Chapter 3
Ansel
Having my mate in my arms is all I can think about as I carry her to our home. I need to get her ankle looked at, check her for other injuries, and call my brother to have him look for the men who were after her.
“I can walk,” she protests. “Your shoulder. You shouldn’t be carrying me.”
“I’m fine,” I promise.
My shoulder screams with every step. I can feel blood pouring from the bullet hole and staining my shirt, but I’d never tell her that. Besides, I can’t really focus on the pain when I’m so happy to have finally found my fated mate.
I’ve found her. She’s here. She’s mine.
The thought repeats on a loop.
My bear is almost vibrating with energy inside me. Bite her. Her neck is right there.
We will. Soon. We need to look at her injuries first.
Our bite would help her heal faster, he points out.
Soon, I promise him and myself. We can’t freak her out, though I think I already did by telling her I wanted her heart.
She’s not scared, my bear argues.
Really? Because she hasn’t said a word since. She’s just staring off into the distance. I should’ve waited to bring up the fact that we’re soulmates.
Maybe she’s going into shock. Bite her, and that will fix everything.
A stranger biting her is only going to send her even more into shock, I point out.
My bear growls at me, and I choose to ignore him.
“This is my home,” I tell Mira as I carry her through the back door.
I head straight for the couch, placing her gently on the cushions.
“We should get to the hospital,” she says urgently. “You’ll need stitches, maybe even surgery.”
I love that she’s so concerned about me. I want to tell her I’m fine, that I’m already healing, but I don’t know if she can handle that right now. She seems panicked and frazzled, which makes sense. It seems like she’s been through hell.
I want to ask her what happened. I need to know so I can keep her safe.
“It’s a small town. I’ll call the doctor,” I say, already grabbing my phone to call Christian, the pack’s doctor.
I step into the kitchen, grabbing two glasses of water.
“Hey, Ansel, how’s it going?” Christian asks as soon as the call connects.
“Good, er, bad.”
“Okay,” he says with a laugh.
“I’ve been shot.”
“So, really bad then,” he says seriously.
“It’s not bad. I found my mate. She’s hurt her ankle. Not sure about other injuries.”
“Where are you?”
“My place.”
“I’m on my way,” he says, and a second later the line goes dead.
I take a deep breath and call Russo next.
“Hey, I’m almost at the diner. Are you already there?” he asks.
“No, change of plans.”
“What’s up?”
“I found my mate, man. She’s here at my place, but she’s hurt. Two men were chasing her. They had a gun and shot me. I’m okay, but I need help to track the guys who were after her.”
“Shit. Okay, I’m on it. I’ll call some of the other guys, and we’ll get to work on finding them.”
“Thanks.”
“Does she know who they are?”
“I haven’t asked her yet. Christian is on his way here now to examine her and get the bullet out of my shoulder. I’ll try to find out more information.”
“Got it.”
“They were out back. I saw them running to an old red pickup truck.”
“We’ll start there. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Russo.”
“Of course. Oh, and congratulations, Ansel.”
“Thanks.”
“See you in a minute.”
We hang up, and I carry the glasses of water into the living room, passing one to Mira.
“The doctor is on his way,” I tell her as I sit in the chair next to her.
She nods, drinking half the water in one gulp.
“Do you know who those men were?” I ask gently.
She shakes her head, wincing as she shifts on the couch. “No, I woke up in the back of their truck. I think they drugged me.”
She frowns, and I can see her searching her memory for what happened to her.
“Do you know where they took you from? Anything that we can use to find them?”
“I signed up to teach English overseas with my best friend, Ridley. We were supposed to meet at the office, and they were driving us to the airport. That’s the last thing I remember.
I have no idea where Ridley is. Is she in danger too?
She has to be, right? I mean, why would they do this to me and not her?
The whole thing must be a scam and… oh my god. ” She breaks off with a sob.
I reach for her instantly, carefully lifting her and cradling her against me. “It’s okay. We’ll find the men and Ridley. You’re safe here. I’ll keep you safe.”
I stroke my fingers through her tangled hair and hold her as she cries on my shoulder.
My bear paces inside me, a ball of anxious energy. You shouldn’t have promised that. We may never find her friend. She could be anywhere.
We’ll find her, I growl at my bear.
A knock sounds at the door, and Christian lets himself in, setting his bag down next to us. His gaze moves over Mira as I shift her in my lap.
“Let the doctor examine you, Angel,” I whisper.
She sniffles and nods, wiping her tears.
I lay her down on the couch and hover over her as Christian looks at her ankle, wrists, and back.
“She has bruises and scrapes, but they should heal quickly. Her ankle and one of her wrists are the worst of her injuries. I’m going to leave a brace and some ointment.
You’ll want to keep the cut on her wrist clean and dry.
Ice the ankle and keep it elevated. Try not to put any weight on it,” Christian instructs.
Returning to the kitchen, I refill her water and grab ice from the freezer for her ankle. I gently place the bag of ice on her ankle, making sure it’s positioned correctly before draping the blanket from the back of the couch over her.
“I can carry her until her ankle has healed,” I say, stepping back.
Mira shakes her head as she looks at Christian. “He’s been shot! He needs medical attention more than my sprained ankle.”
“Right, let me take a look at you,” Christian says firmly.
I tug my shirt over my head, and he gets to work disinfecting and removing the bullet from my shoulder. I keep my eyes on my mate, noticing her checking me out.
Mira’s eyes are locked on my chest, her gaze traveling over my shoulders, my thick neck, and down my abs. She swallows comically as she stares at me, and I fight the urge to flex for her.
She likes us. She wants us. Smell her arousal, my bear roars happily.
“All done,” Christian says, placing a bandage on the wound that will probably be healed by tomorrow night.
“Thanks, man,” I say sincerely.
“Of course. Call me if you need anything else. In the meantime, here’s the ointment, some more bandages, the brace, and pain medicine. I’ll come by and check on you both in two or three days.”
Mira and I nod and thank him before I walk Christian out.
“Do the others know what happened?” he asks once we’re alone on my porch.
“I called Russo. He was getting some of the guys together to look for the men who were chasing her.”
“Good. I need to get back to the clinic, but call if anything changes.”
“Will do. Thanks, man.”
He nods, clapping me on my good shoulder before going to his car. My bear and I scan the surroundings for any sign of those men as he leaves, but all is quiet and clear.
I head back inside to my girl, smiling when I see her drowsy eyes. The pain medication seems to be kicking in.
“Thanks for everything,” she says sleepily.
“Sure.”
“I should get out of your hair,” she says, attempting to push herself up on the couch.
“You don’t have to. You can stay. I was telling the truth earlier when I said I wanted you.”
“I got you shot.”
I shrug. “Not your fault.”
“I—you don’t mean that,” she protests weakly.
She’s adorable as she struggles to keep her eyes open.
I debate if telling her about shifters and fated mates is a good idea right now.
Yes. Do it, my bear orders.
I lean closer to her. “I mean it, Mira. The two of us, we’re soulmates.”
“You believe in soulmates?”
“Of course. Don’t you?”
“I…” She trails off, frowning as if she’s never thought about it before. “It’s a nice idea. But I’d worry about picking the wrong person as my soulmate.”
“Not me. I’m a shifter. We have fated mates. One person we’re literally destined to be with. That person is the only one we’ll ever love or want.”
“Sounds magical,” she says with a dreamy sigh.
“It is,” I agree.
“What’s a shifter?”
“Someone who can change between an animal and a human form. I’m a bear shifter.”
“That’s fitting.” She laughs huskily, her eyes growing hazy from the medicine.
“What?” I ask, my bear rumbling in my head to move closer.
She reaches out and pats my head. “Because you’re all big and cuddly like a teddy bear.”
I laugh, wondering if she wants to be closer to me too. “Uh, thanks? I think that’s the first time someone has described me as a teddy bear.”
“Uh-huh,” she mumbles, burrowing under the blanket.
“And you’re my fated mate,” I continue, wanting to tell her everything before she falls asleep.
“Aww,” she says through a yawn.
I sigh. “You’re not going to remember any of this in the morning, are you?”
She smiles softly as her eyes drift shut. A minute later, she’s fast asleep.
I watch her peaceful, even breathing until I spot Russo approaching the front porch through the window.
Pushing to my feet with a wince, I go out to see what he’s found.