by Brenda Trim
Her wolf howled in her mind. It was more of a wail, and Erika felt her animal’s distress all the way to her soul.
Bart suddenly appeared and knelt beside her. “What the hell were you thinking?” he muttered as he pulled off his shirt and ripped the flannel fabric into strips. “Just remain calm and breathe. I’m going to take care of you,” he promised, and Erika felt pressure at her back.
“Always coming to my rescue,” she whispered with a smile.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assured, and Erika’s eyes slipped closed.
“Erika!” shouted a male and her eyes cracked enough to see Lawson running toward them. Thank the Gods her pack leader was okay.
“You need to shift. It’s your best chance to stop the blood,” he ordered and ran past her and Bart. Her gaze followed him. Through bleary eyes, she watched Lawson grab Elaine around the waist.
Elaine kicked and screamed, trying to break free but Lawson had her in a vice. “Let go of me, shifter! I’ll have you thrown in prison for the rest of your days,” she yelled as she struggled in the steel cage of Lawson’s thick arms.
“That’s where you’re going,” Lawson growled and lifted Elaine above the ground. Her legs dangled as she kicked against his hold.
“Erika, shift,” Lawson growled as he walked toward her and Bart.
The command swept over her and took root. She had to follow her alpha’s command, so Erika summoned her wolf. Problem was her animal wasn’t responding. The shift didn’t follow. She tried again, but nothing happened. “I can’t,” she whispered, and her eyes became too heavy to hold open.
“Erika, stay with me,” pleaded Bart.
Erika tried to open her eyes, but they refused to obey. She was too exhausted to do anything. Maybe a quick nap would give her enough strength to shift. Yes, sleep was what she needed.
Chapter 7
“Erika!” Bart shouted as he stared down at her blood-soaked sweater.
Her eyes were shut, and she was unresponsive. He cradled her still body and prayed for her to open her beautiful blue eyes.
“Bart, we need to get back to the cabin. Ryan was shot, too, and I need to check on him,” Lawson gritted, and his biceps flexed against Elaine ’s futile attempt to escape his tight hold.
“What? Ryan was shot? Is he okay?” Bart blurted. His mind struggled to comprehend the string of events. Everything happened so fast he didn’t have time to process it.
One minute, he was standing at the rear of the cabin with Erika, and they heard gunfire. The next thing he knew, Elaine bolted out the back door and Erika took off after her. He watched Erika chase Elaine, and when he heard the gunshot his heart stopped beating until he realized the bullet missed Erika.
Bart yelled her name, demanding she stop but the stubborn woman continued her pursuit of Elaine. The pop of another gunshot filled the air, and Erika collapsed to the ground. Bart couldn’t get to her fast enough. All he kept thinking was he couldn’t lose her.
Now, Bart’s worst nightmare was coming true. Erika wasn’t moving, and blood was everywhere.
“Ryan took a shot to the arm, but it went clean through. He shifted and should heal within the hour. But, Erika might not survive if we don’t help her. C’mon, let’s get her to the cabin. Can you carry her?” Lawson asked as he tightened his grip on Elaine.
“Serves her right if she dies! She attacked ME!” shouted the crazed woman.
“If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to shut you up,” gritted Lawson, making Elaine suddenly go silent. Apparently, she wasn’t as stupid as she looked.
“Yeah, I got her,” Bart replied and scooped Erika into his arms then stood. “Are we taking her back to Safe Haven?”
“No, it’s too far. She won’t last five more hours. We need to operate now,” Lawson replied as he began the trek to the cabin.
“Operate? Are you serious? Who the fuck is going to do that?” Bart yelled at Lawson’s back.
Lawson stopped abruptly and spun around. “Do you have a better idea?”
“Yeah, let’s get her to a hospital,” he demanded.
“We don’t do hospitals. See, shifters don’t have that option. We aren’t offered such luxuries as medical insurance,” he snarled, glaring at Bart. “We have to take care of our own, which is exactly what I’m going to do,” he barked then turned and stalked toward the cabin.
Bart hadn’t even considered that fact. For years, Bart didn’t give shifters a second thought. In his opinion, so long as they kept to themselves and didn’t break any laws, he was happy to ignore their lack of rights. Something as simple as medical insurance was denied to them. Why?
They deserved to have their basic needs met. Humans took too much for granted. It was one more example of the unjust treatment toward shifters. The way they were regarded was wrong on so many levels.
Bart quickened his step, despite the heavy load in his arms, and caught up to Lawson. “I apologize. I didn’t realize insurance wasn’t available to you. Clearly, that needs to change.”
“I’m not holding my breath. And, we’ve managed just fine without it.”
“We can discuss that later. Regarding Erika? Can you perform the surgery? I assume you’re talking about removing the bullet,” Bart asked as he looked down at the woman in his arms. Her blood had seeped through his flannel shirt and the coppery scent assaulted his senses.
“Yes, I can. Like I said, shifters have been taking care of ourselves for a long damn time. I need to remove the bullet, and stop the bleeding. Ryan has more experience at these things, but if he hasn’t healed enough then I’ll do it. We’ve got everything we need in the van. I’ll have you drive it over and bring in the supplies,” Lawson explained as they reached the back door of Elaine’s cabin.
As soon as they stepped inside the doorway, a low menacing growl greeted them, and Bart took a step backward. It was the tan-colored wolf he remembered seeing at Ryan and Cassie’s ceremony. Clearly, Ryan’s wolf viewed Bart as a threat.
“Down,” commanded Lawson and the large animal obeyed. Bart was impressed by Lawson’s power. The wolf appeared larger than life in the small room, yet the pack leader didn’t hesitate to announce his presence with authority.
“Bart, bring Erika into the bedroom,” Lawson instructed as he led the way down a hallway. “Put her in here. I’ll be right back,” he ordered and continued down the corridor with Elaine in tow.
Bart carried Erika into the bedroom and placed her on the bed. She hadn’t moved or made a sound, and the pallor on her face was deathlike. To see her so weak scared the shit out of him.
Lawson entered the bedroom and tossed a set of keys at Bart. “Get the van and bring me the two large metal boxes. You’ll find them in the back of the van where we store the weapons.”
Ryan’s wolf entered the bedroom, blocking the doorway. Bart tried to maneuver around the animal, but the wolf moved again, blocking him. It growled and bared lethal canines. Teeth that could easily destroy an enemy. Another growl escaped, and Bart felt the vibration deep in his chest. This creature wasn’t anything like he experienced with Erika’s wolf. Her beautiful animal was docile and loving. Ryan’s wolf wanted to tear him limb from limb.
“Ryan, get out of Bart’s way. I need you to shift and get dressed. Erika took a bullet to the back and we need to operate,” Lawson ordered. The wolf stepped aside, allowing Bart to pass.
Bart didn’t wait around to see what happened next. He hauled ass from Elaine’s cabin to their parked van. He jumped in the vehicle and fumbled with the keys, trying to find the right one. Cranking the van, he slammed the accelerator, and fishtailed out of the gravelly drive toward the cabin, and Erika.
If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. It was his fault. He distracted her with his nonsense. The last thing she needed was some pathetic human spilling his guts about his undying love for her. Not that he had a chance to profess his feelings, but Erika was off her game after their kiss. Now, she was dying beca
use of it.
Bart prayed like he’d never prayed before. He made a deal with God, and whoever else would listen. If Erika was spared, he vowed to leave her alone. Let her live her life as a pack member for the Hollow Rock shifters. It was what she wanted most.
Bart slammed the gear into park when he reached the other cabin then ran toward the rear of the van. He grabbed the two metal boxes then rushed into the cabin. When he entered the bedroom, Lawson was removing Erika’s sweater, and Ryan was standing beside his brother. If he was in any pain, the man didn’t show it. He looked good as new, except for his attire.
Bart almost laughed when he saw the pink floral robe Ryan was wearing. Not only was it feminine, it didn’t even reach mid-thigh. He recalled Erika’s tattered clothes when she shifted in his office and guessed it was the first thing Ryan found to wear.
A loud boom sounded at the end of the hallway, and Bart’s head jerked toward the noise. Lawson turned toward the doorway and shouted, “Do that one more time and see what happens,” then muttered, “I swear I’m going to strangle that female.” Bart could only imagine what Lawson had done to prevent Elaine from escaping her room.
“Keep her away from me,” Ryan interjected. “If I see her fucking face, there’s no telling what I’ll do.”
Bart could see the rage on the shifter’s face. Ryan was one of the wolves rescued from the Nashville facility. He suffered heinous abuse at the hands of Elaine Jensen. She administered electroshock therapy repeatedly, forcing him to shift into wolf form. Bart couldn’t blame Ryan for wanting revenge for what she did to him and the others.
“Want me to call the police and get Elaine out of here?” Bart offered and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket.
“Yeah, that would be great. Ryan, let’s get to work,” Lawson ordered and grabbed one of the metal containers.
“I’ll be right back,” Bart informed them then left the room to make his phone call.
This was one time he was thankful for his connections. He was more than happy to use his political stature to charge Elaine with abuse and attempted murder. It was the least he could do for Erika.
After he wrapped up his call, Bart returned to the bedroom. Ryan hovered above Erika with Lawson next to him, holding a large flashlight over her back. Blood was everywhere, and Bart’s stomach lurched. It looked like a massacre took place and he couldn’t fathom the severity of losing that amount of blood.
Several minutes passed as they worked, making Bart’s anxiety rise with every passing second. What was taking so long, he wondered as he watched Ryan probe and dig in Erika’s back. Lawson said he had experience with this sort of thing.
“Got it,” Ryan blurted as he held up a pair of forceps. Bart squinted and spotted a small object pinched between the metal tips. The bullet could’ve taken Erika from him forever. Such a small object, yet it carried dire consequences.
“Great. Let’s get her bandaged then I’ll give her an injection,” Lawson said as he grabbed several items from a makeshift medical table. In reality, it was a TV tray, but it had served its purpose.
“What kind of injection?” Bart asked as he stepped closer to the bed. Erika remained unconscious but at least the bullet was removed. The bleeding should stop now, Bart thought. It had to stop before Erika died.
“My blood,” Lawson replied and pulled a large syringe from a portable cooler. “I called Liv and she thinks it might help her heal faster. Erika needs to regain consciousness so she can shift. It’s her only chance at survival,” he explained.
Bart understood the benefits of Lawson’s blood. It helped Ryan when he turned Ravin, a disease that affected aging shifters. It was horrifying to see the disfigurement Ryan suffered, not to mention his violent attacks on those he loved. But Bart hadn’t heard anything about Lawson’s blood strengthening a shifter’s healing abilities. He would have to get with Liv and discuss her latest findings at Smith and Kimbro. Hopefully, this was a recent discovery on her quest to cure cancer.
“I hope Liv’s hunch pays off,” Bart replied as he stared at Erika. She looked so weak. Please let her live, he prayed.
A doorbell sounded, and Bart turned toward the bedroom door. “I’ll get that. It’s probably the police,” he announced before he left the room.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Lawson. “I’m coming with you. They better arrest that bitch,” he muttered low. Bart stared at the shifter for a second and watched his jaw work with his anger. Bart felt the same damn way.
“Oh, they will,” Bart answered as he opened the front door of the cabin.
Two men in uniform stood on the doorstep, and Bart spotted a police car parked beside the van. “Governor Smith, I’m Lieutenant Cook, and this is Officer Marsh. I received a call that you have Elaine Jensen on the premises. Is that correct?” one of the men asked as they took in Bart and Lawson’s appearance. The two were covered in blood and, undoubtedly, looked like hell.
Lieutenant Cook was a burly guy in his late fifties and reeked of cheap cologne. Given the extra weight around his mid-section, Bart concluded he was the stereotypical cop-at-the-donut-shop.
“That’s correct,” Bart relayed and opened the door wide, allowing them entry. “This is Lawson Scott. He apprehended Elaine after she shot one of his pack members, which is why we’re covered in blood. Mrs. Jensen is in the back bedroom,” he informed them and led the way down a hallway leading to the back bedroom. As they passed Erika’s room, Bart noted the closed door. He wanted to go in and check on her, but Elaine’s arrest came first.
Lawson took the lead and reached Elaine’s room first, grabbing the doorknob. “I had to tie her up to keep her from escaping,” he announced before opening the door.
Bart took one look at Elaine and hoped the officers wouldn’t take them into custody instead. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hands were tied behind her back with a rope and the thick twine was fastened around one of the posters of the canopy bed. Her feet were also bound, hindering her movement. A piece of fabric covering her mouth was tied at the back of her head which kept Elaine from screaming or making noise of any kind. Looking at her, Bart understood why Lawson wasn’t worried about her escape while they operated on Erika. Hopefully, the cops would understand, as well.
Elaine’s eyes widened when she spotted the men in uniform, and a stifled scream followed as she struggled to break free of her binds. The officers walked over to the bed and Lieutenant Cook untied the fabric around her head.
As soon as she could speak, Elaine burst into a tirade. “Thank God you showed up before they killed me. I want these people arrested, officers. They broke into my home and attacked me. For no reason!” she screamed.
“Mrs. Jensen, please calm down. We received a call from Governor Smith, informing us that he had you detained,” Mr. Cook explained as he proceeded to untie her hands and feet.
“Excuse me? Detained? For what?” Elaine exclaimed as she rubbed her wrists. Bart noticed the skin was red where she attempted to escape the ties.
“Ma’am, are you aware there’s a warrant for your arrest? You’ve been charged with abuse and torture to shifters, as well as, the murder of Jonathan Newberry,” Lieutenant Cook told her.
Elaine threw her head back and lifted her chin. There was no sign she was frightened by the accusations. “I’ve done no such thing. This is a set-up, I assure you. Yes, I had shifters at my husband’s facility, but no one was harmed or abused. And, no one died under my care.”
Lawson lunged forward and Bart grabbed him before he could reach Elaine. The tenuous situation would devolve rapidly if Lawson got ahold of Elaine. Problem was that holding Lawson back was like trying to stop a locomotive. The guy outweighed Bart by at least fifty pounds. If Bart didn’t feel inferior to Lawson before, he certainly did now. What was it with these shifters and their extraordinary strength? That’s what he and Liv needed to bottle and sell at Smith & Kimbro. They’d be millionaires by month’s end.
“You’re a fucking liar,�
�� Lawson gritted as he continued to move toward Elaine. “You nearly killed my brother, and you drained Jonathan as if his life meant nothing. He had a family, and you took him from them!” he shouted.
“Cool it, buddy. The police will handle this,” Bart muttered. He locked gazes with the shifter and tried to convey how important it was that Lawson not interfere.
Lawson relaxed then shook off Bart’s hold. “You better be right,” he growled as he paced back and forth, his chest heaving with rage.
“All I know is the shifter was alive while in my care. What happened when he left my facility isn’t my responsibility, nor my problem. Did you ever consider that you’re to blame?” Elaine retorted with arms crossed over her chest. The woman was an idiot. And, playing a dangerous game by taunting Lawson like that.
Bart was in motion before Lawson could react. He stepped between them and placed a hand on Lawson’s chest. “Ignore her. She’s trying to get a reaction,” he said.
Lawson’s chest heaved beneath Bart’s hand and his eyes blazed hotter than liquid steel as he glared at Elaine. No doubt the woman would be skinned alive if the two were left alone.
“Officers, I’ll have you know the scientists at my laboratory are trying to find a cure for cancer. We believe shifter blood is the key. That’s why the shifters were at my facility. No harm was done,” she explained as she composed herself. Her calm and matter-of-fact demeanor infuriated Bart and his anger exploded beyond his control.
“And, what about the shifters you shot today?” Bart demanded. “We don’t know if Erika will survive. If she doesn’t, her blood is on your hands,” he shouted as rage boiled in his veins. If Erika died, he would be the one in prison for murder.
Lawson was the one to step in this time. “I know exactly how you feel, but you’re right. We can’t lose our cool. She’ll use it against us,” he explained.
“That was self-defense. She attacked me, and you know it,” Elaine countered. “I demand you arrest these two men,” she insisted and glared at the officers.
