. I need to feed you and then I’ll pack up.
” I offer her my hand, which she quickly accepts.
A week ago, you couldn’t have convinced me I’d be the touchy-feely type about my mate.
I never have been with anyone else, but I can’t stop reaching for her—a simple touch grounding me and my bear.
“Your home is nice,” she says as we walk through the front door into the living room.
I look around my place through her eyes. There’s nothing on the walls and most of my shelves are bare, which while boring, makes cleaning easy. “I’m not much for decorating. Your home was beautiful. I assume you did most of the decorating?”
Kylian grins while dumping her coat and bag into a recliner. “I love to thrift furniture and upcycle it. It’s a lot of fun and people go crazy for renovated pieces.”
“Anything you want to do here, feel free. Make it yours.” I shed my flannel and vest, James’s stench hitting my nose. “Can I make you a sandwich?”
She doesn’t answer, and I turn to find her staring at my bare chest.
Blood rushes to my cock, and I growl low in my throat. “Don’t look at me like that, babygirl.”
“I can’t help it.” She bites her lip, her gaze traveling down, down, down.
Fucking hell, she is a witch. A damned temptress. And I’m inextricably under her spell. “I need to shower. All I can smell is James and his pack.”
“Maybe I should shower too?” She takes several steps forward, pulling her sweater off and flinging it to the ground. “Can you smell him on me?”