by Shea Balik
Maybe once they’d defeated every shifter group that was after them, he’d have to work on that. Then again, considering how many groups probably wished them dead, it could take years for that to happen.
Wow. Elton frowned, not sure he liked how pessimistic he was. “Hey Wray, do you think I’m cynical?”
Chadwick stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Elton as if he’d lost his damn mind. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You do know my mate is walking into a fucking viper nest? Literally,” he growled. “Pay the fuck attention.”
Just then, Alpha Edrick’s voice came over the earpieces giving a similar order as Saber had to his own men.
Alpha Piran and his nest were so intent on their objective, which was Alpha Vitus’s house, that they hadn’t noticed Saber until he was practically on top of them.
There was a moment of shock in those dead eyes but before Saber even said a word, Alpha Piran pulled out his gun. Twin sets of gunfire went off at the same time. Blood gushed from where Chadwick’s shot had slammed into Alpha Piran’s hand, causing his own shot to go wide, missing Saber who hadn’t been more than twenty feet from him.
That was when all hell broke loose. Saber roared as he took Piran down to the ground. Gunfire erupted all around them, pinging off the brick and siding of the homes they were using for cover.
Chadwick, who, after shooting Piran, had leapt to the first-floor balcony, that offered little protection as it faced the street, knelt on the wood slats and started shooting those men who were trying to set up the missile launcher. A hole opened between them and the truck the enemy had parked across the street at the back of the Alpha’s home and Elton took it.
Guns weren’t his thing. He didn’t have the patience it took to sit there, take aim, and fire. Knives were his specialty, although he wasn’t bad with a sword either.
“Elton,” Wray cried out the moment he’d dashed across the open expanse to the side of the truck. He headed for where the two men shooting at Chadwick were hiding behind the back of the truck.
Just as he reached the tailgate, Wray was there by his side, threatening to spank his ass for doing something so rash without backup. A part of Elton was annoyed his mate felt the need to reprimand him. He usually didn’t have any backup, so why would he think to use it now?
On the other hand, he could see Wray’s point. They had plenty of backup and he really should have warned his own side what he was planning so they wouldn’t accidentally shoot him.
He mouthed, “Sorry.” Then pointed to where the two men were still doing their best to hinder Chadwick’s ability to take out those getting the missile ready.
Wray held up three fingers. Then lowered one, two, as the third one went down, they both jumped the two men.
Elton didn’t have time to worry about his mate, although, he did. But he managed to keep his focus on the man he was fighting as well as the possibility of a sneak attack from another direction.
The man had swung his weapon toward Elton, but he’d been ready and positioned himself so his knife was already in motion, slicing across the man’s arm as it came toward him. A scream followed by copious amounts of blood were his reward, but the man wasn’t down.
He reached forward, intending to drive his knife into the man’s abdomen, but then the ground shook and debris rained down upon them. The guy he was fighting slipped and started going down just as Elton’s own body had been flung up into the air.
The knife he was holding still went forward but instead of it cutting open the man’s abdomen it went a heck of a lot higher with their changed positions. When they landed, Elton looked down to find the handle of his knife protruding from the man’s throat as his black glassy eyes stared vacantly to the sky.
Whirling around, he closed his eyes as bile rose in his throat at the sight of the head Wray had just decapitated from the enemy’s body rolling under the truck. He could have lived a million years without having to witness that.
His gaze went behind them to find the windows shattered and some of the bricks that made up the exterior of the houses broken on the ground all around them. Other than that, it didn’t appear as if it was damaged too badly. So, what in the hell caused the ground to shake?
“Chadwick,” Saber roared and once more Elton was sure the ground beneath him trembled with its force.
His gaze went to the balcony where Chadwick had been, to find it had collapsed to the ground. He could see limbs tangled with the wood that had splintered from the fall.
Shots rang out again, and Saber roared again as he tried to make it to his mate but was pinned down by the enemy. “We’ve got them,” Elton shouted as he spun and raced to the next truck before leaping onto the truck bed where one of the enemy was unloading his clip at Saber.
Elton’s bloody knife was already poised to strike while he was still in the air. The gun turned toward him, and Elton didn’t think, just reacted as he threw the knife at the man but not before he’d managed to pull on the trigger.
Fire blazed along Elton’s chest, followed quickly by the scent of his own blood. Black spots formed in his eyes. Two voices managed to break through the fog that had formed within his head. The first was Hudson who confirmed the nest was eliminated. They were safe.
The second was Wray.
“You better not die on me, bubbly,” Wray said as he choked on his tears. “You promised to show me what fun really was, and I expect you to live up to that promise.”
Elton tried to reassure his mate he wasn’t going anywhere but the blackness that had been trying to engulf him finally dragged him into its inky darkness.
CHAPTER 15
“It’s nothing more than flesh wound, now back the fuck off” Chadwick demanded, even going so far as to try and push his mate back a step or two.
Wray could have cared less about their drama if it weren’t for them holding up Baxter from driving them back to Miracle, while Saber insisted Chadwick go with them so Nole could look over his wounds.
His own mate was still passed out and had lost way too much blood. “Get in the fucking SUV,” he growled. “In case you missed it, Elton was shot in the chest and you’re stopping him from getting the medical help he needs.”
Chadwick’s grey eyes grew large for a split second, but Wray didn’t give a crap for it got Chadwick to slide onto the passenger seat.
“Go,” Wray ordered Baxter, who pushed down on the gas and took off so fast, the scent of burning rubber reached them when the tires spun out for a second before catching.
“Hold this,” Kelin ordered as he pushed Wray’s hand onto the pressure bandage that was already filling with blood that he’d put over Elton’s wound.
With his hands free, Kelin went to work on pulling out another bandage. Once he’d taken off the adhesive, he said, “Pull off the one your holding.”
Wray did as he was told. The second it was off, Kelin put the fresh one on and put Wray’s hand over the new one. “Keep pressure on it. Elton is losing too much blood and Miracle is too far away from him to bleed that much without there being problems.”
Then he took his phone out and called Nole, giving him the rundown on what was happening with Elton even as he jumped over the backseat to the cargo area where three other of Miracle’s finest were, also wounded.
None were as hurt as Elton, but if Kelin couldn’t do anything more for Elton at the moment, Wray wasn’t going to complain that he treated the others. Two other vehicles were being loaded with other medics as they’d left. One from their group and another from Edrick’s, who was still fighting.
It was why Saber had wanted his mate to go back to Miracle. Chadwick might not have been hurt badly but the odd way he was holding his arm was enough to prove he had a broken bone somewhere in that extremity. If he wasn’t forced to return to Miracle, Chadwick would have gone to help his friends, whose fight was much fiercer.
The wolves had come prepared with a whole lot more of them than the three dozen men Edrick had fighting with him. Now
that they had taken down the rattlesnake nest, the others had rushed to help Edrick’s group, but from what he’d heard over the earpiece before ripping it out of his ear to concentrate on Elton, it wasn’t going well.
Guilt ate at Wray for not joining them, but not the gods themselves could have torn him from Elton’s side. He wasn’t going to let his mate die and if that meant he needed to stay nearby so he could give Elton his love and support, that’s where Wray was going to stay.
“I told you I wouldn’t leave you, bubbly. Now I need you to keep your same promise,” he whispered as he applied more pressure when he felt blood seeping through the bandage.
“Faster, Bax,” he pleaded, his voice barely audible around the lump that had formed in his throat.
Thankfully, his friend heard him and the SUV surged faster down the road.
“Damn it, Bax,” Kelin yelled from the back. “I know we’re in a hurry but if you keep taking turns that fast,” he said after the vehicle had tilted onto two wheels, “We’re all going to need Nole to save us.”
But Bax didn’t slow, not even a little. Good thing the road had straightened out, so they didn’t need to worry about turning corners.
“We’re five minutes out,” Bax said into his phone just as the SUV started to jolt and bump, causing anyone not belted in to be tossed around.
Wray kept his hand tightly down on Elton to ensure he didn’t move so much as a millimeter during the jarring ride.
“Are you seriously no longer on the fucking road?” Kelin yelled as he looked out the window to see tall grasses all around them.
“Tell Nole we’ll be there in two minutes,” Bax called back.
“Yeah, but are any of us going to still be alive when we get there?” Kelin bitched as he relayed the change of timing to Nole. “I swear to the gods, this is the last time I ride with you driving,” Kelin told him, as he tried his best to stop the three men in the back from hitting the ceiling.
By the time Kelin had stopped his complaining, Bax was slamming on the brakes. He turned the wheel, causing the SUV to skid sideways, stopping so when Wray got out of the car with Elton in his arms, he was able to stride right up the steps of the Alpha’s house where Nole was holding the door open for him.
“Take him to the last exam room.” Wray continued walking as Nole shouted out instructions for the other patients to Kelin before hurrying to catch up to Wray.
“Lay him on the gurney,” Nole said even as he stood on the other side where a tray of instruments were all ready for him. “Go wash your hands and come back to help me,” Nole told him.
Doing as Nole said, Wray went to the sink and scrubbed the blood and dirt off his hands before rushing back to his mate’s side. Nole was already picking a bullet out of Elton’s chest and placing it in a small basin.
A long tube that sounded as if it was sucking in air was shoved his way. “Hold this and place it in Elton’s chest while I fix the damage the bullet caused.”
Bright red blood was sucked up into the tube and every brain cell in Wray’s head screamed for it to stop. No way could Elton lose that much blood and still survive. Right?
“Stop it,” Nole admonished. Then he nodded toward a bag of blood hanging from a pole behind Elton that Wray hadn’t even noticed. The tube was hooked into Elton’s body and Wray swore he started to lose consciousness as profound relief flooded his system, making him lightheaded.
“Snap the fuck out of it,” Nole told him, leaving no room for Wray to do anything but obey. “Your mate needs you to hold it together and I sure as hell don’t have time for a mate who can’t stay on his feet. Now, put the damn tube back in his chest so I can see what the fuck I’m doing.”
Nole’s harsh tone and direct orders helped clear the fog. No way was Wray letting down his mate. Leaning close to his ear, Wray started whispering.
“Fight for us, bubbly. I need you in my life. Who else is going to get me to laugh?” He continued to whisper as Nole worked, and for hours after the surgery as Nole had left to treat anyone else who needed him.
It wasn’t until his voice just wouldn’t work any longer that Wray finally lay his head next to Elton’s as he sat next to his mate. The effects of battle and worrying about his mate had left him utterly exhausted.
The sweet sound of his mate’s steady breathing lulled Wray to close his eyes and sleep.
CHAPTER 16
Tingling crept through Elton’s chest and shoulder, as if there were a million ants scampering across his skin. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it also wasn’t pleasant. He must be sleeping on his shoulder wrong.
He needed to move but for some reason the thought of trying exhausted him even more than he already felt, which didn’t make sense. He’d already been sleeping. How could he be so exhausted?
He lay there trying to assess his body’s position in order to know which way he should move. Was he on his back? How would that cause any pain in his chest? Maybe he’d already turned over and what he was feeling was the nerves waking up again.
But if that was true, why was the uncomfortable tingling morphing into searing pain? With each breath he took it was increasing until he heard himself moaning. At least, he thought that was him. To be honest, he wasn’t sure, as the sound seemed too far away to him.
Firm fingers squeezed his hand, while a gentle caress stroked along the side of his face, easing some of the pain that was beginning to consume him. “It’s okay, bubbly. I’m right here.”
Wray. Elton relaxed just a bit at the sound of his mate’s voice. Wanting to see Wray, he tried to open his eyes, but the effort sapped what little strength he had left.
“Shh,” Wray whispered. “The pain will go away in a minute.”
Like his mate had some sort of magical powers, the pain subsided, and Elton felt as if he were floating on a cloud.
***
“Fuucckk,” Elton moaned as the pain returned like a bitch. “That hurts,” he whispered to himself as he lifted a hand to his chest.
The thick material that covered the area had him struggling to open his eyes to find out what the hell was there. More importantly, why did it feel as if he’d been… Elton’s eyes popped open and looked down at where his hand was touching a thick bandage.
“I was shot,” he whispered, stunned at the memories of the battle flooding into his barely alert brain.
“Yeah, you were.”
Elton’s head turned just a bit to find Wray’s head lying on the pillow next to his.
“At least tell me we won,” Elton said as he stared at those firm lips that could bring him so much pleasure with nothing more than kiss, that were right there, inches from his own.
Wray licked his lips and Elton hoped that meant he wanted the same thing Elton did. “Yeah, we did.” The next thing he knew, his mate had moved to place his mouth against his own. This time he moaned at the pleasure only his mate knew how to give him.
“Just don’t let it go beyond a kiss,” Nole said as he came into the room. “You might be healing, but not that much and I, for one, spent too much damn time fixing you for you to ruin my good work by being stupid.”
Wray instantly pulled away, as if Elton was suddenly off limits. Well, it wasn’t that bad. He did continue to hold Elton’s hand and was stroking Elton’s face as if he were the most precious person in the world. Still.
“Thanks for the cock block there, Nole. Just remember, payback is a bitch,” Elton grumbled.
Wray chuckled and pressed another, much more chaste, kiss to his lips. “Stop whining, bubbly. Now that you’re awake and able to shift, you’ll heal soon enough.”
Nole had come over to Elton’s other side, with a pair of latex gloves on. “Wray is right, although,” he said as he took the bandage off Elton’s wound and examined the area. “I’m guessing it will be another two days before you’re ready for sex.”
“Two days,” Elton yelled. “Seriously? You do know we only just mated, and I nearly died, right? Do you honestly think I’m going to make it
two days without going insane?”
Nole raised one eyebrow at him. “Dramatic much?”
“You have no idea,” Elton shot back. “Just imagine what I’m like with absolutely nothing to do and crawling the walls with the need to feel my mate’s thick cock deep in my ass.”
Wray laughed. “Bubbly, I’m not sure you’re going to be able to shock Nole. I’ve been here for the past two days and trust me when I say, I can only hope we have the same stamina that Nole and Edrick have.”
Affronted at the thought that his mate might doubt that, Elton turned to him and said, “Not only do we have the stamina, but I guarantee you, I’m far more flexible than Nole.”
Nole grinned at him. “Really, because I’m a mouse shifter. Flexibility is in my DNA.” Jerk actually winked at Elton as he stripped off his gloves. “Okay, let’s get you up so you can shift. Then we’ll have a better idea what kind of shape you’re in.”
Wray lifted him from the bed and gently set him on his feet. It pissed Elton off that he had to lean heavily against his mate if he had any hope of remaining in an upright position. No way was he going to admit that Nole might be right about it being too soon to have sex.
“Now, I’m going to warn you, this is going to be difficult. Not only are you physically exhausted, making shifting a challenge, but the pain will make it feel as if you’ve been shot all over again,” Nole warned him. “But you must shift back into your human form as quickly as possible, since doing this will rip the stitches out and I’m going to need to put more in to stop the bleeding.”
That so didn’t sound pleasant. “Are you sure I should even do this?” Elton asked not really wanting to experience more pain than he was in at the moment.
“Yes and no,” Nole said. “Should you do it because it will help you heal faster? Yes.” Nole lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “On the other hand, you could wait a few days and try it when you’re stronger. It will delay healing, but it also won’t hurt as much.”
