Chapter 6
SIX
Luke
I rounded the corner of the barn after finishing the roof, hands full of tools. After putting them away, I’d head to Katie and Eli’s cabin. Escort them to dinner at the ranch house.
The revving of an engine had me turning toward the gallery. My blood froze when I saw a truck heading straight for Katie, showing no signs of slowing down or swerving.
I dropped the tools I held and leaped over them, calling on my wolf to increase my speed. For the first time, I wished I was a tiger like Austin, whose speed put mine to shame. But I poured everything I had into it, muscles straining.
I leaped forward, shoving Katie out of the way just as the truck swerved. Still, the edge of the truck clipped my side, sending me flying as my breath left me. I tucked into a roll as I hit the ground, dirt and gravel digging into and scraping my skin.
The truck didn’t stop. I staggered to my feet, looking for the license plate, but there was none. Bent over, hands on my knees, I tried to suck in air, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Everything blurred around me, but my only concern was Katie. I needed to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
“Oh my god! Luke! Are you okay?” She rushed to my side, arm wrapping around my lower back and helping me as I attempted to straighten.
I finally gulped in some air, stumbling sideways when I breathed in too much. Katie led me toward the gallery, my steps uneven as I tried to get my bearings.
She threw open the front door and called out, “Sierra. Do you have a first-aid kit?”
“What happened?” Sierra stood quickly, her chair tumbling backward. She kneeled behind her desk and pulled a box out of the lower drawer.
“He got hit by a truck.”
Sierra righted the chair, and Katie guided me to sit down. She lifted my chin, staring into my eyes. “Did you hit your head?”
I shook my head, wincing when my neck protested. My whole body was screaming. “No, it just caught my side. I went down pretty hard, but I’ll be fine. Shifters heal fast.”
“That may be so, but I’m also sure shifters can get infections.” Katie opened the first aid kit. “Your arms are scraped and bleeding.”
“I’ll go get Mason. He handles most of the injuries around here.” Sierra squeezed my shoulder and rushed out of the gallery.
Katie crossed over to the tiny bathroom and returned with a wet cloth. Her hands were shaking as she cleaned my wounds, and her breath came out ragged.
“I really will be fine.” I hissed as she applied an antiseptic, but my skin heated when she blew gently to soothe the sting. “How are you? I shoved you pretty hard.”
“Thank goodness you did.” She blinked back tears. “I thought I was going to die. My life and future flashed before my eyes and everything.”
My chest tightened. “I’ll always protect you.” I reached out, smoothing her tangled hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ears. “That’s what mates do.”
Now that I could breathe normally, I studied her for any damage. “Did you fall?”
“I stumbled and landed on my knees and palms.” She held her palms up, showing the scraped skin. “It could have been way worse.”
I took the antiseptic from her and sprayed it on her palms, blowing gently across the skin like she did with me.
Our gazes locked as I looked up from her hands, and heat bloomed between us.
The moment was heavy with emotion. The near loss of her slammed into me, and if I weren’t already sitting, my knees may have buckled.
I pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead, savoring the feel of her smooth, satiny skin beneath my lips. I pulled back, resting my forehead against hers and closing my eyes. Letting the closeness of her wash over me and settle the fear that still lingered.
“I should bandage your wounds.” Her voice was a whisper, and little puffs of air reached my lips. She bit her lower lip as her gaze dipped to my mouth.
“In a minute.” I inhaled her scent. Even mixed with the antiseptic, it was still the best thing I’d ever smelled. I brushed my lips over her cheeks and the tip of her nose before settling them on her lips.
The kiss was light, and I kept it that way, even as my wolf clamored for me to deepen it. To take whatever she was willing to give. But the moment was charged, and I didn’t want her regretting something done in the heat of emotion.
When I pulled away, her lids were heavy over her eyes, and her tongue darted out to swipe across her lips. She blinked slowly, and her hand flexed around my forearm.
The hiss of pain that escaped her broke the mood. I held her hand in mine and ensured the scrapes weren’t bleeding again. I wrapped her hands in gauze, finishing just as the door opened and Mason entered.
He crossed the gallery, his gait uneven.
When he was tired, his limp was worse, and he’d been pulling a lot of late nights.
A frown was etched on his face. “I checked the camera footage. Whoever it was knew where the cameras were pointing. I couldn’t get a look at their face, even when I zoomed in. ”
“They were wearing a hat and sunglasses, so I can’t identify them either.” Katie stood up, wincing. Her muscles were probably sore from the fall.
I moved behind her and massaged her shoulders and back. “You should have a hot bath to relax your muscles. And I’ll give you a liniment that’s really good.”
She hummed, swaying slowly. I could tell when she remembered Mason was there, as she cleared her throat and stepped away from me, cheeks flushed. “That would be nice.” She looked at Mason. “I cleaned his wounds but haven’t bandaged them yet.”
“I’ll finish up with Luke.” He angled his head to see my injuries. “He’s already healing. Give him a day, and you’ll never know he hit the ground.”
“Good.” Katie stepped toward the door before spinning to face me. “Thank you, Luke. You saved my life.”
She rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss against my cheek. Then she darted away, leaving me with a goofy grin on my face and an amused Mason watching.
“I take it she’s your mate.” He said it as a statement, not a question, so I didn’t bother responding. “Another one falls.”
“Your turn next, brother.”
Mason frowned, eyes darkening. “Not me.”
“I thought the same thing only a day ago.” I remembered telling Austin once that I would never have a mate. “Fate really does surprise us sometimes.”
A shadow flashed through his eyes, but it was too fleeting for me to interpret. He just shook his head. “I think fate is all out of surprises for me.”
I didn’t push him. But I suspected if his mate showed up at the ranch, it would be a tough road.
As for me, I worried there would be more bumps in my path with Katie.
If my father was targeting her, who knew what he would do next?
The cattle incident and the truck were so far outside his usual cons, I struggled to believe it was him.
And if it wasn’t, that meant someone else had it out for my mate. Either way, I needed to keep her safe.
Katie
Back at the cabin, Eli was just waking up. I dismissed my plan of bath and then bed to spend time with him when I saw his worried gaze take in the gauze on my hands. I downplayed the injury, only saying that I’d fallen and scraped my palms.
My muscles were screaming as Eli and I walked to the farmhouse to get food. Our cabin only had a sink and a coffee bar, but Mae had said to visit the house whenever we were hungry.
The elderly shifter was good with Eli, I noted, easing my sore frame onto a chair as she talked to the teen. But I suppose she’d had plenty of practice with the six brothers.
A boy, around a year younger than Eli, tore into the kitchen, skidding to a stop when he saw us.
A huge grin split his face. “The new people!” He joined Eli and Mae around the stove and shoved his hand toward Eli, who looked surprised at himself when he automatically took it. “I’m Jonah. Are you Eli?”
He barely waited for the nod before continuing, “Dad said you just found out you’re a shifter. That’s so cool. I wish I were a shifter. I’d want to be a bear, like my dad. But a wolf’s good too.”
Jonah side-eyed Mae as he reached for the cookies on the counter. Just as he was about to grab one, Mae turned, narrowing her eyes. “You’ll ruin your supper.”
“I’m okay with that.” Jonah grinned at her but shrugged when she shook her head. “Save some for me?”
“You know I will.” Mae hugged the boy to her side. “I’ll save some for both of you.”
A small smile flashed across Eli’s face.
Jonah plopped onto the closest chair. “I can show you the coolest spots on the ranch. And you can meet my horse, Tank. He’s the best.”
Eli tried to look disinterested, but I noticed the sparkle in his eye. I was glad there was another boy on the ranch, especially one so welcoming. It would be good for Eli.
I shifted on the chair, trying to stretch out my sore muscles as I let the boys’ chatter sweep over me. My thoughts drifted back, first to the kiss with Luke.
It hadn’t been wildly passionate, but it still consumed me. The gentle sweetness of him brushing his lips over my face and then pressing them softly to my mouth had been a side to Luke I hadn’t seen until then.
I wanted more but was also content. It was right. Enough to build the connection between us without overwhelming me.
Thoughts of our kiss then turned to why we’d found ourselves in that position. The truck, barreling toward me, and Luke pushing me out of the way.
I saw the driver swerve as I fell to the ground, suggesting he hadn’t meant to hit me, only scare me. But why target me? I didn’t have any enemies. Was it related to the sabotage Sierra mentioned? I still hadn’t asked Luke about it and whether the cattle were also related.
Staying at the ranch was probably a bad idea. I was responsible for Eli’s safety, and the ranch was already proving to be dangerous. If my boss knew what was happening, she’d pull him out in an instant. But he also wasn’t safe living among humans while his shifting was out of control.
A flicker in my stomach protested the thought of leaving Luke.
Staying just because I wanted to be close to him wasn’t an option, but leaving before I had somewhere else to take Eli also wouldn’t work.
Maybe when the Shifter Alley pack reached out, I could make other arrangements.
Until then, I needed to talk to Luke about ensuring Eli’s safety.
Leaving didn’t have to mean I would never see Luke again. After I settled Eli with a new family, and the sabotage was dealt with, Luke and I could revisit being fated mates.
Laughter broke through the thoughts whirling in my head. Eli and Jonah were playing a fast-paced card game that involved slapping the table repeatedly.
The sight had me torn. The ranch was good for Eli. But if anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself.
Soon, the kitchen filled with people. It was just the family, Eli, and me. The ranch was a dude ranch, but they blocked out certain weeks just for family time. It was probably the only reason they had room for us.
I was quiet during supper, letting the conversation flow past me as I observed their interactions. Ethan attempted to start a food fight with the boys, but his mate, Hannah, put a stop to that while shaking her head and trying to hide the smile that lifted the corner of her mouth.
Eli looked overwhelmed but fascinated. Everyone was including him, and something about the brothers meshed well with the teen. It was as if the energy they put out matched his. Something Eli had likely never experienced before.
Knowing he was a shifter changed the way most people would interpret his file. Everyone’s notes had painted a picture of a troublemaker. A boy who was intentionally difficult. During our first meeting, I’d suspected that wasn’t the full story, but hadn’t had proof to back it up.
Now, watching him open up so quickly around other shifters, I had that proof. It also made it clear to me that he needed to be placed with a shifter family. Hopefully, the pack from Shifter Alley could provide that.
There was a twinge of disappointment. Settling him in Shifter Alley would remove him from my jurisdiction. I wanted to keep watch over him and make sure he was doing well. He brought out all my protective instincts.
After dinner, Luke walked Eli and me back to our cabin. Luke stayed close to me, his hand brushing mine more than once, but he didn’t hold it in front of Eli, who kept shooting glances our way, which I appreciated.
Eli entered the cabin first, the door banging open as he stalked away from us. My brow furrowed at his change in mood. If he was still up when I went in, I’d talk to him.
I stayed on the porch, turning to face Luke, who stood on the bottom step, his dark eyes appearing to drink in the sight of me. He made me feel seen, as if he recognized who I was at my very core.
He slid his hands into his pockets and took a step backward, his gaze still on me. “I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t forget to use the liniment.”
I held the tin up for him to see. “I won’t forget.”
A few more steps backward and then he turned, glancing over his shoulder every few feet until he reached his porch. I faced the door, and together we entered our cabins at the same time.
Inside, I rested my back against the door, wondering what exactly I’d gotten myself into. Two days ago, I was just a social worker who did nothing but work. Now I was living among shifters, getting chased by trucks and cattle, and learning about fated mates.
And maybe even falling in love.