Chapter 7
Cece opened her eyes, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling. Soft sunlight filtered in through the curtains, and she studied the room. The room had a generic look, with warm blue walls, a white dresser, and a wall shelf holding a pothos plant and an English ivy in white pots.
It was silly, but just seeing the plants eased some of her confusion and anxiety. She still needed to figure out what the hell was -
Her eyes widened in sudden remembrance, and she touched her stomach before sitting up and pushing the covers down.
Her shirt and pants were dark and crusty with dried blood, and her hands trembling, she lifted her shirt.
She studied the smooth skin on her stomach before shoving the covers to the bottom of the bed and staring at her leg.
Her yoga pants were ripped, but her leg didn’t hurt, and there was no sign of an injury.
She took a shaky breath, breathing out “Ronin” on a soft exhale. The door opened, and a gorgeous dark-haired woman with a kickass body and bright green eyes stepped into the room. She had a bottle of water in one hand, and she smiled cheerfully at Cece.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Uh, okay,” Cece said.
“Good.” The woman handed her the bottle of water. “Drink up. You’re probably a bit dehydrated.”
Cece drank as the woman sat on the side of the bed. “Do you remember me, Cece? We met once at Elora’s.”
“Yes,” Cece said. “You’re a jaguar shifter and Ronin’s mate.”
“That’s right. I’m Katarina, but you can call me Kat.”
“Where am I?” Cece asked.
“You’re at our house,” Kat said. “Ronin and Garth brought you here after the accident last night. You’ve been asleep for most of the day.”
“I don’t think it was an accident,” Cece said.
“It was one hundred percent not an accident.” Willow walked into the room, followed by Ronin. “Ronin and Garth watched them deliberately run you off the road.”
“Hey, tiny tree witch,” Ronin said. “How are you?”
“Alive because of you. Again,” Cece said. “Thank you, Ronin.”
“Don’t mention it. Saving witches after they’ve been impaled with tree branches is turning into my specialty.” He winked at her as Willow sat on the other side of the bed and took Cece’s hand.
“Did you recognize anything about the car that ran you off the road?” Willow asked.
Cece shook her head. “No, but I didn’t really see it. It was dark, and they were driving fast.” She glanced at Ronin. “You didn’t happen to get their license plate, huh?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Ronin said. “We just thought it was an asshole driver until he sent you into the fucking trees.”
“Why were you behind me?” Cece asked. “Does that other guy live near me or something?”
“No,” Willow said, glancing at Kat. “We’ve had a security detail on you since you were attacked.”
“You… what?” Cece stared at Willow as there was a knock on the open door, and the man from last night, Garth, stepped into the room.
Willow smiled at him. “This is Garth. He’s a bull shifter, and he’s been keeping an eye on you. It’s why he was following you last night.”
Cece glanced at Ronin. “Why were you with him?”
“Just hitching a ride home after Garth saw you home safely and Davis took over,” Ronin said.
She had no idea who Davis was, but before she could ask, Garth approached the bed.
“Hey, Cece. It’s nice to meet you.” Garth held out his hand, and Cece shook it.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Glad to see you’re feeling better. Last night was -”
Garth was interrupted by an angry roar coming from downstairs.
“What the hell is that?” Kat hissed lightly under her breath as a broad grin crossed Ronin’s face.
“That, Kitten, is the sound of one pissed off polar bear.”
The floors and walls vibrated as something stomped down the hallway outside the room. Cece’s eyes widened when Briggs ducked into the room and headed straight for Garth. With a loud growl, he grabbed the smaller man and shoved him into the wall.
Garth staggered upright, and Cece stared in shock at the hole in the drywall.
“Are you kidding me?” Kat said, sighing with exasperation.
Briggs stalked toward Garth, his big hands balled into fists and a continuous growl emanating from his chest. “You were supposed to be protecting her.”
“I was,” Garth said.
“The fuck you were,” Briggs snarled. “She was run off the fucking road!”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know they’d do that?” Garth asked. “You weren’t there, so you don’t know how -”
“I know you didn’t do your fucking job, and she almost died last night,” Briggs growled.
“She’s fine!” Thick, sharp horns pierced through the skin on Garth’s forehead, and Briggs made another low growl as white fur sprouted on his face.
“For fuck’s sake, both of you calm down,” Kat said with another soft hiss.
“The only reason she’s not dead is because of him.” Briggs jabbed his finger in Ronin’s direction. “A fucking bird!”
“Hey now, don’t be hurtful, big guy,” Ronin said with a grin.
“You’re a useless fuck of a bull,” Briggs snarled at Garth.
“Fuck you!” Briggs towered over Garth, but the bull shifter showed no fear as he shoved Briggs in the chest. “The only goddamn reason I was even on this assignment is because you pussied out on taking it.”
“Uh oh,” Ronin said, but his grin was nearly maniacal now. “I hope we’re paid up on our house insurance, Kitten, because I’m pretty sure the house is about to be destroyed.”
“Guys,” Willow said. “This isn’t anyone’s fault, okay? Everyone take a deep breath and chill out.”
Briggs’s body swelled, and Cece watched in alarm as Garth’s horns emerged fully and Garth lowered his head.
“Oh shit,” Ronin said. “He’s gonna gore him.”
“Briggs will kill him,” Kat said.
She started forward, and Ronin grabbed her around the waist, hauling her behind him. “Nope, Kitten. You’re not going near either of them.”
“I’m not letting them kill each other or destroy our house, Ronin,” Kat said.
“Step the fuck back,” Garth said, staring steadily at Briggs.
“And if I don’t?” Briggs asked.
“You think I’m afraid of you?” Garth grunted in surprise when the vines wrapped around his arms and crept toward his neck. He tore them away before they could wrap around his throat and glared at Briggs. “I said step the fuck back.”
Briggs growled again, and his t-shirt ripped along the shoulder seams. The bull shifter started forward, stumbling to a stop and staring at the numerous vines that were twisted around his lower legs. “What the fuck?”
“I’m about to teach you a lesson you won’t forget, bull shifter.” Briggs grinned, showing off his wickedly sharp canines.
He reached for Garth as another man ducked into the room. He was nearly as big as Briggs, and he fearlessly stepped between Briggs and Garth, shoving Briggs back and bearing his own canines at him. “Calm the fuck down, Briggs. Now.”
Briggs growled at him, and the man growled back. “Walk away.”
“She almost died, Bishop,” Briggs snapped.
“But she didn’t, and you’re scaring her,” Bishop said.
Briggs’s head whipped to the right, and he stared at Cece. His usual blue eyes were now brown, and white fur was threaded through the dark stubble on his jaw, making him look more animal than human.
After a few seconds, his body relaxed, and he backed away from Bishop and Garth, running one hand through his hair and taking a deep breath before standing near the door with his arms crossed over his massive chest.
“What the fuck is this?” Bishop stared at the vines that were slithering up Garth’s legs again.
“Tiny tree witch is protecting her guy,” Ronin said with a grin.
“What? No, I…” Cece stared at her hands. They were glowing a light green, and she realized she could feel her magic flowing through her, hot and bright and making her skin tingle.
The others in the room were staring at her, and embarrassment snuffed out her magic like a candle. The vines dropped from Garth’s legs and slowly shrank to their normal length until they hung just a few inches over the two pots on the wall shelf.
Ronin slipped his arm around Kat’s waist. “Good job defusing the situation, Papa Bear.”
Bishop rolled his eyes. “Everyone downstairs now. Mal is on his way, and we need to talk about how we protect Cece going forward.”
“I’m taking over the protection detail,” Briggs said. “The bull doesn’t go fucking near her.”
“Fuck you,” Garth repeated.
Bishop glared at both of them. “Both of you shut the fuck up, or I’ll leave you twisting in the wind for assignments for a week and assign Ronin to Cece.”
“Papa Bear laying down the law,” Ronin said.
Briggs growled at Ronin, and Garth popped him the finger. Ronin just laughed and reached for Cece’s hand. “C’mon, tiny tree witch, let’s -”
“Don’t touch her!” Briggs’s body was starting to swell again, and Cece watched in utter fascination as white fur sprouted across his face.
Was it wrong of her to hope that he did actually shift to his polar bear? Probably. But damn if she didn’t want to see it happen.
Ronin dropped his hand and gave Briggs an easy-going grin. “Chill out, friend, I’m not after your lady.”
Briggs’s face turned red, Cece could see it even though the white fur, before he abruptly turned and left the room.
Bishop rolled his eyes. “Downstairs, everyone. Now.”